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"W-What?" Betty managed. "Daniel, that's impossible – we work together! Does she expect me to quit or something?"
"No! I mean, at first she did, but I told her that you were completely off limits. So she told me I needed to quit . . . that I still had my charity to run," he told her.
"What did you say?" she asked, nervously.
"I said no way. I understood she was pissed but I was not going to quit my job to make her feel better over something that was nothing," he answered.
"What happened then?" Betty questioned.
"We fought some more . . . she threw some things – including that thumbs-up mug you gave me all those years ago . . . Eventually we came to the agreement that I could stay if I worked at home and only came in for staff and client meetings, interviews, and shoots - plus any special events like the launch party. Basically, anything where other people are present in the room is acceptable to her."
"I see," she remarked, trying not to explode. Why didn't she just inject a tracking chip in Daniel? Or strap on one of those camera helmets?
"I told her I'd try it . . ." he said, anticipating her reaction.
"Okay," she replied calmly, still biting her tongue.
"We can still talk on the phone and use FaceTime for visual purposes," he said, attempting to soften the blow. "But there's another stipulation, and you're really not gonna like it. She wants me to stop working by 7:00pm every night."
"Daniel, you know that's impossible! Sometimes we've been here 'til midnight with a dilemma – things like that can't be helped," she argued.
"I know, I know!" Daniel agreed. "But those were her terms until she feels she can trust me again."
"So . . . are you willing to do all those things?" she asked.
"Yeah . . . I think I owe it to her to try and make things work. I mean, when you love someone, you have to compromise – right?" he said.
"Yeah," she agreed. Somehow Betty couldn't help but take it as a dig at her for not trying things with him. But again, she could be paranoid.
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The new arrangement with Daniel was awkward at first and sometimes Betty was stuck picking up the slack when he was forced to finish work at a certain time or wasn't there to physically see the work.
"Can you hold it up closer? I can't tell if we need to send it back to graphics for touch ups," Daniel asked as he and Betty FaceTimed on their Ipads.
"Is that better?" Betty said, doing as he requested.
"I still can't tell for sure. What if you emailed the final photos to me?" he suggested.
"Okay," she agreed, annoyed that yet again there were extra steps that had to be made to accommodate Maggie's rules.
"I'm sorry, Betty. This is bullshit, isn't it?" Daniel apologized.
"I didn't say anything, Daniel. I'm staying out of it," she maintained.
"I know you want to," he playfully accused. "I can see it in your eyes. You've got that look where you're dying to tell me how insane this is and what a jackass I am for not standing up for myself and our magazine."
"It's none of my business," she told him.
"Betty, it is your business when it's affecting our work," Daniel claimed. "I'm going to say something to her at dinner tonight. This is the final editing of our first issue. I need to be there in person to go over it with you."
"If that's what you think," she said, still trying to keep her nose out of it.
"Betty, would you stop being so polite? I know you want to say something about this whole situation. Quit acting like I'm some stranger and start acting like my friend! Tell me the truth," he insisted.
"Okay, fine. This entire setup is ridiculous. You need to be there with me to edit photos. Sending copies won't do. There are a million other reasons why you need to be here in person. And . . ." she trailed off.
"And you miss having our morning coffee and bagel together – I know I do. Or having lunch at that sandwich shop down the block? You always switch cheeses with me because you hate Swiss and are too afraid to tell the WWF guy who works there," he added.
Betty giggled.
"He could take both of us down with one of his pinky fingers," she defended.
"See, now that's the Betty I love – I mean -" he covered.
"I know, Daniel," she said. "But we're doing this to save your relationship, right?"
"Right," he sighed.
"That means we have to sacrifice," she reminded him.
"Yeah," he said. "I'm still going to talk to her about the final editing though. That's something I have to do in person, whether she likes it or not."
"Okay," Betty agreed. "So where are you going for dinner tonight?"
"Rodolfo's," he answered, groaning.
"I thought you hated that place?" she questioned.
"I do. But Maggie loves it, so we're going," he explained. "Whatever she wants, she gets. Because if she doesn't, she plays the 'you and me' card like something actually happened."
"Daniel -" Betty started to say something.
"You don't even have to say it. It's pathetic and I can't keep living like this, but what am I supposed to do?" he asked.
"I can't tell you that. It's your decision," she kept silent.
"I miss the old days when you didn't care about boundaries and budding into my life," he half-joked.
