"I was beginning to think you weren't going to be on," Daniel greeted her on Skype.
"Sorry – there was a power outage this morning which made everything at the printer back up, meaning I had to stay late to sign off on the next issue since the newest publication is always the last on the agenda. When I finally got home, I burned the leftovers I was going to have for dinner and had to order takeout. Then the stupid pipe in the bathroom sink started leaking again and when I tried to fix it, it burst. It took forever to get the super to come – I swear the freakin' bathroom would've flooded if I hadn't wrapped ten towels around the leak while I was waiting. I was sopping wet, but I couldn't move to change. And that damn pervert kept ogling me – ahhhh!" she let out a scream of frustration.
"Whoa! Calm down," he tried to soothe her.
"I'm sorry – it was just a horrible day . . ." she trailed off, burying her head in her hands.
"It's okay. I wish I could've been there for you. Maybe I could've fixed the leak for you if nothing else," he said.
"Right . . . Daniel, you can barely hang a picture," she smirked.
"Well I could've at least protected you from that sick son of a bitch. I don't like other guys looking at you," he defended.
"My hero . . ." she fake-swooned.
Daniel shook his head.
"You know, I think we need to have a serious fight with some water balloons, because I can't get this image of you out of my mind now," he flirted.
Betty giggled.
"Now who's the sick one?" she teased.
"Hey – I'm allowed," he excused.
"Point taken. And I've gotta admit I'm getting an image of you in my head, too," she smiled. "Besides – I'd totally beat you,"
"Really?" he smirked.
"Yes, really. Hilda and I used to have them all the time in the summer. We couldn't go to the pool all the time, so we had fights with balloons and the water hose. I could so kick your ass!" she teased.
"I'm learning more and more about you every day . . ." he grinned, sexily.
She rolled eyes and smiled. It was impossible to resist his charm.
"So how was your day?" she wondered. "Hopefully better than mine,"
"Mom sends her love and to tell you 'It's about damn time'," Daniel chuckled.
Betty snickered. Typical Claire – blatantly saying 'I told you so'.
"How was dinner with her?" she asked.
"It was nice - normal motherly nagging. But she at least is happy about us," he said.
"I had a feeling she would be. I thought she was nuts at my going away party – but she was right, and I got the impression she was happy about it, too. Not indifferent – but happy you had feelings for me . . . almost like she was pulling for us all along or something," Betty reflected.
"Yeah, I think Mom has kinda been on that since the editors' retreat we went on a few years ago. Remember when you sent the message in sky-writing?" he asked.
"Yeah?" she said.
"Well, before it came, she noticed I had a crush and assumed it was on you. It was actually on Molly, but even then she saw something between us," he mused.
"Parents are so perceptive. I wonder if my dad knew?" she said.
"Your dad? I can't count how many times I asked him for advice about love. He may not have said anything, but he had to have known," Daniel laughed.
"Yeah, you're right. I guess we had to be hit over the head with it until we figured it out though – especially me. Sorry for that . . . It took me longer to get there, but I'm in this for keeps," she admitted.
"Me, too. And I don't blame you anymore. I get now why you didn't jump in my arms the second I told you. It wasn't fair of me . . . you needed time and I was too impatient and hurt to give it to you. But we're past all that now," he assured her.
"And finally together – well, sort of," she joked.
"Right. So . . . are things any better at work?" Daniel asked.
"If you mean any less chaotic – no. I think I finally have an idea of what your father went through when he started his first magazine," Betty replied.
"It'll get better. After your first few issues, you'll be doing it in your sleep," he encouraged her.
"Easy for you to say. MODE was already a well-established magazine when you took over. You had a model and a bigger budget to fall back on," she said.
"Yeah, but I also had an enormous reputation to maintain – prove that I could make it even better. You were able to start from scratch. I know it's scary not knowing what will sell and what won't, but you'll make it work. And pretty soon, your mag will have the popularity of MODE," Daniel assured her.
"I hope so – I'd settle for enough to keep it running, right now," she sighed. "Things are pretty tight,"
"Have you tried to post anything on the web? Like a blog or some articles. Maybe some advertising on other sites to get people interested?" he asked.
"No. But those are good ideas. More people are using the internet for everything . . . What do you think about offering subscriptions over the internet?" Betty contemplated.
"You mean a place where they could sign up to subscribe?" he wondered.
"No, I mean a digital subscription – where they could download each issue and read it on their computer or on their Kindle or IPod," she clarified.
"Betty, that's brilliant! A lot of people don't like carrying around a ton of books or magazines and that could get those people interested and save money on the printer. Plus, more mags are starting to go the digital route these days. MODE's even working on a version from what Mom's said," Daniel told her.
"So you really think I should present the idea to Lindsay?" she asked.
"Go for it. He'll be a fool if he doesn't listen to you," he said.
"Thank you," she shyly smiled.
"You're so cute when you're embarrassed," he flirted.
"Daniel . . ." she rolled her eyes.
"I'm not kidding. I wish I could reach through the screen and kiss those rosy cheeks," he smirked.
"Stop! Now they really are red!" she giggled.
Daniel chuckled.
"God, I miss you . . ." he smiled.
"I miss you, too, babe," she said as they just stared at each other for a minute, before she broke the silence. "So I think I found us a place, but I want your final approval on it first. You're still coming this weekend, right?"
"Baby, I'm sorry. I know I said I would, but something came up and I can't get out of it," Daniel told her.
It was the third time he had made an excuse. They were only supposed to be apart for a month, while he got everything settled in New York. Now she was beginning to wonder if he really would move to London . . . if he really wanted to be with her after all . . .
"Is everything okay?" she wondered.
"Yeah, everything's fine. It's just something I need to take care of," he answered.
"What are you not telling me?" Betty was tired of all the vague responses.
"Nothing. There's nothing to tell," Daniel said in a high-pitched voice.
"Okay, now I know something's up," she concluded.
"How do you always do that?" he complained.
"One of the perks of knowing you so well," she teased. "But don't change the subject!"
"I can't say what it is, okay. You just have to trust me," Daniel requested.
"But Daniel . . ." she objected.
"Betty, please. I promise – this has nothing to do with us. I love you and I'll come see you as soon as I can. You have no idea how much I want to be with you right now. I just can't," he tried to explain.
"Okay. I trust you," Betty reluctantly said.
It wasn't that she didn't, only she couldn't help but be suspicious of his secrecy. They had never kept things from each other. In fact, her not discussing the move to London in the first place almost ruined their friendship. He should know that, right? That they didn't work that way . . . that they were a team . . .
"Betty?" Daniel snapped her back to reality.
"Yeah?" she answered.
"I just said I needed to go. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?" he promised.
"K," Betty sighed.
"Hey," he said.
"Yeah?" she asked.
"I love you," he told her.
"Love you, too," she smiled and closed her laptop, fighting the voice in her head that wouldn't let it go.