Say Something
Seven
In the car, Gwen apologized to Claude. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I don’t like to tell men about Livvie unless its serious. I mean, she’s nine and she knows I date but I haven’t been in a relationship or done a whole lot of dating since I broke up with her father.”
“Its okay, Gwen” Claude assured her. “I lived with Danny; I get it.”
Gwen softened. “My ex was supposed to have her tonight but he dropped her off right before you got there; said he couldn’t keep her this weekend. Thank God for Mrs. Walker next door. She loves Livvie and is always there to help me out.”
“How long were you together?”
“We met as sophomores in high school. I got pregnant during our senior year and we stayed together until Livvie was about three. We grew apart and he met someone else. He’s married to her now and they have a baby on the way.”
Claude nodded. “Is she why you ran out of Danny’s?”
Gwen nodded. “I’m so sorry about that,” she apologized again. I lost track of time and had to get back for Adam to drop her off.”
“You don’t have to keep apologizing, Gwen,” Claude said, reaching across and grabbing her hand. “At least now I know there’s not another guy.”
“Were you jealous Ginger?”
“Hell yes I was!” Gwen laughed as they pulled up the office building. Claude hurried
around to open Gwen’s door, offering her a hand as she eased out of his car. She laced her arm through his and they headed inside. She kept her arm tightly though his, her hand wrapped around his bicep until she spotted Zoe, Max at her side and waved. She excused herself from Claude to speak to her. Claude spotted Danny and joined his friend.
“Dude,” he whispered loudly to him. “She has a daughter!”
Danny turned to Claude. “I’m sorry, what?”
“Gwen! She has a nine year old daughter.” Danny glanced over to Gwen, who was whispering to Zoe, who nodded beside her.
“She has a kid?” Danny repeated. Claude nodded.
“Claude knows?” Zoe asked. Gwen nodded. “Well, Danny does too now.” Gwen looked in the direction of Zoe’s gaze and her eyes met Danny’s. They held each others gaze before Gwen looked away and smiled at Claude.
Later in the evening, Claude and Gwen were dancing together while Danny watched from the crowd. Zoe sidled up beside him. “Care to dance?” she asked him, taking his hand and leading him to the makeshift dance floor before he could protest. He watched Gwen from the corner of his eye.
“I told you.” Danny snapped his gaze to Zoe and she smiled softly. “I told you to stop looking at her like a kid, didn’t I?” She sighed. “Danny, I can’t fix this now. You could’ve but they like each other and I don't know how to help you now.”
“I’m happy for them,” Danny lied.
“I know you better than you think, Danny and I know you like her. I also know about the kiss. She told me.”
“What did she say?” he asked eagerly.
Zoe smiled. “Now you're interested?”
“Zoe,” he threatened and she giggled softly.
“She likes you Danny and that kiss you two shared was something. She smiled for three straight days over that kiss. But she likes Claude too.”
“What should I do?”
“I don’t know if you can do anything now.” She frowned. She wanted Danny to be happy so badly and she knew from the minute Gwen and Danny had met that they were perfect for each other. Danny had been stubborn, something he had accused her of in the past also and now his chance at happiness might have slipped by. “Danny, this is all up to you.” Danny kissed her forehead lightly.
“Thank you.”
Claude had gone to the bar to get drinks for himself and Gwen. Danny joined her as she waited on him, knowing it would take some time as people stopped Claude to talk, for autographs, for pictures.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Danny asked her quietly. She turned to face him.
“I was. The night you kissed me. If Claude hadn't shown up...”
Danny grimaced at the memory. “If Claude hadn’t shown up you would’ve been in my bed.”
She flushed. “Is that a promise?”
He inhaled sharply. “Don’t tease me. I very much want to kiss you again.”
“What's stopping you?” she asked bravely. His eyes darkened and he grabbed her by the wrist, holding her beside him and he quickly walked out of the room.
“Do you have an office?” Gwen nodded and pointed at the door directly to Danny’s left. He pulled her inside and locked the door behind them. Gwen’s eyes grew wide as he advanced on her.
“Danny,” she breathed. He caught her in his arms and pulled her to him.
“I want you,” he said simply.