They both laughed.
"Back when you caused any guy who you felt wasn't treating me right to lose his job?" she playfully countered.
"Okay, so we both may have gone a little too far to protect each other," he admitted. "Our hearts were in the right place, though."
"Yeah," Betty conceded as they stared in each other's eyes the best they could with technology.
"Well, I'd better go. It's almost 7:00pm and The Warden will be coming here to check on me," he rolled his eyes.
"You make it sound like you're dating Wilhelmina," she joked.
"It's a toss-up, sometimes," he said. "Talk to you tomorrow?"
"Yeah. Good luck," she told him.
"Thanks," he smiled and hung up.
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Betty and Daniel were really close to finishing their first issue. Only a few last minute tweaks were needed. Daniel succeeded in his talk with Maggie and was actually allowed to be present for the final editing. Betty was surprised Maggie let him out of his cage for 'good behavior'. Okay, she was being more than a little bitter about the situation, but she really didn't care at this point. Whoever this woman was, she had no respect for their careers or for Daniel as a person. She was dictating who he could and couldn't see and how. He was an adult. He had a mind of his own and the right to choose his own friends. If Maggie couldn't trust Daniel, then that was her problem, right? She didn't deserve to be with Daniel.
Or maybe she was being too defensive. What if she were in Maggie's situation? Wouldn't she be just a little bit paranoid of how Daniel was spending his time, if one of his exes came back into his life and he was with her constantly?
"Betty? Hey, where were you?" Daniel asked, placing his hand on her shoulder as he leaned over her chair at her desk.
"Sorry, I'm just distracted right now. Justin kept everyone out really late last night because he was practicing for his audition next fall in the senior play at Julliard," she excused. "If I have to hear 'Seasons of Love' one more time, I think I'm going to scream."
Daniel chuckled.
"I can't believe he'll be graduating from Julliard next year. I'm really proud of him," he marveled.
"We all are," she smiled, touched that Daniel still cared about her family. "So what were you saying?"
"I was thinking how about the Chinese Laundry stiletto knockoffs here, next to the Manolo originals . . ." Daniel suggested, rearranging the layout on the last page they had to edit.
"And the rest of the article over here?" she assumed, moving it into the empty space. "There!"
"Yeah, that looks good," Daniel agreed. "I guess we're done. We can send it to the printer."
"'I guess we're done'? Daniel, we just finished our first issue! Why aren't you more excited?!" she questioned, lightly smacking his arm.
"I don't know, I'm just distracted by something Maggie said this morning," he admitted. "Don't worry about it – I'm excited!"
"We did it! We finished our first issue!" Betty jumped up and clapped her hands, giving him one of her signature hugs that practically knocked him over. They stayed that way for longer than they probably should have.
"Oh, sorry. Old habit," she apologized, blushing. "And it's probably not allowed in the 'rulebook' either."
"It's okay, Betty. It was nothing more than a friendly co-worker hug. It kinda felt like old times, back when . . ." Daniel trailed off.
"Back when things weren't so weird between us? Yeah, it did," she agreed. "So what's bugging you about Maggie?"
"We got into a fight . . . about you. She claimed I was hiding you from her because I'm ashamed of her or something," Daniel explained.
"Are you?" Betty asked.
"Of course not!" Daniel insisted.
"So why haven't I met her, then? Does she have green and purple tentacles coming out of her head?" Betty teased, playfully poking him in the stomach.
"No!" he chuckled.
"That's it, isn't it? The first time you met her she held up a sign that said 'Take me to your leader', right?" she continued to goad him.
"Stop," he laughed hysterically.
"Then why haven't you?" she questioned, seriously.
Daniel quieted, and looked down at the floor before nervously looking back at her.
"I . . . I didn't want to hurt you," he confessed. "At first, I did – a big part of me wanted to rub our relationship in your face. But working with you these past couple of months reminded me of why we were friends in the first place. I-I realized I couldn't do that to you."
"Thank you, Daniel. That means a lot. But you don't have to walk around on eggshells for me. I'm not going to fall to pieces the second I meet your girlfriend. You've moved on. I screwed up and you screwed up and we were over before we even started. But it's been six years . . . maybe it's time for me to move on, too," she tried to reason, despite how much it hurt to say those words.
"Are you sure you're okay with meeting her?" Daniel questioned, placing his hand on her shoulder.
"Yeah," she nodded, half-heartedly.
