Girl Gets Her Man

"Both of you are hopeless."

The words stuck with her as she looked down at her hand in his. She couldn't help but avoid the gaze of the few people on the street in front of the coffee shop.

"What's wrong?" He flexed his fingers in her vice grip.

"Uh, nothing," she said. 'I'm not sure. It's just, we're walking together. Together. We've done it millions of times. Why am I so nervous? I mean, we're TOGETHER. How am I supposed to act?'

"Okay, baby. If that's what you want to say, I'll buy it," he purred out of the side of his mouth.

They went through the open doors left behind by a group of people headed out from lunch. Dan caught the door and guided her through as he searched the room.

"Pop," he smiled as he caught sight of his father clearing a table.

"Son, I'm glad to see you've decided to make an appearance," he said as he approached with a tray of mugs under his arm.

"Pop, I'm sorry. I..."

He chuckled, "No need to explain. I'd pick a beautiful woman over you, too. So, Joanne, am I forgiven?"

"Forgiven?"

The man smiled and placed a hand on the table. "After spending the evening putting out a rather substantial fire, I realize that what happened was partially my fault."

Joanne tried to stop the apology, "Oh, no. That blow up was set to go whether you wanted to stop it or not. Um, but thank you," she blushed, "for getting Danny to go, last night."

"It was my pleasure. Have you eaten? I'm sure I haven't done a terrible job. The display case is nearly empty."

"Oh, we've had something at Jo's place," Dan brushed off. "I'm just here to check in. Would you mind entertaining my intended for a few minutes?"

"Intended? Daniel," David frowned playfully. "You need to..."

"What I need, is for my father to treat her very well. She's someone I trust and care a lot about," Dan squeezed Joanne's hand. "It may mean something later."

David chuckled again, "Well, I won't lecture you about inopportune proposals, because you haven't..."

No one could miss the look that passed between them. David breathed, "Or, have you?"

Daniel curved his body toward her, "I've been asking for months. Haven't I, babe?"

"Yeah, he has. It's no big deal. He doesn't mean it, really. I mean, if he did, he wouldn't just blurt it out like that. He's the kind of guy who has to plan. Right?" The thought had just struck her. Daniel hadn't entered her life in a small way. If he really wanted to marry her, he'd do it in an equally noticeable way. He was planning something. This something would be huge and probably embarrassing. She looked right back into those deep blue eyes and saw him nod slightly.

David studied her face for a moment before he said, "Dieu, garcon. Intelligence and beauty. She knows you too well, already. You should marry this one."

They all laughed. Danny said a careful, "I know that. Just watch her, will you?"

"Anything," he nodded as Dan walked into the kitchen. "I have this sudden feeling, my dear," he put a hand to his heart.

"Are you alright," Joanne took his arm and attempted to move him to a chair. 'He does look a bit pale.'

She couldn't budge him. "I'm just fine. I just have this strange feeling that he's already got the wheels in motion. It's only been a day."

'No, it's been about six months.'

Joanne helped David clear and reset the tables until Dan came back down. For some reason, she'd thought he would be changing his clothes, but he hadn't. He strolled over to her and said, "Merry Christmas," as he handed her a small box. She looked down at the long thin box in her hand and sighed in relief, 'It's a bracelet, or necklace, or something.' She opened it to reveal a lavender stoned bracelet. It sparkled even in the dark shop. 'Whoa. This is gorgeous. It probably cost him a chunk of change.'

"Danny, you shouldn't have..." She made a move to give it back.

"Oh, but I did. I picked it out to match the dress you..." He frowned. 'The one Candy tore up.' "Well, we'll just have to buy you another one. Let's try it on."

He slid it gently from its restraints and ran his fingertips over her wrist as he fastened it. He balanced her arm in his hand as he looked down at the stones.

"They really make your skin beautiful. Not to say that you didn't have beautiful skin, before. I mean, even under fluorescents, you had this..." He was prattling on in a sort of monotone.

'Wow,' she looked into his eyes as he continued to talk as they left the building. 'He's really into me right now. I better cut him off or we'll be doin' something right here, right now.'

"...So, I figure, if they don't kill me, I can take you out on a 'date' date." He cringed, "Though I don't want to consider it that, and I hate saying that Jesse's right. But, I want you to know you're making the right choice, if we do." 'I missed something major. Maybe, he'll hint at it, later?'

*

'God! Shut up, man!' Dan just couldn't help himself. It was like verbal diarrhea. He'd been saving up all of these thoughts and plans for nearly a month. Joanne was taking it pretty well. She was looking at him with those big gorgeous eyes. Or, he'd talked her into a walking somnolence. They'd gotten to the sciences building and were making their way through the lobby. He shook his head and stopped.

She showed that she'd been paying attention, "A date would be good. You want to go to the movies?"

"It doesn't matter where we go. I just want you to know who I am," he said as he led her up to the entrance.

"But, I know who you are. Your dad said so."

"If I asked you, right now, would you say yes?"

"No," she smiled, "I'm not ready for marriage. Besides, I know you've got something cooking."

He bent down and looked directly into her eyes. "My point, exactly. I'm not gonna ask again, until I'm sure you're ready. I didn't kiss you until you were ready..."

