CHAPTER THREE
A/N: Okay, Detty fans, this is it. The big "bridge" scene! Don't get your hopes up too much. I'm certainly no Silvio Horta and I might leave you "unsatisfied" with the end of this chapter if you were expecting me to have them run off together. Just keep in mind, it is only chapter three, so there's still a very long way to go at this point in this story. The whole reason we love them so much is they knew each other so well. Maybe four years is a bit long, but this was less than a year, so...give me time. I predict a lot sooner than my lucky 13.
After scanning the room, and seeing the place was packed, Daniel shrugged, "There are no tables, Betty. Maybe we should try someplace else."
She looked down, "I would, but...I'm hungry! Sorry! I know you tried to feed me already. We could order drinks at the bar, and as soon as a table opens up, grab it."
He hesitated, and she looked up from her eyelashes pathetically, batting them, "Please, Daniel? My feet hurt!"
He pointed at her, grinning, "I told you those shoes were too high for you."
"Fine, you were right. By the way, so is this stool! Are they trying to discriminate against short people drinking alcohol or something?" She had tried unsuccessfully to climb onto the stool.
"You want some help?" he smirked. When she nodded, he grabbed her around the waist and easily lifted her onto the stool. "Voila! My lady!"
She giggled, and when the bartender asked to see her ID, she rolled her eyes and complied, showing him her driver's license.
"I'm so over these stupid braces! Everybody thinks I'm twelve years old!"
He nodded towards her coat, "Well, there's an easy solution to your problem. If you...sorry, never mind. I shouldn't say...forget I brought it up!"
"Brought what up? What are you talking about?"
"It's not appropriate for a boss to say. I don't want to make things weird between us."
"What are you talking about? We tell each other everything. Besides, if it helps, I'm not your assistant again...YET, Daniel! Tonight, I'm just your former assistant, and the unemployed former assistant to the stupidest woman and biggest bitch in the world!
I haven't started my 'new/old job' as your assistant/soon to be junior features editor/best selling author/manager and co-owner of my own magazine!"
He laughed, "I see! Wow! That's a lot of slashes and 'soon to be''s in one tiny little person! Who knew? Okay, then. Since you're currently not my employee, I guess that puts us in Switzerland, so to speak, huh? So it means, I can tell you something a little...inappropriate without any sexual harassment charges, right?"
"Excuse me? Daniel...what are you talking about? We always say stuff that's 'inappropriate'! Just tell me whatever it is. I'm not going to sue you!"
"Fine. Because what I started to say was, if you don't want to get carded, you should take off your coat! Let the world see what nature blessed you with and...um...be proud! Own it! Because Betty, you have very nice, very, very beautiful, um…" he looked around and leaned down to whisper, "big boobs!"
The moment he said it, he winced, "Sorry! Okay, see, that was way inappropriate. And now I feel creepy and like some disgusting pervert for noticing. Forget I said that. Chalk it up to being in "Rio" for too long, cutting myself off from polite society. I've suddenly lost my manners. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, Betty."
She giggled, as she took a large sip of her wine, and took off her coat, "It's fine. But now you see why I normally never wear anything like this. I'm not my sister!"
He nodded as he drank his wine, "I get it. You don't feel the need to flaunt yourself. You're a really smart, incredibly kind woman and having a great bod...um nice figure isn't all there is to you. You don't want people to judge you as not being smart because they get distracted by your body. Not to disparage your sister, of course. I really don't know Hilda. But I would have to say that you're a lot classier than a lot of girl...sorry, women."
They sat at the bar for a while, sharing a bottle of wine, listening to people singing. Betty noticed he was looking troubled, "You're thinking about her, aren't you? This night was supposed to distract you."
He shrugged, "It's pretty bad when a tone-deaf karaoke singing truck driver reminds me of my ex, huh?"
She smiled at him, "You know, I'd actually say I'm jealous of you right now, Daniel."
"Jealous? Because I'm a mess? I'm anxious to hear where this is going."
"Because you put yourself out there. Yes, maybe you got your heart broken, but at least you were willing to make a commitment! I wish I knew what that was like."
"To be committed? It sucks! Especially when the woman you thought you loved sticks your heart in a blender in front of the whole world!"
