Thank you so much for reading and for all of your comments - I really appreciate them! :) Here's the second addition . . .
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"Betty Suarez, British Modern Magazine?" Betty answered her phone.
"So official," Daniel teased.
"Hey, Daniel," she said.
"You up for lunch?" Daniel suggested.
"No, Harri - those go out today – sorry, Daniel, it's really crazy here. I don't think I'll even have time to eat period," she said. "That's not the photo I confirmed for the cover – Laney, where's the book? Daniel, I'll have to call you back."
"K, bye," he said and hung up.
He was hoping to see her again. After last night, things looked really promising. Maybe if she couldn't come for food, he'd bring it to her. He knew how stressful things could be when running a magazine – especially without an assistant. He looked up the address of her building, found a deli nearby and hailed a cab.
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When he got to Dunne Publications, he searched the directory for her floor and took the five flights of stairs, having skipped his promise to go to the gym.
"Daniel Meade?" the receptionist gawked.
"Yes?" he approached her desk.
"You're even more fetching in person! Are you here to see Mr. Dunne?" she inquired.
"Thank you – no. I'm here to see Betty Suarez – could you tell me where her office is?" he asked.
"Betty is a bit pre-occupied at the moment. Do you have an appointment?" she questioned.
"No – but I have her lunch," he replied, holding up the bag.
"I'll buzz you in, sir," she smiled. "If you don't mind my saying so, it's quite rare to see such a well-known publisher, such as yourself, bringing someone else food. You two aren't snogging each other, are you?"
"Huh?" he asked, confused.
"Kissing? Fancying? A bit smitten?" she clarified.
"Oh," he said.
This girl was insanely nosey. She reminded him so much of Amanda.
He cleared his throat, uncomfortably.
"So, Betty's office?" he reminded her.
"Right – Betty? Your randy boyfriend's here," she giggled into the intercom and pointed for Daniel. "It's straightaway."
He wasn't sure what 'randy' meant, but he had a feeling it was something to add to the already embarrassing 'boyfriend' comment and that Betty's cute little cheeks were probably turning beet red at the moment. He knocked on her door before entering her office.
"Hey," he smiled. "Sorry about that – I swear I didn't even say a word."
"It's fine. Ellery is just like that. What are you doing here – I said I didn't have time for lunch?" she asked without even looking up from her laptop.
He hoped she was just busy and wasn't upset with him for showing up.
"That's why I brought lunch to you– turkey on wheat, dill pickle, fries, a diet Pepsi, a large non-fat double mocha with whip, and two double fudge brownies for . . . dessert," he said, taking out the contents and placing them on her desk. "And . . . I will be your assistant for the day."
She looked up at him and couldn't stop smiling. She went around her desk and gave him one of her classic Betty hugs he'd grown addicted to.
"God, I love you – you're a lifesaver!" she exclaimed. "I-I mean – I –"
He chuckled at how nervous she was with her slip, given the awkward state of their relationship.
"Relax. It's ok - I get it," he said, rubbing her arms. "Now eat – I've seen you when you're wired on just coffee and it's not a good thing."
She glared at him.
"Betty, you once had pencils, paperclips, and sticky notes stuck to your hair you were so stressed," he maintained. "Now what can I do?"
He knew she had to cave with that one, and he was right. Her stubbornness faded and she even had a twitch of amusement in her eyes.
"Okay," she relented. "If you could get these files down to accounting, give Berta in Features these corrections, run down to the photo lab and pick up the final covershot proofs, and then go over them for me?"
"Photo lab – got it," Daniel said grabbing the files and his sandwich, just then realizing how overwhelming his requests might have been to her.
"You can eat first, you know?" she said, amused.
"You sure?" he said.
"Yeah. Now that I have the extra help, I won't be as inundated with tasks," she assured him. "Sit."
He sat down beside her on the leather couch as they enjoyed their lunch.
"You know, it's not that much different here than MODE," Betty observed.
"I guess every magazine has the same basic standards of running. But the topics and people I'm sure are the complete opposite – well, except for Amanda's British clone out there," he joked.
Betty laughed.
"You saw that, too?" she shook her head and made a basket with her sandwich wrapper.
Daniel nodded and picked at the remainder of the fries.
"Makes me miss home a little . . . but at least now I've got a piece of it here for a while," she said, leaning her head on his shoulder.
He looked down at her, wondering – if she meant him, why she said 'a while'? But she got up before he could ask.
"Where did those brownies go?" she looked on her desk. "Ah – found them! Mmm . . . these are good . . ."
