BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE/CH 8
A/N: Okay, I think rather than make this two chapters and leaving you hanging (and possibly throwing things at me) on the first part, I'm going to just plow through to the end of the story all in another longer chapter.
So, this will be the end of this particular story. But of course, not for our couple! HAPPY NEW YEAR, DETTY-HEADS! I hope all your dreams and wishes for the year ahead come true!
Betty blinked, biting her lower lip, as she saw Daniel on his knee, holding her hand, "So, Betty...uh my question is, will you marry me? I love you. I know you love me.
We've already got the best friend thing down. I think we should go ahead and make a commitment to each other.
I don't want to take any chances on you changing your mind and running away. I know I'm never going to find another woman like you in my life. I don't think there is another woman like you. You're...unique, you're...everything I've ever dreamed of and more. So...what do you say?"
Betty's hand was shaking as she nodded slowly, still obviously in shock. "I...I...yes ...yes, Daniel. Of course, I'll marry you. I love you, too.
You're incredible. I...just...are you sure you really want to marry me? You're not just swept up in the moment or something?"
He shook his head, as he stood and held the ring he had selected, gesturing to see if she liked it, then slid it on her finger. "No, I'm not, Betty.
Look, honey. I'm not saying we have to get married tomorrow. You can take as long as you want to plan things. Pick a date, whatever.
Oh, and I asked my mom about you becoming an editor and she completely supports the idea. You could just decide which magazine you want to work at.
We can enjoy being engaged for a while if you need time to get used to the idea. I know it's sudden."
"Sudden? I'd say so, Daniel! I mean, we just...went from friends to…"
"Lovers? Yes, I realize that, honey, but you've got to admit, we spent a very long time on the friends part!
So, you'll forgive me if I'm anxious to tie you down, before some other idiot comes along and snatches you out from under my nose. Not to mention you know who coming back to try and get you back."
"And now you're making me an editor? Jsut like that? Is this about...my braces?"
"What? No! I told you, I don't care about that, babe. I mean, yeah, you look great now, but...Betty, come on, that's not why I feel this way about you. You know that.
I told you I loved you last night. We made love...um...a lot last night. I definitely didn't mind you having the braces."
"No, but you couldn't wait to get them off me today!"
"What? Well, okay, yeah, maybe it seems that way. But, that's just because of what you told me about not feeling like you 'deserved' to be with me. Those were your words, not mine, Betty. I told you, I didn't care at all.
I love you no matter how you dress or if you wear glasses or if you still had your braces. None of that matters to me. You're beautiful. Period. You always have been and you always will be."
He pulled her to him and kissed her lips, then leaned his forehead against hers, "I know I sprung...all of this on you pretty fast, Betty. But, is that still a 'yes?' are we okay?"
She nodded, smiling against his lips, "Mmhmm...Yes, Daniel. We're okay. I'm sorry. I'm just sensitive, I guess."
He hugged her, kissing her neck lightly, "It's fine. I understand. You know what a crazy guy I can be. Do you like the ring? Does it fit? If not…"
She held it out, smiling, "Well, it's definitely not a 'crackerjack' ring, but it's beautiful, Daniel. Thank you. And it fits fine!"
"Crackerjack?"
Nigel leaned forward, "I believe the young lady is referring to the movie, sir. They brought a ring in to the store to be engraved that was a prize in one of the boxes of 'crackerjacks'."
Daniel nodded, grinning, "Oh, right! Of course, I guess I forgot about that. Well, I could see if I find a ring in a box of crackerjacks if you want, Betty."
She shook her head,"No, don't be silly. I love this one. I...I love you, Daniel. I'm just...a little overwhelmed right now.
This is a lot of changes happening really fast. Do you think maybe you could take me home? I want to talk to my family, tell them everything that's happened with us."
"Sure, honey." He led her out, waving to everyone, "Thanks for everything, guys! Merry Christmas!"
"Hey, Daniel! Did she say yes?" Cliff yelled.
Betty blushed, and Daniel put up his thumb,
but he was secretly concerned.
Amanda caught his expression and looked at Marc and Cliff, shaking her head, "He doesn't look all that sure about her answer.
He has his worried face. Is she crazy? Why isn't she jumping up and down right now? I swear, smart girls like Betty are total idiots sometimes!"
