Chapter 51: Chapter 51

IT was before lunchtime when Penny arrived.

I was in the mini library of the house when Gideon informed me of the woman's arrival.

"Mrs. Henry," Penny greeted me. The woman was wearing a black and white pinstriped suit. Her hair was in a French bun, and her face was in perfect make up.

Like I said when I first saw her, she looked more like a model than an interior designer.

I couldn't help but look down on myself. I was only wearing a white dress shirt and cotton shorts. Even my face was bare and pale.

Damn. I should have changed before I left the room. But it was too late for that now.

I glanced at Gideon who was wearing a polo shirt paired with khaki shorts. I was the only one who looked out of place.

"I'm sorry I arrived a little bit earlier," the woman said to Gideon, glancing at her wristwatch.

"It's fine, Penny," Gideon said to the woman. "We've been expecting you, anyway."

"Do you want to see first the designs I made for this house?" Penny asked.

Gideon turned to me. "What do you think, Bianca?"

I shrugged. "Sure."

Penny smiled and opened her laptop.

"Here are the designs that I made for your living area, Gideon, Mrs. Henry," Penny said as she showed us the screen of the laptop.

Wait? What did Penny call my husband? Gideon?

Just Gideon? She's calling the CEO of the company where she works by his first name?

"You said you wanted light colors, so I chose this color combination."

"It's good, Penny. I like it." Gideon commented after studying the designs presented to us. He turned to me. "What do you think, Bianca?"

I looked at the screen of the laptop. I couldn't help but admit that the designs Penny presented were good. It looked classy yet at the same time modern.

"It's good."

"Thanks, Mrs. Henry." Penny smiled at me.

I returned it with a small one. I could see that Penny was a nice woman. Her smiles were warm and kind.

It was just that… I didn't like her around.

"Next here are the designs I made for the bedrooms."

Penny showed us another set of designs on her laptop.

"They're all good, Penny," Gideon said, smiling at the woman. "Dad was really right when he said you're one of the finest interior designers in the country."

"Oh. I think that's too much compliment, Gideon. I'm just doing my job here."

I noticed how Penny's cheeks blushed. Did she blush because of the compliment that she received or because it was Gideon who said it?

My eyes squinted a bit. Did she like Gideon?

"So, when do you want to do the renovation?" Penny asked. "I'm already free next month."

"Well, I'll need to discuss it first with my wife."

In the middle of their discussion, we had another visitor. This time, it was Hanna.

"Hanna!" I happily exclaimed when I opened the door for her. I didn't expect to see her. Gideon's contract with her already ended last week.

"Gideon said I can visit you during weekends," she said, smiling. She handed me a bottle of wine. "I don't want to come here without bringing anything."

"Oh. You shouldn't have bothered. It's not like you're other people."

For the past two months that she had been with us, I had already considered her a friend.

"Penny, this is Hanna, my former physical therapist," Gideon introduced the two.

I cleared my throat. "Gideon, Miss Walter, excuse us. Hanna and I are just going to prepare our lunch."

"Did Gideon cook this?" Hanna asked, looking at the classic roasted chicken and gravy that I served on the dining table. Aside from that, he already prepared creamy garlic mashed cauliflower for the sides.

"Yup." I pursed my lips. "But this lemon meringue was mine. I baked this earlier."

I said, pointing at the dessert on the table.

"Gideon really knows how to cook now, huh?" Hanna chuckled, impressed. "I still remember the first time he asked me how to cook pasta bolognese. He looked so confused."

I pursed my lips. "Yeah, that was only two months ago but it already felt like a long time."

Hanna raised her brow at me. "How are you two, anyway?"

"W-we're fine, Hanna."

"Did you two already settle your feelings for each other?"

I blinked. "What feelings are you talking about?"

Hanna pursed her lips. "Well, did you finally admit to Gideon that you're in love with him?"

"What?" A nervous chuckle escaped my lips. "I told you I'm not in love with him."

Hanna nodded. "I see, you're still in denial."

"I'm not—" My words were cut off when I saw Gideon and Penny at the entrance of the dining room.

My husband was laughing at what Penny said to him.

My brows furrowed. What are they talking about?

"You looked constipated, Bianca."

Hanna whispered beside me.

I cleared my throat and fixed my face.

"Oh. This is my favorite." Penny muttered when she saw what was for lunch.

Gideon and I were sitting beside each other while Penny and Hanna were seated across from us.

Gideon chucked. "Really? That's what my wife asked me to cook for lunch."

I suddenly wanted to roll my eyes. If only I had known that roasted chicken was Penny's favorite, I would have asked Gideon to cook a different meal.

"Oh. You cooked this, Gideon?" Penny asked Gideon, her face full of admiration. "Wow, I couldn't believe that the famous Gideon Henry was also good at cooking. Who would've thought?"

Gideon smiled. "Well, I guessed my accident had changed me."

I reached for my glass of wine. I noticed Hanna was looking at me, her lips pursing as if stifling a smile.

I slightly raised my brow at her before sipping on my glass.

I knew it. This interior designer was crushing on my husband.

"Bianca, is there something wrong?" Gideon asked.

I turned to him with a slight frown. "Nothing, why?"

His forehead furrowed a bit, concern was evident on his face. "You've already finished your wine."

I looked at my wine glass. It was almost empty. "I just like the wine Hanna brought us." I shrugged and then turned to the woman in front of me. "Do you have a boyfriend, Penny?"

"Oh." The woman looked like she didn't expect my question. "I don't have one." She smiled. "I still wanted to focus on my career."

I nodded.

"If you don't mind me asking, how old are you now, Penny?" It was Hanna this time.

"I'm already thirty."

"Oh, you're already thirty? I thought you're just in your mid-twenties."

Penny chuckled, making her eyes turn into slits. "Well, it's my Asian genes, I guess."

Hanna was right. Penny looked young for her age.

"But what do you like in a guy, Penny?" Gideon asked. "I know someone who's a good boyfriend material. He's also half-Asian like you."

My eyebrows shot up. Half-Asian? Was he talking about… Charlie?

"Really? Who is it?" Penny asked in an amused tone.

"My brother Charlie. I heard he doesn't have a girlfriend until now."

I almost choked on my food. So it was really Charlie.

"Oh, I know Charlie. I've already met him before. Well, he's a nice guy but I don't think he's my type."

I eyed Penny curiously. She knew Charlie?

I tried to check on myself… but I didn't feel anything weird with the fact that Gideon was trying to pair Penny with Charlie.

"Well, what's your type, then?" I looked at Penny. If not Charlie? Then, who?

Penny smiled. "To be honest, I want someone like your husband, Mrs. Henry."

I felt my eyebrows palpitate with her answer. I knew it. "Really?" I tried my best to sound as calm as possible, even if my hand was already holding tight to my fork.

Penny then turned to Gideon beside me, then smiled. "I wanted someone manly, responsible, but also domestic at the same time. Just like Gideon."

"Well." This time, I couldn't help but raise my brow. "Unfortunately, you can't find another Gideon. Unless you clone him, Penny."

"Oh." Penny chuckled awkwardly. "That's not what I mean, Mrs. Henry. I only said someone like Gideon, not Gideon himself. I know Gideon's already off the market."

"Well… he is. We're married." I cleared my throat.

Penny smiled. "And you're very lucky to have Gideon as your husband."

"It's the other way around, Penny," Gideon said beside me. "I'm the one lucky for having Bianca as my wife."