"Yeah," he agreed, taking a bite of one. "So . . . when you said 'a while', what did it mean?"
"Just that you might not be staying forever – only if you happen to find something you're interested in," she shrugged.
"What would you say if I said I already found it?" he said.
"You found a new job? Daniel, that's amazing!" Betty exclaimed.
"No – Betty, I found you," he clarified, caressing her cheek.
"Oh . . ." she looked down with that shy smile. "Daniel – y-you can't stay just for me . . ."
"Yeah, I can – it's simple," he smirked.
"That's not what I mean," she crossed her arms, judgingly. "You can't throw away your future – we don't even know what this is yet."
"What's wrong with finding out?" he argued.
"Nothing – as long as it's not the only thing you're here for," she replied.
"Fair enough . . . but it's still my main reason – that won't change," he stood his ground.
"You can't put that kind of pressure on me, Daniel," Betty insisted, standing up.
"I'm sorry, okay? Wait – you know what? I'm not," he stood up with her. "You're scared, Betty, and I get that. But you're not the only one."
Betty lowered her head. He hoped she understood why he couldn't back down without him completely spelling it out for her. He lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him.
"Did you know that ever since your sister's wedding, I couldn't look at you without feeling my heart race? But I couldn't tell you that – especially not after you were leaving. Coming here was a big risk – falling for someone always is. But I took it, because sometimes that risk is worth so much more than playing it safe," he told her.
Her eyes softened, and for a few seconds, he thought he'd gotten through to her. But it didn't last.
"I-I need to get back to work . . . You don't have to do anything – just go –" she excused and started to sit at her desk.
He abruptly turned her around and kissed her hard on the mouth, leaving a befuddled expression on her face.
"I'm not going anywhere, Betty," Daniel adamantly maintained and took the files and his coffee to find the accounting office.
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He lay in bed in the middle of the night; it was the third night in a row he'd been unable to sleep well. The rest of that day at her office had been spent in a strictly professional way. He and Betty had shared more personal thoughts in an hour at MODE than they had that day. He wondered if he had taken it too far, scared her away. She was stubborn, but he could be stubborn too. And why shouldn't he be? It was only his second day in the city – did she really expect him to find his dream job in that little time? Sure, he had a great resume and reputation, but he had no idea what path to take yet. He'd never had an opportunity to think about it. And did she have so little faith in him that she thought he wouldn't find a job or wouldn't take the effort to bother with one? He thought she knew him well enough to know he wasn't the same lazy-ass spoiled rich boy he was when they'd met.
Or maybe she didn't. Maybe she'd taken that dinner as an opportunity to have some fun with an old friend and not read anything into it. Maybe he was kidding himself believing that she would ever see more in him than just a really attractive . . . fun-buddy. He cringed at the word now. It was fine at the time, no strings attached . . . a way to get his libido back without hurting anyone . . . but he didn't want to be that bang-her-and-leave-her guy anymore.
Only, maybe that was all he was meant to be. After all, Sophia had screwed with his heart in order to publicly humiliate him and further her career, Renee turned out to be a psycho, and Molly died. Every woman he had ever attempted to have a serious relationship with had been taken away from him in one way or another – even Betty, with her new job. Just when it hit him that he might want something more, she turned out to be leaving. He thought he'd managed to get her back by following her here. She'd seemed really interested the night of their date – even asked him out again. Only, the next day had turned into a disaster. When she realized he'd come there for her, she'd backed away.
Maybe it wasn't meant to be. Maybe he was meant to be alone or in meaningless relationships. It wasn't what he wanted – he wanted a life . . . marriage . . . children . . . true love . . . He wanted Betty. But maybe it wasn't possible. Maybe he should cut his losses before he got in too deep.
No! What was he thinking? This was Betty – the one girl who got him more than anyone ever had. The girl who didn't care who he was in the public eye . . . who saw who he was on the inside. The girl who he could tell anything to . . . who believed in him when no one else did . . . who gave him a good kick in the ass when he needed it or a hug just because. She was everything he never imagined he'd ever want. But he'd finally figured it out - with the unsolicited help of his mother . . .
Regardless, he wasn't giving up without a fight. He knew Betty was attracted to him. Fortunately, that wasn't the problem at all. That kiss she had given him was insanely hot . . . and the way she'd giggled and blushed all night – he knew those signs; he'd seen her mannerisms with other guys. She wanted him - she was just afraid of getting hurt.
He didn't know what to do to make her see that he would never do that to her. If she'd just give them a chance, he knew they could be amazing – and tomorrow night, he was going to convince her of it.