Title: Snuggling Charles Dickens
Pairing: Daniel/Betty
Rating: K+ (or PG)
Summary: Daniel Meade is having an awful day, but can his assistant help turn things around?
Timeline: AU; Takes place in late January 2007 - sometime after the episode "In or Out" but before "I'm Coming Out".
Disclaimer: I'm sorry to say that I neither own the show nor any of its characters.
A/N: It's really been a long time since I updated this fic, and I apologize for that - especially since I mentioned last time that the next chapter would be up "soon". Sorry about that. I didn't mean to leave readers hanging. :( But I'd like to thank those who've been sticking with this story and leaving comments for me over the past few months, weeks, etc. If I could give all of you guys cookies, I certainly would. :) And to any new readers, I thank you very much in advance for reading, commenting, and/or giving this story a chance.
Now, on to the chapter...
Chapter 8
Perfect. This should do it. With her hands on her hips, Betty smiled as she looked over the preparations that sat on the table in front of her. Feeling satisfied, she carefully picked up each bowl, plate, and utensil and placed them on a wooden tray that she had found in the kitchen cupboard. As a finishing touch, she picked up a thin glass vase that held one pink gerber daisy and positioned it on the corner of the tray.
After tidying up the kitchen countertop and washing her hands, Betty turned around one last time and surveyed the kitchen to make sure everything was in its place. Seeing that everything was satisfactory, she picked up the tray of food and slowly walked down the corridor back to Daniel's bedroom. Upon arriving at the doorway, her eyes caught sight of Daniel squinting in deep concentration at a point on the ceiling that was right above his head. For a moment, she paused in her tracks and looked up at the area where his gaze was firmly fixed.
Feeling confused, she continued walking towards the bed and carefully placed the tray on the floor beside the bed stand. Betty half-expected that her presence in the room and the clinking noises from the tray would break into Daniel's concentration. Surprisingly, however, his gaze remained fixated on the ceiling even after she turned to face him. Placing her hands on her hips, she watched carefully as her boss continued to twist his head sideways to scrutinize the area above.
God, I need to help him before he really loses his mind.
Stepping closer to the edge of the bed, Betty cleared her throat. "So…let's see what your temperature's like, shall we?"
The sound of her voice finally broke into Daniel's trance. Slowly, he turned his head and stared at her as if he were seeing her for the first time. As he did so, Betty reached over and slowly pulled the thermometer from his lips. Carefully, she knelt down near the bed stand and held the thermometer underneath the lamp. But when her curiosity took over again, she stopped short of taking the reading and glanced over at Daniel, who was staring blankly at the ceiling.
"Daniel, what were you doing just now before I walked in?"
He ran one hand over his face and through his hair before gesturing towards the ceiling. "Well, after you left, I started counting every single one of those bumps in the ceiling. That's almost like counting sheep, right? Anyway, it was something that I never tried before, so I thought counting the bumps might make me sleep."
"Is it working?"
Daniel snorted softly. "Nope. Not at all…but I noticed two small fractures in my ceiling that weren't there before. I'll probably have to get those fixed before the snowstorms hit. I wouldn't want this place to become one giant snow globe."
Betty initially raised her eyebrows at him as she considered the silliness of the idea. Slowly, however, a faint smile formed on her lips as she briefly imagined a toddler shaking a plastic snow globe replica of the loft, complete with "mini-Daniel" rolling around inside. Gosh, that is so Twilight Zone –
"Betty?"
Immediately, Betty blinked and saw the inquisitive look on Daniel's face as he lightly waved his hand to get her attention. "Are you okay? You zoned out on me for a second."
"Oh – I'm fine." Betty gave him a quick reassuring smile and brushed aside the funny image from her thoughts. She really didn't see the need to tell her boss that she had just imagined him as some child's plaything. "You know, Daniel, there are better ways to get to sleep than staring at the ceiling or counting invisible sheep."
Daniel coughed before regarding her doubtfully. "Really? Like what?" He looked over at the duffle bag on the chair and eyed it suspiciously. "You're…not going to club me over the head with a bat, are you?"
Betty let out a soft snort at the suggestion. "A bat? Daniel, why would you – " Suddenly, she paused and crossed her arms over her chest. "Hold on. You were watching one of those late-night horror movies again, weren't you?"
"What? No! I mean…why would you think that?"
"Because I see the signs, Daniel. You have that look in your eyes…just like the time you stayed up watching Nightmare on Elm Street. Do you remember how weird you acted when you saw Angela from Styles the next day?
