Thank you guys so much for the comments. I feel like I am on a roll 4 chapters in 2 days.
✦XO✦
Penelope woke up as a beam of sunlight landed across her face. She tried to raise her hand but felt a heavy weight on it then a squeeze. She turned her face from the blinding light towards her hand. It was someone hand holding it down. She followed the trail from the fingers, that gripped her hands tightly, up the arm to the shoulder to find the face of a handsome man. Luke looked so peaceful when he slept with no worries of the world. She quickly looked away from him. She wasn't going to do this. She wasn't in love him and she wasn't going to give it a chance for it to happen. He was dangerous and if she had given it the chance, he would invaded every single corner of her heart and mind. She turned to remove his hand from her. She slowly got up and turned to look towards him. He was still in his work attire. Was he really that tired? She placed a blanket over. She went around the room tidying up. She placed the book back on the bookshelf. She picked up his shoes and carried the suitcase into the closet. She grabbed the hamper from the bathroom and went back towards the closet. She laid the suitcase on a stool and opened it being greeted with a scent of lavender and musk. Her eyebrow raised, did he get a new perfume? The scent was a bit to feminist to be for him. She picked up the white shirt and realized she found the source of the smell. She looked at it and found smudges of a rose nude lipstick around the entire shirt. She checked it's pocket and threw it into the hamper. As she emptied out the suitcase, she was surprised to find that all his pockets were empty. She would usually find, pens, notes, receipts, change but this time it was empty. Another thing she didn't find was a gift. The one he always brought for her. She smiled, he was already forgetting her. Whoever this girl was, she was someone really special.
She took the laundry to the wash and scrub always the lipstick like she did before but this time gentler. She walked into the kitchen as she removed the note she left in the microwave 'Food is in the fridge.' She knew the moment he got home, he wouldn't eat. So instead of having the food wasting away in the microwave she kept it in the fridge and left the note in the microwave in case he did want to eat. After she made her tea, she headed over to her office and began to work.
Luke woke up and stretched but the tightness of his button down shirt made it hard. He looked down at his clothes as the memories from the night before replayed in his head. He unbuttoned his shirt when he quickly turned around to look at his suitcase. It wasn't by the door where he left it. He ran into the closet and found his suitcase sitting in the corner. 'No no please no' he slowly walked over and lifted it, it was empty. 'Shit.' He walked out of their room and rushed over to her office. "Penelope."
Penelope looked up from her cup of tea. He looked seemed like he was on alert. "Morning Luke, give me a minute and I'll get you your coffee."
Luke shook his head "No it's ok, I'll make it. You continue with your work. But Penelope did you put my clothes in the wash." What type of question was that of course she did.
Penelope nodded, "Yes, I just threw everything in together about 15 maybe 20 mins ago to wash."
Luke looked her her calm appearance, 'she tossed all the laundry in together. Does that mean she didn't see the shirt? She always separates the clothes, whites, color and darks.' He thought to himself.
"Is there something wrong?" Penelope asked taking a sip of her tea.
"No. No." Luke continued to look at Penelope as she went back to typing away at her computer. "It's just you usually separate the clothes. So you just took all the clothes and toss them in together. Didn't separate them one by one."
"No Luke. I didn't have time to separate them. We have this new program starting up today so I am going to be busy all day so I thought just throwing them in together once wouldn't hurt." Penelope continued to type away at her keyboard.
Luke looked at her. If she saw the shirt she wouldn't be so calm. She would of smash his head with a frying pan. Her words not his. Towards the beginning of their wedding, Penelope was hell bound of getting all the room painted a different color, white was to bland for her taste. She was in the guest room when he overheard a conversation she was having with her friend. 'That is so wrong. If I was her and I found out, nope I mean, even had the smallest inkling that my husband was having an affair I would smash his head with a frying pan.' But there was no frying pan in sight. Maybe she missed it when she threw all the clothes in together. He was a bit hurt knowing she didn't see it. He took a deep breath throwing that thought in the back of his head. "Did you have breakfast?"
Penelope shook her head before looking up. "Let me up run this software and I'll go make some."
Luke started looking around her room, "Don't worry, I'll make breakfast today. You continue working." Luke shook his head as he left the room. How could he forget her gift. He was so worried that something was wrong he just wanted to head back home. He went to his room and quickly washed up and went to the kitchen to start breakfast. Living on his own for years, he definitely knew his way around the kitchen. After he was done, he called Penelope to come and eat but when she didn't answer he walked over to her office. She was on a call, walking back and forth squeezing one of the stress toys he had brought her. He returned back to the kitchen and grabbed her plate. He walked back into her office. He quietly made space for it and walked away.
