Disclaimer: I don't own any of the fabulous characters of Ugly Betty...I just like writing about them.
This is my first Ugly Betty fic...I started writing this story before the new year...I wasn't sure what to do with it but I decided to post it anyway. Tell me what you think... all reviews are greatly appreciated.
Daniel had always been good at pretending.
He pretended that he wasn't scared to death when his father told him he would be the new Editor-in-Chief of Mode magazine.
He pretended that he hadn't felt inferior to his brother his entire life, and that his recent death hadn't left him feeling insecure and uncertain about things.
He used to pretend when he was with Ms. Monday, or Ms. Wednesday that he someone he wasn't. When he and Sophia had ended things, he'd wanted to pretend that he was alright. Like his heart hadn't been shattered into a million pieces.
So he went about his daily tasks to the best of his ability, ignoring the constant reminders of her. He convinced everyone. Everyone except Betty that is.
Since she'd become his assistant just over a year ago, they'd become more than just coworkers. Daniel considered Betty a friend…probably his best friend. She'd developed an uncanny way of reading his moods and knowing when he was having an off day. Betty had noticed immediately that something was wrong, and she'd helped him get through losing the first woman he'd had serious feelings for. In that time, Daniel started to notice little things about his assistant that he hadn't before.
Like the way her big chocolate eyes lit up when she got an idea. Or how she always went the extra mile when it came to work, no matter how long it took. And how cute she could be when she got frustrated. How her smile lit up the room and gave him butterflies in the pit of his stomach…
Betty was always there for him; even if it seemed like a small issue to someone else. It was the little things that made him so fond of her.
So when he noticed that Betty and that Henry guy from accounting were getting closer, he did what he was good at. He pretended not to care that he was flirting with her…or trying to anyway. He tried not to notice that this Henry guy was taking her to lunch almost everyday.
Daniel didn't want to admit it, but he was jealous. He wanted to be the one bringing a smile to her face…he wanted to spend time with Betty outside of work.
But he knew that would never happen. She was so sweet…so pure and innocent. Everything he wasn't.
He reasoned that Betty probably just saw him as her womanizing friend who would never truly settle down. Daniel knew in the back of his mind that he wasn't good enough for her anyway…he'd probably end up hurting her. That's the last thing he wanted to do.
Still, it was hard to not want to be around her…
Daniel bit his lip apprehensively and watched Betty from his desk. She was typing away at her computer. She was so dedicated. And so cute when she… Daniel shook his head and glanced at the clock. He needed an excuse to be with her.
"Betty?" he pushed the intercom. Betty stopped what she was doing. "Yes, Daniel?" He paused momentarily.
"I need you to come here for a minute." She nodded and walked around her desk into his office. "What's up?" she wondered, watching him stand.
"I wanted to um…go over some of those ideas you had for the photo shoot we have with Melania next week," he told her. It wasn't a lie. He really did want to hear her ideas.
"Oh! Okay, well first I was thinking-" Betty's eyes lit up and he grinned. "What is it?" she asked. He shook his head, "nothing. I was hoping we could talk about it over lunch. Did you still have your eye on that new Italian restaurant? You know the one you were talking about last week," he slipped his suit jacket back on, watching a surprised smile appear on her face.
"Of course I do! You wanna go now?" Betty asked sweetly, as only she could. "I'm ready when you are," he replied, watching her gather her things. She stopped suddenly, as if she was remembering something. She picked the phone up and dialed a number.
Daniel let his office door close behind him and heard the tail end of her conversation. "I'm sorry…this just came up. Thanks… I knew you'd understand. Bye Henry," Betty sighed, placing the phone on the receiver. "All set?" Daniel wondered as she turned around.
So he pretended to be clueless to the fact that she'd canceled her lunch with Henry to go with him. It was just one lunch…Henry would be alright.
Besides, it was worth it if he got to spend some time alone with the woman who occupied more and more of his thoughts everyday.
Shall I continue? Share your ideas with me! Thanks.