CHAPTER 8:
Shifting uncomfortably in his chair, Daniel glanced at the clock one more time; it was past her arrival time and more Mode employees had begun to pour in. He'd arrived a bit early than usual, in hopes of getting some time to talk things over. After the epic kiss the previous night, he needed to know where they stood. He was slightly scared that he wouldn't get the answer he was hoping for since she stormed out of the elevator without saying a word. After a few too many glances at her office, he picked up his cell phone and scrolled for her number and the call immediately went to voicemail. Checking his schedule on his mobile, he noticed that there were no meetings scheduled with her for today.
Another hour went by painfully slowly and he was growing agitated. He had almost forgotten that she was a first class diva. All she had to do was tell him the truth if she felt something back or not, or ask for more time to figure her feelings out. He really didn't see the need for dramatics and running off like a little bitch. Just as he was about to try her cell phone again, he spotted Amanda, her assistant chatting with Marc. He jolted from his chair and darted out the office.
"Hey, Amanda. Has Wilhelmina come in yet?"
"No. She took the day off. Her calendar is totally blocked for today." The girl answered.
"It is? Do you know why?"
"No"
"Is there something urgent?" Marc interjected.
"Not that urgent. I was just worried, that's all."
"Worried? About what?" Amanda probed.
"Nothing." Daniel said sheepishly.
"She's fine, Daniel." Marc assured.
"Marc, do you perhaps know another number of hers?"
"No." He answered impulsively.
"Marc?"
"Daniel, I really don't know. I'm not her assistant anymore, I'm yours, remember?"
He knew from his expression that he knew something however he knew he wouldn't tell him. He turned and angrily strode back to his office. Sitting at his desk, he stared at the same page of the document in front of him, letting out perturbed sighs every other minute, wondering where she could be.
"Where the hell is she?" He said under his breath.
She pulled up at the cemetery and gripped the steering wheel firmly, trying to find some inner strength. She let out a shaky sigh and then grabbed the bouquets of white lilies and red roses before stepping out of the car with weariness in her eyes and strode gradually. The short walk led her to the final resting place of the two men she loved more than anything in the world. She stared at the headstones as a feeling of despair surged through her. It was at this very spot that she stood 18 years ago and watched as the caskets of her husband and son lowered to the ground. She bent and laid the lilies in front of her son's headstone and put the roses in front of her former husband's. Flashing back to their happy times together, her mind was forced to go back to when it was taken from her.
Flashback:
She stood in the massive ball room with a champagne flute in hand with her colleagues who were talking her ear off. As much as she loved her job at Mode, she really didn't want to be there that night. All she wanted to do was head home to her family as they could be doing something better than having stupid small talk in what she thought of as a mini schmooze fest. She didn't see the need for Fey to have a party celebrating her 120th issue with the media telling her how great she is. But apparently it was her 'thing' and all her subjects had to be present. After a meet and greet session and small talk with media personalities, she glanced around, searching for Fey and she had disappeared, along with Bradford whom she'd been carelessly flirting with all evening. Apparently, Mrs. Meade was in rehab…again.
After dipping out, she walked into her empty home that evening hoping that her husband and baby were on their way back. Walking to the bedroom to change, a knock came on the door. She thought it was strange that her significant other would knock in his own home, nonetheless went on to answer the door and there stood two policemen.
"Mrs. Slater-Shuttleworth?" The detective asked.
"Yes?" She replied, her eyes narrowing.
"I'm detective Zahn and this is Officer Gordon. May we come in?" Many thoughts ran through her mind… Did her car get stolen from the basement parking or something? Did her ever travelling father get into a car accident or a plane crash? The policeman cleared his throat.
"Yes, yes, of course." She said stepping aside to let them in and looked into their eyes and they were filled with glum.
"Ms. Slater, I'm afraid I have really terrible news. You better sit down." Said the policeman.
"I don't need to sit down. Just tell me what the hell is going on." She snapped in irritation and fear, her heart hammering faster.
"There's been an accident…It was your husband Christian Shuttleworth and your son." The detective said solemnly.
"Wh-…what?"
"There's been a car accident involving your husband and son." The second police officer repeated.
"Oh, my God. Are they okay?" She asked, her voice shaking.
"Ms. Slater…" The policeman said touching her arm gently.
