Page 19

nineteen

Miles

P enny looks over at me, her head against the seat rest. We got our cheese tortellini to go and ate them outside her house in the car. Marge put extra bread and dessert in the bag, too, for Kai.

This might be the best date I’ve ever been on. We laughed, she was a million times more comfortable being closer to Kai, and it was just effortless.

“You’re sure about this?” she asks as she looks at me with a smile.

“That I want to take Kai with us? Yes.”

She’s a single mother, and her son is a part of being with her. I’m not ignorant to that fact. If anything, I want him there too. I’m pretty sure he’ll help me out. No, but in all honesty, I just want her to be comfortable.

“You’re making resisting you very difficult.”

I grin. “I already told you that was the plan. Come on, let’s get him and go on the rest of our date.”

I get out of the car before she can protest or try to end the date and open her door.

“You’re home already?” Hazel asks as we enter the house. “Miles, I thought you had a little more swagger than this.”

I roll my eyes. “You sound just like Everett.”

She scrunches her face. “Don’t say that.”

“I speak the truth. ”

Penelope cuts in. “Miles and I decided to change things up a little. We’re going to take Kai on the second part of the date.”

Hazel grins. “I take it back. Game you have. Well done, sir.”

I shake my head. “No games.”

Kai comes running out and sees us there. “Hey, Coach!”

“Hey, bud. Listen, I have a problem and I was really hoping you could help out.”

His eyes widen. “A problem?”

“Yeah, see, I have tickets to monster mini golf, but I’m a little afraid of the dark, and your mom didn’t think she could be much help. Do you think it would be okay if you came with us? You know, make sure that I’m safe and all.”

The way he comes to life at this simple request is fucking adorable. He puffs his chest out and lifts his head. “I can do that.”

“Perfect.”

“I’ll get my sneakers so we can go!” he yells before running toward his room.

Penelope leans against the wall, her eyes warm, and I can almost feel her layers melting away. “Thank you for this.”

“Don’t thank me yet. You can save that for later,” I tease.

“You have to hit the ball in the hole!” Kai explains after I missed—again.

I thought I was going to be good at mini golf. Apparently I’m having performance anxiety, because it’s a par three and I’m on shot six. So, yeah.

“I’m trying, dude,” I say, lining up my shot and then, when I didn’t think this golfing could be worse, I’m proved wrong when I hear the heckling behind me.

“Mr. Anderson can’t get it in the hole!” Then comes laughter.

I turn to see four of my students standing off to the side. “Hello, Jacob, Tyler, Hawk, and Ryan. Why don’t you play ahead,” I suggest.

“Not a chance,” Hawk says.

Of course not.

I go back to lining up my shot and actually make it this time.

“Nice shot, Mr. A! ”

I grab the ball out of the hole and lift it up before walking over to Penny. “Just to be perfectly clear, I have no problems finding or getting anything in the right hole.”

Even in the dark I can see Penelope’s cheeks redden. “Right,” she says quickly. “Good to know.”

Well, that worked to my benefit. I place my hand on the small of her back, guiding her to the next starting point where Kai is waiting.

“I apologize in advance.”

“For?”

“Those four.”

She smiles. “After Aunt Marge, I really didn’t think it could get worse, but think of it as a good thing.”

“A good thing that everyone is intent on embarrassing me?” I ask.

“Yeah, I’ll know all the bad stuff in the beginning. So if I agree to a second date, you know I definitely like you.”

I huff a laugh. “I’ll hope for the best then.”

Penelope is a natural, and whatever magic Kai has with golf I’m going to call beginner’s luck.

I apparently have no luck or skill here.

You’d think I’d be excellent. I played hockey for fuck’s sake. The entire game is based on getting the puck in the net.

Yet here I am, at monster mini golf, sucking it up like a loser. I’m going to blame it on the fact that it’s dark and the only light is from black lights. As if we’re in the nineties and in Gran’s basement.

They both golf first and then it’s my turn.

“Don’t miss,” one of the boys says from behind me.

I turn my head and glare. “Remember school starts soon, and I’ll hold all the power then ...”

