The Blogger and the Hunk (17 page)

“How long are you staying in LA for?” she asked.

“I actually have a few projects I’m working on while I’m here. So, technically I’m not on vacation even if I’m visiting my
abue
. Meeting up with a few clients, reading manuscripts, that sort of thing.”

“Geez, I’m jealous,” Penelope confessed, thinking about how much she would have loved to work at a big hotshot publishing house, if only she didn’t love LA so much.

“What do you do?”

“I’m a freelance editor. Work with authors on my own, create my own hours, most of the time my own deadlines.”

“And you’re the jealous one? You get to take your work everywhere.”

She smiled. “Well, I guess we both ended up doing what we wanted.”

Nick glanced down at his watch. “Oh, crap. Unfortunately for us, I have a meeting in about an hour. If I were free, I’d have stolen you from your friends to spend the rest of the afternoon with you.” He smiled apologetically, grasping her hands in his. “Well, it’s been fun catching up with you, Penny. We’ll have to get together before I fly back to Boston.”

They exchanged numbers, and with a quick hug, parted ways.

“Why didn’t you ever mention that hunk of a guy?” Jasmine snuck up on Penelope, Stephanie not too far behind.

Penelope looked between the two women, bewilderment in her face. “Were you two following us?”

“We weren’t
following
you. You guys were just walking where we wanted to walk is all.” Stephanie grinned like a Cheshire cat.

Penelope merely shook her head in defeat.

“So, why haven’t you mentioned him before?”

“There’s nothing to say. He’s just a friend from college.”

“I
cannot
believe you stayed a virgin when you had the opportunity to jump in bed with him!” Jasmine exclaimed, playfully nudging Penelope with her elbow.

“We never liked each other that way. Besides, he had a girlfriend.” Penelope shrugged.

“You mean
had
? As in past tense? As in I have a chance to snag him before anyone else gets an opportunity?”

For about the thousandth time that day, Penelope slapped her palm on her forehead. It was going to be a long afternoon.

* * *

D
espite the awful way Jack had left the morning after their second night together, and the blow to her self-esteem, Penelope hardly had any time to think about him. Maybe it had to do with the fact that for the past few days Nick had been keeping her busy. He’d invite her to have coffee, which would then turn into lunch, and then dinner at his grandmother’s house. She was a sweet woman who loved her only grandson dearly. Conversations with her consisted of how proud she was of her
querido Nicolas
and a handful of Spanish proverbs about life and love.

“When will you and Nicolas finally realize that you were meant for each other?” she asked Penelope in Spanish one afternoon.

“
Abue
,” Nick quietly warned the woman.

“When your grandson finally realizes I’m the only woman for him,” Penelope playfully responded, winking at her friend.

Penelope smiled, remembering Nick in his college days. Although it wasn’t all that long ago, it seemed like ages since she’d last seen him, with his long skater hair, tattered sneakers, and ripped jeans. He was responsible for helping her overcome the damage high school had done to her. He always praised her successes and without knowing, enabled her to set goals for herself. Nick’s friendship had helped Penelope work on her self-esteem issues.

“Will you be my date for my sister’s wedding? Not as anything weird, just as friends,” she finally asked him at lunchtime on Friday. It was only a few hours before the blasted bachelorette party, but she was too busy watching the movie playing on her TV and eating her frozen yogurt to even bother getting ready.

“Really? Sure, I’d love to go. But I was under the impression you had a date already, as the maid of honor?”

“Nope. I’m not the maid of honor.”

Nick’s expression turned to one of confusion. “Then who is?”

“You might want to sit down for this one.” Penelope retold the story of how she came to meet Celeste’s friend “Jackie,” and their adventures as they worked together to get the wedding preparations done. She purposefully left out the fact that she had slept with the guy. Twice. And would probably do so again if given the opportunity.

“And where in that whole story did you fall in love with him?”

Penelope looked at him in surprise, her mouth full of cookie crumbs and frozen yogurt. “Who said I was in love with him?”

“No one has to say it out loud. It’s evident in the way you softly sigh when you mention his name, the way your eyes contain an added spark. I’m surprised the guy hasn’t asked you out. He should be your date to the wedding.”