"Well, normally, I'm with you, but I suppose it is a lot for her to process, you know. Think about it.
The Grub just left like a day ago, then she hooks up with Mr. Perfect, and faster than you can say Holly Golightly, she's having her little Hollywood make-over, getting those God-awful man repellent train tracks off her mouth, and then he whips out the old ring on her finger!"
Cliff put his hand to his heart, looking tearful, "God, she is like Holly! Don't you see? Daniel's a doll, but he's sort of trying to tie her down and Betty just got out of her relationship with Henry.
It's all happening so fast, she's confused, that's all. It's not that she doesn't love Fred. She clearly does, in fact. She's just scared. Just like Holly!"
Amanda looked confused, asking Marc, "Wait, who's Fred?"
"Paul." Cliff said, and when Amanda still looked confused, Marc answered impatiently, "Daniel! Cliff is making his usual comparison of stuff in a movie to stuff in real life. It doesn't always work that way, sweetie."
Cliff squeezed his arm around Marc, "Hey, it did with us. We were like the odd couple."
Betty got in the limo and Daniel followed her, holding her hand. They were quiet for a moment. He looked at her tenderly, "Uh, Betty, is your dad going to be upset that I didn't ask his permission to marry you?"
She furrowed her brows, "What? Oh, no! Of course not, Daniel. Papi isn't that old fashioned. Besides, he loves you."
"Are you sure you do? You look a little freaked out."
She sighed, "Daniel, I'm sorry, but I AM a little freaked out right now, okay? Don't get me wrong, I love you. I do. And I believe that you think you love me."
"I THINK I love you? Betty, stop right there. I don't just think it. I do love you."
"Yeah, as of yesterday, Daniel! And now you want to marry me? Before that, we were just friends. I'm sorry, but this is a huge decision! I'm really touched by everything you did today. Don't get me wrong. All the wonderful, romantic things you said last night."
"No, you're not. You think I said all that just to sleep with you. That's it, isn't it? You've convinced yourself that I'm not your type.
That I'm always going to be 'the bad boy' that you can't trust not to cheat on you or get bored with you. That I'm still the same old Daniel, who bed hops from girl to girl. I'm still the man-whore to you and I probably always will be, right?
Meanwhile, sweet, adorable Henry gets to act like the real asshole and knock up that stupid clingy ex girlfriend of his, who clearly was never really an 'ex' enough for him to stop screwing her and you still think of him as the 'one who got away', right? I knew you weren't really over him!"
"I am. But it's been like a day, Daniel. Maybe we weren't quite ready for all this yet."
"Maybe not. Wait, seriously? You really think so?"
She tried to stop the flow of tears, but couldn't as they arrived at her house in Queens, and she got out, "I…really don't know.
I think maybe we both need to seriously stop and think about this, though. I'm not saying...no. I just need a little time. Please? Can you understand that?"
He nodded, "Yeah. Sure. Take all the time you need, Betty. I think...I'll let you go in and have some time with your family.
I should probably put in an appearance at my Mom's for Christmas. too. It's getting late. I'll uh...talk to you later."
"Daniel?"
"Yeah."
"I'm sorry. I really appreciate…"
"I know, Betty. It's fine. I get it. I get carried away sometimes. You need time to think. I know you well enough to understand that about you. I'm not upset."
"You're sure?"She fought back the tears, and he nodded, wiping them with his thumb.
"Yeah. I'm sure. See you around. Good night, Miss Hepburn."
She smiled, looking down at her dress, forgetting her pearls and tiara for a moment. She started to take it out, but Daniel put his hand up to hers, "Leave it. Let them see how great you look. Justin will love it, at least."
She nodded, "Yeah, he will. So do I. I love you, Daniel. Good night."
"I love you, too, Betty. Good night." As she started to leave, he stood by the limo, watching her go into the house for a moment. She turned and came back, kissing him and whispered, "Merry Christmas, Daniel."
He whispered back, "Merry Christmas, Betty." He leaned his head against hers for a moment, then smiled and waved as he got back inside.
As soon as he got in and the limo drove away, she burst into tears and ran up to her front door.
Daniel felt like he couldn't breathe. He didn't get what he had done wrong. Intellectually, of course, he could understand why Betty felt like he was rushing her, but he couldn't help feeling a little hurt, too.
