Fic: Friendship, or Lack There Of (Chapter 3)
Title: Friendship, or Lack There Of - Chapter 3
Rating: T
Word Count: 3,733
Pairing (if any): Giselle/OC (friendship); Robert/Giselle
Disclaimer: Enchanted and its characters are not mine. The story and the new characters are creations of my little mind.
A/N: I have the next few chapters (semi) mapped out in my mind. It’s just finding the time to get them all typed up and out of my mind. I have too much floating around in there with school’s end quickly approaching! Thanks again for the reviews, dears! Make sure to review if you like what you read.
Be sure to read Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 before reading this.
Friendship, or Lack There Of- Chapter 3
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The rest of the day had gone smoothly for Giselle. She worked with her animal co-workers to finish up a small lilac colored dress that flared at the bottom. The bodice had a deep purple embroidery of small flowers against a pristine ivory. The dress had been in production for a while and it was finally finished. She got to go home with a sense of accomplishment and a smile on her face.
Giselle said good-bye to her employees, both animal and human, and closed up shop for the day. It was early afternoon as she made her way home. Clouds had fallen over the sun in the time she’d been indoors, but the temperature was still a comfortable one. She still decided to walk home, even with the eminent clouds rolling through the sky.
She swung her purse at her side, portfolio clutched in her opposite hand. She slowed her pace alongside a pet shop window, small balls of white fur pouncing on each other. Giselle grinned and bent to peer into the display. Warm brown eyes locked onto the scarlet haired woman now fascinated with them. Quiet yips and yaps were yelped in Giselle’s direction as the puppies fell over one another, licking at the window’s glass to get her attention. She placed a hand gently on the pane, grin fading into a soft smile. A dog probably wouldn’t be best suited for her. I’m not home as much as a dog would need me to be, Giselle thought, brow knitting in thought. She pulled her hand away from the window, waving her fingers in a silent good-bye to the small animals.
She scuffed her feet along the sidewalk; Maybe Penelope would let me borrow Lola. She pressed her lips together, inwardly scolding herself. She didn’t know Penelope; she had only just met her that morning. Perhaps they would never meet again except for the occasional nod in the hallway. And if she didn’t even live there? Well, I could very well never see her again. Never ever.
Giselle pushed the revolving door to the apartment building, greeted by the coolness provided by the air conditioner. She couldn’t have timed her entrance any better, for as soon as she pressed the elevator’s up button, the pitter-patter of rain began to fall outside.
The elevator door opened and Giselle stepped forth, peering down the hallway with hopeful eyes. She was greeted by the sight of no one. She sighed lightly and leisurely strolled down to her and Robert’s (and Morgan’s) apartment. Unlocking the door, she allowed herself entry.
She spent the rest of the late afternoon sketching new ideas for dresses, inspired by the immaculate white fluff of the puppies’ fur. Between her sketches and thoughts, Giselle lost track of the time. It went from 3 o’clock to 6 rather quickly. A key entered the lock to the apartment and Robert was home from work.
“Oh my,” Giselle scolded herself, glancing to the clock for the first time since arriving home. “Oh Robert,” she hurried to the door, “I’ve forgotten dinner! I’m terribly sorry.”
Robert dropped his briefcase to the ground by the door, ducking to catch Giselle’s lips with his. He placed his hands on her hips and broke the kiss, “It’s alright. You’ve just got a lot on your mind.” He nodded towards the small cluttered table Giselle called her work space. He hadn’t forgotten about their conversation earlier in the morning either. Robert knew she was distressed by the lack of friendship outside of their little family.
Giselle placed her hands on his chest, smiling up at him. Her brow furrowed quickly, glancing around Robert, “Morgan?”
Robert ran his hands down her arms, clasping her hands briefly before making his way to the kitchen, “She called me while I was at work. She’s staying at Kendra’s for dinner.” He opened the fridge, “I’ll pick her up around 8 or so.”
Giselle leaned against the doorframe in the kitchen, watching him rummage for dinner options.
Robert stood back up with a sigh, closing the door, “We’ll just order out. I don’t feel much like cooking anything and you’re busy as it is.” He pulled open a drawer, riffling through some papers before pulling out a folded menu. He walked towards Giselle and placed it in her hands, “What would you like?”
She looked through the selections with a pondering frown on her face. After a few moments, she shook her head, hair dancing over her shoulders, “I just don’t know. I haven’t had much of anything on here.”
Robert chuckled, “Pizza is always reliable.”
Giselle smiled fondly over at him, nodding her head once, “Yes. Pizza sounds delicious.”
Dinner was ordered and the pair settled on relaxing on the couch for the time being. Once the pizza arrived, conversation fell quiet while they ate and enjoyed their meal. There were the occasional moments of chatter about their respective days and Giselle took the present time to bring up her morning encounter with Penelope. She told Robert about the whole ordeal and quickly followed it up by questioning, “Do you know her?”