She nodded. “I want you too.”
“You came with Claude.”
“He asked me out first.”
“I was a chicken shit. I thought you were too young.”
She pulled away from him. “What changed? I haven't suddenly gotten five years older, Danny.”
“I know, its just...”
“Just what? I’m more mature now because I have a daughter? That makes me a different person, the age difference doesn’t matter now because of Livvie?”
“Is that her name?”
“Her name is Olivia but everyone calls her Livvie. She’s 9 and I was 17 when I had her. I grew up fast, Danny. I’ve worked two jobs nearly her entire life to support us. But you heard 26 and thought I was a little girl.”
“I was wrong, Gwen. So wrong.” He put his arms around her and kissed her softly.
“I don’t know if that’s enough,” she said, pulling away from him again.
“Give me a chance, please. To prove myself.”
“Danny, I-” He cut her off with a kiss.
“Please have dinner with me, tomorrow.”
“I have plans with Claude.”
“Cancel them.”
“Danny, we can’t do this to Claude.”
Danny frowned. “Claude will get over it. He’s probably met someone here tonight he could take home and forget all about you.”
“Are you saying I'm that forgettable?”
“No! I just mean he won't care.”
“You mean he won't want to be with me because I have a daughter.”
“No! That’s not what I'm saying. Gwen, please. Let me take you out on one date and prove myself.”
She shook her head. “Danny, I can't. I won't come between you and Claude.”
“Its too late for that,” he replied sadly as she turned and left the room.
Gwen searched the room for Claude, unable to find him. She wanted to leave, to be away from Danny desperately. “Thought I lost you,” Claude whispered in Gwen’s ear, coming up behind her, his hand resting on her hip.
She leaned back into him. “I’m right here. Zoe asked me to get something from my office.” Claude nodded and rested his chin on her shoulder.
“You wanna get out of here?” She nodded and he put their drinks on the tray of a passing waiter. He took her hand in his and they said their goodbyes to Zoe and Max. They passed Danny on their way to the door. Gwen refused to meet his eye as Claude spoke to him, blissfully unaware.
“Good night, Gwen,” Danny said politely as Claude tugged her hand to leave.
“Good bye, Danny.”
“Its okay, Gwen” Claude assured her. “I lived with Danny; I get it.”
Gwen softened. “My ex was supposed to have her tonight but he dropped her off right before you got there; said he couldn’t keep her this weekend. Thank God for Mrs. Walker next door. She loves Livvie and is always there to help me out.”
“How long were you together?”
“We met as sophomores in high school. I got pregnant during our senior year and we stayed together until Livvie was about three. We grew apart and he met someone else. He’s married to her now and they have a baby on the way.”
Claude nodded. “Is she why you ran out of Danny’s?”
Gwen nodded. “I’m so sorry about that,” she apologized again. I lost track of time and had to get back for Adam to drop her off.”
“You don’t have to keep apologizing, Gwen,” Claude said, reaching across and grabbing her hand. “At least now I know there’s not another guy.”
“Were you jealous Ginger?”
“Hell yes I was!” Gwen laughed as they pulled up the office building. Claude hurried
around to open Gwen’s door, offering her a hand as she eased out of his car. She laced her arm through his and they headed inside. She kept her arm tightly though his, her hand wrapped around his bicep until she spotted Zoe, Max at her side and waved. She excused herself from Claude to speak to her. Claude spotted Danny and joined his friend.
“Dude,” he whispered loudly to him. “She has a daughter!”
Danny turned to Claude. “I’m sorry, what?”
“Gwen! She has a nine year old daughter.” Danny glanced over to Gwen, who was whispering to Zoe, who nodded beside her.
“She has a kid?” Danny repeated. Claude nodded.
“Claude knows?” Zoe asked. Gwen nodded. “Well, Danny does too now.” Gwen looked in the direction of Zoe’s gaze and her eyes met Danny’s. They held each others gaze before Gwen looked away and smiled at Claude.
Later in the evening, Claude and Gwen were dancing together while Danny watched from the crowd. Zoe sidled up beside him. “Care to dance?” she asked him, taking his hand and leading him to the makeshift dance floor before he could protest. He watched Gwen from the corner of his eye.
