They drove and they talked about how much things had changed in Raleigh since they were younger and Spencer couldn’t remember the last time he had felt so relaxed and carefree. He’d followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming an architect and he was currently considering taking over the firm his father had started five years ago. Actually, considering wasn’t quite the term he’d use – being pressured to take it over? That was a little more fitting.

Not that he was totally against it. It was just that his father had built something and it was all fine and well, but Spencer had bigger plans – plans his father wasn’t on board with. So they were currently at a standstill. And for far too long, it was all he had been thinking about – weighing the pros and cons of it all – and there seemed to be way too many cons at this point. It was becoming a mild obsession since it was all his father wanted to talk about, turning their once-a-week phone call into a three-to-four time per week thing. It was so consuming that he hadn’t had much time for anything else – certainly not a social life.

And definitely not dating.

He glanced over at Penny as she drove. She was chatting about the benefit to all of the new additions to the downtown area and pointed out the new Trader Joe’s where there used to be a bowling alley.

“Did you ever think about moving away from here?” he blurted out.

“Not really,” she replied and then gave him a small smile. “This is home. I love it here.”

With a shrug, Spencer wasn’t sure what to say to that. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy living in Raleigh – or anywhere in North Carolina per se – but he just felt like he wanted something different. Something that was his and his alone and…

“Plus, my whole family is still here – I mean, most of them,” she continued.

Penny came from a large family. She was the youngest of nine kids. Spencer had to admit that he was more than a little surprised that she – more than anyone – wasn’t more interested in getting away and having a life of her own that was separate from…well…what she had grown up with. Hell, it was just him and Eva growing up and that felt stifling. How did Penny stand it with that many siblings?

Thinking back, he realized that she never complained about it. Ever. Any time she had ever talked about her family, it was with a smile on her face and there was always a funny story to tell. When they were younger, he remembered looking at the Blakes as an oddity, but maybe it was his own family that was odd.

“How is your family? Who moved away?” he asked.

A low laugh came out first and then she took a breath before starting. “Okay, Steven and his wife now have four kids and live in Charlotte. Patti and her husband have three kids and are still here in Raleigh and so is Debbie and her family – she’s pregnant with her third child. They have two boys and are really hoping for a girl this time. Tina recently got divorced and has two kids and they’re currently living back with my mom and dad.” She paused. “Mark is married. He and his wife have one child and live up in Asheville. Kristen and Jill are both married and each have twins of their own – weird right? – and they’re local too. And Laura and her husband have two kids and they recently moved to Baltimore.” Letting out a breath, she glanced at him and smiled. “Just don’t ask me to name all the nieces and nephews because I don’t think I could do it all and drive at the same time.”

He laughed with her and when she pulled into the diner’s parking lot, he realized how much he enjoyed talking with her. They never had a problem with that – conversation always came naturally to them – but it just hit him hard in that moment how much time really had gone by since they’d seen each other. Too much time, he thought.

Their last conversation was years ago and Spencer knew that they had each gone on to live their lives. But…what had she done in those years? Where had she traveled? What had she ended up studying at school? Was there something specific that led her to her job at the bridal mall? For years she had been on his mind more than she wasn’t. If he had been braver – bolder – he would have reached out to her sooner. If nothing else, as a friend. All those years ago she had been so outgoing and confident, and he’d often wondered if she’d gone on to do great things.

But most of all, he had to wonder if she had ever thought about him.

Inwardly, he groaned. He was walking a slippery slope here. Maybe she had thought about him, but probably not too fondly. Spencer knew his strengths and weaknesses and Penny had a way of making him behave in ways that he never had with anyone else.

And it wasn’t usually even remotely flattering.

Looking back, he knew he should have fought harder to get her number and keep in touch. God, how many times had he thought about her? Wondered where she was and what she was doing? How many times had he fought with himself about looking her up on social media and just saying hi?

But had he?

No.

Coward.

Yeah. That definitely seemed to be more of his M.O. where she was concerned; he knew if given the chance, he’d change it. All of it. Every unkind word, every flippant attitude…every time he let her walk away.