“I don’t think so,” he tilted his head, thinking. He placed the crust from his third slice of pizza on his paper plate. “To be honest, I don’t know many people who live in this building. I could point out faces, sure,” Robert turned his stare to her, “but I don’t know names.”
“Oh,” Giselle replied, slightly deterred. She took a bite of her pizza, swallowing and then speaking, “Well, I guess I’m not supposed to know her then, otherwise, I’d meet her again.”
Robert grasped her hand in his; running his thumb over her knuckles, “Don’t be discouraged. She’s just one girl.”
Giselle forced a smile and nodded her head, taking another bite of her pizza.
The night rolled on and their bellies grew full. Robert had thrown away their paper plates and Giselle worked about the kitchen, putting away the leftovers of pizza. He had moved into the living room, organizing some of Giselle’s sketches and notes. There was a quiet knock on the door and Robert turned his face to the kitchen, “I’ve got it!”
Giselle glanced over her shoulder, but then continued placing the remaining slices in the fridge. She wrapped them individually; perhaps Morgan would want some for lunch at school tomorrow.
Robert shuffled his way to the door, peering through peephole and pulling back, not recognizing the face on the other side. He opened the door, “Hello there.”
Giselle closed the refrigerator’s door, now catching the quiet conversation at the apartment’s door. She strolled through the kitchen and into the living room to peer out to the doorway.
“Is there a red-headed woman who lives here?” Penelope’s voice drifted through the apartment. “We had a little run in, quite literally, this morning and this,” she held out a sketch of a dress, “ended up in my things.”
Robert smiled, reaching to take the drawing, “Yes. She lives-”
Giselle poked her head around Robert to catch sight of the brunette standing in the hall, “Oh, Penelope!”
Penelope pointed a finger at Giselle, speaking to Robert, “This is the one.” Penelope handed over the sketch quickly. “I’m sorry to interrupt your night. I just thought you’d want that back,” she shook her head apologetically.
“It’s okay,” Giselle said, now standing beside Robert, holding on to his arm a little too tightly. “I’m glad to see you again,” she reassured her.
“Really?” Penelope replied with a tilt of her head, a tone of disbelief in her voice.
Robert moved to the side, breaking from Giselle for the moment, “Would you like to come in?”
“Um,” Penelope glanced over her shoulder, looking back to her apartment. She looked back to the couple in front of her, “I can come in, but just for a little bit.”
“Please do!” Giselle stepped forward, grabbing for one of Penelope’s hands.
Penelope, through being ushered into the apartment by the excited Giselle, glanced to Robert, “I’m Penelope.”
Giselle halted herself, releasing Penelope from her grasp. “How rude of me!” Giselle smiled, glancing between Penelope and Robert, “Penelope, Robert. Robert, Penelope.”
The pair shook hands and exchanged smiles. “I really am sorry for stopping by. It’s late,” Penelope pursed her lips, “well, is this late?”
Robert shook his head. “It’s just past 7,” as he uttered the words, he ran his hands through his hair. “Giselle, I need to go pick up Morgan from Kendra’s house.”
“Okay,” Giselle smiled, glancing to Penelope who had taken a seat on the couch in the living room. “Can she stay while you go?”
Robert smiled, “I think that’s fine. She seems nice.” Robert was reluctant to leave Giselle in the presence of a stranger, but the younger woman seemed like a pleasant person. He would only be gone for the maximum of half an hour. He trusted Giselle and her judgment. Robert dropped a kiss to her forehead, “I’ll be back shortly.” He waved a hand in parting to Penelope, who returned the gesture.
Giselle followed on Robert’s heals, until he was on the other side of the door. She hurried back into the living room.
“Wow,” Penelope uttered with mouth agape.
“What?” Giselle responded with a happy, questioning smile across her lips. She plopped herself down beside Penelope.
“You’re both beautiful,” was the response. She tossed her hands in the air in what seemed to be frustration.
Giselle smiled, leaning close to Penelope, “You’re beautiful too!”
Penelope snorted and shook her head quickly, “Yeah. Okay. And I’m sure I look ravishing just like this.” Her wire-rimmed glasses were perched atop her head, in a mess of dark hair, slightly frizzed from the rain. She was dressed in lounge clothes; a t-shirt and a set of jeans.
“You do!” Giselle said, finding she needed to sit on her hands to stay still.
Penelope narrowed her eyes at this unusual woman, “Alright.” She tucked her hair behind her ear, “You draw very well. I’m not nosy,” she quickly defended herself, “but I couldn’t help but look when I came across that sheet of paper in my mess.”
Giselle felt a tinge of a blush rising in her cheeks, “Thank you.” She felt the need to impress this girl before her, for whatever reason. “You should see my dresses sometime,” Giselle urged, “I have my own studio and you can come whenever you’d like.”
“Maybe I’ll stop by sometime then,” Penelope wrung her hands together for a moment. “I should really get going,” she moved to stand; “I have an article that I need to get working on.”
“Where’s Lola?” Giselle asked swiftly, standing beside her.
