A sigh rose and fell from the bottom of my lungs.
I hadn’t seen her in two days, not since she came over after the bachelorette party. Things had been the same that night as they had always been — we’d spent an hour or so wrapped up in each other, an hour or so talking and laughing, and then she’d left. But something had shifted, something I didn’t know how to place or what to do with. All I knew was that I could feel the depth of it in me and in her. And she hadn’t run away.
We hadn’t spoken about the status of our relationship since the ice cream parlor, and her shock that day — when I’d reaffirmed that I wouldn’t ask for more than she was willing to give — was still fresh in my mind.
How could she have gone for so long without knowing this feeling? Without wanting more than just a fuck boy?
I wanted to know. But the last thing I wanted to do was ask.
Because the last thing I wanted was to lose her.
So as far as I knew — as far as she’d said — things were the same. But what she did didn’t match up with what she said. She’d tattooed my arm. She’d spent almost every day with me for weeks. We’d been on a date, and tonight I was her date at a wedding.
It didn’t feel like no strings, no commitment, no rules. It felt like she was mine, and I was hers. It felt like we were together. And that felt good — so good that I wasn’t likely to rock the boat out of fear I’d sink it.
I drained my drink and set it on the surface of the bar, checking my calculator watch before following the signs to the gazebo.
Annika and I merged paths as we entered an arched tunnel covered in vines. In heels, she was almost as tall as me, her blonde hair in a loose bun at her nape and black dress sleek and simple.
She smiled, transforming her aloof runway model vibe, warming her up. “Hey, Bodie.”
“Good to see you, Annika.”
“You too. You’re here with Penny?”
I didn’t miss the mild surprise in her voice. I couldn’t say I blamed her. I was probably more shocked than anyone.
“I am.”
Her smiled widened. “Lucky you. Want to sit with me?”
I relaxed a little. “That’d be great. I don’t know anyone who isn’t in the wedding party but you.”
She chuckled. “I only know the crew who were invited, but I’m just about the only one who’s part of the production of the show who’s here as a guest. The rest are filming.”
I looked around once we exited the tunnel for the camera crew, finding them in little hidden alcoves, blending in like chameleons. I’d signed a waiver, and I still hadn’t realized they were here.
“Huh. How about that?” I said half to myself, guiding her into a row of white wooden chairs.
“We want to film in the most unobtrusive way possible. It’s not always easy, but thankfully, my boss is sympathetic to the cause.” She wiggled the fingers of her left hand at me, flashing her engagement ring. When we were seated, she turned a little in her chair to face me, crossing her long legs in my direction. “So, how’d you land her?”
I wished I’d gotten another drink. “Well, I’m not sure I’ve landed her just yet.”
“Oh, I am,” Annika said on a chuckle.
I glanced at her, intrigued. “That so?”
She nodded. “As long as I’ve known her, she’s never had a steady guy. She’ll date one for a little bit and then flit off to the next, never getting attached, and I’ve never seen one of the guys, only heard the stories. She won’t bring them around us like she has with you. And I’ve seen the way she looks at you, the way she talks to you. It’s my job to read people, and I’ve been reading Penny for a year now. She likes you, and she’s happy, happier than I’ve seen her. So I’m curious as to how you did it.”
“I haven’t done much but let her be who she is.”
Annika’s face softened. “Penny’s like a wild pony; she’s beautiful and untamed and completely free. Free from the tethers of judgment, free from being controlled, contained. She lives one day at a time, doing exactly what she wants, accepting her consequences without a single care for what anyone else thinks.” Annika sighed at that. “She’s the freest woman I’ve ever known or seen, and I have more respect for that than anything. I’m even a little envious.”
I nodded, smiling at the truth of her words. “I know what you mean.”
“But she loves to run. That’s the trick, the catch I haven’t seen anyone overcome.” She shook her head. “None of this — you and her, I mean — is any of my business, and I don’t mean to pry. I’m just so interested in how you snagged her. You’re like the pony whisperer.”