Daniel looked at her, doubting her sincerity.
"Yes, I'm fine," Betty assured him.
"Good. I'll see if she wants to come to the launch party on Thursday," he replied.
"Great," she forced a smile.
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"I don't know, Hilda . . . Are you sure about the red one? I don't want to look desperate. What about the blue one?" Betty held up the two dresses in the full-length mirror of Hilda and Bobby's closet.
"Betty, you're not joinin' a freakin' convent. You need to look hot!" Hilda told her. "Show Daniel what he's been missin' out on. Besides, Bobby's cousin Nick is super sexy. Maybe you two will hit it off? Then you can tell that rich bastard to go screw himself, because you have found yahself a real man!"
"Hilda, I'm not looking to get back at Daniel. I just need to move on the best I can," Betty explained.
"Mamita, you convinced me to play nice at dinner a few weeks ago 'cuz he'd just lost his friend and it was the right thing to do. But as far as I'm concerned, you shoulda given that man the middle finga the second he walked back into your life. He doesn't deserve to be in the same vicinity as you!" Hilda insisted. "Not after what he did to you."
"I hurt him first. But we're finally past all that. We're almost friends again – close friends that tell each other everything, like we used to. I'm just trying to get that back – to having him in my life again," Betty told her. "Not that that will ever happen if Maggie has her way."
"Is Maggie that possessive bitch of a girlfriend?" Hilda assumed.
"I wouldn't call her that . . ." Betty attempted to be polite.
Hilda gave her a look.
"Okay she's a possessive bitch. But maybe we're judging her unfairly. All she wants is a man she can trust, right? And Daniel . . ." Betty trailed off.
"Daniel isn't that guy – not for her anyway. From what you're tellin' me, I think he's still got it bad for you. Oh, baby sista. I just don't want to see your heart get broken again. And the closah you get to Daniel, the more I think it's gonna happen," Hilda worried.
"It won't. Daniel's moved on," Betty assured her. "I mean, he almost kissed me after Becks' funeral and we fell asleep together on my couch after, but he was really vulnerable so it doesn't even count. He's completely committed to Maggie."
"He almost kissed you?! You fell asleep together on your couch! Ay! That's exactly what I'm sayin', Chica - stay away from the fire! 'Cuz if you get any closah, you're gonna get burned," Hilda advised.
"I'm fine. I'm trying to move on, too," Betty insisted. "I just miss my best friend, that's all."
"Okay . . ." Hilda said, unconvinced. "I'm gonna go check on Rosie – she's way too quiet in there . . . Rosie!"
"K," Betty sighed, and looked at the red dress again.
Hilda's phone rang.
"Hey, babe! Yeah, Betty and I were just picking out a dress for her to wear tonight. What?! What the hell happened? Doesn't he have the balls to tell her himself?! Oh . . . Yeah, you're right. He should be there for his grandmother. No. No it's fine. I'll tell her . . . Yeah . . . Love you, too. Bye," Hilda hung up. "That was Bobby. He said Nick's grandma is in the hospital after having a heart attack. So he won't be able to make it."
"That's terrible . . . So I guess I'm on my own tonight," Betty sighed.
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"Betty! Hey, you made it!" Daniel greeted her. "This is Maggie, Maggie Kim."
"Hi! It's so nice to finally meet you! Daniel's told me so much about you," the perky, dark-haired woman with glasses and an hourglass figure held out her hand.
"Hopefully all good things," Betty joked, shaking her hand. There was something familiar about this woman. She couldn't quite figure out what, though.
"The magazine looks amazing! Oh, and I'm a big fan of your magazine in London, too! Britain Vibe was so inspiring to me!" Maggie told Betty. "I'm in advertising, by the way. I design the layouts for print ads in magazines."
"Oh, wow!" Betty replied, caught off-guard by her pleasant attitude. "Thank you!"
"I'll let you girls talk," Daniel said, going off to mingle for a few minutes.
"I have to admit, that I was a little intimidated by you at first. You've accomplished so much in so little time. Daniel talks about you constantly. When he finally told me what happened with you two, it all made sense," Maggie confessed, then her attitude changed as she made sure Daniel was out of earshot, all the while maintaining the same sickeningly sweet tone. "I'm onto you, bitch! You had your chance with Daniel and you blew it. He's mine, now! I've landed so many new accounts by merely mentioning his name. Do you honestly think I'd be as stupid as you were to give that up?"