“Uh,” Penelope ran a hand through her hair, pointing seemingly in the direction of her own apartment, “at home.”
“May I,” Giselle started, casting her gaze downwards, “may I see her?”
The brunette took in the sight of the woman before her. There was something different about her; something she couldn’t place. Penelope felt a sense of pity rising in her, “Uh, sure. I’m sure she’d like a visitor.”
“Really?” Giselle smiled, following her as she moved to the door.
“Oh yes,” Penelope started, pulling open the door to the hallway, “she’s quite the attention-whore.”
Giselle paused at the door to quickly jot a note down for Robert, so he wouldn’t worry, for she knew he would. Penelope waited in the hall, watching Giselle tape the note beside the door. Giselle smiled over at her and then asked, “What’s an attention… what did you say? Whore?”
“Yeah,” Penelope rolled her hand a few times, trying to find the words to explain herself, “You know? A whore for attention?”
Giselle pressed her lips together, shaking her head.
She stopped three doors down and across the hallway from where they started. Penelope leaned against the door for a moment, “Are you sheltered? I’m just getting a vibe from you.”
Giselle smiled innocently, shrugging her shoulders. “I’m new here,” she nodded her head.
Penelope turned and slipped a key into the door’s lock, “New to the city?”
“Yes,” Giselle responded. After the night at the ball with Robert, when she had decided to stay in New York City, he and Giselle sat down to go over some details. Robert explained it would be best to just let people know she was new to the city and leave it at that. Anadalsia would have to be left out of the conversation. Giselle loved it there, but she understood why it would have to be this way.
Penelope held the door open, ushering Giselle inside. “Excuse the mess,” Penelope closed the door behind her, “I don’t have company that often.”
The apartment was set up exactly the same as Robert and Giselle’s; it was just flipped around. The whole apartment was decorated in earthy colors, creating a rather warm and pleasant atmosphere. “This is just lovely,” Giselle took in the room, stepping a little further into the apartment.
“Lola!” Penelope shouted, followed by a sharp whistle. “She’s lazy,” Penelope explained, moving to stand alongside Giselle, “give her 10 minutes.”
Lola came reluctantly trudging into the living room from a blackened room down the hall. Her eyes squinted to adjust to the light change. The click of her claws against the hardwood floors slowed as she stopped in her tracks.
“Hi Lola!” Giselle shuffled over to crouch beside the dog, scratching fondly at the canine’s head.
Penelope took the moment to try and neaten up a coffee table, covered in sheets of paper and a few notebooks. A humming laptop cast a soft light across the back wall. Seeing Giselle stand up once again, Penelope quickly tossed an armful of papers and bound pages behind a large chair, out of sight. Penelope grinned shyly and cleared her throat, “Would you like something to drink?”
Giselle clutched her hands together, “Water would be lovely.”
“Lovely water,” Penelope echoed, making her way into a darkened kitchen. “Lovely apartment,” her voice drifted off, replaced with the clangs of glasses and the rush of water.
Giselle took a moment to stroll about the room. A side table held a pile of mail, the envelope on top addressed to a “Penny Valerie Whittier” in block handwriting. She ran a finger over the text.
“Hey,” Penelope called from the kitchen doorway, a glass of water in her hand.
Giselle turned around quickly, bumping the table into the wall with a thud. With blushed cheeks, Giselle braced herself against the table, facing Penelope, “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to go through your things. I was just looking at them.”
Penelope chucked to herself, “You’re hardly going through my things. They’re all out in the open anyway.” She placed the cool glass in Giselle’s hand, “If I didn’t want anyone to see them, I would have put them away somewhere.”
Giselle took a sip of water and then placed the cup on a coaster behind her, “Penny.” She tapped the sealed envelope behind her, “Is that you?”
“No,” Penelope took the mail in her hands, waving the mentioned piece of paper around, “It’s addressed to my apartment, where I live, alone, with a nickname derived from my full name.” She said all of this with a smile across her face. She quickly followed up her rant with, “Yes. It’s me. My family calls me Penny, as do my few friends from home.” She clutched the letter to her side, lifting it briefly, “It’s from my dad.”
“I don’t think I like sarcasm,” Giselle responded with a shake of her head. “How do I know when you’re joking? It doesn’t make much sense. Why not just say what you mean?”
Penelope’s eyebrows came together, “Um. I’m sorry. It’s just part of my natural way of speaking.” She sighed lightly, tossing the letter beside her laptop, “I speak it fluently. I don’t mean to come across as mean or anything like that.” She placed her hands on her hips and nodded her head, “I’ll try to cut back when I talk to you, but I can’t make promises.”
Lola sat herself between the chatting pair, hunched over with her eyes closed; seemingly sleeping while sitting up.
Giselle leaned against the arm of the couch beside the side table, “So,” she paused, looking back around the room, “you have friends then?” She didn’t want to make it seem like she was entirely interested in this, but secretly, she was.
Penelope sat on the couch, in front of the idling screen of her laptop, “Hm?”
