Imagine Me and You

Note- Her greeting card is from the Hallmark website. It is sold in their stores.

Chapter Seven

February 2008

Over breakfast on Saturday morning Derek gave Penelope a card. The front said, in big red letters, I Love You From The Top of Your Head to the Tip of Your Toes.

Inside it said, in smaller red letters, And don't even get me started on the in-between! Some of my favorite parts are in-between.

There was a gift card to the local mall included in it.

She said "Thank you, handsome. This is very sweet of you. But I don't need presents everyday, you know? Of course if you wanna..." she smiled at him.

"I wanna, baby girl, very, very much. Please take that gift card today and get yourself a new dress for tonight. Something that will make me barely be able to hold back on ravishing you."

"That's not the kind of dress I want at all. I need one that makes it so you can't hold back."

"Behave!" He chuckled and drank his coffee. He hadn't been able to keep a grin off his lips since the day before when she said she would go on a date with him. He loved that Penelope seemed just as happy as he was about them starting to get together.

He had never taken for granted that she would want to be his girlfriend, let alone his wife one day, but so far she seemed to love the idea of them being together. Derek prayed she kept feeling all he was feeling because he had never been this content in all his life.

It was just like he felt at Christmas when she had stayed with him but now it was doubled or tripled because they were moving beyond friends. His baby girl really was giving him a chance to be her man. To make her life better with his love.

It was an honor and a privilege. He would forever treat it as such and maybe, just maybe, he'd forever have her love.

XXXXXXXXXXX

In a dreamy voice, as they sat in the theater that night, Penelope said to Derek "We're on a date."

He chuckled. "That we are, baby girl." He pressed a kiss to her forehead. The play hadn't started yet.

Derek was still sneaking looks at the sexy, cleavage bearing, dress she had bought for this night. It hugged her breasts and then flared out. It was shimmery and shiny. Perfect for his bright and bubbly girl.

He took her hand. "Thank you very much for agreeing to be my date tonight."

"It is my pleasure to be on the arm of the sexiest man in America."

He raised an eyebrow. "Not the whole world?"

She laughed and he grinned. An elderly woman behind them tapped Derek on the shoulder. "This is your first date, dear?"

"Yes, ma'am, it is. I just talked her into it after nearly four years of knowing each other."

The woman smiled sweetly and asked her companion, an elderly man who looked like he would fall asleep as soon as the lights went down. "Did you hear that, George? These young people are on their first date. Isn't that exciting?" She smiled at Derek. "You're going to marry her. I can tell these things."

Penelope blushed. Derek gave her a tender look. "I would not be surprised if you're right. Even though I always said I'm not the marrying kind."

"You'll marry this girl," the woman insisted. "You're completely smitten. Its written all over your face. I predicted both my grandson's brides. Of course they played the field first but, in the end, they married the women I knew they would. Jerry, that's my youngest grandson, he married his childhood sweetheart after they reunited at their ten year high school reunion and my other grandson, Jacob, married his best friend who he met in college. Friend, he told me. He brought her to every family event for years. Friend, I think not. That's his wife of two years now and they have a baby on the way. My third great grandchild. Would you like to see pictures?"

Penelope said "Yes, ma'am, I would love to."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

On the way home from the play Derek and Penelope laughed and joked the whole time. As soon as they were in the living room, even though it was pitch black and Clooney was barking, their lips found each others and they started kissing.

Derek broke away first. "Mmm, girl, good first date, huh?"

"A wonderful first date, handsome."

"Can I take you out tomorrow night?" He told her about a club that was having live music.

"Or we could stay in and you could ravish me."

"Silly girl, in due time, and I promise you it'll be worth the wait." He gave her a tender kiss.

Her hands held his arms while his hands cradled her face. "Okay, I'll be patient but if you hear loud moaning from my room tonight that's just me patiently waiting and imagining you're ravishing me to the point I can't walk tomorrow."

"Penelope," he scolded playfully "you keep this up and I'll never get to sleep tonight."

Clooney kept up his barking.

"Baby, will you let Clooney out to do his business and then meet me on the couch? I want your arms around me for at least a few hours tonight."

He kissed her temple. "Mmm, you've got yourself a deal. Go get settled in, baby girl. I'll be right back."

Soon he was on the couch with her, his arms wrapped around her and one leg on the other side of her body as he was propped around the arm of the couch and she lay against him. Her heels were kicked off.

Morgan slowly unpinned her hair and ran his fingers through it, massaging her head gently until she was moaning in pleasure. His fingers moved down over her neck and shoulders.

She told him "I've always loved it when you massage my shoulders."

"Mmm, I love touching you. Always have. If I had to keep my hands off you at work I'd go crazy."

"You're so lucky I like you touching me or else you'd be permanently stuck in a sexual harassment seminar for your naughty behavior."

"Silly girl," he chuckled but his tone was serious as he went on "don't think I don't know that I'm damn lucky you're feeling me. I know it and I appreciate it and you, more than words can say."

He stopped massaging her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back against him. She closed her eyes and lay on him. Penelope said "I would have been okay with just staying friends, you know?"

He tensed slightly.

She went on "I just need you in my life, Derek, in whatever way I could have you. But I'm glad you want more because this feels like heaven on earth to me."

He relaxed. "Heaven, my angel, is wherever you are."

They shared a sweet kiss and spent hours talking that night, as they moved their friendship into a romance that would last for as long as they lived.

(And anytime I feel alone

I just close my eyes and be there:

where you are.

x-x-x

Where you and I can breathe together.

Once again,

we'll be dancing in the moonlight

just like we used to do

and you'll be smiling back at me.

Only then will I be free

Then I will be free...

-x-x-x-x

That sweet day, yeah.

Only wanna be where you are.

I still believe!) (Jessica Simpson)

THE END