by Amy Hopkins
“Cisco would wear a t-shirt and jeans to visit the queen,” Amelia pointed out. “Do you really trust his opinion on dress codes?”
“Well, no.” Penny prickled with indecision. “Boots? What do you think?”
Boots gave an excited shiver. She’d been watching the exchange between Penny and Amelia, swaying back and forth between them. It seemed she was getting right into the spirit of dressing Penny for her date. Now, she slipped to the floor and slithered to the open closet. Boots disappeared inside, burying herself in dresses and coats.
A moment later, a green pantsuit landed on the floor. Penny and Amelia looked at each other. “That’s perfect!” they cried in unison.
Penny snatched the pantsuit up, laughing at their agreement. “Boots, you’re the best!”
Boots chuckled in agreement. She emerged from the wardrobe, one grey satin flat hooked on her tail. She dropped it at Penny’s feet.
“Oh, you even picked shoes to match!” Penny kissed the serpent’s head. “Classy enough for dinner, but comfortable enough if he’s made other plans. Perfect!”
Penny wriggled into her outfit and slipped on the shoe Boots had provided. Amelia searched for the other while Penny dug through her makeup case. By the time the errant shoe was uncovered, Penny was almost ready to go.
“Wow. You look hot!” Amelia presented Penny with the missing shoe. “Totes bangable.”
Penny choked. “What did you just say?” She tried to wave away tears of laughter before they ruined her mascara.
“You heard exactly what I said.” Amelia passed Penny a tissue. “And just so you know, Red and I are out for the night. All night.”
Gasping for breath, Penny fell back onto the bed.
“No! You’ll ruin your hair.” Amelia hauled Penny up and put on her most innocent face. “I promise I’ll behave. Mostly.”
Amelia patted Penny down and inspected her hair for any damage, fussing over her until Penny finally grabbed her hands.
“Stop!” Penny smoothed her outfit. “I swear, it feels like you’re more invested in this relationship than Cisco and I are.”
Amelia leaned in for a hug, careful not to crease Penny’s clothes. “I’m just so happy,” she murmured. “Red means everything to me, and so do you guys. I want you both to be as happy as we are.”
An unexpected sting prickled Penny’s eyes. “Stop,” she insisted. “You’re gonna make me cry.”
Amelia patted Penny’s shoulders and spun her toward the door. “Go on. He’ll be waiting for you.”
“I was supposed to meet him out front five minutes ago,” Penny pointed out as she was hustled out of their room. “He won’t show for at least another ten.”
“You never know. He might surprise you!”
Taking the advice on board, Penny hurried downstairs. Cisco had insisted she meet him on the front steps of the Academy. When the soft purr of a car crept closer, she saw why.
Cisco waved out of the window as he pulled the Maserati to a stop at the bottom of the steps. “You’re late,” he chided.
Penny waited for him to come around and open her door. He did so with a flourish, bowing as she stepped past him to sink back into the luxurious upholstery.
“Sorry. I thought you meant five o’clock Cisco time.” Penny grinned as he slid back into the driver’s seat. “This is the first time ever you haven’t been late.”
“Me? Late?” He winked. “Maybe you’ve turned over a new Cisco.”
“Maybe.” Penny ran a hand over the leather interior. “Mack loaned you his car?”
“Mack?” The corners of Cisco’s mouth turned up in a smirk. “This baby’s all mine.”
Penny lifted a skeptical eyebrow. “Uh-huh.”
Relaxing, Cisco started the engine again. “Fine. But Mack said I was allowed to say it’s mine. Just for tonight.”
The car pulled away from the Academy, and Penny couldn’t help a shiver of excitement. “Will you tell me where we’re going yet?” she asked. “I know you said to wear something casual, but I feel underdressed for the car, let alone what comes next!”
“You look amazing,” Cisco reassured her. “Don’t worry. You really don’t need to dress up where we’re going.” He hesitated, frowning. “Although… You’re not wearing heels, are you?”
Penny shook her head. “You know I hate them.”
