Betty's First Trip to Rome the Prequel - Chapter 6 – Getting out the recipe
Amanda was sitting in the middle of the large round reception desk with her chair swiveled so that her back was to the elevators. Marc was standing inside the desk in front of Amanda describing a prank he was about to set up in the copy room. Marc suddenly looked up behind Amanda and said, "Twelve o'clock!"
Amanda gracefully held out her arm and rotated her wrist to look at her watch. "Lunch time already? Hey, no, it isn't!"
"No," Marc exclaimed. "I mean, incoming! Dead ahead!" Marc grabbed her chair and rotated it so she could see who was emerging from the elevator doors.
Hilda stepped out in very tall high heels wearing a tight low-cut animal print dress that left nothing to the imagination. She breezed up to Amanda and stared confidently back at Marc and Amanda's devilishly happy faces as they recognized her.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Betty's not in today," Amanda said in a manner that didn't sound the least bit apologetic.
"I know that, I have an appointment with Daniel," said Hilda, haughtily tapping her bright red nails on the counter.
Amanda started to dial Daniel's number into the phone and then paused, "Oh. there's something I've been meaning to ask you. Is Betty adopted? Or are you? The two of you are so, uh so, uh, not alike," said Amanda, giving Hilda and her dress a head to toe look of scorn.
"Excuse me?" said Hilda, arching one perfectly tweezed eyebrow. "Tell me Amanda, just exactly which Suarez sister are you insulting?"
"Do I have to choose just one?" retorted Amanda just as she got Daniel on the line. Marc squealed his approval of Amanda's jest.
"Daniel says to go straight to the closet and he'll meet you there as soon as he can get away," said Amanda, with a pout. "And you can tell Christina you can pick any dress or shoes that you like."
"Ha!" said Hilda as she sashayed triumphantly back to the elevator.
* * *
Daniel approached the closet just as Christina was packing up the dress that Hilda had picked. She left the parcel on her workstation and started to hurry away.
"Thanks for your help," Hilda called out to Christina's retreating figure.
"Good day Daniel. How's it going?" said Christina, as she walked past Daniel. "You'll see that I talked Hilda into getting a dress. I think it's for the best, don't you?" Christina looked askance at Hilda's animal print dress, now back in place on Hilda's body, and then rushed off without waiting for a reply.
"Hey Daniel, how are you doing?" said Hilda as Daniel walked up to her.
"Not too bad. Thanks so much for coming in this morning Hilda," said Daniel, with a harried expression. "You're essential. You're saving my life. I have got some big troubles going on with Wilhelmina and Daniel Jr. and I am really thankful you're going to help me with this Betty situation. I'm going nuts. I have a lot of problems to deal with right now."
While listening to Daniel, Hilda ran her fingers through the dresses on the clothes rack next to her. When he was finished she pulled out a bright red sequined dress with shockingly low cut front and back necklines and the hem so high it barely grazed the top of her thighs. She draped the dress against her body and twisted herself around to display it seductively to Daniel. "What do you think? Can you imagine this on me? How does it look?"
"Oh, um, uh," said Daniel. He swallowed and searched his mind for an acceptable word. "Good?"
Hilda smoothed the sequined fabric over her curves and said, "But I think the hem needs to be taken up a few inches - don't you agree?"
Daniel stared and gulped. "Uh, wow, Hilda, you sure have a gift for knowing how to take a guy's mind off of his problems."
Daniel walked behind Christina's workstation and sat down in her chair to put a little more distance between them. Hilda carefully hung the red dress back on the rack and followed Daniel. She sat down on the corner of the desk trapping Daniel between the desk and the wall. She leaned towards him making sure he got a good view and said, "Daniel, I have other gifts too."
"Uh, yeah, I see that," he replied. He tugged at his collar to loosen his tie. He forced his baby blue eyes upwards to her face and met her amused gaze.
"You're observant, and what might those gifts be?" asked Hilda, delighted to see Daniel squirm.
"Um," Daniel paused to think. "Let's see, uh, a gift for creating a visual presentation with impact?" he said tentatively, and then added with more conviction, "As a magazine editor I am highly trained to recognize that kind of thing."
"Good one Daniel, I like that. So, what do you say about shoes? I really want to get a pair to match my new dress," said Hilda. She fluttered her eyelashes, "Is this a good time to ask?"
"Okay, okay, shoes too. But afterwards, okay?" said Daniel. "Only after the successful completion of your end of the bargain."
