One Size Fits All (The Classy ‘n’ Sassy Series Book 3) (3 page)

One of the photos showed Penny strutting down the catwalk, hand on her hip, wide smile across her face. She was gorgeous, with her blond hair in waves, sex appeal and confidence for miles.

“Coach?”

His assistant teacher stood before him and he quickly shoved his phone back into his pocket. “Yeah?”

“Class is over.”

“Oh. Okay.” Thor stood and blew his whistle. “Time to clean up.”

As the kids scrambled to put away the various pieces of sporting equipment, a football fell and wobbled away.

“I’ll get it, Coach Rublinski,” one of the kids called out.

“Toss it here,” he said to Joey once he had picked it up. The kid pulled his arm back and like a cannon, it shot straight at him. “Good throw.”

Joey trotted over. “Thanks.”

“Have you ever thought of playing football?”

He shoved his hands into the pockets of his mesh gym shorts, his gaze to his feet. “Kinda. But my mom says we don’t have the money.”

Thor’s heart sank. He’d been that kid. The kid who wore sneakers until the soles fell off. The kid who shopped for clothes at yard sales and thrift stores. But at least he’d had football. The one place where no one made fun of him.

“The only thing you need money for is cleats. If I let you borrow a pair of mine, would you do it?”

Joey nodded and a small smile bowed his lips. “Yeah. Maybe.”

Thor noticed the gym was now empty. “Go change. But let me know about football, okay?”

“Okay. Thanks Coach.” He ran off to the locker room.

A pair of Thor’s cleats would be at least three or four sizes too big for Joey, but they’d make it work. Or he’d just buy him a new pair. Whatever he had to do to give this kid a place to fit in.

CHAPTER
Three

F
ive o’clock
couldn’t come fast enough. After three more attempts at designing the party invite, and three more rejections from Mia, Penny was more than ready to get out of there and destress. She’d never felt this way about work before. Yeah, there had been crazy days filled with annoying customers or phones ringing off the hook, but the problems had never been with her bosses. And that made her sad. They’d always been more like friends than employers and employee, kind of a Three Musketeers thing. But somehow there’d been a shift. She wasn’t quite equal anymore. She couldn’t say how or when it happened, but she was definitely feeling it.

“Good night,” Penny said, poking her head into Mia’s office.

“Good night.” She smiled back. “I’m off tomorrow, but can you work on the invitation some more? We really need to get it done as soon as possible. Bryn will be here, but you guys can email it to me. I want to see it before the order’s placed.”

Penny forced her smile. “Okay. Have a good day off.”

She sucked in a deep breath as she stepped outside to the back parking lot. It was still technically summer, but it wasn’t quite as warm anymore. She sat in the driver’s seat and rummaged through her purse for her lip balm. Found it, but it was almost gone. And she remembered she was almost out of conditioner, too.
Guess I’m stopping at the store on the way home.

Penny wandered around Target after getting what she needed, and a few things she didn’t. There was no rush to get home. She strolled up and down the Halloween aisles, wondering if Bryn and Mia had thought of party décor yet. There were some cute decorations. She grabbed a few glittery fake pumpkins and stuck them in her big red cart. Wait. Better not. She put them back. She had no clue what they wanted, and apparently everything now had to be “approved” first.

She left the section and headed toward the register, but an end cap filled with scented body wash caught her eye.

Crash!

“Oh my God. I’m so sorry,” she shrieked. Another big red cart had jutted out from the aisle in front of her and she’d rammed right into it.

“Don’t be. It’s my fault,” a masculine voice said, and then the face that went with it stepped into view. “Oh. It’s you. Hi.”

Thor’s cheeks pinkened and she felt her own do the same. “Hi.”

“I was actually just thinking about you.” He looked down and rubbed the back of his neck as his cheeks deepened in color, almost as red as their carts.

“Yeah?”

He met her gaze. “Yeah.”

It was so damn cute to see such a big manly guy act like that and she couldn’t contain her smile. “So what brings you to Target today?”

“The usual. A giant package of toilet paper, deodorant, and track pants.” He held his hand out to his half-full cart, Vanna White style. “And apparently I’m a sucker for five-dollar DVD sales.”

She leaned over and looked. “
Goonies.
That’s one of my favorites.”

“No DVD collection is complete without it.”

“I totally agree.”

They stood there grinning like idiots, carts still in their collision.

“Well, I should let you go,” she said as she backed her cart up and maneuvered around his, her eyes staying on his as she did. Her heart beat faster as she walked past, and when she finally faced forward, she let go of the breath she’d been holding.

