Authors Note: I know it's been a while... I just had a baby not too long ago, so, my life has been hectic... I hope to update a little faster with the next chapter... Betty and Daniel are going to have a few obstacles before they finally confess their feelings... Not too many obstacles but enough to cause some tension...
Betty smiled nervously as she stepped out of the town car in front of the Meade- Hartley house. She hadn't seen Claire in over a year and the only communication they have had was by video conferences and phone calls... She knocked on the front door and waited patiently for someone to answer it.. In the process of waiting she smoothed out her suit jacket and brushed a strand of her shoulder length hair out of her face...
When the door opened and her blond friend, Amanda was standing before her, Betty wanted to cry... Amanda smiled at the guest, than a light bulb clicked on in her head... "Betty!"
Betty laughed at her reaction and stepped inside the house... "Hi, Amanda! How have you been?"
"Great, but, who cares about me... How was Paris the last six years, do you miss Mode, did you miss me, because, I missed seeing you all bright and plucky every day...." Amanda rambled on as her big green eyes got bigger with each question as she waited for an answer...
"Paris was wonderful and I'm glad to have the experience...To be honest though, I'm glad to be home..." Betty stated as she smiled at Amanda... Amanda started to bite down on her bottom lip as she waited for Betty to answer her last question... "Yes, Amanda, I missed you too... There was no one quite like you at Mode in Paris..."
Amanda smiled, she couldn't wait for Marc to see Betty.... Mode hadn't been the same since Betty left... Mary, was okay as Daniel's assistant, but, she wasn't Betty... She brought sunshine and sparkles to Mode that Mary just didn't have.... "I love your new magazine... It's my new bible...." Amanda announced... She owned every copy even though she hid them in the closet just in case Wilhelmina finds them...
"Now that, I have a hard time believing.... You reading a magazine that has nothing to do with fashion..." Betty let out...
"Well it's true... I'll even prove it... Matt, come here!" Amanda yelled....
Betty smiled as she watched Matt, Claire , Mr. Hartley, and Tyler walk into the foyer.... "Matt, tell Betty I own every single one of her magazines...."Amanda ordered her husband... He smiled but rolled his eyes....
"It's true, Betty, she owns every single one... The night stand next to her side of the bed is filled with them... Not to mention the closet at Mode..." Matt admitted...
Claire wrapped her arms around Betty.... " "Betty, It's so good to see you..."
"It's good to see you too, Mrs... I mean Claire..." Betty corrected herself before she spoke to Mr. Hartley... "Good to see you to, Mr. Hartley..."
"I'm with, Claire, Betty, call me Cal... But It's great to see you again..." Cal shook Betty's hand... "Betty, would you like a glass of wine?"
"Sure, that would be nice..." Betty answered as Cal went over to the bar in the living room... Everyone stepped into the room to join him...
"You must be, Tyler.." Betty suggested as she shook his hand... She noticed he had the Hartley's smile and Matt's hair color... He also inherited the Meade's chiseled jaw and Daniel's blue eyes...
"Yes, that is me... It's nice to finally meet you, Betty..." Tyler let out...
"You too..." Betty stated..
"Amanda and Matt, did you get my wedding gift? I'm very sorry I couldn't make it to the wedding..." Betty asked...
"Yes, we did, Thank you... The stature was gorgeous and we love the champagne flutes.... We also completely understand why you couldn't make it... You're sister's wedding was more important..." Matt announced as he placed an arm around Amanda's waist...
Betty smiled at the happy couple.... She loved seeing her friend happy... Amanda was absolutely glowing and her smile out sparkled her three karat diamond ring....
"I saw a lot of your art work in Paris, Matt... The pictures of Iraq that you painted were breathtaking.."Betty complimented...
"I know aren't they... Although I told him I missed the days he painted pictures of you... I still own your fantasy boobs that I bought at the first surprise gallery... I have them hanging in the closet at Mode...." Amanda admitted... That Daniel comes in and stares at....
"Well, I own the deer with the braces and the one with the snakes in my hair..." Betty announced with a smile...
"I have both of you beat, Ladies... I still have all of those pictures in my storage area... I just get inspired by other things now..."Matt announced... "Betty, did Amanda tell you I also do photography..."
"No, she didn't... When did that start?" Betty asked...
"Two years ago, actually... I went to Iraq for artistically and political reasons, but, I ended up drawing a lot of inspiration from everything I was seeing... So, I took pictures to remember what I was looking at... To make a long story short my photographs told the story better than what I was painting..." Matt stated
"Good for you, Matt!" Betty was proud of him... He was no longer the spoiled rich kid trying to find his way...
"Mode, is also using some of his photographs for this month's issue..."Amanda commented as she smiled at Matt... "Daniel, came up with the idea after he saw some of Matt's pictures...."
"That's great..." Betty said as she thought of her blue eyed friend...
"Speaking of Danny boy, where is he?" Tyler asked....
"On his way, he was caught up in a meeting with Wilhelmina... You know how that usually goes..."Claire stated as she rolled her eyes...
"So, Betty, you're going to start your magazine here in America..." Tyler asked
"Yeah, I am... I'm very excited to get started..." Betty said with a smile...
"We're very excited for you to get started..." Claire let out...
"Matt, told me that you started as Daniel's assistant, then you became an editor for Mode in Paris..." Tyler announced...
"Yes, I was Daniel's assistant for three years, before I moved to Paris..."
"And you were the best assistant I ever had...." Daniel admitted as he stood at the doorway of the living room completely mesmerized by Betty...
Guh! Betty couldn't think as she stared at her handsome friend...All she could do was smile as she ran to him... Daniel wrapped his arms around her small frame... "Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes..." Daniel whispered in her hair....
"It's so good to see you, Daniel... I've missed you..." Betty said softly as she pulled away from their embrace... The smell of his cologne, his natural scent, and the stubble on his chin was way too much for her to handle...Man he looks good! Or it's been way too long since I've been with a man...
"I've missed you too..."
Daniel couldn't keep his eyes off of her the rest of the night... She was just as beautiful as she was six years ago except she seemed more sultry and sexy... Daniel never thought he would use those words to describe Betty, but here he was and he liked it...
Betty seemed to be fighting the same battle as Daniel as she found herself wanting to be by him the whole night... Even though Daniel was 41 he looked exactly like Betty remembered him... Except now he looked like sex on a stick... Who was she kidding he always looked like that, it just took this long to realize it...
They spent most of their time talking about everything, her stay in Paris, her magazine, Mode, and life in general. They had talked so much that when it was time for Betty to leave to go home, Daniel found himself wanting her to stay just a little longer....Knowing she had a busy day at Mode tomorrow he just decided to walk her out....
The town car pulled up to the mansion and Daniel opened the door for Betty... "I'm glad you are back, Betty.... Mode hasn't been the same since left...I haven't been the same....I'm sure everyone will be happy to see you tomorrow..."
"I will be happy to see everyone! Especially your assistant, so , I can share some dirt about you... I'm glad to be home, this is where I belong...."Betty announced as she started to turn to get in the car...
"Betty!" Daniel grabbed her arm gently before she got in the car... He wanted to tell her that watching her leave six years ago was complete torture... He knew that this was not the time or the place as he pulled her into him and gave her hug... "Have a good night, Betty..."
Betty stood on her tippy toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek as she turned and entered the car.... She rolled down the window before she said "Daniel, I just wanted you to know....I...." For some reason she couldn't get the words out... So she just told good night instead of how in Paris all she did was think about him and how much she missed him....
She watched as Daniel made his way back inside the house before she rolled up the window, and told the driver to take her home.... She needed a carton of ice cream and a one on one talk with Hilda....