“What. Is. It.” Penny enunciated each word, her frustration showing through.
“And if you didn’t know where…,” he continued, obviously enjoying her annoyance.
Penelope crossed her arms, raising her eyebrows at him.
“All right, all right.” He reached out to gently turn her shoulders so they were moving forward again. “Now that Ithink about it, it really just looks like a big warehouse from the outside. On one side, it has picnic tables and a few vendors for sunny days like this. Inside, there are food stalls, coffee shops, bakeries, couches, and tables. This time of day and heading into the evening, there’s usually some live music. It’s a family-friendly place. You can get a drink, but it’s not like the atmosphere of a bar.”
“Oh,” Penny found herself warming to the description. “Sounds nice.”
“It is. And it’s right there.”
Finn pointed past a small rise to what was a very large warehouse. The roll-up doors were open. Peeking in, she could see people mingling. The smell of tasty things wafted down to them.
He led the way up the little hill, his pace steady and sure. Penny fell behind, looking around and wondering how she hadn’t noticed this place before. It was nicer than he’d described. There were fairy lights and large exposed light bulbs scattered about, casting a warm glow over the place. The entire middle area was padded with rugs, and several types of seating were set up throughout, including large couches with long tables in front of them and small, round tables with café-style chairs that suggested a more intimate setting, all of which looked inviting. A musician was setting up his speakers and microphone in a corner of the rugged area. And every bit of wall space was lined with food stalls.
“It all looks delicious,” Penelope said when she finally caught up to where he was waiting for her. Her stomach rumbled in response to the mouthwatering aromas.
“Good. Because you could definitely use something other than toast to eat.”
She chose not to mention that she hadn’t actually been eating toast because what she had been eating would probably havesounded worse to him. But in a place like this, how could she not indulge?
“What do you recommend?” she asked, her eyes sweeping over the overwhelming number of options.
“I would suggest,” Finn started with a serious tone, “that we split up and see what we can find. Then, meet back up and share.” His eyes were twinkling now. “Then do it again. That way, we’ll get to try more things.”
“I love that idea.” Penelope felt giddy, like a kid in a toy shop, with so many curiosities to explore.
“Tell me this though, coffee, fizzy drink, healthy drink, or drink-drink?”
That was a tougher one. “Is it too late for a coffee drink? It probably is, but…”
“Penelope.”
There it was again, the way he said her full name. She’d started referring to herself that way ever since she got the job as a teacher, grateful that there were enough new teachers since she’d been a student for it to stick. With Bonnie, it was always Penny. It felt like a child’s name. A sidekick’s name. One she wanted to outgrow. Something about the way it rolled off his lips made her whole body tune into him.
“I didn’t ask what you should have. I asked what you want.”
Confronted by this question, his eyes looking directly into hers, she knew her actual answer wasn’t something she could ask for. “Coffee,” she squeaked. “Something creamy and lovely, please,” she added with a sigh.
Finn nodded once before disappearing into the crowd.
A world of music and chatter, colors and smells, and so many choices surrounded her. Since he’d gone left, she decided to go right, pushing her way in to blend with the stream of people traveling in that direction, careful not to bump into customers standing in lines. The rhythmic prattling of those around herwas a pleasantly teasing sound. They spoke so quickly that she only caught tidbits. Happily, she immersed herself in it. She allowed herself a casual stroll, taking her time to scan menus and peek at what foods people were carrying away with them, trying to decide what Finn might like. There was the usual fare of pizza, burgers, and loaded fries, plus some rather gourmet-looking items. It was when she caught the joyful look on a child’s face, with a hand stretched out and a finger pointing, that she made her decision. She followed the pointing finger to a glass case containing the most delicate and scrumptious-looking cakes, cookies, and pastries she’d ever seen. Smiling widely with delight, just like the little girl in front of her, she was drawn to the large frosting-covered cupcakes.
Trying to capture her spirit of adventure, Penelope decided they should have dessert first. Or at least that’s what she would bring to the table. Approaching the bakery, she leaned in for a better view, standing right next to the ponytailed onlooker. The little girl’s mother was distracted, her hands full as she tried to quiet a screaming baby. She’d obviously been told not to wander, though, as the hand not indicating the delicious treats held tightly to the stroller.
“Which one would you get?” Penelope asked, dropping to a lower stance.
The little girl’s eyes widened as she edged closer to her mother.
The woman became aware of her presence then, smiling warily. “Hello.”
“Hi.” Penelope’s heart went out to the woman with the tired eyes. She quickly added the words that always seemed to calm parents back home. “I’m a teacher.”
As she hoped, the tension on the mother’s face relaxed, not completely, but visibly.
“I teach second grade in America. Seven-year-olds,” she added.
“I’m seven,” the girl announced, quickly glancing at her mother to make sure her outburst was okay.