Penelope laughed, shaking her head incredulously. “You’re hilarious. The guy is built like a Greek god. Those kinds of men go for the gorgeous, tiny-waisted supermodels with long legs. Which is just fine by me,” she added hastily, trying to hide the fact that she really did kind of care.

“Penny, you’re just as beautiful as the best of them.”

Penelope smiled and leaned toward him to kiss his cheek. “Thank you for always saying the right thing.”

“I only speak the truth,” he replied theatrically.

She chuckled, turning her attention back to the TV.

I
f you’re going to gamble, make sure you’re prepared to lose. If you’re going to take risks, make sure you’re prepared to tumble and fall. If you’re not a person who can stand to lose, play it safe. Sometimes the outcome isn’t what we want it to be, but loss is just another part of life. You just have to deal with it.

DIARY OF A WALLFLOWER: Entry 174

It was Monday again. A week had passed, yet Jack didn’t feel any better than he had a week before. He hoped the party had been a success, and despite the way things had turned for the worst between him and Penelope, she’d enjoyed every moment of their success.

“Is something wrong?”

He turned his head to catch the concerned look of the beautiful woman in the seat next to his, and forced a smile on his face.

“Everything’s fine. Why?”

“You look like you’re concentrating really hard on something. What’s got you thinking so much?”

He sighed. “Nothing, Amanda, just really happy you get to accompany me to this wedding.”

Amanda smiled all too knowingly. “You look like you’re preparing yourself for battle.” She chuckled. “Tell me what’s really on your mind.”

“I just left a few things unresolved a couple weeks ago.” His smile felt more like a grimace. All he wanted to do was jump off the plane. All because of a petite, curvy Latina with her light complexion enhancing the brown in her eyes and hair. Hair that was so thick and smooth. He could remember the aroma of lavender in his nostrils, and the feel of her hair surrounding him as she rode him.

The last night they’d spent together, Penelope had insisted on waking him up an hour after they’d had sex by sitting on top of him, rubbing her clit against his hardening cock. He’d been so surprised and excited that he was in danger of coming before she even got a chance to take him inside her. He forced himself out of his daydreams. It would be awkward if he were to get a hard-on with Amanda sitting next to him.

“How are your friends doing? Haven’t seen those meatheads in ages,” Amanda asked, changing the subject.

They’d been high school sweethearts, but when it was time for them to start college, Amanda had decided to study close to home while Jack went off to New York on a football scholarship. They’d separated mutually, but there were always lingering expectations from both sets of parents that they would one day come back together. Amanda was ready for commitment, ready to start her own family, just not with Jack. And Jack wasn’t ready for any kind of commitment.

“They’re doing great. Same old goofballs.”

“Still chasing as many skirts as they can?”

Jack lightly chuckled. “You know them. Always ready to have a good time.”

“And you?” she asked, looking at him intently.

He didn’t answer, silence sucking up the oxygen surrounding them.

“What’s wrong? Something’s changed with you. This past week you’ve been as responsive as a statue. And don’t deny it because I know exactly when you lie to me.”

“Nothing. Honest. Work’s just been a bit more demanding than usual is all.”

Amanda sighed. “I don’t know. It wasn’t your job you kept talking about when we had dinner with your parents.” She casually flipped through the pages of the airplane magazine.

Jack stared at her, confused.

“Does the name Penelope mean anything to you?” she inquired nonchalantly, but Jack knew better than to believe her lack of curiosity.

He sputtered in response, casually opening a packet of pretzels and stuffing one in his mouth. He hated the taste of the salty twigs, but he needed something to keep him occupied. “She’s Celeste’s sister.” He shrugged. “There’s nothing special about her.” He stopped a flight attendant to quickly ask for a Jack and Coke.

“So she means nothing to you? I think that’s bull,” Amanda was quick to reply, then opened her laptop and got busy typing.

Jack internally sighed in relief. He was in no mood to explain anything to anyone, especially someone who’d known him since his childhood. He thought his visit to his parents would help him forget his inner turmoil, but all it did was make him think of Penelope more. He just hoped the damned wedding would be over soon so those brown eyes would stop tormenting him.