"I SAID ARE THEY OKAY?" She screamed, her eyes now brimming with tears. The detective couldn't bring himself to say it. He just shook his head slowly.
"I am so sorry, Ms. Slater." Her chest tightened and she started heaving. "Ms. Slater, I'm afraid we have to ask you to come with us to confirm their ident-…" And that's when she blacked out.
When she came to, in the hospital, her father was by her side. She asked and begged him to tell her that it was a nightmare she would wake up from, however the sorrow in his eyes told her otherwise. It wasn't a dream. The older man simply shook his head and told her it was real. Soon after she was treated for anxiety, she was discharged and she had to go to a morgue and identify her husband and baby as she was the spouse and mother. That was the worst thing a human being ever had to go through. Even though her family and friends were there, she felt like she was alone. She wasn't all there, she fell in and out of consciousness during that time and shut people out.
Present:
Suddenly she was blinded by a rush of tears as she read the epitaphs that she couldn't remember writing. She traced his name on the headstone and exhaled. She couldn't believe that this was once the happiest day of her life.
"Happy Birthday, son. My first and only. 18 years old, huh? You'd probably be a freshman in college right now and I'm quite sure you'd be popular with the girls. Even Fey Sommers liked you and she wasn't easily impressed by babies, not even her own." She sniffled "The memories….the memories I have of you make me smile and cry at the same time. I miss your giggles when I blew raspberries on your little tummy, I miss your smile. God, I still remember your first smile at me, you were 2 months 3 weeks and 17 days. It was so adorable. I miss your cries. That's how much I enjoyed being your mother. The day you…the day you left me, you also took your first steps that morning and you walked again and we got it on tape, hoping I'd get to watch it with your daddy the following day. Little did I know that God had a different plan." She sniffled and wiped her eyes and laid the flowers in front of the headstone. She moved to the grave next to it.
"Hey, baby. You know I love you and miss you. I think about you every now and again, but I think about you more every time our song comes on. But I have to admit it's easier now. For the longest time there's one thing I wished for, and that was to have you back, as well as the baby. But I have to try and live life without you but you do know that you'll always live in a sacred space within my heart." She placed the roses and stared at the headstones.
"I miss you, guys." She whispered shakily. "I love you. I always will. You will always dwell here." She said gently clutching her chest. After another long glance, she turned and walked off. With one last look she climbed into the car and drove off.
Hours later, she was slumped on her sofa with a photograph of her family on one hand and gripping a bottle of Macallan with the other. This was her little tradition; she visited the graves on her son's birthday every year and then she would stupefy herself with hard liquor, hoping to drift to unconsciousness where she felt no pain. Things were easier that way. She ran her fingers on the faces on the photo which was smudged with tear stains. Their deaths shattered her to her soul and she was never the same after that. To this day she doesn't know why God dealt her such a hand. This was the reason why she was such a bitch. God dealt her a vicious hand. Then she spent years doing the same to other people- playing the hand she was dealt by making other people miserable. She was aware it was wrong but it was the only thing that kept her from having a breakdown. As she was about to take another swig from the bottle, a knock came on her door. She jerked her head toward the door, and quickly stood up and wiped her eyes before standing up to answer it.
Daniel waited nervously and as he was about to knock again, the door flung open, revealing a weary looking, bloodshot and puffy eyed Wilhelmina.
"Daniel" She said throatily, shock evident on her face.
"Wilhelmina." He said softly, resenting that he could be the cause of her current state.
"What are you-…How did you find out my new address?"
"Amanda. Can I please can I come in?" He asked.
"Sure" She said stepping aside to let him in. "Uh…what are you doing here?" She asked.
"Uh…I came to…check on you." He stammered.
"I'm fine, Daniel." She said walking to the sofa "If this is about me not showing up at work today, I had something to do." She answered nervously while hugging her body as if she were cold. Daniel stalked over to the couch and sat beside her, not knowing how to start the conversation he came for.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine." She replied, staring ahead.
"I didn't mean to put you in this position, Wilhelmina. For that I'm really sorry but please, let's not let things get awkward between us. If you don't feel anything for me, it's okay. I know I caught you off guard but we can remain friends. You don't have to…"
"I'm not hiding from you, Daniel." She said cutting him off, with a tight smile.
"That's good to hear." He said with a smile matching hers.
