21

"How did I get stuck driving?" Vince asked as he and Cole walked from the precinct after their shift.

"Um, my car is on the fritz. Had to take a cab to work."

"That's a bummer."

Vince rolled his yellow Mustang onto the roadway.

"So how did your date with Penny go?"

"You knew about that?"

"Word travels fast, especially with Frank's big mouth."

Cole paused. "Let's just say it was less than favorable."

"That sucks, man. I noticed she wasn't at work today. I don't think I've ever seen her miss work since she started."

"I noticed that too," Cole said with a concerned tone. "Would you mind swinging by her place real quick? I just want to be sure she's alright."

Vince looked at Cole curiously. "And what did you two do last night?"

"She... may have had too much to drink, that's all. What's with the interrogation? That's my job, not yours."

Vince laughed. "Just busting your balls a little."

Vince stopped the car in front of Penny's apartment complex. Cole made his way to Penny's front door, knocking several times before he got an answer.

"Whoever you are, go away!" Cole heard from behind the door.

"Penny? It's me, Cole. Can we talk?"

Penny opened the door. Her appearance was shockingly rough compared to how Cole usually saw her. She was still in her PJ's; her hair was unruly and her eyes bloodshot.

"Are you alright?" Cole asked, very concerned.

"I should be asking you the same."

"Mind if I come in for a second?"

Penny stepped from the doorway, inviting Cole inside. They sat on the couch, separated by an unspoken space, both waiting for the other to speak.

Cole cleared his throat. "About last night..."

"I'm so sorry what I did to you!" Penny sobbed, "I don't know what came over me! I thought maybe you slipped something into a drink, but I don't remember drinking anything last night. You tried to leave but I wouldn't let you go. You begged me to stop and I couldn't control myself. It wasn't like me at all!"

Tears rolled down Penny's face. "I remember you saying you would die if I kept going; what did you mean?"

Cole had to think quickly. "Oh... that. It's just... I have a heart condition."

"Oh my god!" she sobbed again. "I could have killed you! I didn't know, I'm so sorry!"

"It's alright," Cole said, trying to comfort her with words. "I'm okay. I... just don't know where to go from here."

Penny looked up. "Are you going to arrest me or press charges?"

"What?! No! You got carried away, very carried away, but everything is fine. No one needs to know."

Penny cried for several minutes before regaining her composure. "I need time to figure myself out," Penny said. "Until then, I think it would be best if we don't see each other. And we should never speak of it again."

Cole nodded in agreement. "I think you're right. It would be for the best."

Penny looked at Cole. "You know what bothers me the most about this?"

"No. What?"

"I actually enjoyed what I was doing... the thought of that... scares me."

"Well, sex is meant to be enjoyed. You just need to slow things way down next time. Besides, it wasn't all bad for me either. If it wasn't for my 'condition', I wouldn't have had any problems being tied up and ravaged."

Penny smiled as she wiped away her tears. "That makes me feel a little better. Thank you for taking this so well. I was afraid of how you'd act around me."

"Don't worry about it."

Cole rose from the couch. "I must get going. Vince is waiting on me in the car."

Cole opened the front door and turned back to Penny. "I expect to see your smiling face when I arrive for work Monday."

Penny smiled. "You got it, Detective. Harvey!"

Cole closed the door behind him and returned to Vince's car.

"I was beginning to think you weren't coming back," Vince said.

"Sorry, let's go. I need something to put my mind elsewhere."

"What better way to do that than to see some strippers?"