"Look – I didn't mean to stare like that at her hands, but she had really long acrylic nails! I couldn't have been the only one weirded out by that," he retorted, raising his eyebrows. "And you saw them, too, right? Didn't her 'claws' creep you out…just a little?"
Instead of replying, Betty eyed him seriously as she crossed her arms more tightly across her chest.
"Okay, okay," Daniel confessed, as he lost his composure under her penetrating stare. "I'll admit – I turned on the TV at 2 a.m. and Misery just happened to be on at that moment." He stopped to look again at his assistant, who was still staring disapprovingly in his direction. "Come on, Betty – could you stop looking at me like that? I know that you warned me last time, but I just couldn't sleep! I had to watch something."
"And that was supposed to help? You could've watched one of those boring infomercials instead."
"Um…that's true…but there weren't any on," he added quickly.
"Yeah, I bet." Turning away from Daniel, Betty rolled her eyes and looked at the thermometer that she was still holding. "Well, don't worry, Daniel. I have no intention of taking a bat or sledgehammer to your head." She paused and gave him a side-glance. "Not yet, at least."
The corners of Daniel's eyes and lips crinkled jovially at his assistant's dry remark. However, instead of responding in kind, he remained silent as Betty turned her complete attention towards the instrument in her hands. With a scrunched face, she closely inspected the mercury level of the thermometer from behind her red-rimmed glasses.
Wait…is this right? Carefully, she studied the instrument once more.
Seeing the change in her expression, Daniel glanced back and forth between Betty's face and the thermometer. "What is it?"
As she placed the thermometer on the stand, Betty slowly stood up and turned to him. "Your temperature is 101.3."
"What?" His eyes widened in disbelief as he propped himself up on his right elbow. "But…that's impossible. It can't be that high." Sitting up, he looked away in confusion before glancing up at Betty. "I mean…I guess my head feels pretty warm, but for the most part, I actually feel – "
"Cold?"
"Yes…exactly!" he nodded at her. "That shouldn't be the case if I have a high fever, right?"
Once again, Betty placed one hand on Daniel's forehead while gently pressing the other over his arm. Instantly, Daniel sensed the unusual difference in body temperature: Betty's hand felt much cooler against his forehead than on his forearm. It really was a peculiar sensation – feeling both hot and cold at the same time. However, that sensation was nothing compared to the strange feeling Daniel was getting from Betty's hand resting against his arm. Immediately, he was reminded of the thoughts he had earlier, when she slid her hand gently across his forehead. His mind still couldn't register any coherent explanation for any of it, but somehow, her soft touch made him feel more peaceful and relaxed – and safe.
It's almost like getting caught up in one of her hugs. He continued to stare thoughtfully at his lap as Betty's hands moved separately across his forehead and arm. Funny how I never noticed that before…
Just as Daniel was getting comfortable with these sensations, Betty removed her hand from his forehead. "I can feel the goose bumps on your skin," she continued on, her other hand still resting on his forearm. "I think you might have a slight case of the chills, which really isn't unusual with a fever. So, that means the rest of your body might feel cold, but your head will be warmer than usual."
Her quick answer took him completely by surprise. Unbelievable. She's a walking encyclopedia. "And…how do you know all of this?"
Betty shrugged and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I've learned a few things from taking care of my family over the years. And I remember having these same symptoms two years ago when I had a really bad case of the flu."
Daniel slowly nodded, feeling both impressed by his assistant's knowledge and slightly exasperated that she was confirming the worst. Letting out a sigh, he gradually leaned back against the headboard and looked up at her.
"So, I've officially gone from bad to worse. That's just great," he replied in mild frustration. "I can't believe this. I mean, it's been a long time since I've seriously…ohh…not…again…"
Sensing the worst, Betty quickly took her hand off of her boss' arm as he grabbed his tissue box and turned away from her.
"…Ahh…CHOOO!"
"Bless you!" She responded, wincing with sympathy. "Are you alright? That one was pretty strong."
"It's…fine. I'm…fine. Everything's…fine," Daniel answered, pausing every so often to rub his nose. Stupid germs. Why the hell did they pick me? With a deep, exasperated moan, he closed his eyes and lay in a curled position, away from Betty's concerned gaze.
"Daniel, are you sure?" As she spoke, she leaned in slightly against the bed to get a better look at him over his shoulder. "You're sort of moaning like a zombie, and that's not a good thing…unless you're starring in one of those horror movies, I guess."
