Max paused, giving him a sidelong glance. “Do you have a crush on her?”
The freshman replied, “Not me…”
Max chuckled.
The freshman scratched his head and said, “Well, I’m the dorm leader, and I’m here to gather information.”
Max replied, “She already has a boyfriend. You don’t stand a chance.”
The freshman shrugged, “Having a boyfriend isn’t a big deal as long as she’s not married.”
Max squinted at him, “Your loyalty seems weak.”
The freshman explained, “We’re just thinking about the school’s reputation. With her beauty, she should stay here.”
Max suggested, “If you’re so determined, why don’t you ask her out yourself?”
The freshman chuckled, “She… she seems pretty cool.”
Max nodded and handed him the phone.
The freshman was excited, saying, “Thanks!”
Max remarked, “You’re the ninth guy who’s asked me for her number.”
The freshman asked, “Did you give her number to the previous eight guys?”
Max winked and replied, “Of course. Like you said, for the school’s reputation, I want to increase their chances.” He smiled and kept his eyes on the stage.
In the dressing room, Penelope picked up the borrowed performance costumes from Abby and asked, “Are you kidding me?”
Abby smiled awkwardly and explained, “We’re on a tight budget. These are rented from a wedding photo studio.”
Penelope looked at the cheap and outdated dress, unable to accept it.
Abby suggested, “You have a nice skirt; you can wear that.”
Penelope said, “I’ll bring my own dress.”
Abby asked, “Do you know how to do your makeup?”
Penelope replied, “Yes.”
Abby was relieved, saying, “Great, then you’re all set. No need to worry.”
Penelope felt like she was losing out. She wasn’t getting paid for the welcome party, but she had to spend some money. Considering her usual appearance fee, she should have at least earned a lot in tips.
“After the welcome party, we’re having a celebration feast, and we can go together!” Abby patted Penelope’s shoulder and said.
Penelope quickly asked, “Is that also at my own expense?”
Abby reassured her, “Oh no, we have sponsorship fees.”
Penelope felt relieved. She had a late rehearsal, so she had dinner with her classmates in the cafeteria.
The weather was still hot, and she was sweating, wanting to take a bath. The bathtub in her room wasn’t as comfortable as the one in the master bedroom, so she went straight to the master bedroom in her pajamas.
Warren had just finished his shower, and she bumped into him.
“I’d like to borrow your bathtub,” she said.
Warren looked down at her. She was rubbing her nose, appearing to be hurt.
Penelope looked up at him, stepped aside to let him pass, and they ended up standing in the doorway, getting close to each other. He could see the fluff on her face, and she could feel his distinct muscles.
They seemed locked in place for a minute. Penelope let out a sigh of relief and slipped into the bathroom while he remained still. His hair was still wet, but his heart was warm.
Chris was lying on the bed, and Warren gently placed him in his own cradle.
Meanwhile, Penelope was taking a bath in the bathroom, singing while reading magazines. Suddenly, the door opened, and Warren walked in again.
Penelope looked up, silently wondering, ‘What is he doing?’
He stood in front of the washbasin, picked up his toothbrush and toothpaste, and started brushing his teeth slowly.
Penelope squinted her eyes, thinking, ‘When did he change his habit of brushing his teeth while taking a shower?’
With bubbles covering her, she wasn’t completely exposed, so she continued reading her magazines and ignored him. However, after he finished brushing his teeth, he began to tidy up the washbasin, and then he started sweeping the floor.
Penelope felt the hot water had turned warm, and her skin had slightly wrinkled, but he still hadn’t left. She found it impossible to stay in the water any longer. She cleared her throat and said, “Could you please go out first?”
Warren raised his eyebrows and asked, “Why?”
“I want to stand up and rinse off the bubbles,” she replied.
He replied casually, “You can just get up; it won’t bother me.”
Penelope clenched her teeth in frustration and said, “You’re really getting in my way!”
He dropped the mop, grabbed a towel, wrapped it around her, and picked her up, causing Penelope to almost scream in surprise.
“What are you doing?” she asked in horror.
He placed her under the shower and turned on the hot water switch, saying, “You can rinse off now.” When she finished, he removed the towel she was wrapped in.
“Penelope…” he smiled and whispered before passionately kissing her.
****
The following day, when Warren woke up, he noticed that the person next to him had vanished. Penelope must have been upset about his leaving the night before and had intentionally left earlier. Warren couldn’t help but smile and rubbed his forehead before heading to the bathroom.
His hunch was correct. Penelope had gotten up half an hour earlier than him and was currently trying on different clothes in the closet. She sought Mrs. Brown’s advice and asked, “What do you think of this one?”
Mrs. Brown replied, “Is it too revealing?”
Penelope lowered her head, looking at the deep V-cut and high slit; it didn’t seem to match the campus style.
Mrs. Brown then asked, “How about this?”
Penelope responded, “It’s too mature.”
Once more, Mrs. Brown inquired, “What about this?”
Penelope explained, “The design is too complicated.”
Penelope eventually had to ask Mrs. Brown to step outside the cloakroom. However, she couldn’t help but think that if her mother were still alive, she would likely have the same conservative views on her clothing choices as Mrs. Brown.
She changed back into her usual outfit and grabbed her bag before heading downstairs.
Warren noticed her leaving and asked, “It’s Saturday today. Where are you going?”
Penelope glanced at Warren and retorted, “Why does it matter to you? You don’t tell me where you go either.” With that, she put on her shoes and walked out.
Warren was taken aback by her “rebellion” and missed the chance to stop her.
Mrs. Brown approached and reassured him, saying, “You can rest assured she’s going to the library.”