“You ready?” she asked, grabbing her purse and opening the car door.

Offering her a small smile, he replied, “Sure.”

He fought the urge to take her by the hand and walk into the diner like they used to way back when. It felt weird and he was a little at a loss at how to act around her. They seemed to only have two speeds – together or apart. This in between that they were experiencing right now was brand new. Once they were seated and had ordered some dessert and coffee, Penny looked up at him and asked about his life. And being that she had just gotten the update on Eva, he knew she wasn’t referring to family.

A weary sigh came out as he raked a hand through his hair. “I’m an architectural engineer and I’m with a firm down in Atlanta.”

She cocked her head, her expression serious. “You don’t sound happy about it.”

Relaxing a bit, Spencer leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. “I actually love what I do,” he began. “I’ve designed some great buildings, the work is challenging but I thrive under it.”

“But…?”

“But lately I’m feeling the pressure to take over my father’s firm.” He gave her a half-hearted grin. “He started it up a little over five years ago after spending most of his life working for someone else. It’s a perfectly fine firm – different from what I’m doing now – and…”

“And you don’t want to do that,” she stated.

“That’s the thing. I’m not sure,” he admitted. “At least, I think I’m not.”

When Penny didn’t comment, he clarified – for her and for himself. Talking out loud usually helped him when he had big decisions to make.

It was just that recently, he tended to be alone, talking to himself.

“What I do is very different from what he does. He’s residential, I’m commercial. And that’s not to say that I can’t do residential design or don’t want to – that’s not it – but it’s a completely different mindset. His firm is small and it’s very successful but…” He shrugged.

“It’s not what you want to do,” she said softly.

How was it that she grasped in two minutes what he’d been arguing with his parents about for almost a year? “If I do what he’s asking, I’m not sure either of us will be happy.”

“How come?”

“Because he’s not looking to change anything or see anything change, I should say. He wants me to step directly into his place and keep doing things his way.” He looked at her helplessly. “I don’t think I can do that. I feel like my creativity would be completely stifled.”

Their waitress came back with their food and after they thanked her, they ate in companionable silence for a few minutes.

“What about if you came on as a partner?” she asked. “Maybe if you were coming in and expanding the business – making it a father and son operation – he’d see that not all change is bad. Your dad is still young to be retiring – unless…there’s another reason why he’s looking for you to take over.”

Spencer shook his head. “I think he’s just tired and looking to cut back a little bit. Part of me is afraid that he’s not actually going to cut back and then I’ll have him hovering over my shoulder every day and that will just make me crazy. You remember how I couldn’t wait to move away and be on my own?” He sighed. “And I’m in a really good place with the firm back home. I’m hoping to make partner by the end of next year. At least, that’s the track I’m on and…”

“So you enjoy living in Atlanta?” she asked and not at all in an accusatory way; she seemed genuinely interested.

He nodded. “It’s all right. Big city, tons of stuff to do…what’s not to like?”

Only…there were a lot of things he could think of off the top of his head. None of them were the fault of the location just…him. For all the things to do, he never went anywhere. He didn’t travel, he didn’t socialize much he just…worked. A lot. All the time.

Why was this all just coming to him now?

When he sighed again and pushed his plate away, Penny asked, “Are you okay? Do you not like the pie?”

He was eating a slice of apple pie and it was fine but…even that wasn’t right at the moment. Shit. When did he become so discontent with everything? Pushing his coffee cup aside as well, he felt bold. He reached across the table and took one of her hands in his and noticed her soft gasp as her eyes met his.

“I’m sitting here with you and it’s all just hitting me that I’m not okay,” he admitted. “When we were driving here, I was thinking how much fun I was having and how I couldn’t remember the last time I had had any. I love our conversations and I can’t remember the last time I had one that didn’t revolve around a building.” He squeezed her hand slightly. “My whole life I thought I knew what I wanted and now…? I just don’t know.” Then he looked at her. “But when I’m with you…things just seem better. Clearer. Does that make sense?”