“Good.” Cisco pressed a small screen on the dash and the dulcet tones of Elton John filled the car. “You don’t mind if we get a bit retro tonight?”
“Not at all.” Penny tried not to read too much into his song choice—You Are So Beautiful.
She let her eyes drift to the bright city lights as they cruised through Portland. Even the most familiar streets seemed to hold a special quality when viewed through the tinted windows, with the smooth music in the background and Cisco next to her.
She slid her gaze to him. He was focused on the road, his posture relaxed. The collar of his salmon-pink shirt was loose. His skin glistened with moisture, and his hair was still damp from the shower.
Penny looked away, a flush creeping up her face. Outside, the sun threw glittering orange sparkles across the surface of the Willamette river as they zipped along beside it.
“The river looks beautiful in the sunset,” Penny said, desperate to break the silence.
“Oh, you just wait.” Cisco didn’t elaborate on his cryptic remark, but it seemed she would find out soon enough. He slid the car into a parking spot by the river. “Almost there.”
“Almost?” Penny itched to ask questions, but he was clearly enjoying the surprise. “Okay, then. Where to?”
Cisco darted around to open her car door, then offered a hand to help her out.
Penny took it gladly, grateful she had worn sensible shoes. Getting out of the deep, comfortable seats of the Maserati may have been difficult otherwise, although she had no doubt someone like Amelia could have handled it with ease.
After a quick glance in either direction, Cisco tugged Penny’s hand and led her across the street.
There goes that theory, Penny thought as he led her away from the river.
The Mexican restaurant was crowded and noisy. Cheerful voices drowned each other out, greetings called out across tables as patrons arrived and servers recognized their guests.
“Cisco!” A tall man, thin and stately, spread his arms wide. “Your table awaits, as requested. I take it this is the young lady your mother tells me you’re so fond of?”
Cisco coughed. “Please, Dad. Not tonight?”
Mr. Madera smiled, and Penny was struck by his resemblance to his son. Both had grins that reached their eyes, sparkling in a way that was utterly contagious. Penny couldn’t help but be charmed when he took her hand and bowed low.
“Of course, Francisco. Your table awaits.” He stepped back and Cisco all but dragged Penny past the cacophony of the restaurant, toward a set of narrow stairs.
“This way.” He led her up past the second floor and opened the door to their destination.
The restaurant rooftop glowed with tiny lights strung overhead. Beyond, the city lights sparkled to life one by one as the sky faded from orange to purple, the change reflecting on the rippled surface of the river. Cisco drew his phone out and tapped the screen before slipping it away. Music drifted from a nearby speaker.
Penny eyed the single table draped with a red cloth, two candles flickering in the center beside a carafe of water and two glasses. Unable to find her voice, she allowed Cisco to tug her closer, then draw her seat out.
Once he was done, he sat across from her. Worry darkened his features. “Do you like it?” he asked nervously.
Penny giggled. “It’s incredible. Cisco, I never knew you were such a romantic!”
“It runs in the family.” Cisco winked, then poured her a glass of water.
Penny gulped it down, trying unsuccessfully to settle the butterflies in her stomach. “Do I get to meet your dad later?”
Cisco groaned. “I knew you’d
ask that. You can, but only if you make me a promise.”
Penny nodded. “What?”
“Whatever lame, embarrassing story he comes up with about my childhood, you can’t tell anyone.” He leaned closer. “Swear it on your life.”
“I swear.” Penny grinned. “Maybe one day you can Skype my parents and learn all my childhood secrets.”
“I’d love that,” he replied, his easy grin reappearing.
The rooftop door scraped open and a head popped through. “You ready, Cisco?”
“Sure.” Cisco quickly nudged the glasses to one side to make room for the tray laden with small plates of food. He helped the waiter set them on the table, each one holding a different dish.
Penny eyed the small yellow balls topped with salsa. “These look safe,” she commented dryly.
“Don’t worry,” Cisco told her, grinning. “I told them you’re from the land of no spice. They went easy on the chili and jalapenos.”
“Hey, Australia has spice!” Penny protested. “I just don’t eat any of it.”
