Daniel spun around quickly; tossing a pack of Oreos into the cart as Alexis sped passed him, picking up another bag of Lays that she would be able to eat. Smaller children watched them in awe, wanting to know where their parents were as they sped through the grocery store aisles, picking up everything that had a pound of sugar in it.
"Don't forget, we have to stop at the pharmacy..." Daniel reminded Alexis, hitching onto the side of the shopping cart as they rode down the aisle childishly. Though he had grown up, matured, garnered a family...He still had his moments...especially when his sister came into town.
"For what?" Alexis questioned, sneaking an Oreo from the packet.
"Willie...When she woke up this morning, her throat was bothering her..."
"Does she have a cold?"
"I don't know...You guys were the ones that were out until 2 am for her birthday...It was cold...She didn't have a scarf..."
"Hmmm You sound like an adult yet you eat like a 2 year old..." She snatched the gummy worm from his grasps, eating it for her own benefit.
"Hypocrite...Why are you here anyway?"
"Your wife didn't trust you to go grocery shopping alone..."
"And she didn't trust you either..." He turned around, seeing Betty holding a stack of fruits and vegetables in her hands, tied up in bags.
"Did you guys get the rest of the stuff on Wilhelmina's list?"
Daniel looked in the cart, seeing Cinnamon Rolls, Honey Buns, Lays, Cheetos, Doritos, Popcorn, Cheeze-its, Oreos...Oreos...More Oreos...And a pack of gum.
"Yup, just about."
OoO
Wilhelmina held a hand to her throat, feeling it worsen as the minutes passed and the cold spread. Wrapped in a scarf, she checked her watch to see that the time had come for her to make an appearance. Gathering the papers on her desk to make it the least presentable, she was disturbed by a knock on her office door. Her nerves made her jump, expecting him but soon found by the corner of her eye that it was just Claiborne.
"I brought you some tea...Maybe it will soothe your throat..." Claiborne set it on her desk gently, humbly stepping back. After a chastisement from the infamous Wilhelmina Slater she had learned to stay in the place of the little people and to respect those whose outfit alone costs more than your entire mortgage.
"Thank-" She cleared her throat, feeling it crack upon the words that she attempted to speak. "Thank you.."
"Do you want me to bring your things downstairs?"
"That would be great...Thank you..." Her voice, now a rasp spoke out as she attempted to bring forth her usual voice of strength. "Ummm Claiborne, before you go..." Wilhelmina whispered, now choosing not to strain her voice. The young girl looked up, Wilhelmina's purse on her arm.
"Mam?"
"Do you know if Mr. Ambrossi will be showing up today?"
"Uh...No, he called in sick...Something must be going around..." She answered, then being released by the nod of her bosses head.
"Thank you Claiborne."
"No problem Mrs. Meade...Speaking of such, your husband should be here in a matter of minutes..."
"Thank you Claiborne...Claiborne?"
Claiborne turned around, hearing her name beckoned. "Mam?"
"Do you...like your name?"
"I...I deal with it..."
"Do you have a nickname?"
"...Clay..."
"Did Ms. Wintour call you Clay?"
"Uhh...No...She barely knew my name...To her I was Chelsea...Samantha..Shauna...sometimes even Chester..."
"Do you mind if I call you Clay? I am beginning to grow tired of saying your entire name over and over again..."
"...Sure..."
"Good...I was only asking to be polite...I would have called you it regardless." Claiborne looked around, feeling as surreal as they come in the awkward moment that they were sharing. Wilhelmina looked up, seeing that she was still standing there. "You're dismissed...Clay."
OoO
Wilhelmina sat in the front row, surrounded by pretentious wannabe's and stuck up snobs. At usual she would enjoy it but at this point, with the soreness of her throat and pounding of her head from the lights flashing back and forth over the runway, the enjoyment period had since long passed. She smiled faintly at the passersby, greeting them just before the show started. As the first model donned the catwalk, she felt a presence greet her back, moving in circles before a pair of lips pressed against her cheek shortly. He sat back, watching the fashion show, his hands running circles around her back as to soothe her, knowing that she was sick.
