CHRISTMAS IN PARIS

CHAPTER ONE

It was a cold and blustery day early in December when Daniel stepped inside Le Bon Marché. The grey skies of Paris seemed to mirror his feelings. He was doing his best to get into the "Holiday Spirit" as it were, looking for gifts for his mother and sister, but it wasn't really helping so far.

He had already ordered the latest game for DJ that his nephew had given him the website for over a month ago. Still, hearing Christmas music playing in the stores and seeing all the decorations didn't make him any more ready to celebrate than he had been for the past five years.

There hadn't seemed to be any reason or cause for celebration. Sometimes Daniel didn't realize how long he had been alone. It seemed like forever since he had actually been in a relationship...or even on a date.

Of course, to hear his mother talk, it had been even longer than the twelve months he calculated since he had seen a woman.

Twelve months was a very long time, to be sure. His co-workers and friends made it seem like he should seek psychiatric help for waiting so long to get over Betty. But after all, it was Betty. She wasn't exactly easy to get over.

He wondered sometimes rather ironically if he should go on Facebook and see how that Wilbur potato guy, Henry, Gio or Matt were all doing.

Maybe he could start a recovery club of some kind. Trying to live a life that once included Betty Suarez then being forced to go back to a life without her...was a dark and lonely path.

When he had tried to make his feelings known to her back when he followed her to London, she had stuttered something crazy about how much his friendship meant to her and he got the message.

Apparently, all she wanted from him was "friendship". Why did that word suddenly seem like something terrible instead of something good for them like it always had been up till then?

He felt like his wanting more from her had violated something sacred, and he was expecting too much to try and push them into being "more than friends".

He had walked away from Mode, from his life in New York, had followed her across not the East River in January, but across an ocean in order to make a new start for them.

But it wasn't the right time for them then. He realized that too late. She had a new magazine to run. She didn't have time for him, for them to be...them.

Now, five years later, he wondered if it ever would be, ever could be...more. He saw how well she had done for herself, how she had reached her career goals far and beyond what even she could have predicted.

Actually, knowing Betty, everything she had achieved professionally was probably right on schedule. After all, she had told his mother she hoped to one day own her own magazine empire, just like her.

Claire told her son that particular aspiration of his one time assistant years ago, that she had asked the young woman what she wanted to do, to be and had received the ultimate compliment, with Betty saying that she wanted to be just like Claire.

The two strong women had remained close, stayed in touch, even when he and Betty...didn't. Their losing touch didn't happen overnight. She simply got more and more busy, till he didn't really expect her to return his calls anymore.

Eventually...he stopped calling. He tried his best to follow everyone's advice and "move on", assuming she had certainly done so.

Move on from...what, though? Nothing had ever really happened. The hope, the dream that maybe… just maybe those years they had spent becoming so close weren't destined to be just a fond memory.

He held up a scarf to a young sales clerk, "Is black the only color, though? Does this come in blue? Or...purple? How about red? Um...rouge, n'est ce pas? Ou...violet..."

A black Hermes scarf wouldn't do it for his sister. He knew Alexis liked a pop of color. Claire had given Daniel sizes and a list of possible items Alexis might enjoy. He still had no idea what to get his mother.

Alexis was no help, either. She kept trying to convince their mother to do online dating. At her age? Was she insane? Still, he supposed his mom couldn't do much worse than Cal Hartley!

He started to leave the luxury store almost an hour later, after he finally had selected a diamond necklace and earrings for his sister and a bottle of Baccarat perfume for Claire.

"Can you have those gift wrapped and sent to this address, please?"

"Doing your own shopping nowadays? Wow, I'm impressed!"

He turned to see HER. Just the sound of hearing someone else speaking English would have gotten his attention. But her voice was so distinctive, so familiar. In spite of not hearing her for such a long time, he would know that voice anywhere.

"BETTY!" he couldn't keep the excitement out of his own voice when he rushed to her and gave her one of her own patented hugs, warm and sweet, just like her.

"Daniel...what are you...oh that's right; you moved here, didn't you? Sorry, I forgot. How are DJ and...your sister?"

He supposed he didn't really blame her for not forgiving Alexis; the act of pushing her best friend, make that her PREGNANT best friend down the stairs was a tad hard to forgive, even for someone as sweet and forgiving as Betty.

He smiled, "They're both great. I already got DJ's Christmas present awhile ago. He actually texted me the link! I guess he didn't trust his "cool uncle's" taste."

Betty laughed, "I know what you mean. Justin told me he would prefer that I take him shopping for his gift, to avoid having to return whatever I get him later. Kids, huh?"

Daniel nodded, "Yeah...kids. I can't believe DJ's already turning eighteen. And Justin...it's been a long time. I hear he's doing great at Mode. I always knew he'd end up in fashion. I guess you and your dad and HIlda are really proud. Oh, and Bobby! How's he doing?"

"He's good. The twins are turning three next week."

"Really? Wow, that's...that's great! I'm sure they keep Bobby and Hilda busy."

She nodded, and asked about Claire when he knew very well she and his mother had kept in touch and finally, Daniel looked up, "Betty...do we really have to do this?"

"Do what?"

"Small talk. You and I both suck at it. We always have. It's like either of us trying to lie...to anybody but especially to each other.