“Spencer…”

“No, it’s true,” he quickly interrupted, unwilling to let her try to tell him he was wrong, or worse, crazy. “I feel like there isn’t anything I can’t say to you that you wouldn’t understand. You’re probably one of the only people who’s ever been able to do that. I’ve missed that about us. I…I miss you.”

For a moment, neither of them spoke and Spencer wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. All he knew was that it felt good to say those things out loud to her.

“Spencer,” she began and then slowly pulled her hand from his. “This is…this is what always happens with us. We see each other and we always have great conversations and a lot of fun until…we don’t.”

Her tone was just a little sad and it bothered him more than he thought it could.

“For whatever reason, we keep coming back to each other and think it’s a good thing – that it will be better, different. But it doesn’t take long for one of us – me – to suddenly not measure up to whatever it is in your mind.” She gently pushed her plate away and gingerly wiped at her mouth with her napkin.

“That’s not true…”

Then even her smile turned sad. “It is.” She paused and seemed to carefully consider her next words. “In the past you’ve accused me of being immature, superficial and even a bad kisser…”

“I was eight and I had no idea what I was talking about!” he argued lightly, but when he reached for her hand again, she moved it away.

Not a good sign.

“I’ll give you a pass on that one, but the point still remains…” She sighed. “Look at me, Spencer. This is who I am.”

“I am looking at you. Hell, I haven’t been able to take my eyes off of you,” he admitted.

“You’re attracted to this…this outer image,” she said softly. “That’s it. I’m never going to be some crazy smart intellectual person. I’m never going to have some high-powered career and you know what? I’m really okay with that! I refuse to feel bad because I didn’t go to an Ivy League school or wasn’t the valedictorian in high school.”

“I never said that…”

“I’m working at Enchanted and I have my glam squad business plan and I’m happy! And I learned a long time ago not to let someone else’s closed-mindedness take that joy from me. I can’t.” Then she paused. “I wish you’d do the same.”

“What do you mean?”

“What makes you happy, Spencer? What brings you joy? What has ever brought you joy?”

You.

But he didn’t say it. What would be the point? Right now, she wasn’t ready to hear that and if he was being honest, he wasn’t sure he was ready to say it out loud.

No matter how comfortable she made him feel.

When the waitress came by and asked if they wanted anything else, Penny asked for the check and he didn’t bother to correct her. It was getting late and his mind was spinning in a dozen different directions. It would probably be a good thing to go back to his parents’ house and spend some time alone to think.

And man did he suddenly have a lot think about.

Then something Penny had said earlier came to him.

“What’s a glam squad business plan?”

“Oh…um…glam squad is kind of my thing. I do hair and makeup – I’m a certified cosmetologist – and I not only help with that for the fashion shows, but it’s a service I provide for bridal parties too.”

“I don’t remember you talking about going to school for that back when you and Eva graduated.”

She shrugged. “I went to UNC Wilmington for business and found that I was bored. I didn’t overly enjoy college life – dorm life, actually. It felt an awful lot like I was still living at home because I had to share a bathroom with so many people.” Laughing softly, she moved her napkin around idly. “So, I talked to my folks about coming home and taking some business courses at the community college and they agreed.”

“And when did you realize you wanted to go into cosmetology?” he asked, finding he was mildly fascinated to be learning this about her.

The expression on her face was like a silent reprimand. “I’ve always wanted to do that, Spencer,” she said quietly. “I just never told you.”

“But…why? I think it’s kind of cool.”

Another bland look from her put him in his place. “Again, after having you call me superficial, I didn’t particularly want to talk to you about going to beauty school.”

“Penny…”

“No, I’m serious! How do you think you would have reacted back then?” Now there was a little heat behind her words. “You would have made a comment on how that was a typical career choice for someone like me – someone who only cared about appearances.” Then she stopped and seemed to will herself to calm down.

“I had no idea,” he began. “I didn’t realize I made you feel that way.”

It took her a minute, but she sat up a little straighter and looked him in the eye. “I’m proud of the work I do. And if all goes as planned, this time next year I’ll have my own little spot at Enchanted Bridal,” she stated proudly.

“Really? Good for you! That’s impressive!”

