“Yes, this is Penny.”
“Oh, good. I was hoping a random person wasn’t texting me to ask how to use a shower.”
“I thought you’d just text back,” she replied lamely.
“Yeah, well, luckily, I’m on my lunch break, or I wouldn’t have responded at all. I’ll have to be fast. Are you near the shower?”
It was then she became very aware that she was talking to Finn while practically naked. Interestingly, she found she wasn’t quite as cold as she’d been only a moment before. “Umm, yeah, one second,” she said, feeling the need to pretend she was approaching the shower and actually pantomiming it like an idiot. “Okay?”
“There should be a cord hanging down. Do you see it? That’s like turning on the immersion.”
“The what?”
“The immersion,” he repeated.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
She thought she heard him sigh, but he continued quickly enough. “Never mind. Just pull the cord.”
Penny reached up and pulled the cord she hadn’t even noticed until he mentioned it. “Okay.”
“It’s an electric shower. Do you see the big plastic box inside with the dial?”
“Yes, I tried that yesterday, but it didn’t do any good.”
“Now that you’ve pulled the cord, the water will get hot.”
“Hold on. Don’t hang up,” she said, putting down her phone to reach into the shower, not completely trusting it to work.“Yes!” she exclaimed a few seconds later when the temperature began to rise.
“Uh, Penny,” she heard from her phone.
She snatched it back up. “Sorry! Thank you so much! You’re my hero!”
“Anytime,” Finn’s voice responded warmly. “Enjoy your shower.”
“Oh, I intend to,” she enthused.
“Good.”
Her cheeks reddened as she realized the turn the conversation had taken, but Finn had already hung up.
Penny was showered, dressed, and foraging for food by the time Bonnie returned. “Do you want some eggs?” she called out, head still inside the fridge.
“No. And neither do you. Close that up, Pen. I bought scones from the best little bakery down the street.”
“Oh,” Penny said, intrigued, as her stomach growled its interest.
“Part of my making amends. I should have picked them up for breakfast yesterday, but….”
“Considering the way things went down, I think the chip butties were perfect. It was really sweet of Finn to bring them.”
“Yeah,” Bonnie agreed, almost dismissively, as she pulled the scones out of the white paper bag. “He’s good like that. Have a seat, and I’ll get these ready for us.”
Penny grabbed her mug for a refill, then did as she was told. “He also saved me this morning with my shower.”
“Huh?” Bonnie was moving around the kitchen with ease, pulling out knives, butter, and jam, knowing exactly where everything was located. “If you want, I can go all in and whip up some cream for them.”
“I’m sure we’ll be fine without it.” This already seemed like an indulgent breakfast with the way Bonnie was spreading on the butter. “You never told me how to have a hot shower,” Penny persisted.