"You're right you caught me off guard but that's not the reason I didn't show up at work today." Daniel just looked at her, waiting for her explanation "It's my son's birthday today. I went to visit his…grave. That's why I wasn't in at the office today."
"Wilhelmina, I'm so sorry. I didn't know…"
"That's my fault, I don't tell anybody. I just take the day off. Marc is the only one who knows why."
"God, I feel like such an ass." He said as he put his head in his hands.
"Why?"
"I came here thinking you were avoiding me because you were being dramatic or something. I've been upset all day about it. I didn't know." He said sheepishly.
"Well, I wasn't trying to avoid you. I had something to deal with." She assured him.
"I…uh…better go then. We can talk about things tomorrow. Goodnight." He said and made his way toward the door.
"Please don't go." She said softly, her voice cracking. He stopped in his tracks and looked at her, her eyes were shining with tears. "Please, I don't want to be alone tonight." She admitted. Daniel hurriedly walked back to the sofa and sat beside her and put his arms around her. And then she completely fell apart, and let it out.
Daniel rubbed her back soothingly as she sobbed painfully. Finally after almost an entire hour, the sobbing quieted down. After she ceased crying, a deafening silence fell in the apartment. She slowly pulled herself free from his grasp and wiped her eyes as she shifted on the sofa. Then Daniel's gaze fell to the coffee table and his heart sank as he saw the items on it; a children's story book, a couple of plush toys, a picture of the baby, and another with Wilhelmina with her late husband and the baby smiling happily. All of a sudden, his own problems seemed small compared to the heartbreak and devastation she must have been feeling.
"This is him." She said picking up the framed picture.
"He's…he was beautiful, Wilhelmina."
"And this is Christian."
"Yeah, I recognize him from the article. I'm sorry, Willie."
"And this…" She said referring to the book "This is the book I used to read to him."
"You read Dr. Seuss to a baby?" Somehow the question made her chuckle.
"I read to my son since he was 9 days old."
"Really?"
"Daniel, I know what you're thinking. A baby might not understand what you're reading but just hearing the sound of his mother's voice is enough."
"Wow, I guess I never thought about it that way."
"You know I don't wish what happened to happen to my worst enemy. Every time I visit their graves I feel as if I'm also visiting my own grave because when they died, a part of me died with them." She let out a shaky breath "Sometimes I wish I was in the car with them."
"Wilhelmina, you don't mean that."
"Sometimes I do, which is a lot of times. You know everything else after that was a blur. I don't remember sleeping, eating or drinking anything. I wasn't there the entire time. I sort of remember the funeral in which I blacked out. I learned later when I woke up at the hospital that I actually passed out at the grave site."
"Willie, you need to try and…"
"I know, Daniel." She said, rubbing her eyes. After a while, she spoke up. "uh…I better get to bed 'cause I'm feeling kind of…a little drowsy."
"You mean tipsy?" Daniel teased pointing to the half empty scotch bottle that sat on the coffee table. She scoffed.
"Smartass." She growled jokingly, smiling tightly.
"I could make you some coffee." He offered.
"No, it's fine, I'll sleep it off. You can sleep in one of the spare bedrooms if you like."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah." She answered softly and then walked over to the stair case.
Rubbing his eyes, he got out of bed and sleepily walked over to the chaise where he he'd laid his clothes. As he proceeded to get dressed, the previous evening's events kept playing in his mind. Sitting on the sofa with Wilhelmina's face buried in his shirt, bawling her eyes out was not on his agenda, but there was absolutely no place he rather would have been. The sight terrified him to death; Wilhelmina Slater cried in his arms. He used to assume that she didn't have any feelings at all, nothing seemed to get to her. Every time things went bad in her life she bounced right back, she never showed any signs of defeat. When he was promoted to Editor-in-Chief, she dusted herself off and tried to push him out with every opportunity she got and at times created. When she was fired from Meade, she returned in less than four months. When Connor left her, she went back to work with her head held high. When her former believed son, William was discovered to have been Christina's son, she showed up at work the following morning looking completely unaffected. And it dawned on him that all this time, she had been acting and she has been suffering in silence. But last night she let it all out in his presence.
