Irresistibly Yours (Oxford #1)(72)

“No word from him?” Janie asked, pulling Penelope’s beer out of her hand and taking a sip.

She shook her head. “No. Do you think I should call him?”

“Absolutely not,” her mother said. “The ball’s in his court. He’s the utter fool here.”

Janie nodded. “I’m not saying he doesn’t get a little bit of a free pass because of what happened with his brother, but he still owes you an apology. And he needs to initiate it.”

Penelope stared blindly at the fishbowl, where Edgar swam in aimless circles. “That would be all fine and good if we didn’t work together. What am I supposed to do when he shows up on Monday?”

“Well, one thing’s for certain, you have to look fabulous,” her mother said. “Which reminds me, I want to take you shopping. Your closet is eighty percent sports outfits.”

Sports outfits?

Penelope and Janie exchanged a tired look. Their mother wasn’t superficial—not quite. But Lydia Pope was definitely of the mind-set that a nice fuchsia lipstick could solve most of the world’s problems.

“I’m pretty sure Cole cares about a lot more than Penelope’s looks,” Janie said gently.

“Well, of course he does,” Lydia said, indignant. “But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t show off her legs. Maybe get a nice push-up bra…remind him of exactly what he kicked out of his bed.”

“Mom, eeew,” Janie said.

“Do you have a better idea?” Lydia asked.

“As a matter of fact, yes,” Janie said, handing Penelope her beer back. “You’re going to act like nothing happened.”

“Can’t,” Penelope said glumly. “I’m a horrible actress.”

“Well, that’s true, dear. Which reminds me, would you mind if I put up a video of that time you played the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz and then chased your tail because you thought it was on fire?”

“Mother,” Janie and Penelope said at the same time.

“What? It’s cute! And you two have banned me from naked pictures. I need something to post on Facebook. My fans are counting on me.”

“You know they’re friends, right. Not fans?”

“Mine are both,” Lydia said stubbornly. “I have a following. They rely on me for entertainment.”

“Did I say I was glad you came out to New York?” Penelope asked jokingly. “Because I changed my mind.”

“Well, it’s either the lion video, or I could do the fourth-grade talent show, where you—”

Penelope was saved from having to hear her mother recount a disastrous performance of Leader of the Pack by the buzzing of her intercom.

“Yikes,” Janie said, glancing at the ancient-looking box making the noise. “They still make those?”

“It’s an old building,” Penelope said, dragging herself off the couch. “I hope that’s the pizza.”

Her mother made a dismayed noise. “Pizza. I thought we agreed that I’d make a lovely salad—”

“Mom, I’m a vegetarian, and even I know salad’s not comfort food,” Janie said. “We ordered a pizza while you were in the bathroom curling your hair. Again.”

“Hello?” Penelope asked, punching the button.

“Penelope, sweetheart. How are you?”

She frowned at the familiar voice. “Lincoln?”

“Indeed. Can I come up?”

“Who’s Lincoln?” Lydia asked Janie.

“Dunno,” Janie said. “I hope we’re about to find out. He sounds sexy.”

“You’re married,” Penelope shot over her shoulder to her sister. “Although, if you think he sounds sexy, watch this….”

“Come on up,” she told Lincoln, buzzing him in.

“Watch what?” Janie asked.

“Wait for it,” Penelope said, going to the front door and standing on her toes to look through the peephole.

She smiled in anticipation when she saw Lincoln’s painfully handsome face appear on the other side of the door. Why couldn’t she have fallen in love with this one? Handsome, and unlikely to bid farewell to a woman with a See you around, Pope.

Penelope opened the door before he could knock, then stepped back to let her mother and sister take in the full impact of Lincoln Mathis’s good looks.

“Wow,” Janie said.

“Oh my,” their mother breathed.

Penelope grinned. “Lincoln, meet my sister, Janie, and mother, Lydia.”

Lincoln’s eyebrows lifted. “I would have thought them both your sisters.”

Penelope rolled her eyes at the overused line, but Lydia put a hand over her chest and made a tittering, tinkling laugh that Penelope hadn’t heard…ever.

“I didn’t realize you had family in town,” Lincoln said, going to shake both women’s hands. “Badly done of me to intrude like this.”

“Oh, you’re not intruding,” Janie said in a breathy little voice.

Penelope shut the door. “You’re not,” she confirmed for Lincoln. “They came out to offer moral support in the wake of your best friend being a total jerk.”

Lincoln winced. “I figured it was something like that. Although he’s not returning any of our calls. Jake said his brother had been in an accident, but none of us can get details.”