The Blogger and the Hunk (21 page)

“H
ow are the wedding preparations going?” Sarah Johnson asked.

Penelope was meeting with the woman for the last time before the book was submitted for publishing. She sipped her tea, looking for something to soothe the ache she had in the pit of her stomach.

“They’re fine. Everything’s ready for Saturday.”

“And the guy? What about him?”

Penelope shrugged.

Sarah’s expectant smile turned into a frown. “Oh, sweetie. I’m so sorry. And here I thought you had professed your undying love to each other,” she said sympathetically, grasping Penelope’s hand to comfort her. “He doesn’t deserve you.”

“Please don’t say that,” Penelope murmured, her voice breaking slightly. “I’ve been a complete idiot.”

“How’s that?”

“He confessed how he felt about me and I only heard what my twisted mind wanted to hear.”

“I don’t think I follow.”

Penelope softly chuckled. “All my life, I’ve been known as the wallflower, the late bloomer, the introvert. When I was older, I created a shell around myself so I could hide before anyone could even try to hurt me for being different. I realize now that I’ve been the cause of my own unhappiness. I was the one who had engraved it in my head that I wasn’t worthy enough to get the good-looking guy. And Jack is so much more than just a pretty face. He has personality. He has character. He does whatever he can to make people feel like they belong.” Penelope took a deep breath, trying to calm her erratic heart. “And I’ve been so stupid, so ready to see the negative side of him that I failed to notice that he could fall for someone like me.”

Sarah looked at Penelope in quiet contemplation for a few moments before asking, “So what are you going to do about it now?”

Penelope smiled. “I have to tell him how I feel.”

I
once said that I hated weddings. Maybe I was a bit too harsh in my judgment. Those were the words of a bitter woman who thought life didn’t have anything more for her beyond the printed words on the pages of a book. I’ve come to appreciate the ceremony, not just because my own sister is getting married but also because if you’re in love with someone that much, you have the urge to shout it from the rooftops.

DIARY OF A WALLFLOWER: Entry 197

“Can you zip me up, please?” Celeste turned her back to Penelope, giving her easier access to close the zipper. The wedding rehearsal dinner was in about an hour, and they were both getting dressed in Penelope’s apartment. “All I have left are my heels to strap on and I should be ready.” Celeste turned around once her dress was zipped up, and took a good look at her sister. “Penny, you’re not even dressed yet!”

“I’ll get dressed faster than you. Only takes me ten minutes tops,” Penelope replied, smiling at her younger sister. She looked so beautiful in her white strapless dress, which made her look all the more angelic.

“So, how do I look?” Celeste asked, turning to look at herself in the vanity mirror.

“Perfect. Flawless as always,” Penelope responded, a loving smile adorning her face.

Celeste looked at her sister, her brow furrowed. “Are you okay, Penny?”

Penelope laughed and nodded. “I’m happy for you. I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become.”

“Oh, stop it. I’m just a younger sister trying to be as put together as her big sister.”

“What does that mean?” Penelope asked, confused.

“Oh, come on. You know I always was secretly envious of your success,” she replied, smiling.

“What?
You
envious of
me
? Why? You’re prettier, smarter, more social,” Penelope explained, praising her sister.

Celeste waved her words away. “I always envied the fact that you went after your dreams, no matter what. You never let the fear of failing keep you from following what you wanted to do.” Celeste embraced her sister, showing her how much she greatly esteemed her.

Penelope laughed. “I guess no matter how perfect a person looks to the rest of the world, everyone always has something they want to improve about themselves.”

“I guess so. I just want you to know that I’m proud to call you my sister and I’ve been lucky enough to have you as a friend,” Celeste confessed, hugging Penelope close. She wrapped her arms tight around Celeste, finally feeling like her equal. Nothing more, nothing less.

“Back at you, sis.”

* * *

T
he rehearsal dinner was a success. The service was fantastic, the decorations were beautiful, and Jack had heard more than one person comment on how lovely the centerpieces were. He and Penelope were a great team. Not just in everyday life but in bed as well. He wanted, needed more of that. She was his equal in everything they did, and he knew that her opinions mattered a lot to him. If only he could help her see that without messing the words up.

