by Diane Louise
Daniella scurried over and hid them behind her back. 'They belong to my brother; he's been visiting and just left today.' A nervous giggle escaped her lips. 'I keep telling him, but he won't listen.' Tossing the packet into the bin, she chastised herself for being a fool. She wasn't a smoker. Or a liar. Or a recluse. This was not her.
Tina made an 'aha' noise but didn't bother to make it sound like she believed a word that came out of Daniella's mouth. 'You stink,' she said
'Don't hold back will you, Tina?'
Her friend stood with her fists planted into her size zero waist. 'Did your brother sleep in your shower while he was here?' She tutted and waved Daniella away. 'Go and throw some soap on yourself. I'll deal with this mess and then we're going for lunch.'
Daniella growled.
'Now, Daniella,' Tina instructed. 'Don't argue. And take your time; I expect your bodily hair has also gotten out of control this last month. Go. Sort yourself out.'
Tina's direct approach to pulling Daniella out of the gutter warmed her a little. 'Fine, but I'm not going far, or for long.'
Tina rolled her eyes and began to pick through some of the trash that was covering Daniella's kitchen surface.
Cleaned and dressed, Daniella had to admit she felt like a different person. By the time she was buffed and oiled, Tina had finished her fairy godmother bit and had tidied the entire apartment. Even down to scrubbing the inside of Daniella's microwave.
'Wow, Tina. Thanks.' Daniella said in awe of her friend’s cleaning abilities. 'All without chipping any nail polish, I am impressed.'
Tina admired her hands. 'These nails can survive anything; even a drunk driver couldn't destroy this manicure.'
Guilt washed over Daniella when she realised that not once had she asked her friend about her welfare. 'On my god, Tina. The accident. I've been so selfish, how are you?'
Tina waved her hand dismissively. 'It's fine, you've had a lot on your mind, I had concussion and was told to rest a while. That's all.' Tina unhooked her friend's coat from behind the door and handed it over. 'Come on, lunch is on me.'
'No, no, no,' Daniella protested, ‘I couldn't possibly. None of you have been paid this month.'
'It's fine, we're all fine, we understand and we haven't gone without. I promise.' Tina said opening the door and walking through it, leaving a confused Daniella in her wake.
'Is this where we're having lunch?' Daniella wrinkled her nose up at the hut that served as a trucker's pit stop. 'It doesn't sit in uniform with your no carb, no sugar, no additives, and 100% organic eating habits.'
'I hear they do an amazing all day breakfast.' Tina said hooking her arm through Daniella's, urging her to enter the sullied looking building. 'Look, a free cup of coffee with every Big Daddy Breakfast.' She pointed at one of the hand written neon signs blue tacked into the window. 'You love coffee.'
Daniella felt a little conned. If she had wanted more junk food, she could have stayed at home and had it delivered to her door. There was little part of her that had hoped Tina was going to take her to one of the little health food cafes she raved about. Now Daniella was clean and functioning in public, her body craved vitamins. Trudging inside behind her friend she almost gagged at the grease which thickened the air. She wiped a couple of crumbs from the seat Tina offered her before gingerly sitting in it, wondering if Tina deliberately placed her in the corner with her back to the door. Great, she thought, I don't even get to eat my heart attack on a plate with a view.
'Right, I need to nip to the ladies.' Tina said, her eyes darting towards the door. 'You peruse their menu, if you're lucky they might even offer black pudding.'
'Lucky me,' Daniella said picking up the laminated menu decorated with a splattering of ketchup. 'If I'm doubly lucky they may even give an extra portion of salmonella.'
'That's the attitude,' Tina said as she tottered off, leaving Daniella alone.
Daniella watched her friend walk across the restaurant, her ass sashaying in her miniscule skirt, and had to smile at how out of place the woman looked. She even laughed aloud when Tina grasped the door handle with the tips of her fingers and prised the door open enough for her to kick the door the rest of the way with her foot. Shaking her head in amusement, Daniella wondered what possessed her OCD friend, the most high maintenance woman she knew, to bring her to a place like this. The only conclusion Daniella could come to, was that Tina was concerned Daniella would breakdown in public and didn't want it happening where anybody was likely to know her.
