Page 89 of Love In The Spotlight

After lunch was served—pizza because it was what Penelope wanted—he told his daughter she could open her gifts.

He didn’t want anyone to bring anything, but he knew telling them no would fall on deaf ears.

“This is from Nelson,” Laken said. “He wishes he could come but won’t be back until tomorrow.”

“It’s fine,” Jamie said. He gave the bag to his daughter and she opened it to see lots of activity books and crayons, coloring books and stickers.

“I love stickers,” Penelope said.

“He went nuts,” he said. “It will take a while for Penelope to get through them.”

“He said he had fun buying it all,” Laken said.

Penelope opened up more books and toys and finally got to Laken’s gift last.

The first one was big, like a picture, he was guessing.

Penelope pulled the paper off and started to squeal.

He moved over to look at it and saw the six Penelope Plush Soap sponges finalized in a piece of art and framed. Actually there were seven, not six.

“That’s wonderful,” he said.

“It’s a monkey with glasses,” Penelope yelled.

His daughter hadn’t wanted to stop at six and debated over the monkey before it didn’t make the cut.

“Open the other one,” Laken said.

Penelope opened it and pulled out the same monkey with little plastic flexible glasses on it. “How did you manage that?”

“My surprise,” she said. “I thought it’d be a nice touch. I bet it’s a big seller too.”

“I think you might be right,” he said.

“Laken is the best too,” Penelope said, running to his girlfriend and hugging her.

Laken lifted his daughter and placed a kiss on her nose. “I am pretty good.”

“She’s cocky too,” Aileen said.

“Like a few other people in this room,” Abby said, winking.

But the wink was sent to him.

Jamie realized that as scared as he was for the next few weeks to come, he was going to get through it with the people in this room.

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THIS IS COMING

The following Thursday, Jamie and Laken were driving to his parents’ house from the airport.

“I appreciate your brother letting us borrow his jet for this.”

Jamie shook his head over it. He was used to some fancy accommodations, but nothing he’d been in was even remotely close to West’s jet.

“It’s a business thing,” she said. “You know that.”

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