“Planning to talk to her soon?” Nick nudged him softly, getting his immediate attention.

Jack had a blank look on his face. “How did you know?”

“You’ve been drooling over her for the past thirty minutes, since we sat down to eat.”

Jack contemplated his answer, silent.

“We were never a thing, you know?”

“What?”

“Penny and I,” Nick explained. “We were never together. We were best friends in college, but that was it. She never liked me as anything more than a friend, and it’s always been the same for me.”

“Then what was all that at the lake? And when we’d gone hiking, you mentioned something about a wedding between the two of you.”

“Besides the fact that my grandmother is completely in love with Penny and is determined to see me walk down the aisle with her, everything else was just my pathetic attempt to make you jealous.”

Jack’s eyes widened in surprise, as he turned his attention toward Penelope again. The scheme was so cheesy, yet he couldn’t deny that it had indeed worked on him.

“Cut her some slack. She refused to do it from the get-go. I sort of pressured her into it,” Nick confessed, not a single hint of regret apparent on his face. He was as satisfied as a fat cat who’d caught the canary.

Jack couldn’t help but chuckle, incredulous at the turn of events.

“You might want to go ahead and catch her before she decides to hide with her friends. Those bridesmaids won’t let you within three feet of her once they start talking about the wedding. Women.” Nick rolled his eyes, nudging Jack into action. He quickly threw a grateful smirk in Nick’s direction and reached Penelope just as the flock of bridesmaids was about to abduct her. Suddenly, standing in front of her made Jack feel self-conscious and nervous.

“Umm, could I talk to you for a minute, Penny?” he asked, hoping she would agree without reluctance.

She was obviously surprised, her brown eyes wide as she stared at him as if he’d grown another head. Her lips moved a few times before she was able to find her voice. “Uhh, sure. Let’s walk out to the garden. We’ll have more privacy there,” she replied, glancing back to where the bridesmaids and her sister were standing. All of them were looking their way, waiting to hear or see what would happen.

They walked out to the rose garden, a paved path illuminated by tall lamps to keep the flowers visible to those who wanted to enjoy the view at night. A few moments had passed before either of them spoke.

“Before you say anything, just hear me out,” Jack began, placing his hands on her bare shoulders. She looked beautiful in a simple emerald-green knee-length strapless dress, and he lost his resolve for a second. He took a deep breath, then started again. “You know how I feel about you. I’m just sorry I screwed it up. Plainly and simply, I love you. I can’t promise you forever, but I can promise you my dedication in making a relationship between us work. I want to be able to one day give you the choice to move in with me, to share my bed and my life with you.”

He took a deep breath, looking straight into Penelope’s eyes. “I want the chance to touch you inappropriately whenever I feel like it. I want to be the first person you think of when you wake up and the last person you think of before you fall asleep after a mind-blowing orgasm I gave you.”

Penelope laughed, her eyes tearing up as the confession vibrated through her ears.

“I want to have the chance to make you happy and help you love yourself, to see yourself the way I see you.”

Penelope stared up at him for what seemed an eternity without saying a word. Jack was about to convince her again when she finally found her voice. “I recently learned that what was holding me back from trusting you was my inability to look at myself in a positive light. I’ve always had such a negative opinion of myself. I’ve been my own worst judge. I’m not perfect. I’m used to taking control of every aspect of my own life. I know exactly what I like both inside the bedroom and out, and if you fuck anything up, I will probably yell at you, and maybe attack you with one of my many anthologies. If we were ever to move in together, you’d need to make room for all my books. We’re sort of a package deal, you know.”

Jack merely smiled down at her with laughing eyes.

“I hadn’t realized that in order to love anyone else I needed to learn to love myself. Even though I’m still working on that part, I know that I’m completely in love with you. The million-dollar question is, do you accept me flaws and all?”

“As long as you accept me with mine,” Jack replied, and leaned down to softly kiss her lips.

Penelope responded immediately, weaving her fingers through his hair. Jack’s hands roamed from her face and slid down the swells of her breasts to cup her bottom, pulling her closer. His cock was straining against her stomach. They separated to breathe. Jack groaned, resting his forehead against hers.

