Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

Penn

The whole day I felt like I was on pins and needles. For starters, with Mitchell nearly ten feet away most of the day, it was hard to ignore our impending...

Date.

I’d agreed to go on a date with a guy, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. Not because I’d never hung out one on one with another man before, but because I didn’t know what the protocol was. I knew I wasn’t like most guys in general when it came to the women I’d dated, but then again, Mitchell didn’t seem like most guys either.

There was something about him, something I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

“You’re going to run a hole in the ground, Penn,” Archie said, cornering me in the stock room. “What is up with you today?”

I avoided his gaze, if only because I needed to focus on taking stock, but Archie was not phased.

“Nothing,” I lied.

“Bullshit. Did something happen yesterday? You’ve been acting weird ever since the drive home.”

I sighed in exasperation once more, figuring resistance was moot.

Besides, I didn’t really have anyone else to ask about this sort of thing, so I swallowed my fear.

If I couldn’t talk to Archie, who could I talk to?

“Mitchell asked me out.”

Archie’s eyes widened in surprise. “And you’re bothered by that?”

“I said yes.” I squealed as I fell back against one of the racks, knocking some boxes loose.

“Oh... I see,” Archie said slowly, nodding. “You’re freaking out because you said yes .”

I stared at the floor, twisting my lips. “I’m freaking out because I don’t know how to do this with another guy. I mean, I never considered myself a bad date before, but I don’t have the best track record when it comes to relationships.”

Archie held my gaze as he locked the stock room door.

“What are you doing?” I asked, panicking.

“Giving us some privacy for the moment,” he said seriously.

My blood ran cold at his seriousness.

Archie pulled up a stool, imploring me with his gaze.

“I’m going to ask you something, and I want your one hundred percent honest answer,” Archie said, his gaze freezing me in place as much as his tone.

“Okay...”

“Do you like him?” he asked.

It was a simple question that required a simple answer, but somehow it was... complicated.

“I...”

“It’s just me, Penn. You can be honest with me. ”

I thought about his question. About my answer, because I knew the moment I said it out loud, it would be one more break in my glass ceiling.

“I think so.”

Archie chuckled. “Pretty sure you wouldn’t have said yes to a date if you needed persuading.”

Something about Archie’s tone, his laugh, his ease, made me relax.

I pulled up a stool of my own, my shoulders sinking as I sat down and ran my hands over my face.

“I’m so fucked,” I grumbled.

Archie patted me on the back. “Welcome to the club.”

His pat turned to a slow rub, that made me sigh.

“What are you so nervous about?”

I sat up straighter, letting my hands fall in my lap as his fell from my shoulders.

“I don’t know. Like, historically, I’ve always been kind of boring on dates in general.”

Archie nodded. “So you’re worried you’ll be a boring date, is that it? Worried you won’t make a good impression? ”

I shrugged. “Maybe?”

“He asked you out, right?” Archie said, crossing his arms.

“Yeah.”

“Then I’m pretty sure you have nothing to worry about.” Archie said, flashing me with a smile as he got up.

I sighed, hoping he was right.