“Thank you for saying that. I know it’s not much but…it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.” She paused and shrugged. “The whole thing overwhelms me. I always thought I would eventually have a shop of my own someplace, but the thought of being in with Enchanted was an amazing opportunity. This way I can build the business while still working for Hailey part-time at the bridal shop.”

“Will you really need to still work for her?”

“In the beginning I will, I’m sure. Hopefully it will only be temporary. The upside is that I love what I do with the bridal shop. Staying on there won’t be a hardship.”

Studying her for a moment, he realized what she’d said. “Why don’t you think it’s much? You’re looking to start your own business. That’s always a big thing!”

She gave him a bland look. “Oh, I know it’s a big thing, but compared to what you do…you know…I just figured you might not see it that way.”

And he felt like the biggest jerk in the world. Had he really been that much of a snob back then? So much so that this was the memory – the impression - she had of him?

He shook his head and felt his dessert turn in his stomach. “Penny…I am so sorry if I ever made you feel like you weren’t good enough. Hell, who am I to say that about you or anyone? I think what you’re doing is amazing.”

“You do?” she asked, but Spencer could hear the skepticism in her voice.

“Hell yes I do!” And this time when he reached for her hand, she didn’t pull it away. “I think your decision to be a part of Enchanted is very smart. You’ll have a customer base that’s already established and then you’ll get to build on that. And because I know you, I know you’re going to make a success of it. Earlier, Hailey was saying you’re her right-hand girl. It’s obvious she thinks highly of you and no doubt she’ll support you with this endeavor.”

She blushed and it was sweet and sexy all at the same time.

Their check was placed on the table and Spencer immediately picked it up. Penny started to argue but he simply held up a hand to stop her. “I asked you out for coffee, didn’t I?”

She didn’t comment. Instead, she grabbed her purse and left the tip.

Stubborn woman.

As they stood in the lobby and looked out at the parking lot, Spencer sighed. Tonight was certainly a night of revelations and maybe he should just say goodnight here.

“I hate putting you out and asking you to drive me home,” he began cautiously. “I can just grab an Uber home.”

For a minute all Penny did was study him. “It’s not really a big deal. I don’t mind driving you home.”

“You’re sure?”

“Positive.” He wasn’t sure what to do or say and after a few silent moments, they agreed they should go. They were back in Penny’s car now, but with Spencer behind the wheel. It was starting to rain and his parents had moved since she had last seen them so he figured it would just be easier for him to drive.

The conversation went back to nostalgia as they drove by more familiar landmarks and some newer ones and he cursed the fact that they were pulling into his parents’ driveway so soon. There was a loud crack of thunder and a flash of lightning and now he worried about her driving home.

“I hope your drive isn’t very far,” he said. “I had no idea it was supposed to storm tonight.”

“Me either,” she replied. “But…it will be okay.” Pausing, she added, “But it is getting late and it’s been a long day so…”

It didn’t seem fair. He didn’t want the night to end and if he wasn’t staying at his parents’ house, he would invite her in. “You’re sure you’re okay driving in this? It’s really coming down now.”

It was pouring.

Damn near monsooning.

“I’ll be fine,” she said softly.

“Can I call you?” he asked tentatively.

Penny didn’t quite look at him. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. It was really good to see you, Spencer but…”

She didn’t finish, and he didn’t push.

“Well…I guess…um…be careful driving home.”

“Thanks.”

Penny opted to get out of the car and come around to the driver’s side rather than climb over the console of the small SUV. She ran around as Spencer held the door open for her. But rather than climbing in right away, she stopped right in front of him. In just those few seconds, they were both already soaked from the rain.

And still he couldn’t move.

They were standing close together and there wasn’t anything else to do or say. She needed to get in her car and warm up and Spencer needed to…well, he just needed to leave and take this for what it was – a chance meeting at the wrong place and at the wrong time in his life.

Again.

“Spencer, I…”

Screw it. He’d kick himself years from now if he didn’t take a chance – if he didn’t at least try.

Reaching up, he cupped his hand around her nape as he leaned down and kissed her.