"Is that why you're with him? Because his name can get you farther in the business world?!" Betty asked, shocked and appalled.
"Of course not – he's insanely good in bed, too. Don't you agree? Oh, that's right, you don't even know what it's like to be with him. Too, bad," Maggie smirked.
"Wow . . . um, one minute you're accusing me of stealing Daniel away from you and the next you're bragging because you think I've never slept with him? Make up your mind," Betty demanded.
"Well, you haven't, have you? It's probably why you're dying to get him back," Maggie retorted.
"Having sex with Daniel is the furthest thing from my mind. And whether or not I've ever slept with him in the past is between me and Daniel. All you need to know is that I care about him. We're friends," Betty maintained.
"You know, Daniel says you're just friends, too, but I can't see how that's possible without something happening eventually – not with your history together. You're not even seeing anyone right now. What's to say you won't jump him in his office or corner him in the copy room? I know Daniel has a past with women. He's obviously not very bright when it comes to judging who to stay away from."
"Obviously . . ." Betty scoffed. "Not that it's any of your damn business, but no, I'm not seeing anyone. However, I can assure you that there's nothing going on with Daniel and me. I respect your relationship with him, because I respect myself and I want Daniel to be happy. Daniel and I are friends and co-workers – nothing more," Betty promised.
"I'm sorry, Betty, but I just don't believe you. Daniel and I are moving in together next weekend. And you'd better keep your slutty self away from him," Maggie threatened.
"Charming," Betty rolled her eyes. "I don't think you have anything to worry about, Maggie. But go ahead and keep Daniel on that tight little leash of yours. It's the only way in hell you'd ever hold onto a man as special as he is."
Maggie started to say something when Daniel came up to them.
"Betty, I think Mom's calling us up there," he put his hand on her shoulder. "We'll be back."
Except they weren't. Everyone wanted their attention and to know more about their new magazine, and their lives since leaving MODE. Betty should have felt really guilty for monopolizing all of Daniel's time. But honestly it wasn't her fault. And honestly she didn't give a shit, anymore. Maggie had definitely shown her true colors, and they were ugly.
Finally, the questions died down and the music got louder. People started dancing, including Daniel and Maggie. Betty sat and watched them from her table. He seemed happy. She tried to put on a smile, but inside she wanted to cry. It was over. He really had moved on with someone else – someone else who didn't deserve him . . . Who didn't value the wonderful man he truly was. They'd never get their chance . . .
"Hey . . . So, can I throw you around the floor for a while?" Daniel asked.
Betty's mind flashed back to Hilda's wedding when he'd asked her the same thing. That night was incredible. She'd never forget how much fun they'd had . . .
"What about Maggie?" Betty wondered.
"She had to leave. She's got a big presentation tomorrow morning for one of her clients," he explained.
Betty pondered his offer for a little longer, questioning if she should or not. It was only dancing, though. It wasn't like he was asking her to run away with him.
"Okay," she agreed and took his hand.
The previous song ended and Adele's 'Water Under the Bridge' began playing. They awkwardly danced to the music, unsure of how to act under the circumstances. As the song ended and a slower one came on, they ended up in a polite stance, their arms and hands in the traditional position for slow-dancing. They stayed that way for a few songs, stealing glances at each other from time to time, and unknowingly moving closer and closer to each other. As she listened carefully to the lyrics of the songs that played, Betty recognized themselves in some of them.
"So, Maggie seems interesting," Betty broke the awkward silence.
"Yeah, she is," Daniel agreed. "She's smart, passionate about her work and the people she cares about, has a bright, cheery personality . . ."
"You seem happy together," Betty observed.
"Happy. Yeah . . ." Daniel repeated, half-heartedly.
"Aren't you?" Betty asked, surprised at his mood. "I mean, except for the whole thing with us."
"I'm trying to be," he confessed.
"Oh," she said, surprised.
"I guess nothing's as good as the original," Daniel stated, heatedly staring into her eyes. "You set the bar pretty high, Betty."
The song changed to David Cook's cover of 'Wicked Game'.
"Daniel, what are you saying?" she questioned, trying not to read into his remark something that wasn't there.
"I don't know, Betty. I-It took me so long to get over you, and now you're here. You're back in my life, back to being who you always were to me – my strength, my cheerleader, my best friend. I can say anything – be anything with you. And now I'm holding you in my arms and it feels . . . like home. Like we're right where we're meant to be," he admitted.
