Dinkley's Mystery Book Shoppe was surprisingly busy this time of year, eager customers grabbing whatever was left on the shelves to wrap up for Christmas morning. And Velma, being the dutiful proprietor she was, had busied herself restocking the merchandise while Daphne Blake sat on the floor beside her, discussing her current woes.
"Listen, I'm not your fairy godmother, Daph. I can't wave a magic wand and fix this between you and Fred. Paramours are not like equations." Velma stated, pulling her glasses off to wipe them with a soft cloth, "But it puts me in an awkward position to be best friends with each of you. And not to be the devil's advocate, but I don't think Fred is in the wrong here."
Daphne sighed from her position, "Believe me, I know. I'm reminded of it constantly."
Velma placed a stack of books on the floor, dusting around the shelves, "I understand it must be difficult working in the same proximity as Fred. I, personally, never date my colleagues for that exact same reason."
Daphne lifted her eyebrows, "In case of heartbreak?"
"No, I was always getting into trouble coming back late from lunch," Velma winked, "Time flies when you're having fun."
At that comment, both women laughed out loud, startling some of the nearby customers. Daphne had to admit, being around a close friend had made her heart feel light. Come to think of it, she couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so at ease. Well…since…
Since Fred...
His arm slipped easily around her waist, a friendly gesture to outsiders, but to each of them they knew it meant much more. "Man, I can't wait to see what Joran did for this year's Thanksgiving feast! Rumor is he hired a chef that used to cook for the Prince of Saudi Arabia. Can you imagine how perfect that turkey will be?"Daphne smiled, "I'm just glad we'll be able to have seconds. If Shaggy and Scooby were here, we'd be lucky to get a lick of the turkey gizzard."Fred chuckled, and as always his dashing smirk lit her up from the inside out. He bent forward to press a kiss to her cheek, "You keep me laughing, Daphne. Never change."
Seeming to read the sudden mood change in her pal, Velma tried to change the subject. "Why don't you get away for a while? Work remotely. Go somewhere else that isn't your office."
"Yeah," she nodded her head in agreeance, "I suppose a change of scenery wouldn't hurt..."
XXXXXX
Peeking through the blinds in her own rented camper, Daphne watched as a much smaller RV backed up into the empty space beside hers.
Damn. She'd really been soaking in the solitude.
Taking Velma's suggestion to heart, Daphne had pulled a few strings and for the past two weeks had been staying at a majestic ski and camping resort. Shooting clips solo was tough work without Maxine, but jeepers, the gorgeous footage of snow capped mountains and interviews with skiing patrons had been totally worth it.
Trading in her stuffy office and the possibility of bumping into Fred for this peaceful winter wonderland was a godsend. Out here, she could re-center her life and focus…that is…until now.
Fuming, she tapped her foot furiously. Of all the available spots around this place, why side by side with her camper?
Throwing on her winter coat and boots, she stepped out to greet her new neighbor. Might as well extend an olive branch, you never know, she might be able to convince them politely to move their abode elsewhere.
Cocking her head to the side and furrowing her brow, Daphne noticed Joran's signature logo, brightly painted on the camper's side.
Odd.
It's a well known fact to all his employees that Joran hates the cold, and loathes snow even more. Surely her boss wouldn't be vacationing here of all places?
So lost in thought was she, that Daphne didn't notice heavy footsteps behind her and the crunching of dried leaves underfoot.
"Can I help you, Miss Blake?"
The familiar voice made her shiver, and not just from the chilly air. Folding her arms across her chest, she turned to face her new neighbor, "There's literally billions of miles on planet Earth. How did you end up parking directly next to me, Freddie?"
"Obviously, I'm working remotely." Bending down to lock and secure the front tires, his voice was cold as the weather, "Same as you."
Daphne rolled her eyes and Fred shrugged, "Cosimo sent me here to get enough footage to CGI an avalanche. If you don't like it, take it up with him. Or better yet, Joran. Believe it or not, my world doesn't revolve around you."
Daphne sighed and rubbed her hands together for warmth, having this angry tension with Fred had never been her intention. To be honest, she really was shocked to see him and she truly did just want her scenic view back. "I should've known when I saw Joran's logo. I didn't know he loaned out his trailers."
Fred moved on to the next tire, ensuring it was done properly and would hold, "Some of us have to make do. Not everyone has a Daddy Warbucks with loose purse strings."
Ouch.
That hurt, but it was not entirely undeserved. She was glad he was focusing on another tire, and didn't look up to see the hurt expression on her face, "I've paid my own way in the world for years now, ever since graduating college. You know that."
Shrugging again, he moved on to the last tire, and Daphne followed him, arms still crossed, "Look. I'm sorry, Freddie. I didn't mean to sound accusatory. I was just blown away that you of all people were here and…and I really wanted my view back. It's gorgeous at sunrise."
Standing back up, Fred's lips were a thin, straight line, "Apology accepted, Daph. But no. I'm not going to move this camper. I paid for this exact space fair and square and I'm leaving it right where it is. But I'll take your word on it about the sunrise and check it out."
Without another word Fred brushed past her, his shoulder knocking slightly against hers. She didn't know if the rude contact was intentional or not, but now tears were threatening to spill over her cheeks, and this time she couldn't bother trying to hold them back.
With her mind racing and her heart aching, all she wanted to do was get back inside the privacy of her own dwelling. Possibly pop open the bottle of red wine she had brought along or have a good cry in bed. Maybe a bit of both…
Grasping the door handle, she gave it a good tug, getting frustrated when it didn't open. She pulled on it again, at a different angle this time, and still no luck, must be locked. Reaching into her coat for the key, her heart turned to stone when she realized it was empty.
Oh, Jeepers.
Standing on tip toe, she peeped in a window and saw her keys, now useless and unattainable, sitting on a chair where she last left them.
Damn.
Fred watched her dilema from the doorway of his own camper, "Did Danger-prone Daphne lock her keys inside? That's fairly typical of you. I remember in high school when the gang had to- "
"Shut it, Fred Jones." She huffed, giving the door another solid yank. But it was fruitless, not budging even the slightest.
In true Scooby and Shaggy form, Fred pulled a bag of chips seemingly out of nowhere, eating each chip in an obnoxiously loud way. Each crunch was like a tap dance on her already fragile nerves.
Turning on her heel, she shot Fred a glare, "Do you have to be so happy to watch me suffer?"
He shrugged, "The wind is messing up my satellite, this is as close to TV as I'm going to get."
Placing her hands on her hips in true Daphne Blake style, she sneered, "Well then, Mr. Macho, why don't you come over here and try to jimmy this door open?"
Stuffing several more chips in his mouth, he shook his head, "No way. I don't want to get stuck with a fee if I break it. Not everyone's daddy has deep pockets."
Her eyes narrowed, "You know damn well I make my own money! I can't help it that I was born into a family richer than the Rockefeller's. Stop being so contentious."
Sneering, Fred stood up to go inside, the chill coming with the setting sun. "Me? Contentious? I'm not the one banishing long time friends away just because feelings make you nervous."
Not missing a beat, she shouted back, "Can't you understand what I was trying to do for us? What I had to do? Only someone so naive and foolish can possibly think that what we had together could lead to anything more."
Looking wounded, he nodded. "You're right, Daph. I am foolish and naive."
With that said, he went back into his own camper, slamming the door behind him.
Daphne sighed, covering her face with her hands, and trying to ignore the cold air creeping into her bones. Was this going to be the new normal with Fred? Was it going to be this way forever?
