For some reason, she was beginning to believe in fairy tales.....
It started so slowly, she almost didn't notice it, but Penny's life began to change. At work, she was suddenly the star. She had always been sharp and full of good ideas, but now, her ideas were absolutely brilliant, causing her superiors to take a second and third look at her and wonder why she wasn't one of them. She was promoted once, then again, then a third time, until she was comfortably ensconced in the upper echelon of the company. It felt right to her, spending her days helping the company grow and become recognized for its innovative thinking.
Then, over time, she looked into the mirror and finally made peace with what she saw there. Her lush curves no longer annoyed her, now she saw them as pleasing. Suddenly, her dark hair and eyes, her pretty dimples, even her petite size seemed right and good. She shopped for new clothes, confidently looking into the mirror and approving of the woman she was.
If there was anything in her life that wasn't perfect, it was her lack of time to spend with Meg. It seemed she never had a moment now to go by the house and listen to Meg's tales of school and her friends. She couldn't go to the soccer games and cheer for her. She missed the afternoons at dance rehearsal, watching Meg twirl around on her toes. When she actually had a moment to pause, she missed Katherine, Robert and Meg very much.
But she didn't have very many of those moments. Her life was so much fuller now. She sometimes wondered how she had felt busy before. Now she had a wonderful career, something she had always wanted. Now she had new friends, as the other managers began to demand her time for work and social events. Best of all, now there was William. He seemed to be everywhere. Beside their increasingly frequent dates, it seemed he was anywhere she was. They shared so many interests, attended the same esoteric club meetings. At first, she wondered about it. Then, like all the other great things happening in her life, she just accepted it and enjoyed the serendipity.
William was a loving suitor. He never crossed the line or became a nuisance, but he was attentive and caring in a way Penelope had only dreamed of before. He sent small, thoughtful gifts at unexpected times, making her smile. His calls were never intrusive, but just long enough and often enough for Penny to feel important to him.
She found herself happy most of the time now. She hummed to herself as she walked around her house, she sang aloud when alone in her car. Sometimes, when she was with William, she would have a song playing in her head, and he would start singing the same song in his lovely, rich voice.
He always called or asked politely for the next date, as if there was any doubt about her desires. The dates themselves were things of wonder. He seemed to know the kind of things that would delight her. No routine dinner and a movie for them; William's dates were marvels of surprise.
They walked in the park regularly now. The hot dog vendor Joe, knew their names and prepared their meal before they even reached him. William took her skating, patiently helping her learn to keep her balance and move forward at the same time. He loved musicals as much as she did, and surprised her with really great seats to many productions she had longed to see. He found book signings with writers she enjoyed, surprising her once with dinner with the author. Even renting a movie and having take- out chinese was a treat. She had never met anyone who had the same taste as she did in old movies. If it was William's turn to bring the video, she was sure it would be something she wanted to see or couldn't wait to see again.
He was still a mystery to her in many ways. His job seemed to allow him unlimited time to woo her, his schedule corresponded with her own so many times. He wasn't flashy or ostentatious, but she knew he had money and didn't mind spending it. He was so gentlemanly, so polite, so considerate. He made her feel precious and loved.
As the days passed, Penelope felt more and more sure of his love. He didn't rush her, didn't pressure her to declare her feelings, but, everyday, he let her know how much he cared. She spent her hours, happily working or talking or meeting, but William was always on her mind, always in her heart. She knew she loved him, knew she wanted to have him in her life forever.
He didn't pressure her in other ways either. Night after night, they went out together. And, night after night, he brought her home, walking her to the door, kissing her, holding her close. Each night, the kisses grew a little longer and more passionate, the caresses a little more intimate. It grew harder and harder for her to tell him goodnight and send him away. She knew he was waiting for some signal from her, but she was totally inexperienced in the dating world, and unsure how to proceed. She tried to call Katherine, the person who would have perfect advice for her, but was always just a minute too late to reach her.
Penelope turned to Julie, a woman she had met at the office and had come to cherish as a good and trusted friend. Penny and Julie had been lunching together for quite a while now, and Julie had heard so much about William and knew his importance in Penny's life. She had already decided that William was the perfect man for Penny and was happy to help keep him in her friend's life. Julie listened intently, nodding her head sagely many times. When Penny finished her story, blushing and stammering, Julie spoke.
"He is waiting for you to take the lead, Penny. He doesn't want to rush you, which is a good sign. Guys who are this patient tend to be in a relationship for the long haul. He is interested in forever, Penny, not just one night. He needs to know you are ready. You are ready, aren't you? When I met my Jim, I felt the same way. He was my knight in shining armor; he was everything I had ever wanted. It would please me so much to help you with William, to make you as happy as I am."
Then, Julie helped Penelope plan the next date with her sweet William.
Saturday was their monthly opera night. William had bought season tickets for her as a birthday present, a frequent reminder of their first night together. Penelope shopped carefully for the perfect clothing to wear that night. She wanted everything to be exactly right. She entered store after store, trying on everything, critically examing the results in the mirror. Finally, pleased with the results, she happily carried her purchases home.
That day, she went about her regular activities, cleaning house, doing laundry, listening to music, while in her mind, she planned the evening. She wanted everything to be absolutely right. Finally, it was time to get ready. She ran a bath, adding a large handful of vanilla bath beads. She shed her grungy housecleaning clothes and stepped into the warm tub, sinking down with a sigh. She rested her head and thought about William, replaying all the wonderful times they had already shared, fast-forwarding to the exciting times ahead. As the water began to cool, she washed her skin with fragrant vanilla soap, imagining William's hands moving along her flesh, touching her. Her heart began to race at the thought of sharing herself with William. She knew she would finally find out what lovemaking was all about. Penny was glad she had waited, tonight would mean so much more than a meaningless romp with a virtual stranger. Tonight would mean everything.
Penelope stepped from the tub, wrapping herself in a thick towel. She applied her makeup lightly, knowing that William preferred the real her. When she walked into the bedroom, she let the towel drop to the floor as she began dressing for her date. She had purchased new lingerie, sure that this time it would be seen and appreciated. She stepped into the black lace panties and garter belt. The black lace demi-bra made her breasts look even fuller. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she carefully slipped into the sheer black hosiery, clipping them in place with the garters. She stood before the full-length mirror, amazed at how sexy everything looked. She had never thought of herself as sexy or desirable...not before William. Now, she was pleased with her appearance, content with her body.
Her dress hung in the closet. Sliding open the door, she removed it and carefully placed it on the bed. It was a little black dress in the best sense of the term. When she had tried it on at the store, it had seemed made for her and she couldn't resist it. Now, looking at it, Penny knew she had made the right choice. It was a beautiful silk crepe, softly draped over her breasts, fitting her snugly to the waist, then falling in gentle gathers to her knees. The black stockings made her legs look extremely shapely and the black high-heeled sandals gave her a stature that felt odd to her.