We've been through too much to pretend…that

everything's 'fine' or normal between us when we both know it's not. It hasn't been for a long time. Not since…"

She chewed on her bottom lip in that sweet, insanely sexy way she always did and he almost lost it, right there, in the store. It took everything in him not to simply grab her and kiss her senseless, and whisper all he had been wishing and dreaming about doing to her for years now.

He swallowed, trying to look away, or distract himself from how beautiful she was. She was still his Betty. But now, she was all grown up and quite the incredibly sexy woman he always secretly knew she would become. No one would ever think of calling her "Ugly Betty" anymore, that was for certain!

But then again, she never was to him. To Daniel she was always just Betty. Daniel's girl.

Betty smiled somewhat shyly, pretending not to know exactly what he meant. But she did, of course. She knew...somewhere deep down inside that she had somehow managed to break Daniel's heart.

She didn't mean to, naturally. Nothing was further from her mind. She simply didn't realize at the time the depth of his feelings for her and how much she had actually hurt him. She still wouldn't have known from anything the man said himself to her, though.

Of course not. He was far too proud to admit that he had quit his job and moved to London for her sake. That would never do. After all, he was Daniel Meade! Even after his brief time as a loving husband and then a grieving widower, he still had a reputation to maintain. He couldn't very well let her or anyone else see him as some kind of lovesick puppy, following his one time assistant around!

Betty only knew of his feelings for her years later, from bits and pieces of conversations, mostly cryptic ones with Claire, hinting that Daniel might...care deeply for her.

This Christmas, though, something had happened and her confidante/mentor suddenly spilled the beans in no uncertain terms.

Not only that, Claire had told Betty exactly where to find her middle born son; in Paris, at Le Bon Marche, in the scarf or perfume departments, because she would make sure that's where he was when Betty "accidentally bumped into" her former boss.

Somewhat like Justin had done to make sure Betty was at Trafalgar Square when Daniel needed her to be, almost five years earlier.

She had followed her directions, but now that she was here, Betty wasn't sure what she was doing here or what she hoped to accomplish, talking to Daniel now. It was surely too late for...well, anything. She assumed he had met someone. Probably several someones, but by now, perhaps a certain special someone. Someone gorgeous and amazing, no doubt.

He grinned at her, cocking his head to the side, and made no secret of 'checking her out', "I'm sorry, Betty. But...God you look amazing, you know that? I mean...well, you're absolutely gorgeous! Not that I didn't think you were before…I always thought you were beautiful. But now…"

She blushed, not used to Daniel talking to her like that. "I...um...thank you. I...you look handsome as ever." She smiled and forgot her nerves for a minute, fixing his scarf to straighten it for him. When she looked up and saw the look of surprise at her action in his eyes, she stopped, "Sorry! Old habit, I guess."

He nodded, and put his hand on top of hers, "Sure. I understand. Back from when I needed your help to dress myself!"

She giggled, nodding, as a flood of memories washed over her, almost causing her to smile, "Remember the purple shirt I helped you pick out for Sofia to make your 'eyes pop'?"

He grinned, "Yeah, how could I forget? You were always telling me how hot I was back then."

She blushed, "I did not! Somebody's full of himself!"

"Yeah, well...that was then. Now, the tables have turned, huh? You're the one who's young and hot and me...now I'm just some old guy. I can't even remember how long it's been since you actually called ME. You know, I do miss you, Betty. Have lunch with me?"

She took a deep breath, "I don't know, Daniel. I'm only here for the week. Then I'm heading back to London."

"You're not going home for Christmas this year?"

Daniel knew Betty well enough to see her fighting the tears, as she shook her head, "Not this year. Things are just too crazy at work. Mr. Dunne is retiring and he's been…"

Daniel looked surprised for a moment, then he knew, "He's considering you as his replacement? You really are getting your dream come true...owning your own company? Betty, that's great. Congratulations! I'm so proud of you. I'm not a bit surprised, though. Your magazine is incredible." He hugged her again.

"It's not a done deal. A lot is up in the air still. You know, I don't remember you being such a hugger!"

He grinned, "I guess you rubbed off after all those years. I'm available for pep talks, too, now. It may have been a long time, but it's not like I went back to being a "man-whore" just because you dumped me, you know.

I've been a very good boy. Not just this year for Christmas, but for a long time."

She blushed as she pulled away, "I never...I didn't dump you, Daniel."

"No, we didn't even get that far, did we? You might as well have, though."

She started chewing her lip again and he felt like he was going to burst if he didn't kiss those lips soon. He figured he'd better get out of there while he still had a shot, before he did or said something stupid and messed it up.

He knew by now that his mother must have tipped Betty off as to where he would be and when, so apparently, she wanted to talk which he took for a very hopeful sign.

He was also done as his family had become fond of telling him, having his "head up his ass" as far as Betty was concerned.

He had promised himself and them that if he got another chance with her he wouldn't let anything stop him from doing whatever it took to make her see him as more than 'just a friend'.

He held onto her hand and looked up at her, willing her to see into his heart, to feel how much he had missed her and how much he...loved her, plain and simple.

"Yes."

He looked puzzled for a moment, "What are you saying yes to?"

"Lunch. At Chez Janou. One o'clock? It was...good to see you again. I miss you, too, Daniel." She reached up to kiss him on the cheek lightly and was gone, just like that.

He put his hand up to his cheek. It was only a brief peck, but he could still feel the warmth she had left. He couldn't keep the smile off his face. Betty was back. And she kissed him!