“Penny, wait . . . ”

Her heart raced again as she turned back and watched Thor push his cart toward her. “Yeah?”

“Are you hungry? I mean, did you eat dinner yet? Do you wanna maybe get some food? With me?”

She loved how flustered he was. “Yes. I’m starving.”

“Good. I mean . . . I’m glad you want to.”

More of the grinning-idiot thing.

“Let’s go then.” They headed toward the registers and cashed out. She waited for him by the cart collection area. “Where to?”

“It’s nothing special, but there’s a great burger joint just down the road.”

“Grover’s? I love their burgers.”

“Cool. I’ll meet you there.”

As they walked to their respective vehicles, Penny couldn’t help but hang back so she could watch his backside. Damn, that man had a fine ass. And she couldn’t wait to talk again and see more of that gorgeous shy smile.

---------

THOR ARRIVED
at Grover’s first. He walked in and immediately put their name down for a table. The place was small so sometimes it took awhile to get seated. It wasn’t anything special—a basic tavern with an oak bar—but they had the best burgers for a hundred miles.

He sat at the bar, ordered a beer, and berated himself for acting like such an idiot at Target. It was like all the confidence he’d had with women for years had just disappeared, replaced with a mess of nervous energy. But why? This wasn’t even a date. Just two people getting some food. But it sure felt like more.

When he’d seen Penny at the store, his gut had gone all jittery like a little girl at a boy band concert. His brain instantly recalled the photos of her online and how hot she’d looked in the fashion show. There was no doubt about it. He was attracted to her.

“Hey,” she said, and slid onto the bar stool next to him. His heartbeat quickened. “I’m so hungry. How long is the wait for a table?”

“Not long. You want a drink?”

“Yes. But nothing too strong. If I drink too much on an empty stomach, I’ll be flat on the floor before our burgers make it out of the kitchen.”

They laughed as he waved to the bartender and she ordered a glass of wine. They sat facing the wall of liquor, glass bottles in all shapes, sizes, and colors, illuminated by neon rope lights behind them.

“Sooo . . . ” he said, feeling awkward as hell, praying he’d think of something to talk about. Where was all the smooth talk he’d prided himself on?

“Thor. Party of two.”

Saved—for another minute, anyway. The waitress handed out plastic-coated menus that had about ten items listed. A classic burger, a cheeseburger, a few variations, and a veggie patty to satisfy the vegetarians.

“So, does everyone call you Thor?” Penny asked, her menu on the table in front of her.

“Pretty much. At school I’m Coach Rublinski or Coach Thor. No one uses my real name.”

She giggled and he loved the sound. “I don’t even know what that is.”

“It’s Theodore. When I was a kid, all my friends called me Teddy, ’cause that’s what my mom called me, but once I started playing peewee football, and was bigger than all the kids my age, I became Thor. It stuck.”

“It suits you, but I feel weird saying it. I don’t know you well enough yet to use a nickname.”

Hopefully they’d know each other better real soon, if he could get his jitters to calm down. “You can call me whatever you want.”

“Teddy?” She crinkled her nose and it was damn cute. “But that feels kind of weird—like I’m talking to a stuffed bear. How about Theo?”

Theo. He liked the way it rolled off her tongue. And he liked that she had a special name for him that no one else used. “That’s new, but it works for me.”

As they sat there staring at each other, goofy grins across their faces, the waitress appeared. “Ready to order?”

“Oh.” Penny turned to her. “I didn’t even look at the menu yet. Can we have a minute?”

“Sure. Refills on the drinks?”

“Yes, please.”

She left and Thor searched for something to talk about. Was it dumb to ask about her name? “So, where did Penny come from? Your parents have a thing for money?”

She laughed. “It’s actually short for Penelope. And unlike your mom, my parents insisted on using my full name. Still do. My nanny gave me the nickname when I was a kid. I liked it. Penelope is so stiff.”

“A nanny?” Wow. She’d certainly grown up differently than he had. He’d been staying home alone since he was six years old while his mom worked a second job so they could have food.

“Yeah. Your money comment wasn’t actually far off. My dad’s retired now, but he was a pretty successful real estate developer for many years. But I swear, they’re not stuck-up. The only reason I had a nanny was because my mom was sick a lot when I was a kid.” She drained the rest of her wine.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. She’s been cancer-free for more than ten years.”

The waitress set their fresh drinks on the table. “Ready to order?”

