by M. Sembera
Pressing her wrists against her chest, she muttered, "Ouch," before saying, "So?"
Shaking his head at himself, he replied, "That's not why..."
Penny walked behind the counter, set her elbows down and rested her chin in her palms asking, "What's wrong with you?"
Crossing his arms against his chest, Kieran shared, "I been thinkin' a lot about my legacy."
"Wouldn't it make sense to have a kid then?"
Without answering her, he asked, "You think I was wrong for marking Braden?"
"Yea, I do."
Nodding, Kieran's jaw tightened as he shared, "Every man in our family that's had their heart marked. They found the one, had their heart drawn out, and got the mark. All of 'em stayed together." Rubbing his hand against the Celtic heart tattooed on the left side of his chest with Liv written above it, he continued, "Every damn one."
Seeing the distress in his eyes, Penny tried to make him feel better saying, "Well maybe Braden's was cursed to begin with because your drawer used one she already had instead of making a new one."
"I can't blame your mom for something I did."
"I wish you hadn't put a lily on his chest but Braden's grown, Kieran. A dumbass, but a grown one and he showed up to get it and you gave it to him."
Shaking his head with a deep scowl, Kieran replied, "That's 'cause he didn't know."
"I think he did, deep down. For whatever reason, no matter what she did to him, he held onto it. I mean, he'd carried it around in his wallet for years."
With a serious expression, Kieran questioned, "You ever do something you think isn't that big of a deal and then find out later it could be the worst mistake you've ever made?"
Shrugging at him, Penny shook her head.
"Never mind... Start getting ready, I'm booked for the rest of the day."
Penny gave him a sweet smile before heading over set up his table.
Five
After looking out of his peephole, Seth cautiously opened his apartment door. Apparently it had been muffin week next door. Starting with cherry pecan Monday, the rest of the week had consisted of blueberry, chocolate chip, cranberry almond and mixed berry. His stomach growled as he thought about his hand delivered breakfast over the past week. It hadn't mattered how determined he was not to eat them, half way to work Monday he'd caved in. After taking a bite of the first one, he couldn't stop himself. He'd finished all four before he pulled into the JPT Financial parking lot.
By the time Wednesday rolled around, Penny got the hint and was standing there with the muffins already in a to-go bag. He wasn't sure exactly why she kept giving him muffins but by Friday, he'd smiled back at her and said 'Thanks'. Which was kinda nice, he guessed, but today was Saturday and although he was going for a run, he had nowhere to quickly run off to. If she was there, waiting for him to come out of his apartment, he'd have to talk to her. Just the thought gave him chest pains.
~
Penny sat at her kitchen table trying to figure out what to bake for Seth next. The muffins were a hit. Okay well, maybe not. The whole point of giving them to him on a plate was so he would return the plate and she could spark up a conversation with him. After the first two days, it was pretty clear he wasn't going to get chatty. The most he'd said to her was 'Thanks' but he'd sort of smiled when he said it. Maybe he was more of a cinnamon roll type of guy.
Charlotte walked into the kitchen as Penny looked in her book of family recipes.
"Thinking up new ways to stalk the neighbor?"
Laughing Penny replied, "I'm thinking cinnamon rolls..."
"Sounds delicious."
Flipping the recipe book upside down on the table, to hold her spot, she sighed, "I just don't understand it."
"What?" Charlotte asked as she sat down at the table across from Penny.
"I would be excited if someone were baking for me every morning."
"Look, I'm loving the benefits of your stalkery but tasty treats aside, how would you feel if some weird guy was waiting outside your door every morning?"
"But I'm not some weird guy, I'm freakin' awesome and I want us to be friends!" Penny replied getting overly excited out of frustration.
Charlotte stood up with a laugh before saying, "You are awesome. Maybe he's not into baked goods. If the cinnamon rolls don't work, try lingerie."
"Oh ha-ha."
"I bet if he walked out and saw you in your underwear, y'all would be best friends in no time."
