P is for Penny

Adam greeted Timmy with a traditionally pleasant smile, allowing a manila folder to smack carelessly atop his desk.

"What is it?"

"I dunno, ask Russell, he had me go copy a couple dozen of those bad-boys, you were out getting him a donut or something, I said no biggie."

"He's convinced you to do my job, has he?"

"Said he'd have you get me a donut, but you don't have to...well, unless you want to." Adam found Timmy's glare self-evident. "I've got feet, man."

Timmy had taken to looking inside the envelope, grumbling. "I've told him a million times, he can't organize inner-office dance parties."

Enter Russell. "Are those my fliers for Bounce-a-Palooza? Ah, excellent!"

"We're not doing that!"

Adam grabbed a flier from the folder, actually taking time to read one, now. "Russell, uh...this thing says only the women in the office are invited."

"Well, yeah, duh. Bounce-a-Palooza is a strictly female event, something nice for the ladies, for once. Get together, dance all night, down with the patriarchy, am I right, gentlemen?"

"So what do you get out of this?"

"Well naturally, as the event's coordinator I would have to be ever-present in the shadows to oversee everything...break-up any cat fights that get a little too touchy-feely, that sort of thing."

Timmy shook his head. "Remarkable, isn't he? So giving of himself."

"I do my best."

Adam shrugged, turning to walk away. "Always thinking of others. Oh..." Something had caught his eye. As he knelt to the floor, Russell and Timmy gave each other curious looks past his back. Adam popped back up, displaying an object between his fingers: "Found a penny."

"Great," said Russell, uninterested. "You're rich."

"Landed head's up," Adam continued. "That's good luck."

"Yep, you're a penny richer, lucky man."

"Come on guys, penny for your thoughts?" Adam offered up a smile, rubbing the copper between two fingers.

"I think you're an idiot," said Russell, turning back towards his office.

Timmy, sensing Adam's irritation, joined in most eagerly. "Oh, uhm...every time it rains, it rains..."

Came Adam: "Oh, Pennies from heaven!"

Russell turned back with a roll of his eyes. "Does any of this lead to women bouncing? Whatever, you know what, I'll find a way. You guys give me something stupid, I turn a profit." He entered the office, tiring of pennies and morons. A moment later he called out: "Hey, Jen's invited to the party!"

"No, she isn't!" called back Timmy. "Nobody is!"

"Oh! Look at that. Head's up, they say that's lucky." Russell rose a brow. "Could be...lucky for us."

"Ugh, get lost, creep."

Timmy, who had been leaning against a hand watching Russell strike out this evening, finally decided to say something about it. He made his way towards him now, taking the stool beside his at the bar, sighing disappointedly. "You know, sir...I hate to say I told you so..."

"You love to say it. You get off on it, don't lie, you're a terrible liar."

Timmy shrugged, unable to formulate a compelling argument. "It hasn't worked, once. It's time to give up the new pick-up line of choice, and head for home."

"It's a winner, I'm tellin' ya, somebody in this place is gonna bite!"

"Sir...here, just...try it out on me."

"What?" Russell sneered, observing his surroundings. "Tim, we've, uh...been over this. You've gotta stop hitting on me like this, it's getting weird."

Timmy rubbed his temple, groaning just a touch. "Show me what you're doing. If you insist on wasting your time, perhaps I might assist in-"

"You, assist me...? Give me advice?! HA!"

"Humor me," spoke Timmy, entirely unamused. He wanted to leave, and he knew he wasn't getting out of here until Russell either scored or got bored.

God, his life sucked.

"Okay, uh...since you're so into learning my tricks of the trade..." Russell stood, clearing his throat. He walked past Timmy, casually dropping an item to the ground. "Oops, oh! What, I'm such a klutz..."

Timmy groaned, rolling eyes.

"Oh...it's a penny..." He slank in beside Timmy, as if they were meeting for the first time. "Hey, I'm Russell, ah...?"

"Timmy." Flat. Utterly uninterested.

"Beautiful. Oh! Check this out, hey. This penny landed head's up, you know what they say about that, right?"

Timmy stared. Blank faced.

"They say that's good luck. Maybe it was good luck that brought us together, tonight." He slid the penny across the counter, resting it just in front of Timmy. "Penny for your thoughts?"

Timmy shook his head.

Russell grumbled in irritation, snatching back his coin. "Come on, man, that's good stuff!"

"Dreadful, absolutely dreadful. You're never going to..." Timmy fell distracted.

Russell followed his line of vision. Shapely brunette, five-foot-something. "Wasting your time, see her in her every week, I gave up ages ago."

"So you haven't tried, tonight?"

"I just said, man, she's a lost cause, she's...and he's gone. Wild goose chase. Idiot."

Russell cemented himself to the counter; he ordered himself a drink, surrendering to the strike-out. He was clearly too good for the women in this joint. Pft.

A scotch and a half later, Timmy walked past with a shapely, five-foot-something brunette.

Russell grabbed his arm, pulling him back. "What the heck, man?! How'd you melt the ice queen?"

"Oh...yes, well, turns out it wasn't so difficult after all." He held back a smile. "I simply offered her a penny for her thoughts." Timmy dashed away, out of Russell's angered grasp, and into the arms of an eager lover.

Russell ordered another drink, and made it a double.

There were doors slammed. There were voices raised. It wasn't the first evening like this.

They'd been married for several weeks, already; several of the longest weeks either of them had ever known. In good ways, in bad ways, in all together weird ways.

And here they were again, slamming doors.

Timmy was halfway through the living room, coat on and headed for the front door by the time Russell made his way out from the bedroom.

"You can't just leave!"

Timmy turned around sharply, his laugh one of incredulity, of indignant spite. "Well, it would appear you're quite incorrect in your assumption, as I'm about to prove you wrong. Oh, look, there's the door, and here are my feet moving towards it. Remarkable."

"Look, hey..." Russell watched him walk; touch the door. He dashed madly, grabbing him. "You come here every damn day, you practically live here..."

"I don't live here."

"Yeah, my husband would rather keep living in a run-down crap shack and drop by for conjugal visits than suck it up and share drawer space, I get it." Russell grumbled below his breath; "Skipped the conjugal tonight, went straight for the jugular."

Timmy hummed low, thinking. Despite the regular nature of these arguments, they were decidedly short-lived. The argument tonight had been arbitrary...they generally were. But he was stubborn. "I'm sorry, Russell, I just...can't handle this right now."

A moment later he was gone. Russell took to walking slowly from the door, attempting not to pout pathetically. He sank to his sofa, wishing things were different, when suddenly...the door opened again.

And there he was. Timmy took several steps back inside, biting a finger thoughtfully.

Russell sat up straight, as if he hadn't been down-trodden in the slightest.

"I've forgotten something," said Timmy. He wove Russell towards him. When he was close enough for comfort, Timmy reached inside a pocket; he allowed an object to fall to the floor.

"Oh," he said. "Dreadfully clumsy." He reached down, picking up a small something, holding it up just well enough for Russell to see. "Ah. It's a penny."

Russell smirked. "No kidding?"

"Huh..." Timmy observed the coin. "Seems it's landed head's up. They say that's good luck, you know."

Russell placed both hands to Timmy's waist, yanking him close. The slight gasp from Timmy was a pleasant surprise; the low moan from Russell, his response in kind.

As Russell's mouth drew near to his, heat upon his lips, Timmy spoke breathlessly: "Penny for your thoughts..."

Russell wasted no time in making his thoughts abundantly clear; the penny was lucky.

He aimed to prove it.