Chapter 11 #2
“So you wouldn’t be opposed to seeing him again?”
If her body’s reaction—going a little warm and fizzy all over, especially when she remembered his smile in the sunshine as he examined the queen bee in her cage the day before, talking to her quietly about her new hive—was any indication, Penny was not opposed to seeing Zander again.
But that fizziness wasn’t something to indulge, not when she had so much to do.
So she’d leave the envelope of invoices on his front porch and go about her business.
Unless Zander found another colony of bees somewhere in his house, they didn’t have a reason to see each other again.
When a light knock rapped on the front door, RJ rushed to answer.
Penny watched with confusion. They’d already had their food delivered, and RJ always kept Spa Nights clear of interruptions. “Are you expecting someone?”
“Well.” RJ pulled open the door. “As a matter of fact, I am. He’s just a little early.”
Zander filled the doorway in jeans and a Detroit Tigers T-shirt. He gave RJ a wide smile, and the two of them started talking, exchanging words Penny didn’t catch inside her muffled brain. Then he laughed at something RJ said, and swiveled so his attention landed on Penny.
“Penny.” His hands fisted over his stomach before he stuffed them into his back pockets and rocked back on his heels. “Hey.”
“Hi.” She tightened the neck of her robe. Oh god, her robe. And her pajamas. “I didn’t realize you were coming.” She did her best to shoot daggers at RJ. “No one mentioned this.”
RJ ushered Zander inside. “Zander asked for some records of sales I’ve had so far, pricing and numbers of pies and stuff. I have all of that written down in my ledger, so I told him he should stop by for it.”
Ledger? Penny would bet all her beehives that RJ had learned that word today.
Zander’s eyes still hadn’t left Penny, roaming over her face and the robe she was re-cinching tight around her waist. He cleared his throat. “Maybe I’m interrupting something?”
“No!” RJ moved to the desk across the room and opened and closed some drawers.
He was such a little shit. So far, RJ’s small-time baking business had been a strictly fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants operation, which was exactly why Penny had asked Zander to help him out.
“Penny and I just have these spa nights from time to time. You know we grew up together, right? We’re like family. ”
Zander’s gaze flitted between them. “That must be nice.”
“It’s the best.” RJ shuffled papers around.
“When we were kids, our moms joked about us getting married, but that’s not in the cards.
On top of Penny being way too type A for me, I’m ace—” He twisted to look at Zander.
“That’s short for asexual, if you’re not up on the rainbow alphabet.
But Penny isn’t. I mean, she really loves—”
“RJ,” Penny barked. “Please stop. Just find your damn ledger.”
Zander grinned at Penny, clearly biting back a bigger smile. “Nice toes. That’s a good shade on you. The color on your face is a nice touch, too.”
She felt her face—her dried, cracking, green face.
Despite her silent prayers, a swarm of bees did not choose that moment to enter RJ’s house and cause an end to this encounter.
“So,” Zander said slowly. “I’m waiting with bated breath for that first assignment. You’re not going to renege on our agreement, are you?”
“No, I’m—” Covered in dried avocado, totally unable to think, and your T-shirt is the perfect size.
“Planning to drop it off for you tomorrow or the next day. I’m gathering up stuff from last year, thinking maybe you could—” Penny cinched her robe again.
She was not going to discuss the Honey Festival in fuzzy pink PJs.
“You know what? I’ll just leave a note with it explaining everything.
Just drop it on your porch and be on my way. ”
“Sure, okay.” Zander nodded. “If you tell me when you’re coming by, I could—”
“No, no, don’t worry. I can just drop it. I don’t want to bother you.”
A loud bang from the desk made them both jump.
Next to RJ, a pile of cookbooks was strewn on the floor.
“Oh gosh, so sorry about that,” RJ declared.
“Didn’t meant to interrupt you. Zander, I can’t find that ledger after all.
I’ll work on typing it all up anyway, so maybe we can go over that Tuesday? ”
“What happens Tuesday?” Penny asked.
RJ beamed. “Zander and I are going to do some baking.”
“Wow.” She looked between them. “I’m glad to hear that.”
“But wait—oh shoot.” RJ rubbed a palm along his fuzzy head. “Pen, that reminds me. I can’t do next Saturday anymore.”
Next Saturday was supposed to be their trip to the Fairy Light Magic display.
The place had started years ago as a romantic gesture from a local man to his husband—strings of lights draped among the trees to resemble fairies at play—and was now a local tradition, where families adopted portions of the forests and tended to trails.
It was still small and kept largely a secret by locals, but to Penny the place always felt like pure magic.
“Why can’t you go?”
“I forgot about a hockey thing. Got a big game.”
“Isn’t it your bye week? That’s why we were going on Saturday in the first place.”
RJ swallowed. “Oh, yeah. Well, I said I’d sub for someone else. I’m so sorry, Pen.” He clapped his hands. “But you know what? Maybe Zander can go with you.”
This little fucker.
“Zander, you’ve never seen it, right?” RJ barreled on. “It’s this awesome place in the woods with all these lights, definitely worth seeing. You could go with Penny!”
“It’s fine,” Penny said. “I can just go alone.”
“No way, Pen. If I’m ditching you so rudely, Zander should go.”
“Zander does not want to—”
“I mean,” Zander interrupted, running a hand through his hair. “It sounds cool. I wouldn’t mind scoping it out to see if it’s something Winter would like.”
“Exactly! Incredible idea. Scoping it is,” RJ exclaimed before Penny could respond, then quickly ushered Zander to the door.
“Again, so sorry about the ledger. I could have sworn I had it. But glad you came by so we could decide on the Fairy Light Magic plan! How about you pick up Penny next Saturday at eight? She’ll know how to get there. ”
Zander peeked at Penny over RJ’s shoulder as he was all but pushed out the door. All before Penny could say another word.
“See you then, Penny,” Zander said from the doorway. “Feel free to wear your jammies if you want. They look comfortable.”
“Yeah, no, she won’t do that,” RJ answered. “But thanks for coming by, Zander, and I’ll see you Tuesday!”
RJ shut the door and turned with a grin so big it cracked his avocado mask.
“RJ,” Penny groaned. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Isn’t it obvious, Pen?” He leaned against his front door and sighed. “I just got you a date with Zander Bouras.”