* * *

It was quite possibly the most exciting moment of her life. Standing in the pouring rain and kissing Spencer Buchanan.

Finally kissing Spencer Buchanan.

And it was even better than she remembered.

His lips were soft and demanding all at the same time. He didn’t just kiss; he took, he devoured, he claimed. And Penny was completely on board with that. Her hands reached up and gripped the front of his shirt to pull him closer. It was completely crazy. She rubbed up against him even as his arms banded around her to hold her and all she wanted to do was climb him and wrap her legs around him. Hell, if she could, she’d pull him right into the car and wrap her entire body around him!

She opened one eye and considered opening the back door and getting them both out of the rain. But just as she was about to suggest it, Spencer broke the kiss. Both of their breathing was ragged, and he slowly trailed one rough finger along her cheek before he took a step back.

“Good night, Penny,” he said gruffly.

She called after him, but there was a boom of thunder that shook her to her bones and several flashes of lightning that swallowed the sound of her voice. By the time things were quiet again, Spencer was standing in the doorway of his parents’ massive home. She knew he would continue to stand there and watch and wait until she was back in her car. It took her a solid minute to get her head clear enough to register that she was soaked to the skin and then she gave him a weak wave before climbing in and shutting the door.

She instantly turned on the heat and took a minute to try to warm herself up. Lights came on along the driveway and the front of the house and still Spencer stood and watched her.

She had to give him points for being a gentleman, at least.

And a great kisser.

And still holding the top spot of the perfect man and star of all her fantasies.

Dammit.

So now what? What was she supposed to do? Was she supposed to just forget about that amazing kiss or was she supposed to find an excuse to get out of the car and go and talk to him? Or maybe she needed to wait and do that in a day or two? Was it foolish not to give him her phone number?

She had no idea.

And unfortunately, she knew she was going to obsess about it until she made herself crazy.

With nothing left to do, she offered another small wave before pulling out of the driveway. The entire drive home was spent alternating between smacking herself in the head for being so stubborn and high-fiving herself for sticking to her guns and not giving Spencer the chance to hurt her again.

There was too much history there – too many past hurts to overcome. She was at a place in her life where she finally felt like she was getting her shit together – being responsible and making plans for her future. No doubt if she gave Spencer the chance to come back into her life, he’d undo all of the hard work she’d put into building her self-esteem and becoming the confident woman she was today. Why would she jeopardize all of that when she already knew how it was going to end?

Only…she had a feeling it wouldn’t be quite like that this time around. They were older, more mature and…

“Stop it,” she snapped at herself. She spent the rest of the drive singing to the radio to distract herself and fifteen minutes later, she pulled up to her condo. It was a rental and it was small, but it was home. Right now, she couldn’t wait to get inside and get out of her wet clothes and just…be. And with that thought in mind, she climbed from the car and made a mad dash to her door and then quickly slipped inside, bolting the door behind her.

“It’s good to be home,” she sighed.

But…was it? The warmth was great and knowing she was minutes away from being dry was even better but…she was alone. There was no one here to greet her and normally that didn’t bother her. Tonight, however, it did.

A lot.

And dammit if Spencer Buchanan hadn’t done it to her again.

* * *

For the next week, Penny agonized over what she should do and then realized that it didn’t matter. Spencer had mentioned that he was only in town for a short time so he was probably back in Atlanta by now. He lived there, had a life there, and from the things they talked about over dessert, he didn’t seem too anxious to move back to Raleigh.

And a long-distance relationship was not something she wanted to even consider.

They had enough trouble in the past with being together. Why add the extra stress of living two states away into the mix?

It’s better this way, she thought. And no matter how many times her brain tried to tell her otherwise, she simply kept reminding herself of that.

Over and over.

More times than she should have.

Why? Why couldn’t she just let this go and chalk it up to a moment of weakness? That’s exactly how she reasoned her giving in and kissing Spencer.

Weakness.

That was all. Nothing more, nothing less.

Maybe they should look at it as finally getting some closure. Okay, maybe she needed to look at it that way. She had no idea what Spencer was thinking.

