Love Never Goes Out of Style/CH 12
Marc rolled his eyes as he walked up to Betty's desk, Monday, "Betty, you've been summoned by the boss!"
"Daniel?" She wondered if he had something 'sexy' in mind. She had tried to tell him over the weekend they needed to be very low-key with things at work.
She was already concerned that Marc and Amanda would tell everyone they were together now, anyway and she didn't want to add fuel to the fire.
"No, Willi!"
Betty looked at him, unsure if he was being serious, "Really? What for?"
He shrugged, "I'm sure I have NO earthly idea! It's probably about how you look. She said once that the day you looked good, she'd die!
You've probably given her a heart attack by actually wearing something besides ugly today."
Betty furrowed her brows, then smiled, leaning forward, "Marc, don't look now, but that almost sounded like a compliment!"
"Huh, well, don't count on one from her! Willi doesn't do compliments. By the way, if you're looking for your lovah, I think I saw him sniffing around the models as usual somewhere near The Closet earlier. After you speak to Wilhelmina, I'm sure you could catch him there."
Betty shrugged, trying to act as if she didn't care. But she was trying to tell herself that either Marc was simply messing with her to get a reaction out of her or there was a reasonable explanation. Daniel wouldn't do that to her. Would he?
She smoothed down her dress and took a deep breath, trying to figure out what Wilhelmina could possibly want to see her for.
Maybe to actually give her the go ahead on the features article she had pitched her at the last meeting, perhaps?
She had been making some headway in getting Wilhelmina to let her write a few stories lately, however begrudgingly.
She had even gotten one of the diva's backhanded compliments about being good at features, in spite of her lack of fashion sense.
Granted, it wasn't much, but with Wilhelmina Slater, you took what you could get in the way of praise.
Betty knew for a fact, that even Marc, the woman's closest person to her, he had scarcely ever received a 'good job' from her over the years.
She headed into the office of the ice queen herself, squaring back her shoulders and asking, "Wilhelmina? Marc said you wanted to see me?"
"Yes, Betty. I was wondering about something I heard concerning you and our resident lothario. I was rather hoping you could confirm that it was merely speculation. I had such high hopes for your future here.
I would hate to see you throw away all you've worked for only to allow personal entanglements cloud your good judgment."
Betty blinked, not sure she had heard the woman right. "Are you...asking me what I think you're asking?"
Wilhelmina stood, and walked over to Betty, "Yes, Betty. Come on, woman. You're not slow-witted like that silly blonde Marc plays with. Are you sleeping with Daniel or not?"
"I...um..."
Wilhelmina shook her head, obviously disgusted, "Betty...I can't tell you how disappointed I am. What on earth would make you think he will be faithful?
Now you're going to get your heart broken, and then we'll have to replace you. It's such a waste! You're the only person besides myself who's ever gotten past Fey's tiara test.
I know for a fact that you were the one who pulled Daniel's ass out of the fire on the Fabia account, your very first coup.
You were also the one who persuaded Vincent Biancchi to work for Mode, and the one who convinced Natalie Whitman to allow us to use her un-retouched photos... need I go on?
That little pasty-faced moron would have been out on his wealthy little ass right after he took over Mode, even with his daddy giving him the job on a silver platter if not for you, Betty."
"Well, I guess, thank you for recognizing my efforts over the years in helping Daniel, but I'm afraid you're giving me way too much credit and not taking into account how much he's actually grown and learned, as well. He's become a really good leader."
"Thanks, Betty. I'm sorry, Willi. But was there something you wanted to say to ME? Why are you bothering Betty? Her personal life is frankly none of your damn business!"
"Normally, I wouldn't give a rat's ass who she sleeps with. Unfortunately, it becomes my business when she's sleeping with the boss, Daniel!
Betty may not be your assistant anymore, but she IS still your employee! People around here talk.
Now that she's become your latest conquest in the bedroom, she shouldn't be in your line of authority whatsoever!"
"What are you suggesting? That I let her go? You can forget it, Wilhelmina! It's not going to happen."