They quiet down as I focus. I imagine this is the ice and that windmill with the glowing smiley faces that spin is a goalie. I can do this. I’m going to get it in the net—or through the windmill.

I time it, take a breath, and ... fail.

The stupid ball bounces back at me.

“Do you need help, Coach?” Kai asks.

“Apparently I do.”

He comes over and taps the ball, which goes through. Penelope laughs and then covers her mouth .

Yeah, I know, I look like a dumbass.

Thank God the Disc Jocks aren’t here to see this. I would never live it down.

“Thanks, Kai.”

He gives me a big smile. “You’re welcome.”

Tyler comes up behind me and clasps my shoulder. “Mr. A, I gotta warn you, if this is a date, you’re doing a bad job at looking like a stud.”

“I’m doing just fine.”

I hope.

He sighs heavily. “I don’t know, man, it’s not looking good from where we stand.”

Jacob chimes in. “Maybe you can take her to a movie or something next time.”

“Shut up.”

They laugh and I walk away toward Penny and Kai.

We play the rest of the course, laughing—mostly at me, even though I wasn’t half bad by the end. Kai and Penelope started missing more and more as the course progressed, and I actually improved.

It was a nice change of pace.

We’re on the last hole, and I’m determined to go out on a high note. Penelope got hers in five and Kai was nine. My goal is not to lose.

If I can make this shot, I’ll be at three.

Penelope walks over, looking at where I’m standing, and tsks. “I wouldn’t do that.”

I turn my head, still in position to tap the ball. “Why not?”

“Your angle is off.”

“My angle is just right.”

She grins. “I don’t know about that.”

I crouch down, looking at the trajectory. I’m totally right. “You’re trying to make me miss.”

“I would never do anything like that,” she says, all innocence with her lies. She and Kai share a look.

“Oh, and you’re in on it too? The shame. I thought you were going to help me, not team up with your mom to make me lose. ”

Kai laughs. “I want you both to win.”

I hit the ball. It misses because of course it does, but I look over at Penny. I can see the laughter, the joy, and the desire swimming in her eyes. I put that there. I gave her this and I swear, I feel like I’m a hundred feet tall and could move mountains with that single look.

I move close to her and keep my voice low. “I might have lost this game, but I’ve already won something much better.”

I lift out of the car a very exhausted and deeply asleep Kai. After mini golf, we went to get ice cream, and somewhere in the middle, he zonked out.

“I can take him,” Penelope says as I heft him into my arms.

Kai doesn’t even stir as his head rests on my shoulder. “I got him.”

Penelope walks in front of me, opening the door and leading me toward Kai’s room. There is very little furniture, just a dresser, the bed, and a folding table next to it. I noticed the same around the rest of the house when I was here for dinner.

The place almost feels like it’s someone else’s. There are no decorations or pictures up. It’s like she’s not really living here.

I put Kai down, and Penny takes his shoes off. “I hate that he’s going to sleep in his clothes, but it is what it is.” She brings the superhero comforter up, tucking him in.

We slip out, closing his door, and stand in the hallway, so close, but not touching.

“I hope you had fun on our date,” I say, breaking the silence.

“I did. I had a great time. Thank you for not being upset about leaving dinner and then bringing my kid on our date.”

“He’s part of who you are. If I can’t accept that, I shouldn’t be asking you out.”

Penelope smiles at that. “Are you asking me out?”

“Do you want me to ask?”

I want to ask her to block out every weekend, but I need to use caution.

I step a little closer. “I asked you first.”

She has to tilt her head back to maintain eye contact. “Maybe.”

“That’s not really an answer.” I lift my hand to cup her cheek, and she closes her eyes for a moment. “Do you want me to ask you out?” I repeat my earlier question.

Penelope’s eyes find mine, and I can see the storm rage. “Can I answer you when this date is over?”

“You want this date to keep going?” I ask, even though I really want to push her against the wall and kiss her until she can’t think of a reason to say no.

“I think we could ... for a while.”

I lean into her slowly, waiting for her to push me away. Not that she has before, but I always want her to feel like she can.

“What do you want to do for the rest of the date?” I ask.

She pulls that lower lip between her teeth and places her hands on my chest. “You.”