"I meant...to be willing to swim the East River in January. To have that kind of love for someone. You do that, Daniel. You're impulsive, you take risks. Yes, okay, you got hurt badly. This time.
I think you have to dream big and swing big sometimes. That's not so easy for everyone. Some of us always play it safe. Maybe we don't get our hearts broken. But we also don't know what it feels like to be in love because we don't give it a chance. Fear holds us back into...settling."
"You've never been in love?"
She shrugged, "Not really."
"I thought you were seeing that tall guy in accounting, Henry?"
"No, I'm dating Walter."
"That guy? The one who cheated on you? I thought you already cut him loose! He's even more of a loser! He really is "settling"! At least Henry is totally into you. But I'm biased. I happen to think you can do better than either of those guys! Look, you're young, Betty. Don't worry. You'll have plenty of time to get your heart broken. Or probably in your case, break a few yourself!"
"Thank you, I guess. Although I don't really want to hurt anyone. Oh, look, those people look like they're almost done eating."
"The ones right in front of the stage?" he asked nervously.
She grinned, "Are you too shy to sing in public, Daniel? Haven't you ever done Karaoke before? It's fun! I do it all the time. I can't sing very well, but the more you drink, the less you care! So maybe we should get some more wine!"
He smiled at her, "Yes, I know you're no Mariah Carey, sweetie, trust me. I've heard you sing along to your headphones at your desk! I mean, you're a great assistant, but...don't give up your day job!"
She punched his arm, "That's mean! I just realized I've NEVER heard you sing, Daniel. How come? You can dance pretty well. You were good at the wedding. You've gotten a little better at the Salsa. Oh, they're leaving, let's go sit there and order our pizza and sign up for singing."
"Betty, I really don't like to sing in public!"
"Why are you so embarrassed about singing karaoke!"
After they had moved to the vacant table and they were eating their pizza, Daniel sighed, leaning back, "Look, if you must know, I don't like to sing because...I used to have a silly band back in junior high and...we got booed, okay? It kind of messed with my confidence."
She looked at him sympathetically, then smiled, "Aw, Daniel, YOU had a confidence problem? Knowing you now, I'd say you got over it pretty well! Besides, listen to this guy, it's not like anyone expects Pavarotti at a karaoke place! It's just to have fun.
You're not supposed to be a great singer! I bet you're not that bad. You have a great speaking voice. Sometimes when you're younger, you go through uncomfortable changes."
Daniel took another sip of wine, and grinned, "You mean like you, wearing braces?"
"Exactly! But I just wish I didn't have to STILL wear them as an adult."
"You'll get them off soon, then the world will see that amazing smile you've been hiding. Like...the rest of you." he gulped a bit as she leaned towards him, "Thanks, Daniel."
He smiled, raising his eyebrow, "So...you really like my voice?"
She nodded, feeling her cheeks flush, so she took another 'shot of courage', "Uh huh. Sure, it's really nice." She wasn't going to tell him he had a speaking voice that sometimes sent tingles up her spine. He had felt uneasy, talking about her cleavage, and she felt uncomfortable talking about his very sexy voice. (Not to mention that expensive cologne of his that literally buckled her knees!)
"See? I don't dare tell you this stuff because your ego is normally already huge! I think if you're scared to sing in public because of some past humiliation, this is good therapy for you, Daniel.
Look, when I found you, you were upset and now, you're out, you look great, you definitely smell much better and you're going to come up on that stage with me and sing your heart out to a bunch of strangers because you need to prove that you will survive without stupid Sofia! You don't need her to be a great catch! Come on, it's our turn!" she pulled him up on stage with her as she heard their number called.
Daniel grabbed his glass of wine, looking slightly panicked, "Please tell me we're not singing THAT song! That's a chick's song! I'm not singing 'memories', either! Can we talk about this, Betty? I'm not nearly drunk enough to sing!"
She smiled, as she grabbed his glass of wine and stole a sip, then handed it back to him, picked up the microphone and handed him his, then began singing, "They say we're young and we don't know. We won't find out until we grow."