He knew he was impulsive. But he only wanted to make her happy. Whatever that took. Was that so terrible?
He took a deep breath, and after stopping off at his apartment to pick up the gifts he had for his family, he arrived at the Meade mansion.
He quickly filled his mother in on everything that had happened. She tried to console him, "Daniel, I know you feel like you've lost her. But you haven't.
She did say yes. She certainly didn't throw the ring back in your face. She simply needs time to process everything. That's all."
"I know, Mom. I told her I understand that and I do. I do know Betty. I know she's just feeling overwhelmed. I pressured her. But...I couldn't help it!"
She smiled, "I know, dear. You're so impulsive and sweet sometimes. It's one of your most endearing qualities. But it can definitely be...overwhelming at times, too.
Especially to a girl like Betty, who's used to weighing the pros and cons of everything carefully before making such a huge decision."
As soon as Betty walked in the door, her family surrounded her. She felt like a circus freak, a bit like she had all day, the minute she got her braces off. She didn't know why, but she almost missed having them on.
She felt naked, exposed. Just like how she did having all those people see her in her towel. It was humiliating. She knew Daniel was only trying to please her, and he was incredibly sweet.
She felt like an ungrateful, spoiled child by not jumping up and down with glee over all the wonderful things he had tried to do for her. Especially him proposing to her that way. He was so adorable. She couldn't possibly love the man more, she knew.
But sometimes he also totally freaked her out with how impulsive and crazy he was. She couldn't help feel like his favorite pet or a science project right now.
She looked down at the beautiful ring he had given her. It was incredible, of course. She had no idea about those things. That was something Amanda knew all about. But it was certainly no crackerjack ring that was for sure!
"Betty! Mija! You look bonita, what happened? Where have you been, though? I tried to call."
Hilda looked at her sister, "You got your braces off? Betty! Wow! You look amazing, mami! Why are you dressed for a funeral, though? Did somebody die?"
She nodded, mumbling to herself, somewhat in shock, "Yeah. 'Ugly Betty' died. I'm somebody else now. Somebody I don't even recognize. I just don't know who yet."
Justin's eyes lit up with delight, "Oh my God, I totally get it! You're Holly Golightly, right? Great look for you, AB! I mean, you've got a lot more going on in the uh...top than Audrey, but it works.
And look at this rock! Don't tell me Henry got you this to try and keep you from dumping him! How could he afford a ring like that?" He had spied her engagement ring immediately and began assessing it.
"That's a two and a half carat Tiffany setting, worth over fifty thousand dollars. No way the accountant got that. Oh my God, B! It's Daniel, isn't it? He proposed? My Christmas wish actually came true!" He put his hand to his mouth.
Betty stared at her nephew, coming out of her own shock as she saw his, "Wait, Justin, your Christmas wish was for Daniel to propose to me?"
He shrugged, "That's been my secret Christmas wish ever since you brought him home like a hot, rich, drunk stray puppy that first Thanksgiving, AB. Anybody could see you two would end up together eventually. It was destiny."
"He did? Daniel? Daniel Meade, your boss? Betty! Seriously? Wow! That's unbelievable!" Hilda was now admiring the ring, as well, "Whoa, that is some rock, girl! Congratulations!"
Ignacio Suarez watched his youngest daughter, and pulled her away from Hilda and Justin, into a warm embrace, "Mija? Are you happy about this? I'm confused."
She whispered, "So am I, papi. So am I."
He looked at the tears in her eyes, as he held her by her arms, looking down at her face, "Why are you crying? What happened with Henry? And why is Daniel now proposing to you? What is going on, mija?"
She shook her head, wiping at her eyes, "I don't know what happened. I was upset about Henry and I called Daniel. We met for coffee, and then…it was so crazy! Everything happened so fast, papi! He said I looked beautiful and we...talked all night and…"
Hilda cocked an eyebrow, "You just TALKED all night? That must have been some talk, if he proposed to you, Betty. So, when did you get your braces off? After or before he gave you that ring?"
"Before. He...we…" Betty blushed, and lowered her voice, "We um…spent the night together.
But Daniel thought I felt bad about how I looked, so his mom called Marc's boyfriend Cliff and got this nice orthodontist, Dr. Frankel and she said Dr. Farkus should have already taken off my braces, so she took them off right there at Daniel's apartment.
