"Kinsley! Becca!" Josh called just as I turned to see him approaching us.
He'd taken his shirt off so that his broad chest was on display. I could tell from his awkward walk that he was already tipsy.
"Hi Josh," I answered simply, unsure of where we stood. Surely he didn't know the article would be spun around on us, so I couldn't blame him for that. But it still left me with a bad taste in my mouth.
"You two look like twins," he smiled, casting his gaze from me to Becca, then back again. Becca stifled her laughter by covering her mouth.
He was just tipsy enough to be harmless and I think I liked him better that way.
"We should party, c'mon," he reached out for my hand, but I pulled it out of his grasp.
"Actually, Becca and I were going to use the bathroom," I lied, giving him a simple smile.
He bought it. "Okay, come find me when you're done." We watched him walk away and get swallowed up by the crowd of people before us.
"He must have started drinking early," Becca noted, and I glanced down at my phone. It was only 7:00 P.M. He'd be well on his way to plastered if he kept the same pace.
"Not my problemo anymore! Let's go find drinks."
I strung my arm through hers and we walked through the party. Quite a few people paused to watch us walk by, but I think it was the matching dresses that pulled them in.
Penn’s house had an open-concept layout. The dining room opened up into the living room and then it expanded into another sitting area. The entire back of the house was composed of floor-to-ceiling windows that showcased a pool and a perfect view of the ocean.
"Wow. This place is amazing," Becca murmured as we both stopped to watch the sunset for a moment.
"Glad you guys like it," Penn answered behind us. Becca's body stilled and then she unwrapped her arm from mine. When she spun around to face him, I could tell she was trying to mask her elation behind a cool facade, but there was no hiding it. She was thrilled to see him.
"Hi!" she beamed up at him, and I shifted my gaze to Penn. His dark hair was styled back and his brown eyes held a little twinkle in them as he smiled down at her. His head was tilted a bit to the side like he was trying to take all of her in but couldn’t quite figure out where to start.
He was wearing a white plaid button down that he'd rolled to his mid forearms. Beneath that he had on dark red board shorts.
"I'm so glad you guys made it," Penn said, finally glancing for a brief moment at me. It was like he had to remind himself that I was there standing beside Becca. Wow, this guy was falling hard.
"Hi Penn. You have an awesome house," I complimented him, sweeping my hand around the room. "How long have you lived here?" I felt as if I had to carry the conversation. Becca couldn't wipe the smile off her face long enough to actually speak.
He ran his hand along the bottom of his chin in thought. "I think two years now. Liam and I wanted to invest in some neighboring properties so we nabbed these two places right when they went on the market."
Neighboring properties?
"I thought Liam owned the house that the LA Stars live in?" I asked.
"Ah, yeah, he has that house as well as the place next door," Penn clarified, pointing out through the window. I followed his gaze to the house in the neighboring lot. Liam's house apparently. It was beautiful. It looked just as beautiful as Penn's, but the styles were completely different. There was a giant wraparound porch and white siding. Navy blue shutters hung perfectly from each window and light flooded the bottom floor, as if drawing people toward the house.
I wondered if he was there now instead of enjoying the party.
“He was having a few sections completely remodeled, so he was staying at the other house while they finished up.”
Ah, I remembered him mentioning that, and it also explained why he never took me there when we were trying to sneak around.
"We wore our bathing suits. Do people usually swim?" Becca asked, drawing me back to the conversation.
Penn smiled. "Yes, but not until later. Usually when the bigger crowd dies down. It's more fun that way…"
Oh yeah, I bet it is.
Becca bit her bottom lip and nodded. I could tell she was nervous. Her hand was holding her opposite elbow and she only held eye contact with Penn for brief moments.
"Do you guys want me to take you on a little tour?" Penn asked, eyeing Becca. I figured it was probably my time to bow out.