Daniel's body jerked slightly as he let out a weak laugh. It was an innocent remark on her part, but it still had a way of snapping him out of his misery. "No, I'm really okay, Betty," he replied as he opened his eyes. "I'm just tired of sneezing like crazy, that's all." In an attempt to collect himself, he took a deep breath and rubbed at his eyes with the back of his right hand. "So…what was I saying earlier? That damn sneeze made me lose my train of thought."
Betty straightened up and looked away thoughtfully. "Um…you were saying that it's been a long time since…something. And then you lost it – thanks to the germs."
"Oh yeah…" He paused to recollect his thoughts. "It's definitely been a while since I've been this sick. That's what I meant to say."
"Really? How long has it actually been?"
"It's probably been…" he furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to remember. "I don't know – a couple of years or so? I've suffered from a few allergies since then, but definitely not the flu."
"Wow, Daniel…you've been lucky to have a track record like that."
"Tell me about it." He turned slightly to look at Betty over his shoulder. "Do you know what's even funnier? When I went to my physical last week, I told my doctor that I felt as strong as a rock. I guess this is what I get for gloating," he chuckled bitterly. Pausing once again, Daniel rolled around underneath the blankets to face his assistant. "One thing's for sure – I'll be getting that flu shot next time."
Betty smiled in approval, as she sat next to him on the bed. "I'm glad to hear it – and you know I'm going to hold you to that," she added, pointing at him.
"Of course." Daniel nodded with a tired, lop-sided smile.
"You really shouldn't worry about getting it, you know?" Betty added reassuringly. "It's not like the nurses use huge needles, so you'll hardly feel anything at all."
Looking away momentarily, Daniel blushed slightly. "Hold on …who said I was afraid of nee – anything?" he asked defensively.
"Are you serious?" She faintly rolled her eyes and scoffed softly at him. "Daniel, when I visited the doctor for my flu shot, you asked me how it went, and the whole time that I was explaining the process, you couldn't stop chewing the inside of your lower lip – especially when the word 'needle' came up." She crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. "You really didn't need to say anything. The fear was written all over your face."
Feeling small and embarrassed, he turned his eyes away from her. I should've known. Nothing ever gets by her.
"Hey," Betty added, tapping his arm lightly. "Don't worry. Of course, I won't tell anyone."
As Daniel looked up, he saw the warm, earnest look in Betty's eyes, reassuring him that she meant every word. Her words were unnecessary, though. He already trusted her more than she realized. Daniel knew she would never expose any of his secrets to the public – including the little silly ones. Still, it bothered him that this childish fear of his was out in the open. The last thing he needed was to appear more vulnerable, especially to someone who was seemingly strong and fearless as Betty.
As if reading his thoughts, Betty pressed on gently. "Daniel, everyone has a fear of something. Trust me — your phobia of needles? That's nothing to be ashamed of."
"Yeah…I know. Thanks, Betty," replied Daniel somewhat sheepishly. "Still, I can't believe that you noticed. It's like you have eyes everywhere."
"Well, what kind of assistant would I be if I didn't pay close attention to everything you said and did?" she answered lightly.
Humored by her smart reply, Daniel simply nodded. "True enough." He paused and smiled inwardly at the smug look on Betty's face. "And thanks to your special attention, we've established that I'm officially a health risk to society. So…can I please take the medicine now?" he pleaded softly, as he gestured towards the bed stand with his head.
"Oh!" Betty's eyes widened as she remembered what she had brought in just minutes before. "Uh…not yet," she replied quickly, as she rose from the bed and knelt down.
"Not yet?" he asked incredulously. "Betty, please…my head's going to – "
"Just a few minutes more, Daniel. You need to eat something first."
Slowly, Daniel sat up and watched in awe as Betty positioned the food tray on top of his lap. He really couldn't believe what he was seeing. The spread that Betty prepared was quite simple, but it included a few of his favorites: Chicken noodle soup, a bowl of mixed fruit, and a slightly toasted onion bagel with light cream cheese. Although his illness had left him without much of an appetite over the past few days, he suddenly felt very hungry as he breathed in the wonderful smell of everything that was sitting on the tray. The anticipation in Daniel's face certainly didn't escape Betty's notice. She smiled happily at him as he stared gaping in wonderment.
"Wow…" He replied, with a wide-eyed, boyish expression on his face. "This is great! I can't believe you did this."
