Chapter 24

JUSTIN halted on his step when he heard somebody gasp in front of him. He looked up and was startled to see Penelope standing on his door with her hands on her mouth instead of her eyes. Justin quickly covered his exposed manhood when he noticed that her gaze was focused on it.

“What are you doing here?!” he shouted, brows furrowed in mixed shock and confusion.

Penelope swallowed hard as she obviously trying her best to pull her eyes away from his crotch. Justin thought that maybe it was her first time to see a man’s incredible muscle. “I-I thought this is my room…” she stuttered and glanced down again. “I didn’t know that you’re here. The room was empty when I entered and—”

“This is not your room!” he snarled as he looked for the towel, but he can’t find any within his reach. “Fuck.”

Penelope looked in the toilet’s direction. “Do you want me to get the towel for you?” she asked and was about to move her feet when he stopped her. “Look, you’re wetting the carpet.”

Justin scowled at her. “Just get out, Penelope.”

“I’m sorry, Justin. The plants beside the doors are confusing. They were all the same!” she explained and smiled awkwardly. “And, by the way, Vince’s already asleep—”

“Get out!” he shouted angrily. He can’t believe the sanity of this woman. “Christ! You’re crazy!”

When Penelope got out of his room, he shook his head and sighed. He has a feeling that living with her wouldn’t be as easy as he thought. Especially if she continued to be careless and unmindful, just like now. That woman would be as stubborn as Vince, and he’ll surely end up being the one babysitting them. Yet even he knew that it might happen, he still chose to pursue hiring her.

“It’s because Vince needs her. My son needs her,” Justin told himself repeatedly. “Nothing more, nothing less.”

Justin went to his closet and took comfy clothes to put on. Cotton shorts and white shirts were his usual attire while at home. Working in the showbiz industry requires him to be a stylish bachelor while on cam, and for Justin, that kind of front is sometimes tiring.

He was about to go down the stairs for dinner when he thought of checking on Vince in his room. The child may be got tired of the bumpy trip from the Orphanage in Bulacan to here in Manila. Still, thanks to his housekeeper, Laura, he was able to leave Vince for a moment to pick up Penelope and her things in her place.

As soon as the woman called him to inform him that she’s ready to move in, Justin didn’t waste any time. When she called, he was currently walking out of the network building, so he immediately told her personal assistant, Cherry, to go home and that she doesn’t have to come with him to his house. It will be hard for him to hide Vince for the first weeks, but he knew that everything will be alright soon. All he has to do is to prevent his manager and personal assistant from visiting his house. Justin sighed. He needed to get a new home as soon as possible.

“Laura left already,” Penelope told him when he arrived at the dining room. “She told me about her schedule here and that I don’t have to do the laundry because she’s the one taking care of it.”

Justin nodded and sat in front of her. He can’t look at her because of what happened earlier, but this woman talks to him as if nothing happened! “She’s right, and that includes your laundry,” he said, not looking at her. “Do you know how to cook?”

“Yes, but not the chef style,” she said with a laugh. “I can boil eggs with my eyes close.”

Justin snorted. “I don’t eat foods from the delivery,” he said and took some rice, still avoiding her eyes.

“Why you’re not looking at me?” Penelope asked suddenly.

Justin’s brows furrowed. Did he hear it, right? She’s asking why he’s avoiding her eyes? He shook his head but didn’t answer. He focused his attention on slicing the sausage.

“Hey, Justin, don’t be awkward about earlier. It’s nothing to me,” she said and laughed. “I told you, I don’t find you attractive. So even if you walk naked in front of me, it doesn’t have an effect on me.”

Justin almost choked on his food. He glared at the woman. “What on earth are you saying?” he asked and grabbed the glass of water to drink.

“I’m just saying my thoughts—”

“Don’t say it. Keep it in yourself,” he cut off and scowled at her. “You’re not attracted to me, huh? Let’s see.”

The woman frowned at him. “I already saw it…” she said and gaze down at his plate. “You want more sausages?”

Justin felt the heat on his ears. This woman is really unbelievable.

_____________

“WHAT’S wrong with him?” Penelope asked on a knotted forehead when Justin just left the table without looking at her. “Is he embarrassed because I saw his…” she trailed and giggled. “It wasn’t my fault if he didn’t lock his door, and I accidentally entered. It was the plant’s fault, too. Why does he have to put the same varieties of plants on each the same door? It’s confusing for a guest like me.”

Penelope brought all the dishes to the sink and was about to wash them when she remembered that washing dishes was not in her job description. But what is she going to do with these dirty dishes?

“Should I call him?” she asked. “It’s his house. He should wash his own dishes,” she added and took out her phone from her pocket. She quickly dialed Justin’s number. After a few seconds, she heard a ringing phone in the living room. “He left his phone downstairs?”

She went to the living room and found his phone on the couch. Her brows drew together when she read on the screen the contact name associated with her number. Penelope curled her lips, so this man actually thinks that she’s crazy?

Penelope marched towards the stairs with furrowed brows. She was about to barge into his room again when the door opened suddenly, and Justin bumped with her. Penelope lost her balance, but before she could fall on, she grabbed the man’s collar and dragged her down. Justin fell on top of her.

Penelope groaned not only in pain but also because of the man’s heavyweight on top of her. She tried to push him, but he’s too heavy.

“Get up,” she said and pushed him. “You’re so heavy!”

But the man didn’t move. Instead, he pressed her even harder on the floor. “What do you need again?” he asked, looking straight into her eyes. “Don’t tell me that you forgot again where your room is?”

Penelope glared at him. “Get off me—”

“No,” Justin cut off. “I want to see if you’re really not attracted to me,” he said and slowly lowered his head towards her.

“Wait, w-what are you gonna do—” Her eyes opened wider when his lips were just an inch away from hers. “Justin—”

The door in Vince’s room opened slowly, and before they could get up, the kid stepped out and looked at them in sleepy eyes. “Papa? Mama?”

***