I'd like to say after a month that I'd stopped missing Reed so much. If I did, it would be a complete lie. I'd thrown myself into work to try not to think about it. My bosses were pleased with my work and I was on the fast track to a promotion. That should have made me happy, and it did to a certain degree, but I still felt like there was a dark cloud following me.

I'd stopped going to the gym he worked at. I didn't want to risk seeing him. I couldn't deal with seeing him. I wouldn't be able to deal with him giving me the cold shoulder if I did. Noel said she'd seen him a few times, and he looked miserable. My response, he’d done it to himself. Still, I couldn’t deny the instinct to want to comfort him.

I wouldn't relent though. He’d made his choice, and I wasn't it. No matter how much I loved the man I wouldn't allow myself to be treated like I was disposable. I'd done that before and I wasn't going to do it again.

Noel and I were going out for drinks after work. She'd convinced me that I'd sulked long enough and I needed to go out and be among the living. I knew she wanted me to go on a few dates, but I wasn't feeling the dating scene. I relented to drinks as a compromise and a ploy to get her to stop with the dating talk.

I went home to change and freshen up before meeting her. As I got closer to my front door, I noticed a bouquet of red and white roses with a card nestled in the middle. I picked up the card silently chastising myself for hoping that the flowers were from Reed. I opened it up and sure enough, my traitorous heart started to beat quicker.

Penelope,

I read somewhere that red and white roses are the best for apologizing. Red is supposed to represent love and fidelity while white is for truth and purity. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness after everything, but I do hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me one day. I was wrong and I am a total jerk for jumping to conclusions and not trusting you. You are one of the few people in my life that have shown me true care and compassion and I repaid you in the worst possible way. Please accept these as symbol of my apology. I hope that we can talk soon.

Love Always,

Reed

Tears were streaming down my face. Why did he have to do this? Why after all this time did he have to pop back in my life with his sweet words and gestures? It was hard enough trying to move on without a reminder of him. I picked the flowers up and went into my apartment. I put the flowers in the kitchen and put the card beside it. I didn't want the constant reminder of him, but I couldn't bring myself to throw them away.

***

Noel was sitting at a high top table when I walked into the bar. She waved like a loon when she saw me. I guessed that meant  she was on at least drink number two. I always stuck to a two drink max and finished it early in the night so that I could be our designated driver if needed. I wasn't much of a drinker, to begin with, so it never really bothered me.

"Hey good lookin," Noel said in greeting.

"Hey crazy, I see you've already gotten started."

"You bet, some hottie at the bar keeps sending me drinks. Who am I to deny?"

"Of course not. Drink up sister."

Our server came around and got my drink order. We also ordered a couple of appetizers since neither of us had eaten dinner. Noel told me about her latest boy toy. She'd moved on from the lawyer and was now rolling in the sheets with an Acupuncturist. The woman had an expansive taste in men. I'd give her that.

"Enough about me. What about you?Are you ready to get back in the saddle?"

"Actually I got a bouquet of flowers today. They were from Reed."

"Did they come with a card or anything? I need details woman!"

"There was a card. He apologized and said he now realizes that he should have trusted me. Whatever that means."

"It sounds like he found out that his perfect little sister isn't so perfect and that you really were trying to help."

"Whatever he found out doesn't matter now. He threw me away without a second thought."

"Psh, girl he's given you a second thought. I've seen him moping around like a lost puppy at the gym."

"Well he should have thought about that now shouldn't he?"

"Yeah, he should have."

Noel perked up and waved at someone behind me. I turned to see who it was. Two men were walking toward our table. One looked to be about six-two with dark brown hair that was cut close to his head. His face was clean shaven, and he was wearing a navy blue suit.

The other man had dirty blond hair that was up in a man bun on top of his head. He had on gray slacks with a white button up tucked in and a bow tie around his neck. He was a hair shorter than the other man and a bit more rugged. Both men were sexy in their own right.

I turned back to Noel with narrowed eyes.

"Who is that?"

"Oh, that's Ray, the acupuncturist I told you about, and his friend Max."

"Noel, what have you done? This was supposed to be a girls night."

