AN: Hi all! Welcome...It's time for another big ol' epic. Hope you enjoy. Love, Kricket
Chapter One
"Feel the burn! You can do it!" the perky instructor on the workout DVD yelled at Penelope while she lay on the ground, grunting and sweating. "No pain, no gain!"
"Easy for you,"—she paused to pant for air—"to say, you twerp!"
She hated this video, and the blonde Playboy bunny prototype that starred in it, with a passion. She seriously looked like someone Morgan would date, with the same amount of intelligent conversation.
However, it was part of her New Year's resolution to start exercising, and she didn't want to give up on it now. This thing had guaranteed results, so she went for it. She had to begrudgingly give the DVD credit; her tush had definition, where there was nuthin' but gush before.
"You're doing great!" Susie Sexpot encouraged on the tube. "Just ten more!"
She groaned, but kept moving. Her lower abs felt like they were on fire, and her upper abs ached, too, but she continued to crunch away.
Susie curled higher, raising her entire upper body off the floor. "Okay, hold this one! Hold it!"
Just as she made her own half circle upward, her phone rang. She ignored it; she'd promised she would give herself this time to herself, and let no one and nothing bother her.
The ringing stopped, and the person left no message, which made Penelope wonder who it was. Probably a solicitor, or Kevin. Her ex called often, and he didn't leave messages, as if he didn't know she had caller ID.
It had been six months; he needed to give up.
"Release. Breathe. Again. Hold it..."
The phone started ringing again. Still ignoring it, she continued the sit-ups.
And then it started ringing again.
"Great job! Give yourself a pat on the back; you deserve it! It's time to stretch..."
Penelope hit pause, rolled to her knees, rose to her feet, and then got to the phone just before her voice mail picked up. She hadn't had time to look at the caller ID.
"Hello?" she said, feeling the muscles in her gut protesting and aching from the lack of post-work out stretching.
"Aunt Penelope?"
Penelope's interest immediately perked up. "Cara?"
The person on the phone sounded just like her niece, Cara Garcia. She was her oldest brother's only daughter. Penelope hadn't talked to her since last summer, although she lived and went to school nearby. It wasn't from lack of love; they were both just really busy with their lives.
"Hi, Auntie!"
"How are you doing, sweetheart?" Penelope asked excitedly. "How's college? About graduated now?" Cara went to school over in Norfolk State University and was in her junior year of studies for social work.
"Auntie, I'm afraid this isn't a social call," Cara said hesitantly.
Penelope's gut twinged in a wholly different fashion than before. "What's the matter?"
"It's Dad."
Penelope's stomach hit her feet. "What's wrong with Parker?"
"Dad's in Honduras."
Penelope knew that Parker did mission work down in Central America for his church group. Parker had emailed many pictures of the lush, green country and the people he helped. He was very altruistic and rarely in the States anymore. However, that wasn't a problem, usually.
"Okay," Penelope said. "What's wrong?"
She heard Cara sigh before answering. "It isn't good, Auntie."
She really hated Cara's flair for the dramatic when something important had to be said. She must've gotten that from her mother, Parker's flighty ex-wife, who was an actress in a traveling troupe. Although it could have come from her father's side, too; Penelope herself had her own flair!
She took a deep breath to calm herself, and tried to sound soothing to her niece. "What happened to Parker in Honduras?"
"Dad was in an accident," she said. "It was terrible; two of the people he was traveling with died on the scene."
"Oh, no," Penelope whispered. "I'm so sorry."
"Aunt Penelope, he lost his passport, wallet, and papers in the rubble," Cara answered. "He needs me to fly down there with copies of everything."
"I can get you there," Penelope reassured. It would probably max her credit cards to get her there, and get her and Parker home, but she would do it. Family was family, after all.
"Thank you, but it gets worse..."
Penelope paused at her niece's bleak tone. "What, Cara?"
"The father of the family he hit in the accident was a dignitary from another country…and Dad was drinking."
Penelope felt a shiver run down her spine. Parker had struggled with alcoholism for years. He'd picked a terrible time to fall off the wagon.
Penelope could hear her fighting tears before she said, "They had him arrested."
"Oh, Cara!"
"He's out of jail now," she added quickly, "and he did hire a lawyer who took his case, but it was his fault. They agreed to let him go home, but they will only take cash in the village he is in. They won't take payments, and he needs money to pay settlements to the family he hit. He had no insurance down there."
Penelope had very poor sixth sense, but the hair on the back of her neck was rising now, alerting her to a problem. This was not going to be good.
"How much, Cara?" she asked cautiously.
"Ten thousand dollars."
Penelope could feel the blood rushing from her face. "I don't have that kind of money."
"I know," she said sadly. "I didn't, either, so I took extra jobs...I think I have it worked out, except for about two thousand."
"Cara, I can do that. What can I do to help?" Penelope asked, feeling nearly as helpless as her niece.
"I really don't need the money, but I do need to get to Honduras."
Penelope was confused. "If you don't need the money, what do you need from me?"
"I have another problem," Cara confessed.
"What?"
"I have a really great job. I started working for a company, one of those in-home party things that sells items. You can make a lot of extra cash quickly that way," she explained. "I only need someone to do my parties, fill in for me, host while I am gone."
"Me?" Penelope asked.
"I thought of you immediately, Auntie. You're so outgoing and fun; this will be a blast for you." She paused again, and then pleaded, "Please?"
"I think I can do that—"
"Oh, wonderful!" Cara cried. "I have a flight leaving tomorrow at five PM."
"Leaving when?" Penelope asked, her eyes widening. Whoa, she had a plan all right.
Cara reiterated what she'd already said, and then continued, "Now remember: I have to have two five hundred dollar shows a week, or I lose my contract and my bonus, and I need that for Dad. All my money is going towards Honduras."
"I'll try."
"Thank you so much!" Cara exclaimed. "I'll bring the bag of items, my schedule, and the order and contact info to your work before I leave. I love you!"
Before Penelope could answer, her niece had hung up the phone.
It wasn't until she was brushing her teeth that night, getting ready for bed, that she finally wondered…
What was she going to be selling?