“I mean,” she slid onto the couch beside Penelope, “you mentioned your friends call you Penny.”
“Oh. Oh yes,” she nodded, “well, don’t most people have friends?” Penelope caught the flash of sadness across Giselle’s face and that odd sense of pity arose once again. Penelope quickly placed a hand on Giselle’s arm, “I mean, I don’t have friends here.” She pulled her hand back, tapping her fingers on her own leg, “Not here in the city.”
“Oh,” Giselle smiled, relieved, “me neither.”
A rather awkward silence fell between the pair as Penelope continued to tap her fingers on her leg.
Giselle glanced to the computer screen, seeing a mess of words on a white page, “Oh my! Look at me,” Giselle stood abruptly, “you have work to do and I’m just in the way.”
“Girl,” Penelope stood beside her, “that is my life story: I’m in the Way.” She waved a hand nonchalantly, “It’s alright. I’ll end up staying up all night to finish it anyway.”
“Well, make sure you get some rest,” Giselle replied, now walking towards the door. She placed a hand on the knob and turned around, looking to Penelope with Lola now standing beside her. Giselle stepped forward and smiled, “Thank you.”
Penelope snorted and looked somewhat perplexed, “For what?”
Giselle shook her head and gave a quick shrug of her shoulders, “For listening to me.”
Penelope walked to see Giselle exit, Lola faithfully in tow, “Well, you know where I live now, so if you need an ear…”
“I do know where you live!” Giselle cheerily replied, now standing out in the hall. “But I have two ears of my own,” she clasped her hands together, “but thank you for that.”
“It’s just a say-“ Penelope was going to explain, but left it alone. “Thanks for stopping by, Giselle,” Penelope smiled.
“Good-bye, Penelope,” Giselle waved, waltzing back to her apartment, “and Lola!”
Penelope closed the door to the apartment, leaving her staring at a now empty apartment. It was obvious to her that Giselle had no one else aside from the man named Robert. A child lived in the apartment as well; there had been stuffed animals on one of the side chairs. There was just something off that she couldn’t put a finger on. Giselle was a perfectly nice person and it seemed she wanted to be friends with Penelope.
“I just hope she’s not as sheltered as she comes off,” Penelope spoke to Lola. Shuffling back to the couch, she hunched over to continue working on a nameless article, “I’m not going to be able to censor myself all the time, girl.” Lola sat on the floor beside her, putting her paws on Penelope’s left foot. “She seems harmless though,” Penelope continued.
Lola sighed heavily, wheezing. She followed the sigh with a slow lick to Penelope’s leg.
“Ugh,” Penelope sighed, typing out a few words on the laptop, “that’s gross.”
Across the hall and three doors down, Giselle was clutching at Robert’s side, going on and on about Penelope and Lola. “And then she offered me her ear,” Giselle finished, nearly sitting on Robert’s lap on the couch.
“She offered to listen to you if you ever needed to talk,” Robert laughed quietly, tucking some stray strands of hair behind her ear.
“Oh,” Giselle bobbed her head, grinning up at him, “I guess that makes more sense.” She paused and her face drew blank, running her fingers over Robert’s hand gently. “I like her, Robert,” she stared up at him through her lashes, “you think she likes me?”
Robert kissed her lips, bringing his free hand to rest against her cheek. He pulled away, resting his forehead against hers, “Who wouldn’t?”
Her cerulean eyes locked with his, a playful glint lurking there, “You’re too good to me.” She stole a quick kiss from him, but he pulled her back to draw more. Her hands came to rest against his chest, playing with the fabric of his shirt. He broke the kiss and ran his thumb over her cheekbone.
Morgan stood in the doorway of her bedroom, peering back into the living room. Whenever she used to see Nancy and her father kissing, it would always evoke a sense of disgust, as any form of affection generally does with a child. However, when Morgan witnessed a kiss between her father and Giselle, she felt an almost overwhelming sense of happiness wash over her.
“Guyyyyys,” Morgan whined down the hallway, stirring the couple from their moment.
Giselle dipped her chin, a faint flush in her cheeks. Robert ran a hand over Giselle’s knee, standing to make his way down the hallway, “Alright, alright. Time for you to get to bed.”
Giselle skipped after him down the hall to assist in tucking Morgan to bed. Much as their morning scene was regular, as was the bed time ritual. Giselle sat on one side of the bed; Robert on the other. Kisses were laid upon foreheads and the occasional story would be told, assuming it wasn’t too late. “I love you” was said back and forth before the adults moved to the doorway and clicked off the light.
Robert and Giselle walked side by side back to the living room, his hand on her lower back, she clinging to his side. The pair settled on the couch to watch a little TV to wind down from the events of the day. Giselle snuggled her face into Robert’s neck, not the least bit interested in the flashes of the television screen. She deeply inhaled the scent of his neck; a scent of lingering aftershave, sweat, and something she could only describe as Robert. His arm gently pulled her closer, warming her through and through. A smile appeared on her lips as her eyes drifted shut as happy thoughts infiltrated her dreams.
