The Baby Arrangement

Chapter 39: Date

Chapter 39: Date

Taking Carol's advice, Beth has asked if she and Merle could keep an eye on Kensi for her. All week she had been planning this special date, in hopes to keep Daryl interested in her and so they can figure out what they are. She has reservations at a hot new restaurant down town called Rosario's and even went out of her way to rent a hotel room at the Charleston. Getting ready in her room, she throws on a red cutout dress, that exposes her sides and comes down to her knees. Pulling on her black heels and doing her hair in a loose side pony tail, she finishes up her makeup and goes to Carol in the kitchen. Carol is feeding Kensi from her bottle and humming to her.

"How do I look?"

"Oh mama, you are hot. He's gonna love it."

"I hope so. It's not too much is it?" Beth nervously asks as she kisses Kensi on the cheek.

"Honey, there's no such thing as too much when it comes to looking sexy for your man. Trust me." She burps Kensi and looks Beth over. "He meeting you there or are you riding together?"

"He's meeting me there. He's going to take a shower at work and come over. What are you and Merle doing tonight?" Beth winks and Carol shakes her head with a smile.

"Well, we are going to do something we haven't in a long time...rest and watch some old cartoons with this cutie pie."

"Sounds romantic...haha I left some cash on the counter so you cats can order food for yourselves. Also stocked up on beer and Seagram's for ya. So help yourself to anything." As she's going to the door, she races back and kisses Kensi and hugs Carol. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck sweetheart."

"Thanks."

Standing in his office, he can't decide between a black shirt or a white shirt for Beth. He keep holding each one up to him as he looks in the mirror and now, it's beginning to frustrate Merle.

"Jesus Christ Daryl. PICK ONE!"

"I can't. What if I pick black and she would've preferred white or the opposite? Or what if she wants a color I don't have? Why can't she just give me a dress code for these things."

"Cause she assumes you're man enough to pick a God damn outfit out." Merle stands up and tosses the white shirt at him and then his pants. "Now, get dressed and do yer thing. Yer lucky she's nice enough to give ya a proper date."

"I'm just so nervous man. What if I mess this up?"

"Mess what up? It's a date. It's like you haven't already had a baby together and practically are attached at the hip. She knows how you are. If she didn't like ya, she wouldn't be with ya."

"Yer right. What time is it?"

"Almost 7."

"Shit! I gotta go get the flowers." He buttons up his last button and hops on his bike, speeding off.

Sitting in the taxi, Beth is nervous she's gonna be late. Traffic is slow and Beth just wants to get to the restaurant. After slowly moving through town, her taxi gets detoured down another street and she sits in silence as the cabbie speaks in some foreign language to someone over his bluetooth. When they get to the restaurant, Beth pays the cabbie and goes in, being placed at her seat right away. She sits for a few minutes and figures Daryl is just taking his good old time to see how much he can get away with. She goes through her pictures on her phone and finds several of him and Kensi from the past two months. She can't help but smile at them because they're so cute and he seems so happy.

An hour and a half passes and Beth continues to sit at her table. It's ridiculous that he's made her wait this long, but she's giving him the benefit of the doubt. she sips some water that waiter so kindly brought her and she plays with her napkin in her lap, checks her make-up and soon another hour has passed. Two hours late. How on Earth could he be two hours late? He agreed to this time and place. He was set to go. She texts him, but he doesnt' respond. Calling him, she gets a voice message saying his box is full.

"Can you believe all of 56th street is down?" An older lady with a pompous attitude says as she sits at a table kitty corner to Beth's.

"It must have been a really bad accident if they are still detouring people away from it." Her friend says as she puts her purse beside her feet.

"How terrible. That's what you get for being a reckless driver."

"You can't really blame the cyclist though, he was in his lane doing the speed limit. It was the truck that ran the light." Beth turns in her seat and looks at them.

"I'm sorry...I don't mean to but into your conversation, but what happened?" Beth asks them and they give her a soft smile.

"There was a bad accident over on 56. A guy in a truck ran a stop light and hit a motorcyclist. The whole street is shut down and there's ambulance sirans still going off. Poor souls."

"I gotta go. Thank you!" Getting up, Beth races to the door and tries to hail a cab as she attempts to call Daryl again. Still no answer. "Fuck!"