An Unwanted Fairytale - iii
Daniel's life in Marsdale without Winnie. Freddie and Danny find themselves face to face.
Chapter Three
"I could have sworn I saw someone familiar," he said as he shook his head to get rid of the illusions.
"Never mind, let's get back to what we were talking about."
Daniel sat in the window seat of his newly acquired restaurant. He bought it because it had sentimental value. At this table where he sat in this restaurant that he bought, was precisely the spot where he had asked her to marry him. It was also in this spot, where the girl he loved had said, "Yes".
Sure he owned enough restaurants and other businesses to ensure that he didn't need to work too hard, but he just couldn't see this place go out of business if he had any say.
The restaurants previous owner had racked up so much debt, he wasn't making much money out of the place; even though the flow of customers was pretty good.
Right now, he was focusing on hiring a Manager for the place.
Angeline was the name of his current applicant. He couldn't figure out why he was inclined to hire her on the spot. Ok, maybe he could. She was beautiful and well dressed, but aside from that she exuded such a positive aura. He felt that this was exactly what this place needed. And it didn't hurt that she had taken college for this position and was qualified by having experience in other restaurants.
The place came with the core staff that was familiar with the menu and regular customers. The only thing it didn't come with was a manager to oversee the restaurant and report to him what important matters needed tending.
After their goodbyes, he told her he'd give her a call to let her know what he decided. Nothing was final, yet.
Once Angeline left the restaurant, she was forgotten.
He had disliked this mall so much, in the past. The only reason he had stepped foot it in was because his girlfriend had asked him to try out this restaurant. The other thing he ever bought in this place was the engagement ring he proposed with. The velvet box still sat untouched in his briefcase.
He looked down at the briefcase that was propped open on the table, he ran a hand over the engraved message. She had a message engraved on the silver latch before giving it to him as a graduation present.
Before he could let anger or sadness surface, he slammed his briefcase shut, locked it and walked towards the door to leave.
Something stopped him as he stood in the shadow of his restaurant's doorway.
It couldn't be.
He heard her laughter.
Looking out just across the way he spotted someone holding a very happy babysitting on a bench facing the opposite way.
He didn't know why but he began to walk in that direction.
Logic took no part of his movement.
The baby being burped locked eyes with him and she cooed.
He was closer now and the baby gave a half-smile and burped.
"Oh!" The woman exclaimed softly to the baby. "Now that was good one, Chari!"
Daniel froze. It was her. It had to be.
She was back? With a baby?
The baby's coo brought him back. The woman must have noticed the baby was looking at someone behind her when she began to turn her head in his direction. It was her.
The smile that was visibly on her face froze, thawed, then fell.
They whispered in unison.
"Danny?"
"Winnie?"
Her heart was working overtime, but somehow she recovered quickly by standing up, shifting the baby to the other shoulder and swaying a little from side to side.
"Never thought you'd ever step in this place by yourself."
"I guess some things change," he replied.
Her heart felt like it was being tortured.
"Some things don't," she retorted.
"So you're back to babysitting then?"
She nodded.
"I thought you said you didn't want to have anything to do with babysitting anymore because of all those years lost to it?"
She shrugged, "I guess I didn't realize how much I'd miss holding a baby."
"So she's not yours?"
He needed the confirmation, even though she implied the baby wasn't hers.
She shook her head in reply. Relief washed over him.
"So why are you here?" she asked, awkwardly and anxiously shifting the focus to him instead of her.
Baby Chari began to squirm restlessly in her arms now and Danny put down his briefcase and held out his arms to take her from Winnie. But before the transfer was made, a woman with at least three shopping bags came out of a store.
"Oh Freddie, I'm sorry to make you wait so long," she started but stopped when she noticed the most handsomest man ever; aside from her husband of course.
Freddie?
Freddie flinched. She knew Danny wouldn't be accustomed to the nickname. It wasn't the first time she was called that. It's just that every time someone made the mistake of calling her "Freddie" she would immediately correct them with "Please call me Winnie." But that was before she needed to disconnect herself from Winne from Marsdale.
