Dropping The Crown

Chapter 18: Penelope

With a final puff of smoke, Marcus walked to the door and left the office.

I cussed under my breath. It was my father's dream to launch the company internationally but the financing was a challenge. Although the company was now in a better financial position, it wouldn't be wise to use the company's resources to go international.

~

The remainder of the day was a blur. I couldn't stop thinking about Marcus's offer, Penelope, and oddly, I couldn't stop thinking about Adani.

I reached for her file and looked at her picture again before putting it back in its place.

"What are you doing, Ricardo, you can't possibly be having feelings for her, can you?" I questioned myself.

I snatched my briefcase off the table, button and smooth my suit and walked out the door. I informed my assistant to take my messages and reschedule my evening meeting to the following Monday.

I got into my car and drove homeward.

~

"Darling!" I heard my mother as I stepped out my vehicle. She walked over to me and greeted me with the usual kiss on the cheek.

"Good evening, Mother."

"You're home earlier than expected."

"I needed to get away."

"Is work becoming a burden?"

"Not exactly."

"Ah. Well there's someone here who will cheer you right up."

"Who?"

"Come in." I followed her in and into one of the sitting rooms.

And there she was. Sitting, with her long hairless legs folded. She wore a tight mini red silk dress, black heels, black hair in a neatly sharp bob, pretty makeup and a red lips you couldn't miss.

"Penelope," I started.

"Ricky," she said. I disliked 'Ricky' and she knew I disliked it since highschool.

"How are you?" I asked, trying to be nice.

"I'm great. How about you?"

"Likewise."

"It's so good to see you again after all this time. You and I have a lot of catching up to do," she inputted

I smiled at her but I looked to my mother with a frown.

"If you'll excuse me then, I'll leave you two cuties to it," she said and slipped away.

~

Penelope and I walked towards my home office.

"You know, I've missed you. I've missed us and everything about us. You were my everything. I was so foolish to have left you."

"Penelope, we took different paths and that's fine. That's life. We're different people."

I opened the door and motion for her to step in.

"I know but we're adults now. We're still learning but I think I've learnt enough to know that I made a mistake."

"Pen..."

"No. I need to say this before I don't have the nerves to anymore. You know I've always had an issue with expressing myself and being vocal. It was one of the reasons why we always had problems as a couple."

She was right. Penelope was not very vocal when we were together. Too many things and times she would dismiss certain situations when she should have spoken up and let me know what was going on with her.

I didn't even know she was leaving the state until the day she was actually leaving the damn state. A hurt that still ached thinking about it all over again.

"Go ahead," I said with a pleasing smile.

"Thank you. I really do miss you. I'm not expecting everything to magically fall back into place so suddenly, but your mother did inform me you were still single."

We shared a small laugh.

"I want us to be together again. Can you see this happening?"

I didn't know what to say. Penelope had blossom into a much more beautiful woman than when I last saw her.

"Look, I can't say yes or no, Penelope.. I wasn't even expecting to see you today."

"I asked your mom to keep it a secret. I wanted to surprise you before your birthday. Perhaps I shouldn't have. I see I've put you in an awkward position now."

I leaned against the desk and she walked towards me. Her hands trailed up my arms as she pressed herself into me.

"Let's take this slow. Let's get to know each other all over again and be friends," she said softly in my ears as she hoisted her left leg to my waist.

"Then you'll decide if you still want this or not. The decision is one hundred percent yours. And I can be too," she finished. Her hand went lower this time until she reached it. It was already hardened.

With satisfaction to her doing, she kissed my lips and walked out of the office.

Damn it! Penelope was back and was exactly the woman I wanted her to be all this time!

______________
A/N

Welp! Ricardo's old flame is back in the picture... And Adani is on his mind! This is going to be interesting...
You know I bring the drama😅