Betty's First Trip To Rome – The Return - Chapter 2 Empanada or Panino

"So, Betty," said Hilda with a quiet chuckle, "now do you think Gio is a good kisser?"

Betty and Hilda were just home from the airport, alone in Betty's bedroom, sitting together on the bed. Betty's half-unpacked luggage and clothes were spread around them. Hilda was eating ice cream out of the carton.

"Yes!" said Betty. "But you're not hearing another word about it," she said. Eager to change the topic, Betty said, "Tell me what happened between you and Daniel. Why'd you break up?"

Betty knew that Daniel and Hilda had not really been dating when she left for Rome. It was a lie invented to cover up Daniel's involvement in their scheme to get her and Gio back together. But she thought she'd have a little fun with Hilda before revealing that she had learned all about it from Gio.

"Oh, we weren't, um, compatible. Daniel's not my type." said Hilda.

"Hmmm, I thought he was," said Betty. "Good looking, young, rich, how can you find a guy better than that? Wasn't he nice?"

"Oh, yes, he was nice," said Hilda, trying to remember what she and Daniel had told Betty, and at the same time racking her brains to come up with a credible reason to break up with him.

It had bothered Betty to find out that Daniel and Hilda had been prying into her personal life, so she enjoyed watching Hilda squirm. She was getting her revenge for the pair's meddling and secret matchmaking.

"He jumped into a relationship with Renee kind of fast after you broke up," said Betty, "wouldn't you say?"

"Yes, that explains it, I could tell he just wasn't that into me," said Hilda, relieved.

Betty yawned, too tired to continue her game with Hilda, "What time is it? I'm exhausted."

"I knew you haven't been getting your beauty sleep!" said Hilda, happy to change the topic. Actually, she'd noticed that Betty was much better looking now than when she had left for Rome. "I love your hairstyle, and are you wearing new makeup?"

"Yes, I'm wearing makeup that Maria, Gio's older sister, gave me. I can't wait until you meet her. You're going to love her," Betty replied, reaching out and picking up a nightgown from nearby her.

Hilda grabbed her hand and admired the engagement ring. "Betty, explain to me again, why are you waiting so long to get married?"

"Gio and I want to focus on our careers right now. Gio is going to plan our wedding, you know how much he likes planning, and he doesn't have time right now. He wants it to be the most romantic wedding ever, with a carriage ride and a Cinderella dress, in a cute church, followed by a gigantic feast. There will be a lot of guests too, he has a big family. It is going to take a lot of time, money, and energy. We can't do it now, we have to wait."

"You're not the only one that has to wait, you know," said Hilda, thinking of herself. She would be the maid-of-honor, of course, and was impatient to plan a wedding shower, and other celebrations for her sister. She longed to wear a beautiful bridesmaid dress.

"I know," said Betty, thinking of Gio. She knew it would be hard on him to wait.

"So, do you really have to wait?" replied Hilda.

"Gio will be working long hours to build up his deli business and I will be taking night-school classes as long as it takes to become a writer. We'll save a lot of money by staying at home. So you see," said Betty, sighing wistfully, "the longer we wait the better off we'll be."

"How long?"

"Maybe not too long, Daniel promised me a promotion and a raise when I got back. I am really looking forward to seeing him tomorrow and asking him about it. And Gio is so good I'm sure he'll be as successful as he wants, soon."

"Are you sure Daniel will be able to give you a promotion? I haven't talked to him for a while but things were different at Mode since Wilhelmina took over."

"I haven't talked to him since he left Rome. I told him not to call me about work." said Betty, frowning. "I suppose it's possible that he can't give me a promotion but at least I can get my job back as his assistant. That wouldn't be so bad. Please, Hilda, I have to sleep, I'm dead. Go, and take the ice cream with you."

"Okay, okay, I believe you, you're tired! God, there is so much I want to ask you right now, you're killing me here!" Hilda reluctantly stood up to give Betty enough room to lie down on the bed.

Closing her eyes as soon as her head touched the pillow, the nightgown still in her hand, Betty was asleep before Hilda had time to switch off the light.

* * *

The next moring Betty rode up the elevator at the Mode building happily anticipating getting back to work and seeing Daniel. She had not heard where Daniel was working and she was curious to find out what he was doing. She wanted to ask him about Renee and how she was doing in rehab. Feeling relaxed, calm and confident, she smoothed the skirt of her pretty new dress, one of ones she bought in Rome, and approached Amanda's desk to ask her where to find Daniel.

Mark and Amanda were talking together and they both looked up as Betty came into view. Above the countertop Betty could see Amanda was wearing a prim, white blouse with a skinny navy blue tie covering the row of buttons. Her long blonde hair was braided demurely. Marc was wearing a dark, beautifully tailored sport coat. They both looked stylish, yet also efficient, and professional.

"Hello Betty, look at you!" said Amanda, noticing her tanned face, bright white smile, sleek hairstyle, and surprisingly tasteful dress. "Wow!" she said, astonished by Betty's transformation from fashion mishap to almost presentable.

Betty pushed back a strand of her hair, purposely flashing her engagement ring, and said "Thank you Amanda. How are you? Where can I find Daniel?"

