Chapter 19
Penny
Monty: Can you skip the football game on Saturday?
Me: For what?
Monty: Our date.
Me: Oh, a day date? Intriguing.
Monty: And night.
Me: Wow, you’re really going for the jugular.
Monty: LOL what?
Me: you know the saying…like you’re going for the gold.
Monty: Haha sure Xuxuzinho, whatever you say. But yes I’d like your full Saturday day and night. Can I have them?
I stare at Monty’s text, considering what he’s asking me.
I’ll have to have my mom cover the store for me, which I always hate doing.
Not because my mom isn’t happy to do it, but I’m just not great at asking for help.
Then again, I’m far too intrigued to see what Monty has planned to say no.
Besides, most of the town will be at the football game anyway so business will probably be slow.
Also, what’s the point of having your own business if you can’t take off a random Saturday for a date?
Me: I suppose I can take you down with my pencil.
Monty: Lol Xuxuzinho, we gotta work on your sayings.
Monty: I’ll take that as a yes.
I beam at the phone.
Me: Yes.
***
Three days later and I’m pacing the store waiting for Monty to pick me up.
He refused to give me even a hint as to our plans, saying that whatever I normally wear would be fine for what we’re doing.
I have half a mind to walk out in a full ball gown just to screw with him.
Or a Halloween costume—Babs has plenty I could have borrowed.
I touch my cheeks, feeling a smile spread across them. I’m smiling a lot lately and I know it’s because of Monty. Whatever it is we’re doing, I’m having a good time. A really good time.
My most recent post on Instagram was also a huge hit, which means I’m not going to miss out on lost profits today since my online sales have been incredible.
apennyforyourbooks: Must haves in a perfect book boyfriend (aka my non negotiables for what I want in my own boyfriend)
Must love books. Have good taste in music. A fantastic sense of humor—the banter should be elite. Must know how to cook and enjoy feeding me. Tattoos are a definite plus. Oh, and Slutty Glasses. Must have slutty glasses.
Does that make me shallow? Yup. Do I care? Nope. Give me all the men with glasses and tattoos please.
I’d held up three books that had characters with both tattoos and glasses and added affiliate links to my bio and once again, they went crazy.
I’m giddy with excitement. It feels like I’m finally doing the damn thing. Like maybe I can make this business work after all.
The bell above the door jangles and I hear my sister yell, “Is he here yet?”
“Oh my gosh you are so embarrassing,” I respond, but as I round the corner, I find it’s not just my sister. Nope, it’s my sister, Rosie, my mother, and Billie. I motion to Billie. “You, too? I expected this from them, but I thought we were friends.”
Billie looks stricken. “They dragged me out of the brewery. But I’m going to spend the afternoon with your mom. Swear that’s the only reason I’m here.”
“Leave Billie alone,” Tally scolds.
“I’m just teasing her,” I say with a grin, and Billie relaxes.
“So this is your first official date,” my mom says, wearing a smile. She was so excited when I asked her to cover the store for me so I could go out with Monty. I feel slightly bad for lying but I am excited for the date, so that part of it is not a lie. Even if it is fake.
I try not to squirm under the heat of their attention.
I opted for a burgundy tank top under a long black cardigan that I’ve paired with my favorite inky-blue jeans.
My hair is tied back in a thick braid, and I’m wearing some light makeup—trying and I’m sure failing—to cover up my freckles and inevitable blushing.
“It is.”
My mother beams. “You look beautiful.”
“She looks hot,” Rosie agrees, stalking toward me. I flinch as her hands go to my bangs. “Why do you keep cutting these?”
I huff out a breath and they fly up. “Because I have a big forehead.”
“You have a beautiful forehead,” my mother argues.
Tally laughs. “You’re sweet, Mom, but Penny does have a big forehead. And she looks gorgeous with her bangs. Just gotta keep up with them.”
Like Rosie, she heads in my direction, hands stretched out toward my fringe.
“Can everyone stop touching me, please?!”
My sister glances at Rosie. “She’s a testy one before a date. Was she always like this?”
Rosie nods. “Yup.”
“I’m right here…”
Billie lets out a snort before slapping a hand over her mouth. “Sorry, I don’t mean to laugh—”
“Just you wait until it’s you who’s dating,” I tease. “I’ll make sure Walker is oh-so-conveniently there each time, watching you like a grump…”
“Nope.” She shakes her head seriously. “Not happening.”
“We’ll wear her down yet,” Tally says, wrapping an arm around Billie.
The door jangles again and I brace myself, fluttering my eyes closed in a silent prayer—please God, don’t let it be the Liberty Ladies.
