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Daniel knew about being in love. After all, he'd been married to, and lost, Molly. He had always believed that if he loved again the experience with Molly would provide him with a certain insight, an advantage in the whole love game. Unfortunately, it didn't help him worth a damn.
Loving Molly was a whirlwind, everything happened fast- - the loving and the losing. His newly realized feelings for Betty felt as though they were a part of his very being. He couldn't quite pin point when they had started. Months ago? A year or more? He'd already lost more than one night's sleep trying to answer that question. In the end he'd decided it didn't really matter. After all, when was not half as important as what he planned to do about his feelings. Which left Daniel with only two things he was 100% sure of: 1) he was in love with his best-friend in a way that he had never felt with anyone else, and 2) that being in love with your best-friend was tricky business.
Sitting at the Dorchester Hotel bar in Mayfair, not far from Betty's flat, analyzing every nuance of their dinner conversation, left Daniel's head swirling. When their hands brushed on the table their eyes had caught for a brief moment, so quickly that, upon retrospect, Daniel felt as if he easily could have imagined it. As he was helping her into her coat he hadn't been able to resist letting his hands settle lightly on her shoulders. She'd shifted away from his touch, purposefully or simply because she was finished belting her coat? Then, as he helped her into a cab they shared a hug and he'd tried to reach for her hand as he told her he wanted to see her again soon… but both of her hands were gripping the strap of her bag. Did she know what he wanted? Was she afraid of him romantically or simply not interested.
With a groan Daniel ran a hand over his face. He wanted to know what was going on in her head. Tossing a few notes on the bar top to cover his drink, Daniel walked to the hotel lobby. Staring out the hotel's front doors he realize that maybe it was time to lay all his cards on the table, let the chips fall where they may and move on from there. Actually, there was no maybe about it. He needed to know if there was chance, even the slightest, that Betty could ever feel something more than friendship for him.
Daniel jogged outside to the curb where a taxi was just letting a young couple off. He smiled politely as the man held the taxi door open for him and slid in the back seat.
"Where to sir?" The driver turned and offered Daniel a toothy grin.
Daniel stiffly nodded, "6080 20 Hertford's #2, please."
"Ah, that isn't far at all, right around the corner it is- give or take. I'll have you there in a jiffy."
"Thank you," Daniel replied. He tried to breath and relax but his entire body felt as if an electrical current ran through it.
"Do you mind me asking sir, what has you so unwrapped?"
Daniel glanced up, "Unwrapped?"
The driver chuckled, "On this side of the pond it means nervous."
Daniel couldn't help but give a small smile. "I'm going to see someone and…talk about personal things and I'm not sure how it's going to go," he admitted.
The driver nodded sagely. "Woman troubles."
Daniel shifted uncomfortably in the back seat. "I didn't mention anything about a woman… or trouble."
"Son, there is only one thing in this world that can make a man from any country look like a cat on hot bricks and that is being in love. And you more than have the look."
The car turned and the driver slowed. "Well, here we are then."
Daniel paid the fare and stepped out the cab. He leaned in before closing the door. "Thank you."
"The best of British to you," the driver called out as Daniel closed the door. He watched the cab drive away and felt all his doubts come crashing down around him.
He stared at Betty's building trying to let the cool night air soothe him. Taking a deep breath he walked to the entrance. This was it, one way or another he needed to know if he had a chance with her. Daniel hoped to hell he did.