Chapter 7 Penny
PENNY
Greyson is probably pissed.
And I can’t say I blame him.
Ever since he found out I was pregnant, he’s been trying to do right by me, but I’ve made that impossible.
Why does it matter if he loves me? We’re having a baby.
I wish it were that easy.
I still remember the gasps from around the room as he flipped open the lid of the ring box, revealing an enormous diamond. Every cell in my body wanted to scream yes, but a nagging feeling wouldn’t let me feel joy.
Because as much as I want what I have with Greyson to be real, the truth is that it was a pity proposal instigated by my expanding waistline.
I look at the clock, tired from my lack of sleep. He didn’t return home last night, or even send me a text.
The doorbell rings, and I go to see who it is, wondering if I’m about to be served an eviction notice.
But it’s too soon for that. Greyson is probably figuring out what to do with me because, as angry as he is, he wouldn’t send me back to the workers’ quarters being pregnant.
I open the door and find Fiona Flowers, the local florist.
Yes, her name is seriously Fiona Flowers.
“Penny Prosper?” she asks with a lifted brow.
“Uh, I’m Penny Green,” I reply, knowing that she knows my name from when we were in school together.
She extends a bouquet to me. “These are for you.”
They’re probably from Papa Prosper.
“Thank you,” I tell her, taking the flowers.
“Give me a sec while I get the rest.”
“The rest?”
Fiona jogs to her van and starts unloading more flowers than I’ve seen at some weddings.
“Why did you bring your whole shop here?” I ask as she hauls them to the porch.
“Greyson bought out all my inventory, except for the funeral flowers.” She hands me an envelope. “I’ll see you around town.”
The flowers add a tender touch to Greyson’s leather and wood decor, and I can’t help but envision what a life would look like here.
Too bad it would be a lie.
I open the envelope and take out a card.
Be ready at six.
I reread the short message three times, wondering what I should be ready for, but as I’m about to text Greyson, another knock sounds on the door.
“Hello!” Karmen Sanders, the owner of Trend Up, chirps.
I tilt my head to the side, wondering why she’s here.
Her brother, Weston, works for the Prospers. He was at last night’s dinner, so he probably gave her a heads-up.
When I don’t reply, she shakes a rack of dresses next to her, alerting me to their presence.
“I’m here to dress you today.”
“Dress me?”
“Duke came by the shop this morning and said you have a big date to get ready for.”
Be ready at six…
I can’t imagine that Greyson would want to do something with me after I humiliated him in front of his family and workers. He must be super determined to do the right thing, even if it means humbling himself.
“Well?” Karmen says, her brow lifted.
Having lost my train of thought, I blurt, “Huh?”
“May I come in?” She smiles, clearly trying to lessen the awkwardness of the situation.
“Ah, sure.”
She rolls the rack of dresses inside Greyson’s foyer. “Where should I set up?”
“To be honest, I don’t think you need to.”
“Hm…” she says, looking from the rack to me, then back to the rack.
“It’s just…this is probably a big mistake.”
“Did Duke have the wrong date?”
“No. He has the wrong girl.”
She giggles. “Duke didn’t seem to think so.”
“You don’t understand…”
“Can you fill me in while I get to work?”
“It’s stupid for me to get ready when there’s no point to it.”
“No point to it? Greyson Prosper wants to take you on a date. Are you just not interested?”
“It’s not that I’m not interested. It’s just…you wouldn’t understand.”
She pulls a dress from the rack. “Well, put this on and make me understand.”
For the next hour, I try on various dresses while Karmen gives me her opinion on each. We don’t talk about the elephant in the room, or rather, the elephants. Because I think the obvious one, my growing belly, explains the not-so-obvious one, why I’m hesitant to go on this date.
“This is the one,” she says confidently, hovering over my shoulder in front of the full-length mirror.
I turn to the side to glimpse the black dress from another angle. “It’s a little low-cut, don’t you think?”
“For your typical style, yeah. But I suppose mine is different.”
Different is an understatement. Karmen is known around the small town of Perish Prosper for her bright, vibrant clothes that match her bubbly personality, whereas I’m known for my flannel shirts and ho-hum personality.
“You can think on the dress while I get started on your skin.”
“My skin?”
“I’m supposed to be pampering you all day.”
“No, thanks.”
Karmen frowns. “Look, I know that this is probably not how you envisioned spending your day, but I closed down my shop for this.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Duke asked me to for Grey.”
“So you know everything?”
“Not exactly. I was told there was a runaway Penny, but that’s it.”
I cup my belly. “I’m sure you’re able to fill in the rest.”
“I have theories, but I won’t pry.”
Feeling guilty that she’s come all this way and may not get paid her full fee, I decide that maybe a makeover isn’t the worst thing. It certainly doesn’t obligate me to go on a date.
“Fine, you can do the whole makeover thing, but don’t expect me to get excited about how I look afterward.”
She chuckles. “With you, I would never.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You have to know that you have a reputation for being the grump of Crimson Crest Ranch.”
“I honestly didn’t, but if the cowboy boot fits.”
“Come on! Let’s see if we can turn that frown upside down!”
She coats my face with some volcanic mixture, then starts on my hair. The entire time, she talks my ear off, which I appreciate because it takes my mind off my growing list of worries.
After removing the facial creams, she does my makeup, which is intimidating considering she’s no less than a ten-out-of-ten.
After a little work, she sits back, smiling smugly. “I knew you’d look amazing with smoky eyes, and your glasses are sure to add a bit of mystery.”
“I don’t think that’s going to matter,” I deadpan.
“You’re right, it won’t because Greyson liked you before I ever came around to do your makeup.”
“That’s not true.”
She sets down the makeup brush. “Penny, I won’t pretend that I know what you’re going through, but I don’t think your outlook serves you well.”
“Excuse me?”
“In my line of work, there’s a lot of talk. Talk about family, love, and everything in between. And while I might not know the specifics of your situation, I can tell you a few things you might not realize.”
“And what’s that?”
“You can’t force a man to date or love you.”
“Maybe not, but a baby sure does put the pressure on.”
“Penny, Greyson wouldn’t date you for that reason. He has plenty of money to care for you and the baby without forcing a relationship.”
“As much as I’d love to believe that, Greyson never goes for women like me.”
“You mean pretty women?”
I roll my eyes. “I meant flannel-wearing, glasses-needing, grumpy-faced assistants.”
“Girl, I never step foot out of the house without my hair, nails, and makeup done, but that doesn’t mean that I think I look any prettier than you. You just have a different style.”
“Yeah, the frumpy style.”
“I prefer to call it the ‘I don’t give a fuck’ style, and you wear it better than anyone I know. In fact, I probably shouldn’t be doing your makeup, because you’re so effortlessly beautiful.”
I’m taken aback, not just by her kind words, but because the way she’s saying them makes me honestly think she believes them.
And if someone as gorgeous as Karmen Sanders can find me pretty, maybe I need to rethink how I see myself.
“I’m sorry I’ve been so ornery.”
“You’re not half as bad as my brother Weston and the grumpiest of grumps: Duke Prosper, but you were getting there.”
“I don’t know what has gotten into me.”
“Pregnancy hormones?”
“Eh, I’d hate to be one of those pregnant chicks.”
“Well, whatever it is, you’re forgiven,” Karmen says in a voice as sweet as honey. “And don’t you think for a second that you should be any less grumpy because I have a feeling that Greyson enjoys a challenge.”
“Are you calling me a challenge?”
“Absolutely, and don’t you dare tell me you’re not.” She picks up the makeup brush she’d set down. “Now, do you want me to continue or not?”
I sigh, exhaling a long breath. “Let’s see what ya got.”