asleep in the bed together. Her throat constricted as she fought back the urge to cry. "Just get out." She turned to walk away.
"No, no. You have it all wrong. At least give me a chance to explain." Justin pleaded as he reached out and touched her shoulder. “She’s my secretary. It’s not what you think. We were working late."
Shrugging his hand away, she turned to face him, "Oh, so now I'm so stupid I don't know what I saw," she spat. "I didn't see you asleep with her in your bed? I didn't see your arm draped over her? Then what did I see? Well?" She raised her voice, her fists clenched. Her fingernails dug into her palms as she fought back the urge to scream and cry all at once.
Justin shook his head sorrowfully. "I cannot deny what you say is true. At least hear my side of the story." He raised his head, his blue eyes looked directly into hers, pleading to be heard.
"Here's what I hear," she responded, reaching for the phone. "Police sirens if you don't get the hell out of here and now." She started to dial.
Justin’s shoulders slumped, and he walked toward the door, the roses dangled limply by his side. As he reached the door, he turned. "Penny?" His voice racked with anguish.
She raised the phone and stabbed at the dial button by way of response. Looking at the ground, Justin turned and left without a word. She saw him toss the flowers into the rubbish bin as the door closed.
Penny slid down the front of the counter to the floor. Her heart raced and chest heaved as she put her head into her trembling hands. She fought to control the sob which threatened to break out. How dare he show up here expecting flowers would just fix everything? Justin was like all the other weasels she’d dated. What could he possibly say to make her change her view? Surely she couldn’t have misunderstood the situation? No. Her eyes did not play tricks upon her.
* * * *
Penny pulled to the side of the road and parked. Beside her on the passenger seat the phone blinked furiously. To bide some time she checked the message. Another one from Justin. There had been so many she stopped counting them.
She focused on the task at hand, second guessing herself. Her knuckles whitened as she gripped the steering wheel, while her brain worked overtime trying to find a solution to her predicament. Nothing came to mind. Her hand shook as she put the car into drive.
Gravel crunched beneath the car's wheels as Penny drove slowly up the driveway. The house appeared just as she remembered from their childhood. The three of them used to play together on the large verandah which wrapped around the house.
French doors stood open, the curtains floated on the gentle breeze. Before she knew it, she stood before the front door. Wiping her palms on her jeans, Penny took several deep breaths in an attempt to slow her racing heart. Steeling herself, willing her hand to stop trembling, she pushed the door bell and stepped back. She turned and looked into the rose garden as she waited. The perfume of the yellow, blood red, and white roses wafted on the breeze, and she inhaled deeply. ”Mmm.”
"Yes. May I help you" A woman's voice from behind brought Penny back to the moment. She turned to see Bryce's mum at the door. Amanda Huntington had been a stunning looking woman when Penny was a kid, and she’d lost none of her striking looks with age. Her thick snow white hair cut into a bob, curled inward just touching her shoulders. Her steel grey eyes appeared to drink in everything.
"Mrs. Huntington," she stammered. "You may not remember me. I'm Penny. Bryce and my brother Steele were best friends."
The grey eyes flashed. "Yes, I know who you are dear." A large smile broke across her face. "There have been too many years since we last saw you. Come in please and tell me what brings you here."
She waved for Penny to follow her inside and gestured to the lounge area. "Take seat, dear. Let me make some tea, and we can talk."
Without waiting for a response she
"No, no. You have it all wrong. At least give me a chance to explain." Justin pleaded as he reached out and touched her shoulder. “She’s my secretary. It’s not what you think. We were working late."
Shrugging his hand away, she turned to face him, "Oh, so now I'm so stupid I don't know what I saw," she spat. "I didn't see you asleep with her in your bed? I didn't see your arm draped over her? Then what did I see? Well?" She raised her voice, her fists clenched. Her fingernails dug into her palms as she fought back the urge to scream and cry all at once.
Justin shook his head sorrowfully. "I cannot deny what you say is true. At least hear my side of the story." He raised his head, his blue eyes looked directly into hers, pleading to be heard.
"Here's what I hear," she responded, reaching for the phone. "Police sirens if you don't get the hell out of here and now." She started to dial.
Justin’s shoulders slumped, and he walked toward the door, the roses dangled limply by his side. As he reached the door, he turned. "Penny?" His voice racked with anguish.
She raised the phone and stabbed at the dial button by way of response. Looking at the ground, Justin turned and left without a word. She saw him toss the flowers into the rubbish bin as the door closed.
Penny slid down the front of the counter to the floor. Her heart raced and chest heaved as she put her head into her trembling hands. She fought to control the sob which threatened to break out. How dare he show up here expecting flowers would just fix everything? Justin was like all the other weasels she’d dated. What could he possibly say to make her change her view? Surely she couldn’t have misunderstood the situation? No. Her eyes did not play tricks upon her.
* * * *
Penny pulled to the side of the road and parked. Beside her on the passenger seat the phone blinked furiously. To bide some time she checked the message. Another one from Justin. There had been so many she stopped counting them.
She focused on the task at hand, second guessing herself. Her knuckles whitened as she gripped the steering wheel, while her brain worked overtime trying to find a solution to her predicament. Nothing came to mind. Her hand shook as she put the car into drive.
Gravel crunched beneath the car's wheels as Penny drove slowly up the driveway. The house appeared just as she remembered from their childhood. The three of them used to play together on the large verandah which wrapped around the house.
French doors stood open, the curtains floated on the gentle breeze. Before she knew it, she stood before the front door. Wiping her palms on her jeans, Penny took several deep breaths in an attempt to slow her racing heart. Steeling herself, willing her hand to stop trembling, she pushed the door bell and stepped back. She turned and looked into the rose garden as she waited. The perfume of the yellow, blood red, and white roses wafted on the breeze, and she inhaled deeply. ”Mmm.”
"Yes. May I help you" A woman's voice from behind brought Penny back to the moment. She turned to see Bryce's mum at the door. Amanda Huntington had been a stunning looking woman when Penny was a kid, and she’d lost none of her striking looks with age. Her thick snow white hair cut into a bob, curled inward just touching her shoulders. Her steel grey eyes appeared to drink in everything.
"Mrs. Huntington," she stammered. "You may not remember me. I'm Penny. Bryce and my brother Steele were best friends."
The grey eyes flashed. "Yes, I know who you are dear." A large smile broke across her face. "There have been too many years since we last saw you. Come in please and tell me what brings you here."
She waved for Penny to follow her inside and gestured to the lounge area. "Take seat, dear. Let me make some tea, and we can talk."
Without waiting for a response she
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