by Lanee Lane
Reed came up beside me and placed his hand on my arm. It startled me out of my thoughts.
"Hey, everything ok?"
I looked up into his gorgeous face. His eyes connected with mine.
"Yeah, kinda."
"Let's grab a smoothie from the smoothie bar and take a walk."
"You don't have to do that Reed. You've probably had a long day. I don't want to burden you."
"You aren't a burden. I want to spend time with you."
How could I say no to that?
"Okay."
We ordered our smoothies and decided to walk to a nearby park. At the park, we sat on a bench overlooking a pond. Mother ducks floated across the water with their ducklings.
"So, want to tell me what's got you down?"
"My mom is having a party and my presence is required."
"Okay, I don't see how that's so bad."
"My mom and I don't exactly see eye to eye. Nothing I have ever done has been good enough for her. I'm not skinny enough, smart enough, charming enough. I can't keep a man. The list goes on."
"That really sucks. I'm sorry that you have to put up with that. From what I know so far you’re plenty charming, smart and definitely beautiful."
My face heated up at this comment.
"Thank you, Reed. I'm used to it by now. She's always found ways to make me feel less than. That's probably why I stayed with my ex for so long. I was used to being treated poorly."
"Well, I want you to know if you give me the privilege of getting to know you better I will never treat you like that."
Good grief, the man knew how to sweet talk a woman.
"I appreciate that Reed."
"You know, if you want some support I could always go with you to the party."
His eyes were glued to his feet when he made the suggestion. The lack of eye contact and his legs shaking up and down surprised me. He was nervous. Men didn’t get nervous around me. Especially not men like Reed. I was flattered by his sweet offer to enter into a complete disaster with me. No one had ever offered to be there for me like that beside Noel.
"I don't want to drag you into my family drama. You’ll be running for the hills before we even have a chance to see where things go."
Reed cupped my chin in his hand and turned my face toward him. His thumb brushed lightly back and forth across my cheek.
"Hey, I don't scare easy. I think I can handle your mom. I want to be there for you. It seems like you need someone in your corner for once. I'd like to try to be that guy."
I couldn't help the smile that crept to my face.
"Okay," was all I could say in response. I tried to warn him of the shit storm he was walking into. What happened from here only time would tell.
"So enough about me. Tell me about your family."
I could feel his body stiffen next to mine. I’d hit a nerve. I held my breath waiting to see if he would answer.
"I don't have much family. I have an aunt and uncle that live in California. They have three kids. My Uncle Dwight lives here."
His reaction almost made me scared to ask my next question, but it was out of my mouth before I could help myself.
"What about your parents?"
Reed rubbed his hands back and forth on his thighs to his knees.
"My parents died when I was thirteen."
"Reed, I'm so sorry to hear that."
"It's ok. I'm ok now. Like they say, time heals all wounds."
He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Despite his words, I could tell by his voice that there was still grief. I reached over and covered his hand with mine. He turned his hand palm up and interlocked our fingers. We didn't talk anymore about his parents. We just walked back to my car hand in hand.
My Place
Reed
When we got back to Penelope's car I leaned in to steal a kiss. Those lips had been on my mind every second since our first kiss. Her lips were soft and her body was so responsive. This time proved to be no different. Soft arms around my neck and her fingers glided through my hair. It calmed my nerves. My arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her plush body into mine.
When we broke the kiss her chest visibly heaved up and down. I could feel her heartbeat against my own chest. I wouldn’t be surprised if she could feel mine too. It felt like my heart was beating to the rhythm of an up beat club hit.
I made sure she was safely in her car. Nothing good could happen if we stayed wrapped up in each other’s arms outside of her car. Well it would be good, but certainly not legal for public places. I watched as she drove off. I stood there until I could no longer see her car. I couldn't wait to see her again.
I had no idea what made me open up to Penelope about my parents. I never talked about them to anyone. I didn't tell her much, but the fact that I didn't avoid the question all together was a pretty big deal. I didn't tell her about Abigail, but I knew I would, eventually. I wanted to open up to Penelope. I wanted to get to know her, and I wanted her to know me. The real me. Not the one that women see as eye candy.
There was way more to me than that. Most of the time people didn't bother to see past my body. Honestly, that was fine with me because I was a bit of a loner. I had my Uncle Dwight. I had some friends at the gym too, but I mostly only saw them at work.
I couldn't explain it and I didn't understand it, but I was drawn to Penelope from the moment I saw her. She was breathtaking. She had a certain aura that oozed a strength that only came from overcoming adversity. That was part of what drew me to her.
I surprised myself when I invited myself to her family's party. She just seemed so vulnerable. I think she needed someone in her corner and I wanted to be that person. If it meant having to deal with a difficult family member, then so be it.
The next week flew by and before I knew it, it was the week of the impending party. On Wednesday Penelope and Noel came into the gym for a class. I spotted her as soon as she came in the door. She was laughing at something Noel said. No surprise there because that woman said some off the wall things. I couldn't take my eyes off of Penelope.
