“Why does your dad always have to work? I mean it’s a Sunday for fucks sake,” I barged into Penny’s room and got comfortable on her twin bed. She turned around from her desk and looked at me blankly.

“Wait, you wear glasses?” I pointed out her dark framed glasses.

She squinted her eyes and pouted at me. I know she told me to not come in her room because she was studying, but I’ve been alone for the past four hours, and I had run out of things to do.

“Yes, I do. I usually wear contacts, but I’m waiting for my new ones to come in this week.”

I smiled at her, “They look good, really good.”

Penny’s cheeks got rounder as she smiled, “Thanks, but I have to study.”

I let out a bored grunt, “You’ve been studying all day. Why don't you take a break?”

“I have to study. You can stay here if you want, but you have to be quiet,” Penny turned around and went back on her computer. She read something online then wrote down some notes.

I looked around the room and noticed how nicely it was designed. I guess I haven't really noticed since each time I’ve come in her room I was distracted with something else.

She had a white simple desk right next to her door and three glass planters hanging from the ceiling with plastic plants inside of them. I looked over to her shelves above her desk that were covered with medals, books, and a black stuffed animal, a cat.

Is that Mr. Mix? The same cat toy Brad was talking about when he first met Penny? I think it might be.

I looked over to her closet. I could see my reflection in the mirror. I let out a little laugh as I saw how enormous I looked on her bed. My feet hanging off the edge. Although, this bed had some good memories.

Penny looked over her shoulder to see what I was doing, “What are you smiling at?”

I shrugged, “Your bed makes me feel like a giant.”

“My whole room makes you look like a giant,” she giggled.

“True. But there are a lot of good memories here,” I winked at her.

She rolled her eyes and turned to her desk again. She was set on studying, regardless of whether or not I was here distracting her.

“Did you decorate your room yourself?”

She nodded as she turned around again. I was determined to get her to stop studying for a little bit so we can have a conversation. I really want to learn more about Penny.

“Yeah, I did. I actually designed the closet doors.”

“Wait, really?” I got up from the bed and headed toward the doors to take a closer look. I smiled as I remember the first time I saw Penny, fucking this door.

“I got four long skinny mirrors and glued then on the door, then Kendall let me use his tools to make a frame to place over the mirror so it looks like four separate mirrors on each door instead of one long one,” she was really proud of herself and she should be.

“Damn. I would have never guessed that you made this. It looks like you bought it from the store.” Penny smiled and brought her hair behind her ear.

“I actually don’t have any skill when it comes to interior design. It’s much easier for me to design a house then let someone else figure out how to sell it by making it look fancy.”

I looked at her closet again, mesmerized at her work. I went back to Penny’s bed and leaned against the wall. Penny watched me as I got comfortable on her small bed. She looked like she doesn't want to go back to studying anymore.

“Do you want to be an interior designer?”

“I don’t know. I honestly have no idea what I want to do with my life, which is why I went to community college. I still have another year before I have to decide where I want to transfer.”

“Well, I think you would make a great designer. Why don't you come to work with me on Monday and you can talk to some of our interior designers? You can see if it’s something you’re interested in. Would you like that?”

Penny smiled from ear to ear. She let out a playful little hum as though she was thinking about the question, even though she already knew the answer.

“Okay,” she said softly.

“Great,” I smiled at her. It felt so natural and normal when I talk to Penny. She never tried too hard to be anyone but herself. “So, have you looked at any schools outside the state?”

“A few, but I think it’s too soon to think about that since I don’t know what I want,” she giggled.

I nodded, “Do you think you’ll always live in Baltimore?” I tried to ask her a more direct question.

“I would like to move somewhere else. I don’t see myself living here for the rest of my life, but it all depends on my dad. If he doesn’t want to move then I won’t move.”

I nodded, understanding where she was coming from. Her dad meant the world to her since her leech of a mother basically abandoned her.

“Have you always lived in Florida?”

I let out a chuckle, “No. I am originally from Indiana —”

“What? No way,” she laughed. “So, you were a country boy?”

I scratched my scruff and nodded.

“Wow, I would have NEVER guessed that. You seem like such a city guy, someone who only lives in warm places.”

“Well that part is true. I have only lived in warm places after I moved away from Indiana.”