Daniel slugged down the rest of the wine for courage and sang, "Well I don't know if all that's true, cause you got me, and baby I got you."
"Babe. I got you babe. I got you babe."
They both got more confident in their singing and hammed it up a bit for the audience. When Betty sang, "I got flowers in the spring", Daniel grinned, holding up her left hand to show off the engagement ring that she was still wearing, "I got you to wear my ring!"
Which of course pleased the audience greatly, assuming Daniel had just proposed to her and this was some sort of celebration of her accepting. Betty blushed but continued the song, and when Daniel took her hands in his, he poured on the charm, as he sang, "then put your little hand in mine. Together there ain't no hill or mountain we can't climb."
As they continued to sing, both began to be affected by the song's lyrics and how it actually applied to them. Not just a silly sing along, the deeper meaning started to sink in, that they were a great team. At work and as friends, as people. They really "got" each other like no one else.
They received plenty of appreciation for their performance. Betty excused herself. When she returned, he asked, "Hey. Are you okay? What's wrong? "
She bit her bottom lip, an adorable habit of hers when she was thinking that sort of got his heart racing for some silly reason he had started to notice lately.
"Daniel, you do realize they thought we were...like together? That they thought this was...really mine?" she tried to take off the ring, but it seemed stuck.
He shrugged, putting his arm around her, "Yeah. So what? I thought that's what this was, pretending that I don't need "what's her bitch" anymore, that I'm over her and moving on to greener and younger and prettier pastures!"
Betty continued to struggle to get the ring off to no avail. Her eyes widened at his words, "Wait, you thought this was a DATE? Like a real date date? Are you crazy?" she pulled away, clearly annoyed with his casual attitude.
"No. I don't think I'm crazy. Why, what did you think tonight was?"
"A business dinner."
"Business? Seriously? Betty, come on, we've always gone way beyond business, the first month we worked together! You're my best friend. You told me when you had your first orgasm for God's sake! Which by the way, I say you faked, Meg Ryan, just to make the guy feel better.
And I've shared all kinds of intimate stuff with you. Stuff I've never told anyone! You're like the best possible friend. You're a woman that I don't get all weird around. I feel like we can tell each other everything!"
"Right. Because you're actually not trying to sleep with me. Your father hired me because he knew that I was the last woman on earth you or any man would ever want to sleep with! That is why I initially got this job, Daniel. You do remember that? I can tell you it's pretty hard for me to forget! What do you think that does to MY confidence? Or lack thereof? It's not very flattering! In any case, the most you could call this night is 'hanging out with your buddy" then, definitely NOT a date!"
"Fine, whatever. Have it your way, Betty. It's not a date. But...I gotta say, it FEELS like a date. And probably the best one I've ever had. At least so far. Let's go! I've got one more idea for our "Not a date" night. Trust me, you'll like it." They both got their coats and headed outside.
As they continued to walk, she saw where he had in mind, "The Brooklyn Bridge?"
"Yeah. I've never walked on it before at night like this. It's amazing, seeing the city from this side."
She sighed, as they finally made it up to the pinnacle and leaned on the railing. "Really? This is the only way I've ever seen it. It is really beautiful, especially at night. It reminds me of a blizzard!"
"A blizzard?"
"Uh huh. You know, when the whole city stops and everything kind of sparkles."
He smiled as he watched her face light up. He took her hands in his, warming them up by rubbing them, "You're going to make a great writer, someday. You have this intense way of looking at things."
"Thanks. The next time I get blocked, I'm going to come here for inspiration. Five am, I'll be here."
"Let me know. I'll meet you."
He looked out at the water below, "You know, Alex used to do that. He'd be out, partying all night and call me up from someplace in Chinatown or wherever and say, "meet me!" and we'd hang out."
"You must really miss him. How did he…?"
"He jumped out of a helicopter, skiing on Mt. Juneau. Alex found chairlifts tedious."
"I'm sorry, Daniel. You don't talk about your brother much."
He shrugged, "I try not to think of him as really dead. Just on some endless trip around the world. Hey, at least he died like he lived. If there was no risk, Alex wasn't into it!"
