“Mhm-hm,” Teresa replied through pursed lips that curved at the corners to mimic a smile.
“We should definitely do this again sometime,” Penelope proclaimed as they finally stopped at their cars which were parked next to each other’s.
“Yeah, no, I don’t think so,” Teresa spoke out and her words sent a gut punch to the woman standing in front of her, whose face was crestfallen.
“Why not?” Penelope asked as she rapidly blinked to stave off the tears that were suddenly stinging her eyes seeking release. Even the slightest rejection from others always seemed to cut her deeply.
“Because I don’t like fishing,” Teresa stated and her words made Penelope’s brows furrow in confusion. “And tonight, you took me on a big fishing expedition just to find out if I am hooking up with Agent Alvez,” She added on and Penelope’s eyes widened in surprise as her mouth opened as if to protest but then quickly clamped shut because she was never at ease with lying to others. “Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy hanging out with you and it was fun for the few moments that you weren’t talking about Luke.”
“I’m sorry,” Penelope apologized as she bowed her head a bit and stared down at the asphalt.
“It’s all right, I am not mad or anything,” Teresa said. “I mean I get it, there is a serious vibe between you and Luke. I picked up on it within a few seconds of being in the room with you two.”
“Why does everyone keep saying that?” Penelope huffed out and hugged herself as if shielding herself from an attack. “Luke and I are just friends.”
“And you’re telling me that you’re not at all interested in being more? Didn’t you two, date?” Teresa asked as she crossed her arm against her chest and allowed her backside to rest upon the backend of her car. She was interested in hearing this story.
“It was just one date, and it was uncomfortable, and we both realized that we’re better as friends … and how do you even know we went on a date, anyway?” Penelope rambled as a blush crept down her neck and spread across her chest.
“Luke told me and he also told me that he loves you,” Teresa threw out to gauge Penelope’s reaction.
“Wait…what?” Penelope squeaked out as her face held a wide-eyed, mouth-gaping look that Teresa could not discern as shocked or horrified.
“Ha, I knew he was lying when he said that you knew he loved you,” Teresa said and at these words she could clearly decipher that Penelope was shocked by what she was hearing, not horrified.
“Why would he tell you that and …” Penelope’s words died on her lips as her mind still reeled from what Teresa had just stated.
“And not tell ‘you’?” Teresa completed the question and Penelope nodded. “Because he’s a chicken shit. I called him out for not being brave enough to tell you how he felt about you, and to shut me up, he said that you already knew. I knew better but it was none of my business so I let it go. I’m surprised you didn’t already know. The guy is ga-ga for you which is why I have decided to steer clear of him. After going through hours of therapy that has put me over two thousand dollars in debt, I’m learning to not fall into old patterns. And hooking up with a guy who I know is not mentally or emotionally into me, just because he’s super-hot, and he smiled at me was a major pattern with me. Although I was tempted by Luke, I even flirted with him about dating. I mean, the man is drop-dead gorgeous, sexy as fuck, and Latino,” She said this with a smile that Penelope matched as she also nodded in agreement to everything Teresa had listed. “He’s also kind, super sweet, and has such a big heart, which completely belongs to you. So, I have to ask what the hell is wrong with you? What I mean is, why are you pining over Tyler when you have a man like Luke who would do absolutely anything for you?”
“Luke and I work together and it could make things complicated and messy. Also, Tyler’s a good guy and … and you also dated Tyler,” Penelope defended.