“Oh, look how handsome he looks,” my mom croons.
I open my eyes, and when I spot the man walking toward me, my face splits into a big goofy grin.
“What are you wearing?” I say through a laugh.
Monty looks hot. His T-shirt hugs his chest and his beautiful tattoos are on display. The ripped jeans and black Vans almost make him look too cool for me. And of course those glasses I’m a total sucker for, and he’s wearing an indecent smirk that makes his green eyes twinkle in delight.
But none of that is why I’m laughing. It’s because the shirt that hugs his body so perfectly reads, I like big books and I cannot lie. Monty tugs on the front of it and grins.
“Remember how you said, ‘Create the date that the person you’re seeing will want to go on’? Well, this is me knowing my audience.”
I snort.
“Wait, why are you telling him how to date?” Rosie asks.
My cheeks flush, but before I can even fathom a lie, Monty chooses the truth. “Pen is helping me write a book with romance in it.”
“Oh, that’s so smart. Penny knows everything about romance,” Tally declares.
“She does,” he agrees. “Now if you’ll excuse us, we’ve got a date to get to.”
“Don’t have her back too late!” Tally calls as my mother shushes her.
“Keep her out all night long!” Rosie cackles.
“Oh my God,” Billie says, incredulous. She’s going to have to grow a thicker skin if she’s working for Rosie.
“Bye, girls!” I wave at them and press a kiss to my mom’s cheek.
She wraps a quick arm around me. “Proud of you for taking a chance again, Penny.”
I force a smile—I hate lying to Mom. But when Monty holds out a hand to me, leaning in and whispering, “You look gorgeous, Xuxuzinho,” this doesn’t feel like a lie at all.
Outside, Monty guides me to his father’s old blue Volkswagen.
“Well, this is a blast from the last decade,” I mumble as he opens the passenger door for me.
He chuckles. “Blast from the past, you mean.”
I roll my eyes as I settle in the car and wait for him to take the seat beside me. He starts the engine up and grabs my hand, squeezing it tight.
“I’m so excited for today. Thank you for coming with me.”
I expect him to pull away as we drive, but instead, he guides my hand into his lap and holds it there.
It’s not exactly comfortable because I have to lean across him to really reach, but there’s absolutely no way I’m telling him that.
I’d lose feeling in my arm before I gave up the chance to have Monty holding my hand.
Sitting in this car, holding hands with this man, is my teenage fantasy come to life.
Of course, said fantasy would probably also include kissing and some seriously heavy petting. But there’s still time for that—in the name of research, obviously.
“Thank you for inviting me,” I say, scooching closer to Monty in an attempt to make this position comfier. “So where are we going?”
“Still a surprise.”
Monty gives me carte blanche to choose whatever I want on the radio, and once I find a classic rock station, we roll down the windows and yell-sing the lyrics to every song.
As it’s the third Saturday in September, fall decorations, including some more spooky ones, are starting to sprout up on Maple Lane.
Cranberry mums, golden gourds, and round orange pumpkins dress the sidewalks, and I can’t help but smile at the sight.
By the time we hit the highway, I’m grinning from ear to ear.
The leaves are the most beautiful shades of yellow and red.
If Monty’s date idea is to drive around and sing in the car to check out the fall foliage, he’ll have scored a perfect ten on the dating scoreboard.
Though I’m not upset when we take the exit for the city forty-five minutes later.
I’m even happier when he parks the car and guides me toward the biggest romance bookstore in Boston.
“Are we going inside?” I ask, eyes glued to the gorgeous store in front of us—the outside is painted in a bubblegum pink and topped with a striped white-and-red awning.
Little hearts and Hot Girls Read Books stickers adorn the windows; it’s loud in its celebration of the genre and my heart skips a beat.
“Yup.”
I finally tear my gaze away from the store and face Monty. “Oh my God. This might be the best date ever.”
“You sure?” Monty stares at me for a moment, a little uncertain. “Because I know you own a bookstore…I just thought maybe you’d like to—”
“I’ve been dying to see this one,” I say, cutting him off.
Monty’s mouth lifts and he holds out a hand. “Okay, Xuxuzinho, let’s go explore.”
For the next hour Monty walks up and down aisles with me and listens as I sell him on every book I recognize.
I pull each one from the shelf, list off the tropes, and explain what I love most about it.
The whole time Monty wears that same smile—mouth curved up, eyes crinkled—like he isn’t just humoring me but actually enjoying himself.
As we round the small-town-romance aisle, Monty steps up close, his mouth just below my ear. “So which one are we getting?”
I shift so I can see him, and his mouth brushes against my cheek. “We’re getting one?”