"Of course not. Betty's far too valuable of an employee. Personally, if it were my call, we'd fire you, but of course since you were born with the silver spoon, we can't have that.
No, I'm simply offering to have Betty answer only to me officially. Taking you out of the equation professionally. That way, no one can say she's getting preferential treatment."
Betty surprised Daniel and apparently, Wilhelmina by answering immediately, "I'll take it! Thank you, Wilhelmina. I'd be happy to work for you."
"I see. Fine. It's settled then. Oh, by the way, that piece you wrote about the playwright? The one I said no to and Daniel let you do anyway just to piss me off? I read it. It wasn't too bad.
Next time you do a story like that, lose some of the personal references, though. It sounded too much like you were a schoolgirl with a crush on him."
Betty nodded, smiling slightly, "Okay, I'll keep that in mind. Was there anything else?"
"No. That's it for now. I want to hear some new ideas by tomorrow, though. Give me something original. That's all."
Betty left. Daniel looked at Wilhelmina, trying to figure out her 'angle'. "What's in this for you?"
"Nothing. I just don't want to see us lose a valuable editor like Betty when you mess things up by screwing around."
"Oh, right. You're actually worried I'm going to cheat on Betty? Why do I find that hard to believe?"
"I don't care what you believe, Daniel. Why don't you go run after her and try to convince her you aren't going to do what you do best?"
He came up behind her, "I still say you have ulterior motives for supporting Betty. What's with you, lately? I take it your convict lover is still out of the picture?
You seriously need to get laid, Willi. Maybe you'd stop being such a bitch once in a while and taking it out on the rest of us!"
She slapped him. "Get out of here, Daniel! You don't talk to me in that manner."
"Sorry. I guess I was just pissed off at you sticking your nose into my business as usual. You can dish it out but you can't take it, huh?
It's okay to call me a man-whore and stupid and whatever else you say about me behind my back..."
"If the shoe fits. Besides, I say those things to your face, too, Daniel. Get out!"
"Gladly! You'd better not mess with Betty, though."
"Yes, yes. We all know. Betty's your 'girl', Daniel. I did you and her a big favor by offering to be her supervisor in order for her to stay at Mode without any messy sexual harrassment issues. So, the way I see it, you both owe me."
"Whatever!" Daniel turned on his heel and slammed her door on his way out.
Betty had already left, and was headed to go hide somewhere, perhaps the ladies room. She was so embarrassed. She knew things were going to be difficult at work now.
But when she and Daniel were together, none of that had seemed to matter. Now, though...she was faced with the reality of the fact that she was sleeping with her boss.
Something she had often been accused of, but had always been able to honestly deny with her head held high.
Once she headed to The Closet, she saw Daniel looking for her, and she quickly pulled down the hook that opened the secret passage way to Fey's Sex Room, so she could avoid him.
Just as she sighed a breath of relief, as she sat on the bed, she heard male voices arguing outside.
Betty couldn't tell who it was, or make out what they were saying, but suddenly, Daniel entered in behind her, looking around, with an expression that was a combination of disgust and curiosity.
"What the hell...?"
"Daniel? You...followed me here? You need to get out of here. People are really going to talk about us now!"
"Nobody knows we're in here, except Marc and I bribed and threatened him both, so for once, I know he won't talk."
"I doubt that!"
"Believe me; if he ever wants to work again in this town, he'll keep his mouth shut. Is this...that room I heard about that my dad and Fey went to...?"
She nodded, "Yes."
"I see. My old man was a real class act. Does my mom know about this place, too?"
"Probably. I'm not sure. Christina told me about it years ago. I would have told you, but...after your father died..."
"You figured it would just remind me of what a jack ass he was to my mom?"
"Well, sort of, yes."
He shook his head, "It's fine, Betty. I'm sorry about all that in Wilhelmina's office earlier. I wanted to make sure you were alright.
I was looking for you before to try and warn you that Marc opened his big mouth talking to Amanda about us and Willi must have overheard them talking.