“Yeah, and I got to know him pretty well, and as nice as he is he's also selfish. We both know that he has experienced trauma due to his sister’s murder. It’s hardened him in ways that will not allow him to be ‘mentally and emotionally’ available, and I think he prefers it that way. You know, not letting anyone get too close out of fear, they will get taken from him, like his sister. And he always used his sister’s murder as an excuse whenever he did something wrong, like getting drunk at a bar, picking a fight, getting arrested, and then calling me to bail him out of jail. Or my personal favorite, going off the grid for days not calling or answering the dozens of concerned messages I would leave him,” Teresa went on and the words made a lump form in Penelope’s throat as déjà vu washed over her. “Hey, sorry,” Teresa spoke more gently as she could tell that her words had upset Penelope. “I know this is really none of my business, but I just have to tell you as someone sort of on the outside looking in, I can see that you are a ‘helper’ and a ‘fixer’. I mean, you didn’t know me except that I was the ex-girlfriend of a guy you’re interested in, but you still jumped head-first into trying to help me. You fixed a problem that Tyler created in my life, and I greatly appreciate that. But you have gotta know that you cannot help everyone and you cannot always fix their problems,” Penelope averted her eyes to the ground as she listened to words that she had been told on numerous occasions in the past but had not ever heeded. “Don’t spend your energy trying to help fix Tyler Green, because I can tell you from my own experience it’s a waste of time. Also,” Teresa reached over and placed her hand against Penelope’s arm which prompted Penelope to look up at her. “Don’t let the ‘coulda, shoulda, woulda’s’ stop you from starting something more romantic with Luke. He is truly an amazing man and the way that he looks at you … Dios mío, chica. He would try to give you the world, the Moon, and the stars if you would let him,” Penelope couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face at hearing a stranger affirm things that she sometimes wondered about. “Here,” Teresa began rummaging through her purse, she then pulled out a card and held it out to Penelope, who took it and read it. “That’s my therapist, she’s really good. Maybe she can help you learn what your bad patterns are and how not to fall into them. Anyway, thank you for the free food and drinks,” Teresa joked while she moved and opened her car door as Penelope smiled at her. “Next time,” She tossed on and Penelope’s eyes lit up at the prospect that she and Teresa could actually try to be friends. “No talk of Luke, Tyler, or any guy for that matter, deal?”
“Deal,” Penelope agreed as she eagerly nodded her head. She remained standing at her car watching as Teresa drove off. She then pulled out her cell and dialed a number. “Hey, Luke, are you doing anything right now?” She asked and remained silent awaiting his reply. “Would you like to have a late dinner with me?” Penelope questioned and then bit her bottom lip as if preparing for his rejection. “You would, great,” She gushed out with a big bubbly smile. “And you’re sure I’m not interrupting anything?” She nodded as he spoke. “Yeah, you always say that I’m never bothering you, but…” Her words ended as he said something else and made her giggle. “All right, well, I’m just a couple of minutes from you. You know that café that’s one block over from your place … Yep, that’s the one. Okay, I’ll be waiting for you inside, see you soon,” Her smile got broader as she ended the call and then turned to head back inside the café. She had only taken a couple of steps before her phone pinged and alerted her that she had a message. She looked at the caller ID and her smile faded a bit as she saw the name ‘Tyler’ displayed. She opened and read the message:
~ Hey, I need your help.
~ What happened?
~ I’m at some bar right now. I’m not drunk but I’ve had enough drinks that I probably shouldn’t be driving. Do you think you could come pick me up? I could really use a friend right now. It’s been a bad day.
Penelope knew that today would likely be a bad day for Tyler, it was his sister’s birthday. So, she hadn’t been surprised when he had been MIA at work and hadn’t acknowledge the three calls and six text messages she had left him. She also wasn’t surprised that he had gone out drinking or was now texting her seeking some solace, and there was a part of her that wanted to race to him and comfort him any way she could. But there was also a voice screaming in her head that this was the ‘pattern’ that Teresa had just been talking about. She took a deep breath and started typing.
~ Sorry, but I can’t I’m about to have a dinner date with Luke. I can call you an Uber if you drop me your location.
~ No worries, I’ll call an Uber myself. You enjoy your ‘date’ with Luke {frown emoji} and tell him I said hello.
~ Ok, good night.
Penelope hurriedly placed her phone back in her purse and stood there a couple of minutes more as she waited for the guilt to kick in. If it did, she would ask Luke to go with her to get Tyler. That would be her insurance that Tyler would not end up back at her place for the night. As she thought about it more, she was sure that had been his intention in contacting her. If he had ‘needed a friend’ he could have reached out to her before going to some bar to drink. She was not just some booty he could tap whenever he wanted a distraction and comfort. She was better than that.
“And I deserve better than that,” She mumbled out as her brows furrowed and she frowned a bit. Penelope had been so deep in thought that she hadn’t noticed that Luke had arrived, parked, and was making his way over to her.