To Chapter 4.
Rating: T
Word Count: 3,733
Pairing (if any): Giselle/OC (friendship); Robert/Giselle
Disclaimer: Enchanted and its characters are not mine. The story and the new characters are creations of my little mind.
A/N: I have the next few chapters (semi) mapped out in my mind. It’s just finding the time to get them all typed up and out of my mind. I have too much floating around in there with school’s end quickly approaching! Thanks again for the reviews, dears! Make sure to review if you like what you read.
Be sure to read Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 before reading this.
Friendship, or Lack There Of- Chapter 3
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The rest of the day had gone smoothly for Giselle. She worked with her animal co-workers to finish up a small lilac colored dress that flared at the bottom. The bodice had a deep purple embroidery of small flowers against a pristine ivory. The dress had been in production for a while and it was finally finished. She got to go home with a sense of accomplishment and a smile on her face.
Giselle said good-bye to her employees, both animal and human, and closed up shop for the day. It was early afternoon as she made her way home. Clouds had fallen over the sun in the time she’d been indoors, but the temperature was still a comfortable one. She still decided to walk home, even with the eminent clouds rolling through the sky.
She swung her purse at her side, portfolio clutched in her opposite hand. She slowed her pace alongside a pet shop window, small balls of white fur pouncing on each other. Giselle grinned and bent to peer into the display. Warm brown eyes locked onto the scarlet haired woman now fascinated with them. Quiet yips and yaps were yelped in Giselle’s direction as the puppies fell over one another, licking at the window’s glass to get her attention. She placed a hand gently on the pane, grin fading into a soft smile. A dog probably wouldn’t be best suited for her. I’m not home as much as a dog would need me to be, Giselle thought, brow knitting in thought. She pulled her hand away from the window, waving her fingers in a silent good-bye to the small animals.
She scuffed her feet along the sidewalk; Maybe Penelope would let me borrow Lola. She pressed her lips together, inwardly scolding herself. She didn’t know Penelope; she had only just met her that morning. Perhaps they would never meet again except for the occasional nod in the hallway. And if she didn’t even live there? Well, I could very well never see her again. Never ever.
Giselle pushed the revolving door to the apartment building, greeted by the coolness provided by the air conditioner. She couldn’t have timed her entrance any better, for as soon as she pressed the elevator’s up button, the pitter-patter of rain began to fall outside.
The elevator door opened and Giselle stepped forth, peering down the hallway with hopeful eyes. She was greeted by the sight of no one. She sighed lightly and leisurely strolled down to her and Robert’s (and Morgan’s) apartment. Unlocking the door, she allowed herself entry.
She spent the rest of the late afternoon sketching new ideas for dresses, inspired by the immaculate white fluff of the puppies’ fur. Between her sketches and thoughts, Giselle lost track of the time. It went from 3 o’clock to 6 rather quickly. A key entered the lock to the apartment and Robert was home from work.
“Oh my,” Giselle scolded herself, glancing to the clock for the first time since arriving home. “Oh Robert,” she hurried to the door, “I’ve forgotten dinner! I’m terribly sorry.”
Robert dropped his briefcase to the ground by the door, ducking to catch Giselle’s lips with his. He placed his hands on her hips and broke the kiss, “It’s alright. You’ve just got a lot on your mind.” He nodded towards the small cluttered table Giselle called her work space. He hadn’t forgotten about their conversation earlier in the morning either. Robert knew she was distressed by the lack of friendship outside of their little family.
Giselle placed her hands on his chest, smiling up at him. Her brow furrowed quickly, glancing around Robert, “Morgan?”
Robert ran his hands down her arms, clasping her hands briefly before making his way to the kitchen, “She called me while I was at work. She’s staying at Kendra’s for dinner.” He opened the fridge, “I’ll pick her up around 8 or so.”
Giselle leaned against the doorframe in the kitchen, watching him rummage for dinner options.
Robert stood back up with a sigh, closing the door, “We’ll just order out. I don’t feel much like cooking anything and you’re busy as it is.” He pulled open a drawer, riffling through some papers before pulling out a folded menu. He walked towards Giselle and placed it in her hands, “What would you like?”
She looked through the selections with a pondering frown on her face. After a few moments, she shook her head, hair dancing over her shoulders, “I just don’t know. I haven’t had much of anything on here.”
Robert chuckled, “Pizza is always reliable.”
Giselle smiled fondly over at him, nodding her head once, “Yes. Pizza sounds delicious.”
Dinner was ordered and the pair settled on relaxing on the couch for the time being. Once the pizza arrived, conversation fell quiet while they ate and enjoyed their meal. There were the occasional moments of chatter about their respective days and Giselle took the present time to bring up her morning encounter with Penelope. She told Robert about the whole ordeal and quickly followed it up by questioning, “Do you know her?”
“I don’t think so,” he tilted his head, thinking. He placed the crust from his third slice of pizza on his paper plate. “To be honest, I don’t know many people who live in this building. I could point out faces, sure,” Robert turned his stare to her, “but I don’t know names.”