But it still didn’t answer the question why – why was she still thinking about him?

Because you have no social life, no dating prospects – even within the state.

Oh, right. That.

Fine, so right now she wasn’t dating anyone. That wasn’t a big deal. It wasn’t for lack of trying, but her schedule just wasn’t conducive to having a relationship. She worked weekends and three out of four Friday nights a month were spent doing the fashion show, so really, when most couples were out on dates, Penny wasn’t available.

It had only taken three failed relationships for her to figure out that her job was the problem.

Not that it had deterred her. She loved what she did and knew there would eventually come a time when her hours would change. In the meantime, she would be patient.

And she had been until Spencer showed up.

Now she wanted…something. That one kiss had reminded her how she missed being in a relationship, missed the comfort of being held by a man, kissed by a man, desired by a man.

“Ugh…” she groaned, doing her best to try and focus on other things.

So she worked at Enchanted during the day and worked on her business plan at night because really, she had neglected it for too long. That was one thing she should be thankful to Spencer for – he had given her that little nudge she needed to get herself moving. Every night she looked over her plan and her sketches for what she wanted her space to look like before going over her ideas for logos and web designs. It was all overwhelming and yet she knew if she could take that last step and do the presentation in front of Hailey, Becca, Angie, and Ella she’d be okay.

They were a lot less intimidating than the bank and she knew they’d be the ones to really make her take that final step.

It was Friday night and the one Friday a month when they didn’t hold a fashion show. Penny couldn’t contain the sigh of relief that came out at the thought of there not being a show. She loved them; she really did, but they were a lot of work and she was looking forward to getting out of work by eight and having the weekend off.

Yeah, it was her weekend off and she had zero plans.

Other than laundry.

This so wasn’t how she imagined her life being.

She was working on pulling gowns for tomorrow’s bride appointments when Hailey approached her.

“Hey, you got a minute?”

Nodding, Penny put the dress she was holding back on the rack. “Sure. What’s up?”

“I know it’s seven-thirty and almost time for you to leave, but I have a favor to ask,” Hailey said, and it was clear she was hesitant to go on. That normally meant that she wasn’t going to get her weekend off and she mentally braced herself for the news.

“O-kay…”

“Martin had to leave because his daughter caught what his son had last week, his wife is ready to lose her mind, and he got a last-minute call about a groomsman coming in for a fitting. I’m swamped here with paperwork and Angie’s already gone and…would you mind going down to the tuxedo shop and manning the desk and helping the groomsman out? It’s just the one guy and Martin’s already pulled the tuxes so it’s really just a matter of you standing there and taking his info. What do you think?”

Relief almost had her weeping with gratitude. Her weekend was safe! Again, not that she had any plans, but she was looking forward to the down time. “Not a problem. Any idea what time he’s due to arrive?”

“Martin said any minute. He tried to get the guy to reschedule but apparently this was the only time he was available to come in.”

“It’s no big deal. Really. If it’s all right with you, I’ll grab my purse and jacket and run down there.”

“You are a lifesaver, Penny. Thank you.” She handed her the spare set of keys so she could lock up when she was done and praised her as she walked away.

Five minutes later, she was putting her purse behind the desk at the tuxedo shop and hoping this groomsman wouldn’t keep her waiting too long.

Off in the distance she heard the main doors in the lobby open and close followed by voices calling out a greeting. She looked over at the rack by the fitting rooms and saw that Martin had indeed already pulled a couple of tuxedoes and with any luck, she wouldn’t be out of here much later than her usual time.

Chinese takeout was calling her name and she couldn’t wait to curl up in her yoga pants and a sweatshirt while she enjoyed some dumplings and maybe binge-watched something on Netflix.

She looked toward the front of the shop because if that had been her groomsman walking in the lobby, he would have been in here by now. With a shrug, she decided to get a jump on her dining plans. Bending down, she quickly reached into her purse and pulled out her phone. And when she straightened, she found herself face to face with Spencer.