“Hey, Chica,” He called out just before he stopped to stand right in front of her with concern showing on his face. “Is everything okay? I thought you were gonna wait for me inside. What are you doing out here?”
“Oh, everything is fine. I actually just met up with a friend here before I called you and they just left,” Penelope stated and the look on Luke’s face and the way he nodded while averting his eyes prompted her next words. “It wasn’t Tyler,” He didn’t say anything but his relief was written all over his face as a smile tugged at his mouth. “I’ve decided that I can’t pursue a romance with Tyler.”
“Right, because he works with us now and you have your rule about dating someone you work with,” Luke offered.
“No, it’s because we never really had anything real,” She countered. “I mean, it was definitely real for me, but we all know that he only came into my life so he could get help tracking down Voit so he could kill him to avenge his sister’s murder. Also, he got some amazing sex for good measure.”
“I was kind of, sort of, starting to get along with the guy, but now I wanna beat the shit out of him again for how he treated you,” Luke huffed out and Penelope could tell by the way he clenched his hands into a fist that what he said hadn’t been in jest.
“Luke, you don’t need to defend my honor.”
“No, but I want to,” He said this with such conviction as he stared intensely into her eyes that another blush swept across her chest.
“Because … you love me, right?” She cautiously probed seeking confirmation to what Teresa had told her.
“Yeah, I do,” He nodded as he frowned up and he looked like he was offended that she even had to ask him that.
“Are you in love with me, too?” She asked and his eyes widened a little and she could tell by the way he kept swallowing that he was nervous. As he silently stood before her, she also became nervous thinking that Teresa had been wrong about his feelings.
“Yes, I am,” Luke finally confessed as Penelope gasped and her mouth gaped in her surprise. “But hey, you don’t have to worry about it. It doesn’t have to be a big thing-”
“What do you mean, you just said that you’re in love with me and that’s a huge thing, Luke,” She squeaked out as she clutched her left hand across her chest. Luke was becoming panicked by her reaction.
“Fuck! I’m sorry, Penelope, I never wanted you to find out. It doesn’t have to change anything between us.”
“It changes everything,” She stated as a single tear slipped from her eyes as she looked at him bewildered.
“Look, I know that you don’t have romantic feelings for me-”
“But I do,” She cut off his words and the current fear running through his mind where he was thinking he was going to lose her friendship now that she knew the truth.
“You … you do?” Luke was shocked and his bulging eyes and open mouth was the testament. “But on our date, you said…”
“I said the truth,” Penelope interjected and her words made Luke’s face become a mask of confusion. This was how she constantly made him feel; hot and cold. Sometimes she’d give him a look or say things to him that would have him thinking she was interested in him, but then she’d become cold and distant with him again. “Our date was awkward for me and I really didn’t know how to talk to you at that time without dunking on you. I realize now that it was all on me, my old hang ups from when I was in middle school all the way through college. It was like a broken record with me; the superhot guy who I’d have the biggest crush on but I knew was way out of my league, would ask me out. But it would always end up with them trying to molest me or get me into bed. I started developing these lovely ladies when I was eight,” She pointed at her breasts but Luke hadn’t even registered the move as his face hardened in anger at knowing that was how she was treated.
“I would never, ‘ever’ do that to you,” He defended. “In fact, I really want to track those guys down now and beat their asses.”
“I know you’re not like that, Luke, I really do,” Penelope said this softly as she gently placed her right hand against his left arm in hopes to placate his madness. “But the night of our date that’s all that was playing through my head at first, because I really had no idea that you had true romantic feelings for me. I just thought that you thought it would be your last opportunity to get me into bed before I left the B.A.U.”
“Penelope, I had been in love with you years before our date. I mean, I can’t tell you the exact moment it happened, but I do know the exact moment that I realized I was in love with you,” These words stunned her.
“You do?” She asked him as a slight smile graced her lips and he reciprocated the smile as he nodded his head, but then his face grew somber as he remembered.
