Love Never Goes Out of Style/CH 6
A/N: Sorry, I'm breaking my own rule here and bringing in my second LEAST favorite character. It will also put a slight delay on Claire's brunch, since this chapter took longer than I expected, but I'll get it up tomorrow. What can I say, he just does that, messes things up!
No fears, ladies, you KNOW he will meet with some terrible fate (or perhaps just fade away, we'll see). But his presence at this time, close to canon works very well with this particular story so, sorry; don't shoot the 'messenger', please. Cue the annoying music!
Betty stood in shock for a moment, then shook it off and ran to the door, ready to have to go out to the street, but as soon as she opened it, Daniel was still standing there, and grabbed her up as she jumped on him, then laughed,
"It took you long enough! A man tells you he loves you and you let him just walk away like that? You hurt my feelings, Betty."
"Shut up and kiss me, Daniel."
"There you go, bossing me around again! Okay, fine, I guess if you insist."
He grinned and kissed her, cradling one hand behind her head and the other around her back while he held her up, backing her against the door.
After several minutes, they began to get rather heated again. Daniel whispered, "Uh, Betty, I think...we need to either go back inside or..."
"Betty?" Daniel practically dropped Betty as they both turned, only to see Henry Grubstick standing in the hallway outside Betty's apartment, looking at them as if he had been shot.
"Henry! What are you doing in New York?"
"I uh...have a job interview with a big law firm here next week and I thought I'd see what you were up to. Hello, Daniel."
"Hi, Henry. How's it going? Where's Nate?" Betty recognized Daniel had on his best fake smile.
"Oh, he's with Charlie. I uh...thought I'd come see about taking Betty out for some Thai food at that little place closeby that we used to go to."
He took a beat, "I'm sorry, I know I've been gone a long time, but...are you two together now?"
"YES, we are!" Daniel said quickly, looking at Betty for her confirmation.
"Well, um..." She hesitated, but seeing Daniel's expression, she nodded quickly, "Yes. Actually, we are together now, Henry. And, I do appreciate you thinking of me, but that Thai place is out of business now."
"Oh. Well, okay. I'm sorry, then. I guess I've got bad timing all the way around, don't I? By the way, congratulations, you two. I can't say I didn't sort of have my suspicions about you ending up together.
You know, all those calls and you always running away, 'Sorry, Daniel needs me.' I mean, it was obviously more than any job. I'm happy for you both. Honestly."
"Thanks, Henry." Betty nodded.
"Yeah, thanks, man. Sorry about the timing. But we just ate Thai earlier." He protectively put his arm around Betty.
"Oh, no problem. Maybe some other time. Well, I guess I'll tell Charlie I can go ahead and take Nate back early after all so she can visit her cousin who lives here."
"You could come in for a minute, and we could all catch up." Daniel shot Betty daggers over that one.
Henry noticed and shook his head, somewhat sadly, "No, thanks, you're sweet, Betty. But, I think I should get going. Listen, you take care, okay? I'll let you know if I end up becoming a New Yorker again."
"Of course. Good luck with the interview, Henry. It was nice seeing you again."
"Thanks. Bye!" he turned and waved, as he pushed up his glasses and smiled.
The moment he left, Daniel looked at Betty, "God that guy has to have THE WORST timing in the universe! He ALWAYS shows up and screws things up for you!
Please tell me you don't have any feelings left for him, Betty. If you hesitate, again, I swear, I'll throw him out a window, right now!"
She bit her lip, "Daniel, calm down, will you? Why do you always get so crazy when it comes to Henry?"
"Because, Betty, he always messes with your head! He acts like some adorable little nerdy, dorky, sweet guy you THINK you can always count on.
He puts on this Clark Kent act, so women like you think maybe he's Superman underneath, but what he really is underneath is Lex Luther, just with more hair and glasses!
He draws you in and then, bam! Sorry, Betty, I somehow got my ex pregnant, so I can only stay for a few more months, then I've got to follow my baby mama back to Texas!"
"Tucson." She corrected him.
"Wherever! Then, he screwed things up for you with Hartley, showing up. It's not like he ACCIDENTALLY got the girl pregnant, honey! The guy IS responsible for his own actions.
No offense, I mean I thought Matt acted like a spoiled jerk to you when he came and worked at Mode, and how he treated you was totally ridiculous and unfair.
But...honestly I can't say I completely blame him for getting jealous of Henry.
There's just something about Grubstick that gets under my skin and makes me want to shove his face in!
Then, that crap with him showing up with a ring and expecting you to just leave everything here and go live with him out in the desert in the middle of nowhere, and what, help him and his ex raise his kid, and go through all that garbage you always had with her butting in to your relationship all the time? That was nuts!"
Betty pulled Daniel inside, "Daniel, I'm sorry, but you were getting a little loud. I don't want the neighbors yelling at us. Listen, I am completely OVER Henry, believe me, okay?
But you need to calm down. Trust me, I know he has terrible timing. I was really anxious to hear what you were saying before he came along and got you all upset. Let's just pretend he never showed up, okay? Rewind to before we saw him.