Penny turned to her with a frown. “I’m so sorry. I still didn’t look.”

Irritation crossed the waitress’s face. “Okay. I’ll be back.”

Penny folded her lips into her teeth, stifling laughter. “I think she’s getting mad at me.”

“Eh. Don’t worry about it.” Let her get pissed. They were having a good conversation. “So, your mom . . . That must’ve been hard.”

“It was tough. I worried every day that she was going to die and leave me.”

He understood that fear. He knew what it was like to be left. One parent had left by choice, the other was taken from him. Both hurt like hell. “No kid should lose a parent.”

“You sound like you know from experience.” She rested her hand on top of his, warmth and comfort radiating through his body.

“Are you guys ready to order yet?”

What the fuck? This waitress had a knack for showing up at the worst moment.

“Um,” Penny reached for the menu, leaving his hand frigid. “I’m sorry.”

“Come on guys,” the waitress laughed, and in no way sounded jovial. “It’s a small menu. Not real hard to decide.”

“I’ll just have a cheeseburger, lettuce and tomato.”

The waitress turned her annoyed gaze on him. “I’ll have the same. But with onion. And a basket of fries.”

“Finally,” she sighed, and walked away.

“Geez. She’s a grumpy one today.”

“I know, right? Not the kind of attitude to have when you depend on tips.”

They laughed and it felt good, his nervousness fading away. Thor wasn’t sure if he’d ever felt this way with a woman. One-night stands, temporary hookups, and friends with benefits were pretty much the extent of his experience with women. But this? This was different. And he liked it.

---------

PENNY SAT
on her side of the booth, her palm itching to touch Theo again. But their serious talk had turned into fun stories and laughter. There wasn’t an opportunity. And that was okay. She really liked talking to him. He was so much more than his hotness. An honest-to-goodness normal guy. He didn’t care about money. He didn’t care about status. He was with her because he wanted to be, not because she looked good on his arm at business functions and fund-raiser balls.

And there was totally a connection there. She’d faced sorrow as a child and could tell he had as well. It was brief, but she’d seen the sadness in his eyes, and could bet there was much more than he’d let on. She’d touched his hand, wishing she could have hugged him and comforted him.

But then the sadness was gone, which was good. She’d much rather focus on happier things and getting to know him better.

“So, tell me something funny about Mia and Bryn,” she said as she dragged a fry through the giant blob of ketchup on her plate. “You’ve known them forever, so you have to have something good on them.”

“Oh, I’ve got a few stories. I actually didn’t know Mia all that well when we were kids. She was in all AP classes and academic clubs and stuff like that. Bryn was a cheerleader, so we ran in the same circles. Somehow she and Mia became best friends though. The whole opposites thing works for them.”

“It does. They really balance each other out. So, give me something on Bryn.”

“This one time, we were all at a party after a big win. Bryn had a few too many drinks, and as me and Johnny were walking her to his car, she puked all over me.”

“Eww! That’s hilarious though.”

“Real hilarious. I had to go back into the party covered in chunks. Everyone thought I puked on myself.”

“Oh no.”

“So that was actually an embarrassing story for me, too. So now you need to share one of yours.”

“Uh-uh,” she said, her head shaking.

“It’s only fair.”

“Fine.” She finished off her burger, then relayed her story about a mishap at a gallery opening with her ex. Theo laughed at her tale of mistaken identity, assuming the artist himself was a waiter and not the honoree of the night. “Jack was livid.”

“Then he’s obviously an asshole. ’Cause that’s just funny.” The comment surprised her, and he must have noticed her wide eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to . . . I shouldn’t have said that.”

“No. It’s okay. You’re right. That’s why we’re getting divorced.”

He shook his head. “Honestly, I think he’s really stupid for messing things up with you. You deserve better.”

Like you?
Penny couldn’t help but think it. She liked Theo. More than she originally thought she would.

The waitress dropped their check on the table and he grabbed it.

“How much is my half?” she asked.

“Nothing. It’s on me. For bumping into you at Target.”

“Technically I bumped into you.”

“Well . . . I’m paying anyway.” He dropped some bills on the table then hesitantly met her gaze. “You can pay next time.”

“Next time
?
”

“Yeah. If you want there to be a next time.”

Penny stopped herself from jumping up and down and screaming
Yes! Yes! Yes!
“Sure. Maybe we can watch one of those DVDs you bought today. I haven’t seen
Goonies
in years.”

“It’s a date then.” And a tinge of blush returned to his cheeks. She liked that.