"I thought I kissed you."

"I let you kiss me. If I'd have gone by my program, I would have put you over my shoulder and taken you upstairs months ago. But, I didn't, because I wanted it to be right for both of us," he touched her cheek with a fingertip. She was so open and attentive with those brown eyes. 'God, I want to jump you right now.' He regrouped by turning away from her. "Hey, why don't I show you my office."

"This isn't the way to the office," she said as they rode the elevator passed the fourth then fifth floor.

"Yes, it is. Grad students are either in the basement or in the attic. I used the other office only when you were coming in," he explained.

He walked her down a dark quiet corridor to a small office with a slanted ceiling. A desk with a divider took up the majority of the space.

"That side's mine. I share the room with Padha, so I try to do most of my work at home. She's got kids, and she studies here a lot."

In the soft light of the afternoon, Dan watched Joanne inspect the room. He wasn't sure what she was looking for, but he wasn't about to change anything. She turned and looked at him, "You can see the parking lot from here."

"Yeah. You usually park on the first row in," he leaned partially over the desk to look through the tiny window. 'And you look around as you walk.'

"Really?" She leaned in on the other side of the divider. "You can see my spot from here?"

"I used to watch you check out the lot," he said to the side of her face. "You wouldn't get out of the car until you were sure there was no one close by."

He watched her chin tilt down to her chest. 'Okay. I did it, this time.'

"I'd just glanced out. I wasn't looking for you," he said. 'Not at first, anyway.' She stared down at the pavement.

"So, how about that date?"

***

Dan couldn't seem to get anything right except for the hot chocolate. He'd had a few compliments about it filter into the kitchen. He wasn't thinking of anything, but his meeting with the parents. This time, he had to be perfect. If he wasn't he'd have to figure out another way to win them over. "I intend to marry her. I Intend to marry her. I intend to Marry her," he muttered under his breath as he spread the filling on the sandwich wraps. 'Is that too forward. Should I just say she's a very special girl? That sounds terrible. I'll just stick with the truth.' He put the sun dried tomatoes and artichokes hearts in equal distribution across the long flat bread. The parents would be there to interrogate him any minute. 'Jo said they'd be here at noon. It's noon. Where the hell are...'

"Boy," David snapped his fingers in front of Daniel's nose. "Joanne's mother is here. She wants to talk to you. Wipe your face. You've got some mustard or somewhat there."

Dan smeared at his face with a towel. His face was still raw from the nervous shave he'd given himself. He felt the cut on his jaw and pushed his way out to the restaurant. He didn't want to seem over eager, so he slowly approached. Mrs. Croix stood next to the sales counter holding a big mug. Dan offered his hand and she pressed her fingertips into his palm gently.

"James isn't here. I think it'd be better for us to talk first," she said as he directed her to the back where it was quieter.

He pulled out her chair as she set down her mug. She looked up at him and made a graceful seat in front of him. He got to his chair and put his hands on the table.

"I'm glad you came," he smiled. 'Damn it! My voice nearly cracked.'

"I'm glad I'm here, too. Let's drop the formalities, Dan." She raised an eyebrow. "I can see a speech rolling around in your head. Forget about it. I'm not the one you need to convince."

"Uh, okay," he muttered. 'This lady's gonna be tough.'

Her hands arranged in her lap, she started the interrogation, "You probably think you want to marry her, right?"

"Well, yes. I do."

She took a sip out of her mug and looked him in the eye again, "What kind of means do you have?"

"Uh, I have a partnership in the shop. I'll be finishing my thesis in May. I have a few offers in the area. I could also get a doctorate. Professor Samuels is basically trying to get me to go for..."

Mrs. Croix raised her hand in front of his face. "Okay, where would you live?"

"I'd buy her whatever she wants, wherever she wants it," Dan said. He hadn't really thought about it, but it seemed like the right thing to say.

"Really? Even if it's across the country?"

Dan nodded.

"You seem like you have your life planned out. You could have any young thing on campus. Why my daughter?"

Dan relaxed. He'd planned for that question, "Because, she's smart, beautiful..."

Karen waved a hand at him, again. "No, not the answer you've been working on. Why did you decide to take an interest in the first place? Why Joanne? Why not this Candace, I heard about last night?"

"She caught me," just came out of his mouth. 'What the hell's that supposed to mean. Say something else! Say something,' he chided himself, but just sat there.

"She caught you?" Karen Croix had that same curious frown that her daughter had.

"It was like...I was hit by lightning. Yeah. I couldn't think of anything to say at the time. I just stood there like an idiot with my hands on the counter over there." Dan pointed to the back of the espresso machine. "I'm not that sort of a person. I can usually say what I want people to hear. I generally have something to say, but there was nothing coming out."

"So, you were attracted to her?"

'Damn straight, she was hot! Not a good thing to say.' "Yes, and no. Let me tell you a story." Dan looked into Karen's eyes and explained to her about the first time he'd seen her in the shop, and the time that Joanne had fallen for Samuel's trap. He followed up with the months of hot chocolate before he introduced himself.