She scanned the room until her eyes fell on me and gave me a little wave. We hadn't made anything official, and we always kept things professional when she came in for her training sessions. We did text a lot, and I called her on the days that she didn't come into the gym.
The pair made their way toward me. When they reached me Noel gave Penelope a not-so-subtle shove in my direction. Penelope stumbled, and I caught her by her elbow to steady her. One thing I had learned about Noel was that she did not do subtle. Even still, I liked her because I knew that she wanted what was best for Penelope.
"Hey, ladies. What class are you doing today?"
"Kickboxing, I think it's one of the few we haven't tried," Penelope said.
"I think you’ll probably like it. It’s a great source of cardio and it helps tone as well."
"I get enough cardio with the runs you force on me."
"You complain, but you know you’re getting better and better."
"Yeah, well doesn't mean I like it."
She still put up a funk about running, but I knew she was starting to enjoy it. I had her start keeping a log of how far she ran and for how long. Her excitement when she increased the time she was able to run was evident.
"Um, hmm," was all I replied.
"We better get to the class before it starts," Noel said pulling on Penelope's arm.
"First you push me, now you drag me. What do I do to deserve this treatment?" Penelope looked at me shaking her head, but there was a smile on her face.
"Hey, I need to talk to you about the party later."
"Okay, I get off before your class is over, but I'll wait around for you."
"You don't have to do that. I can call you."
"You could, but I'd like to see you if that's okay."
A sweet smile played on her lips. "Okay, I'd like to see you too."
I stayed at the front desk talking to my coworkers while
I waited for Penelope to get out of her class. An hour later people started to trickle out of the room. When I spotted the duo, Penelope was shaking her head in disagreement to something Noel was saying. As they got closer, I heard Noel say "man up". My curiosity was peaked.
"How was the workout ladies?"
"It was intense," Penelope said.
"Yeah, I sweat my booty off in there," Noel said leaning against the counter for support."
I turned my attention to Penelope. "Did you want to take a walk to the park to talk?"
Noel elbowed Penelope in the rips. She let out an oomph and rubbed her side. Her eyes cut a glare at Noel before turning her gaze back to me.
"I, um, was actually wondering if maybe you wanted to come to my place? I can make dinner. If not that is perfectly fine too. I know it's short notice."
She stammered her way through the request not stopping to take a breath. I was elated inside, but I tried to play it cool. I didn't want to come off as too eager.
"That would be great. I'd love to come."
In more ways than one.
"Okay, great. You can just follow me over if you want."
The two friends said their goodbyes, and I followed Penelope out of the parking lot. Her place wasn't very far from the gym. When we got to her apartment, I followed her to her door. She let us in and I took in the space. It was homie. There were pictures of her and Noel and I assumed her family on the walls and it smelled of vanilla. Her charcoal grey couch was covered decorative pillows and a plush white blanket.
"I'm going to hop in the shower really quick if you don't mind. You can make yourself at home on the couch. I'll be right out."
I longed to join her in the shower. My mind wondered about what her body would look like under those clothes. I knew it would not disappoint. One day I hoped to see her in all of her beautiful glory.
Twenty minutes later she reappeared wearing a pair of yoga pants and a tank top. Her feet were bare and her toes were painted a deep pink color. Feet weren’t typically a turn on for me, but with Penelope everything was a turn on it seemed.
"So, I have some chicken breast and green beans I was planning to cook. I hope that’s ok. I've been trying to eat better since I started working out."
"That's fine with me. I'll help cook."
When we were finished cooking, we took our plates into her living room. We turned on Netflix and decided on The Office. Turned out we were both huge fans.
Our meals were finished, so I edged closer to her on the couch and placed my arm around her shoulder. She snuggled her body into my side and it felt so right.
"What did you need to tell me about the party?"
"Yeah, that. I wanted to give you a rundown of how it will most likely go and what to expect. First, I would say as far as what to wear I would dress nicely. My mom is a stickler for elegance as she says."
"Are we talking suit and tie?"
"No, not that formal. Maybe just a nice button up and slacks. No need for a tie."
"I can do that."
"My mom's friends are snobs. So is she. They'll pretend to be nice, so no need to worry about that. Just know my mom will probably be rude to me. She may also try to give you the third degree. You don't have to tell her anything you don't want to."
"Why would she be rude to you at a party?"
"It's like her life's purpose or something. I don't know."
I didn't like the sound of that. I was going to make it my goal to protect her from her mother at the party.
"What about your dad?"
"I love my dad. He’s awesome. I think you’ll like him. He's not a snob like my mom. He just goes along with these parties to make her happy."
"Sounds like I know who I'll be hanging out with at the party. Don't worry, I'm sure it will be fine. We'll make the best of it."
"I hope you're right."
"I am."
I leaned my head down and captured her lips in mine. I’d wanted to do it all night, and it felt like perfect timing. I wanted to kiss her doubts away.
I ran my hand over the top of her shirt and cupped her breast. They felt perfect just like I knew they would. We deepened the kiss. Her hands roamed up and down my back. After what felt like forever and no time at all, she pulled back from me. Both of our breathing heavy.