Walking into the living room, he decided not to leave and he settled for touring the place and judging by the size of the duplex she would be awake by the time he's finished. He stood in the middle of the living room and took in the architectural grandeur; the place was gargantuan. For such a cheesy place that would make the perfect bachelor pad for an egomaniac athlete, it was filled with style and elegance and it was surprisingly warm and welcoming. The penthouse had glass walls and he had a clear view of the city, even her terrace and staircase railings were made of glass. The meticulous living area was complete with marble floors, a huge free-standing glass fireplace, a grand piano and exclusive art pieces. He proceeded with his tour and walked to a large archway which led to the other wing of the immense house, in which there were several vacant rooms and which one of them served as the wine cellar. He also came across a pretty huge library and a home office that was decorated with black and white motif, complete with a large glass desk and several black and white photographs.
Finally his tour led him to the kitchen which looked a bit similar to the one at her old condo; this one was just bigger with a different shade of the marble countertops. He proceeded to the refrigerator, hoping to find something to make breakfast with, he could only find a few units of fruit and bottles of water. He closed the refrigerator door and walked over to turn on the small kitchen TV and then turned on the coffee machine.
Slurping his coffee while watching television, Wilhelmina walked in the kitchen, slightly startling Daniel as he didn't hear any footsteps.
"Good morning." She said with a small but genuine smile.
"Good morning, Willie." He replied, returning her smile.
"I can't believe you're still here."
"I…uh…I just wanted to see if you're okay after last night."
"I wasn't complaining." She clarified with a reassuring smile. "And thank you for staying. I'm fine…" As she spoke, Daniel took her in, his eyes travelling up and down her form. She only wore a white bathrobe with her initials on it, her hair was messy and she had no makeup on, nonetheless she looked absolutely beautiful without it, even much more youthful without it. His gaze travelled back to her face and watched her mouth as she spoke, imagining those pink, soft lips on his, just as they were two nights ago in the elevator. At that moment all he wanted to do was to walk over to her and kiss the pain she'd been harboring for almost two decades away.
"Daniel?" She said cautiously. His attention snapped back to her, realizing that he'd completely stopped listening the moment after she said she was fine.
"Sorry…I'm just…I was so worried about you, Wilhelmina." He lied.
"You don't have to be. I'm okay, really." She assured him as she hopped on the stool next to his, and fixated her gaze on the screen watching the morning news.
"Want anything to eat?" He asked.
"Do I have anything to eat?"
"You have…yoghurt, apples, peaches, strawberries, lots of water. I can make you a mean morning fruit salad."
"I think I'll just have some coffee first." She replied. Before she could get off her stool,
"Okay, let me pour you a cup." He said hopping off the stool and walked over to the coffee machine.
"Oh…thanks." She said.
"I like your new place, Willie. It's amazing, it's just incredible." He spoke as she fixed her coffee.
"Thank you."
"How do you take your coffee?"
"I usually take my coffee with cream but this morning I want it strong and black." She replied. He stalked over to her and set the mug in front of her.
"Wanna know how I take mine? Like my women." He said grinning mischievously.
"So, how do you like your women?" She asked with a slightly sultry voice.
"Very hot, creamy, rich." He said suggestively earning a laugh from her. Wait were they flirting? Daniel wondered and decided to push harder "bossy, incredibly smart, preferably Editor-in-Chief of a publication…like a fashion magazine maybe." She responded with a chortle.
"You're crazy, Meade."
"So I've been told…So how much did you pay for this place?" He asked.
"You can't count that high." She joked.
"That much, huh?"
"Oh, yeah."
"Well, it sure as hell deserves it. I gave myself a grand tour; it's a 360 view of Manhattan."
"That's why I love it."
"And it's a lot, less darker than your previous apartment." He teased and they both burst out in a bout of chuckles.
"Daniel, while you're still in a laughing mood, I need to tell you something." She said seriously.
"What?"
"It's bout Marc."
"You want him back?"
"I told you I don't want him as my assistant anymore. I've decided to give Marc a promotion, the fashion editor position. But I wanted to talk to you first to give you time to hire a new assistant."
"Of course, Willie you can promote him. The whole reason he came to work for me is because he wanted to be editor. And I know he misses you."
"Well, I missed him too. He is the most important man in my life." In response, Daniel narrowed his eyes at her.
"Look, I know Marc might not walk like a man, or talk like a man and his features are vaguely lesbian, but the truth is he's been my one constant over the years. If I were on my deathbed, he'd be the person I'd call." Daniel couldn't help the smile that crossed his lips. "I know you probably think it's pathetic that a woman of my age to have a former assistant as the only person she considers family."