Then he...had Cliff take my picture at Tiffany's like I was some movie star, and when we were inside, he...he got down on one knee and proposed! I...I didn't know what to say."
Hilda's eyes widened, "Wow! Okay, that was way too fast for me to keep up. Well, I hope for God's sakes you said yes!"
Betty nodded, "I did. But...I think I hurt his feelings because he knows me well enough to see that I was kind of...you know, overwhelmed by everything happening so fast."
"Whoa, Betty, mami, it DID happen fast! I mean, really fast! But that's not always a bad thing. Change can be good sometimes. It's like New Year's. You tell yourself you're going to eat all the junk you want up until the thirty-first. Go crazy, gorge yourself. And party hard that night." Her father glared at her.
"What? Anyway, then the next day, you start on that diet and shake your booty and throw out all your crummy clothes, start a whole new life, you know? A whole new you! I love starting over with a clean slate.
Well, as soon as you get over the hangover. But I always make my magic cure and then I'm better within the hour. Well, look, you've got all this new stuff going on with your look now. Your smile looks really pretty!
So, I say, that's great. Forget stupid Henry! He's the old year. The old Betty. New Betty is in love with Daniel. You are in love with him, right?"
Betty nodded, trying to smile through her bleary eyes, "I am. I really am. He's...he's so sweet."
"And hot!"
"And thoughtful."
"And rich!"
Betty rolled her eyes at her sister and nephew. "And he has such a big heart. I mean, everything he did for me. He made me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich!"
Justin and Hilda looked at each other, puzzled, and Hilda nodded, "Okay. Yeah, great! So, maybe he didn't spring for a fancy restaurant, but he helped you get your braces off. And he gave you a huge diamond engagement ring!" She held up Betty's hand.
Betty nodded, still seeming in a trance, "And then he brought me breakfast in bed. He made me toast and buttered it for me and fed it to me...nobody's ever done that for me before.
I felt like...a princess or something. Then when he surprised me with the whole Breakfast at Tiffany's thing, I really felt like a movie star. It was amazing! Me! Oh, and he read Pride and Prejudice for me.
You know how much I love that book! He did a cute little British accent. He did it really badly, but...oh God! It's just all too much! I feel like Bridget Jones or something! Don't you get it?
Daniel is...Daniel! He's Hugh Grant. Only not a jerk, like that Daniel. I don't deserve the hot guy. Underneath all this...I'm still me. I'm still ugly little Betty from Queens!
He's going to see that eventually and go back to wanting glamorous girls like Sofia and Renee and...Amanda."
She ran upstairs and threw herself on her bed in exasperation, crying for hours. She just couldn't see herself as the type of woman Daniel deserved. He was far too good for her. He deserved some exotic, beautiful princess or something.
She would never be good enough for a man like Daniel. She had known that the first day she met him. The day she literally fell for him, running into that glass door like some kind of clown.
None of her girlish dreams about him over the following two years had come true. Daniel was...out of reach. He was out of her league. He may say he loved her now.
But he was probably just still reeling from the Renee disaster. He didn't really know what (or who) he wanted. She gazed at the ring on her finger in disbelief. Did he?
When she woke the next morning, she saw she had several missed calls from Daniel. She knew she needed to go talk to him in person. Try and sort out her feelings.
Make sure she hadn't hurt his too badly. The last thing she wanted to do was make him feel rejected. And she knew she had.
She took a shower and got dressed, wearing jeans and a sweater, and pulled her hair into a ponytail. She went downstairs, and saw her father and Justin were already having breakfast.
Justin smiled at his aunt, "Good morning, AB. How'd you sleep?"
She shrugged, putting her face on the table, "Terrible! I'm sure I blew it with Daniel! He's probably wishing he'd never even thought of proposing to me, now! I know I hurt his feelings."
Ignacio looked at his daughter, taking her hand in his, he shook his head, "Mija. Don't you remember how much that Sofia woman hurt Daniel? She broke his heart.
And that one Renee, she almost killed you! She's as evil as her sister. Daniel doesn't want those women. Why would he? He does love you. I've seen it in his eyes, more and more. And not just like a friend. He sees what we all do in you. What we always have.
You are so optimistic and kind, just like your mother. You may look prettier now, but that just matches what's always been inside you all along.
