Wouldn't You Like to Know?

Six

Six

"Why you do you look like you fucking got laid?" He was out at a bar with Benedict, second oldest brother. Colin swirled his drink around and took a drink of the scotch that he had. He smiled and laughed.

"I haven't gotten laid," said Colin.

Benedict squinted at him. "Then, what's with the look?"

Colin ran his free hand through his chestnut brown hair. "I saw Penelope Featherington today."

Benedict's eyes widened. "Penny?" he whistled. "That's a name I haven't heard in a minute. How is she?"

"She's good. Actually, did you know she was the head of that gossip account that always shit talked us in high school?"

Benedict snorted. "Yes. And you're only just finding this out?"

He shrugged. "I didn't pay attention to that bullshit. Eloise told me. She said it was the reason that they stopped being friends, because of all of the stuff that happened with Theo."

Benedict stilled. "Yeah, well...that shit was messed up. But of course, I knew. Penelope's grew up with Philipa and Prudence. She could be vicious when she wanted to be but everyone else bullied her all of the time. I was actually kind of impressed when I realized it was her. She's funny."

Colin scratched his chin. "Yeah, she is funny, isn't she?"

Benedict chuckled. "Are you getting your little crush back?"

Colin sighed. "I don't think that it ever went away. But she has this little habit of lying about things that I'm not sure about."

"What's she lying about this time? How much she has feelings for you? Puh-lease, you two were always so obvious. The only people that didn't know were you. Anyway, when's the wedding?"

Colin shook his head. "Don't be an asshole. Anyway, she's Lulu Rochester."

Benedict raised an eyebrow. "Lulu Rochester?" Colin had never seen his brother look more delighted, and that included the time Anthony had gotten drunk at his bachelor party and tried to kidnap a goat to set it free. Benedict whistled. "She's that smutty romance author, isn't she? She writes dirty stories for women in their late teens and twenties or something? That New Adult stuff, right?'

Colin nodded. "Yeah. And uh...I think the book I bought the rights to for the movie is about her fantasies of us from high school."

Benedict smirked. "Oh, and she won't tell you that she's the author?"

He took a sip of his scotch again. "No, she won't."

Benedict smirked wider. "You've got to fucking mess with her."

"I was already planning it," he said, "I don't care about all of that shit from high school. Or even the stuff with her shitty dad. All I care about is her and we're finally at a place where we can both be mature about stuff. I only want her to stop hiding who she is. She's brilliant, and clever, and doesn't see that in herself. I hate it. I want to make her see it in herself."

"Alright, I amend my earlier statement. You haven't fucked her but you're going to, aren't you?"

Colin took another drink. "I'm going to seduce her. I'm going to get the truth from her. Then, I'm going to fucking marry her."

Benedict clinked his glass with his. "Cheers to that, brother. You know how happy Mother will be to have another wedding to plan? Please do it soon so she is distracted long enough to keep me from having to be set up with all of the single daughters of every friend she has."

Colin laughed. "Don't worry. This isn't going to take long. I know how to make Penelope mine. All of that movie star charm, yeah? Anyway, don't act like you haven't been flirting with mother's latest intern since God knows when. You two were very obvious when we went on vacation this year."

"Sophie Beckett and I are very, very, good friends. Ask her. That's what she always tells anyone who will listen."

"She's smart, that's why. You two are a PR nightmare waiting to happen."

"I've tried convincing her to be my Sugar Baby, she wasn't really open to the idea. In fact, she a drink on me the last time I suggested it."

"Oh, then you really should marry her. That means she's scary and you listen to her."

Benedict rolled his eyes. "I listen to no one. Anyway, I've already got a plan to make her jealous."

"What's your plan?"

"I'm going to date the sister."

Colin sputtered. "Did you learn nothing from the Anthony and Kate mistake?"

Benedict shrugged. "This is different. Anthony had no idea Edwina was related to Kate. He dated Kate in college and they hadn't seen each other in years. He slept with her once, it was an accident. Once he realized Kate was her sister, he stopped."

Colin put his forehead in his hands. Muffled, he said, "This is going to end so, so badly."

Benedict patted him on the back. "Don't worry, brother. I'm not an idiot. I'm the Vice President of Mother's company, remember? I just made her my intern. She has to answer to my beck and call and is in my office so she doesn't get to flirt with anyone else from work. Everyone has noticed how cute she is. It's very annoying, actually."

Colin groaned. "Does mother know that you are going to end up on the news because of a sexual harassment scandal?"

Benedict chuckled. "Only as a human-interest piece, because we are going to have the cutest babies anyone has ever seen."

Colin sighed. "You're delusional."

"Well, at least I'm not tricking one of my best friends into falling in love with me when I know she's already in love with me."

"Well, at least Penelope doesn't WORK FOR ME."

Benedict sighed. "Will you visit me in jail?"

"Depends on how stupid you are," Colin put his now empty drink down on the bar. "Come on, HR Nightmare. Let's go home."