"I don't think you're pathetic at all." He said placing his hand on her forearm.
"So, you're okay with it?"
"Of course." He replied.
"I should probably go get ready for work." She said glancing at the clock.
"I should go. I also gotta get ready." He said getting up and walked over to the sink and put the mug in. Willie followed suit and walked out of the kitchen with him making small talk along the way. Standing on the threshold, he turned to say goodbye.
"Well…I'll see you at work." Daniel said, all of a sudden feeling nervous. Willie pulled his head to her and planted a soft kiss on his cheek.
"See you at work." She said. He swallowed hard and nodded before walking off.
At midday, Marc stood with Willie in the middle of her office after she called him for an important talk. Working for Daniel was fine but it just wasn't the same, sure he'd help him become editor one day but they didn't have the same dynamic he and Willie had.
"So, you want me back?" He asked, slightly happy.
"No." She answered quickly. His face fell in disappointment. "Not as my assistant. However you WILL answer to me as my newest fashion editor." His brows shot up as confusion played across his face.
"Wait, did you just say…" He whispered in disbelief.
"Yes, I did. Congratulations." She said smiling.
"So I'm the senior fashion editor?"
"You're kidding. You're not qualified for that job. I decided I didn't need one. I'm gonna use the money for our junior fashion editor."
"Willie…"
"And before you say anything, this is not to take you away from Daniel, this is a promotion I've wanted to give you even before you joined YETI. It's just that things got screwed up and we had a hiring freeze."
"I…I don't know what to say…I…"
"Absolutely nothing. You deserve this, Marc."
"Willie, thank you. Thank you so much." Marc said and engulfed her in a hug "And I'm sorry that I said…that you didn't care…"
"Water under the bridge, Marc. You always deserved to be editor and I told you that there was a coin toss that ruled in Betty's favor. Yeah, I acted as if didn't care when you applied for YETI and when you told me you were going to work for Anna Wintour because that's how I deal with things that are close to my heart. I might have unconsciously not cared because I couldn't stand the idea of losing you."
"Oh, Willie…" Marc cooed.
"I know. It took me a 50 minute session to come to that realization and admission."
"50 min-…wait, Willie, are you seeing a shrink?" He asked, his eyes bulging.
"Marc, now is not the time."
"But, Willie…"
"Marc, this is the day of your promotion and let's celebrate that. I promise we will talk about this. But right now…" She said as she walked over to her credenza and opened a bottle of champagne and poured it on the flutes and handed one to Marc.
Daniel felt muzzy as he dashed through the Mode offices. He was confused about where he and Wilhelmina were in their relationship. Were they still friends like before the kiss happened? But what about the kiss on the cheek that morning? It wasn't a forehead kiss but on the cheek, extremely close to his mouth. Did it mean he was allowed to bring up the subject again and they could go out on a date?
As he walked past her office, he saw her chatting and sipping champagne with Marc. As he watched the scene from a distance through the glass circle, he decided to talk to her after work just to see where they stood. As he was standing there, an intern walked over with a document for him to sign, just as he was handing it back, it slipped and fell on the floor. Picking it up, he saw Willie through his legs looking at his ass. He swiftly got up and examined her, thinking maybe his eyes were deceiving him. She just shot him a flirty glare accompanied by a mischievous lopsided smile. As he was about to walk off, Marc rushed out of the office, obviously to find Amanda. Noticing him, Marc walked over to him.
"Daniel, I just got pro-…" Marc began.
"It's fine, Marc. She told me; just give me your two weeks' notice."
"Oh thank you and I thought it was gonna be awkward. But trust me I won't leave you hanging, I will hire you a perfectly good assistant, not as good as me obviously but…" Daniel just chuckled.
"Marc, do that later after you've spread the news. Right now, I need to talk to Willie."
Daniel walked over to Willie's office and knocked slightly and walked in.
"Willie, may I have a word?"
"Of course." She replied with a smile.
"Uh…I couldn't help noticing that you were staring at my ass out there." He said as he plunked himself on the chair in front of her desk.
"I was just teasing."
"Well, I…I wanna know where we stand Willie. In terms of you know…"
"When you put your crusty lips on mine?" She deadpanned.
"They're not crusty." He defended almost childlike "And if my memory serves me right, you kissed me back." He said with a smug smile.
