Chap. 11 Reacquaintance
At 8 pm Alex parked in front of Fran's house. He had borrowed a car from the rehabilitation center to be able to carry Penelope and her wheelchair.
"Here we are princess."
"Thank you so much Alex."
"That's what friends are for."
Penelope reached for his hand and squeezed it.
"I'll get it." Derek said when he heard the bell.
When he opened the door, he saw the surprise in her eyes.
"Good evening Penelope." He whispered.
"Derek, Hi!" she said with a surprised smile.
He smiled back and looked at Alex.
"You must be Alex. I'm Derek." He said shocking his hand.
"Nice to meet you." Alex said kindly.
Derek invited them inside and they sat in the living room.
Derek stared at Penelope and smiled. She looked so much better than 8 months ago.
"How are you Penelope? Mom told me that you work in a library?"
"Yes. Alex made a wonderful work and I can use my arm now. It was time for me to have a work and maybe start the rehabilitation."
Derek nodded.
Fran arrived and greeted the guests.
"Penelope you're beautiful tonight. You changed your clothes?"
"Yes. Alex helped me a bit." She said blushing.
Derek shot a look at them; she should trust him deeply to allow him to help her dress.
Penelope smiled at Alex sweetly.
"Well children, the dinner is ready."
They sat around the table, Fran and Derek facing the guests.
The dinner went well; Derek realized how close Alex and Penelope were. They shared a chemistry that he had rarely seen in two friends.
Their banter made his head spin a bit.
He was going to ask something when his phone rang. He excused himself and went in the kitchen.
When he returned, Penelope was laughing hard and he couldn't tear his eyes away from her face.
"Who was it?" Fran asked when he sat down.
"My girlfriend." He said reluctantly.
"Oh the same from two weeks ago?"
"Mom." He said embarrassed.
"My son is a kind of Casanova…" Fran said joking.
"That's not true. I'm just not ready to settle down." He said looking away.
"Don't worry Derek, Alex is a lot like you. At your ages there are not many men who want to settle down." Penelope said.
"Hey, we're supposed to be friend." Alex said pouting.
"You know that I love you Lex." Penelope said kissing his cheek.
Derek looked at the pair with envy… he wished he had a close friend to talk to sometimes; someone he could trust blindly.
"And you Penelope, don't you have someone?"
At seeing her face darken he knew that he had asked the wrong question.
"I'm sorry Penelope. I didn't mean to..; I was just curious. Oh God." He said getting up and leaving the room.
"Derek." Fran called.
"Fran, I'll go. Stay here." Penelope said wheeling towards the kitchen.
"Derek. I don't mind."
"Your face told the contrary."
"I know… listen with the accident it's not that someone find me that attractive… even bef…"
"You're pretty, you know that right?" he said.
"I don't know. Well that's ok… we should go to the others now."
Derek sensed that she didn't want to talk about it and followed her.
After the dessert they talked a bit, then Alex who had to work the next morning told them he had to leave.
"Thank you Fran. It's been nice to see you again Derek."
"We could meet again. I'm here for two weeks" he said.
"Sure." She replied smiling.
"I'll call you."
That night after Alex helped her to bed and left, Penelope thought that there was so much more behind what Derek Morgan pretended to be.
On Derek's part, something was telling him that he needed a friend as Penelope in his life.