My head was pounding. “May I help you?” I asked.
“Where have you been? And, don’t lie to me, I know you weren’t with Dex. He stopped by looking for you,” she said as I trudged into the kitchen.
I grabbed my bag and dug out my phone. “Shit, I had my phone off. Was he mad?”
“What do you think?” she asked. Her sarcastic expression let me know full well he was most likely pissed.
“Great.” I turned the phone on and skimmed over the missed calls. “Ten missed calls, fuck.”
“So, where were you?” She leaned across the counter and held both hands under her chin, waiting for me to answer.
“Honestly? I went to the Frosted Mug, by myself. I just had a lot to think about,” I said, sitting on a stool across from her.
She slid a large red mug of steaming coffee in front of me. “I know you do, sweetie. I’m so sorry.” She walked over to me and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. “Where’s your car? Who brought you home?”
“Ok, you’re coming at me with a lot of questions right now. Theo brought me home,” I said.
She tilted her head at me. “What? Ok, explain.”
I told her the story, leaving out the kiss and the gut spillage.
“You didn’t tell him about your father, did you?”
“No,” I lied. It felt horrible lying to her, but if this could work I had to keep our secret safe. I needed a way out of this whole mess. A happily ever after of the epic kind. Although, happy endings didn’t always happen in real life, I begged the universe to allow me at least one chance at getting one.
“Well, I hope it all works out. I really do, Penny. I see how much you care for Theo. And, how much he cares about you. Did you try explaining all of this to your crooked father?” She crossed over to the fridge and grabbed some creamer for her coffee. When she turned back around to face me, she stopped. “What? Why are you looking at me like I just discovered the cure for cancer? Want some creamer?”
I shook my head, her simple brilliance hitting me like a freight train.
“What’s wrong, Penny? Did I say something wrong?”
I leapt from the stool. “No, you said everything just right.”
***
I rushed through getting ready and dashed out of the house before the sun had risen. I called an Uber to take me to the Frosted Mug to retrieve my car and then fired off a text to Theo:
Meet me at the lifeguard station, please.
Once I had my car, and he answered he’d be there, I made my way to the place where we first kissed. I needed to tell him everything I thought we could do to get out of this predicament.
The sun hid along the horizon, and a soft breeze swept off the ocean. Seagulls squawked as they swooped along the shore. When I wandered onto the sandy beach, I removed my shoes, allowing my toes to sink in the soft sand, and glanced up to the empty wooden station. No lifeguards were present this early in the morning, and the beach was empty.
Taking a deep breath, I made my trek toward the spot where Theo and I shared one of the best nights of my life.
“Hey there,” Theo’s deep voice sounded behind me.
I spun around, smiling wide as I took in his deep, dark eyes. “Hi, you.” His lips lifted in a grin, and we stood staring at each other like two giddy teenagers.
“What’s this early meeting all about?”
“I think my father is a crook,” I blurted out. No simple talk, we didn’t have time for it. I needed to get things started before this escalated further.
He chuckled. “He is pretty awful.”
“No, I’m serious, Theo. I think he does shady things. Taxes, bribes. I’m not sure. I know him and the county commissioner go to the Bahamas every year. What if something happens there?” I said in a rush.
“Whoa. Well, it explains going to the Bahamas if he’s doing something shady. Maybe a few off shore accounts as well. How can we prove it though?”