“Penelope Aurora. As in the Aurora Corporation.”
“And why is this bad, I mean besides the fact she is also the daughter of a billionaire?”
I explain it to my sister — well, not the mind-blowing sex part, but the meeting and falling… and then the fight.
“Well, why don’t you just go talk to her dad, Paxton? Wouldn’t that solve everything?”
“Why would I ask him permission to date his daughter? He sounds like a control freak.”
“Paxton, you wanted Stephan to ask you, remember?”
I think back to when Claire’s fiancé was preparing to propose. He came to me, since our dad was gone. Asking if I would accept him into the family.
“That’s different,” I say. “I love Stephan.”
“Yeah, but Paxton, it sounds like since Penny’s mom died, he’s kept a short leash on his daughter. Maybe he’s scared of losing her. Maybe he’s so invested in her relationships not because he wants to control her, but because he doesn’t want to lose her too.”
“I think you’re being way too generous,” I say, opening a bottle of beer and looking out at the marina.
“Maybe I am. Maybe her dad is an asshole, but Paxton, if you love her, why wouldn’t you fight for her? Stop being so stubborn.”
“Fuck, you’re right,” I say, running a hand over my beard. “I don’t have to agree with the guy to fight for Penny.”
“And you don’t have to fight hard. He just wants to make sure his princess is taken care of. And I’m guessing with your beard and your what, flip-flops and suntan, you don’t look like a guy who works 9-5. But tell him that you do work, hard. Make sure he knows what you’re worth.”
“I don’t need him to know how much money I have.”
Now it’s Claire’s turn to groan. “Not net worth, I mean what you’re worth on the inside. Let him know you’re good at taking care of things, things like his daughter. After all, you’ve made sure I was okay all these years.”
“When did you get smarter than me?” I ask. “Isn’t the big brother supposed to be the wise one?”
Claire laughs. “I am getting married. I’m very grown up now,” she says.
“Thank you,” I say. “For knocking some sense into me.”
“I can’t wait to meet her,” Claire says. “And, look, you finally got a date for the wedding.”
“You think it’s gonna be as easy as this? Because she might not want to jump on a boat and sail away.”
“Then you might have to drop anchor in Seattle and change your plans, Pax. And if you love her, that won’t be hard to do.”
I look at my boat, this beauty I plan to see the world on. Could I give it up?
I end the call knowing my sister is right.
If Penny isn’t with me on this boat, it loses all its luster.
Penny
When I finish crying over the fight at the waterfront, I video call Tori and Lucy.
“I think I just made the biggest mistake of my life.”
“Is it too late to fix it?” Lucy asks.
“Oh no, is this about the furry-faced Fabio?” Tori asks, covering her mouth.
I scoff. “He doesn’t even have long hair.”
“But does he have a long cock?” Tori asks. “That’s the real question.”
“You guys!” Somehow, even though moments ago I was in tears, my friends manage to put a smile on my face.
“Dish,” Lucy says. “We need to understand this mistake.”
So I tell them everything. About the magical night Paxton and I shared, how incredible it was, how he recited poetry to me in bed.
“Wait. Did you say he knew poetry by heart?” Torri asks. When I nod, she sighs. “And why are you not with him right this moment?”
“Yeah, and why the tears, Penny?” Tori asks. “He sounds like your ideal man.”
I explain brunch, the conversation with my father, and the one that followed with Paxton. How in the end, he walked away, frustrated that I wanted him to tell my dad the truth of who he is.
“But Pen, why does it matter if your father gives his blessing? I thought you were trying to be independent with you love life?”
“But he’s my dad, you guys. He may be hard to live with, but he’s still my father. And he was never so controlling before my mom died… I still have hope that one day we can get back to how things used to be. I’m not ready to close that door completely.”
“And you told Pax all this?” Tori asks.
“Not really.” I press my hands to lips. “I feel like I can’t win,” I say. “Like I have to choose and I hate that my dad is making me.”
“Then maybe it’s time to let go,” Lucy says.
“You’re right,” I say. “And the truth is, I think… I think Paxton is more than a one-night stand. I think he might be the one.”
“Really? Penny, that seems fast,” Tori says softly.
“I don’t care. I know. And I can’t lose him out of fear of my father turning his back on me.”
“You don’t have to rush this,” Lucy says.
I bite my bottom lip, the truth of how I feel washing over me all at once. The words I wish I had said to Paxton down at the waterfront suddenly taking space in my heart. I know what I want, who I want. Even if there are no guarantees.
“The thing is, I think I do want to rush this. Sometimes it’s okay to play it safe, but sometimes you have to take a risk. Paxton is only passing through town, and I don’t want him to leave without knowing how I feel.”
“Then why are you still on the phone?” Lucy asks, laughing.
My phone beeps with an incoming call. “Someone’s calling.”
“Is it Paxton?” Tori asks.
I shake my head, pressing the red button to dismiss the call. “No. It’s my father.”
“Maybe you should talk to him,” Lucy says. “No regrets and all…”
I end the call with my friends, knowing they are right. After I tell them I love them, I call my dad back.
“Penny?” he says on answering. “You have a second?”
“Yeah,” I say, crossing my legs, nestled into the corner of my couch. “What is it?”
“I want to apologize.”
I lift my eyebrows, stunned. “For what?”
“For everything. For holding on too tight to reins that weren’t mine in the first place. You’re a grown woman. And, sweetheart, your mother would be so proud of the person you’ve become.”
“Where is all this coming from?”
“I just had a visitor,” he says. “Paxton came to see me.”
“He did?” Hope catches in my throat, lodging in my heart, and I hold my breath.
“Yes, Penelope. He did. And I want you to know, whatever you choose, I am on your side. I lost your mother — I don’t want to lose you too.”
“Is this because he told you he was a Hughes?” I ask my dad, needing to know the truth. “As in the heir to Hughes Incorporated?”
“He’s Paxton Hughes?” my dad’s voice raises an octave. “That bearded sailor is… well damn, Penelope. He’s a humble one.” My dad chuckles heartily.