* * *

“I
’m coming! I’ve got the money right he—” Penelope stopped midsentence once she opened the front door and saw who was standing before her.

Jack wanted the earth to open below his feet and swallow him whole. As much as he loved the sight of her, he wasn’t in the mood to deal with the tension already building up between them. It wasn’t the good kind either. Standing face-to-face with Penelope after the way he had left things between them a week ago just reminded him of how much of an ass he was. He knew he’d fucked up when he’d slept with her the second time. She was the kind of girl who needed security and commitment—two things Jack couldn’t give her. He straightened and pasted a smile on his face.

“Hey, Penny. Your sister home?” He could see a battle of emotions flash through her eyes before she faked a smile of her own.

“Umm, yeah. She’s in the kitchen. Sorry, I thought you were takeout. Come in.” She opened the door a little wider, and Jack had begun to step inside when he remembered he wasn’t alone.

He gestured for Amanda, who was standing behind him, to walk inside the house. He noticed Penelope’s eyes widen as she took in Amanda’s appearance. He would be the first to admit that Amanda was a bombshell, a complete ten. Beautiful body with perfect proportions, big baby blue eyes, golden hair that naturally fell in ringlets over her shoulders, and full, pink lips with a beauty mark just above the right side of her upper lip.

Jack noted the analytical look in Penelope’s eyes, as she was no doubt making a mental note of everything Amanda had that she didn’t. Something tugged at Jack’s heart, and he had the sudden urge to take Penelope in his arms to tell her how attractive he found her. Unfortunately, his own damned male stubbornness forced him to stay put.

“Hello, nice to meet you. I’m Amanda.” The blonde beauty shook hands with Penelope. “Jack’s told me so much about y—
Ouch
!”

Jack had only meant to place his foot on the corner of hers and warn her with slight pressure. Unfortunately, his foot slipped and he ended up stomping on her.

“The wedding,” he finished for her. “Sorry about that. My foot’s clumsy,” he said, sending Amanda a pleading look for silence.

“Yeah, your big fat foot,” she replied, giving him the stink eye.

Well, at least she’d taken the hint.

“I thought I heard you!” Celeste exclaimed, walking out of the kitchen. She held a wooden spoon in her hand and an apron was wrapped around her torso. “How was your trip?”

“Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” Jack joked, taking in her ensemble and pulling her into a hug. He was trying his best to avoid Penelope’s stare. “What are you doing in the kitchen? You don’t cook.”

“Penny’s helping me bake an apple crumble pie from scratch. And by helping I mean she puts everything together while I stir the ingredients,” Celeste replied, giving Jack a cheeky grin.

Jack laughed softly, turning to Amanda. “Celeste, this is Amanda. You remember I told you about her before.” His eyes darted briefly toward Penelope. Her eyes were downcast, and she was nervously wringing the towel in her hands.

“So you’re the famous Amanda! I’ve heard so much about you.” Celeste pulled her into a hug. “Does this mean you guys are dating again? Jack, she’s pretty! You guys would make beautiful babies.” Before he even had a chance to correct her, Celeste was already chatting up a storm with Amanda and pulling her toward the couch. “Come, sit!”

Jack tried his best to keep himself from looking back at Penelope as he walked past her when all he wanted to do was take her into his arms and kiss her frown away. But he couldn’t do it. He knew he wasn’t cut out for a long-term romantic relationship. He had too many goals and something as definite as love didn’t fit in his agenda.

“Hey Celeste, I’m just gonna finish up in the kitchen. It was nice meeting you, Amanda.” Penelope spoke up, purposely choosing not to meet his gaze.

“You as well. We should definitely plan a girls’ night before I leave,” Amanda responded, a friendly smile on her face. Penelope smiled and walked back into the kitchen.

“Did you guys want anything to drink?” A few minutes later, Celeste was walking out of the kitchen with two glasses of lemonade in her hands.

“Congratulations on your engagement, and thank you for inviting me to the wedding,” Amanda gratefully said, taking a sip of her lemonade.

“Of course! Any friend of Jack’s is a friend of mine. And I’ll be expecting a wedding invitation to yours whenever that may be. We just need to give Jack a boost,” Celeste teased, winking toward Jack.