Betty shrugged shyly. "All I did was cut the fruit and toast the bagel. Unfortunately, I can't take credit for making the soup." Tapping Daniel's shoulder, she pulled and propped up his pillows from behind his back, causing him to lean forward slightly. "I picked that up during lunch. It's reheated."
As Betty finished arranging the pillows, Daniel took a closer look at the steaming large bowl sitting on the tray. "Wait… is this soup from Harriet's Kitchen?"
"Yes, it is," she replied in an upbeat voice. "I remember when you mentioned how much you loved their chicken soup. So, I looked them up in the phone book and called just to make sure it was the right place."
Daniel leaned back against his pillows and watched his assistant curiously as she stood against the edge of the bed. "You remembered me saying that?"
"Of course! How could I forget?" A tiny smile played on Betty's lips as she rolled down the sleeves of her blouse. "We practically had a mini-argument just talking about it. Remember?"
"Oh…that 'argument'." The corners of Daniel's mouth twitched as he nodded his head thoughtfully. "I remember. We were working late, getting ready for the Issey Miyake spread, right?"
"Yup," she nodded slowly, recalling the details. "Somehow, we got into a conversation about food, and you kept insisting that there was no other place in New York that made homemade chicken soup like Harriet's Kitchen."
"And for some reason, you refused to believe me…and you also gave me a look."
"What look?"
"This look." As Betty watched, Daniel perfectly mimicked her eye-rolling expression, right down to her usual head tilt. His dead-on impersonation of her facial expression was so hilarious that she couldn't help but giggle at how well it was pulled off. "Maybe you thought I wasn't looking, Betty, but I saw that."
"Okay – well, I couldn't help it!" She raised her hands with a shrug as Daniel grinned at her. "It was hard for me to believe that a restaurant in Manhattan could specialize in anything 'homemade'. Besides, I'm partial to my dad's chicken soup. I've rarely tasted chicken soup as good as his. You'll see – one of these days, I'll bring you some and you'll know exactly what I mean."
"Well, I'm looking forward to it then." Daniel smiled softly at the sound of pride in Betty's voice. It always warmed his heart whenever she talked about her family. In fact, he admired and respected her more because of her closeness to them. In the one day that he spent with the Suarez family, Daniel could tell that there was so much love and kindness in their household – and he was easily touched by it. He really couldn't help but feel happy and content when he was around them. Somehow, being with them was like basking in sunshine or sitting near a warm fireplace on a cold winter day. As unusual as that seemed, that was exactly the way it felt to Daniel…and there was no better way for him to explain it. Unfortunately, these recollections sometimes brought him sadness, especially when he compared Betty's family with his own.
Looking down at the tray, Daniel's mind wandered as he imagined his own father as a completely different person – more loving, humble, kind-hearted…almost like Mr. Suarez. However, as soon as these notions entered his thoughts, he willed them away. Damn it – why am I doing this? He'll never change. Some things aren't meant to change…
Unaware of Daniel's silent reverie, Betty continued to speak eagerly. "Oh, I guarantee you'll love it. But…I have to admit that you were right. The soup at that place is very good. I guess in a way, it's almost as good as my dad's."
"Really?" Daniel asked, as he quickly pushed away all unhappy thoughts of his family.
"Yeah, it's great…maybe even a little better, in some ways." Betty paused before quickly adding, "But please don't ever let my dad know I said that!"
Chuckling, he shook his head at her panicked warning. "I won't."
"Seriously, I'm glad you told me about that place, Daniel. You really know what good chicken soup is like." As she fastened the buttons on her sleeve cuffs, Betty raised an eyebrow. "Not bad for someone who enjoys 'yummy' dishes like escargot and caviar, " she added teasingly.
"Hey, don't even start," he said with mock hurt as Betty stifled a giggle. "You know that I don't eat that way all the time. And just remember – who took you out for pizza a week ago?"
"I know…you did, of course. And I won't forget that, " Betty nodded gently. Inwardly, she smiled as she recalled their night out from over a week ago. It certainly was full of "firsts". It was the first time she tried snails, the first time Daniel ever sang karaoke, and it definitely was the first time she had ever crashed a wedding. Yet, more importantly, it was the first time she realized just how much of her working relationship with Daniel had transitioned into genuine friendship. It certainly was a strange setup for most people – having your boss as a good friend – but Betty wouldn't have it any other way. Somehow, knowing that they were friends made her feel less insecure and more comfortable about being at Mode. After their talk on the bridge, it comforted Betty even more to know that their friendship wasn't a "one-way street'. It was a reassuring thought knowing that they could count on each other…with practically everything.
