CHAPTER 11:

"What? How did you..."

"C'mon Willie…I just…"

"Marc, how the hell do you know?"

"I decided to get in early and finish up some work yesterday 'cause you know I left early the previous day because it was jockstrap night and then the staples I took some from Betty"

"What?"

"I came in early today because I didn't finish work because last night was jockstrap night. I went to Betty's desk to get some staples and …I saw you two…lying on his chaise…"

"What?"

"I mean he was lying back on his chaise and you were caressing his…face and brushing his hair with your hand. You were so mushy-mushy with each other."

"Who did you tell?"

"No one. Well Amanda sort of knows that…"

"That little blonde knows?"

"In a way…She knows that Daniel has a girlfriend 'cause he told her, but she doesn't know who. That's it, Willie I swear."

"Okay, good."

"So…How did this happen? You and pasty face."

"You remember when Bradford asked us to work together? Well we started to…sort of…we started liking each other. We developed feelings for each other and…"

"You engaged in a steamy love affair?"

"Marc, there was no affair. We got together after I broke up with Bradford. We've been together ever since."

"Oh, Willie" He cooed

"What, Marc?"

"Look how your face lights up when you talk about him. So he's the reason you called off the wedding?"

"He's part of it…a big part of it. I just…"

"What?" Finally she let her guard down

"I don't wanna get my hopes up, you know 'cause we both have a lot of issues. I'm not sure where this is going or what it is that we're doing."

"You haven't defined it?"

"No, and it's better this way anyway. Too much is going on right now to even think of…"

"Willie? Let go. You are happy, I can see that."

"I'm scared to death, Marc. I mean…I…I…I'm not…in love with him or anything, but I really, really like him and I don't want to get my hopes up and be disappointed…again."

"But, Willie maybe it's…you know gonna be different this time."

"We are Wilhelmina Slater and Daniel Meade, Marc. The press and everybody else on the face of the earth will eat us alive. Seriously, Marc do you really see Daniel and I as the next Brangelina or Will and Jada?" When Marc didn't answer "I didn't think so. It's just…It's only Daniel and I who understand how we feel. Everybody is gonna think it's just lust and publicity and…"

"Well it doesn't matter what everybody else thinks, Willie. You just said so yourself that it's only you and Daniel who really know how you feel."

"But can our rela-…whatever this is survive that kind of negativity? Eventually that is gonna take a toll on us before we even…"

"Willie I'm not saying don't be worried. All I'm saying is that it's okay to be happy and try not to over think this."

"Maybe you're right, Marc."

"So…. how's Danny boy in the bedroom? Does he really deserve to be called the man-whore? Is he packing?" Marc asked with a smirk

"Yes, the sex is amazing. But Marc it's not about the sex, I can…see a future with him."

"What?"

"Okay that's it, Marc, go home."

"Why, Willie?"

"Go. Now." Willie said as he lead him towards the door

"Why?"

"Because you just made me sound like a girl. Now please."

"Okay."

"By the way Daniel and I are going out of town this weekend. So you only call me if there's a real emergency."

The Hamptons (Saturday):

The lovers began the day on a high note. They spent the previous night on the terrace in each other's arms laughing and talking and sipping on Dal Forno Romano Valpolicella. Wilhelmina laid her head on Daniel's chest as the two lovers watched the beginning of dawn.

"Good morning" Daniel greeted her and she raised her head and captured his lips

"Good morning"

"How'd you sleep?"

"Danny, we just fell asleep like ten minutes ago. This was a nap."

"I know, but what an amazing night huh?"

"Indeed." They both looked to the sky as morning came and both fell into a comfortable silence with Daniel running his fingers on her hair. At that moment he realized something…He was in love with Wilhelmina Slater. He planted a kiss on her cheek, saying what he couldn't say verbally

"Hey, what are we doing today?" Daniel asked out of the blue

"I don't know…A walk on the beach, perhaps?"

"Sure."

"Shopping?"

"Of course, I was kind of expecting that."

"Hey" She nudged him playfully

"And maybe dinner at one of these fine restaurants tonight?"

"Of course, I know how much you love your food, Meade."

"And maybe tomorrow…we can go to church." She turned to look at him

"Excuse me?" He burst out in laughter and she laughed along with him

"You should have seen your face hey!" After the laughter died down they fell into that comfortable silence yet again while they looked at the beautiful view. "This is incredible, Wils. How long have you had this place?"

"Since the early 90s, it was my favorite place. This is where I used to come and relax and unwind with my family…a family I no longer have." She whispered the last part

"You're talking about Nico and her father?"

"Uh- huh. Hey I'm going take a shower do you wanna join me?" She said as she jumped up from the chair but Daniel grabbed her hand before she could escape

"Hey, Wils." He said softly "Why do you do this?"

"Do what?"

"You know, never wanting to talk about stuff? You always sort of change the subject whenever things get a little personal. It's like...you're pushing me away."