You just grew up overnight! But this has always been you. This is the real you. You've just been waiting to have the right man to come along and see your real beauty."
Justin nodded, "Grandpa's right, AB. It's like those Disney movies you like so much."
Betty rolled her eyes, "Beauty and the Beast? And I'm the beast? Justin. You've been hanging around Marc too much, honey.
That's not very nice. He does call me that. I've heard him and Amanda saying it before. It's one of the things they write about me in the bathroom at Mode."
Justin shook his head, "AB, hey, I'm on your side! I know you like that one, too, but no, I was going to say Cinderella, actually. And if anybody was a 'beast' it was Daniel when you first met him.
He was kind of a jerk. He treated you like crap. He treated all women like crap. was a real dog. But now, he finally learned how to behave like your Prince Charming.
I say, he brought out your true beauty on the outside, and you fixed his heart on the inside. You're perfect for each other! It is like a fairy tale!"
Betty nodded, smiling. "Yeah. You're right, Justin. We are. I'm so stupid! I have to talk to him! Bye, I love you both. Thanks!"
The weather had warmed up considerably in the last twenty-four hours. Much of the snow had melted. Now, there was freezing rain and fog. Betty threw on her raincoat and put up her umbrella, running down the stairs to get on the subway.
She hurried through the crowd, trying to get on before she missed the train, and had to wait for the next. She couldn't wait to see Daniel, to tell him how much she loved him, too. To kiss him. Yes, it was crazy for them to get engaged this soon, she knew. But it also made perfect sense. She knew deep down that she would never find another man that she loved half as much as Daniel. He was right; they were meant for each other. They were soul mates.
That had scared her to death when he said it. But it was true. No one else got her silly sense of humor and met it.
No one had listened to her go on and on about how much she loved post it notes for half an hour, and simply smiled and shook his head, then rigged the supply closet with tons of them in all colors to rain down on her.
Speaking of rain...it was now pouring, by the time she got off the M train and looked around, she realized she probably should have waited for a cab, since her umbrella had been lost somewhere in the mass of people and now she stood, looking like a drowned rat, up at Daniel's loft, trying to get the courage to face him.
To face seeing that disappointed look he got when she had said something that hurt him.
She took a deep breath and started to go up the steps to his building when she saw him, in the rain himself, cursing. "Damnit!"
Or at least, she saw his backside. He was bent over, trying to fish something out of the drain, and she laughed, seeing him like that. "Daniel? Or...Daniel's butt? What are you doing?"
He looked up, and smiled when he saw her, "Betty? What are you doing here? Out in the rain without an umbrella? Why didn't you take a cab or call for a car? You and your damn subway!"
She ignored his usual berating of her over this subject. "Daniel, what are YOU doing reaching into the drain like that? Did you lose something?"
He nodded, wiping the rain off his face, as he stepped closer to her, "Yeah. My mind I think. Betty, honey, I'm so sorry. I know that was totally crazy what I did, proposing like that. You must really think I'm nuts! After Henry just left and everything…"
She shook her head, and reached up to put her fingers to his lips, "Stop, Daniel. I don't care about him. I care about you. And you don't need to apologize. I do.
What you did was so… romantic, so sweet, and unselfish and I just ruined it by being my usual boring, let's stop and analyze everything to death self!
I mean, on one hand, yes, you're totally crazy! But I love that about you. I love you! Do you know when Henry and I were together, I was the crazy one? I was the one wanting to go out dancing and doing fun stuff and he was sort of...well, boring, really, when I think about it.
But you…being with you is so exciting, you make me think I can do so many great things. You push me to try and be better. You never hold me back. You believe in me. You always have. I love that so much about you."
She put her hands on his face and he smiled at her, and hugged her tightly, "Oh, Betty, you do the same thing for me. You believe in me, too. That's why we're so perfect for each other. I love you so much. So, I didn't blow it? I didn't scare you off?"
She shook her head, "No, of course not! I thought I blew it, hurting your feelings."
He shrugged, "Hey, my feelings aren't that tender, Betty. I've been dumped on national TV before, remember? I think after that, I can take pretty much anything.
Uh, maybe we should go inside. Did you happen to notice it's raining?" He grinned, looking up as they continued to get soaked, with the downpour.