"You know, it was so great to see you relax and let loose after everything that happened with Sofia," Betty added as she smiled at her friend. "And it really was fun going around town like that."
"Yeah, it was." Staring at his lap, Daniel smiled and gave a small nod before glancing up at Betty. "I needed that. And it didn't hurt for you to have some fun outside of the office either."
"That's true," she replied quietly, smiling to herself.
A moment of silence passed between them before Daniel finally spoke up.
"Hey," he interrupted gently, seeing the peaceful smile on Betty's face. "You're a little quiet. What are you thinking of?"
"Oh…I was just thinking back to that night…and the wedding…" Betty replied, seeing the questioning look in her friend's eyes. "And I know I said this before, but…oh my God, who knew crashing a wedding could be so much fun?" Betty exclaimed with a wide-eyed look that made Daniel smile. "I would've never tried that if it wasn't for you."
"Anything for free cake and champagne, right?" He replied, grinning at her. "But seriously, I'm just an amateur at that kind of thing, Betty. I think my friend Becks would've handled it better."
"Maybe…but I doubt that he could persuade the groom into believing that he's a second cousin like you did," she countered, shaking her head. "Really, Daniel – you should give yourself credit. You're totally smarter about these things than I'll ever be. And you even know where to get homemade chicken soup in this city! That counts for a lot more than you realize."
Clearing his throat, Daniel responded with a tiny shy smile. It wasn't often that people praised him for being knowledgeable about anything – even within his own family. For a moment, he felt unsure about how to respond to Betty's gracious remarks. It was beyond him how Betty could ever have so much faith in him, considering most people took him for a "screw-up". But as he took in the happy smile on Betty's face, all of his inner doubts melted away into confidence and pride. Somehow, knowing that she believed in him was an energy boost. Maybe Betty's opinion didn't matter much to most people at Mode, but for him, it was more than enough.
"Well…thanks, Betty. I'm glad that I could teach you something new," he replied after a momentary loss for words. "And it's great that you like this soup. I'll remember this the next time we have to order takeout."
"That sounds great!" Picking some lint off of her skirt, Betty looked up and smiled warmly at Daniel as their eyes locked in silence.
Despite everything, at least he's looking more relaxed. That's a good sign.
As Betty's eyes remained fixated on Daniel's, she noticed there was something in his expression that she couldn't quite put her finger on. His gaze seemed to convey a certain something that was, at the moment…indescribable. What is it? Gratitude? Contentment, maybe? It remained unclear, but as she continued to look thoughtfully into Daniel's blue eyes, she started to feel a little self-conscious…and unusually nervous.
For a second, Betty averted her gaze, hoping to quell the growing knots in her stomach. As the feeling subsided, she looked up at him curiously.
"Daniel…is there – "
But before she could say more, Daniel held his chest and abruptly turned away from her to cough. Jolted from her thoughts, Betty quickly moved over to Daniel and placed her hand on his shoulder.
"What's wrong? Are you alright?"
Looking strained, he rubbed at his chest and slowly nodded at her as the cough subsided. "It's just another cough…but I'm fine, Betty." He gave her a tiny reassuring smile before closing his eyes and breathing deeply.
Great, she thought in exasperation as she brought her palm to her forehead. He's supposed to be eating, and what am I doing? I'm talking him to death. Really good move.
"Uh…Daniel, I think you should start eating, and then you can take your medicine."
Slowly, he opened his eyes and nodded in agreement. Taking the spoon on the tray, he carefully took a sip from the soup bowl, while Betty watched him expectantly.
"Is it still warm? I set the microwave really high, but if it's already cold, then I can put it back in."
Daniel quickly waved his hand, dismissing the idea. "No, no – it's okay. It's still pretty hot. This is perfect, Betty. Thank you." he assured her.
"No problem." Betty grinned as she walked over to arrange the bags that she had placed on Daniel's chair.
As Daniel continued to sip his soup, he looked over the tray once more and noticed the vase holding the pink gerber daisy. "This is a nice touch, Betty."
Betty turned around as she folded her empty duffle bag. "That's a pink gerber daisy. It really is pretty, isn't it? It's my favorite flower. Actually, I was about to bring a few more, but then I realized you might have a sneezing fit."