“Yeah, it was at Phil’s funeral,” He confessed and she would have never suspected that that would have been the day of his revelation. Her face scowled up in confusion but she remained silent to allow him to continue. “You were the only one from the team who came, and I know the others didn’t feel comfortable because none of you knew him that well and you hadn’t been invited by his family. Even Lisa didn’t come with me for the same reasons, but not you. You came, partly to pay your respects to Phil but I knew that you mostly came to give your support to me. Standing there at Phil’s graveside funeral, when I felt your hand grasp mine and I looked over and saw you standing there, right at my side, mami …” He paused and shook his head a bit as his mind and heart became bombarded with the emotions he had felt in that moment years ago. “I knew without a doubt that I was in love with you. I had always been attracted to you from the second I had laid eyes on you, but I seriously could have dropped to my knees right there in that cemetery and proposed marriage because I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I loved you and wanted to spend my lifetime loving you.”
“Oh, Luke,” Penelope softly sobbed out as her tears fell which he quickly reached out and wiped away. “I didn’t know that that was how you felt.”
“I know, and the timing was so shitty not just because it was at my best friend’s funeral but also because he really liked you. And I mean in a romantic way. He had been asking, no, it was more like harassing me to hook you two up, ever since we brought him Lou and he first met you. I didn’t know I was doing it at the time but I was totally cock blocking him, because I didn’t want him anywhere near you. And I’m sorry I lied to you when you asked me if Phil had asked about you.”
“Boy, we’ve both been going about things the wrong way by not being more open with each other about how we feel, haven’t we?” Penelope stated as she sniffled and wiped away more tears that had slipped out. “I mean, we’ve missed out on years of what might have been a happily ever after for us.”
“Well, the story is still being written, and ‘this’ right now could be the beginning of our happily ever after, right?” Luke asked tentatively. He inwardly sighed in relief as she slowly smiled while nodding her head.
“Yeah,” Penelope agreed.
“Yeah?” He repeated as he also smiled.
“I would like to find out where the story leads.
“So, would I, but can ‘this’ be our official first date and that other one we can say it was just a test run?” Luke joked.
“Definitely,” She concurred as she giggled and nodded in agreement.
“Shall we?” He shifted to stand beside her and offered her his right arm, which she linked with her left arm.
“Luke,” She stalled his movements before he walked them to the café. He looked down at her curiously and awaited her next words, but instead he experienced a pleasant surprise when she leaned up and deliberately pressed her lips upon his. His reaction was instinctive as he swiftly wrapped his arms around her waist, pressed her flush against his chest, and deepened their kiss. The need for air finally pulled them apart but neither relinquished their hold on the other. “For this to work I’m going to need two things,” Penelope panted out as she gazed directly into his eyes. “One is exclusivity because I am a very monogamous person-”
“Me too, and I don’t plan on sharing you with anyone else so I’m going to need you to make Tyler aware that we’re now dating, or I will have to,” Penelope hurriedly nodded to this.
“I kind of already did when he texted me right before you arrived, but I will talk to him to make it crystal clear, so there’s no room for doubt or confusion. And that leads me to the other thing I’m going to need in order for this to work between us. We can’t hide things from each other. We will need communication because I’m not always good at reading between the lines or seeing the obvious, so I will need you to talk to me. We both need to always be open, honest, and receptive to each other, no matter what.”
“Absolutely, I can do that,” Luke concurred. “Soo, are you agreeing to be my girlfriend?” He questioned as he casually tossed his right arm over her shoulder and moved them towards the café.
“Only if you’re agreeing to be my boyfriend, ‘and’ if things don’t work out romantically between us, I get to have unrestricted visitation rights with Roxy,” She replied with a cheeky smile and Luke’s head fell back as he laughed while agreeing. He never would have anticipated that this would be how his day would end up. He had been happy when she called him, elated when she asked him out to dinner, and now he just felt overjoyed and truly blessed.
“Boy, I need to go fishing more often,” Penelope mumbled to herself as they stood at the door to the café that Luke was pulling open for her to enter first.
“What was that, my beautiful girlfriend?” He asked teasingly as he had not made out her words.
“Oh, it was nothing, my handsome boyfriend,” She teased back while feeling contentment as well as excitement about what their future held.
Fin