"Do you think that I look all right?" Penelope asked as she positioned her phone so that Erin could see her reflection in the mirror. "This is our first Valentine's Day together, after all, and I just want everything to be perfect!"

Erin smiled as she shook her head a little. "You look perfect. Are you really going to wear my hat to dinner, though?"

"Yes! It matches my outfit, and I need to put it to good use. Besides, I think that it is that perfect finishing touch."

"If you say so. I just hope that he doesn't mind that."

"And if he does, well, maybe his bed will be a bit cool tonight. He has a really comfortable couch, after all."

That comment elicited a loud, sharp, laugh from Erin, and Penelope watched her clap her hands over her mouth as she tried to hold her mirth inside. "I think that he would not appreciate that, darling."

"And I probably wouldn't, either. I really, really, want to have sex tonight, and not with my hand."

"There are always…"

Erin's voice trailed off as she realized what she had been about to reveal, and Penelope giggled softly as she nodded. "I know, I have a few nice toys, too. But toys can never make up for the feel of skin against skin, feeling another's sweat on your body as you come together and create one being for just a short period of time. And now my tongue has gotten ahead of my brain. I'm so sorry if I embarrassed you!"

She turned the camera so that she could look into Erin's face, giving her a sheepish grin. "We're both adults, Penny. I think that I can handle a little more adult conversation with you." There was still a faint blush on her cheeks, making her look thoroughly adorable, and Penelope suddenly had the image of her friend beneath her, her entire torso flushed that same becoming shade of pink, and she swallowed as she tried to banish the image from her brain. It wasn't right to think of Erin like that, especially since she had been so adamant that Erin was her friend. "But I do hope that you enjoy your evening."

"Thank you. And hopefully, we'll get together next week?"

"That would be wonderful." Erin went to blow her a kiss, only to stop herself and give the screen a small wave before ending the call. Letting out a sigh, Penelope slipped her phone into her purse and adjusted how the hat sat on her head before picking up her overnight bag and heading out into her living room to wait for Aaron to arrive. That only took a few more minutes and she flew down the stairs to meet him, wrapping her arms around his waist as she kissed him passionately, holding on to her hat as the kiss deepened.

"That's the hat you got for Christmas, yes?"

"Uh huh! It goes perfectly with my outfit, so I had to wear it tonight. It's not too over the top, is it?"

"For you? No. And you won't wear it while we eat, right?"

She shook her head as he led her over to his car, putting her bag in the trunk before helping her into the passenger seat of the car. "I don't feel comfortable wearing a hat while eating, no. But I have to wear it, since it was so dear in price. Blonde Swan hats are pretty, and pretty expensive!"

"Let me guess, now that you have one, you want more?"

She giggled before she nodded. "They're sort of like potato chips? You can't have just one. Though you can change things up by getting different feather pins for the base hat. That way I can look different while still having the same base."

He nodded a little as he began the drive to the restaurant, and she kept up a running conversation with him, feeling like she was a little more comfortable with their relationship in that moment. She knew that it had been a rough few weeks between them, and she wanted nothing more than to get things back on track for them. Because Erin was right, she did love Aaron so very much.

Once they arrived at the restaurant, Aaron came over to the passenger side of the car and helped her out. Penelope smiled up into his face and threaded her arm through his as they went up to the door. It didn't take long for them to be seated at a secluded table, and she did as he asked, taking off her hat and setting it on the extra chair at the table. "This is such a romantic place, Aaron. Where did you find it?"

"Jessica actually recommended it to me, since I wanted something that was a little out of our normal fare." She nodded and smiled as she picked up the menu, swallowing a little as she noticed that there were no prices listed there. That told her that this place was far outside her usual choices, and she frantically tried to recall what dishes would most likely be the cheapest. "And it's nice to spoil the people we love every once in a while, especially on a holiday."

Penelope tried not to react to that, knowing in that moment that he hadn't really chosen to take her to a ritzy restaurant like this solely for the fact of wanting to try something new, but in order to one up Erin. All the fizzy feelings of happiness at being in a fancy restaurant with him popped as she gave him a forced, tight, smile before going back to look at the menu once more. Suddenly, she didn't really care about taking time to pick the item that would hurt his pocket book the least, and she began to key in on words that hinted at the overall expense of the dish. While there weren't many vegetarian options available, there was a delicious sounding fish based dish, and she decided to go with that.

"Have you decided already?" he asked as she set aside her menu, and she nodded, forcing a wider smile as she picked up her water and sipped at it. "That was fast."

"I found a dish that sounded delicious this evening, and once my heart is set on something, it's hard to change my mind," she replied as she felt her smile harden. It was so hard to be mean to him, and while this wasn't true unkindness, it was still out of character for her. Still, she was upset with the fact that he would treat Erin in this manner, even tangentially, though she would never call him out on that. It was petty and beneath her, and she just wanted all her friends and loved ones to be happy. That would just take a little longer to facilitate between Aaron and Erin, but she knew that eventually, she would make it work out for the best.

"Honey, you look a thousand miles away. Is everything all right?"

Penelope swallowed as she nodded, knowing that she couldn't afford to let her mind just meander as it had just now. Aaron would get suspicious, and that was the last thing she needed on a night that promised to end in pure pleasure for her. "I was just thinking ahead to more pleasant pursuits, and how to indulge in them, sweetness. You just need to make certain that you save room for second dessert."

She gave him a broad wink as their server appeared, and she placed her order with a flourish, agreeing to take the wine that paired best with the dish, even if it was a bit pricy. Wine was one thing that she knew well, and so she tried not to react when the server mentioned it, instead just giving her a small nod before the woman took Aaron's order and then left them alone once more. "So, second dessert?"

"Yes. That is positively the best way to celebrate Valentine's Day. Especially if it involves whipped cream and liquid chocolate." Another wink caused him to choke on his sip of water, and she immediately thought about if she should tell Erin about this reaction or not. She wanted to share more personal moments like this with her, because Jayje didn't want to hear about it, and Emily was too distracted to properly pay attention these days. The probie didn't count, because she was too new, and Penelope wasn't certain that she would be part of the inner circle at the end of the day. "Now, until we can get home, I suppose that we should keep our discussions a little more chaste. After all, it wouldn't do to be thrown out of as nice a restaurant as this."

Aaron nodded as he took another sip of water, and she allowed her smile to turn a little cruel once more as she thought about how she would reconcile that which she had learned that evening and the man she assumed Aaron to be. Eventually, everything would come together, but she just hoped that she could salvage her love for him from the person she was discovering he was beneath the surface.