Penny felt her attention drawn from the playful banter by Christian's attempts to get her attention. She turned her head to look at him. His eyes shot to Charles' arm that sat behind her and she smiled in understanding, but shook her head. It was slightly annoying, but it wasn't something Christian needed to get involved in. She wanted to keep the peace. She'd go out with Charles tomorrow and set whatever boundaries needed to be set and see if she even wanted to have a relationship with him in the first place. 

Penny wasn't going to deny that Christian looking out for her didn't make her heart skip a beat though. Christian was observant, this was true, but the fact that he picked up on her discomfort and wanted to help her made her feel respected. For a second, she almost wished Christian's arm was the one on the back of her chair, his fingers gently brushing against her back. Penny felt her face heat up at the thought.

"Penny, you good? You look a little red."

Penny's head snapped to Charles and her face grew even more red, if that was possible. She cleared her throat, [color=f49ac2]"I'm good! I just- I have to use the bathroom. I'll be right back."[/color] Penny stood up and made her way to the bathroom as fast as she could without seeming suspicious. Penny splashed some cold water on her face and waited till it looked less pink. She felt sweaty and embarassed. She was supposed to see Christian as a friend, but the more time she spent with Charles, the more she realized she wanted Christian's company more. Friends were allowed to feel like that without labeling those feelings as romantic, right? Charles didn't make her uncomfortable, necessarily, and he was really nice and genuine. He just seemed eager to get to know Penny, which wasn't a bad thing. Penny took a deep breath and nodded at herself in the mirror. [color=f49ac2]"Right. You will go on that date tomorrow and then you will see how you feel."[/color] She gave herself a little pep-talk before leaving and making her way back to the table. When she got back, their food had been served and she was excited to finally eat something. Penny saw Charles' ordered regular mashed potatoes as a side and she nudged him with her elbow to get his attention. [color=f49ac2]"I wouldn't have guessed you were a plain mashed potatoes kinda guy."[/color]