Penelope popped out of her room to inquire about Nolan’s strange new activity. “What was that all about?” Penny asked, gesturing to the window.

“What do you mean?” Nolan asked innocently, as wrung out his shirt in the sink. “The windows were dirty, so I thought I should clean them.”

“I mean…you haven’t exactly kept things tidy in here, so I’m surprised to see your enthusiasm for window washing,” Penelope said skeptically.

“There’s a lot about me you don’t know, Penny,” Nolan said, turning around to look at her. “...and Flo had mentioned that the windows were looking a little dirty. Who am I to deny an older lady a little kindness,” Nolan winked at her and turned back to the sink.

Of course he was only doing something he thought might help him get ahead with Flo, thought Penelope. She didn’t like the feeling of being outmatched.

But the competition would have to wait for now. If Penelope won and couldn’t pay rent, the winning would be for nothing. She went back to her room and closed the door. It was time to suck up her pride and ask for her old job back.

***

When Penelope met Jake, she had been working as a bartender at Neon Dreams: a small, hipster-favorite cocktail bar. At first he was fine with her supporting herself through school. However, after they started getting serious, Jake got jealous of all the attention Penelope would get from her customers, and he convinced her to leave. Penelope was sad to go but, at the time, she’d considered herself lucky to have a financially supportive boyfriend. Ugh.

Of course, it wasn’t just about losing her income; she’d genuinely liked her co-workers. Her old boss, Jimmy, who was always kind to her, told her if she ever wanted to come back, there was a place for her. But what if he had changed his mind?

Penelope scrolled through her contacts and looked for “JIMMY - NEON DREAMS.” She hit the call button and held her breath.

“Hey, Jimmy, it’s Pen-” she started to say when she heard the familiar voice say “Hello.”

“Penelope! Hey kid, it’s good to hear from you,” said Jimmy, with familiar warmth in his voice. “How are you?”

“Actually, um…I was wondering if you’re looking for any help? I’m going back to school, and I was hoping to pick up a couple shifts,” Penelope said, closing her eyes in hope.

“Of course,” Jimmy said immediately. “We can always use your help. Can you come by tonight?”

“Tonight?” Penelope asked in surprise. She wasn’t expecting to start so soon. But then again, what was she waiting for? “Yeah, I can do that,” she said, relieved.

“Why don’t you come through in a couple hours? I’ll get you up to speed,” Jimmy said. “And then you can get back behind the bar tomorrow.”

“You got it,” Penelope replied. “Thank you, Jimmy -- so much. Oh, and iss Billy still playing Wednesday nights? I haven’t seen him in forever,” Penelope thought about Billy Mercury, the Wednesday night musician that she had been on a couple dates with before Jake. His name was ridiculous, but he was sweet.

“Billy Mercury moved to Austin during the pandemic. Actually, do you know anyone looking for a gig? I haven’t found anyone to replace him yet,” Jimmy replied.

“I…” Penelope of course thought immediately of Nolan. Her first instinct was to say I don’t—why should she help her competition? But then she remembered his window washing antics. What if everytime she was working he was here, winning over Flo or messing up the apartment somehow? She had to keep him busy, and more importantly, she had to keep him out of her apartment. Penelope took a deep breath.

“I actually do,” she replied. “My roommate, Nolan, is pretty good. And I think he’s looking for work.”

“Great,” Jimmy said. “If he plays anything, tell him to bring it and come in with you. I’ll audition him, but if you vouch for him, I have a good feeling.”

“Cool,” Penelope said, trying to sound enthusiastic. “I’ll see you soon.”

“See ya soon, kid,” said Jimmy, hanging up.

Penelope opened the door -- to find Nolan waiting on the other side. He had obviously been trying to listen to her conversation.

“Did I hear my name?” Nolan asked innocently, grinning.

What did I just do? Penelope silently moaned.

***

“Thank you, Penny,” Nolan said for the thirtieth time, as they entered Neon Dreams. “Honestly, this is the kind of opportunity I’ve been looking for.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Penelope said, starting to feel guilty that he was interpreting her ulterior motive as generosity. “Just don’t screw it up.”

As soon as Penelope entered the bar, a wave of nostalgia hit her. She was actually excited to be back in her old environment. Everything looked just as she remembered it, from the candles on the bar to the fancy liquor bottles behind the bar.

“Penelope!” came Jimmy’s voice from the dark. He approached them both with his brown eyes and silver hair both sparkling in the low light. “It’s good to see you.” He wrapped her in an affectionate hug, and then pulled back to extend his hand to Nolan. “You must be the roommate,” he said, sizing him up.

“Yes sir,” said Nolan, shaking hands. “Nolan Elliot. Thank you so much for the opportunity.”

“Well, let’s see what you’ve got, Nolan Elliott,” said Jimmy, gesturing to the stage.

“Happy to show you,” said Nolan, taking the stage.

Nolan started with a cover of Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You. To Penelope’s surprise, she found herself humming along and smiling at the line “the bar is where I go.”

He then shifted into two originals. His tone was strong and solid, and for a guy who generally spoke in quips, his lyrics were beautiful. Was Nolan actually…good? Penelope found herself wondering, as she stared at him. For a moment, Nolan caught her eye on a line about “breath shared between us,” and Penelope had to look away, blushing.

Jimmy didn’t applaud in between, but at the end stood up and gave him a firm handshake.

“Can you start tomorrow?” asked Jimmy with a smile.

”I sure can,” said Nolan, smiling at Penelope.

“And can you come back the Wednesday after that?” Jimmy winked at Nolan. “I think you may be our new Wednesday act.”

As Nolan nodded enthusiastically, Penelope mentally high fived herself. Great, at least he’ll be out every Wednesday.

“Penelope, our open bartending slot is on Wednesdays, too,” Jimmy added. She stopped her interior cheering. He continued. “So I guess you’ll be sharing a lot of Ubers. I’ll see you both tomorrow!”

“Yeah. So great!” said Penelope out loud, a little too enthusiastically. She immediately wondered if she had made a mistake.