His phone was vibrating on the table when he returned. It was Matt. He picked it up and walked into his closet, looking for a pair of jeans and a shirt. "Hey." Luke said as he threw a pair of jeans on the stool in the closet.
"So what happen. Did she break your legs?" Matt asked.
"No, I don't even think she saw it." He whispered into the phone.
"Dude why are you whispering?" Matt smiled on the phone.
"I don't want her to know what we did in case she didn't see it." Luke whispered as he threw a shirt on the stool.
"What makes you think she didn't see it and you were so eager to make a point, why does it matter if she finds out or not?" Matt asked trying to keep the smoke going until a fire started.
"She said she threw all the clothes in together and didn't divide them so she probably missed it." Luke said as he removed his clothes to change. "I wasnt myself yesterday and I couldnt think straight. Regardless you know the first was a mistake but yesterday.. yesterday was intentional…" Matt cut Luke off before he could continue knowing Luke felt bad. Luke continued to put his pants on.
"Fine I get it but do you intended on telling her." Matt asked.
"Yes but not right now. She just started this new software and she looks so stressed. I am going to give it sometime before I tell her, I promise. I just don't want to hurt her." Luke said as Penelope showed up at the closet door. "Hey Pen."
"Luke, there is an issue with the software at work and I have to go in. I wont be home till late." Luke nodded at her. "There is food in the fridge and I put the clothes in the dryer please remember to take them out." Luke nodded again. Penelope looked at him once before leaving.
Luke stayed quiet until he heard the door close behind her. He placed Matt on speaker and wore his shirt. "Damn man, I also forgot to get her her gift. I was such in a rush to get home I forgot. I am heading out now to get her something. How is your shopping going?"
"It's going great. Even got something for your wifey in case you know in the future if I ever, you know, met her." Matt spoke dramatically.
"Ok fine, you guys will be back day after tomorrow right. So dinner at my house." Luke said as he started wearing his shoes.
"No we are actually coming tomorrow morning. I have some good news but now I will only tell you at dinner in your house." Matt said cheerfully grabbing Luke's curiosity.
"Hmm then why wait, dinner my house tomorrow." Luke said as he grabbed his keys. "Listen I going to head out now. I'll see you, JJ and Prentiss tomorrow." Luke ended the call and jogged out to his car, driving towards the mall.
Penelope was driving towards work but Luke's conversation kept playing in her mind.
Penelope turned to see the plate of food left at her desk. She looked up finding Luke leaving the room. "Hey Jim, let me call you back in two minutes. Yeah. Thanks." Penelope removed her headset and made her way into their room when he heard him whispering. She stood next to the frame of the door ease dropping.
"No, I don't even think she saw it."
"I don't want her to know what we did in case she didn't see it."
"She said she threw all the clothes in together and didn't divide them so she probably missed it."
"I wasnt myself yesterday and I couldnt think straight. Regardless you know the first was a mistake but yesterday.. yesterday was intentional…"
"Yes but not right now. She just started this new software and she looks so stressed. I am going to give it sometime before I tell her, I promise. I just don't want to hurt her."
Penelope bit down on her thumb thinking. He was worried about hurting her. He isn't telling her because he doesn't want to hurt her. She needs to sit down and talk to him. If he is lucky enough to find someone then he should be with her and not in this loveless marriage. They both married each other only to get their families off they back. But if he in fact has found love then he should totally go for it. Love isn't easy to come by who to know better then her. She pulled into the parking lot of her company. She took a deep breathe before heading in.
Luke was looking around the gift shop when a mother and daughter stopped next to him. The little girl, who couldn't be more then 5, begged her mom for a small figurine.
"Not today Sofie, next time alright." The little girl begged again saying please. Luke looked over to the mother and recognize her to be a friend of JJ. They both often saw each other at JJ parties. They both smiled at each other. "Sorry" she worded with her mouth. Luke smiled mouthing its ok back to her.
Luke bended down to reach the height of the little girl. "Hey Sofie, if it's ok with your mom, I need your help." Luke looked up at her mom who stood there with her hand placed tightly around her daughters shoulder. Luke realizing how bad the situation looked. Luke shook his head looking at the mother explaining why. "I need to get a gift for my wife." Showing her his wedding ring. "And I been in this gift shop for 30 mins and I can't decide on anything. My wife is a child at heart and who better to ask then a child." The mother smiled giving her the ok but kept her arm around her daughter.
