Andrew asked.
Dante smiled. His friend was always matter-of-fact and to
the point. “I don’t want to share her and yeah, I have.”
“Well, I’ll be damned.” Andrew sat back in his chair. “This
is for real?” Dante had expected his friend to question his motives. Andrew
understood him better than most people and he knew Dante avoided long-term
entanglements like the plague. “That was fast.”
“Not as fast as you think.” Dante had wanted Penny for a
long time. The moment he’d stepped into his new position and been “introduced”
to her, his memories of high school came rushing back. While she was no longer
the teenager he’d secretly harbored a crush on, he’d felt an instant
connection.
“I’ve known Penny longer than you, my friend. When I saw she
was working here, I wanted her. I just didn’t know how much she would twist me
up.”
His buddy laughed. “The great Dante Miller brought down by a
girl he knew in high school.”
He merely shrugged. “She’s worried how you’re going to
handle this.”
“I like Penny. She’s a wonderful woman but you know my
heart’s invested elsewhere.”
He understood where Andrew was coming from. Unfortunately
his best friend was wasting his time, pining for a woman who was already spoken
for. It kept Andrew from dating anyone too long.
Andrew stood and held out his hand. “Good luck. I hope you
two are happy.”
“I plan on it.”
The door to his office flew open. Penny was framed in the
doorway. Her lovely round face was as pale as a ghost and tears gathered in her
dark eyes. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know anyone was here.”
“Baby, what’s wrong?” Concern filled him as he came around the
desk and wrapped her in his arms.
“It’s Kale. She came back early. She went to visit Brian and
found him screwing his secretary in his office.”
Andrew grasped Penny’s wrist. “Is she okay?”
“No, her heart’s broken. Can you imagine walking in to tell
your boyfriend you’re ready to marry him and he’s deep into another woman?”
“I’m going to kill the son of a bitch.”
Dante watched his best friend turn lethal as he processed
the information.
“What are we going to do? If she ever finds out about what
happened between the three of us, she’s going to be livid.”
Dante held Penny closer and kissed her temple. “We’ll worry
about that later.” He turned Penny in his arms. “Nothing is going to change
what’s between us. It’s terrible what Brian did to her but you can’t let that
get between what we have.”
“Well, isn’t this a cozy little scene?” All three turned to
see Kale standing in the doorway. Her eyes were swollen and red and her face
was twisted in anger. “Let me see if I get this. You three are fucking. I can’t
believe it.”
“Kale, I know you’ve had a hell of a shock, but that’s no
reason for you to attack what you don’t understand.” Dante pulled Penny behind
him, trying to shield her from Kale’s anger. He wanted to keep the situation
calm. Kale’s rage was a living, breathing thing and it tainted the air in the
room.
“I quit,” she spat before spinning on her heel and walking
out.
Dante let go of Penny and started to go after her but Andrew
stopped him. “Let me. She isn’t going to be receptive to either one of you
right now.”
He nodded and his best friend took off after Kale. He faced
Penny and tried to pull her into his arms again but she stiffened up. His
stomach dropped as she looked up at him, horrified.
“Oh my God, Dante. What have we done?”
He grabbed her elbows. “We’ve done nothing wrong. Do you
hear me, Penny? I won’t let you turn this into something bad.”
She simply shook her head. “No, we have done something
wrong. We’ve stepped over the line professionally and personally. Kale is…was
my friend. I’ve always known her stance on workplace affairs.”
“Penny, don’t do this. What we have is not the same thing
that she walked in on when she
Dante smiled. His friend was always matter-of-fact and to
the point. “I don’t want to share her and yeah, I have.”
“Well, I’ll be damned.” Andrew sat back in his chair. “This
is for real?” Dante had expected his friend to question his motives. Andrew
understood him better than most people and he knew Dante avoided long-term
entanglements like the plague. “That was fast.”
“Not as fast as you think.” Dante had wanted Penny for a
long time. The moment he’d stepped into his new position and been “introduced”
to her, his memories of high school came rushing back. While she was no longer
the teenager he’d secretly harbored a crush on, he’d felt an instant
connection.
“I’ve known Penny longer than you, my friend. When I saw she
was working here, I wanted her. I just didn’t know how much she would twist me
up.”
His buddy laughed. “The great Dante Miller brought down by a
girl he knew in high school.”
He merely shrugged. “She’s worried how you’re going to
handle this.”
“I like Penny. She’s a wonderful woman but you know my
heart’s invested elsewhere.”
He understood where Andrew was coming from. Unfortunately
his best friend was wasting his time, pining for a woman who was already spoken
for. It kept Andrew from dating anyone too long.
Andrew stood and held out his hand. “Good luck. I hope you
two are happy.”
“I plan on it.”
The door to his office flew open. Penny was framed in the
doorway. Her lovely round face was as pale as a ghost and tears gathered in her
dark eyes. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know anyone was here.”
“Baby, what’s wrong?” Concern filled him as he came around the
desk and wrapped her in his arms.
“It’s Kale. She came back early. She went to visit Brian and
found him screwing his secretary in his office.”
Andrew grasped Penny’s wrist. “Is she okay?”
“No, her heart’s broken. Can you imagine walking in to tell
your boyfriend you’re ready to marry him and he’s deep into another woman?”
“I’m going to kill the son of a bitch.”
Dante watched his best friend turn lethal as he processed
the information.
“What are we going to do? If she ever finds out about what
happened between the three of us, she’s going to be livid.”
Dante held Penny closer and kissed her temple. “We’ll worry
about that later.” He turned Penny in his arms. “Nothing is going to change
what’s between us. It’s terrible what Brian did to her but you can’t let that
get between what we have.”
“Well, isn’t this a cozy little scene?” All three turned to
see Kale standing in the doorway. Her eyes were swollen and red and her face
was twisted in anger. “Let me see if I get this. You three are fucking. I can’t
believe it.”
“Kale, I know you’ve had a hell of a shock, but that’s no
reason for you to attack what you don’t understand.” Dante pulled Penny behind
him, trying to shield her from Kale’s anger. He wanted to keep the situation
calm. Kale’s rage was a living, breathing thing and it tainted the air in the
room.
“I quit,” she spat before spinning on her heel and walking
out.
Dante let go of Penny and started to go after her but Andrew
stopped him. “Let me. She isn’t going to be receptive to either one of you
right now.”
He nodded and his best friend took off after Kale. He faced
Penny and tried to pull her into his arms again but she stiffened up. His
stomach dropped as she looked up at him, horrified.
“Oh my God, Dante. What have we done?”
He grabbed her elbows. “We’ve done nothing wrong. Do you
hear me, Penny? I won’t let you turn this into something bad.”
She simply shook her head. “No, we have done something
wrong. We’ve stepped over the line professionally and personally. Kale is…was
my friend. I’ve always known her stance on workplace affairs.”
“Penny, don’t do this. What we have is not the same thing
that she walked in on when she
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