* * *

For a minute, he thought she was going to scream and the expression on her face said that she certainly hadn’t been expecting him. Actually, he hadn’t been expecting her either. His plan had been to come in for a tuxedo fitting – something he was seriously jumping the gun for Eva’s wedding – and figured it would be a legit excuse to see Penny. He’d casually stop in at the bridal shop and say hello and then…

“Spencer? What are you doing here?”

He gave her a lopsided grin. “Doing a test run on tuxedoes to help Eva and Brett out.”

At first he didn’t think she believed him, but then she visibly relaxed. “Oh. Okay.”

“So what are you doing in the tuxedo shop? I didn’t think you worked in here too.”

She quickly explained about the owner needing to get home to a sick child – again – and then she stepped away and began to explain to him about the tuxedo options that had been pulled for him.

If he didn’t know any better, he’d swear she was nervous and that pleased him a little. If she was nervous around him, that meant that she wasn’t unaffected by him – or by their kiss.

Good to know.

Because kissing Penny had been all he could think about all week. He should be back in Atlanta right now.

But he wasn’t.

He should be working on reports for the building he was designing.

But he wasn’t.

What he was doing was trying on tuxedoes when he didn’t need to just on the off-chance he could see her again. How twisted was that?

By now Penny was standing next to a dressing room and holding a tuxedo hanger in her hand. “Martin already placed a shirt and shoes in the fitting room for you,” she said, “and this is the first tux he pulled for you to consider based on your measurements.”

“I never gave him my measurements,” Spencer said.

“Um…what?”

He nodded. “All I did was call and ask if I could come in and try some on,” he explained. “No one asked for any sizes or measurements. I guess I can try this on and we can go from there, right?”

Then he watched as her shoulders sagged and she sighed. But she immediately went back into sales mode and gave him a nice but professional smile. “Okay, we’ll need to get your measurements first. No need for you to try to fit into a suit that isn’t your size. That’s just crazy.” She stepped away and hung up the suit she had in her hands. “Why don’t you step up on the platform over there by the mirror and I’ll go get the measuring tape.”

Wait…measuring tape? Couldn’t he just tell her what size he normally wore? That would certainly make things easier – especially since Brett hadn’t made any decisions on tuxedos and he wasn’t planning on ordering anything tonight. Then again, if he did happen to go in that direction, there’d be no need for him to stand up on the platform for measurements. And that would mean…

“Just step up on there and face the mirror,” she said. “I’ll need to make a note of your shirt and sleeve size, waist, outseam…”

Then he felt bad for giving her extra work. “Wouldn’t it be easier to give you at least some of my sizes so you don’t have to go through all of this?” he asked and hated that he was quite possibly depriving himself of some extra time with her.

“Under normal circumstances, yes,” she explained. “But for this sort of thing, we require specific measurements. Every designer is cut just a litter differently so it makes everyone’s job easier to just go by what the measuring tape says.”

“Ah…gotcha.” Doing his best to hide a grin, he simply stood and did as he was told as Penny’s hands roamed all over him – in a completely professional way – as she took the needed measurements.

Best. Friday. Night. Ever.

At first, he felt all kinds of wrong that even though there was nothing sexy about what she was doing, it was still mildly arousing – her hand skimming down his leg…her arms wrapped around him to get his waist measurements…

He cursed the fact that they were in the middle of a tuxedo shop and that he had on so many damn clothes!

Once she was done, she moved around the shop and pulled tuxes in his size and then sent him back to the dressing room to start trying them on.

They didn’t talk about much – she kept all of the conversation focused on Eva and Brett and their wedding and tuxedo style questions. Not that he cared. Basically, this was all going to be Brett’s decision and right now, Brett had no idea that Spencer was even looking at tuxes.

No one did.

If his sister caught wind of what he was doing, he knew he’d get her approval and possibly her help. And as much as he knew he was going to need some of that where Penny was concerned, he wanted to do it in his own time and in his own way.

He just never thought trying on tuxedos was a length he’d ever have to go through in order to spend time with a woman.

“Let me know how that first one fits,” Penny called out to him.

And as he closed the dressing room door, he figured he had at least an hour to try to break down some of her defenses and convince her to go out with him again.