“Oh,” Giselle replied, slightly deterred. She took a bite of her pizza, swallowing and then speaking, “Well, I guess I’m not supposed to know her then, otherwise, I’d meet her again.”
Robert grasped her hand in his; running his thumb over her knuckles, “Don’t be discouraged. She’s just one girl.”
Giselle forced a smile and nodded her head, taking another bite of her pizza.
The night rolled on and their bellies grew full. Robert had thrown away their paper plates and Giselle worked about the kitchen, putting away the leftovers of pizza. He had moved into the living room, organizing some of Giselle’s sketches and notes. There was a quiet knock on the door and Robert turned his face to the kitchen, “I’ve got it!”
Giselle glanced over her shoulder, but then continued placing the remaining slices in the fridge. She wrapped them individually; perhaps Morgan would want some for lunch at school tomorrow.
Robert shuffled his way to the door, peering through peephole and pulling back, not recognizing the face on the other side. He opened the door, “Hello there.”
Giselle closed the refrigerator’s door, now catching the quiet conversation at the apartment’s door. She strolled through the kitchen and into the living room to peer out to the doorway.
“Is there a red-headed woman who lives here?” Penelope’s voice drifted through the apartment. “We had a little run in, quite literally, this morning and this,” she held out a sketch of a dress, “ended up in my things.”
Robert smiled, reaching to take the drawing, “Yes. She lives-”
Giselle poked her head around Robert to catch sight of the brunette standing in the hall, “Oh, Penelope!”
Penelope pointed a finger at Giselle, speaking to Robert, “This is the one.” Penelope handed over the sketch quickly. “I’m sorry to interrupt your night. I just thought you’d want that back,” she shook her head apologetically.
“It’s okay,” Giselle said, now standing beside Robert, holding on to his arm a little too tightly. “I’m glad to see you again,” she reassured her.
“Really?” Penelope replied with a tilt of her head, a tone of disbelief in her voice.
Robert moved to the side, breaking from Giselle for the moment, “Would you like to come in?”
“Um,” Penelope glanced over her shoulder, looking back to her apartment. She looked back to the couple in front of her, “I can come in, but just for a little bit.”
“Please do!” Giselle stepped forward, grabbing for one of Penelope’s hands.
Penelope, through being ushered into the apartment by the excited Giselle, glanced to Robert, “I’m Penelope.”
Giselle halted herself, releasing Penelope from her grasp. “How rude of me!” Giselle smiled, glancing between Penelope and Robert, “Penelope, Robert. Robert, Penelope.”
The pair shook hands and exchanged smiles. “I really am sorry for stopping by. It’s late,” Penelope pursed her lips, “well, is this late?”
Robert shook his head. “It’s just past 7,” as he uttered the words, he ran his hands through his hair. “Giselle, I need to go pick up Morgan from Kendra’s house.”
“Okay,” Giselle smiled, glancing to Penelope who had taken a seat on the couch in the living room. “Can she stay while you go?”
Robert smiled, “I think that’s fine. She seems nice.” Robert was reluctant to leave Giselle in the presence of a stranger, but the younger woman seemed like a pleasant person. He would only be gone for the maximum of half an hour. He trusted Giselle and her judgment. Robert dropped a kiss to her forehead, “I’ll be back shortly.” He waved a hand in parting to Penelope, who returned the gesture.
Giselle followed on Robert’s heals, until he was on the other side of the door. She hurried back into the living room.
“Wow,” Penelope uttered with mouth agape.
“What?” Giselle responded with a happy, questioning smile across her lips. She plopped herself down beside Penelope.
“You’re both beautiful,” was the response. She tossed her hands in the air in what seemed to be frustration.
Giselle smiled, leaning close to Penelope, “You’re beautiful too!”
Penelope snorted and shook her head quickly, “Yeah. Okay. And I’m sure I look ravishing just like this.” Her wire-rimmed glasses were perched atop her head, in a mess of dark hair, slightly frizzed from the rain. She was dressed in lounge clothes; a t-shirt and a set of jeans.
“You do!” Giselle said, finding she needed to sit on her hands to stay still.
Penelope narrowed her eyes at this unusual woman, “Alright.” She tucked her hair behind her ear, “You draw very well. I’m not nosy,” she quickly defended herself, “but I couldn’t help but look when I came across that sheet of paper in my mess.”
Giselle felt a tinge of a blush rising in her cheeks, “Thank you.” She felt the need to impress this girl before her, for whatever reason. “You should see my dresses sometime,” Giselle urged, “I have my own studio and you can come whenever you’d like.”
“Maybe I’ll stop by sometime then,” Penelope wrung her hands together for a moment. “I should really get going,” she moved to stand; “I have an article that I need to get working on.”
“Where’s Lola?” Giselle asked swiftly, standing beside her.
“Uh,” Penelope ran a hand through her hair, pointing seemingly in the direction of her own apartment, “at home.”
