Wouldn't You Like to Know?

Three

Three

The best thing about being a writer was that got to make your own schedule. That was also the worst. Which was why it was near noon because Penelope often wrote her best work at night. After her Zoom Call with Agatha, she had found herself inspired to work on something new. Then, in the morning, her phone which she had put in silent, vibrated.

Penelope was surprised when she got a DM on Instagram. It was not on her author account that she used for publicity. Instead, it was the old one that she used to post her personal pictures on. Before she wound up losing the Bridgerton's as her close, family friends. There were so many pictures of her with them.

A lot of them were her and Eloise.

But there were a few group shots of family vacations they used to take. One of her pushing Benedict into the pool for something stupid he'd done. Anthony putting bunny ears on her during an Easter Egg hunt. Lots of her and Colin throughout the years.

And there, in her DMS, was a message from the last person she expected to get one from. Colin Bridgerton. Fuck. What did he know? Had Agatha forgotten and told him that she was Lulu Rochester?

She stared at the DM like it was a ticking time bomb. Her finger hovered over it, and eventually, she opened the message.

Hi stranger.

Long time no see. I haven't heard from you in a while. I was wondering if you wanted to meet up. Are you still in New York?

-Colin

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!!!!" she shouted it out as she got up from bed. Why was he contacting her? Had Eloise actually realized she was the romance author she'd been reviewing after all this time? No. It couldn't have been possible.

She certainly wouldn't have sent Colin to her direction. Not after everything she had done to them.

Penelope's phone vibrated and she saw Agatha's name flash across the screen. Groaning, she answered it. "Hello?"

"Oh, don't you sound chipper?" said Agatha. "You do know it's noon, don't you?"

"Oh, I know that. But don't be angry with me. I stayed up all last night working."

Agatha raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Penelope nodded. "I'm working on something new. I think you'll like it."

Her agent smiled. "Wonderful! Anyway, I contacted Colin Bridgerton's agent last night, and your paperwork is going to be sent over. Sign it and get it back to me. Once that's done, you probably won't even have to see Colin during the making of the film. Everyone knows that Lulu Rochester is incredibly mysterious. No one is going to expect you to show up at the premiere."

Penelope smiled. "Good. That's really good."

"And they are paying you a lot of money for the rights."

"How much money?" Penelope asked.

"A couple million." Agatha took a sip of her coffee.

Penelope let out an excited shriek. "Oh my god!" She started jumping up and down. "Are you serious?"

"Do you really think I would lie to you? When you make money, I make money. You're the reason I have a vacation home on three, different continents."

Penelope smiled. "Agatha, I love you so much. You don't even know."

Agatha laughed. "Yes, well. Show your gratitude to me by writing another best seller. Anyway, you get a movie, we both get paid. You won't even have to see Colin Bridgerton. After all, it's not exactly like it's something that requires research or whatever. He probably won't even want to talk to you."

"Good, good," Penelope said, "that's exactly what I want. To make a bunch of money and to never have to see that jerk again."

Agatha chuckled. "Strong words for you, Penelope. Are you sure that you're completely over this young man?"

Penelope scowled. "Yes, you.... you don't understand. The history between the two of us is too complicated. We could never go back to who we were."

Agatha sighed. "Alright. But do remember to try to have some fun, won't you? You're a millionaire romance writer. Act like it."

She laughed. "Don't worry. I'll try to."

"Good. Congratulations, Penelope. Remember, you're not a Wallflower anymore. You're a badass."

The call ended, and Penelope smiled to herself. She let out a little, excited shriek. "I'm a BADASS!" She looked at herself in the mirror "I'M A BADASS!"

There was a knock on the door. "Hello?"

She froze. No. No. No, no, no. That couldn't be who she thought it was. There was no possible way that Colin Bridgerton was standing outside her doorway at that moment when she was wearing pink pajamas with little cherries on them. Nope.

"Hello, is this Lulu Rochester's home?"

"Fuck," she hissed under her breath.

"Miss Rochester?" Colin Bridgerton's voice had only gotten deeper over the years. It made her tingle in places she did not want to be tingling at that very moment. Not when her high school crush was coming back into her life for one of the biggest business moments of her career as a writer.

She could not be fucking horny during a business meeting. She was god damn professional.

"GIVE ME A MOMENT!"

Penelope rummaged around for something to wear, crashing into things as she tried to find something respectable. Eventually, she pulled on something that wasn't pajamas, but she wasn't sure what she had found.

She slipped on a pair of flats and opened the door. Colin Bridgerton had, actually, been standing on the other side of it. And he looked so fucking handsome, she felt like dying.