Open House: For Sale

Grumpy Cat

The next day, when I get in my office, I see Penny already there. I check my watch to see if I'm late, but in fact, I'm early too. I figure that she's early because she felt bad for leaving yesterday's work, so I don't say anything, I just go sit down. 

"Coffee?" she asks without taking her eyes from her computer

"A bucket of it, thank u..." I reply and she immediately gets up

When she comes back, she leaves the extra-big mug she knows I mean when I ask for a bucket, next to my hand, as I want it, but when she takes her hand away, I grab her wrist, gently, making her look at me

"I don't want what happened yesterday to become a problem to our work relationship..."

"Noted" she says flatly and pulls her arm, but I don't let her go

"Is there a way to put it behind us entirely?"

"It will take some time, but I think we'll get over it eventually..."

"If u're thinking of quitting I'd like to know..."

"I'm not gonna quit for something like that, Carlos...I'm a professional"

"Me too, but do u think we'll keep being a good team after that?"

"Carlos, there's always gonna be tension between us, especially since there are suppressed feeling. I can't promise it won't be awkward, but I can promise u that I won't let it get between our work. Can u do that?"

"I can, yes..."

"So can I then..." she says and I leave her wrist

"When are we gonna get married?" I ask her as she goes to her desk

"Is that still on?"

"If u still want to, yes..."

"Then, I don't know, whenever u can!"

"What about Monday? I'll take care of everything"

"Um, sure, ok..."

"Are platinum rings ok?"

"What?"

"We need wedding rings, Penny...it has to look real"

"Oh...um, yeah, sure! The cheaper the better. It could be tin for all I care, we don't have to spend a fortune on a fake wedding, right?"

"Right...I'll need your finger size" I say and she gives me the ring she was already wearing

"That's from the middle finger, my ring finger is about a size smaller"

"Alright...I'll bring it back to u tomorrow"

~~~

Penny's P.O.V

On Friday, I go to work all nervous because of my date at night. I haven't gone on a date in so long, that I have forgotten what u say on the first date, but then I remember that we used to live across each other and we haven't seen each other since forever, so I'm sure we'll find things to talk about. On the other hand, though, I feel weird going on a date when I clearly have feelings for Carlos. Who knows what could have happened if I hadn't picked up the phone. Well, we'd probably be together now, but still, things could have gone wrong somehow. And then Malcolm would have been right; it had only been an hour since I gave him my phone number and if he was even one minute late, he could have lost his chance...

"Good morning. Here's your ring back *places it on desk*. We'll say we have to see a couple of houses if anyone asks where we're going, it shouldn't take more than an hour or so. We just have to go pick up the rings first" Carlos says, walking in the office, at around 9.30, making me wake up from my thoughts