He sent me on some wild goose chase, telling me you were in The Closet before. That's why I didn't get to you before she did. Are you okay?"
She nodded, tears forming in her eyes, but she wiped them away, "I'm fine, Daniel. She's right, you know."
"What? No she's not! Betty, I swear to you, honey. I am NOT going to cheat on you!
Honestly, with all my running around when I was single, you know for a fact that the few times I was in a serious relationship with a woman, I never cheated on them.
After seeing what it did to my mom, I would never want to do that to anyone. Especially not to you, Betty. I love you. You know that. Don't let that poisonous witch spoil what we have. What's just starting between us."
"I didn't mean she was right about that, Daniel. I trust you. I meant she was right about the fact that I shouldn't be working for you. Not anymore.
She did do us a favor, really. It may not be pleasant working for her. But it takes the pressure off our relationship."
"She's just jealous, because the only man she ever loved is in jail and even he couldn't stand her, so he got himself transfered to another prison just to get away from her.
She's bitter. She can't stand to see us happy. Listen, I have an idea, Betty. How about I come to London Fashion Week with you?"
"It sounds great, but I don't know, Daniel. For one thing, you need to spend some time getting to know Tyler.
Besides, wouldn't that just look bad? With us both going, it would definitely give people the idea that we went together deliberately."
"This is insane, Betty! Maybe I should quit. I don't even care about Mode anymore. What I care about is you. I don't want to lose you."
"Don't be silly, Daniel. You can't quit your job."
"Why not?"
"Because. You're the Editor-in-chief."
"Yeah, because my name is Meade. I heard some of what she said to you, Betty. She was right about that, too.
She was right when you won your Bloby award when she said that you were passing me by.
We both know I never deserved this job. You did do all the work for me. I may have the right name, but you're the one who's always done your homework.
You've worked your ass off since the first day you ran into that glass door. I should be the one to leave Mode, not you."
"Daniel, don't say that. You know way more about fashion than I do. Obviously. We're a great team, remember?"
"Yeah. A team. I guess we are pretty good together, huh?" He stepped closer and leaned down to kiss her. "Like...Bogart and Bacall. Here's looking at you, kid."
"That would actually be Bogart and Bergman. She was in Casablanca, not Bacall."
"Oh. Right. Well, like uh...Astaire and Rogers?"
"That works, I guess." she smiled, finding herself relaxing in his arms, in spite of her tense meeting with Wilhelmina.
"Daniel, maybe this week in London is coming at a good time. You can get to know your brother better and I can spend time with my sister. And it will quiet the rumors about us for a while, too."
"Yeah, there's only one problem."
"What's that?"
"I'm going to miss you. You know...we do have today and tomorrow still, at least. I say we hole up in here for the next forty-eight hours until your flight leaves. We've got all I need. You and a bed."
He held her face in his hands and looked into her eyes, making her imagine his little scenario for a few moments, getting swept away in those eyes of his.
But she snapped out of it and giggled, "Daniel... as tempting as that sounds, I think people might start to wonder where we had disappeared. I know my sister would be freaking out."
"You never told me; what did Hilda say when you told her where you were taking her?"
Betty laughed, "She nearly blew out my eardrum screaming so loud!"
He smiled, "Great. I'm glad. Did Justin...talk to his mom yet?"
She shook her head, "I don't think so. Not yet. He said he is going to tell her. He just doesn't want to take away her big day. He's a very thoughtful son."
"Yeah, he is. She's lucky. Of course...I think having such a cool aunt probably helped him grow into the awesome kid he is today. Sorry, I mean, AB."
She grinned, "Right. Look, about that other thing he said...you know he was just kidding, Daniel. He didn't mean anything."
"I know. He was jk. I got it. I may be older than you, but I'm still a cool UD, Betty. "
She laughed, "Of course. I should have remembered. To DJ."
"Well, yeah. At least, for now. We'll...uh, see later, maybe, about Justin, too. Like, eventually." He cleared his throat. "You know, um... someday, Betty. Definitely someday."