"Great! No problem. I don't mind coming back again!" replied Hilda, sitting up straight and letting her demeanor switch from seductress to girlish glee in an instant.
"Good. Now let's go meet Gio," said Daniel. He stood up, picked up the parcel containing Hilda's new dress, and they headed towards the elevators.
* * *
The orthodontist had finally completed the brace removal and cleaned Betty's teeth. Her teeth were impeccable. He was extremely proud of the results. Betty had been an ideal patient. She was a star. Her mouth contained the perfect example of his superior skill and he was eager to take a picture of Betty's new smile for her file, and to add to his bulletin board display of before and after photos. There was only one problem.
Betty would not smile. This day, the day she was losing her painful unsightly braces, this day, the day that she had anticipated eagerly since she was a little girl, this day, the day she would finally have the smile she dreamed of, on this day, of all days, Betty could not smile. She was unable to smile because she was crying. Try as they might to get a photo of her smile they could not. Betty was inconsolable.
* * *
Gio, Daniel and Hilda were seated at a quiet table in the back of a coffee bar a few blocks away from the deli so they could talk in private and without interruptions.
"Okay. So, here's the situation," Daniel said in a light, even tone. "Betty has broken up with Gio and she wants to quit Mode because she can't stand the possibility of running into him every day. Gio is leaving in a few days for a month long trip to Rome. Unless she gets back together with him before then she'll be gone to another job before he gets back. Unfortunately Gio can't delay his trip due to circumstances that are beyond his control. Betty is the best assistant I have ever had and I am willing to take steps to keep her. I'm more than willing to cover the cost of the trip, all expenses included, if we can get her back together with Gio and onto that plane to Rome."
Gio tapped his fingers nervously and stared into his empty coffee cup. He looked miserable and uncomfortable.
"I believe there's such a tight time-line here that there's zero chance of them getting back together before he goes without some kind of drastic intervention," Daniel continued, "I don't want Betty to realize I'm interfering in her life and Hilda has, uh, graciously offered to provide her services in this matter."
Hilda smiled a pleased smile and patted the parcel on her lap.
"So, does that about cover it?" asked Daniel.
"Yeah," said Hilda and Gio in unison but Hilda said it brightly and Gio said it sadly.
"Fortunately, in the course of my confidant duties I have been privy to Betty's innermost thoughts on the matter. She has shared with me, in the strictest confidence of course," Daniel glanced at Gio and Hilda, "… her deepest and most intimate feelings." Daniel cleared his throat, "It is my belief that Betty harbors feelings for Gio but she stubbornly refuses to acknowledge them. Ideas anyone?"
The threesome sat in silence, thinking to themselves. Gio looked like he would rather be anywhere else than where he was. He looked wretched.
"Now, I'd like to give Gio some advice," said Daniel.
"Yeah, right," said Gio dejectedly. "You, Daniel, of all the people to give me relationship advice. A man with a modus operandi of 'catch and release'. A skirt-chaser. God, look at what I am reduced to," Gio punched his fist into his forehead a couple of times.
Daniel cleared his throat and waited until Gio had dropped his hand back to the table.
"Well, the chase is the same. The catch part is the same. Whether you choose to keep the fish or throw it back is irrelevant. So I think I have something valuable to offer. Now, here's what I think," said Daniel, looking directly at Gio.
"It appears that you're moving too fast Gio. What do you think you're chasing here - a Lamborghini? Take it easy, man. Betty's not like, uh, like some other, uh …" Daniel left his sentence unfinished and glanced at Hilda.
Hilda twirled a strand of her hair between her fingers, smiled at Daniel, and said, "You got that right."
Gio observed the glance between Daniel and Hilda and a thought crossed his mind but he pushed it away so he could concentrate on what Daniel was saying.
"Now, I'm confident with a little tweaking Gio should be able to win Betty over," said Daniel.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" demanded Gio.
Hilda patted Gio's hand and said with emphasis, "Calm down Gio, I'm telling you that you should listen to Daniel. He's good at what he's good at. Just hear him out. We're all on the same team, okay?"
"But he can't do anything at all if they aren't even in the same city," said Daniel. "And it has to be Rome. I'm worried about Ignacio too. What are you thinking about him, Hilda?"
"Oh, I think I can handle Papi. Don't worry about him. But Betty," said Hilda, pausing and tapping a finger to her lips thoughtfully, "I am worried about Betty. She can be stubborn."
"Yeah," agreed Daniel and Gio in unison. They both stared intently at Hilda's face.
"And we don't have much time. This is going to take some thought," she said slowly. "Some serious thought."