This was definitely not how Penelope expected to spend her Saturday night. It was just her luck that she happened to run into him as she was making a quit withdrawal from her checking account. But when the power went out and the doors locked, it seemed that the universe was just laughing at her. She was just thankful they still had service.
"I'mSTUCKinanatmvestibulewithColin!" Penelope hissed through the phone, cursing Hyacinth for answering when she was trying to talk to her best friend.
"What?" Hyacinth asked.
"I'mstuckinanATMVESTIBULEwithyourbrother!" Penelope repeated, aggravated.
"Huh?" Hyacinth asked again, clearly not in possession of the single Bridgerton braincell at the moment.
"Give the phone to Eloise!" She snapped, slightly regretting raising her voice, but she knew Eloise would understand.
"Pen?" Eloise asked.
"I'mstuckinanatmvestibulewithColin," Penelope ground out through clenched teeth in a poor attempt to be inconspicuous.
"You're stuck in an atm vestibule with Colin?" Eloise echoed, much to her relief.
"Yes!" She cried.
"I didn't even know atm vestibules were still a thing," Eloise mused.
"Well, they are," Penelope grumbled, rolling her eyes.
"Why are you stuck in an atm vestibule?" Her friend ask incredulously.
"I was buying drugs," she replied sarcastically. "Why do you think, El?"
"Okay, okay! Just breathe, Pen. I mean there's worse people to be stuck with during a blackout than my brother, right?"
"I think I'd rather be stuck with Nigel Berbrooke," she groaned, thumping her head against the wall in front of her, tactfully avoiding have to face Colin.
"Ouch," his familiar voice said, far closer than she remembered him being.
"Colin!" She squeaked, jumping in the air in surprise.
"It's not a very big vestibule, Pen. I can hear you," he pointed out, sounding equally amused and hurt.
"I gotta go, El," she mumbled, hanging up quickly.
"Pen, wait-!"
"I'm sorry," she immediately apologized.
He smiled boyishly, waving away her concern. "It's fine. I get it. I know I'm not your favorite person after...everything." Penelope had to laugh to herself. It was ridiculous, looking back. One throw away comment had somehow ruined, or at least paused, a decade long friendship. Yet, she couldn't find it in her to bridge that gap. How could they go back? "Pen, will you please talk to me? Yell at me, hit me, please just do something! I can't take this anymore! I'd much prefer you just show your anger over this-this silent treatment," Colin huffed.
Penelope sighed and slid to the floor slowly. She said nothing for a moment, then opened her bag and began rummaging around for something. Colin sighed as well before joining her. Finally, she pulled out a shy packet of foil. "Biscuit?" She offered.
"What?" He asked, dumbfounded, still racking his brain for a way to mend this rift between them.
"A biscuit," she repeated, waving one at him to clarify. "Do you want one?"
He wanted to say no, couldn't imagine eating when things were so broken between them, but then his stomach grumbled. Loudly. "Biscuits would be...perfection," he decided, blushing at the realization of what he just said. Penelope smiled slightly, then returned to eating her own biscuit.
