Read Online The Blogger and the Hunk by Jane Matisse - Free Book Online Page B

all a bad dream. You are going to wake up. Wake up, Penelope. Wake up! WAKE THE FUCK UP, PENELOPE!
    “Penelope, are you okay?” Celeste slowly asked her, rubbing her arm with her warm hand.
    Penelope took one more deep breath and turned toward her sister, slowly opening her eyes. Conversation in the room was only a soft murmur, and she realized how embarrassing she must have looked with her eyes closed and her hands in fists at her sides.
    Then another voice spoke to her. “You all right? Did you hurt yourself?”
    Penelope turned her head up. Her eyes met a pair of gorgeous emerald-green ones she remembered from all those weeks ago. His face held concern.
    All trace of it disappeared and recognition began to take form.
    Oh shit. Please don’t recognize me. Please don’t say anything. Just kill me now, Lord. At least make me faint to stall this.
    “I-I’m fine th-thank you,” she murmured nervously. The look in his eyes became so intense that she couldn’t hold his gaze anymore and looked back at the ground.
    The music began playing again and the crowd surrounding them broke apart. Penelope’s mom came running through the crowd, her father close behind.
    Her mom broke the silence. “You okay, mija ? You hurt yourself? You know you were never good with high heels. You should have worn your sneakers! Want some ice?” Her mom fussed, pinching her cheeks and messing what little makeup she had on.
    “Need a drink?” her father joked.
    “I think I’m good. I don’t need an extra shot of clumsy,” Penelope responded, sneaking a look Jack’s way.
    “Oh, I guess introductions are needed, right? Penny, this is Jack. Jackie, this is Penelope,” Celeste said.
    “Jackie?”
    “Penelope?”
    Penelope and Jack looked at each other, unable to fathom the apparently bad luck they had.
    “W-w-wait a minute, Celeste. He is your maid of honor?”
    “Yeah, I told you it was him, didn’t I?”
    “No!”
    “Yes, I distinctly remember saying Jackie was my MOH,” she stubbornly explained.
    “B-but he’s a guy!”
    Celeste looked like her patience was wearing thin. “Men can be MOHs now. There was never a law that said they couldn’t be, Penny!”
    “Fair enough,” Penelope mumbled.
    “ She’s your sister? Penny?” Jack exclaimed.
    Celeste looked at Jack with a confused stare. “Yes, she is.” She looked between them. “Do you guys know each other?”
    “No!” they both exclaimed quickly. Celeste looked even more confused. There was an awkward silence until Penelope broke it.
    “I’m going to go walk to the terrace. I need a little fresh air.”
    “Here, I’ll walk with you.” Jack held out his arm for Penelope to take.
    “Let me help you,” Celeste added, trying to help Penelope on the side opposite to Jack’s.
    “Actually, Celeste, mind getting your sister a glass of champagne? She might just need something to relax,” Jack offered.
    Penelope realized his excuse to get her alone and panicked. She didn’t want to be left alone with him. She didn’t even want to be in the same room as him. He was supposed to be a one-night stand, a one and only conquest for her. He’d been her ticket to a night of passion, but that was it. Nothing more.
    She was about to protest when Jack grasped her arm firmly, lowering his voice. “We need to talk.”
    Penelope squeaked in response and let him lead her out the glass doors to the garden. It was time she put her big girl panties on and faced the consequences.
    * * *
    T o say Jack was surprised was an understatement. He had not expected to see Penelope again. And to have her be Celeste’s sister! He had done the unthinkable: he’d gone and accidentally slept with his best friend’s sister. He’d been Penelope’s first. She’d been a virgin when they had slept together all those weeks ago. Now with her here, Jack had mixed emotions churning within him.
    The silence was thick for a few moments before he spoke up.
    “So, I guess now would be the time to tell