She honestly didn't want to be there. She would have left had she not missed work the previous day. But she did...and she was stuck there...miserable...and sick. Making the best of it, she rested her head against his shoulder and he sat up, allowing himself to be a support system for her. He led the back of his hand to her forehead and retracted quickly, feeling the heat rise in his fingertips.
"Will..." He called out, drawing her attention to him as she tore her eyes away from the fashion that strutted up and down the walk.
"What?" She lifted her head, feeling the altitude change in her head and ultimately swell her membranes, congesting her nose.
"I need to take you home..."
"No...No...I'm not that sick...I just have a sore throat..." She shook her head in denial, crossing her legs at the feet before feeling Claiborne take a seat beside her, extending another cup of that damned tea. "Thank you..." She took a sip, having it partially restore her voice... "See?...I'm fine..." With a bit of strength in her voice, she responded, sparking his eyes to roll, having not been fooled.
"I like that..." Daniel pointed at the runway..Wilhelmina looked up, seeing the garment before swatting Daniel's chest. "Oh...For you...I like it for you...
At this point, they were showing the Fall Freya Collection, A lingerie desire. The model donned a garment of shadowy menswear-inspired pinstripes with alluring contrast to a molded-cup bra with a daring plunging neckline.
"Yeah okay..."
After watching endless models walk up and down the runway, the show had concluded and the foyer was flooded with dastardly divas and curious designers. After handing off her cup to Claiborne, the new Vogue Editor-In-Chief was surrounded by these divas and designers, wanting the dish on Ana, Daniel, Rodrigo and more.
How is Ana doing?
What are you going to do about those nasty rumors (That I spread?) about you sabotaging Ana's car?
Are you and Daniel splitting?
Is it true that you and Claire Meade nearly killed each other at lunch, throwing knives and forks?
How closely do you work with Mr. Ambrossi?
Growing weary of answering questions, inane and making no sense, Daniel pulled her away from the crowd, seeing her fingers claw at the fabric of her dress only wanting to claw someone's' fake lashes out.
"Sorry...Have to get her home..."
"I told you that I'm not going home..."
"Willie..."
"Go..."
"Willie..."
"Daniel..."
"Willie..."
"Go!"
OoO
She soldiered on through the day, doing what needed to be done. She went to lunch with Carmen Marc Valvo, met with Marc Jacob and drunk that god-awful tea. She changed the layout for Ana's issue, spoke with Robert Sauerberg, watching him squirm after turning the tables on him and serving a stare that he tried to give her after finding out that she had missed a day. After a long day of scaring and towering, getting worse as the day on, she called a driver, allowing him to drive the car that she drove to Vogue, taking her home.
Sitting in the front of her house, her driver peered at her mid console mirror, stealing a glance at her. "Do you need help back there, Mrs. Meade?"
Hell yes, I can barely move! She shook her head softly. "No. Tony, Thank you." Opening the car door a wind blew past her, seemingly sweeping past a grab the wind from her body as well before leaving. She coughed heavily into the crook of her arm, still attempting to stand before finding herself, after all of that exerted strength, in the same spot.
Giving up, she pulled out her Blackberry slowly and scrolled through her contacts that she soon realized that Claiborne had updated. She looked for his name, Marc having put him under the name Pasty Face, Ariel having named him Danny Boy, And Claiborne going with Mr. Meade. And what Wilhelmina didn't get was the fact that...IT was her phone...She didn't call him Mr. Meade...And though she'll never get the logic of assistants, she was at least able to find his number and dial it.
Inside, Daniel and Alexis attempted to cook a meal before Wilhelmina arrived home. Daniel, having burned everything he touched and Alexis, under cooking everything; They were pretty close to calling a restaurant.
"Eat!" Izak exclaimed, banging on his high chair demandingly.
"I'm glad to see he inherited your appetite." Alexis commented, knowing that Wilhelmina barely ate in comparison.