"Yeah, I did." She admitted.
"You enjoyed it?"
"I'm not going to boost your ego, Daniel." She replied and he chuckled slightly.
"You just answered my question. So, will you go out on a date with me?" He asked confidently.
"Date?"
"Yeah."
"Are you sure about that or are you asking me out because you still feel empty and lonely or do you at least feel something for me? Because I don't have time to be anyone's rebound."
"Willie, are you kidding me? I've been having feelings for you for a while now and I didn't act on them until two nights ago. Trust me this is not me filling a void. I want to go out with you."
"Okay, How about tomorrow night?" She said after a few moments of hesitation.
"It's a date." He said, smiling.
Feeling incredibly nervous for their first date, the pair made small talk in the town car, trying to rid themselves of the nervousness they felt. They were nervous because the date they were going to would determine if anything at all would develop between them or they were better suited as friends. The latter was troubling to both of them as they liked each other a little too much than to stay friends. As the car rounded the corner, Willie spoke up.
"Oh, My God, Daniel. Are we headed to the harbor?" She asked, the surprise in her voice prominent.
"Yes." He said grinning.
"A dinner cruise?"
"Yeah, that was our first date. I thought recreating the scene would be nice."
"Have you forgotten how that went?" She asked lifting her brow.
"Hell, no. We were different people back then. We are much more than that now."
"God, I hope we don't get another annoying waitress tonight."
"I made sure that Harmony is off tonight."
Their previous awful date seemed to be the real ice breaker as the conversation seemed to flow on the rest of the way. Their laughter died down as the car came to a halt. Daniel opened his door and stepped out to open her door, but she beat him to it.
"Oh, I was gonna get that for you." He said in disappointment as Willie tugged at her coat.
"You don't have to worry about that, Daniel. Chivalry isn't my thing." She explained.
"You're an independent woman. I love it. Now, shall we, Miss Slater?" He asked in a gruff voice while proffering his arm to her. She tugged at it and they made their way to the waiting boat.
They sat across from each other with a clambake, oysters, and smoked salmon accompanied by a bottle of wine. Because of the weather, the pair didn't sit outside like last time; however, their table was out looking the exact same spot they were seated at last time. This served as an ice breaker as they reminisced about the memories of that night. After that, conversation flowed freely between the two, however. Even though it was the first date, the purpose wasn't to interrogate each other, but to hang and see if they had something, so they kept it casual.
The pair was currently laughing about the hurricane that Amanda almost caused by blabbing about their telephone conversation to Marc and Betty.
"So, why did you take off your watch at my house again?" She asked.
"It was too tight."
"Then why did you wear it?"
"Are you seriously asking me that? Didn't you coin the phrase 'Beauty is pain.'?"
"I never said that." She denied briskly.
"Willie…"
"I might have…a couple of times but I'm definitely not the originator of the phrase. I think that was Fey's line. You know, this rumor could have gone really bad."
"Tell me about it. I can't believe Amanda managed to keep it between Betty and Marc."
"I had a talk with her. I made her a short PowerPoint presentation of what would happen if I ever hear the words Daniel, Wilhelmina, watch, apartment and couch in the office again. I think she got the message." She said dryly. That sent Daniel laughing hysterically.
"You're serious?"
"Are there any rumors flying about in the office."
"Now that I think about it, no. Uh…speaking of that night I left my watch at your place, how's the plane and island coming along?"
"I'm still searching for the island but I have been looking at some deals for a plane and even though I haven't signed on the dotted line I think I'm going with a Cessna Citation Mustang."
"That's amazing. That's balls, Willie."
"I know."
"How can you afford all this stuff?"
"What?" She asked with a scoff.
"What I mean is…our company is still rebounding and I can't possibly afford the new Buggatti I have set my sights on. I'm still recovering financially and you're buying glass houses, Porsches, private planes?"
"I wasn't really broke, Daniel."
"You weren't? But you sold your jewelry worth millions and you told me that you didn't have the same resources I did."
"Well, at the time I appeared to be broke but I wasn't. Daniel, do you think a person who's as determined, focused and responsible as I am would blow all her money?"
"So you had a secret stash?" He questioned.
"Well, not exactly a secret. All that money that Forbes claims I have, I do. And before you even go there, I didn't hoard all that money to make you pay for most of Meade's expenses."