'Is this seat taken?'
The Spanish accent that broke her musings froze Daniella's blood.
'If it is I'm sure I can find another. But this one has the best view in the establishment.'
Daniella's mind raced to find a snappy retort. 'So, you consider furniture as interchangeable as your wives,' she said without even glancing up at him.
The humour radiating from Franco flushed Daniella's skin and she cringed at the ridiculous line. For all the books she'd read in her life, and all the corny films, she couldn't believe that not one of the cheesy lines had occurred to her.
'Touché, my dear,' Franco said taking a seat at the table anyway.
Daniella turned her eyes upwards and glanced at him through her lashes, before returning her gaze to the condiment-adorned menu. If Tina looked out of place then Franco most definitely looked like he'd taken a wrong turn. He was suited. One of his trademark, tailored especially for him, suits. Expressing his wealth in a greasy spoon café would normally be akin to asking for trouble but Daniella doubted very much any would find him. His broad shoulders and thick arms screamed that although he wore a suit, he was not a feeble man. She had almost forgotten how fragile and yet protected his size made her feel.
'Any reason you're dressed for court?' She asked, still refusing to look up at him.
'Can a man not dress nicely to meet with his wife?'
His mention of the word wife made Daniella wobble. She wasn't his wife. Not really. God only knows she had tried to make him see that she was fit for the role of Mrs Zorita, but Franco never let his shield down. There was always a wall, and the more Daniella tried to chip away at it, the more he reinforced it.
'Listen.' She slammed the menu down in front of her. 'I'm out with a friend. Is there something important you wanted to discuss?' Inwardly she begged that he didn't want to finalise. What else could he want to chat about though? He'd been distant since the day she left his home. Not a phone call, or text, or Facebook message to ask how she was. Nothing. Now he wanted to talk.
'I'm afraid to say your friend has deserted you,' Franco said, pointedly looking over Daniella's shoulder.
Daniella whipped her head around quickly enough to see Tina sloping out of the front door and no longer felt conned. Outright deceived would be a more accurate description of her feelings. Tina looked up to Daniella and mouthed a sorry before grinning and exiting the building. Leaving her alone, with Franco.
'Why did you not call me yourself?' Daniella asked.
Franco leaned towards her, placed his elbows on the table and sighed. 'Would you have answered?'
Daniella mirrored his body language. 'Maybe.'
'Maybe isn't good enough, Daniella.' He leaned in closer; his scent assaulted Daniella's senses and thawed her anger towards being ambushed into this meeting. 'My ego can't cope with maybe, I need certainty.'
Daniella dropped her eyes to the table. 'Franco, don't toy with me. I did everything you asked, and more. Leave me alone now, please.'
Franco pulled his lips tight. 'No,' he said.
'No?' That was not what she was expecting him to say.
'No.' His hand shot across and grasped at hers. 'I want you to marry me.'
'We did that already, remember?' Daniella said pulling her hand out from under his and instantly wishing that she hadn't. 'It didn't work. Remember?'
'It didn't work because I never believed you.'
Daniella pondered him quizzically. 'What was there not to believe?'
<
br /> 'I couldn't believe you wanted nothing out of the arrangement,' he sighed and pulled her hand back. This time she let it languish there. 'I spent seven years convincing myself that you were nothing but a leech. A self-centred bitch whose only interest was in her career. I hated you, Daniella.'
Daniella saddened.
'And you walking back into my life when you did, asking for my help was perfect.' He grimaced. 'It was perfect for me; I finally had a chance to make you pay. Watching your career go down the toilet so early wasn't enough. I wanted to look into your eyes and see the pain for myself. I wanted to be the man to inflict that pain.'
Daniella tried to tug her hand away but he grasped it harder.
He swallowed hard, so hard she heard the gulp in his throat. 'I didn't count on falling in love with you again, Daniella.'