"You're not helping," Penny griped.
"Sorry, I forgot you're on the no sex wagon."
Penny giggled at Charlotte's term 'no sex wagon' as she stood up and walked to the living room.
Charlotte followed behind Penny before heading towards the door as she sat down on the couch.
"I'm going to Auggie's I'll see you tomorrow."
Nodding, Penny said, "Okay, see you tomorrow.
As Charlotte left the apartment, Penny looked around. She was happy for her brother and friend but it was a little lonely at the apartment all by herself and in just a few months, she would be living there all alone.
Reaching over to the coffee table, Penny picked up her cell phone and scrolled through her playlist. She needed something to lift her spirits. Swiping past love songs and her 80's rap albums she found just the song. 'Shake it off' by Taylor Swift. Hopping up off of the couch, Penny opened the curtains and front window, allowing fresh air and sunshine to fill the room. She slid her cell phone into the speaker dock against the wall and turned the volume up. Setting the song on loop, that's what she was going to do. She was going to shake it off.
~
Swiping his entry card as he jogged back through the security gate that surrounded the apartment complex, Seth admitted the walking path that surrounded the complex was definitely a bonus to living there. It was much better than going to the gym. The humidity was low and the fresh air and sunshine made for a great run. Dashing up the steps to his apartment, he felt relaxed and refreshed.
When Seth reached the balcony, he stopped. His neighbor's window was open wide giving him a direct view of Penny in her living room. Dancing? She was bouncing around, swinging her arms and her long auburn hair was everywhere. He moved to the side a little just in case she turned around. At first he found it hard not to laugh then as he watched her he found himself simply smiling.
He wasn't thinking about how wrong spying on her through the window was until he felt a tap on his shoulder. Pulling his earbuds out of his ears, he quickly turned around.
"Happy Saturday, Lurker!" Liv greeted.
Stumbling back, he couldn't reply. At that moment, Seth wanted to die. Even when Liv winked at him before letting herself into Penny's apartment.
Fumbling for his keys felt like an eternity. When he finally made it in, Seth locked the door and leaned against it. Liv had caught him peeping on Penny. Seth's stomach churned as his head throbbed. He really was a lurker... And he was going to be sick.
~
Skipping over to the speaker dock, Penny paused the music on her cell phone. Happy to have the company, Liv was better than any song. Penny had lots of friends, some close and some she just kind of knew but Liv was right there at the top in being one of her favorite people.
Although Liv had married in, Penny always felt like they were closer than any of her cousins. They were sort of in the same boat when it came to the family. Except for the fact that while most of Penny's family disapproved of her life choices, they just plain disapproved of Liv. As far as the older members of her family were concerned, especially Penny's mom Sarah, the men in the family could pretty much do whatever they wanted. They were boys. But God forbid if one of the girls step out of line.
Liv was laughing as she made her way to the couch.
"Don't let me stop you from shakin' that big ol' Irish bootie."
Penny laughed back before correcting, "My bootie's not big but it is very Irish."
"Neighbor boy Lurker seemed to enjoy it," she shared.
Prac
tically jumping on top of Liv, Penny hopped onto the couch.
"He was watching me? How? Was he smiling? Did it look like he was going to knock on the door and say hi? Or did he seem..."
"Whoa there! Somethin' going on with you and Lurker?"
Penny slid back and leaned her head against the back couch cushions, saying, "I'm trying to make friends with him."
Slapping her hands together, Liv blurted, "Ha!" before saying, "You are something else, Penny."
"I baked him muffins all last week and the most I got was a 'Thanks' but..."
Liv's eyes grew wide at Penny as she interrupted her questioning, "You did what now?"
With an eye roll as she sighed, Penny explained, "I was trying to be friendly so we could be friends. I baked muffins every morning last week and when he came out to go to work I gave them to him."
"A...."
"Stop looking at me like that!"
