Chapter 8

Since Wolfgang didn't say anything to her before he left, Danielle chalked it off as him truly being there for a, literally, bloody breakfast, and nothing more. It was safer to think of him in that sense. It was safer for her to not think of him at all, but he made sure that didn't happen.

So, trying to put the big blond out of her head, Danielle instead, turned her thoughts on Rob. More specifically, why he hadn't called her yet. He usually called the Bastion when he couldn't or didn't want to call her at the house. When things like this happened, like when he was unexpectedly called away to sit in on one of his father's client meetings, he'd usually find a way to reach her. He knew her schedule to the "t", so he always knew where she was, but after badgering her colleagues for the millionth time if he had called, and getting "no" for an answer each and every time, she knew something had to be up.

She also needed to break with her promise never to get herself a cell phone and finally get herself a cell phone. It was time, and it wasn't as if she couldn't afford it. She promised herself she'd finally swallow her pride and get herself one of those things a.s.a.p. first chance she got.

She was really beginning to worry. It wasn't like Rob not to call. Then again, he was pretty upset about the whole Wolfgang thing. Even when he'd taken her to the mall he was unusually quiet, and when she tried to probe his brain why, he just smiled and said he had a headache. But he wasn't fooling her. Even a blind man could see Wolfgang bothered him more than his pride was letting him admit.

When her shift was finally over, she didn't waste any time and went to the backroom to change into her regular clothes. As she was doing so, she was thinking which cell phone store she was going to visit on her way back home if she had enough time. She really needed one of those things and she decided she'd start out with a prepaid.

"Yeah," she thought. "A prepaid would be perfect right about now."

With this new resolution hot on her mind, Danielle closed the door to the locker room and headed straight for her old rickety locker. After pulling it open, she swept off that silly Bastion cap and hung it on a hook inside the locker door before she proceeded to unbraid her long hair and ran fingers through her bountiful curls, trying not to think about that article she read in that boy's newspaper.

"There are some really sick people out there," she muttered to herself.

She was feeling really strange lately, too. On one hand, she was exhausted and depressed, while on the other, she felt anxious and harried. She knew she was bone-tired for having to work such long days without so much as a day off while at the same time growing increasingly anxious and impatient to get behind why Rob had been incognito that morning.

They hadn't quarreled or fought the other day. They even kissed and cuddled before he drove her home. So that couldn't be it.

"Dang," she said angrily to herself. "You really need a cell phone. You can't take much more of this guessing game, Dani," she said to herself.

As she thought about these things, she slipped out of the Bastion Burger blouse and skirt and soon stood only in her white bra and slip. She took out the red and black Scottish-plaid skirt which had a sewn-in pair of shorts. She had enough sense that morning to remember she'd promised Davey she would practice a little soccer with him before she drove them to his game.

Her slender fingers buttoned the skirt around her taut but somewhat roundish tummy and she discovered she had to hold her breath in order to do it, too! When she finally got the button in the hole, she released her breath with an audible sigh.

"I have got to do some crunches." She shook her head.

Then she moved and half turned to the full length mirror behind her and checked her slender form in it with a highly critical eye. She slipped a thumb into the waist band, sucked in her gut, and pulled the waist band from her as she patted her tummy with her other hand.

"Yep! Definitely some crunches," she said before she let her tummy out with an exasperated sigh just when the long neon lights overhead blinked, making her pause. She frowned as she looked up at the rows of fluorescent lighting because they flickered as if they were on the verge of going out. "For chrissakes," she said a little perturbed. "Doesn't anything work in this place?" She sighed before she shrugged and turned facing her locker again. "But it's not my pro ... blem," she said with a sing-song tone just when she caught sight of someone standing against the lockers off to her right.

With a gasp, she snapped her head around before she let out a high-pitched screech while at the same time her arms flew in a cross over her chest.

She wasn't scared. She was furious.

"What in the HELL are you doing here?!" she bit viciously.

Wolfgang was calmly leaning back against the lockers with big arms crossed over his chest. She couldn't believe he was just standing there, looking at her as calm as could be!

"Waiting for you."

"Waiting for me??"

Then she realized—although he wasn't looking there—that she still didn't have a top on, and she quickly snatched her snug red tee out of the locker and held it in front of her as she blasted him with indignant golden fire from above it.

"Yes," he said with slow moving eyelids. "Waiting for you."

"Do you mind?!"

"No," he said. "I don't."