I had to give her credit. She kept a straight face when answering me. Almost as if she truly didn't know what she was doing.

"It is a girls night that now has boys as well."

I frowned at my best friend. She knew I didn't want to date right now, and she ignored my wishes. Ignoring my wishes was a bad habit of hers. It was always in the name of love according to her. It didn't change the fact that I was pissed.

"Come on Penny, it's been a month. I'm not asking you to marry the guy. I'm just trying to push you in the right direction of getting over Reed. You've made it clear that you are done with him, so what's the harm in meeting new men?"

Noel may have had a point, but I still didn't like it. I also didn't like her meddling in my business and pushing me to do things I didn't want to. The two men were only a few feet away from our table so I tried to push down my annoyance. I didn't want to come off as a jerk even if I wasn't happy about the impromptu meeting. Besides, both of them were pretty easy on the eyes so it wouldn't be a total hardship to spend a couple of hours with them.

"Hey, guys." Noel got up from her chair and hugged the dark haired man. He leaned down and placed a peck on her lips. I assumed that was Ray the acupuncture man. That left the blond. He had to be my distraction for the evening.

"Ray, Max this is my best friend Penelope. Penelope this is Ray and his friend Max."

Ray extended his hand to me first.

"Hi Penelope, Noel has told me so much about you."

I tried to stifle the laugh that wanted to escape. I was only partially successful.

"I don't know if that is a good or bad thing coming from Noel," I said smiling up at Ray.

He laughed and assured me that they were all good things.

Max stepped forward and offered his hand. It was warm and large against my smaller one. I may have swooned a bit. I was feeling the man bun and bow tie. It was sort of hipster, but the full but neatly trimmed beard on his face gave him a bit of a rugged appeal.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Penelope."

His voice was a deep timber. Normally it would have my knees feeling a little weak, but my heart didn't seem to get the memo. I knew I had a certain gym rat to blame for that.

"It's nice to meet you too." I gave him my best smile. Even though my heart wasn't racing and my knees weren't weak, I decided to try to keep an open mind.

The four of us sat at the table Noel and I had been occupying. We all started out making small talk. I found out that Max worked as an art teacher at a local high school. He also a painted and sold his own artwork on the side.

Ray and Noel excused themselves to the dance floor leaving Max and I alone. We were quiet for a while watching our friends dancing to the music. Max broke the silence.

"You had no idea that I was coming tonight did you?"

I looked down into my drink like it would help me with my answer before looking back up at him.

"Honestly, no. Noel has been nagging me to go out for a while, but I refused. I agreed to a girls night thinking it would get her off of my back, but she had other plans."

I'd decided to go with honesty with Max because I felt like I had nothing to lose.

Max nodded his head and looked at me quietly for a few seconds.

"For what it's worth I'm glad we got to meet. You're very beautiful and I've enjoyed talking to you."

His words made me feel shy and a little giddy.

"Thank you, I've enjoyed talking to you too. Tonight has gone better than I thought it would."

Ray and Noel joined us back at the table. They announced that they were ready to call it a night claiming they had long days at work. I knew they were leaving to get their after party started.

When we left the bar Noel and I hugged goodbye. Max offered to walk me to my car. At my car, I turned to face him and thank.

"Thanks for walking me to my car. I had fun tonight."

"You're more than welcome. I had fun too. I was wondering if you would like to go out sometime. Just the two of us."

I was caught off guard by his offer.

"Oh, um I..."

"It's ok if you don't want to. I just couldn't pass up the chance to at least ask."

I was attracted to Max. In my mind I knew he was someone I would typically be interested in getting to know better, but my heart wasn't fully in it. In the end, my mind told my heart to shut-up.

"I'd like that very much."

The smile that he gave me made my lady parts tingle.

"What's your number so I can call you to set it up?"

I rattled off my number while he keyed it into his phone.

"Great, I'll call you soon."

He waited for me to unlock my car and get settled inside before heading to his own. I sat behind the wheel trying to process the events of the night. I had agreed to a date with a man that wasn't Reed. I wasn't sure how I felt about it, but I knew that it was a step in the necessary direction. I just wished my heart understood.