"Good thinking," he nodded. Daniel's gaze shifted from the vase to the toasted bagel that was sitting right next to it. For a second, he shook his head and smiled as he looked at it. "Wow. You really don't miss a beat."
Betty looked up and grinned as she watched him bite into the bagel. As soon as she was done folding her duffle, she walked over and sat on the edge of the bed in front of Daniel. "Well, why break with habit, right? Just because you're not in the office, that doesn't mean you can't have your favorite bagel."
Daniel nodded in agreement. "Can't argue with that." Rubbing the crumbs from his hands, he looked at his assistant with some amusement. Leave it to Betty to think of anything and everything. Man, the Girl Scouts have nothing on her.
Humored by that thought, Daniel picked up his spoon to take another helping of soup. However, he paused as he glanced again at his tiny assistant, who was now rubbing her eyes lightly from underneath her glasses. It dawned on him that she had been on her feet and taking care of him for the past hour and a half, and that was the first time she was really sitting down. The thought of that made Daniel suddenly feel very guilty. It was never his intention for Betty to overwork herself on his account, but somehow, that's exactly what she ended up doing.
Daniel let out a sigh and carefully set down his spoon as Betty watched him questioningly.
"Betty, why don't you have something to eat?" he asked with concern. "You can share this with me – but not the soup, though. I've already dipped into it, so it's officially breeding my germs now."
Betty shook her head and waved away the suggestion. "Oh no, Daniel, that's okay. That's all yours. Thanks for the offer, though."
He looked at her skeptically. "Are you sure? There's more than enough here for both of us."
Betty smiled gratefully at him. She pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose and gave him a reassuring nod. "No, really – it's okay. I want you to have all of that so you can get your strength up."
"Well, okay," he replied, sounding doubtful. "But I'm leaving this plate right here, so feel free to help yourself." He positioned the fruit bowl on the outer most edge of the tray, so that it would be within Betty's reach. "I don't ever want to be accused that I starved my assistant," he added playfully before taking up his spoon again.
Betty let out a tiny laugh. "Actually…my dad might get annoyed with you if I come home too full, especially since we're having enchiladas tonight. He expects me to come home with plenty of room to spare down here." She patted her stomach and looked at Daniel knowingly.
"Oh, I see." Daniel raised his eyebrows at her and took another sip of his soup. As he did so, he picked up the fruit bowl and placed it on the side of the tray furthest away from Betty. "Well, in that case, you're not getting anything on this tray – not even this crumb," he added, pointing at a small bagel crumb on his tray.
"Yeah, that's funny," Betty scoffed, furrowing her eyebrows.
The slightly annoyed expression on Betty's face made Daniel smile to himself.
I probably shouldn't continue…but this is too good to pass up.
After taking another small bite of the bagel and setting it down, he continued to talk in a level voice. "No, really Betty – this definitely is a load off of my shoulders. For once, I can let you starve and not feel bad about it. Actually, it's too bad your dad doesn't do this every day. Then you could work through the lunch hour, and that would save me a lot of time."
At that, Betty's eyes widened and her mouth gaped open. "Hey!" She frowned a little as Daniel smiled calmly at her and took a sip of water. "Well, thank you very much for that! It's nice to know that you feel that way. Maybe I'll just take this back then." Before Daniel could stop her, she reached over and took the bagel plate off his tray. "And my flower, too," she added, as she grabbed the glass vase.
Finally, the corners of Daniel's eyes wrinkled in amusement as he let out a soft laugh. "Betty, come on, I'm only teasing. Besides, didn't you just say a while ago that 'laughter is the best medicine'? I'm only trying to do what you told me to do."
Betty rolled her eyes skyward before looking back at Daniel, who was regarding her with a knowing look. "Yeah, yeah…I know. Touché," she mumbled, shaking her head lightly. As she replaced the vase on the tray, Betty laughed softly upon realizing how silly her reaction was. Seeing that she was no longer irritable, Daniel grinned and took back the plate that she was holding in her other hand.
However, after placing the bagel back on the tray, Daniel regarded her with concern once again. "Look, Betty…all jokes aside, I still think you should have something to eat." Once more, he picked up the fruit plate and placed it on the corner of the tray closest to his assistant. "At least have some of this fruit. I really doubt that eating a few slices will kill your appetite for dinner. And if I'm wrong, then you can tell your dad to blame me for stuffing you."