"That was amazing, but I think we better stop for now," she said.
I nodded my head in agreement. "It's getting late I better head home before I do a lot more than that. I want you to be ready and comfortable before things go any further."
She walked me to the door. I bent my head down, and she reached up on her toes to meet me. I was granted one last lingering kiss.
The Party
Saturday morning I woke up with a feeling of dread. It was the day of my mom's party and I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I figured most of my nerves were because Reed would be meeting my family. If he wasn't ready to run for the hills, this could be the thing that sent him packing.
I made myself a quick breakfast before starting my beauty routine. I needed to make sure everything was on point to decrease the number of times my mother would insult me. There was no eliminating it completely because there was always something wrong with me in her eyes. Sometimes if I played my cards right things weren't as bad as normal. It may help that I was bringing a guy with me too. She was so hung up on the fact that Alec and I didn't work out.
I took the time to define my naturally curly hair. Then I sat down to apply my makeup. I wore makeup most days, but today I was going for the full beat. Nothing less than the best for mommy dearest. Finally, I slipped on the yellow sundress I picked up earlier that week. I paired it with black wedge heels. I looked pretty darn good if you asked me.
There was a knock at the door. Reed had insisted on picking me up for the occasion. I made my way to the door and took a deep breath before I opened it. A few seconds late I was face to face with him. Boy did he look yummy in a pair of grey dress slacks paired with a baby blue shirt. There was a slim black belt tying the look together. He looked good enough to eat.
When I finally made eye contact with him, he was smirking at me..
"Like what you see?" He chuckled.
"Yes, yes I do." No point in lying.
He handed me a bouquet of tulips in purple, yellow, and orange.
"These are beautiful, thank you."
He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me in for a kiss.
"You're welcome, but they aren't as beautiful as you. You look gorgeous."
Talk about swooning. I was on cloud freaking nine.
“Oh stop it.”
He placed his hand under my chin and raised it until my eyes met his.
"I'll never stop telling you how beautiful you are."
Forget the party, I was ready to lay down and let him have his wicked way with me. Alas, I had a crazy mother that would probably send a bounty hunter to find me if I didn't show up.
I put the flowers in a vase and we headed to his car.
"Are you nervous?"
Reed briefly glanced from the road ahead to me.
"A little. It's always nerve-wracking to meet the person you’re dating’s parents. Add on the fact that their friends and possibly other family members will be there, I'd say anyone would be."
"Is that what we're doing? Dating?"
He reached over and placed his hand on my thigh. Tingles shot from his hand up through my body.
"Yes, we are dating. I'm hoping you will officially agree to be my girlfriend soon."
I turned my head toward the window so he couldn't see the big grin that I couldn't stop from spreading.
When we pulled up to my parent's house there were already a few cars in the driveway. Reed pulled out a bag from the back.
"What's that?"
"Wine, a gift for the host."
"Good thinking, miss hoity-toity will love that."
Reed grasped my hand in his free one. I appreciated the support. We were going in
as a united front. I led the way to the door and knocked. A few seconds later my mother appeared. She stared at me, then Reed, and then down at our hands.
"Penelope, who's this?"
Before I could answer Reed stuck his hand out to my mother.
"Hello, Mrs. Crowder. I'm Reed Colston. I dating your daughter."
My mother took his hand and shook it with a look mixed with shock and confusion.
“Reed, it's nice to meet you. My daughter didn't tell me she was bringing anyone. She certainly didn't mention she was dating anyone.” She gave me a pointed look.
Reed handed her the bottle of wine.
"This is for you. Thank you for allowing me to join your party."
"Thank you, Reed. That's very thoughtful."
My mother's eyes kept darting between the two of us. I did my best to avoid direct eye contact.
"Come in you two. Everyone is out back."
I led Reed through the house to the back yard. There were several tables set up with linens and utensils. Colorful floral centerpieces sat in the middle of each table. My mother had gone all out for this affair.
I spotted my dad talking to my uncle Mike. I grabbed Reed's hand and pulled him with me.
"Hey, Daddy!"
"Hey, Henny Penny. How's my girl?" My dad wrapped me up in one of his bear hugs.
"I'm good. Dad, this is Reed Colston. Reed this is my dad Raymond Crowder."
Reed shook my father's hand.
"It's a pleasure to meet you sir."
"It's nice to meet you too, Reed. Are you a friend of my Penny?"
"Yes, sir we’re friends. We recently started dating."
My dad smiled at Reed.
"You picked a good one with my Penny. I expect you to treat her right."
"Of course, sir. I plan to treat her like the lady she is."
My dad clapped him on the back. "I think you'll do just fine son."
"I'm going to show Reed around the house Dad. We'll find you later and you guys can talk some more."
"Alright, sweetpea. You kids have fun."
I led Reed back into the house.
"I'll give you the grand tour."
I took Reed to the kitchen where caterers were setting up food and drinks. We went around to the media room and the sitting room. Then we headed upstairs to my old childhood room.