Chapter 4

AN:Thanks for the reviews, everyone! I have to tell you guys, I truly loved writing this thing...Now, here comes the dates...

After spending the majority of the day unable to change their fate in any way, Penelope and Derek found themselves facing their destinies...and their dates. They groomed and dressed him, and then hurried to her apartment so that she could get ready.

"Here," Penelope said, curling Derek's hair into a more Penelope style. As she primped him, she talked about her relationship, giving him little cues and such. "Kevin never orders fish. He's a meat and potato man, so don't comment—"

"You must really love him to know all that stuff about him," Derek said thoughtfully, staring at her.

"Yes," she said, but that had caused her to think. The things she was telling Derek had more to do with regularity and routine, more than it did with love, when she thought about it. She didn't feel that great about it, thinking of that.

"I'm happy for you," he said, but his voice had an odd catch. He coughed shortly after.

"Thanks," she answered, and then spritzed his bangs. "That should do it."

"It looks gorgeous, Baby Girl," he said, smiling back at her in the mirror. His lips quirked. "Not something I'd normally wear, mind you..."

"I go for the hairy face look, too, most of the time, Hot Stuff," she quipped, stroking the goatee he'd trimmed for her.

He laughed, her usual tinkling laughter, which made her smile. They both looked great, a lot like themselves. She'd managed to get him dressed in one of her favorite dresses, one that showed her decolletage to perfection, and even helped him with tights. She'd thought she had managed to wear Derek's clothes just fine, until he'd walked up to her.

"Only a grandpa wears his pants that high, woman," he'd said, shaking his head as he'd tugged his pants down lower on her hips.

Now that they were almost ready, she remembered he hadn't said much. She asked him about Kayla. "Anything I should know?"

"Just let her talk about herself," he said with a shrug. "That's what she normally does."

That made her sad; Derek deserved better than some self-centered woman. She needed to fix that for him sometime soon, but not tonight. She had enough to worry about tonight.

She smiled, and then reached for Derek and gave him a hug. That sweet smell rose again and comforted her.

"It's six. I'd better go," she murmured, kissing the top of his head again in that uncontrollable gesture.

"Yeah," he said, holding her tighter. "Lynch will be here any minute."

The knock sounded on the door. "Speak of the devil," he said with a derisive chuckle.

Penelope opened the door and beamed at Kevin. "Hello, Kevin."

Kevin gave her a scowl—a rather nasty one. One she'd never seen from him before. "Agent Morgan. Why are you here?"

"Penelope needed some help with her car," she said.

Kevin's eyes narrowed even more. "I'm sure you were pleased to help her, Agent Morgan."

Penelope had never noticed the outright hostility Derek had to deal with when it came to Kevin. That surprised her. She had a very manly feeling that she wanted to lift him up by his rather homely tie and shake him.

Instead, she said, "See you around...Lynch."

Kayla was a definite bottle blonde. Penelope was, too, normally, but it just wasn't the same caliber as this woman. Everything about Kayla screamed cheap goods. Flashing like the K-mart blue light special. A Wal-Mart rollback, a—

"Derek, darling," she said with a pout. "Aren't you enjoying the music?"

The all important ticket she'd had was to a local jazz quartet, who couldn't play to save their lives. Off tune and discordant, they were absolutely miserable. She was going to have to make D pay for this when she saw him again. Being next to Kayla, who bathed in Calvin Klein Eternity, batted her eyes at her every five seconds, and chatted incessantly, was bad enough, but adding this terrible band was torture.

She smiled at Kayla. "It's wonderful. Peachy keen."

Kayla raised her eyebrows at her. "Peachy...keen?"

"Um...yeah. It...uh...rocks."

"Penelope, you look scrumptious tonight," Lynch said as he crossed the floor to Derek. He gripped him in his arms—a mighty grip for such a twerpy nerd—and pulled him into his embrace. He went to give Derek a kiss, but Derek turned his head, just missing his lips.

"Thank you, Lynch. I appreciate it," Derek said.

Kevin looked astounded. "Penelope?"

"What?"

"Did you just call me Lynch?"

Derek blanched and quickly backpedaled. "Oh, no, no... you were mistaken. I called you lover. Yes. Lover."

Thankfully, the program was over. Penelope was more than glad to take Kayla home; she'd had enough of the woman to last her a lifetime.

As she drove to Kayla's home, the blonde leaned over, resting her breasts on Penelope's arm. They were sizable, but they were hard. Penelope almost rolled her eyes; even those were fake.

"Take me home, Derek, and come inside," she purred.

"Not tonight, honey," Penelope said as softly as she could.

That petulant look entered Kayla's face again. "It's been over a week, Derek. I miss you. Come on," she whined.

"No, darling."

That was a nickname Kayla used a lot. Darling.

"It'll be fun," she said in a sing song voice. She grinned enticingly. "I will even let you call me that nickname again, when you coooome."

Penelope fought a gag. Lord help her.

"You know, I like it,"—she fluttered her eyelashes—"you calling me Baby Girl."

Penelope swerved off the road. "What!"

"Derek, are you okay?"

"No, I am so uberly not okay!" she exclaimed.

"It's him again, isn't it?" Kevin snapped at Derek.

"What?"

"You've been distant, daydreaming, barely paying attention to what I am doing or saying. That adds up to two words, like it always does," he snarled, glaring at Derek. "Derek Morgan."

"Look, I—"

"I have been telling you for months, years, that your relationship with him is inappropriate. It's obvious you feel more for him that you let on," he growled. "I have about had it, Penelope. Up to here." Kevin put his hand near his eyebrows.

"Or what, Lynch?" Derek said. He hated ultimatums and didn't think Penelope should have to deal with them, either. This cocky, good-for-nothing, ass of a man needed to step back and stop badgering her.

"I've put up with a lot from you, Penelope," he hissed. "More than your average boyfriend would. Not many would deal with a threesome with the sometimes invisable third partner!"

"That's bullshit," Derek said, glaring at him. "You are so fucking lucky to have—"

"That's it!" Kevin snarled. "Him or me, Penelope?"

Derek smiled to himself. That choice was easy.