I cringe. “Kira invited us. Is that OK?”
Alexiot exchange a look but seem to come to an agreement. “No problem, Pennylicious,” says Elliot. He reaches back and grabs Alex’s hand, and I smile.
I remember the day they met, not long before Valentine’s Day. Elliot had dragged me to a vintage-clothing store in an obscure part of the Brighton Lanes, even though we’d just been in there the day before and we both knew they weren’t going to have anything different in stock. But then I’d seen a new guy slouched behind the counter. It took me a few seconds, but I recognized him.
“Oh my god, Penny, he is so cute!” Elliot had pulled me behind a rail of clothing and covered himself with an enormous feather boa.
“That’s Alex Shepherd,” I said. “He’s in sixth form at our school.” Of course I knew him, but mostly because Kira had a massive crush on him. I lowered my voice. “Are you sure he’s gay?”
Elliot rolled his eyes at me. “You think I would bring you in here if I wasn’t sure? We’ve been eye-flirting since he started working here two weeks ago.”
“You eye-flirt with everyone,” I said, elbowing him in the ribs.
“Not like this.” He gave me an exaggerated wink that made me giggle.
“So why haven’t you made a move yet?”
“I will. Just . . . give me time.”
Kira would be devastated to find out Alex plays for the other team, but she’d get over it. He was a little more clean-cut than I would have imagined for Elliot, but he had a mischievous glint in his eye that would make anyone melt into a puddle. When I peeked back round the rail to look at him again, he was still staring at us, so I lifted my hand in a little wave.
“Penny, what are you doing?” Elliot’s whisper rose in tone by at least an octave.
Then I grinned. “Speeding up time. Besides, I’m just being polite. He was looking this way. OK, he’s coming over—be cool.”
“He’s doing what ?” Elliot’s face was white with panic, but he smoothed down his hair. “How do I look? I knew I shouldn’t have worn the trilby today! I look too jaunty; I should’ve worn something cooler.”
“Elliot, you’re rambling.” I’d never seen him act so flustered before. I pulled the boa down so that it didn’t sit like a fluffy animal on top of his head. “And, besides, your trilby looks—” But before I could finish my sentence Alex had reached us.
“May I help you?” he asked, with a small smile. He didn’t take his eyes off Elliot for an instant.
“Will you marry me?” Elliot said under his breath.
“What was that?” Alex frowned slightly.
“Oh, nothing . . . I was just wondering if you could help me find a scarf to go with my trilby?” It was like Elliot was a different person. All his nerves seemed to melt away in front of my eyes, and he was back to his normal, confident self.
“Of course. I have something that would go with your Great Gatsby vibe over here.” Alex walked across to another rail in the store.
“Did you know F. Scott Fitzgerald’s wife wouldn’t marry him until he had a book deal?” said Elliot, following Alex.
“I didn’t, but I did know that he was really bad at spelling,” replied Alex, without missing a beat.
I watched as the two of them walked away, swapping facts about an author I had yet to read (and I hadn’t seen the movie of the book either). It was like they’d known each other their whole lives. I knew then that I needed to leave Elliot to it. I didn’t want to cramp his style.
But, in true Penny fashion, I backed up straight into a coat stand, knocking a pile of vintage fur coats and stoles onto the floor. I blushed bright red and started picking up furs and heavy coats, but it was all a tangled mess. Trust me to have ruined Elliot’s moment.
Alex and Elliot were by my side in a flash. “I’ll clear this up—don’t worry,” said Alex.
“I’ll help,” said Elliot. They both reached down and each picked up one end of the same long fur stole, pulling at it until their hands touched. I could almost feel the spark of electricity in the air. It was their Lady and the Tramp spaghetti-and-meatballs moment—a film I had seen, loads of times, as a kid. I mumbled some excuses and attempted to sneak out of the store once more, but this time neither of them noticed. They’ve been an item ever since. And I like to think that my clumsiness helped just a bit.
Now Alexiot have to help me answer the ultimate question: What do you wear to see your boyfriend in real life for the first time in two months? We rush up the stairs to the top floor, where my bedroom is. Alex takes the steps two at a time with his long legs. He’s much taller than both Elliot and me.
“Uh, Penny—aren’t you supposed to be leaving for the tour tomorrow?” Alex asks when he gets to the top of the stairs and stands in the doorway of my room.
“What do you mean?”
But I know exactly what he means. It’s like there’s been a tornado in my bedroom. Every item of clothing I’ve ever worn—every scarf, belt, and hat—is in a heap on my bed. Stacks of revision notes are piled high on my desk and there are scraps of cardboard discarded on the floor from where I put together my final photography portfolio.
The only place that’s clear in my entire room is the window seat, where I’ve tacked up a cutting from a celeb magazine with a picture of Noah and me, his arm wrapped round my shoulders. The caption reads: Noah Flynn and his girlfriend. It’s the first time I’ve been in a magazine and, even though my hair looks like a mess, I kept it as a memento. There’s also a calendar that’s nearly completely covered in gold stars, and today’s date is circled in red.