SURROGATE : Conception (+18) BOOK 1 (COMPLETE)

| 50 | Releasing the High ||

"Liam," Penelope said plainly, sliding the bacon strips on the paper towel covered plate.

"Morning." He grumbled.

She frowned over at him, but didn't say anything. She quickly caught on that he was still in the same foul mood as the evening before when she ran into him by the pool. She didn't notice this before their sojourn together, but she figured it couldn't have just popped out of nowhere. Truth being, he worked so much, that she didn't realize how much he worked until things started settling back into normal.

He was dragging his feet like he was sleep walking, but on the outside he looked polished and ready to make millions. When he made his way over to the coffee machine, she reached across him, getting a whiff of his cologne, and pulled the French press in front of him.

"I didn't get to press it yet."

He glanced over at her for a moment before facing the counter. "Thanks." He opened up the cabinet above the stove and retrieved her favorite tea that she had to otherwise climb the countertops to reach, set it on the counter, and pulled out two mugs.

"Bacon?"

He looked over at the plate, then frowned with his mug of coffee in hand. "Not hungry. Thanks though."

"Yeah, sure--"

"Ahhhh my goodness Penny!" Frida squealed flying into the kitchen. She laughed maliciously. Which made Penelope raise an eyebrow while also fighting a smile. "You will never guess who I got to make your dress on such short notice!" The woman giggled and spun in a circle. "Come on guess!"

Penelope frowned. "But you just said I wouldn't guess."

The woman rolled her eyes. "That was a figure of speech, well, come on give it a go."

"Ah, well," she scratched her head "I don't know--"

"Catalina Viselli!" The woman squealed and jumped up and down clapping.

"You're right I wouldn't have guessed." Truth was the words weren't even making sense in Penelope's head.

"Can you believe it?" Frida trilled.

"No, no, actually I can't." Penelope's mind had stalled like her old car on the highway, when the transmission was about to go, for a moment. "The Catalina Viselli?" She had admired the woman's work on the runway, clipped pictures out of magazines, clippings that she still had in her design journals. The woman was brilliant with pattern and creative with the shapes of her sleeves. She inspired Penelope to play with sleeves herself! It was... wait a minute. "Did... were you able to get a face to face meeting with her?"

Frida's smile faded and she looked at Penelope with a blank stare. "You doubt me?" She glared at Penelope before breaking out into a big smile. "Well, I said I would, didn't I. So of course I did!"

"W-what? What!" Now Penelope was screaming, which made Frida giggle and scream too.

"For the final fitting only though." Frida grabbed her hands to halt the giggling. "It's a short bit of time, but time nonetheless."

"Ahhh!" The screaming and giggling picked back up. "This is a dream come true. You have no idea! I can't believe it!" Penelope pulled Frida into a startled hug which the other woman quickly returned.

"Woah, woah, with all the screaming so early."

Both women stopped their excitement to find a miserable looking Liam leaning on the counter several feet away sipping his coffee.

"Haven't seen you in a while." Frida said, straightening her workout jumper. God Liam. You look like death--" She paused for a moment with a frown. "Are you?" She got closer to her husband and frowned up at him. "Are you hung over?"