She looks absolutely regal beside me as we leave the room, arm in arm. I feel like a damn king knowing she’s mine.
In the elevator, instead of hitting the button for the lobby, I pull out a special key and hit the button for the penthouse.
“Ooh! Rooftop dinner?” she coos, twinkling with excitement. “Or stargazing, maybe? I bet you’ve got a big telescope all set up!”
I pull her into my arms and smirk. “You know I’ve got a big telescope.”
She rolls her eyes.
The attitude on this chick. I grin to myself.
Seconds later, when the elevator doors slide open and all Penny’s friends yell out, “SURPRISE!”, I feel her knees falter beneath her.
I guide my shaking girlfriend out into her baby shower. The group of enthusiastic women rushes forward to greet us. Iris, Lexi, Jessa, my mother, Miss Lucille, some of Penny’s former co-workers from the bar, even some of her design clients. I’m not surprised at the huge turn-out. Everybody loves my girl.
My eyes scan the sea of faces, searching, searching. When my gaze lands on a professionally-groomed woman at the edge of the crowd, red bob flopped over her forehead as she focuses on typing furiously on her phone, I’m washed with relief.
Penny’s voice rings out beside me. “Mom…?” Her tone cracks with emotion on the single word.
Patricia Merlini pockets her phone and steps forward. She grips her daughter by the shoulders and puts dainty air-kisses on her cheeks. “Hello, Penelope.”
Penn’s head snaps to me and she gasps. “Walker!”
Grinning, I think back to the promise I made when she surprised me at the farmer’s market weeks ago. Unapologetically, I lift a shoulder and let it fall. “I told you I’d get you back.”
54
Penny
I lean over to Iris and whisper into her ear. “But seriously, though…why are there strippers at my baby shower?”
I glance around at the half-naked male sculptures prancing around the hotel’s sky-lit rooftop room carrying trays of drinks and appetizers. I feel bad for them. I mean—they’re wearing loin-cloths and it’s kind of chilly up here.
In the chair next to me, my cousin rolls her eyes. “Oh, you know Lexi’s responsible for this. She got the idea in her head and we couldn’t talk her out of it.”
I titter. “Poor guys. Their man-meat must be shriveling up. Maybe someone should turn up the heat?”
Alexia barges into our discussion. “Shriveling or not, man-meat is man-meat so you’d better enjoy it, girl. Because, trust me, once those babies get here, you’ll be yearning for a glimpse of Walker’s man-meat. Don’t be picky now.” She takes a bite of her flaky pastry and the crumbs drop into the neckline of her blouse.
“Well, I’m just grateful that you guys planned a baby shower for me.” I smile at them. “And I don’t know how you were able to pull it off without me even realizing.”
Lexi shakes her head. “It was all Walker.”
“I’m still shocked that my man’s romance game is on this level,” I confess.
Jessa shrugs from across our round table. “I always told you there was a big teddy bear beneath that surly farmer exterior.” She takes a sip of her cocktail.
“He really is romantic.” Iris smiles. “All of it was his idea. He just came to us for help with the execution. Especially when it came to…” Iris’s voice trails off. She gestures her chin toward my mother sitting on the other side of me.
One glance at my mom and my pulse takes off. It’s completely lame but seeing her sitting here, knowing that she took the time to show up tonight—fuck—it validates a need the little girl in me has had for too long. The need to be seen.
She and I haven’t really been able to talk yet. She’s been busy, wrapping up a few work things. I’m anxiously awaiting the chance to speak with her.
Finally, she ends her phonecall and looks at me in that shrewd, assessing way of hers. “So, Penelope. How are you handling this pregnancy?”
I beam. “I’m doing pretty well. But it feels like everything’s swollen and—”
A shrill ding from my mother’s phone interrupts me mid-sentence. Eyes cast on her screen, she lifts a finger to halt me. I feel my friends observing from the sidelines.
When Mom is finished typing out a response, her attention moves back to me. “And you said you decided not to find out the gender?”
I shake my head. “Um, no. We found out the gender last week. We’re having boys.”
Let me tell you, Lucas was over the moon at the prospect of grandsons and Diana broke down into tears. Of course, they adore Callie and Baby Di, but they’re really excited for the opportunity to welcome little boys into the Kingston family testosterone fest.
“Oh! Boys. How lovely.” Mom sounds straight-up clinical. “Wallace must be thrilled.”
I flinch. “Walker. His name is Walker.”
Before the conversation can continue, her phone rings. “Eduardo, I’m having very poor reception. Having a very hard time hearing you and the internet connection is non-existent on this god-forsaken rooftop.” She’s grabbing her purse, pushing away from the table and forging off toward the corner of the room with a finger in her ear for quiet.
I feel my irritation rising. I try to wash it down with a swig of my non-alcoholic mimosa. I’m just trying to be grateful that she bothered to show up at all. I’m trying to convince myself that’s enough.
From the other end of the roof, Diana enthusiastically claps her hands together, drawing all attention her way. “Penny, it’s time to open up the gifts, dear.” She smiles at me, a cluster of gift bags dangling from each arm. My guests chatter with excitement as they circle around Walker’s mom.
Meanwhile, my own mother has her back to the