She gritted teeth. "That was a rhetorical question, but I'm sure you knew that." Bastard, she thought angrily. "But it's also a not-so-subtle HINT for you to finally prove there's a gentleman somewhere inside there, and to turn your back to me so I can get dressed!"

"Prove to whom?"

"Prove to..." She blinked big, indignant eyes. "Prove to ME! That's who!"

"I'd never turn my back on you," he said, and just when she was about to say something really nasty, he pushed from the locker and ... turned his back to her.

Danielle blinked big, flabbergasted eyes as she stared as his broad back. But then she realized she could now safely get dressed. When she finally snapped out of her stunned state, she quickly but oh so carefully, did just that. She took extra care not to show more skin than she had to just in case the bastard had a change of mind and turn about face again.

Clever girl that she was, she took the locker door and moved it just so, so that she could stand behind it while getting that t-shirt on. The locker door was narrow, but it offered her enough privacy to hide behind as she quickly stabbed arms through the sleeves of her tee, bent forward, and quickly swept the t-shirt over her head.

As she rolled it down her body she felt safe enough to fix him with an angry look. Not that it really helped since he couldn't see it, what with his broad back to her at that moment.

"You're not supposed to be in here, you know! You're trespassing!" she reprimanded, and he half turned his head but didn't look over his shoulder.

"I'm not trespassing," he said.

"Yeah, you are. This is the employee's dressing room, and last I looked, you don't work here," she said, testily.

"Are you decent now?" he asked, ignoring her snark.

"Yeah," she said. "That's more than I can say about you!"

He finally twisted around to arch a blond eyebrow at her, but she stuck her snooty nose up at him as she swept her delicate sweater angrily over her head before she rolled it down and then stepped out from behind the locker.

"Who let you in anyhow??" she demanded to know as she snatched out her small black leather purse and swept the long, thin shoulder strap over her head before hanging it off to her right. Then she turned and slammed the locker door shut.

"Some cook. Or dishwasher." He shrugged. Then he raised eyebrows as he asked, "Ready?"

She was about to march right out of there, but she suddenly froze on the spot as her jaw dropped in angry disbelief. "Are you for real??" she cried.

"Yes."

She shook her head in utter disbelief. "I don't believe you," she said before tossing up a hand and letting it drop to her side. "You can't just sneak in here while a person is dressing like it's the most normal thing to do and then pretend like nothing happened! I don't know if you've noticed, but I was practically naked! NAKED!" she snapped while he remained completely unimpressed.

"You don't need to shout, Pup. I have excellent hearing."

"No, no you don't," she said, shaking her head. "In fact, you're pretty deaf, dumb, AND blind!"

He didn't react. He just stood there staring at her.

"Don't you have anything to say about that?!"

"It looks as if you're doing fine all by yourself," he said.

He was being an imbecile. She was so upset with him now she could spit.

"It might not be a big deal where you come from, to just walk in on half-naked girls getting dressed, and for all I know you're used to it, but I'm not used to having guys waltz in on me so it's a huge deal to me!"

"You weren't naked," he calmly pointed out.

"I SAID half-naked! See?" she arched an eyebrow. "You really are hard of hearing."

"Are you through?" he asked, his tone was bored.

"With you?" she honed. "Since day one."

"You're not getting rid of me that easily, Pup," he said.

Her amber eyes blasted. 'Watch me," she gritted through teeth.

"Just as an aside," he calmly said as he checked his clean nails. "I didn't "sneak" in here." He dropped his hand and looked at her with lazily lidded eyes. "They said I could."

"I don't care who said "you could"," she mimicked sarcastically. "But the moment you saw me dressing you should've had the decency to turn tail and leave! That would've been the DECENT thing to do!" And then she stalked for the door as she blasted him with furious golden eyes. "And just so you know, I don't believe you!"

"I've noticed," he merely said. "But I have no reason to lie to you."

"Pfft!" she sneered, tossing up a hand.

She was in NO mood to have a lengthy discussion with him that was going nowhere. So instead, she marched to the door, threw it open, and left the dressing room stalking by the cooks and the dishwasher who all looked curiously at her sour disposition.

"You guys?" she called out at them. "That was not cool!" she said as she marched by them while they stared in stunned silence after her. "Oh don't even pretend you don't know what I'm talking about!" But she didn't wait for a response because she was in no mood for them either, and she quickly left through the back door.

She was seething. She suspected they wanted to play an unfunny prank on her. It was a running joke around the Bastion Burger Joint how prudish she was, so she was sure they wanted to shock the bejeezus out of her by sending in a guy while she was dressing.