“This is definitely one of those times I would love to be somewhere private with you and exercise my right to touch you inappropriately.” He smiled suggestively, brushing his lips against hers.

Before they could deepen the kiss and go for round number two, they heard an exclamation coming from inside the venue. The two broke away from each other to see what it was.

Celeste was walking out the double doors toward them, her eyes wide with shock. Nick, Amanda, and Bryan were trailing right behind her.

“Penny? When did this happen? Please tell me I’m not the last to find out about this?”

“Actually, you are, baby.” Bryan spoke up, wrapping his arms around Celeste from behind and gently kissing her temple.

She looked up at her fiancé. “What? Even you knew? Have I really been that preoccupied?” Everyone laughed in response. “Well, Penny, Jackie. I’m going to need an explanation soon.”

Jack turned to look down at Penelope. “Would you like to tell the story, or should I?”

Penelope squeezed his hands. “I think it would be best if we both told her, just so nothing gets left out.” She laughed. “We’ll just remember to keep it PG-rated.” She winked up at him.

W
henever I go to a bookstore, I always see a section for people who are looking for love. Here’s the thing: there are no rules. There are no steps. Love comes to you when you least expect it, and often in the form of the person you least expected to fall in love with. If there is one thing about love that I could advise you of, it would be to let it be. Enjoy it, because not everyone is lucky enough to grasp the opportunity when it knocks on their door.

DIARY OF A WALLFLOWER: Entry 200

“Will you dance with me, Penelope?” Jack asked, standing in front of a sitting Penelope, waiting for her to place her hand in his open palm.

Penelope smiled at him. “I don’t know. I should really think about that one. Last time I danced with you, I ended up in your bed with no recollection of how I got there.”

Jack mocked an appalled look. “Are you suggesting I secretly drugged you and took advantage of your innocence?”

“No, not suggesting, straight out accusing!” Penelope replied, shaking with laughter.

Jack’s expression sobered, still holding his hand out expectantly. “Dance with me, please.”

Penelope placed her hand in his and let him lead her toward the dance floor, where plenty of other guests were already dancing.

Everyone was having a wonderful time, and no one failed to express how beautiful they found everything. The wedding had been absolutely perfect, with the exception of two younger cousins tripping over Celeste’s dress on her way down the aisle as they held her train. Penelope watched her sister in the arms of her husband, laughing at the clumsy, offbeat way he was dancing to the music. She deeply hoped her sister received a lifetime of happiness. Not to mention catching a glimpse of Amanda laughing as Nick playfully twirled her around on the dance floor. Something had to be going on there.

“What’s got you thinking?” Jack asked, pulling her closer, his breath at her ear.

She shuddered in response and shook her head. “Just thinking about how happy I am. How happy you make me.”

Jack smiled smugly. “I know. You lucked out. Any number of women would kill to be in your shoes.”

“Oh really?” Penelope began to testily pull away from him, but Jack held her firmly.

“Yes, really. Unfortunately for them, I’m not available. There’s only one Penelope for me.”

“That’s what I like to hear,” she stated teasingly.

Just then, the pace of the music began to slow down.

“Do you hear that?”

“What?” Penelope asked, confused.

“They’re playing the first song we danced to when we first met.” Jack smiled.

Penelope listened. “It’s true, they are.”

“You know what that means, don’t you?”

“What?”

“Time for me to bring out the drugs.” He winked.

Penelope laughed as she dramatically swatted his shoulder. “Oh, Jack. Don’t you know that you’re the only drug I need?”

“That’s what I like to hear,” he quoted her, leaning in to take her lips with his.

THE END

T
his book would not have come to be if it weren’t for Genesis, Summer, and Betty. You are three of my favorite people in the world. I can’t thank you enough for the kind words, love, and support you have given me throughout this whole journey. A shout out to Brenda who helped me when I had major writer’s block- and I had plenty of it. A huge thank you to the wonderful women at Hot Tree Publishing. You saw something in this story and gave me the boost I needed to share it with strangers. For that I will always be grateful.