She listened quietly, then squeezed his hand, "I miss my mom, too. I think it's really sweet that you go to your brother's grave every Sunday. I still talk to my mom sometimes. When I'm really having a difficult time. Or something happens that I would normally share with her. It...helps somehow."
As she spoke, he watched her expressions, and turned to her, She dropped a glove, and he picked it up for her and helped her put it on over the ring, looking into her eyes, "So...do you need help, dumping the cheater? This is the same guy who stalked you when you tried to break up with him before and gave you batteries, right?"
"Yes. But don't worry about it, Daniel. I'll handle Walter."
"Will you let me help you for once? You always think you need to be the only one to "fix" everything. I actually have an idea of how to get rid of him once and for all."
"You have enough on your plate."
"Hey, maybe I want to distract myself by helping you for once. I tell you what, keep the ring for a while. At least long enough for the dweeb to see you wearing it. I figure I owe you a fake engagement to make up for our "fake date" tonight! If anything, at least we got the paparazzi talking about something besides how the bitch crushed my balls! I gotta tell you, I'm not looking forward to facing her at work on Monday!"
"So, it sucks for a while, but then you move on! I'll be with you. I'm so glad to get my job back! It's going to be crazy, getting ready for Fashion Week! It's sweet of you to offer for me to use this ring, but I'm sure it's really expensive and I'll get it off, I promise! Although, Amanda is a lot skinnier than I am and SHE had a hard time getting it off. I should never have put it on!" she started to panic, pulling at it.
"I haven't even bothered to take the other rings back yet, anyway. Hey, at least she gave me the other one back! I guess she could have kept it. Trust me, I'd much rather have you keep this one than have her or Amanda running around, pretending to be my fiance!"
"But you actually proposed to Sofia!"
"Don't remind me! I didn't propose to Amanda, that's for sure. I felt bad that she used to have a thing for me, though. I heard she was supposedly threatening to kick Sofia's ass! I'd pay good money to see her do that. Or you. I wish I could have seen her face when you quit. You know, Amanda might really be a good match for Becks. At least she could occupy him long enough to forget about that damn bet! They're sort of perfect for each other now that I think about it."
He took her hand, and removed the other glove, then kissed both hands, "It's fine. It fits you, 'Mrs. Meade'. You know, that honeymoon we talked about sounded really fun! Too bad we can't both go to Rio or Hawai'i for real … together! That would sure cause a stir, wouldn't it?" he winked at her.
She blushed, "Right! Like you'd go with some 'nobody' from Queens! Maybe Giselle. Too bad she was booked."
"Will you stop talking about yourself like that, Betty? You're better than some supermodel I don't even know, you're better than…"
"Any other 'pretty woman'? Better than Sofia?"
"Definitely better than that bitch, hell yes!"
"Right, well thank you, Daniel. I know you're only saying that because you think you hate her now. That's sweet. But I'll stop doubting myself when you do, okay, Mister? You need to stop thinking your life is over just because that woman was too stupid to realize how lucky she was to have you, Daniel!
She's going to regret letting you go, believe me! She had the best guy ever and she hurt you like that just to sell her stupid magazine cover? Like I said, she's tot! I can't believe I ever looked up to her!"
"Yeah, me, either! You're usually smarter than that and have better taste!" he teased.
She hit his arm, "Thanks!"
He hugged her, then held her by her arms, trying to get her to look at him. Finally, he lifted up her chin, "Hey! Listen to me. You're way better than any other random pretty woman because you already are beautiful, Betty. Inside AND out! You got that? And don't you forget it!" he brushed back her hair.
He had to admit to himself if this really was "Switzerland" and they weren't going to be working together again, this was definitely one of those times when he would have kissed her. The way she looked at him told him he wasn't completely crazy to think his growing feelings might be reciprocated. But the last thing he wanted was to use Betty in any way as a way to 'get over' Sofia or have her feel like she was only some 'rebound girl'.
She deserved to be the one. Eventually, some lucky guy at some point would realize how amazing she was and sweep her off her feet. He wished he felt lucky. He was the one who would probably end up being HER assistant someday. This girl was special. Even an idiot like him could see that!
"Oh, the hell with it!" he was done second-guessing himself. He pulled her to him and kissed her for all he was worth.