Cisco pushed the plate she’d chosen toward her. “It’s a polenta stack. Go on, you’ll love it. I promise.”
She did, indeed, love it. The warm polenta and cool, crisp tomato were simple but expertly combined.
Cisco leaned in and scooped a little on his fork. “I just asked for a whole bunch of tasting plates. I hope that’s okay? I figured that way, if you don’t like something, there’s plenty of other things to choose from.”
Penny eyed the dozen small plates. “There’s no way we can eat all of this.”
Cisco laughed. “Wanna bet?”
“Okay, you probably could.” Penny sipped her water. She looked up when the door opened again.
“Almost forgot.” Cisco’s father brandished a bottle of wine and two glasses. He set them on the table and bowed low. “Can’t have our guests of honor getting thirsty, can we?”
“Forgot my ass,” Cisco mumbled.
Penny stifled a giggle at that. “Thank you, Mr. Madera.”
The man’s eyes opened wide. “How did you know my name?” he gasped, one hand to his chest in shock.
“Uh…” Penny looked at Cisco.
“Ignore him,” he told her. “He’s the king of dad jokes.”
“It is a crown I wear with pride.” Mr. Madera bowed again, then snatched up a plate from the tray and held it out to Penny. “Go on, eat. You do not want the fish to go cold.”
Penny took the plate he offered and set it before her. She took a tentative bite of the spiced fish, then closed her eyes in delight. “Oh, wow. This is what I’ve been missing all my life?”
“I told you I’d convert you,” Cisco announced proudly. He shooed his father away. “Off with you, old man. You’re cramping our style.”
“Fine, fine!” Madera backed away, then scooted back. “You know, I remember my own father trying to insert himself into my dates with your mother. ‘Franco,’ he would say, ‘this woman is—”
“Dad!” Cisco hissed. “Go already. Please?”
“Fine.” Mr. Madera spun on a heel and headed for the door. “Yell if you need anything!”
“Go!” Cisco threw his hands in the air when they were finally alone again. “I knew this was a terrible idea.”
“It wasn’t.” Penny leaned over to touch her fingers against his. “Your dad is hilarious, I love him already.”
“I didn’t bring you here to fall for my dad,” Cisco teased. “But we’re almost out of time. Eat!” He scooped up a bite of shredded chicken into a torn-off piece of tortilla, dipped it into a sauce on the side of the plate, and held it out for Penny.
She opened her mouth and tried to bite it, but his hand wavered at the last moment. The dressing smooshed her nose.
“Oh. Oh, wow, I’m so sorry.” Cisco snatched up a napkin and held it out. He managed to keep his expression of concern for a good three seconds before bursting into laughter.
Penny laughed with him, and the rest of their meal was eaten in between childhood stories, teasing, and laughter. Occasionally Cisco would reach out and rub a thumb over Penny’s wrist, or she would inch her fingers close enough to link with his.
The wine had warmed Penny’s cheeks. She leaned back in her seat to wave her hands at her face. “It’s warm up here.”
Cisco nodded, but before he spoke, his eyes brightened. “The sun is almost down. It’s time!” He stood and took Penny’s hand. She followed him, gripping his fingers tightly when he urged her over the edge of the building and down onto the tiny landing of a fire escape.
Penny sat on the blanket that had already been laid on the platform and dangled her legs over the edge. When Cisco was settled next to her, she moved closer to him.
He reached out to point at the river. The water was dark now that night had fallen. “Look.”
Penny’s eyes ran over the Willamette river, wondering what she was supposed to be looking at. The river was beautiful, true, but his insistence suggested there was something else…
A flash of blue light sparkled in the depths. “What… Oh. Oh!” Penny’s breath caught as the flash of blue became a mass of sparkles. The tiny flashes darted back and forth, leaving streaks of gentle light behind them. One sprang out of the water, sailing through the air before diving under again.
“They’re beautiful,” Penny whispered, afraid she would break the spell. “What are they?”
“Sprites.” Cisco wasn’t watching the river. Instead, his gaze was locked on Penny. One arm slid around her waist and when she leaned against him, she felt him give a satisfied sigh. “I’m probably going to owe Paddy my soul for eternity for organizing it—”
“You organized it?” Penny asked.