"Do-" Before he could utter a word, his phone was ringing excitedly in his phone blasting Bruno Mars' Grenade.
"You are not serious?"
"It's an inside joke!" He defended, not getting anywhere seeing how she was still unimpressed. "It's between us-"
"Just answer the phone."
"Fine...Hello?...No I'm not angry...I sound like that because my sister is being an ass...Ouch!...She just slapped me in the back of my head...Are you okay?...How long have you sitting out there?" He snatched off his apron, casting it out in Alexis's direction before storming outside, leaving a curiosity behind him in Alexis' lap.
Leaving the house, he stuffed his phone into his pocket and opened the car door, her eyes looking him up and down. "Are you wearing skinny jeans?" Her voice came as a nasal rasp, checking him out before he had a chance to say anything.
He looked down, around and back at her. "...Straight...leg..."
She looked back at them and motioned for him to turn around, which he did. "Skinny Jeans..."
"No I'm serious, they're straight leg..."
"Daniel, Marc wears straight leg as well..."
"They're boot cut..."
"They don't have a flare...Daniel you can't lie to the Editor-In-Chief of a fashion magazine about the clothes you wear..."
He laughed, finding this as one of the attributes of why he loved her so. "What's wrong?"
"You know how I hate it when you pick me up?"
"Yes...I almost lost an eye once..."
"...Pick me up..."
"What?"
"Just do it..."
"Are you that..." He touched his hand to her head, feeling it even warmer than before. "...sick...Willie you feel like a sauna..."
"Well I'm freezing and I have been sitting here in the cold for 10 minutes..."
"C'mere..." He reached down, her arm wrapping around his neck as he lifted her from the car, closing the door behind him. She rested her head against his chest only feeling the beat of his heart against hers and hearing the steps that he carefully took as he stepped into the house.
Advancing the stairs, he looked to Alexis' raised brow, motioning at her to cut the sarcasm for a moment. He took her to their bedroom, setting her down on the bed. He moved to her feet, removing the ridiculously high boots that donned them as she attempted to remove her coat, finding even that to be a strenuous activity.
Sniffling, she soon found her head resting on his abdomen, his hands reaching behind her to take over what she couldn't do. "I'm not sick you know...It's just...my throat..."
"Uh huh..." He answered as she laid back onto the bed, only wanting to see darkness that was provided by the close of her eyelids. He fumbled around in the bathroom, coming back with a random purple bottle, pouring a cap full for her to take. "Drink this."
She looked at him, squinting carefully, yet being too tired to decipher the strange liquid. "What is it?"
"...Wine..." He lied, coaxing her to drink.
She looked at him carefully, slowly taking hold of the cap, downing it quickly. Her face soon screwed up angrily, whacking him on the arm with a fierce fervor. "Lie!"
"You had to take it..."
"I don't like you.
"You'll be having more in 4 hours."
"...You-" He stuck a thermometer in her mouth, stopping her words and ceasing her rant. "Hm Mhpm Hmph Hmmmmm!" She mumbled incoherently as he held onto he jaw, making sure her mouth was closed.
After 30 seconds he removed the thermometer, looking at it closely. "What the hell..."
"What?"
"It says that your temperature is 39.4 degrees..."
"That's Celsius dumbass..." She snatched the thermometer and flipped it, reading it for herself. "It's 103..."
"No need to call names..." He spoke lowly, a chuckle on his lips as she grew agitated with the smallest thing. He looked at the thermometer for himself and sighed, flipping it discretely and inciting a sigh from her, followed by a howling cough that pained her throat and made her shut her eyes. "103...Willie that's not good..."
"Daniel I'm fine..."
"Willie, You need to see a doctor..."
"No I don't, Now where is Izak?"
"You can't touch Izak Willie, you're sick...You're going to get him sick."
"I'm not sick..."
"Wilhelmina of all the things to be in denial about, you choose a blatant sickness?
"No I choose an exaggeration of sorts that you have conjured up in your head...I'm not sick..."
"You're the most stubborn person...In the world...Seriously Willie."