"Well, Daniel we've been going out three weeks. You don't seriously expect me to narrate my entire life story to you now do you?" His face fell in disappointment

"I got ya. We've only been going out for just three weeks, so…"

"C'mon that's not how I meant for it to sound."

"Well you're right, we have been dating for just three weeks." She saw his disappointment and wanted to argue but decided to against it

"I'm going to take a shower." She opened the sliding door and walked in the house

"I'll be making breakfast!" Daniel called out

"I don't eat breakfast, but suit yourself!" With that she was already headed upstairs

"Okay"

When she came downstairs she found Daniel stuffing himself on her island and when he heard her clearing her throat he looked up from his plate.

"Wils, I'm sorry about…" "Daniel, I'm sorry about earlier…" They spoke simultaneously

"It's okay, you go first."

"No, it's okay."

"Ladies' first"

"Daniel, I insist."

"Okay…uh I'm sorry about earlier. I don't want to seem like I'm putting pressure on you…It's just that I want you to know that I…I care, Wils." He made his way toward her and wrapped his arms around her waist and she did the same to him as she stared deep into his eyes.

"I know you do."

"I shouldn't expect you to pour your heart out me in a matter of weeks. You were right, we haven't been dating that long."

'It's just…it's difficult for me to express how I feel. I'm really sorry I was a jerk earlier."

"Accepted." He captured her lips with his "Good. I thought our romantic getaway was ruined."

"Oh come on, Danny couples argue. We can't let that ruin our entire weekend."

"So our day is gonna go as planned?"

"Oh definitely." She gave him a quick peck "But how about we start off by surfing the morning waves first? I mean it's still early."

"Sure."

The day turned out to be a fun, eventful one. From surfing the morning waves together to skinny dipping in the pool, to taking a long walk on the beach holding hands to shopping to dinner at Le Chef with Daniel documenting the entire day by taking pictures with his phone.

As the sky was turning pitch black the lovers sat in the hot tub sipping on wine ending a perfect day. Once again, they both fell in that comfortable silence, with Wilhelmina watching the stars and Daniel replaying the events of the day in his head. He couldn't believe that Wilhelmina Slater walked bare foot while wearing denim shorts and not just on the beach. And to his surprise she didn't have a slightest problem with PDA. Daniel noticed that Willie liked watching the sky when it's dark.

"Wils?"

"Yeah"

"Why do you like looking up there? In the sky I mean." She let out a soft chuckle

"Nico got me into it. I just…get this unexplainable feeling when I'm looking at the stars. They just…it's indescribable."

"When I look at them I just…see stars. I just don't see what the big deal is."

"That how I felt but too my daughter was determined to teach me all about the galaxy. She just wouldn't stop, she would go on and on about how there are millions of stars and how the galaxies are spiral, irregular and elliptical." She reminisced fondly and Daniel liked how she talked of her daughter

"She sounds like a smart kid."

"She is. She wanted to be an astronomer, that telescope in the balcony upstairs is actually hers. And now she's into art and three months ago she was into music production"

"Oh, so she doesn't wanna become a rocket scientist anymore?"

"No, but you know kids they change their minds as they get older. I mean look at us for example…are you what you imagined you'd be as a kid?"

"Of course not. As a kid I wanted to be a police officer" She laughed "Okay, okay what about you? Did you always want to work in fashion?"

"I loved fashion but, no. Where I'm from, a career in modeling or anything to do with fashion was never an option. It was not seen as a career. I come from a world where your life is planned out before you are even born."

"So how did you get into fashion?" Wilhelmina sighed before answering his question

"It was a dare."

"A what?'

"I never told anybody about this but Fey…I got into fashion because of a dare. We were at school and this kid made a joke about how I'm a spoilt brat who's never worked a day in her life and she dared me to take a job for the entire summer."

"And?"

"I did. I mean I wasn't gonna work at some burger joint like Wendy's or McDonalds or anything. Mode magazine was the one job that met my standards. I started out as an intern, then Fey's assistant took a vacation, Fey liked me she asked me to fill in for her and I fell in love with the job and dropped out of college. And the poor assistant's vacation became permanent. And now twenty years later here I am."

"Oh, my God. No, no, no I can't…I don't believe that…I just can't…"

"Daniel do you think a daughter of a powerful, influential, rich politician would be allowed to even consider a job in a fashion magazine? Let alone be an assistant?"

"Okay, now I believe you. Please, you have got to tell me that story gain. In detail this time please."

"Okay, I was at Cornell studying…" She was interrupted by Daniel's cell phone

"Sorry" He looked at the screen. It was Alexis.

"It's Alexis."

"Answer it." He hesitated

"Alexis Hi…I'm not, I'm actually out of town. Why?...What?...Is he okay?...Which hospital?...alright, alright. I'll try to get there as soon as I can." Wilhelmina saw his facial expressions and watched him getting whiter than usual.

"Daniel, what's wrong?"

"It's my dad. He...He had a heart attack."