One Penny: A Marked Heart Novel (2 page)

Two

Trying his hardest to make the apartment manager Marty, understand how important switching apartments was without explaining the reason why seemed easier in Seth's head. Once she'd explained that the lack of electricity to his apartment was nothing more than a simple flip of a breaker switch, the forty something apartment manager with short brown frizzy hair and red-rimmed eyeglasses seemed put out with everything else he had to say.

Anxiety filled him as the realization that he was stuck, grew more apparent with each moment Marty stared back at him with her unwavering disposition.

Breaking the silence with an unapologetic sigh, she assured, "There is nothing I can do."

"You're telling me there are no other apartments available?"

"The best I can do is put you back on the waiting list until another apartment becomes available."

"What am I supposed to do until then?" Seth questioned.

"Move into the apartment you already have," she replied in a snarky sort of way.

Ready to make one last plea for a different apartment, Seth noticed Marty's expression change.

Completely ignoring him now, Marty gave a cheerful wave towards the door and walked from behind the desk and into a back room. When Seth turned to see who had walked in, he could feel his knees start to buckle.

Shrugging her shoulders up as she smiled, Penny gave a soft, "Hi," the moment he looked at her.

He watched her expression change from a pleasant smile to a disappointed pout when he gave her a quick nod in response.

"Here you go," Marty said startling them both.

Penny's smile quickly returned as she took a package from her saying, "Thanks! I think this is the last one."

"No problem hun," Marty replied before glaring at Seth questioning, "Was there anything else I can help you with?"

Seth couldn't help the ridiculous look he gave her. She hadn't helped him out at all.

~

The second Penny made it back to her apartment, she swung the door closed, quickly set her package down and stared out of the peephole. From her balcony she could clearly see the front of the Manager's office and the view from the peephole in her door was just as good. She watched Seth walk out of the office and over to a Uhaul truck before placing his hands against the side of it as he seemed to bang his head into the truck.

"Whatcha doin'?"

Penny jumped a little before glancing back at Charlotte as she answered, "Shh, I'm spying on him."

Charlotte laughed, asking, "Who?"

"That guy I went to high school with," Penny replied, returning her eye to the peephole.

Quickly at her side, Charlotte said, "The guy from yesterday? Let me see."

Penny moved to the side.

"I don't see anyone."

"He was just there by the Uhaul truck," she swore as Charlotte moved away from the door.

Scanning the parking lot, Charlotte was right, he wasn't there anymore.

Sighing, Penny leaned her back against the door.

"So what's the deal with this guy?" Charlotte questioned before saying, "Yesterday he knocks on our door and now he's hanging out in the parking lot. Oh, I bet he's moving in! Maybe he's got the apartment next door."

"Great," Penny mumbled.

"You don't like him?"

Shrugging a shoulder at Charlotte, Penny shared, "I don't think he likes me."

"That's impossible. You're Penny. Everyone loves you."

"I know, Right!" Penny agreed as she stepped away from the door.

"So? What's the story?"

With a little sigh, she replied, "We went out once in high school."

"And?"

"Well, Remember how I told you when my first real date came to pick me up from the house, Auggie and Braden took him to the back yard, showed him our little pet cemetery and told him that all the other boys I'd gone out with were buried there?"

Clearly amused, Charlotte replied, "And he was so scared he wouldn't sit next to you at the movies."

Nodding, Penny pointed to the door, saying, "That's him."

Practically lunging at the door, Charlotte blurted, "Oh, I have got to see this guy."

Giving a little laugh, Penny grabbed her package and took it to her room.

Charlotte was still standing at the door staring out of the peephole when Penny walked back into the room.

"Someone's coming up the stairs!" she announced.

Penny made her way over to Charlotte as she moved out of the way allowing Penny to take a look.

Seeing Seth carrying a box Penny said, "Yep, guess he's our new neighbor," before stepping away from the door.

Charlotte peered out of the peephole again, then looked back at Penny with a confused expression.

"That's Seth."

Equally confused, Penny replied, "I know that's Seth. How do you know that's Seth?"

"He works for Jackson at JPT Financial," Charlotte informed before sharing, "I met him right after I started managing the bar. He's Jackson's personal assistant or something like that."

Holding her hands up, Penny shook her head, saying, "Wait... That's Secretary Seth?" trying to make sense of this knew found information.

Charlotte stared at her saying, "Seth is Boyfriend Graveyard?"

Both Penny and Charlotte burst into laughter.

~

Sitting down on the floor of his new apartment, Seth stared at his cell phone. Seven missed calls since eight o'clock last night. All from his father. He purposely let the calls go to voice mail instead of being forced to lie. He couldn't tell him he spent the night, cramped in the cab of the Uhaul truck. Especially since the whole point of moving to Golden Glen, the most exclusive apartment complex in the area, was to show his father he was successful in his chosen occupation. Most people would have been proud of someone who worked full-time and went to school. Accounting was a good profession. All his family cared about though, was that he wasn't a doctor like his grandfather, father and uncles. When he broke the news right after he graduated, his mother Linda stayed in bed for two weeks crying because she said he broke her heart. His own grandmother even called him a disappointment but his father was the worst. Seth's father Leonard was domineering, overbearing and not one to mince words. It took him all of two seconds to let Seth know how worthless he was as a son.

