Dani just enjoyed the feel of the massage for a few minutes. God, his hands are amazing.
Nico was working tirelessly. He could feel the knots in Dani's shoulders and back. Damn, she has been holding onto a lot of stress. He worked carefully but steadily. I'm pretty good at this. Massaging her is actually relaxing me. He could feel the stress leaving him as it left Dani. We must be more connected than I thought. If she only knew.
Dani decided it was time to talk. I picked this place so I could vent my frustrations. Now is the time I guess.
"So you already know I picked this place to vent. I guess I better begin. They say that verbalizing your problems will decrease the physical stress placed upon your body." Dani said.
Nico smiled. Typical Dani, explaining her actions.
He continued to work on her shoulders, neck and back, as she talked.
"Okay, so here's the problem. My best friend Jeanette left for Spain about 5 months ago. She was like my sister. We talked about everything. She is the one person I have always been able to count on. She found a steady boyfriend, they fell in love, she got pregnant and moved away. It was time for her to go but I still feel left behind. I love her and want her to do what's best for her but it still saddens me that she is gone." Dani paused.
Wow, I knew they were close but I didn't realize she was the only other person she talked to.
"Then I thought I had found the right guy. He was sweet, but we started off on the wrong foot. I had a one-night stand that ended it what I thought was a good relationship, but what it was really based off of was feelings of attraction not anything of worth. We had something good going for a while, but then we took a break after I told him I didn't want any more children. Don't get me wrong I love me kids but I don't really want to start over. He thought I'd change my mind. He then went and had a relationship with someone else that left her pregnant, a fact he conveniently forgot to mention to me when I thought I had sorted through my feelings and kissed him at the end of last season. I had a choice between two men and I chose wrong; I made a mistake. It was in that moment that I realized he was wrong for me. The sparks weren't there. He then proceeded to tell me in the days that followed about his other relationship and what the results are. I haven't spoken to him since. I thought we were friends but apparently not. He hasn't made the effort to speak to me either." Dani sighed.
I didn't know all of that about Donnelly. She must have been devastated. She realized her mistake? What does that mean?
Nico moved down to work on Dani's thigh and leg muscles. "Now, I have called the man that I should have chosen in the first place over 100 times in the last 3 months and he has never returned my phone calls." She sniffled. Am I really on the verge of tears over this?
Oh, my God. I have over 100 missed calls. Is this going where I think it's going. Nico paused massaging for a second.
Dani felt the pause and thought it was in response to her almost crying. "No really, I'm okay. Please continue." She sniffled out.
Nico hadn't realized he had stopped and quickly recommenced. Please don't turn around. Please don't turn around. I need her to finish.
Dani felt the therapist, God I hate that word, start again and tried to get herself under control.
"I have felt for over 5 months that I had a choice between the man that I loved and couldn't have and the man that I am dangerously attracted to. The first is the man I kissed at the end of last season. I realized I have known for a while that he wasn't right for me but kept trying to make him fit into my life anyway. We are in different stages of life and he is too young for me. Even though we took a break and he didn't technically cheat on me I couldn't help but compare him to my ex-husband. I will never be able to look at him the same way again. I will always love him, just as I loved Ray, but that time in my life has passed." Dani paused again.
Wow, she really has moved on.
"I went to therapy and was helped to work through my problems. The problem is that by the time I realized I had chosen wrong, in that one kiss, the man I truly loved and should be with for the rest of my life disappeared. I know he saw me kiss Matt. I know he thinks I chose Matt but the truth is, that was the moment I chose him. That kiss does not even compare, isn't even in the same universe, as the one and only one I have shared with him on my back porch. In that moment I realized my mistake." Dani began to cry.
Nico couldn't believe it. He moved back up to massage her shoulders and even worked on her temples. Oh my God, I just assumed that she had picked Matt and all those calls were to apologize for her choice. I never imagined. I never thought it was for that. I caused this. He looked down at Dani's crying form. How do I fix this?
"So in the last half a year" Dani choked out between tears "I have lost my best friend to another continent. My son has left to be with a girl that could destroy him. My daughter and I have gotten into daily fights over nothing. My ex-husband has moved on so that his last affair and him are having a child. My ex-boyfriend is engaged to be married with a child of his own. And the man I love is MIA. I wish he only knew how much he means to me. I came somewhere would I could speak privately so as not to destroy his trust. I haven't even said his name allowed since he left." Dani just silently sobbed as Nico massaged her head.
He knew she needed this. And she went somewhere where there is a confidentiality clause and not once mentioned my name. Even upset she still respects my privacy. This woman…
Dani sobbed and sobbed. I need to get myself under control this man probably thinks I'm some worthless woman. I am sobbing over a man.
"It's just that I love him and don't think he'll ever understand that. I know he has scars in his past but I love him all the more for them. I just want him to be a part of my life." I really just said that out loud.
She really just said that. She loves me? She knows I'm broken but wants me in her life anyway? She might have but after she finds out about this I think that's going to change.
Just then a woman opened the door. "Ms. Santino's one hour is up" the woman informed Nico. He just nodded in response.
The woman left them alone. Dani held her hands out in front of her head and stretched. Wow, I feel so much better. That was amazing, both the massage and the venting.
Nico was too stunned to move after that last revelation of Dani's. She loved him?
Dani went to sit up but realized that therapist, although no longer touching her as his hands had been removed his hands from her body, was still in the room. She reached for the sheet covering the table so she could sit up.
"I'm sorry, here I've been ranting for the past hour and I didn't even ask your name." Dani stated with a smile in her voice as she fastened the sheet around her, still lying face down. Please let it be something cool. Please don't disappoint me. I loved the feel of his hands on my body. There is only one other person who makes me feel like that with just his hands and I haven't seen him in three months.
Nico froze. Should I just tell her the truth? It's time I guess. Then I guess disappear before she decides to kill me.
"You already know it." And with that Nico began to stride across the room as he saw Dani freeze. He was out the door before she could gather her thoughts.
Oh my God. No, seriously. It could not have been him all this time. The strong hands that felt so good, and so comforting. They had seemed familiar, but still. He had just massaged her entire body for the past hour. And more importantly he had just listened to her pour her heart out for the last hour! She was certainly happy to see that he hadn't fallen off the face of the planet but she was so going to kill him!
Nico raced for the locker room. He dashed inside and sat down on the bench with his head in his hands. What have I just done? The woman I love just poured her heart out to me thinking I was a total stranger. I'm not afraid of her, but she is going to be so angry with me that she may never talk to me again.
Dani jumped off the table with just the sheet around her and raced down the hall. He could avoid me for three months just to show back up when I decide I've had enough bottled up inside of me to explode!? He always did have impeccable timing.
Dani reached the doors that said locker room. She chose the men's room hoping for the best. She pushed the door open and saw a very dejected Nico sitting on the bench with his head in his hands. There was no one else in sight. She turned and locked the door.
But he's okay. It amazed Dani that her first thought was relief. She was still very angry with him but also very happy to see him. There's no escaping this time.
Nico heard Dani enter. I know who it is, but I am not going to speak first. I am not even going to look at her. He heard the lock click into place.
This was going to be an interesting conversation…