"Sure sir I will be glad to help you. What does she like?" The girl said looking sternly at Luke.
Luke felt like he was in an interview instead of picking out gifts for his wife. "Well she loves anything with colors and sparkle. She has a lot of fuzzy and weird pens, like those over there." He pointed to a table near the register
"Cool." The little girl eyes brighten.
"I know. She also loves figurines" the girl gave him a questioning look. "toys like these."
"Wow she is so cool." The girl said very loud and happy.
"Yes she is. So can you help me find something."
The little girl looks around the shop and picks up a couple of fairy, forest animals and cartoon characters. But puts them back after looking at Luke. Luke was curious about her thought process.
"Do you love her?" The little girl asked Luke.
"Umm.. umm" Luke fell speechless in front of this 5 year old girl. He didn't want to say he did but also didn't want to say he didn't.
His mother laughed at her daughter innocent "of course honey he does. He wouldn't be here if he didn't."
Luke looked away for a moment before giving a smile to the mother.
"Then get her this…"
She points to a figurine of a couple sitting on opposite sides of a rock facing each other. The women is wearing a white dress and the man is wearing a white shirt with black pants. One side their holding hands as it rest on the women lap. The other side their hands are pressed against each other in a prayer in the air in front of them and their foreheads touching one another. The piece read 'just the nearness of you.'
"Daddy always gets mommy these type of dolls to put around the house that I can't play with."
Luke looked at it for a moment. It was perfect, absolutely perfect.
"It seems like he loves it honey. Good chose." She gave her daughter a high five.
Luke smiled as he gave her a high five too "Excellent chose Sofie. Now because you helped me you get to choose anything you want in the store."
Sofie quickly picked up a fairy she was begging her mom to get her. Her mother refused but after Luke insisted he brought both figurines. He handed the fairy over to Sofie as she jumped for joy. He waved bye to Sofie and her mom after getting his gift wrapped. He left the store with a huge smile on his face. From all the gifts he brought Penelope this one just felt right. It was perfect.
He reached home and went to work unloading the clothes from the dryer and folding them. He went into the kitchen to make himself lunch. He texted Penelope to see how she was doing and to let her know he invited Matt, JJ and Prentiss for dinner. He worked off his laptop for a couple of hours before getting up to make dinner. While making dinner, he got a text from Penelope.
Penelope: Hey Luke, really busy in the office today. I will be home late. Don't wait up for me and have dinner.
Luke: Did you have lunch? When are you going to have dinner? Let me know when do you plan on leaving, I'll come pick you up. I don't want you driving this late.
Penelope: Yes I am currently having lunner (lunch and dinner). No need to come all the way out here. Luke I will be fine, I promise.
Luke took a deep breath before letting it go. He didn't want her driving so late but he knew if he drove up there like last time he won't hear the end of it.
Luke: Fine I won't come there but make sure to drive safely and watch out for other drivers. Text me when you leave.
Luke finished his dinner and stored some food for Penelope in case she was hunger. He left the gift on the island so she saw it the moment she walked in with a folded paper in front of it saying 'Sorry.' Luke laughed thinking about 'Lunner' as he went into his room to work on his laptop.
After some time Luke found himself dozing off. He couldn't fall a sleep he needed to make sure she got home ok. She text him 30mins ago that she had left. It took about 45mins to get home from there. He never liked sharing location, it felt like an invasion of privacy but right now he wished he had. He walked into the bathroom to splash water on his face. He felt refreshed as he sat on the love seat near the window reading a book. He again started dozing off. He looked at the clock, ten more minutes. He jumped off the chair and bounced around like a boxer in a ring. "Ten more minutes man. You can do it." He felt the adrenaline kick in so he sat back down and looked out the window. A few moments later he felt his eyes closing again. He would pop them open when he saw complete darkness. He heard the front door to the house open. "Penelope." He yelled out.
"Yes Luke, it's me I am home." Penelope yelled from the front door as she placed her shoes in the coat closet. It had began to rain and her shoes had gotten a bit muddy. Penelope walked in looking at the gift that sat on the island. She lifted the folded paper, 'Sorry.' Penelope placed the card back down, thinking 'Luke this needs to stop.' She couldn't accept these gifts knowing soon or later they weren't going to be together anymore. She should of stopped this a long time ago. She removed her purse from her shoulder as she made her way to their room. As she entered she found Luke sleeping on the couch. She leaned against the door frame, smiling.
✦XO✦