It has been a couple of hours…and gosh, those apples look good. Betty glanced over at the fruit bowl and bit down on her bottom lip. "Are you sure? I mean, that's really supposed to be – "
"Yes, I'm sure," he gently interjected, nodding slowly at her. "And you know you want some. I saw you stealing a few glances at these apple slices."
Betty's lips curved into an amused smile as Daniel eyed her suggestively while nudging the bowl closer to her side. "Okay – but only because you insist! And I wasn't eyeing anything. I was just…double-checking that the fruit was cut correctly."
"Uh-huh. If you say so," Daniel replied, raising his eyebrows incredulously.
With that, Betty smiled and popped an apple slice into her mouth, while Daniel went back to sipping his soup.
Suddenly, Betty let out a small gasp as she realized something that she had overlooked. "Oh! I almost forgot! I brought something else with me." With an apple slice stuck in her mouth, she walked over to her handbag and rummaged inside. "Let's see…" Her voice trailed as she dug her hands inside.
Daniel stopped midway from taking another sip of his soup. He looked back and forth from Betty to the bags sitting on the couch. "You know Betty, with everything that you managed to bring in those bags, you'd give Mary Poppins a run for her money."
"Mary Poppins?!"Betty let out a soft snort as she continued to chew on her apple slice. "Good one, Daniel. You're really on a roll now, aren't you?"
"Well, I learned from the best," replied Daniel with an innocent shrug. Without looking up at her, he smiled in self-satisfaction and continued to eat.
And I created a monster. Shaking her head slightly, Betty turned away from him with an amused smile. Focusing her concentration back to her handbag, she carefully pulled out a manila envelope, a bright orange folder, a pad of paper, and a pen from her bag. As she popped the leftover apple slice into her mouth, Betty carried the items in her left arm and seated herself once again on the edge of the bed.
"I decided to bring your mail and messages with me, and I also brought a few notes along with other things that we were supposed to discuss for the photoshoot this morning – just in case you wanted to look over them." Carefully, Betty set down the pile on the open space next to her on the bed, as she looked at Daniel. "But, you know – we really don't have to go through it right now if you're not up to it."
Biting into a pear slice, Daniel nodded thoughtfully as he glanced at the pile before him. "No, I'm fine, Betty. To tell you the truth, I'm glad that you brought all of this from the office. I think we should make up for today somehow." Pausing momentarily, he let out a sigh. As he did a mental rundown of the week's schedule, Daniel couldn't help but feel more apprehensive with every passing second.
Looking up, he met Betty's eyes as she watched him silently. "This flu couldn't have come at a better time, right?" Daniel asked, managing a weak smile. "I'm sure it doesn't reflect well on the magazine that the editor-in-chief is MIA before a major celebrity photo shoot."
Betty's heart filled with empathy as she took in her boss' worried countenance. She understood very well the struggles that Daniel was going through. He was trying very hard to prove himself at Mode just as much as she was. However, being a Meade and a very public figure made this task much more difficult for him than for her. For the most part, the media continuously labeled him as a clueless playboy who was handed his job on a silver platter. And it most certainly didn't help that Daniel's father added his own dose of pressure. Despite his attempts to appear unaffected, Betty could easily tell that it pained Daniel to hear the constant criticism from everyone, especially when he let down his guard in private moments like this.
"Betty, I need to get well soon. If this shoot falls apart, it'll be my neck...again."
As she watched her friend, Betty saw that the look on his face was beginning to match the sound in his voice. Anxiety was etching deeper into his features, replacing the bright, playful twinkle in his eyes that was present just minutes earlier.
"Don't do this, Daniel. You shouldn't be hard on yourself." Betty replied, hoping to comfort and encourage him. "I mean, this could've happened to anyone. It's not like you asked to get sick. There are some things that you just can't control in life, and I think catching the flu certainly qualifies as one of them."
He looked anxiously at her as he fingered another apple slice. "Yeah…I know that, but try telling that to my father. It's not as easy to get him to understand." Distracted by his thoughts, he continued to finger the fruit in the bowl absentmindedly. After a few seconds of silent reverie, he looked up at Betty. "Speaking of my dad, what did he say when you called to cancel the meeting?"
Betty pushed her tongue against the inside of her cheek as she thought back to Bradford Meade's businesslike tone. Oh God, what do I say? Her mind raced as she quickly considered her options. On the one hand, she didn't want to completely lie about her conversation with Mr. Meade. But then again, Betty knew that it wouldn't be comforting if Daniel knew that his father sounded less than sympathetic about his condition.