Reaching out and grabbing Betty's hand, Amanda exclaimed "Oooh, let me see that!" and examined the ring earnestly while Betty looked on, pleased with Amanda's excited reaction.

"Well, look at that! A ring!" said Marc.

"Yeah! Check it out, a ring! So, where did you just return from? Was it … Middle Earth?" asked Amanda.

"Rome." said Betty, not amused.

"Precious!" exclaimed Marc, leaning over Amanda's shoulder for a closer look.

"So, how is Frodo?" Amanda said, looking up to Betty's face.

"Who?" said Betty, offended, but faking curiosity.

"Gio … so, how is Gio?"

"He's fine!" said Betty, becoming exasperated, "Just tell me where Daniel is, please."

"I'm not asking about Gio's health, how is he, you know, … ?" said Amanda, raising both eyebrows. "Come on girl, I need details, details!"

Betty, alert and suspicious, but uncomprehending, withdrew her hand from Amanda's grasp, while Marc patted Amanda's shoulder, amused by her question.

Betty, slowly realizing Amanda's meaning, flushed and replied "No, no way!"

Amanda stood up and gave Betty a slow, studious, head-to-toe glance, tilting her head to one side. "Just a minute, have you been eating really well lately, or is there something in the oven?" She pretended to sniff the air.

Betty could see the rest of Amanda; she was wearing a very short plaid kilt, completing her sexy school girl look. Typical, Betty thought, typical Amanda, why wouldn't she just tell her where Daniel was?

"Do you smell an empanada cooking?" Marc asked Amanda, smirking, his fingers dancing on the countertop.

Betty looked at Marc, then Amanda, puzzled. She begged again, "Where is Daniel?" She wanted to escape Amanda's uncomfortable scrutiny. She looked around at the other people walking by, hoping to see Daniel or someone else she could ask.

"Or maybe a panino?" laughed Amanda, smiling.

"What are you talking about?" said Betty, confused by the questions.

"I'm thinking of a Haiku!" shouted Marc, snatching a piece of paper from Amanda's pad.

"I'm thinking of a limerick!" cried Amanda, ignoring Betty's growing frustration while tearing off a sheet of paper, and grabbing a pen. She wrote swiftly and then read aloud,

"She ordered baguette and tomato,
with lettuce, smoked turkey, and mayo,
but she got Roman lovin'
and a bun in the oven ..."

"Stop it!" interrupted Betty, flustered and annoyed. What disgusting graffiti was going to appear on the men's room wall today?

Amanda continued reading in a sing-song voice,

"Salami on dark pumpernickel,
with mayo and baby dill pickle …"

Amanda paused, resting her pen against her lip.

Marc, counting syllables on his finger tips, said, "Amanda, you're amazing!"

Betty gawked at Amanda's audacity.

"So," Amanda asked Betty, "how soon will we be hearing the pitter-patter of …"

Knowing her thick waist and sudden engagement seemed to give everyone the same shameful idea exasperated and appalled Betty. But, although she hated to admit it, it made sense to her too, why else would a hot, sexy guy like Gio, want to marry someone dorky and fat, like her?

Feeling afresh her painful embarrassment when Amanda sent a picture of Gio kissing her to everyone in the office, Betty realized that even though it was none of Amanda's business, she had to take action to stop her from spreading rumors.

Betty screamed angrily at Amanda, "I'm not pregnant!"

Flushing hotly when she realized everyone around them was staring at her, she was instantly mortified. Amanda had provoked her into an extremely unprofessional outburst. Horrified by her own conduct, Betty blushed scarlet and glared at Amanda.

Within a few short minutes Amanda had pierced her self-confidence, which, as Gio's new fiancé and Daniel's invaluable assistant, had been strong, and wrecked it. Now, she wondered if she deserved either Gio's or Daniel's respect. Close to tears, but determined not to let Amanda see her cry on her first day back, she took a deep breath to calm herself, and said firmly, "Tell me where I can find Daniel."

"Too bad about your job," smirked Amanda. "Daniel has a cute assistant now, a guy, and he's just my type! Even Renee likes him."

Shocked and confused, Betty stared at Amanda. Was it possible that Daniel had replaced her without telling her? Betty thought about Daniel. He was now devoted to Renee. Was it possible that he hired a man to keep Renee from being jealous? Betty's hopes for her career declined precipitously.

"Oh, right, you're not to see Daniel yet, Betty, you're to come with me," said Marc quickly, taking Betty's arm and giving her a nudge in the direction of Wilhelmina's office. With an imperious tone, he added, "You have been granted the great good fortune of an immediate audience with our exalted new ruler."

Betty stared at Marc, disconcerted by his change in manner. She was worried about Daniel and she wanted to see him first.

"This way," he added, guiding her firmly with a slight shudder of distaste.

Just the mention of Wilhelmina's new status as editor-in-chief had turned them both serious, almost frightened looking. Betty became alarmed about meeting Wilhelmina.

"Prepare to kneel," advised Marc grimly, pulling her with him.

Amanda quickly returned her attention to the work on her desk, showing a new found work ethic, and whispered quietly to Betty, "Sorry. Good luck."

Betty could tell that in the one month she'd been away the culture at Mode had changed drastically.

* * *

Marc's haiku:

Smile Gio's pickle
What's Betty's choice? Salami!
She's eating for two