Dance As The Sun Slips Away (Synyster Gates)

Will You?

  Penny's POV
The cruise was over all too soon. I had to get back to work and Brian had obligations and couldn't stay more than a couple of days. We hung the painting, unpacked and relaxed the first night. The next night we had dinner at Bianca and Wane's new house.
The next day it was time for goodbye again. I was able to take the morning off work and take Brian to the Airport. It just never gets easier.
We really did everything we could to be together as much as possible the rest of February and March. Brian had to be in California the first two weeks of April so the band could practice and get ready for some gigs that were coming up in the next 3 months. I took a off the week before they had to leave. This little Ohio girl had missed California. I needed the week away from work and anything that reminded of it. It wasn't looking good for a lot of people, including Bianca and me. Our positions were very similar and it was likely one of us would be out. I didn't want to think about it for a week.
I went everywhere with Brian, more so than anyone else ever had. The rest of the guys thought it was hilarious. They made jokes about us being attached at the hip and asked if we even went to the bathroom together. We both just said "Yep."
The week went by too quickly. I promised Brian that I would try to make it to at least one show and he said he would come home anytime he had more than 4 days between concerts. Then right before his birthday he would be home and I was going to meet him in California for his party and he made me promise to dance with him.
"Honey, We are going to dance together even if there's no music!!" I told him.
After his birthday, we were going to Ohio and then driving to the Casino in Michigan for our anniversary.
We both swore we wouldn't run away this year.

Brian's POV
This birthday was much better than last year. No sneaking around. Penny gave me the gift I asked for. I wanted another portrait of us for the house in California. She was very nervous about it, but if anything it was even better than the first one.
It was a great party. Penny helped plan it with Val since she was stuck in Ohio. Most everyone got drunk and I'm pretty sure that at some point everyone was thrown into the pool.
After everyone left, I helped Penny up to the bedroom. I've never seen her that drunk and since I was drunk too, she was pretty fuckin' funny. She couldn't stop talking and she would jump from one subject to another.
"Did you know when I was a kid, we had a swimming pool?"
"You never told me that." I said as I tried to get both our drunk asses up the stairs.
"I won't have a job after this month." She was slurring and I wasn't sure I even heard her right.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"About what?"
"Not having a job."
"Shhhh, don't tell Brian." She was trashed.
"I promise I won't"
"It was either Bianca or me getting cut, I volunteered to leave as long as I still got the money for getting canned, kicked to the curb, washed up, has been."
"Why don't you want me, I mean Brian to know?"
"Because I don't want him to think I gave up my job to mooch off of him."
I finally got her to the bedroom. She already had her shoes off but her clothes were soaked, so I stripped her down and covered her up. She recognized me now.
"Brian, do you love me?"
"Yes Baby, I love you. Why don't you try to get some sleep?"
"Thank you for making my life good and not hitting me." She said.
"What? That was an accident. I would never hit you on purpose."
"He did and he took her from me"
"Who did? Penny?"
She was sound asleep. I undressed and jumped into bed. I couldn't fall asleep at first, because I was trying to decipher the crazy conversation we just had.

The next day, I was pretty sure Penny didn't remember any of it. I decided not to tell her that she told me about her job. But I could not help but ask about the other part.
"Penny, last night you said something about someone hitting you. Who was that?"
She had a look of surprise and panic on her face. "I have no idea what I was talking about, you know how I get."
I decided not to press her anymore about it, right then.
"That's very true, you tend to ramble and talk crazy when your drunk." I winked at her.
"Can we change the subject?" She seemed a little upset.
"What's happening with the thing at your work?" I asked.
I could tell she was thinking about what to say. "There are definitely going to be some cuts. But not as bad as it could have been."
"So you helped save people's jobs?"
"Not alone, but yeah we kept some people from losing their jobs. We are going to try to move as many as we can to other open positions." She said.
"When are the cuts happening?"
"End of this month, but most of the people don't know that there's even going to be cuts."
"Are your meetings over now?"
"Pretty much, but I have a project to work on with Bianca, but I have plenty of time off and I might as well use it. So taking off for our anniversary is no problem, I could even take some extra days if you want."
"Might as well use it? Why?" I asked.
"You know, in case I get cut."
"Oh. Remember your promise." I said.
"I do, don't worry."