"What about Maggie?" she reminded him.
"I love her . . . to be honest, I was close to asking her to marry me before you showed up," Daniel revealed.
"And now?" Betty asked.
"Now, I don't know," he sighed. "She's great . . . she's almost everything I could want, but something's missing. I-I don't feel with her the way I feel with I'm with you . . . And lately, with this new arrangement, I feel trapped more than anything else."
"Daniel . . ." she began.
"I go to sleep at night and all I manage to dream about is you, Betty," he confessed.
"D-Daniel, if I said or did something to -" Betty began.
"No, Betty, it's not you. I mean it is – but it's my fault," Daniel insisted. "I don't want to love you, but I can't stop."
"Maybe this isn't a good idea . . . maybe I should go . . . mingle or something," she told him.
"No. Stay," he pleaded. "I'm sorry . . . I shouldn't have put this on you."
"It's fine, Daniel. Really. But I think it'd be best if I go -" she said.
Daniel stopped her from leaving by placing his lips on hers and everything felt like it did six years ago. The magic, the chemistry, it was as if nothing had torn them apart. But she wasn't about to be the one who broke up a relationship.
"No," Betty moaned, reluctantly, and pushed him away. "Daniel, stop. W-We can't. You have a girlfriend – a girlfriend who apparently is moving in with you. And despite all of the things I learned about her tonight, I can't come between you two – I won't!"
"Wait – what 'things', Betty?" Daniel asked.
"I can't tell you. I've already said too much," she pushed him away.
"Betty, I trust you more than anyone. And if you know something, tell me," he requested, pulling her back to him.
"If I tell you, it'll make it seem like I'm only doing it to cause a problem between you two. And that's not it at all," she explained, nervously toying with his Prada tie.
"Betty, just tell me. I promise I'll believe you," Daniel swore.
Betty took a deep breath and then began to speak.
"Maggie told me that she basically was only with you to further her career and for the sex," Betty revealed.
There was a long awkward pause while Daniel took the time to let it sink in.
"No. No, she was probably joking. She has this way of saying things where some people can't tell if she's serious or not. You're pretty literal, Betty. I'm sure you took her comments the wrong way," Daniel denied it.
"Daniel, she was serious," Betty assured him. "And I'm not that literal anymore. I've changed a lot since you first met me."
"Yeah, okay . . ." he replied skeptically.
"That doesn't sound like you believe me," she huffed.
"I . . . I don't know," he admitted. "I know you love me and you're trying to protect me. But maybe you're hearing things the way you want to hear them."
"Do you think I want to hear that your girlfriend isn't treating you the way you deserve?! Because I don't! I want you to be happy, Daniel – even if I'm not the one doing it. Because you're right, I do love you!" Betty exclaimed, so frustrated she had to bite her lip to keep from crying. "I knew I shouldn't have said anything! I knew I should've just shut up and let her string you along!"
"Betty, I'm sorry. I need to think about it, okay. I need to talk to her," he told her, wiping the tears that rolled down her cheeks with the pads of his thumbs.
"You realize if you ask her these things, she going automatically deny them, don't you?" she replied.
"How the hell else am I going to know the truth? I mean, I have my ex-almost girlfriend/best friend's word against my current girlfriend's," he sighed.
"This is exactly why I should have kept my freakin' mouth shut," Betty groaned.
"No, Betty, I'm glad you didn't. Thank you for caring about me," he told her. "Sometimes it seems like you're the only one who does."
"Daniel . . ." Betty softened.
"I'm sorry – about everything . . ." he apologized, caressing her cheek. "You look so beautiful tonight."
Betty gently pushed his hand away.
"How about we just keep dancing . . . unless you don't think you can – strictly dance, I mean?" she told him.
"I can if you can," he challenged, lacing his fingers through hers.
Betty smiled timidly.
"Yeah, I think I can," she agreed, looking up at him, his piercing blue eyes looking back. Why the hell did this have to be so hard?
Daniel pulled Betty close to him. She stiffened for a moment, fighting the urge to get lost in the comfort of his arms.
"Hey, we're good. Aren't we?" he asked, noticing her tenseness.
"Mmm-hmm," Betty nodded and tried to relax, but not too much. She couldn't get caught up in him again. Not when he belonged to someone else – even if that someone else didn't deserve him.