Taking a deep breath, Liv shared, "I'm sorry but no one does that. Unless, they're trying to poison someone."
Sitting up straight, Penny gasped, "Oh my gosh!" before asking, "Do you think I should go tell him they're not poisoned?"
Laughing Liv said, "No!"
"Why are you laughing? I don't want him to start thinking I'm crazy! I was going to do cinnamon rolls this week."
Shaking her head at Penny, Liv replied, "You are so sweet and silly. Everyone should get to have you in their life, but he may not want to be friends."
"He wants to be friends, I know it. It's just he doesn't know it yet."
"Just promise you'll stop before you start baking cookies with his face on them."
Penny nodded with a smile. Maybe wooing someone into friendship with baked goods wasn't a common thing but maybe if people did things like that more often, everyone would be happier.
Six
Thankfully Seth had the good sense to stop by the grocery store on his way home from work Friday. He couldn't bring himself to step foot out of his apartment after his run Saturday afternoon. He'd laid in bed all day Sunday with a bag of chips and a jug of water thinking of reasons to move. Then he started making a mental list as to why he should have never moved there in the first place. That led to Seth questioning why the universe hated him enough to place him right next door to the only person, other than his father, that could bring an anxiety attack on just by thinking about her.
Reaching out, for the third time, to open his door, Seth drew in a deep breath and then exhaled leaning his forehead against the door instead of opening it. Surely Penny wouldn't be out there today. There was no doubt in his mind that Liv went straight inside and told her he was watching her through the window.
He had already embarrassed himself enough with her, in one of the most humiliatingly regretful experiences of his life. Now if he gathered the courage to talk to her what was he supposed to say? 'Hey, you know how I took you out that time, didn't speak to you and wouldn't sit next to you? Then had all my classes switched around so I wouldn't have to be anywhere near you? Well, good news neighbor! Now I just peer at you through open windows like a perv'.
The truth was, it had taken Seth nearly the entire school year to work up the courage to go up to Penny and ask her out. He couldn't believe it when she said yes. The night of their date, she looked so pretty in her little yellow sundress. When she smiled and held his hand, it was like holding fresh air and sunshine.
Then her two older brothers walked in and said they needed a word with him out back. Seth knew when they showed him the makeshift cemetery in their back yard it was for pets, not people. The chances of Penny having dated someone named Senior Jingle Bells were slim but it was the fact that her brothers seemed serious.
In his mind, all it would have taken was one wrong move and there would have been a Seth marker right next to Senior Bells. And that's how it usually started. One thought that grew in his mind until it took over the rest of his body, leading to an anxiety attack.
Convincing himself Penny would be too offended by his lurking to be on the balcony with muffins this morning, Seth finally swung the door open and stepped out.
"Good morning!" Penny's voice cheered at him.
Once again, in disbelief, he stared at her.
Titling a large plate towards him, she offered, "Cinnamon roll?"
~
Penny's eyebrows raised as she smiled wide in anticipation. Hoping to at least get another thank you out of him, she wasn't prepared for what happened next.
He had a look of sheer panic as he reached back for his doorknob. When he missed, he fell against the wall.
"Are you okay?" Penny asked as he slumped down to the balcony floor.
Unsure of what to do, she stepped closer trying to get a better look at his face and make sure he was still breathing.
With her hands full, Penny nudged his side with her foot, "Umm...Seth?"
Breathing a sigh of relief when he squeezed his eyes shut and groaned, at least he wasn't dead.
"Can I get you something?"
Seth frantically shook his head back and forth as he reached his arm back trying to grab the doorknob.
Doing her best to remain upbeat when it was pretty clear he was trying to get away, Penny asked, "So to go then?"
Continuing to shake his head, Seth choked out a, "No," before finding the doorknob and making his escape.
Penny watched as he flung himself back into his apartment and closed the door.
