Page 53 of Wrecked By You
“You do realize you’re marrying that,” Johannes said.
Penn’s smile almost split his face wide open. “`Yeah, I do. Isn’t she fantastic?”
“That’s one word for her.”
Relieved that Gia had diverted attention away from me and Johannes, I clapped in time to the song, stamping my feet along with ninety-nine percent of the restaurant, Johannes being the one percent who flatly refused to join in.
“You’re allowed to have fun, you know,” I said, grinning in an attempt to coax him from underneath the black cloud that hovered over his head.
“This isn’t what I’d call fun.”
“Johannes’s idea of fun is plucking out his leg hairs with tweezers,” Penn shouted, his eyes still locked on his fiancée shaking her booty.
Johannes’s glower deepened. I shifted in my seat.
“We can go if you want,” I said.
He looked down at me, and his eyes softened a little. “Do you want to leave?”
I shook my head.
“Then we’ll stay.”
“But you’re not enjoying yourself.”
“Says who?”
“You did, just now.” I drummed my fingers on the table. “If you are having a good time, maybe let your face know.”
One side of his mouth lifted in as close to a smile as Johannes ever got. “You’re a brave woman.”
“Or maybe your bad-boy act doesn’t scare me. Sticks and stones and all that.” I shrugged.
Johannes stared at me as if he wanted to reply, but the words on his tongue never made it into the open when the song ended and Gia skipped back to our table, where she promptly threw herself into Penn’s lap, gripped his face in her hands, and kissed him for a good ten seconds.
“Time for the check,” Johannes said. “Before my steak comes back up.”
Gia broke off from kissing Penn and flipped her middle finger. “Don’t worry. You’ll be rid of us tomorrow.”
“Thank fuck for small mercies. Let yourselves out in the morning.”
I chuckled. Their banter was steeped in rudeness that neither side appeared the slightest bit bothered by. In fact, I’d say they relished it. The more vicious, the better. And Penn, who seemed like a really mellow guy, just sat on the sidelines as if relaxing in front of the TV and watching a UFC match.
Imagining these two in a fighting cage… my money was on Gia to emerge triumphant.
“You may scoff at my ‘lovedupness,’ dear brother,” Penn said. “But one of these days, it’ll be your turn.”
His eyes shifted to me, then back to Johannes.
Johannes’s face darkened, and a nerve thrummed in his cheek. “Not happening.” He tapped me on the shoulder with the back of his hand, gesturing for me to stand. “Let’s go. Penn can get the check.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“Fabulous to meet you, Ella,” Gia said. “Maybe you can come to our wedding as Johannes’s plus-one?” She fluttered her eyelashes at him. “After all, he’ssucha catch.”
“Fucking hell,” Johannes muttered.