Feeling a tension headache coming on, Seth set his phone on his lap and rubbed his temples. Telling himself that he was a twenty seven year-old grown man. A man with a career that he'd worked hard for all on his own. But it didn't stop the surge of pain to his brain and instant stomach cramps the second his cell phone rang.

Before Seth could say 'hello' his father stated, "Nice you finally decided to answer."

"I..." was all Seth could get out before Leonard informed, "Your mother and I will be there at noon to see your apartment."

Seth started to say 'Yes Sir' but the call disconnected before he had the chance.

~

Curled up in her comforter on the couch, Penny had spent the majority of her day spying on Seth out of her peephole. At one point he had two guys helping him move furniture up the stairs but they left right after they finished. Aside from that it was just him carrying boxes up to his apartment. In a way, she kind of felt bad he was moving practically all by himself but then again she couldn't really remember him having a lot of friends either.

What Penny remembered of Seth from high school was that he was shy and mostly kept to himself. He actually took an F in English class instead of reading his essay in front of the class. She was really surprised when he asked her out on a date. He'd never even spoken to her before then. When she said 'yes' all he said was 'okay, great' and didn't say another word to her until he came to pick her up. After Auggie and Braden scared the crap out of him, he hardly spoke to her. When he dropped her off two hours before she had to be home, he walked her to the door then quickly back to his and left. He never spoke to her after that.

She had always thought Seth was cute. A tad on the dorky side but that made him even more adorable. He had grown up very handsome. Too bad he was still so shy or just didn't like her. It was just as well since Penny had decided to swear off men for a while. Still they were neighbors and it would be nice to at least say hello.

Three

As spacious as his new apartment was, with his parents nitpicking every inch of it, Seth felt like it was too small for the three of them. He'd already gotten sick twice waiting for them to arrive and now that it felt like the walls were closing in on him, he needed to get some air.

Stepping out onto his balcony, Seth tensed when the apartment door next to his opened. There was a sense of relief when a beautiful blonde walked out instead of Penny. It was Charlotte, manager of The Dog House bar that his boss Jackson Thomas owned. She had to have been the one that Liv said was taken. Seth realized this as he made the connection between her and Penny. Of course they were roommates. She was engaged to Penny's oldest brother Auggie.

Seth watched Charlotte close the door behind her before she glanced over at him.

"Small world," he greeted.

Charlotte replied, "Sure is," before asking "How do you like it here so far?"

Seth smiled as he said, "I just moved in yesterday."

Nodding she started to say, "So a..." when Seth's parents walked out.

As he started to make introductions, his mother blurted, "Charlotte Roberts."

Giving a polite smile, Charlotte greeted, "Mrs. Chevalier."

Seth watched as his mother placed one hand on her chest and the other against his father's arm informing, "She's Society," before assuring Charlotte, "Please, it's Linda."

Her smile was a bit forced now as she replied, "Actually, my sister Silvia holds a seat. I opted out."

Seth watched his mother quickly mask a frown as his father asked, "You are Emerson and Amila's daughter?"

Charlotte gave a quick nod before Linda shared, "Your wedding is going to be the event of the season."

"Thank you," Charlotte replied before saying, "I believe the invitations will go out soon."

"I received your 'Save the Date'. I'm not sure I know your fiancé. Is he a business owner?"

The corner of Charlotte's mouth curled up into a smile as she answered, "No, he's a bartender."

Seth could see the displeasure on his mother's face as she questioned, "Oh, does he live here with you?"

"No, he owns his own home," she replied in a short tone.

Suddenly nudged forward by his father, Seth gave an apologetic smile to Charlotte as Leonard stated, "A young woman needs someone to look out for her in a place like this. Your father should not have allowed you to move here alone."

Charlotte appeared as though she was going to lose it when suddenly, Liv appeared at the top of the stairs.

Wearing black and white plaid slacks with a white tank top and tennis shoes this time, Liv stopped to look everyone over before focusing on Seth.

Snapping her fingers, she pointed at him, saying, "Lurker, hope your day got better."

Seth closed his eyes for a moment and shook his head trying not to laugh.

"Penny inside?" she asked.

"In the kitchen, Liv."

Already knowing his parents disapproved of someone like Liv, they didn't acknowledge her at all before or after she stepped into the apartment.

Linda quickly questioned, "Penny?"

"My roommate," Charlotte snapped glaring at Seth's father.

"Would I know her?"

Charlotte looked directly at Seth as she replied, "I doubt it. Penny is Augustus' sister."

Seth could feel himself tense at the mere mention of her name.

"That's so sweet of you to let her live with you."

Giving his mother a dirty look, Charlotte replied, "Yea, especially since she pays half the rent."

"What is her profession?" Leonard questioned.

"She works for Liv's husband at Legacy Ink," Charlotte answered.

"Is that a print company of sorts?" he inquired.