“I told you.” Danny snapped his gaze to Zoe and she smiled softly. “I told you to stop looking at her like a kid, didn’t I?” She sighed. “Danny, I can’t fix this now. You could’ve but they like each other and I don't know how to help you now.”
“I’m happy for them,” Danny lied.
“I know you better than you think, Danny and I know you like her. I also know about the kiss. She told me.”
“What did she say?” he asked eagerly.
Zoe smiled. “Now you're interested?”
“Zoe,” he threatened and she giggled softly.
“She likes you Danny and that kiss you two shared was something. She smiled for three straight days over that kiss. But she likes Claude too.”
“What should I do?”
“I don’t know if you can do anything now.” She frowned. She wanted Danny to be happy so badly and she knew from the minute Gwen and Danny had met that they were perfect for each other. Danny had been stubborn, something he had accused her of in the past also and now his chance at happiness might have slipped by. “Danny, this is all up to you.” Danny kissed her forehead lightly.
“Thank you.”
Claude had gone to the bar to get drinks for himself and Gwen. Danny joined her as she waited on him, knowing it would take some time as people stopped Claude to talk, for autographs, for pictures.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Danny asked her quietly. She turned to face him.
“I was. The night you kissed me. If Claude hadn't shown up...”
Danny grimaced at the memory. “If Claude hadn’t shown up you would’ve been in my bed.”
She flushed. “Is that a promise?”
He inhaled sharply. “Don’t tease me. I very much want to kiss you again.”
“What's stopping you?” she asked bravely. His eyes darkened and he grabbed her by the wrist, holding her beside him and he quickly walked out of the room.
“Do you have an office?” Gwen nodded and pointed at the door directly to Danny’s left. He pulled her inside and locked the door behind them. Gwen’s eyes grew wide as he advanced on her.
“Danny,” she breathed. He caught her in his arms and pulled her to him.
“I want you,” he said simply.
She nodded. “I want you too.”
“You came with Claude.”
“He asked me out first.”
“I was a chicken shit. I thought you were too young.”
She pulled away from him. “What changed? I haven't suddenly gotten five years older, Danny.”
“I know, its just...”
“Just what? I’m more mature now because I have a daughter? That makes me a different person, the age difference doesn’t matter now because of Livvie?”
“Is that her name?”
“Her name is Olivia but everyone calls her Livvie. She’s 9 and I was 17 when I had her. I grew up fast, Danny. I’ve worked two jobs nearly her entire life to support us. But you heard 26 and thought I was a little girl.”
“I was wrong, Gwen. So wrong.” He put his arms around her and kissed her softly.
“I don’t know if that’s enough,” she said, pulling away from him again.
“Give me a chance, please. To prove myself.”
“Danny, I-” He cut her off with a kiss.
“Please have dinner with me, tomorrow.”
“I have plans with Claude.”
“Cancel them.”
“Danny, we can’t do this to Claude.”
Danny frowned. “Claude will get over it. He’s probably met someone here tonight he could take home and forget all about you.”
“Are you saying I'm that forgettable?”
“No! I just mean he won't care.”
“You mean he won't want to be with me because I have a daughter.”
“No! That’s not what I'm saying. Gwen, please. Let me take you out on one date and prove myself.”
She shook her head. “Danny, I can't. I won't come between you and Claude.”
“Its too late for that,” he replied sadly as she turned and left the room.
Gwen searched the room for Claude, unable to find him. She wanted to leave, to be away from Danny desperately. “Thought I lost you,” Claude whispered in Gwen’s ear, coming up behind her, his hand resting on her hip.
She leaned back into him. “I’m right here. Zoe asked me to get something from my office.” Claude nodded and rested his chin on her shoulder.
“You wanna get out of here?” She nodded and he put their drinks on the tray of a passing waiter. He took her hand in his and they said their goodbyes to Zoe and Max. They passed Danny on their way to the door. Gwen refused to meet his eye as Claude spoke to him, blissfully unaware.
“Good night, Gwen,” Danny said politely as Claude tugged her hand to leave.
“Good bye, Danny.”