I do not own Pepe or Penelope or the short Little Beau Pepe.

I do own Ernest Poole (It's fun coming up with these names for suitors!) I'm trying to have good development with Pepe's feelings for Penelope!

Chapter Fifteen

Annoying Little Ol' Me

Penelope was blessed with some ease after she came home. She didn't see Pepe or a long while, but he did see her. He would see her at boutiques looking for decent clothes, markets, among parks and café's with suitors. When at café's he watched her delicate fingers balance the menus and her glasses of drinks. Always from a keen distance to make sure she was safe. If she didn't want him around then fine! But who said she didn't have to know he was close?

Pepe's infatuation with her kept on growing to the point that he wanted to destroy every suitor who came by her. He could see how miserable she was. She would draw herself away from them all with fear and would walk slowly home with her feet dragging. One time he hid under a ladder that was being painted white and avoid the drops of white paint just make sure she was fine when one creepy suitor put an arm around her. Pepe would go home at night after stalking, dreaming about her. Nothing nasty like other men who had seen her; they were the type of dreams where she accepted him after he saved her from those men. There was one where she was resting among a small oasis in the desert having a hard time breathing and he was across the small bit of water. She looked at him and then…he woke up from that dream. Drat! Only the next night did he dream that she was chasing him across that same desert and he wasn't too thrilled about it. Why?

Romances were strange things. The more Pepe thought about being in love the more he liked the idea of it, but he hated the idea of a great love suddenly ending like Napoleon and Josephine's marriage. Charming a girl was nothing easy. It wasn't like shooting fish in a barrel. Women were complicated enough! Pepe realized early on in life from middle school that when a girl goes after a boy, he wants to get away from her!

This quiet, protective stalking went on for about a year. By the time Penelope had just turned twenty-one, Pepe was twenty-two and struggling with life like she was. Reasons were different of course. Penelope was tired of courting and pleaded if she could live a different life which included having her own career. This was turned down! Tearfully, she went back to the annoying courting. If seemed like the more she courted some one else, the longer they stayed. That was either good or bad! Pepe was having a hard time sticking with a job. He was a waiter for only five minutes when he collided with the boss who told him to threaten the customers for tips. Pepe said he wouldn't. This led him to scrubbing floors in a boutique. He hated it. The strong smell of soap and scummy water made him have gagging reflexes!

What confused him were the suitors he noticed. They were all, well, gorgeous. Perfect complexions, muscles, suits, and curvy lips were their noticeable attributes. Was that what Penelope liked? He knew. They were cats, he obviously wasn't! He had a natural scent among his body that would stay even when taking a shower! Was that all she hated? (Penelope did not really hate him, she only didn't like him.) Furious with this, he searched for many perfumes in the boutique he cleaned. He took them home and in a jar that he had just cleaned that morning, poured them all in. After mixing them with his own hands he smeared it on his arms, face, neck, ears, and tail and even wiped it on his clothes. The smell was good enough to give a coughing fit. If it won Penelope over, then he would live with it.

One suitor that Penelope was with one day and she sort of liked him because he was patient with her was Ernest Poole. He had a buff body that could be seen under his shirt, a very attractive appearance, a luxurious suit and a golden chain in one of his pockets. Seeing him made Pepe feel weak in winning Penelope over to him. He was six feet tall since he shot up in high school, skinny, skinny, skinny all over, clothed in simple jeans, tees and high tops. But he had strength, agility, a kind heart and a sharp wit. He had a handsome appearance to his parents, but they didn't seem to count in opinion. Compared to him and this Ernest, Ernest was a duke impressing the princess and Pepe was the vagabond with strong hope this princess to see past the poverty.

"Eck!" he mumbled to himself. "Look at zhat creep! Acting like he's a main course in a café, while she eez zhe vegetable people ignore!"

Now Pepe leaned from the trash bin he had been perched on watching them walk down the street. Penelope seemed to be breathing raggedly.

"You look ill my dear," he said.

"My dear," mimicked Pepe.

Ernest led to towards the corner that Pepe was at and she leaned against the building.

"I should have kept you at home today," said Ernest.

"I am alright," she said. "My dress is too tight for me. I was told to wear it. I wish I could wear what I want." Her dress had a thick sash tightly around her waist

"Yes, yes." Said Ernest who was distracted by a pretty feline who walked by, but her eyebrows were growing together. He had zoned out of her lament.

"Maybe we should go home and take you out of that dress," he said. He sounded suggestive.

Penelope froze. She stepped away from him, but he smiled slyly. Pepe was alert watching her from his place where he had been laying, face towards the blue sky chewing on a toothpick.

Penelope stumbled towards the bin that Pepe was on. She gasped feeling helpless. Then she glanced over to see him, which he looked back to.

"`Ello Baby," he said charmingly.

Overwhelmed by seeing him again Penelope gasped and passed out. Ernest rushed to her side and lifted her up bridal style. Pepe scampered off his place and faced him only to be amused. What a shrimp! He was an inch shorter than him!

"Yes?" Ernest said.

"Where are you taking her?" asked Pepe.

"Oh!" said Ernest who thought he could take her to his place for the rest of the day. "I-I-uh- I am taking her to the doctor!"

"Are you?" asked Pepe with his arms folded across his chest.

"Yes," replied Ernest.

"You are?"

"Certainly."

"Really?"

"Look, I do not have time for silly games young man," he said. "Now go back to your chewing."

"I love her," said Pepe.

"Who?" asked Ernest. Pepe pointed to Penelope several times.

"You do?" asked Ernest. "Well, I suppose we could arrange something. You can take her to your place tomorrow and do what you want."

"Not zhat!" said Pepe with bitterness.

"Love means to have that physical-" said Ernest.

"Does not!" said Pepe.

"It does to me!" said Ernest. "Now will you please move? I have some wine at my condo and it is probably frozen by now in the refrigerator."

"I won't let you," said Pepe blocking him. In fact, he took Penelope out of his arms in the same style. "She's passed out from her emotions of seeing me again." He looked at her gently. Her head rested against his shoulder comfortably and softly moaned. Then she stirred.

"You!" she screamed. She leapt out of his arms. Ernest seized the opportunity.

"Oh my dear!" he said. "I tried to rescue you from him! He was going to take advantage of you!"

Penelope backed away from both.

"Just shut up!" she screamed at him. "This courting session is over!"

Pepe could have shouted his joy there! She turned to him though.

"As for you!" she said swallowing back sobs. "I hope I never see you again!" Then she took off down the street to her apartment.

"She will come to me," said Ernest to Pepe after a second. "She would never go with a skunk."

"You're annoying," said Pepe who was upset to see her go.

"Yes I am," Ernest said. "Annoying little ol' me!" Then he went back to a restaurant to order new wine in case of next time."

"I'll get the last laugh," he thought. "Penelope will be putty in my arms again by tomorrow."

Of course, that failed the next day for Penelope vowed to never go outside again for the rest of the week.