“So, how did you become an architect?”

I chuckled, “It was a series of lucky and unlucky events. I grew up in Indiana and after I graduated high school I went to Butler University, which you already know is where I met your dad. After your dad graduated, I decided to transfer to Ball State to finish my last two years since they had an architecture program, but I didn’t graduate. I ended up dropping out after my junior year.”

Penny looked at me with sad eyes, “Can I ask why?”

“Two reasons. One of the reasons was because my dad found out he had cancer. Terminal cancer.”

Penny got off her chair and sat down on the bed crossing her legs. She gently grabbed my hand and squeezed it tightly. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Life's a bitch,” I tried to play it off like it didn’t affect me but it still kind of did. Penny sat next to me leaning on the cold wall, still holding my hand tightly. “The worst part was that he didn’t even try to get treated. He just wanted to make sure I was all right after —,” I paused. “We spent his last two months working together in construction, making sure I had enough money to go back to school and enough money so that I would be okay.”

Penny wrapped her arms around me, giving me the affection I never had when all of this happened.

I grabbed her from the side and gave her arm a nice squeeze, “It’s okay,” I chuckled, “I swear my story gets so much better. After my dad passed away, I decided to move to Florida and continue to work in construction. I got hired by a company that works with a famous architect, Walter Tate, who is now my boss. He apparently ‘saw something’ in me, because every time I suggested a change in the design he loved it. When he found out that I had one more year of college left, he made his firm pay for my tuition. Fast-forward ten years later, and I’m Walter’s Senior Architect who also gets to design a few houses on the side. Big, fancy houses.” I smiled at Penny.

I can’t remember the last time I ever told a woman I’d slept with about my past. Actually, now that I think about it, I don't think I have ever told anyone.

“Whoa, you’re unfortunately lucky,” she gave me a faint smile.

“I was in the right place at the right time.”

“Although, I think you deserve it,” her warm smile melted my heart.

“So, is Walter’s firm big?”

“WT Design. Yeah,” I nodded. “It was just an architecture firm when I first started, but over the years he expanded it to an architectural design firm which is why we have interior designers now,” I smiled down at Penny.

“So where else have you lived?” Penny’s curiosity had been piqued by my previous comment.

I thought about the different states I have lived in because of my job, “Florida, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Georgia, Texas and my favorite . . . Hawaii.”

Penny smiled broadly, “Hawaii? Oh my god. That is amazing — wait, then why are you in Baltimore?”

“Walter wants to expand his firm to work in colder climates, which is why this new client is important. If all goes well we will get more clients from the north.”

“That’s actually kind of smart,” Penny stated. “Well, honestly, I am REALLY excited about Florida. I have never been on a plane and I have never been out of the state. Well, I mean, I have when I was younger but I don't remember.”

“I think you’ll love it.”

Penny giggled but was interrupted with her alarm. The phone buzzed and she became worried.

“Fuck,” she got off the bed and went to her phone to turn the alarm off. “Fuck, I should have been done studying for my history class by now,” she darted her eyes at me. “You need to leave.”

Penny walked over to me and grabbed my wrists and attempted to pull me off her bed, “Come on, I want to keep my perfect GPA.”

I began to chuckle as she struggled to move me an inch off her bed. “No, don't make me go out there. It’s sooooo boring,” I whined.

“Then do me a favor and make me something good to eat,” she pulled on my wrists with all she had and got me off the wall, which was pretty impressive if you take in her size compared to me.

“Okay, I can do that,” I got to the edge of the bed and pulled Penny towards me by her waist. I pushed her glasses up and gave her soft, worried mouth some attention. “Okay, I’ll make you the BEST below average grilled cheese sandwich EVER,” I chuckled.

She giggled at me and shook her head. I gave Penny a tight hug before I released her so she could go back to studying.

I headed for the door before I double-checked on something. “So, what’s your favorite fast food place?”

“There’s this really good burger place, Wild Burgers, a couple of minutes away,” she narrowed her eyes on me. “How come?”

“Just in case I fuck up.”

She started to laugh. “Just in case you fuck up a grilled cheese sandwich?” her laughter continued throughout her question.

I nodded as I left her room with a smile, still hearing her cute laugh from the kitchen.