Penny's POV
I had rehearsed my conversation with Bernie all morning long. The plan seemed straightforward enough in my head.
Express gratitude for his thoughtful gifts, graciously accept the vinyl record, then politely return the necklace.
So why did my palms feel slick with nervous sweat?
That morning brought an entirely different atmosphere to the office. Instead of the typical grumbling about project deadlines, there was an almost electric buzz of anticipation threading through every conversation. Colleagues clustered around computer monitors, exchanging whispered comments and genuine smiles that only surfaced when something genuinely entertaining was brewing.
"What has everyone so animated?" I questioned Felicity upon reaching my workstation, observing how even Linda, Bernie's perpetually stern assistant, was engaged in animated discussion with two representatives from the accounting department.