"I'm serious too Daniel I'm not sick..."
"Your temperature is 103...That is 2 degrees from death..."
"Well aren't you full of good news?" She spat sarcastically, moving her hands to the buttons of her blouse that was neatly tucked into her high waited, snake skin pencil skirt.
"You need to go to sleep..." He suggested, going to the closet and reaching in for her Satin black robe..."Get some rest and...take some more of that medication...in the-" He looked back only to see that she was asleep, her hands on her chest seeing how she was in the process of un-doing her buttons. HE chuckled, casting the robe to the side of the bed, finishing the job, wrapping her in the robe when he was done...Though her body didn't go unnoticed..The perfection...The attraction...The curves...The fact that the peaceful look on her face seemed to add to it all...For him...It didn't go unnoticed.
Peeling back the sheets, he put her into bed, tucking her beneath them before picking up her phone and Dialing a number that he knew she crucify him for doing so.
After hanging up and getting confirmation, he jogged downstairs, seeing Alexis and Izak in the same spot as he left them. "Can't you two get anything done?"
Before she could reply, his phone was ringing and he picked up, expecting it to be the person he had just hung up with. "Hello?"
"Hey...Daniel? This is Rodrigo...Rodrigo Ambrossi..."
"Oh, hey! I have been meaning to call you and thank you for hanging out with us the other day...You're a crazy drunk you know..."
"Oh Hahahahaha...Actually I just...I just wanted to let you know that I am going to have to cancel going to the game with you..."
"Oh?"
"I seem to have come down with something...Strep throat...I think this is what you call it..."
"Oh, sounds bad.."
"It is...I am having my ...tonsils removed on the day of our how you say...scheduled game..."
"Oh well no problem, we can always do that another time..."
"Thank you for understanding..."
"Oh...No problem." He hung up quickly, stuffing his phone back into his pocket as if it were nothing.
"Who was that?" Alexis inquired, taking off her apron as Izak reached for her.
"Rodrigo Ambrossi...Look Alexis I know what he did to you..."
"You still talk to him?" She acted surprised, as if she couldn't fathom him even forming a relationship with such scum.
"Yeah, Why wouldn't I..."
"Well he practically made out with your wife..." Her words fell dead in her throat when she slowly but surely saw the light leave his eyes, darkening with intensity...
"What did you just say?" His tone came angry, bitter, muscles clenching as he tried to make what she said a lie, a story...A nightmare.
"I...I wasn't supposed to say anything...It just slipped out..."
Daniel nodded as if he understood before having the phone he held fly across the room, smashing itself against the concrete wall of the living room. His breath came sporadic, it came quickly, it came angry...All he could feel in his hands, were the neck of a man that he now swore to rue the day of his birth...Rue the day of his revealed intentions for his wife...Rue the day he intentionally broke apart a marriage.
"Daniel I'm so s-" She was cut off by the sounds of keys jingling along the door and Marc appearing in the doorframe, Dr. Smith behind him.
"We came as soon as we could..."
"We were down the street...At a restaurant...Eating...Going on with OUR OWN LIVES" Dr. Smith looked at Daniel, narrowing his eyes as if to say that they had been disturbed.
"But-" Marc stopped him, smiling at Daniel's angry mug. "We wanted to make sure that she was okay..."
"Where is she?"
"Bedroom..."
"Bedroom?"
"Bedroom..."
"Have I ever been in your house, I don't know where your damn bedroom is..."
"Come on Daniel..." Marc motioned towards Dr. Smith, seeing both Daniels coming. "Wait no that Daniel.." He pointed to Dr. Smith. "Well That Daniel can some to though because it is his wife..
Daniel nodded, marching up the stairs behind him, trying to keep his cool. "Yup...My wife."
OoO
Retracting with his flashlight, Dr. Smith stuck it back in his breast pocket after completing his oral examination on a sleeping Willie. "It's Strep throat..."
Daniel nodded, standing off to the side. "How does someone get it?"
"Uhhhh close...contact with an infected person...Using the same cup...kissing...You don't have it do you?"
