Daniel and Betty were laughing about something one of Daniel's coworkers had said as Betty unlocked the door to her flat.
"He really said that to her?" Betty asked.
"Yeah…I couldn't believe it either." They laughed again.
"Oohh." Betty groaned as she slipped off her heels. "My feet are killing me. Why on earth did we walk all the way back from the restaurant?"
"Hey…it was your idea, remember? Something about it being…and I quote: "a rare, warm night in London where there isn't too much rain or fog to stop us from enjoying a walk. Come on Daniel, it'll be nice?" He raised his voice in a squeaky Betty impersonation as he said it and clapped his hands together a couple of times.
"I didn't clap." She shoved his arm playfully and he chuckled.
"Well, it was still your idea." He grinned.
"Yeah…well you should have talked some sense into me. I'm wearing two inch heels for cryin' out loud."
"Why are you wearing those anyway?" Daniel asked.
"We were going out for a nice dinner and you're almost a foot taller than me. I feel a little like a child if you're towering over me." She looked so vulnerable as she said it.
"Oh come on Betty…you're not that short." He pulled her into an embrace and she didn't even come up to his shoulders. Ok…so she was a little short without the shoes, but he didn't say anything, he just kissed the top of her head.
She walked over to the sofa and sat down with a sigh putting her stocking feet up on the coffee table. He slipped his own shoes off and followed suit, slumping down beside her.
"Do you want something to drink?" She asked.
"Nah…I'm good, thanks."
"Oh good, because I didn't really want to get up again. These feet need a break." She wiggled her toes. "You want to see what's on?" She grabbed the television remote.
He shrugged. "Here…give me your feet, I'll fix them."
He reached over and pulled her feet onto his lap so she was sitting sideways on the sofa.
"Daniel…I hate foot massages." She warned.
He gave her a strange look. "Betty, nobody hates foot massages."
"I do." She tried to reclaim her feet but he pulled them back onto his lap.
"Come on Betty…you've never tried one of mine." He smirked at her and raised his eyebrows. "It'll make you feel better…I promise."
He started rubbing without waiting for an answer. She flinched…then squirmed… all the while making little grunting noises. Finally, she pulled her feet back to the coffee table again. He looked at her and she was covering her mouth, trying not to laugh.
He started to chuckle. "You hate them because you've never been able to have one…have you? You're too ticklish."
"I'm a little ticklish." She admitted.
He grabbed her feet and pulled them onto his lap again.
"Daniel…" She protested again.
"Relax. It's easier and it won't tickle so much if you relax." He promised. Now it was a challenge and he was up for it.
"It'll still tickle." She insisted.
"No, it won't…trust me." He looked at her sweetly. She sighed, conceding reluctantly.
He started rubbing again. She was trying to hold still but was unsuccessful; each time he touched her she flinched and tried not to laugh.
"Relax…" He said again.
"I'm sorry…I really can't." She was chuckling as she pulled her feet away again.
He sighed but he had a smile. "You're not making this easy. How on earth do you ever get a pedicure?"
"I don't." She admitted.
"Really? Ever?" He asked surprised.
"You get enough for the two of us." She teased.
"Not pedicures." He said. "The odd manicure…maybe."
She smirked at him "Daniel…I used to be your assistant, remember?"
He smiled sheepishly. "It's not a pedicure…it's called a "foot repair". There are no flower pedals in the water or anything." He defended.
She chuckled.
He changed the topic back. "Come on Betty…you have to get over this. You have no idea what you're missing.
"Because I don't want a foot massage or a pedicure?" She sounded incredulous.
"Well, that…and feet can be so…sensual." He gave her a suggestive eyebrow flick and a lingering gaze.
"Really Daniel…feet?" She seemed skeptical.
He rolled his eyes. "Are you kidding me…absolutely."
"The sweaty, funny looking appendages at the bottom of your legs that have sock lint stuck in the crevasses." She looked at him doubtfully.
"Well, not when you put it that way." He was a little disgusted with her image. "But…you know…sexy ones, freshly buffed and moisturized, with some polish on the toes…"
She looked at him like she was learning something new about him…which, of course, she was. But she also had a look like maybe she was starting to be convinced.
"Well you think every body part is sensual." She reminded him.
He nodded a thoughtful agreement to that.
"Actually...along those lines…how did I not know your feet are this ticklish until tonight?"
She shrugged.
He sat silently thinking for a minute. Then he turned and looked at her impressed with her stealth. "Hey…you always…um…" He cleared his throat. "…redirect my attention when I get near your feet don't you?
She shrugged again.
"You do." He smiled and reached down to pull her feet onto his lap again. "We're going to try again." He was determined.
She sighed. "I'm telling you, it's not going to work."
He started massaging her lower calf just above the ankle.
"That's not my foot." She reminded him smartly. "Oooo…but that does feel good."
"Just wait…we're working our way into it." He smiled.
He started slowly and gently massaging down around her ankle slowly moving inch by inch downward. He made it to the heel and cautiously looked up at her face. She was smiling but not laughing. As soon as he touched the bottom of her foot, she flinched again and made a strange stifled squeal throwing her hand up to her mouth again. Daniel stopped and grinned at her.
"I think you should just give up." She said.
"Never." The more challenging it was, the more intrigued Daniel was to keep trying.
Finally, after about half an hour of absolutely no progress – Betty still could barely have him touch her feet without flailing and squirming – he slumped back on the sofa feeling defeated.
"Okaay then…I guess that's really not going to work. I'm never going to be able to touch your feet, am I? So I suppose I have to give up my foot fantasies for good." He half joked. He spoke the words before thinking them through and once they were out he tensed a little hoping she didn't freak out at such forward thinking implications. It's not liked they had really spoken that much about the future.
She smiled at him knowingly and put her hand on his cheek. "You are so sweet…"for good", huh?"
Daniel was relieved…she hadn't missed it but she was clearly not freaking out…this was definitely very good.
"If it's that important to you I can keep trying to get over the ticklish thing."
"It's not a deal breaker." He didn't want her to think he was shallow.
"I know."
"And it's not like…a fetish. I'm not licking your high heels when you leave the room or anything." He didn't want her to think he was weird.
She laughed and shook her head, obviously amused by that. "I know that too." And then she added sweetly "But I love you, and if you find it…intriguing…then I'll try to appreciate it too. 'Cause that's what you do when you love someone, right? You try to learn all about them, appreciate them, and do what you can to make them happy."
He smiled that time. He never tired of hearing that she loved him.
She continued. "In the meantime we still have your feet. Maybe they will give me a better understanding of what you find so…appealing." She grinned.
"I doubt it - mine are more like the funny looking appendages with the lint."
"Oh come on…you go for "foot repair" treatments so they can't be that bad." She teased. "And I'm sure, someday, when I'm old and wrinkly and my feet are callused and bunion-eey from all the high heel wearing – which will be partly your fault, by the way – your soft touch won't tickle as much. You can have your way with them then."
"Sexy." Daniel said sarcastically.
"Oh…" She looked like she just thought of something. "but by then you'll be long gone because you are that much older than me." She said with a twinkle in her eye.
Daniel grabbed the throw pillow to smack her with it but she deflected it with her own. Clearly, she was expecting the attack.
Once she stopped laughing she tilted her head to the side and smiled. "But for this evening…I have lots of other parts you can focus on." She smirked.
"That, you do…" He grinned, leaning in for a kiss.