I guess I'll tell the truth…for the most part."Well…" she started reluctantly, "he seemed disappointed to hear that you were sick."
Daniel cocked an eyebrow at her in disbelief. "Really? Disappointed?"
"Yeah…yes, definitely. He was really concerned. Most definitely." She tried to keep eye contact with Daniel as she spoke, but the intensity in his blue eyes made her jittery inside. No matter what, it never felt right spinning the truth to him – even with white lies. As calmly as possible, she looked down at the bedspread and picked at a piece of lint.
Who am I kidding? He's right. I really suck at lying.
Daniel tilted his head and regarded her skeptically. "Betty, you could barely look at me when you said that. What did he really say?"
Taking a breath, she bit the inside of her cheek and pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose. "He said that everything for the photo shoot must be finalized by Monday morning."
Looking down, Daniel nodded for her to continue. "Anything else?"
"Um…no, not really," Betty quietly replied. "But, as usual, it sounded like he was really busy at the moment. You know how it is – today being Monday, and everything," she quickly added, waving her hand casually.
Daniel looked up at her and gave her a tight smile. "You don't have to excuse my father's behavior, Betty. I already know what to expect with him. Being a concerned parent was never something he could do well – not even when I was a kid."
Betty couldn't help but feel heartbroken upon hearing his words. As Daniel turned his attention back to his food, she could tell that he was trying his best to appear indifferent, yet the disappointment that he was feeling reflected all over his face. All he needed was a simple "get well" message from his father, and that would've been enough for him. She was sure of it. But that would've been asking too much of Bradford Meade. Getting him to show any real emotion – even with his own child – was like pulling teeth, or so it seemed. For Betty, it was strange to see any parent behaving so formally with their child, especially since her parents had never been like that. At times like these, Betty realized how lucky she was to have such a loving, supportive father who wasn't afraid of showing emotion. More importantly, it was moments like this that made her realize how much her friend needed someone who cared.
As Daniel quietly turned his spoon in his bowl, Betty carefully considered the situation more thoughtfully. "Look, Daniel, despite the fact that he didn't say much, I'm sure your dad does care. Maybe he just doesn't know how to express it all the time."
"Betty, if my father has something to say, he'll let you know. He's never had a problem with that. Trust me…I should know," he replied, looking tiredly at her. "He never misses an opportunity to 'express' himself whenever I mess up…and he probably won't pass up the chance to 'express' himself again if I screw up this shoot."
Betty shook her head slowly. "No… maybe it's not what you – "
"You know, it looks like you brought a lot of stuff from the office." Daniel cleared his throat and turned his attention to the pile sitting on the bed next to his assistant. "And it seems like we have tons to get through before Monday. Maybe you can start reading to me my messages and mail while I finish this?"
"Oh…um, yeah. Sure," Betty replied quietly, taking the hint. As much as she wanted to continue comforting him, she understood that he was no longer willing to discuss the situation any further. For a few seconds, the petite brunette bit down on her lower lip as she watched her boss eat in silence. Finally, she glanced over at the pile sitting next to her on the bed. Taking a breath, she picked up the pile and placed it on her lap. "Just give me a minute…I'll sift through this and organize it a little."
"Okay," Daniel nodded pensively as he continued to look at his food. After a moment, however, he looked up at Betty and saw the somber look on her face as she sorted through the envelopes and papers. He hated that there was now this uncomfortable silence in the room – a completely different mood than the one they were in just minutes before. Hoping to change things around again, Daniel decided to turn the conversation in another direction. "So, how were things at the office? Did anything interesting happen?"
Betty looked up and adjusted her glasses. "Well, let's see…just before I left for lunch, Amanda accused me of pocketing her Toblerone…oh, and I heard Wilhelmina threatening to fire someone from advertising as I walked down the hall. So…I guess you could say it was a normal day," she replied with a small, dry laugh.
Daniel chuckled softly before looking curiously at her again. "Wait…didn't you say earlier that something else happened between you and Marc?"
"Oh, that was nothing. Have you ever been to Spain?" Betty stopped when she noticed the confused look on her friend's face. "Okay, never mind – don't answer that. You just had to be there, Daniel."
"Alright," he replied, shaking his head amusedly as picked up his water glass.
At least he's calm again, Betty mused, feeling relieved at seeing Daniel's lighthearted expression return.
Now, if only I could say the same about myself…
A/N: Hope you liked it! One more chapter to go! Comments are love, so if you have a chance, drop me a line and let me know what you think. :)