"No...I'm fine...Or at least I think I am.." Daniel answered, his answer an allegorical underplay.
"It's not uncommon for someone to catch it from someone and then it skipping over their spouse...She'll need to stay home for about...the next 24 hours...Take her temperature every two hours...She needs to take her antibiotics as directed on the bottle and...as you know drink plenty of fluids...
"Is that it?"
"Well what do you want me to do, Jump through a hoop and plunge a needle into her arm?"
"No, you're fine." He was so dead, his voice monotonous as he rolled the covers back up to her, seeing her shiver in her sleep from the cold she felt. Touching a hand to her forehead, he pulled back guessing that it had gone back just a smidge. "Thanks for coming..."
"No problem..." Marc responded.
"Yes problem, WE had reservations and I had to cancel it because SOMEONE had a cough and a tickle in their throat..."
"Let's go.."
Marc escorted his fiancée back down the stairs, leaving promptly before he made any more snide comments about the evening. Daniel shut the door behind them, turning to Alexis who stood before him, twisting at the apron still in her hands.
"Is she okay?"
"She's fine...She has Rodrigo Ambrossi's strep throat...That's why she's sick..."
"She told you that..."
"No...but I'm not stupid...He has it...Only it's more advanced...And now she has it and she never drinks off of ANYBODY...How else could she have gotten it-"
"There are plenty of-"
"Alexis don't...You already hid this from me, don't lie to me."
"I wasn't hiding it from you, it wasn't for me to tell you...It was for her to tell you and she was going to last night but I came in the room and-"
"I know when she kissed him..." He blurted out, taking to the stairs. A revelation soon came to him and it all clicked, making sense...someone how in his head.
"What? How?"
"I think you know enough already."
OoO
Daniel sat on the edge of their bed, dabbing a cold wet cloth to her forehead hoping that it would momentarily decrease the heat and eventually bring the fever down. HE tried his best not to get upset, trying not to get angry..He didn't even know the story...How it happened...Why it happened...All he knew was that...Another man...Had his nasty lips on his wife...Now she was his...He would kill for her...Because she was his...But it she was cheating on him...HE didn't know whose she was anymore but surely she wasn't the woman he came to know...Came to love...Came to cherish...adore...do anything for.
"Hmmm." She mumbled in her sleep, beginning to wake up from his touch. He stopped dabbing, clutching at the towel before sticking the thermometer in her mouth. She smiled weakly, seeing the temperature from a far. "38.3?"
"101..." He replied monotonously, trying to play along but he just couldn't do it. He thought about waiting...Waiting for her to tell him the truth...Be honest with him...but he couldn't do it...He couldn't lie to her...He could act fake with her...He didn't know to love a person flakily...He just didn't know.
She looked at him silently, still exhausted and congested. She noted as his head drug low on his neck. His expressions were gone, his eyes were dark and his smile...non-existent. "Are you okay?"
HE looked down, determined not to answer the question. He peered at her face, seeing the genuine concern and suddenly he got angry. Angry that she had to ask why he was upset...If he was upset...He thought she should know, after all it was her fault...She was the cause...
"You let that man smile in my face...We went out to eat...Played games...Watched sports...You let me befriend the man that had violate what we worked so...hard...to get?"
"Wha-What are you talking about?" She sat up in bed, pushing herself up as she tried to brace herself for what was coming next.
"Willie, please don't insult my intelligence by trying to make me the crazy one...Tell me what happened the night before your birthday..."
The breath caught in her throat, ceasing all movement as he looked earnestly in her direction in expectation of expectation. She didn't know what to expect and she expected that exactly. She looked into his eyes, seeing the hurt...the anger...the moistened nature and knew that he knew...What could she tell him...that it was nothing...Then why did she hide it? That she didn't feel anything for him anymore. Well then does that mean that she loved him before? That they only had a past, no future. Than why didn't she say anything about it?
She could do nothing...Nothing but stare back at him silently, both of the waiting for the other to reply...
To be Continued...
OoO
