"Penny! Where are you," Jagged Stone shouted, searching the hotel room he was staying in for his assistant. The assistant he thought of as more than just an assistant... more like a close friend. Possibly even more. And hopefully, she felt the same way about him.
"Right here," Penny sighed, glad Jagged wasn't injured in some way.
"Good, I have something to tell you. Penny, I-," Jagged started to say, resting his hands light on Penny's shoulders. She stared up at him, confused as to what he was about to say, her mind jumping to ridiculous conclusions. It wouldn't be what she was thinking, right? It couldn't be.
Their moment was interrupted when Bob Roth burst through the door, hands raised, voice loud as he declared, "Jagged, good to see you, I have a great business idea! I've set you up on a date with another up and coming star! You might have heard some of her music. Clara Nightingale."
Penny felt her heart drop. If Jagged started dating Clara... No. Penny didn't want to think about that.
"No way! Have you even heard her music? It's the total opposite of mine! It would never work! What would my fans say? I'll lose my image," Jagged took an angry step towards Bob, pointing his finger at him accusingly.
"I don't care, I'm your manager and you're doing this whether you like it or not!"
"I'm already dating someone," Jagged exclaimed, not fully thinking through what he had just said. He wasn't dating anyone, and Bob would surely check on them to confirm if they were dating Jagged. The only people who would say yes without hesitation, even if they didn't know the story, were the obsessive fans that were constantly following him around, or Penny, who already knew what was going on and would probably say they were dating to help him.
"Oh yeah, who are you dating then," Bob questioned, crossing his arms and glaring at Jagged, annoyed that the rock star had gotten in the way of yet another of his plans.
Panicking, Jagged said the first person who came to mind, "Penny."
Penny felt her mouth drop open in shock. Of all the people Jagged could say he was dating, it was her? Then she realised she was the only person who would know that Jagged had to get out of a date and her heart sank. Of course, that was all. He didn't feel the same way about her.
"Penny, is this true?"
Penny looked between Jagged, who was nodding nervously at her, and Bob, who had a scowl on his face. She felt tears welling up in her eyes and her heart tearing. Penny shook her head, scrunching her eyes up, "No, it's not. I'm sorry."
Fang looked up lazily as Penny grabbed her bag from where is sat next to the crocodile, running out of the room, leaving the clipboard she had written all of the tasks that needed to be completed at the door. She ran through the hallways, stepping hurriedly into an elevator and pressing the button that would take her to the ground floor of the hotel, and out onto the street. Once the doors opened, she threw herself out, passing the few guests checking in at the front hotel, ignoring the strange looks she received from the doorman.
Some floors up, Jagged Stone was looking out the window, forehead pressed against the cold glass as he watched his assistant run. Away from the hotel, away from him. And it was all his fault.
"So, about this date, I really think you two should-," Bob started, looking at something on his phone, before his was interrupted by Jagged.
"No. No date, no nothing. Call Clara and say you set it all up and it is cancelled," Jagged hissed, before he walked out, slamming the door behind him, leaving his manager alone with a crocodile that was very angry at what he had done to his family. Crocodiles were very protective, after all.
When he burst out onto the street, Jagged Stone was instantly surrounded by fans, but he saw Penny about the turn the corner of a building a few blocks away and took off after her, pushing through the hordes of fans that were intent on getting a selfie with him, "Penny, wait up!"
Penny heard Jagged call out to her, but kept running. He just couldn't leave her alone, could he? What was it this time, Fang wanted cupcakes and he didn't know how to get them himself? He only saw her as an assistant.
As soon as she turned the corner, Penny darted across the street into the park, running towards the carousel ride and hiding behind it, hoping no one would recognise her. Unfortunately, luck was not on her side and Marinette Dupain-Cheng was sitting nearby, playing with a little girl Penny didn't recognise.
"Penny? What's wrong," Marinette asked, getting up off the ground.
"Yeah, everything is fine, just getting a bit stressed so I came for a walk," hoping Marinette wouldn't notice her lie, Penny smiled, even though it seemed unconvincing, even to her.
"Then why are you crying," the little girl with Marinette asked, looking up at Penny.
"I just got something in my eye, don't worry," smiling, Penny said the words to convince herself more than assure the little girl who seemed far too concerned about her.
"Penny," Jagged shouted, running over to Penny. He wrapped his arms around her, only to be shoved away by his fuming assistant.
"Go away, Jagged, I don't want to talk to you," Penny shouted, stepping back and putting her hands on her hips. She really didn't want to talk to him, not after he had tried to use her to get out of a date, rather than just say he didn't want to go. Marinette grasped Manon's hand and walked away, sensing the two of them had some issues they needed to sort out.
"Look, what I did at the hotel was really, really dumb, but I had no-," Jagged stepped closer to Penny.
But she didn't let him get any closer, pushing her hands out towards him, "Never, ever come near me again."
"But, Penny..."
Penny began walking away, but when she heard Jagged, she turned and stared at him, her voice deadly cold, "Don't you have anyone else to pester?"
"I love you."
"I don't believe you, not anymore. I thought I knew you, but I guess I was wrong. Goodbye, Jagged. I'll have a new assistant start working for you tomorrow."
"Stay, please! Running away solves none of your problems, you know."
"This is the one problem it will solve," Penny kept walking. She couldn't turn back around, she wouldn't be able to handle looking at Jagged, knowing he was lying to her face because he needed an assistant.
Jagged stood there for a moment, frozen in shock. No, he wasn't going to let her leave without hearing his explanation. He ran after her, catching up in mere seconds, "Penny, please, just let me explain, then you can leave, you can shout at me, I don't care. Just listen, please."
Penny sighed, turning around, "Fine, go."
"Okay, I didn't want to go on the date because I love you, and was going to ask you if you wanted to see a movie sometime or something, but then Bob burst in and wanted me to go on that date. I panicked, and I said we were dating because I thought you might like me back, but I guess I was wrong, and I am so sorry for everything that happened after it.
"If you still want to leave, I won't stop you. As long as you are happy, I will be okay. I just wanted you to know what happened."
Penny looked at Jagged. He looked so sad, so sorry, so genuine, that she wanted to forgive him straight away, but he should have told her sooner. But, at least now she knew why Jagged said what he had said.
"I forgive you, but only because I love you, too," Penny said, stepping closer to Jagged.
It took a moment for Penny's words to register in Jagged's mind, but as soon as he realised what she had said, his eyes widened in shock. She loved him?
"Really? Really, truly," Jagged asked, looking down at his assistant, who now had bright red cheeks from blushing so hard.
"Really, truly."
Jagged laughed, hugging Penny and spinning her around in the air, causing her to laugh with him. When he set her down, Penny grasped Jagged's hand and they began to walk back to the hotel together, narrowly avoiding the fans that were still hunting for the one and only Jagged Stone.
"Does this mean we're dating," Jagged whispered, leaning down to talk to Penny without anyone else hearing what he was saying.
"I guess it does," Penny smiled back, before wrapping her arm around Jagged's neck and pressing her lips against his.
"Now I have to cancel that date I set you up on, Jagged," Bob complained. He had just stepped outside the hotel, only to see one of his star artists kissing their assistant, but he didn't question it, because it was obvious they had liked each other for some time.
"Yeah, you have to cancel it," Penny said, looking at Bob with a smug expression on her face, "because Jagged is mine now."
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