Every time she heard herself being called "Winnie" her heart fell apart. Hearing him call her that just now made her wish she was back in his arms safe with the promise of a happily ever after.
But she wasn't. Back in his arms, that is.
And that was all her fault and only her fault.
Wait a minute! What was she doing?
"Sorry.." clearing her throat she began the introductions.
"Georgia, this is Daniel. Daniel, this is Georgia- Chari's mommy."
"Gorgeous daughter you have, Georgia."
The proud mother blushed and took the outstretched hand to shake it.
My, he was handsome, she thought.
Danny and Freddie had continued talking, but she wasn't paying attention.
What is up with these two? Georgia asked herself thoughtfully as she took her baby back after stuffing the stroller with her shopping bags.
"Well, I think I'm done shopping," Georgia interrupted, trying to hint that she was going to abandon Freddie to this Adonis of a man.
"... restaurant," Freddie had finished saying and then gasped when she heard Georgia. "Oops! Ok! Sorry Danny but I've got to go."
"No Freddie, just stay with Danny. Do you think you can reschedule with your Auntie?"
"Oh yeah! I forgot to tell you," Freddie turned back toward Daniel.
"Your mom saw me at the train station and invited me over. I called her when I got to Georgia's and told her I'd drop by before I leave. I hope you don't mind."
"Of course not, Win..er... Freddie."
Freddie inwardly cringed.
The conversation was as unemotional as it could get. She knew she needed to explain why things went down the way they did. But now wasn't the time and she knew that he knew it.
"I've got to go," she told him.
"Don't worry, I need to, too," he bent down to retrieve his briefcase from the floor. It the silver latch caught her attention and before she could wipe away her tears, he bent down, said goodbye and waved to Georgia.
On the commute home Georgia allowed her house guest to wallow in whatever happened or didn't happen during her exchange with Danny.
But once they stepped into the house, Georgia couldn't help but ask as gently as she could, "So, Freddie... Is there a back story here that I'm missing out on?"
Freddie nodded and simply replied, "He's my Fiance."
"I could have sworn I saw someone familiar," he said as he shook his head to get rid of the illusions.
"Never mind, let's get back to what we were talking about."
Daniel sat in the window seat of his newly acquired restaurant. He bought it because it had sentimental value. At this table where he sat in this restaurant that he bought, was precisely the spot where he had asked her to marry him. It was also in this spot, where the girl he loved had said, "Yes".
Sure he owned enough restaurants and other businesses to ensure that he didn't need to work too hard, but he just couldn't see this place go out of business if he had any say.
The restaurants previous owner had racked up so much debt, he wasn't making much money out of the place; even though the flow of customers was pretty good.
Right now, he was focusing on hiring a Manager for the place.
Angeline was the name of his current applicant. He couldn't figure out why he was inclined to hire her on the spot. Ok, maybe he could. She was beautiful and well dressed, but aside from that she exuded such a positive aura. He felt that this was exactly what this place needed. And it didn't hurt that she had taken college for this position and was qualified by having experience in other restaurants.
The place came with the core staff that was familiar with the menu and regular customers. The only thing it didn't come with was a manager to oversee the restaurant and report to him what important matters needed tending.
After their goodbyes, he told her he'd give her a call to let her know what he decided. Nothing was final, yet.
Once Angeline left the restaurant, she was forgotten.
He had disliked this mall so much, in the past. The only reason he had stepped foot it in was because his girlfriend had asked him to try out this restaurant. The other thing he ever bought in this place was the engagement ring he proposed with. The velvet box still sat untouched in his briefcase.
He looked down at the briefcase that was propped open on the table, he ran a hand over the engraved message. She had a message engraved on the silver latch before giving it to him as a graduation present.
Before he could let anger or sadness surface, he slammed his briefcase shut, locked it and walked towards the door to leave.
Something stopped him as he stood in the shadow of his restaurant's doorway.
It couldn't be.
He heard her laughter.