“Uh...” Cisco pulled back to look at her. “That’s a good thing, isn’t it? Because if not, I had nothing to do with it.”
Penny kissed his cheek. “I’d have been happy with pizza and a movie. This? This is…wow.”
Cisco blushed, dipping his head and grinning. “Oh. Good. I hoped you’d like it.”
Penny pulled his face to hers. This time when she kissed him, it was on his lips. “I love it.”
Chapter Eleven
The next few days passed in a whirl. Despite Amelia’s complaint that she hadn’t “put the empty dorm room to good use,” Penny was grateful to see her friend had stepped back a little from teasing Penny and Cisco about their burgeoning relationship.
Classes zoomed by. Penny drowned in a sea of homework, assignments, and projects. Glass had warned his class that their marks for the semester would take into account their fitness levels, so she had been spending more time at the Academy gym. With three mythology projects assigned and her shifts at Paddy’s bar, though, that didn’t leave much time for socializing outside of class.
It wasn’t until Professor Anand commented about Trevor’s second absence that Penny realized he hadn’t spoken to her about his case. Come to think of it, I haven’t even bumped into him this week. She resolved to hunt him down by the weekend to see how he was progressing.
The only blip in her week other than Trevor’s absence was her class with Professor Steele. Yet again, the professor suggested Boots would be happier if she had the chance to return home.
“Boots, do you want to go home?” Penny asked the serpent directly.
Boots shook her head emphatically.
“See?” Penny told the Professor. “She wants to be here. I didn’t make her come with me. I didn’t even think it was a possibility. She chose to do that all by herself.”
Professor Steele softened. “I’m not saying you coerced her into coming. Just that, if the two of you had formed a bond, it may have caused Boots to make a decision based on your best interests, not hers.”
“I’ve lived with Boots for almost three years now.” Penny glared at the professor, unwilling to let her accusations stand. “I think I know her well enough to say she’s happy here. Thriving, even.”
“That may be the case, but your home
country has a claim on her too.” Steele began to pack the textbooks away. One fell to the ground, scattering a bundle of papers that had been tucked under the front cover. Steele cursed and began to pick them up.
Boots slithered over and nudged the papers closer to the professor with her tail.
“Leave those alone.” Steele snatched them away, making Boots jump back in surprise.
“Come here, Boots.” Penny loosened the top of her backpack, and Boots made a beeline for the safety of her regular hiding spot. Penny stood and slung it over her shoulder, then turned to the professor. “No one has a claim on Boots. She’s her own person, and she can go where she damn well pleases.”
“Of course.” The odd calmness in Steele’s voice belied her earlier actions. “I didn’t say otherwise, dear.
“What does she expect you to do?” Amelia threw a shoe at the wall in frustration. “Force Boots into a cage, shove her on a boat, and deport her?”
Penny flopped back onto her bed. “Maybe? I don’t know. Maybe I’m just blowing it all out of proportion. Now I’ve slept on it, it doesn’t seem so bad.”
“Something is up with her.” Amelia jabbed a finger at Penny. “You listen to your gut, girl. It’s never led you astray before.”
A knock at the door interrupted their conversation. Boots raised her head and gave a happy hiss.
“Oh, shit!” Penny glanced at her watch, knowing even before she did that she was late. “I bet that’s Cisco. I told him I’d catch up with him in an hour. That was an hour and a half ago!”
Cisco’s voice was muffled through the closed door. “Are you decent?”
Penny scrambled to tear off her pajama top. Snatching a clean shirt from the cupboard, she glared at Boots, whose tail was surreptitiously reaching for the door handle. “I swear to God, you cheeky lizard. If you open that door before I’m dressed…”
She didn’t have to finish the threat for it to be effective. Boots dropped her tail and wiggled impatiently. As soon as Penny nodded, she pulled it open and threw herself out and wrapped around Cisco’s legs.
“Woah, there, Boots.” Cisco leaned down to pat her. “Someone’s in a good mood today.”