Standing on the balcony by herself, holding a tray of cinnamon rolls, Penny was about ready to give up. It was one thing for him to be shy, but it was a whole other thing for him freak out and then ninja roll back into his apartment like she was carrying a severed head. It wasn't like she didn't have better things to do then bake goodies for him every morning. She just wanted to be friends. It was getting hard for her not to take his actions personal.
Deciding to give it one final effort, Penny sat down, leaning against the wall between their apartment doors, she placed the tray of cinnamon rolls on her lap. He had to come out sometime and when he did she would just ask him to be her friend. If he said no then, that would be that.
~
Lying on the floor by his door, Seth couldn't believe how he had just acted. He thought she would be upset, outraged even but no, she was standing there smiling telling him good morning with freshly baked cinnamon rolls. And he just made a huge ass out of himself.
Picking himself up off of the floor, he knew one of two things was going to happen. One, Penny would not greet him good morning with anything ever again or two, she would still be out there, and he would have to face her. Pulling his cell phone out of the inside pocket of his suit jacket, Seth called his boss.
It only took two rings for Jackson to pick up.
"Hey Seth."
"Jackson, I had something come up this morning. Is it alright if I come in after lunch?"
"I already told you to take a day or two off. Moving is a pain."
"Thank you. I'll be in after lunch."
With a laugh Jackson replied, "Alright then, see you this afternoon," before he hung up.
After taking a moment to appreciate having a man like Jackson as his boss, Seth stepped out of his apartment.
Glancing around, he saw Penny sitting against the wall with the tray of cinnamon rolls on her lap. When she didn't automatically look up at him, he took a few steps closer.
Looking down at his feet, she said, "Oh, you scuffed your shoe."
Before he knew it she had taken a napkin from out of her pocket, put it to her mouth and then started rubbing his shoe with it.
He took a few deep breaths, finding it hard to believe how her touching his shoe was making him feel before saying, "Your cinnamon rolls smell good. May I have one?"
Penny looked up at him and smiled, lifting the tray off of her lap and holding it up towards him.
He started to reach for one, then asked, "Can I sit with you?"
With a little laugh, Penny replied, "It's your balcony too."
/> Nodding, Seth removed his suit jacket, laid it over the balcony rail and sat down next to Penny.
He sat still next to her for a few minutes without saying a word. After a few controlled breaths, he started to feel more at ease next to her.
Picking up a cinnamon roll off of the tray, he said, "Thank you."
"You're welcome and by the way, they aren't poisoned or anything like that."
Caught off guard, he paused before taking a bite.
Without skipping a beat, she asked, "What do you like to do for fun?"
"Run."
"Really? I don't run unless someone's chasing me," she laughed before asking, "You really like to run? I mean it's fun for you?"
Finishing his bite of cinnamon roll he answered, "Yes I do."
There was an awkward pause before she started talking again.
"I like to hang out with Charlotte and Liv, of course but I like to go out too. Mostly to The Dog House, to watch my brother Braden play and give Auggie a hard time. My brother Ailin used to be in the band. He and Sophia had a baby a few months ago. Then he was offered a promotion at work, they live in Chicago now."
Seth sat there trying to absorb everything she was saying while eating his cinnamon roll.
"You remember Sophia, don't you?"
As he nodded he recalled wondering how someone as nice as Penny could be friends with snotty stuck up Sophia.
"Well anyways, I'm really excited about the fair coming up. Are you?"
Shrugging, he replied, "I guess...No, not really."
Penny appeared disappointed for a moment before asking, "Got any tattoos?"
Seth smiled slightly as he replied, "No."
"Well, if you ever decide to get one, I work at Legacy Ink."
Picking up another cinnamon roll Seth nodded at her before taking a bite.
He remembered that from Charlotte's conversation with his parents. At the time, there seemed to be too much going on for him to dwell on the information but now, he was curious.
"You don't look like you would work there," he shared.
With a little laugh, Penny questioned, "Why? Because I don't look like Liv?"
Feeling a tiny bit embarrassed about his stereotypical judgment, he replied, "Sorry."