Daniel folded his arms across his chest and looked down out the window to the streets, nodding, "Yeah, but what if he moves back here, Betty?
I don't want to be looking over my shoulder all the time, waiting to see him, wondering when he's going to try and make another play for you."
She shook her head, "Daniel, please, stop projecting, okay? We don't even know if he'll get the job yet. He might just end up going right back to Arizona."
"Let's hope so. I hate that guy!"
She smiled, pulling down his arms and wrapping them around her waist, moving in closer to him, "Yes, I think you made that quite clear, Daniel. You know, I'm with you, he hurt me too many times, I hate him, too. Happy?"
Daniel shook his head, "No, you don't. I wish I believed you, Betty. What was it you told me you said to Matt? A part of you is always going to love Henry because he was your first love?"
She bit her lip, "Yeah, well, maybe. So what? Daniel, I can easily count on one hand the amount of men I've loved. I'm competing with actresses and supermodels with you, for goodness sakes! How do you think that makes ME feel?"
He shook his head, brushing back her hair, "But, there's a huge difference. I wasn't in love with any of them. You did love Henry."
"Yes, Daniel. I did. Past tense. Love-D. What I felt for Henry is long over. Remember, you helped me literally bury those feelings?
Do we need to go and exhume the remains and see for ourselves that it's all just dust now? I promise you, I feel nothing for him anymore."
She snaked her arms around his neck, "You, on the other hand, mister...have my heart beating pretty fast right now."
He smiled, "Oh, yeah? Let me see." He started to put his hand on her chest, but she raised her eyebrows and pushed him away, shaking her head.
"Nice try, Dr. Meade. You're just going to have to take my word for it for now. Listen, how about...we do a trial date tonight after all?
Just so you're not freaking out, worrying that I'm going to go chasing after Henry and run off to 'Texas' with him."
"I thought you said Tucson? Sorry, just kidding. I'm listening, Betty. What did you have in mind?"
"How about...we go dancing tonight? If you got enough sleep last night, that is. We don't have to be at your mom's until eleven tomorrow, right? So, we can stay out tonight and still have plenty of time to sleep in tomorrow."
"We?"
"Yes, Daniel. Sleep. You in your bed and me in mine, of course."
"Of course." He grinned. "Sometimes, you're just no fun at all. I'll meet you half-way, though.
I'll tell you what. I'll run out and take a quick shower and change and pick you up in a few hours, and we'll go dancing, okay? And if dorkbrain comes back, don't let him in. Keep the latch on!"
She pulled him down for a very sweet kiss, and held his face, "I promise. Only you, Daniel. I'll see you in a few hours."
He smacked her rear as he left. "That's for hesitating when he asked if we were together, Betty.
Work on your response time. Not to mention, inviting him in to catch up! Seriously? That was just...well, not your smartest move! "
She nodded and smiled, saluting him, "Yes, bossy! And you'd better not say it was stupid!"
He shook his head, "I won't say it, Betty."
She shoved him towards the door, "Good, because I'd hate to hit you before our first date."
"I thought this was just a 'trial date'? Geez, how much 'courting' are you going to put me through before you consider us a couple?"
"As much as it takes till you get it right. Goodbye again, Daniel. And by the way, I don't think I love you."
"You DON'T?" He looked slightly panicked for a moment.
She smiled and shook her head, "No, I don't have to think about it. I know I do."
"Betty! Really? I..." He started to come back, but she turned him back around and pushed him out the door.
"Yes, Daniel. I love you, okay? Not him. Now, go, before we start making out again and I never get you to actually take me out anywhere. I'll see you later."
He grinned as she pushed him out of the door, then shut it behind him, and immediately ran back into her bedroom to try and find something to wear.
Daniel was still grinning when he returned, in record time, freshly showered, and armed with roses.
Betty, for her part, was wearing a lovely dark blue dress and black heels. She also decided this would be the perfect opportunity to try out her new contacts.
She opened the door and smiled, seeing how handsome and sexy Daniel looked, leaning against her doorway, holding the roses out to her,
"For you, Betty. Betty, holy cow, is that really you? Wow! Check you out! No glasses, either? Are you wearing contacts?"
She nodded, smiling.
He twirled her around, "And whoa, woman, look at that, hot dress and would you believe it-heels with no socks! Who knew you had such nice legs, too? You're like a hidden little bombshell, aren't you?"
She blushed, as she took the flowers from him and went to put them in a vase. "These are so beautiful, Daniel."
"No, they're pretty, Betty. You, though... You are absolutely gorgeous, honey! All jokes aside, you're totally hot!"
"Thank you, Daniel." She ran her hand up his jacket, "You clean up pretty nice yourself. I just hope I don't have to fight off too many women to keep you to myself tonight."
"Tonight I'm all yours, baby." he smiled and leaned down to kiss her, then grabbed her hand, intertwining it with his.
"Let's do this!" Betty grinned.