Sons of bitches! All of them!

Outside in the short back alley, she tried to angrily slam the door shut, but the damn thing was on hydraulics and she wasn't even given that much. As it slowly came to a close, she threw up her hand in an angry "mea culpa", hurled some choice words at the recalcitrant door, and then snapped around to march out of the alleyway.

But she wasn't even given that!

Danielle let out a shocked gasp as she came to a stumbling halt. To her shock, she spotted none other than Wolfgang standing further down in the alley! He was calmly standing with his back against the wall with the sole of his boot perched back against it while he unwrapped a stick of gum.

She blinked, totally shocked, before she snapped her big eyes over her shoulder at the—still—closing door, then back at him as he watched her silently from bent head while calmly folding the stick of gum against his tongue before he began chewing.

He popped eyebrows. "Ready, now?"

"H-How did you do that??"

"Do ... what?" he asked with dead calm and an unwavering gaze.

She narrowed suspicious eyes on him while turning her head just so as she raised a hand and thumbed over her shoulder. "You were behind me." Then she pointed that thumb his way. "Now you're in front of me. Again, how did you do that?"

He didn't answer. But he had a look as if he were waiting for something to click inside her. And when she realized it, she slowly raised her head on her shoulders with a look of slow dawning on her pretty face.

"I get it..." she said, slowly. "You're a magician, aren't you?"

His eyebrows popped in surprise. "Magician?"

"Or a hypnotist." Then, much like the weather in Florida, her mood changed on a dime. She suddenly looked cross. Her eyes were snapping and her jaw became rigid enough to snap before she marched into his direction while she fixed him with an infuriated glare. "You stay away from me!"

"Is that really what you think? That I'd somehow hypnotized you?"

"Yeah!" she snapped at him as she passed him. "That, or maybe you're one hell of an illusionist, David Copperfield!" she nearly spat as she stalked away. But much to her chagrin, no matter how energetic she was marching, he had the advantage of longer legs and he easily caught up and fell in step with her.

"It's none of the above," he answered.

"Right," she scoffed as they exited the alley and came out to the sidewalk.

"My car's across the street," he said, but she ignored him.

She made a bee-line for the street corner, and once there, stopped and pressed the button for the crosswalk. Then she stubbornly crossed arms, resolute in her decision to ignore him.

He looked at her stubborn face as the morning breeze swept her hair back from her face, and when he saw she felt him looking at her, he watched as she stubbornly looked the other way.

"Maybe you didn't hear me," he said. "I said, my car's across the street."

"I'm happy you know where your car is." Then she looked up at him with a cool look that defied the fire sparking in her brown eyes. She popped eyebrows. "Now that you do, why don't you go to it and leave me the hell alone!"

"Are you still upset because I'd seen you practically naked?" he asked, calmly, but much too loudly.

She gasped before she a panicked look flooded her features and she quickly looked around them before she snapped furious eyes up at him. "Why don't you say it a little louder?" she hissed beneath her breath. "I don't think the people across the street heard you."

The light changed and she angrily turned and crossed the walk with him falling right in step again. She wanted to say something biting mean, but then she realized he had to cross the street, too, in order to get to his beat-up old Porsche—beat up old Porsche?? There was no beat-up old Porsche!

She'd barely stepped up on the curb when she came to an abrupt halt. She couldn't believe her eyes! His Porsche was all fixed up! "Wow. Good job," she said as she admired the sleek, wet-black Porsche parked at the curb.

Wolfgang stopped beside her and briefly gazed at his car before he looked at surprised expression. "I've done a little work on the inside too. Come have a look," he offered and watched as she looked up at him with big eyes for a few seconds before her expression went stormy again. "Why are you upset now?"

"Nice try, but I can't go with you in your car!" she cried beneath her breath as a few pedestrians passed them. She quickly sent them a smile before she took his arm and ignored how his gaze dropped to that act before she pulled him away from the Porsche and close to a wall of a corner florist shop.

"Why not?"

She gazed around them as if checking if the coast was clear before she frowned as she looked up at him. "Look," she began, "not to be rude or anything, and I really do appreciate the offer, but I you know I can't accept it."

"Why?"

"Okay," she drawled. "So you don't know. Anyway," she took a breath, it's simply because I can't be seen with you." She watched as his dark blond brows shot up in surprise. "Face it, you're not exactly the most inconspicuous guy in town, and your Porsche isn't inconspicuous by any stretch of the imagination, all things considered, people will definitely see me with you in it, and that isn't a good idea. That's why," she explained in all earnest.