"I…I wasn't gonna say that, I swear. I get it now, you wanted protection in case things didn't work out…maybe you wanted to start your own magazine instead. I don't blame you, Willie, that's probably what I would have done too if I was in your shoes."
"No. That's not it at all. Back then I was a mother, Daniel." She said softly.
"Even though Nico's father paid for her education and all, she was still pretty high maintenance. But I had William and I wanted to give him a comfortable life, even better than I ever had. I didn't want him to suffer for my wrong doings."
"So you kept your money for him?"
"Yes. I wanted to give him the best childhood, something I couldn't do the first time and failed at, the second time. But things turned out differently and now I just decided to spoil myself and live a little."
"Wilhelmina, you're amazing. And I'm sorry about William…I really am. You're a good mother."
"Yeah, right." She said laughing mirthlessly.
"You might not believe me but if you are willing to give up a part of yourself for another person, then you are a good person whether you want to admit it or not and even if other people can't see it. Your auction was made public and was treated as entertainment and you went through all that for your kids. That makes you a good mother."
"Who knew Danny boy was so deep?"
"I'm serious."
"Okay." She said grinning "So tell me about your dream Bugatti."
Following the dinner, Daniel had asked the driver to drop them off two blocks away from Willie's apartment and drive on and wait for him by her building. The pair was now strolling the sidewalk, chatting casually.
"Wow that was totally different from the first time we did it." Daniel said.
"Totally. You know it's sad how we hated each other so much that time that we actually started a fire to get out of it."
"Tell me about it. I mean we didn't consider other people on the ferry. It could have turned out bad."
"We were so determined to get what we want which was to get out of that God awful date that we didn't consider other people involved."
"Wanna know a secret?" He asked.
"Shoot"
"That night, when you were talking about Nico and when you were laughing…I saw this sparkle in your eyes and at that moment I thought you were the most beautiful woman ever."
"What?"
"I mean I always thought you were very pretty and hot. I mean a ruined a lot magazines back in the day."
"What?" Wilhelmina said surprised.
"I-…I didn't mean that." He stammered in attempt to defend his statement but he saw that she was laughing softly. His face softened and he chose to continue "But still, I saw you as an enemy, someone who hates everyone but at that night, I saw you as a human being. When you smiled I really thought 'Wow, why doesn't she do that often?'"
"Oh, my God!" She said with a hint of a blush.
"I know. Another secret…"
"Oooh, there's more?" She asked cocking her brow.
"I sort of developed a little crush on you after that date…just a little."
"Are you serious right now?"
"I am. But it was forbidden, you and I were enemies and you were supposed to be having my father's baby. So…" He trailed off.
"Uh…I'm speechless."
"There's the phrase I never thought I'd hear you say." He quipped, earning a slight punch on his arm.
"Shut up." She chuckled.
"There's also one more thing I wished I could do when you had that beautiful smile on your face that night." She said softly as he placed his hands on her shoulders.
"What is that?" She whispered.
"This" He spoke softly and closed the space between them. He captured her lips with his and kissed her tenderly. She responded with the same tenderness and her hand soon slid up his back to his neck while his hands traveled down her body and gripped her waist. She slightly pulled away and her eyes met his and her hand moved to his cheek and she caressed it softly. She pulled him back and pressed her lips against his in another lingering kiss that elicited a slight moan from her. He gently pulled away with her hand still on his cheeks and he grinned.
"What?" She asked as her mouth curled into her smile.
"It's just…as much as would like this to continue, it kinda has to stop here." He said quietly.
"Why?"
"Because…Wilhelmina, I wanna do this right. I want a relationship with you…a real one. And I don't want to start this new relationship with us jumping in bed on the first date."
"Really? Because if you're trying to be respectful or anything, you don't have to worry." She said softly.
"No, it's just every relationship I've been in or attempted, was based on sex and I'm trying to do something different here….And I'm trying to respect you."
"Why, I'm flattered." She said smiling, her hand resting on his pecs. "I understand what you're trying to do and I think it's sweet and sexy. But let's take things as they come and…we'll just see."
"Okay." He replied with a smile. She pecked him once more and slowly pulled away.
"See you at work." She whispered before walking off to the building. He watched her silently as she went in, with inexplicable feeling. She turned and waved at him before disappearing into her building. He returned the wave and blew her a kiss before turning to walk to the car.