Again. He said again. Daniella snapped her eyes to meet his. The sincerity in them was unmistakable. 'Love?' She asked. 'Again?'
Franco wrinkled his nose. 'Yes, again,' he clarified. 'I loved you when we were kids, and I loved you again the minute I saw you in the church. Probably before.'
Daniella shook her head and slipped her hand away, sitting back in her chair, she needed to create some distance. This was all she’d ever wanted to hear. All she had ever dreamed of. Franco Zorita professing his undying love was a fantasy she’d daren't ever believe would become reality. Now it was happening, now her dream was coming true it wasn't right. He had hurt her so much. Too much. Standing from her chair she cringed at what she was about to say. 'That's not enough, Franco.' She bowed her head and turned her face from his. Not wanting to see the hurt in his eyes. Not wanting him to see the hurt in hers. 'You think you love me, but you don't. You don't know me. And what you did know you wanted to change.' She slipped her bag over her shoulder and walked away.
The chair screeching against the floor caused everybody to turn and stare. 'I was testing you.' Franco said. 'I was always testing you.'
Daniella stood still. Testing her?
'I couldn't believe you would give up your dreams so easily. I didn't believe you. I thought you were lying.'
Daniella didn't turn around and didn't look up. All eyes were on them and all she wanted was for the floor to open up and swallow her whole.
'I thought you were acting the entire time,' he explained. 'Well, not in bed of course, nobody can fake an orgasm that convincingly.'
A few of the men sniggered and Daniella spun around. 'Franco, do you mind?'
He laughed. 'I knew that would get your attention.' Walking out from where he stood behind the table, he approached her. Getting down on one knee, he cleared his throat. 'Daniella.'
She looked around at the strangers who were now so absorbed in the spectacle unfolding before them that they seemed to have forgotten all about their food. 'Yes, Franco?'
'Will you do me the honour of never attending another party with me? Will you never tag along to a networking event? I promise never to discuss you in public. If you marry me, again, I will make sure that nobody even knows you exist.'
Daniella laughed through the tears that were flowing down her face. 'Nobody?'
'Nobody. Well, except for any women who throw themselves at my feet. I'll be sure to let them know I have the most amazing wife in the world. Besides that, you can have complete anonymity. You can live your normal life, free of glitz and glamour.'
'Completely anonymously?'
Franco slashed the air with his hand. 'Totally.'
'And our next wedding?'
'Tiny, understated, personal.'
Daniella looked down at the man on his knees before her and took a shaky breath. 'OK.'
Franco frowned. 'I offer you nothing and all I get is an OK?'
Daniella giggled and rolled her eyes. 'Fine, I'll stroke your ego, but this is the last time' she warned and taking a deep breath, she accepted his proposal. 'There is nothing in the world I want more than to be Mrs Zorita,’ she said, before adding. 'And have your babies.'
'Slow down,' Franco joked.
Daniella winked and grinned down at him. 'And live a normal life, doing normal stuff, like normal people.'
Franco stood and pulled her close. His hands slotting perfectly into the groove of her hips, as if they belonged there, like they were made for that space on her body. 'There will never, ever be a relationship more normal than ours.' He said and slammed his lips onto hers.
An applause ripped around the restaurant. The exuberant whoops and cheers from the room full of strangers brought a flush of red to Daniella's cheeks and reminded Daniella that they weren't the only people in the room. Surprisingly, she didn't care. They had the rest of their lives to be the only people in the room. Just her, and him, and any pint-sized results of their love for one another.
About the Author
When she’s not secretly scoffing chocolate Diane can be found scribbling romantic fiction like it’s going out of fashion.
After drifting through life and kissing more than her fair share of fogs she found her HEA with a strapping young Farmer, and after spawning a couple of beautiful daughters, turned her hand to publishing deliciously impassioned books.
Totally addicted to love, she writes stories with a whole lot of heart and a healthy dose of heat.
If, like Diane, you’re hooked on HEA’s then she’d love to keep in contact with you. Stalk her over on Facebook where you’ll be the first to know about new releases, giveaway offers and hear about advanced review copy opportunities.