I could have let the conversation fizzle. I could have thanked Penn for the drink and walked away. I could have returned to the small table where Ginny was reuniting with an old co-worker.
Except, the longer I was near him, the more I felt tying me to him. His presence sent my system into chaos, but I felt a familiarity with his thoughts and an attraction that was nearly impossible to deny.
Ginny smiled and waved from across the lounge, and I knew I would not be able to deny that Penn was the most interesting man I had met in a long time.
"Yes, though I've never been a good city-dweller," Penn said. "How about you?"
"Here and there."
Penn snorted. "Singers always say that, don't they? So, Corsica, what do you plan to sing next?"
I shrugged. "Depends on what inspires me."
"What inspired that last song?"
I didn't want to admit it even to myself, so I took another sip of my drink and continued walking along the bar. Penn followed and when I reached the corner near the emergency exit, he tugged me into the short, dim hallway. I didn't resist. It was impossible; I wanted to press my body against his and feel just how hot he could make me.
"What is it about you?" Penn asked on a harsh breath. He hooked an arm around my waist and pulled me closer. "You're snobby and stuck up and quick to get the wrong opinion about people."
"So what are you doing?"
"I don't know, but I'm sure it's going to be bad for me."
He leaned down and I was shocked by the soft brush of his beard. The light chafe of it against my cheek had my lips parting in surprised pleasure. Penn's wide lips were still frowning, but he was about to kiss me.
"Sorry to interrupt," Ginny called. "Remember how I posted where we were going because I was sure he never read my stuff, anyway? Well, I was wrong."
I kept one hand on Penn's hard chest as I leaned around and looked where Ginny pointed. My ex-boyfriend, in his perpetual polo shirt and dark, pristine jeans, stood in the doorway of the karaoke lounge. He blinked as his eyes adjusted and then he scanned the crowd, trying to find me.
Penn stepped back. "Your boyfriend."
"Ex," I snapped.
"He's got this sick sense of when you're doing anything fun," Ginny said. "What, is he afraid if you sing a little karaoke, then you'll run off and go wild?"
"I'd like to see that," Penn commented. He eased around me and back out towards the bar.
I crossed my arms and raised my chin. "I'm not going to go wild just to please you or stop singing just to make him feel comfortable."
"So, you're going to go over there and send him away? I bet I could help with that." Penn's dark eyes glowed with mischief and he puckered his lips up. "How about that kiss, princess?"
I shoved his chest with both hands. "I don't have time for this, I really don't. I shouldn't have come out in the first place."
"Scared you'd meet someone like me?"
Ginny laughed. "She's not so much scared of having fun as she is overburdened with practicality."
I planted my hands on my hips. "Yeah, because it's so fun not finding a job after graduation. It's really fun having student loans hanging over my head. It's fun having everyone tell me I'm making a big mistake when all I want to do is take care of business first."
I stomped past Ginny and Penn and gave Joshua an angry wave. He saw and gestured for me to join him outside. I shook my head and pointed to the bar. My ex-boyfriend tried to argue across the room, but I found a stool and sat down.
Normally, I enjoyed Joshua's appearance. Even though we were broken-up, he was still a trusted friend and colleague. We'd gone through the same hospitality program in college and our career goals were the same: own an exclusive hotel. And, it didn't hurt that Joshua had the clean-cut look that I liked.
Joshua Barton was two years older than me at 24, and much taller at 6'4". His height made him appear thin, but he had the wiry strength of a marathon runner and the broad shoulders of an all-state swimmer. His blond hair was cut perfectly and the part in his hair as straight as a ruler. Light blue eyes expressed every thought.
Though not much emotion, I thought.
Joshua was perfect, polished, and completely without passion. Unless we were talking about hotels.
I turned in my chair as he approached and wondered if my ex-boyfriend was going to surprise me.
"There you are, Corsica. Why can't you answer your phone? Didn't you see the email I forwarded you from our department head?"
"Really?" Ginny asked. "We just graduated and you couldn't let her have one night without bringing all of that up?"
Joshua ignored my friend with a polite frown. Then, he gripped my elbow and pulled me off my stool. "Sorry to interrupt, but this is actually important."
"Is he always like that?" Penn growled behind me.
"You mean bent on destroying any thoughts Corsica has of fun or freedom even for a moment?" Ginny asked. "Yeah. He's always like that."
"Who on earth is that?" Joshua asked me.
I glanced back at Penn and had no idea what to say. The differences between the two men were glaring and I was shaken by how obvious my preference leaned towards Penn. "Never mind. I only came out to find you because it's that important," Joshua said.
I twisted my arm free of his grip. "Fine, just tell me. What's so important that you came out to a club to find me? Aren't you supposed to be having dinner with your parents?"
"Yes, but our department head let me know there is a position available at the Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay. I recommended you, Corsica. You're going to need to revamp your entire resume and make sure all your references are in order. This isn't something you can wait on. It's the chance of a lifetime!"
I stepped back and leaned against the bar. "The Ritz?"
"Exactly," Joshua said with a smug smile. "Now, come on, I have a car waiting."
I leaned away from his ushering hands. "Whoa, wait. It's important, it's amazing, but it can still wait until morning," I said.
Joshua stood up to his full height and gave me a disapproving frown. "You can't seriously be telling me that you'd rather stay here and listen to people butcher songs on a karaoke machine. We can stop and pick up dim sum. We'll make a night out of it, and you can send your resume first thing in the morning."
"Is that what you think when I sing?" I asked.
My ex-boyfriend froze and measured his next words. "What does your singing have to do with applying for a position at the Ritz-Carlton?"
"I love singing."
Joshua laughed. "And it's the perfect hobby for you, but it's not going to pay the bills or get you the career you've studied so hard for, now is it?"
I turned and looked at the stage. The vintage microphone glinted like a far off star, and I felt the old pain in my chest. It was the familiar pain of saying goodbye, of leaving something I loved for something better.
It was the same feeling that had followed me since I left South Dakota and never looked back.
CHAPTER TWO
Penn - 2