Unfortunately, Danielle realized he was looking almost stoically again and she got the feeling he didn't understand a word she said. Or rather, he didn't understand what she was trying to tell him.

"Rob's out of town," she explained slowly as if talking to a simpleton. "And think how it would look if I'm riding around town with the most popular guy at the moment—" she abruptly stopped to flash a smile at someone.

He turned his head just in time to see a brunette and a redhead in low hip jeans and tank tops passing as they smiled at them.

"Hey Joanie! Marilyn! This is our new mechanic. He's new in town and needed some directions," Danielle said, nodding.

He watched as the two young ladies smiled flirtatiously and wiggled fingers at him before they continued on their way, but as they walked on they sized him up pretty thoroughly. Danielle smiled at them with hands on her back.

"Joanie! Don' forget to tell your mom her Passat's ready for pick-up today!" she put up a hand and the brunette giggled and nodded as they crossed the street, and when they were finally done with staring at him, she turned her annoyed face to look up at him as he returned his attention back to her. "See?? That's why. I don't want people gossiping about something that isn't true! Stuff like that take on a life of their own and there's no stopping it once it's on a roll."

Then she turned to leave for the bus stop but he stepped around her blocking her way.

"You're afraid your lawyer-boy will hear about it?"

She fixed him with a real cross look as he calmly chewed on his piece of gum while looking down at her through squinted eyes. Then she lifted a slender hand and put finger and thumb close. "I'm this close to getting engaged, and I don't want to blow it." She dropped her hand before her brows went up. "As a matter of fact, his little sister called two weeks ago to tell me that Rob's already bought a ring, that's how important it is that I don't let you screw things up for me."

"Two weeks ago?" he asked curiously.

"Yep." She looked off to her right and smiled at yet another pedestrian and stuck up a hand in greeting before she dropped it. "Two weeks ago." Then she looked up at him and noticed his thoughtful look which made her frown. "What?"

"Why is he waiting so long to give you the ring?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but, last night was our anniversary, and I was thinking he was going to ask me then," she said as she casually looked off, but then she froze with big eyes and panic written all over her face. "Shoot!" she cried and she grabbed his arms and set him between herself and whoever it was she was hiding from.

He frowned down at her panicky face as she stole a peek around his arm and shot back to hide from whoever it was she was afraid of. "What's wrong—?" he made to turn his head to see what it was that got her all panicked, but she was still holding his arms with stiff fingers and tugged to make him stay put.

"Shhh! It's Roberta!" she cried beneath her breath as if he was supposed to know who that was. She didn't really care. She chanced another peek and shot back then looked up at him with panic written all over her face. "She saw me! Shoot! I knew this was a bad idea! Or maybe I got lucky and she hadn't really seen me—"

"Danielle!"

"Okay. She's seen me," she nearly whined. But then she suddenly smiled as she straightened and looked up at him.

Wolfgang knew that smile plastered on her face wasn't meant for him. He felt her drop her hands from his arms before she stepped out from behind him to smile at the tall, slender dark-haired woman with hazel-green eyes coming to them with a man in tow. He arched an eyebrow and looked over his shoulder, seeing the young woman who frightened Danielle so, and he got a curious look in return.

"Hey Roberta! How are you?" Danielle greeted as the young woman and her tall, dark-haired beau in a three piece came to stand by them. Danielle noticed how curiously Roberta was looking as she eyed Wolfgang who, in turn, now moved to face them.

"Hey, Danielle," Roberta said absently.

"Um, this is our new mechanic, Wolfgang. He was lost so I was giving him directions." She nodded.

"Yes. My brother's mentioned you, Wolfgang." Roberta smiled as she offered her slender hand and Wolfgang smiled and took it as he shook it while Darryl, Roberta's husband, smiled and shook Wolfgang's hand as well.

"Your brother?" Wolfgang asked with a charming and curious smile.

"Rob Goldstein. Danielle's boyfriend. I'm sure you've met him, hasn't he, Danielle?" Roberta asked.

"Of course, Roberta," Danielle said a little uncomfortably.

Roberta smiled politely, but her hazel-green eyes seemed focused and very interested in this handsome tall blond mechanic everyone was up in tithers about. "I've heard a lot about you, Wolfgang, but no matter how positive all the gossip has been, it hasn't done you justice. Not by a long shot" She smiled as he returned a polite smile before she looked at an uncomfortably smiling Danielle. "I can imagine why it's so busy at your father's gas station. He's an absolute doll."