“May I,” Giselle started, casting her gaze downwards, “may I see her?”
The brunette took in the sight of the woman before her. There was something different about her; something she couldn’t place. Penelope felt a sense of pity rising in her, “Uh, sure. I’m sure she’d like a visitor.”
“Really?” Giselle smiled, following her as she moved to the door.
“Oh yes,” Penelope started, pulling open the door to the hallway, “she’s quite the attention-whore.”
Giselle paused at the door to quickly jot a note down for Robert, so he wouldn’t worry, for she knew he would. Penelope waited in the hall, watching Giselle tape the note beside the door. Giselle smiled over at her and then asked, “What’s an attention… what did you say? Whore?”
“Yeah,” Penelope rolled her hand a few times, trying to find the words to explain herself, “You know? A whore for attention?”
Giselle pressed her lips together, shaking her head.
She stopped three doors down and across the hallway from where they started. Penelope leaned against the door for a moment, “Are you sheltered? I’m just getting a vibe from you.”
Giselle smiled innocently, shrugging her shoulders. “I’m new here,” she nodded her head.
Penelope turned and slipped a key into the door’s lock, “New to the city?”
“Yes,” Giselle responded. After the night at the ball with Robert, when she had decided to stay in New York City, he and Giselle sat down to go over some details. Robert explained it would be best to just let people know she was new to the city and leave it at that. Anadalsia would have to be left out of the conversation. Giselle loved it there, but she understood why it would have to be this way.
Penelope held the door open, ushering Giselle inside. “Excuse the mess,” Penelope closed the door behind her, “I don’t have company that often.”
The apartment was set up exactly the same as Robert and Giselle’s; it was just flipped around. The whole apartment was decorated in earthy colors, creating a rather warm and pleasant atmosphere. “This is just lovely,” Giselle took in the room, stepping a little further into the apartment.
“Lola!” Penelope shouted, followed by a sharp whistle. “She’s lazy,” Penelope explained, moving to stand alongside Giselle, “give her 10 minutes.”
Lola came reluctantly trudging into the living room from a blackened room down the hall. Her eyes squinted to adjust to the light change. The click of her claws against the hardwood floors slowed as she stopped in her tracks.
“Hi Lola!” Giselle shuffled over to crouch beside the dog, scratching fondly at the canine’s head.
Penelope took the moment to try and neaten up a coffee table, covered in sheets of paper and a few notebooks. A humming laptop cast a soft light across the back wall. Seeing Giselle stand up once again, Penelope quickly tossed an armful of papers and bound pages behind a large chair, out of sight. Penelope grinned shyly and cleared her throat, “Would you like something to drink?”
Giselle clutched her hands together, “Water would be lovely.”
“Lovely water,” Penelope echoed, making her way into a darkened kitchen. “Lovely apartment,” her voice drifted off, replaced with the clangs of glasses and the rush of water.
Giselle took a moment to stroll about the room. A side table held a pile of mail, the envelope on top addressed to a “Penny Valerie Whittier” in block handwriting. She ran a finger over the text.
“Hey,” Penelope called from the kitchen doorway, a glass of water in her hand.
Giselle turned around quickly, bumping the table into the wall with a thud. With blushed cheeks, Giselle braced herself against the table, facing Penelope, “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to go through your things. I was just looking at them.”
Penelope chucked to herself, “You’re hardly going through my things. They’re all out in the open anyway.” She placed the cool glass in Giselle’s hand, “If I didn’t want anyone to see them, I would have put them away somewhere.”
Giselle took a sip of water and then placed the cup on a coaster behind her, “Penny.” She tapped the sealed envelope behind her, “Is that you?”
“No,” Penelope took the mail in her hands, waving the mentioned piece of paper around, “It’s addressed to my apartment, where I live, alone, with a nickname derived from my full name.” She said all of this with a smile across her face. She quickly followed up her rant with, “Yes. It’s me. My family calls me Penny, as do my few friends from home.” She clutched the letter to her side, lifting it briefly, “It’s from my dad.”
“I don’t think I like sarcasm,” Giselle responded with a shake of her head. “How do I know when you’re joking? It doesn’t make much sense. Why not just say what you mean?”
Penelope’s eyebrows came together, “Um. I’m sorry. It’s just part of my natural way of speaking.” She sighed lightly, tossing the letter beside her laptop, “I speak it fluently. I don’t mean to come across as mean or anything like that.” She placed her hands on her hips and nodded her head, “I’ll try to cut back when I talk to you, but I can’t make promises.”
Lola sat herself between the chatting pair, hunched over with her eyes closed; seemingly sleeping while sitting up.
Giselle leaned against the arm of the couch beside the side table, “So,” she paused, looking back around the room, “you have friends then?” She didn’t want to make it seem like she was entirely interested in this, but secretly, she was.
Penelope sat on the couch, in front of the idling screen of her laptop, “Hm?”
“I mean,” she slid onto the couch beside Penelope, “you mentioned your friends call you Penny.”