"So, you didn't make yourself known until then? And in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, my Jo was so 'stunning' to you that you decided you wanted to marry her?"

"She could have been in a sack for all I cared," Dan sighed as he looked at his hands.

"You really are crazy."

Dan laughed, "She tells me that every time I ask her to marry me."

She let out a quiet laugh. "You ask her to marry you. Right. Explain to me why you haven't said this kind of stuff to her?"

"I have, honest."

Karen blinked at him, "If you had, she would have written you off as crazy and went on her way."

Dan sighed, "She did. It took me a long time to convince her that I was serious about her. With my ex making things hard, it was pretty much impossible to talk to her without giving her the wrong impression. Night before last was the first time we've been able to talk freely in about a month. I'm glad we're finally together. I get that I'll be working hard to convince you..."

"You don't have to. It's all over your face," she smiled up at him. "It would have been a lot faster, if you had just told me you loved her."

The statement rocked him back in his seat. 'I haven't told her. She should know, but I don't want to say it and have her run away.' "I..."

"That's why Joanne didn't write you off," Karen pointed at his face.

"I don't know..."

"It's in your eyes. You don't even have to say her name, do you? You get this far off look."

He wasn't sure what the safe thing to say was. He sat back and looked at his hands.

"Are you going to knock her up?"

"Huh," his voice cracked. He cringed.

The woman was looking at him in a determined way as she said, "You're a grown man. You know what I mean. Are you having safe sex with my daughter."

"Uh, no. I mean, no sex at all. We're not ready for that. Not yet, anyway," he stammered.

"Either, you're a good liar, or you're actually waiting on her. Good. You should wait. I don't need to be a grandma just yet. The way you act around that girl, you'd have her giving birth on graduation day, wouldn't you? Hands off, until then, you hear me?"

"Yes, ma'am," he was sitting upright. "Hands off."

Karen smiled, "I know you'll do what ever you're gonna do, but let her decide. If you're still okay in May, we'll try and straighten out her father."

That magnetic smile broadened as he realized, 'She said we were okay.'

Karen looked down at the mug. "You know, I have to say, this is the best hot chocolate I've ever tasted. Who makes this? I'll have to tell them something."

He smiled to himself, "You're drinking stage one of my introduction plan."

"Introduction plan?"

"It worked for Jo, so it'll probably work on Mr. Croix, wouldn't it?"

Mrs. Croix raised an eyebrow at him.

*

Joanne watched him lying in his bed. He'd invited her over, but she knew he was tired. He'd walked through the kitchen and up the stairs unaided, but the moment he sat down on his bed, she could tell he was ready to sleep. Her trip to the bathroom gave him the chance to succumb. 'God, he's fine. Why don't you just go over there and, uh... Do what? Think, Jo. Think! He's all experienced. He'll probably tell you you're doing it wrong whatever you do. No, that's not Dan.' She smiled at his exhausted expression. They'd gone on dates for the past ten days straight. They'd gone to the movies, then the museum, strolled the park with a picnic basket, and got thoroughly soaked through on the way back from the horse farm to their car. 'It's been like you want to hurry up and do all these different things to make me like you.' She lay down next to him and watched his chest rise and fall. 'But, what do I do, now? I want to be whatever he wants. If he tells me, I'll try to be it.' She closed her eyes and put a hand on his chest. 'Just tell me what you want.'

She felt a hand more over her arm and held still. "Honey? I'm sorry. I'm so, so tired. Stay the night?"

"I thought you said we should just date," she reminded him.

"We should," he sighed, "but I don't want to."

She put her nose to his and kissed him, "I don't want to do this, either. Can't we just fool around a little...for practice?"

He smiled warily, "Practice? I thought you wanted our first time to be special."

"I do. It's just..." She looked away from him with that warmth in her cheeks. 'You're making me feel things, and I think they're good. I just don't know if they are. You won't let me find out.' Joanne was getting a bit frustrated. Dan hadn't touched her since they'd said they would date. As a matter of fact, he would avoid a situation where they would be alone.

He moved his hand up to her shoulder, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have suggested you stay. Maybe, you should get away from me before I get anymore ideas." He rolled his back to her.

"Dan." 'Anytime with you is special.' He looked back at her with half closed eyes. "Couldn't I just be here next to you? We wouldn't have to do anything. We've done that before. I want to fall asleep with you."

*

It was obvious from the look on her beautiful face. Dan hadn't realized that he'd been pushing her away. He hadn't meant to give her the impression that he didn't want her. To the contrary, his urges were starting to get the better of him. Just that morning, he'd caught a glimpse of her as she took off her jacket and sat down for class. It wasn't even some special thing, she'd done. It was just because she was within his line of sight. She'd looked up at him and nodded. It was all she preferred to do. She didn't want anyone to know they were together. Even if it wasn't technically against the rules, she wanted to keep her distance. Then, she'd snuggle up to him on his couch and watch television until he got too hard and had to excuse himself to take care of it. He'd caught himself squeezing her thigh the next night. She didn't act like it bothered her, but he'd told her mother he'd wait. Dan invited his dad to watch TV after that.

They were gonna wait if it killed him.