Looking out just across the way he spotted someone holding a very happy babysitting on a bench facing the opposite way.
He didn't know why but he began to walk in that direction.
Logic took no part of his movement.
The baby being burped locked eyes with him and she cooed.
He was closer now and the baby gave a half-smile and burped.
"Oh!" The woman exclaimed softly to the baby. "Now that was good one, Chari!"
Daniel froze. It was her. It had to be.
She was back? With a baby?
The baby's coo brought him back. The woman must have noticed the baby was looking at someone behind her when she began to turn her head in his direction. It was her.
The smile that was visibly on her face froze, thawed, then fell.
They whispered in unison.
"Danny?"
"Winnie?"
Her heart was working overtime, but somehow she recovered quickly by standing up, shifting the baby to the other shoulder and swaying a little from side to side.
"Never thought you'd ever step in this place by yourself."
"I guess some things change," he replied.
Her heart felt like it was being tortured.
"Some things don't," she retorted.
"So you're back to babysitting then?"
She nodded.
"I thought you said you didn't want to have anything to do with babysitting anymore because of all those years lost to it?"
She shrugged, "I guess I didn't realize how much I'd miss holding a baby."
"So she's not yours?"
He needed the confirmation, even though she implied the baby wasn't hers.
She shook her head in reply. Relief washed over him.
"So why are you here?" she asked, awkwardly and anxiously shifting the focus to him instead of her.
Baby Chari began to squirm restlessly in her arms now and Danny put down his briefcase and held out his arms to take her from Winnie. But before the transfer was made, a woman with at least three shopping bags came out of a store.
"Oh Freddie, I'm sorry to make you wait so long," she started but stopped when she noticed the most handsomest man ever; aside from her husband of course.
Freddie?
Freddie flinched. She knew Danny wouldn't be accustomed to the nickname. It wasn't the first time she was called that. It's just that every time someone made the mistake of calling her "Freddie" she would immediately correct them with "Please call me Winnie." But that was before she needed to disconnect herself from Winne from Marsdale.
Every time she heard herself being called "Winnie" her heart fell apart. Hearing him call her that just now made her wish she was back in his arms safe with the promise of a happily ever after.
But she wasn't. Back in his arms, that is.
And that was all her fault and only her fault.
Wait a minute! What was she doing?
"Sorry.." clearing her throat she began the introductions.
"Georgia, this is Daniel. Daniel, this is Georgia- Chari's mommy."
"Gorgeous daughter you have, Georgia."
The proud mother blushed and took the outstretched hand to shake it.
My, he was handsome, she thought.
Danny and Freddie had continued talking, but she wasn't paying attention.
What is up with these two? Georgia asked herself thoughtfully as she took her baby back after stuffing the stroller with her shopping bags.
"Well, I think I'm done shopping," Georgia interrupted, trying to hint that she was going to abandon Freddie to this Adonis of a man.
"... restaurant," Freddie had finished saying and then gasped when she heard Georgia. "Oops! Ok! Sorry Danny but I've got to go."
"No Freddie, just stay with Danny. Do you think you can reschedule with your Auntie?"
"Oh yeah! I forgot to tell you," Freddie turned back toward Daniel.
"Your mom saw me at the train station and invited me over. I called her when I got to Georgia's and told her I'd drop by before I leave. I hope you don't mind."
"Of course not, Win..er... Freddie."
Freddie inwardly cringed.
The conversation was as unemotional as it could get. She knew she needed to explain why things went down the way they did. But now wasn't the time and she knew that he knew it.
"I've got to go," she told him.
"Don't worry, I need to, too," he bent down to retrieve his briefcase from the floor. It the silver latch caught her attention and before she could wipe away her tears, he bent down, said goodbye and waved to Georgia.
On the commute home Georgia allowed her house guest to wallow in whatever happened or didn't happen during her exchange with Danny.
But once they stepped into the house, Georgia couldn't help but ask as gently as she could, "So, Freddie... Is there a back story here that I'm missing out on?"
Freddie nodded and simply replied, "He's my Fiance."
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