“Oh. Oh yes,” she nodded, “well, don’t most people have friends?” Penelope caught the flash of sadness across Giselle’s face and that odd sense of pity arose once again. Penelope quickly placed a hand on Giselle’s arm, “I mean, I don’t have friends here.” She pulled her hand back, tapping her fingers on her own leg, “Not here in the city.”
“Oh,” Giselle smiled, relieved, “me neither.”
A rather awkward silence fell between the pair as Penelope continued to tap her fingers on her leg.
Giselle glanced to the computer screen, seeing a mess of words on a white page, “Oh my! Look at me,” Giselle stood abruptly, “you have work to do and I’m just in the way.”
“Girl,” Penelope stood beside her, “that is my life story: I’m in the Way.” She waved a hand nonchalantly, “It’s alright. I’ll end up staying up all night to finish it anyway.”
“Well, make sure you get some rest,” Giselle replied, now walking towards the door. She placed a hand on the knob and turned around, looking to Penelope with Lola now standing beside her. Giselle stepped forward and smiled, “Thank you.”
Penelope snorted and looked somewhat perplexed, “For what?”
Giselle shook her head and gave a quick shrug of her shoulders, “For listening to me.”
Penelope walked to see Giselle exit, Lola faithfully in tow, “Well, you know where I live now, so if you need an ear…”
“I do know where you live!” Giselle cheerily replied, now standing out in the hall. “But I have two ears of my own,” she clasped her hands together, “but thank you for that.”
“It’s just a say-“ Penelope was going to explain, but left it alone. “Thanks for stopping by, Giselle,” Penelope smiled.
“Good-bye, Penelope,” Giselle waved, waltzing back to her apartment, “and Lola!”
Penelope closed the door to the apartment, leaving her staring at a now empty apartment. It was obvious to her that Giselle had no one else aside from the man named Robert. A child lived in the apartment as well; there had been stuffed animals on one of the side chairs. There was just something off that she couldn’t put a finger on. Giselle was a perfectly nice person and it seemed she wanted to be friends with Penelope.
“I just hope she’s not as sheltered as she comes off,” Penelope spoke to Lola. Shuffling back to the couch, she hunched over to continue working on a nameless article, “I’m not going to be able to censor myself all the time, girl.” Lola sat on the floor beside her, putting her paws on Penelope’s left foot. “She seems harmless though,” Penelope continued.
Lola sighed heavily, wheezing. She followed the sigh with a slow lick to Penelope’s leg.
“Ugh,” Penelope sighed, typing out a few words on the laptop, “that’s gross.”
Across the hall and three doors down, Giselle was clutching at Robert’s side, going on and on about Penelope and Lola. “And then she offered me her ear,” Giselle finished, nearly sitting on Robert’s lap on the couch.
“She offered to listen to you if you ever needed to talk,” Robert laughed quietly, tucking some stray strands of hair behind her ear.
“Oh,” Giselle bobbed her head, grinning up at him, “I guess that makes more sense.” She paused and her face drew blank, running her fingers over Robert’s hand gently. “I like her, Robert,” she stared up at him through her lashes, “you think she likes me?”
Robert kissed her lips, bringing his free hand to rest against her cheek. He pulled away, resting his forehead against hers, “Who wouldn’t?”
Her cerulean eyes locked with his, a playful glint lurking there, “You’re too good to me.” She stole a quick kiss from him, but he pulled her back to draw more. Her hands came to rest against his chest, playing with the fabric of his shirt. He broke the kiss and ran his thumb over her cheekbone.
Morgan stood in the doorway of her bedroom, peering back into the living room. Whenever she used to see Nancy and her father kissing, it would always evoke a sense of disgust, as any form of affection generally does with a child. However, when Morgan witnessed a kiss between her father and Giselle, she felt an almost overwhelming sense of happiness wash over her.
“Guyyyyys,” Morgan whined down the hallway, stirring the couple from their moment.
Giselle dipped her chin, a faint flush in her cheeks. Robert ran a hand over Giselle’s knee, standing to make his way down the hallway, “Alright, alright. Time for you to get to bed.”
Giselle skipped after him down the hall to assist in tucking Morgan to bed. Much as their morning scene was regular, as was the bed time ritual. Giselle sat on one side of the bed; Robert on the other. Kisses were laid upon foreheads and the occasional story would be told, assuming it wasn’t too late. “I love you” was said back and forth before the adults moved to the doorway and clicked off the light.
Robert and Giselle walked side by side back to the living room, his hand on her lower back, she clinging to his side. The pair settled on the couch to watch a little TV to wind down from the events of the day. Giselle snuggled her face into Robert’s neck, not the least bit interested in the flashes of the television screen. She deeply inhaled the scent of his neck; a scent of lingering aftershave, sweat, and something she could only describe as Robert. His arm gently pulled her closer, warming her through and through. A smile appeared on her lips as her eyes drifted shut as happy thoughts infiltrated her dreams.
To Chapter 4.