Standing up tall she stated, "No, it's a tattoo shop."

Charlotte gave a sarcastic smile as if she was just waiting for his parents to make a comment.

The balcony was silent for a moment before Leonard stated, "Give your father my best," as he pushed past his wife and made his way down the stairs.

Glaring at Linda, Charlotte replied, "Oh, I'll be sure to tell Emerson."

Her reply seemed more like a threat than anything else and Seth watched his mother give Charlotte a weak smile before following after his father.

Charlotte's family was pretty infamous. Her grandfather basically owned the town before he died and although her father Emerson chose a different route in life, the name Roberts still carried just as much weight.

With his parents gone, Seth felt like he could breathe again.

Leaning against the balcony, he looked at Charlotte saying, "Sorry about that."

"Eh, don't worry about it. I'm used to dealing with snotty people."

Seth laughed, asking, "How long have you lived here?"

"It's getting close to a year now," she replied before sharing, "After the wedding, it'll just be Penny here."

Nodding at her, Seth could tell she knew something.

Rolling her eyes at him she smiled, offering, "If you get bored or want some company, your welcome anytime. I'm not here a lot lately, but Penny is."

Seth nodded at her again as she turned and headed down the stairs.

~

It was hard for Penny to understand why Seth would talk to Charlotte and Liv but not her. She never personally did anything to him. Not to mention how ridiculous it would be if he was holding something her brothers did ten years ago against her. They were just being big brothers and seriously, how could he have believed them.

Liv appeared sympathetic as she said, "Sometimes things like that just stick with a person."

"One of the crosses said RIP Mr. Flufferton."

"Hey, you could have had a thing for hairy British guys."

Penny laughed almost spilling her little pot of beeswax on the kitchen counter.

"What can I say Pen, boys are dumb and they get even dumber when they really like a girl."

Agreeing with her, Penny nodded asking, "Speaking of dumbass boys. How's Braden?"

"Same. He shows up every Thursday at the house for beer and pizza but doesn't say much." Penny could tell Liv was upset over Braden behavior lately as she quickly changed the subject, asking, "What flavor are you doing this time?"

Pulling her hair up into a knot on the top of her head, Penny walked to the kitchen table that was covered in little slide tins where Liv was sitting and replied, "Fair's coming up. So, cotton candy."

"Yummy, I love it!" Liv blurted.

Feeling excited too, Penny said, "I'm making a few batches, how many do you want?"

"All of them," she laughed before saying, "But since I'm not the only one obsessed with your homemade lip balms, I'll try not to be stingy and take five."

Penny giggled as she shared, "I'll bring yours to the shop tomorrow."

Liv kicked her feet up on the chair in front of her as she watched Penny fill the tiny slide tins.

Once Penny was finished she left the lip balms on the table to set up while she and Liv sat on the couch in the living room.

Penny was back to dwelling on her new neighbor when Liv interrupted her thoughts by asking, "When are you going to bite the bullet and let Kieran tattoo you?"

Grabbing one of the throw pillows off of the couch, Penny set it on her lap and then leaned forward and buried her face in it.

Liv tapped her on the shoulder assuring, "Kieran's not going to change his mind."

Springing back up she blurted, "He might!"

"How long have you known your cousin?"

"Ugh, why do I have to get one to learn how?"

Liv cocked her head to the side as she insisted, "No self-respecting client is going to let some girl that doesn't even have a tattoo herself, go to work on them."

"Can't I just pretend to have them and say they're hidden?"

"You could, but Kieran will know you don't and won't teach you."

Penny felt ashamed of herself as she admitted, "I'm scared though."

"There's nothing to be afraid of."

"Well, that's easy for you to say, you have a million of them."

"Ha!" Liv blurted before correcting, "Thirty-five, thank you very much and I started with just one."

"Which one?"

Liv gave a soft smile but it seemed more to herself than at Penny as she pointed to the guitar on the inside of her upper arm.

"Does it stand for anything?"

Penny noticed a far off look in Liv's eyes before she gave a loud laugh answering, "Yeah! Being young and stupid."

"If your first one was because you were dumb, why are you advising me to get one?"

With a heavy sigh, she griped, "The tattoo symbolizes when I had my head so far up my ass over a boy, I couldn't think straight. But this isn't about me Pen, it's about you. You wanna station at Kieran's shop? Then stop being scared."

Penny shrunk back a little saying, "Geez, alright."

Reaching over Liv hugged her before standing up as she said, "You can't go around being afraid of what you really want." Penny looked up at her as she continued, "When you have the opportunity, take it. It's no guarantee things will work out the way you want, but you never know until take that step."

Nodding at her, Penny knew she was right. At the same time, it felt like Liv was talking about more than just getting a tattoo.

When Liv left, Penny sat on the couch thinking. She had been in a rut for a while. Without realizing it, all the days that had passed along with various guys she dated had turned into years of the exact same thing. She still needed to work up the courage to get a tattoo but there were other things she could do and she was going to start first thing tomorrow morning. Tomorrow Penny was going to wake up and do things differently and it was going to be awesome.