She shook her head, smiling, "Not really. I'm too busy looking at my handsome fiance right now. He's got a really cute butt, too." She giggled, making him laugh.
"Thanks. Yours isn't too bad, either. Come on, let's go in and get dried off. Are you hungry? I'll make you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich."
She pulled him back, "Wait. I think we shouldn't mess up this opportunity. Kiss me, Daniel."
"Kiss you? Out here? It's much more comfortable inside…"
She pulled him down to her, "I said, kiss me, Daniel! Please?"
He shrugged, shaking his head, "Whatever you want, baby." He pulled her close, and kissed her, finding it felt much better than he would have imagined. She definitely warmed him up, that was for sure.
After deepening the kiss and sliding her hand inside his shirt, Betty had him backed up to the wall, next to the stairs leading to his building.
He could feel the heat from her as she put a hand around to his backside and grinned at him, in a way he hadn't seen all that much before, but really was starting to like.
So this was Betty turned on, he thought. Wet or not, she looked completely hot. He smiled, and tried to keep his voice low, but found he still had to more or less yell over the rain, "So, are we going to keep going out here, and just go for it right now, against this wall, or would you like to go inside? I'm good either way."
She smiled, still obviously aroused, as she looked at his shirt, clinging to his body. She nodded, "Let's go inside. Now."
He pulled her in and she tugged at his shirt, before he even got her to his door. "Shit! My key! I think I must have dropped it."
She shook her head and took her purse out, handing him her spare key. "You'd be lost without me, Daniel."
He nodded, "That's true. I'm glad I don't have to be without you."
She seemed to be checking him out, and clearly couldn't wait to get him out of his clothes fast enough.
He laughed at her haste, in pulling off his soaked shirt, and pants. He then helped her out of her wet clothing, and went quickly to get them both towels and robes.
"We should probably take a hot shower so we don't catch pneumonia."
She merely nodded, kissing him somewhat animalistically, then dropping kisses onto his chest, and stomach, while she continued to rub her hands softly over his body, causing him to moan into her ear.
Their kissing and groping continued, and before they had even reached the door to the bathroom, they had fallen to the sofa, and begun to make love.
As they collapsed, Betty lay contentedly on top of Daniel, both trying to catch their breath.
He laughed, "Well, hell, I don't know if I have enough energy for that shower just yet. I think I might need...a transfusion! What got you going? That was crazy, Betty! Great, but totally nuts!"
She smiled, somewhat wickedly, "Seeing you all wet like that, sort of...turned me on."
He shrugged, "I'll say! Okay. I'll definitely have to remember that one in the future. Betty likes it...wet! Oh, wow, that really sounded even dirtier than it did in my head!" He laughed.
She shifted, in his arms, tracing her finger down his chest, causing him to shudder slightly, "Daniel...what were you looking for when I saw you out there? What did you drop or whatever in the drain outside?"
He blushed slightly, "It's so stupid."
"What? Tell me."
"Well, I was a little you know, upset earlier, so I went out to Coney Island, because...I don't know, it just always makes me feel better going out there for some reason. I felt like nothing bad ever happened there as a kid. And I got this box of Crackerjacks."
She put her hand to her mouth, "Oh my God, you actually got a ring in the Crackerjacks?"
He nodded, looking like a shy little boy, she thought. If she hadn't already loved this man intensely, she would have fallen in love with him now. She kissed him deeply, and passionately.
He responded, but pushed away slightly after a few minutes, "You know I dropped it." he said rather sadly.
She shrugged, "It doesn't matter. It's the thought that counts. That was so sweet. Of course, I hope you don't mind that I keep this one, too!" She held up her hand.
He grabbed it and kissed her finger. "Yeah, well, like you said, it's no Crackerjack ring, but…"
"I can't believe you actually found a ring in one. That's really rare."
"Well, I did buy about fifty boxes of Crackerjacks. The guy I bought them from was really happy."
She reached for her purse and pulled out the ring, "So was I. I saw this on the ground by your foot and wasn't sure if it was what I thought it was."
His eyes lit up, "You found it!"
She smiled, resting her head on his chest, and kissing him again, "Yeah. Maybe we can see if Nigel will engrave it for us."
"I'm sure he will. What do you want to have engraved on it? Our initials? D and B forever, something like that?"
"How about...PB and J?"