"Yep! That's why my dad hired him!" Danielle kept trying to place the emphasis on the employee factor, and when it sounded overdone even in her ears, she laughed a little nervously and swept a shaky hand. "What I meant was, it's been really busy and that's why my dad hired him." She nodded. "Not because he's a doll—n-not that I would notice anything like that, but to use your words," she quickly said and went red in the face as Roberta arched a perfectly waxed brow. "So," Danielle quickly said as she scratched the back of her head. "Have you heard anything from Rob?"

"Hasn't he called you then, darling?"

"No." She shook her head and saw that evil spark in Roberta's hazel-green eyes. It made her a little suspicious, and she got the feeling the woman was holding out on her. "Do you know why Rob hasn't called me, Roberta?"

"If I did, I'd surely tell you, Danielle. You know that," Roberta said, smoothly. "Well, I wouldn't worry too much. If he doesn't call you today I'm sure he will soon enough. He's gone to New York City with daddy to meet with Charles Bringham, right darling?" she asked her husband.

"Yes. That's true. Some last minute meeting regarding Mr. Bringham's estate." Darryl Borenstein nodded as he smiled at his beautiful wife before he looked at Danielle.

"Isn't Babs back from France?" Roberta asked her husband who frowned at her.

"You know she is, Roberta. You phoned her a couple of days ago," he pointed out.

Danielle understood what Roberta was up to. She was trying to break Rob and her up again. That witch! She'd been doing that ever since she discovered Rob would even want to be with the daughter of a gas station owner.

Danielle shot up eyebrows. "Babs Bringham?" Danielle said with a cool tone. "Isn't she engaged to a cousin of the Monaco royal family, or something like that?"

"That's so over." Roberta laughed as she swept a hand down at Danielle. "She'd broken off the engagement with Claude months ago, and she's been back in the States for the past two weeks."

"Really? Months?" Danielle arched a brow but she was smiling.

Roberta nodded with that smile Danielle SO hated. "Really. But isn't it strange you haven't heard from Rob since he left with daddy to meet with Babs' father?"

"No," Danielle said. "Should it be?"

"I don't know, Danielle," Roberta said. "I'd think it was strange if Darryl here went with his father to meet with a man whose daughter he was this close to marrying. But that's just me."

"Yeah well, I'm not that insecure," Danielle said with a sugary-sweet smile. "Besides, our phones have been out, and I don't have a cell phone, so I'm not going to jump to any hysterical conclusions just yet."

"That's true!" Roberta laughed. "Perhaps you should finally look into getting yourself a cell phone. Anyway," she smiled at Danielle, "if you get a chance and call Rob, or if he calls you before that time, please do me a favor and ask him to give my best to Babs." Then she looked at Wolfgang. "Babs and I have always been very good friends."

"Yes, that's why I was so surprised that good ol' Babs had forgotten to send you an invite to her engagement party a few months back." Danielle watched as Roberta's smile soured a little. "But sure, I'll be sure to ask Rob to give her your best," she added with a honey-sweet smile.

"Well, I wish we could sit down somewhere and continue this conversation, but we really have to be going." Roberta looked up at Wolfgang. "It's been quite interesting meeting you, Wolfgang."

Wolfgang nodded.

"Oh, but before I go," Roberta said with the sweetest tone and the fakest look of surprise Danielle had ever seen, "I want to commend you on your self-control."

Danielle arched an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Well, darling," Roberta said with a coquette laugh, "it's obvious you're not the jealous type. I mean, I'd go insane if I knew my Darryl here were off to the Big Apple all weekend meeting with the father of an ex flame of his," Roberta purred as she swept perfectly manicured fingertips under her husband's chin.

He smiled a little uncomfortably. "But to be perfectly honest, Roberta, if anyone should feel uncomfortable, it should be your little brother," Darryl said as he smiled at Danielle who looked a little uncomfortably back. "Especially when she's being accompanied by a man whose reputation precedes him." Darryl smiled at Wolfgang.

"Oh, but I'm not being accompanied by Wolfgang at all! He's just new in town and he got a little lost, and I was just showing him the way to–to–the barber shop. Jason's Barber Shop." Danielle nodded, lying through her teeth. But she wasn't looking at Wolfgang. She was too busy and too desperate not to give Rob's conniving sister a reason to go gossip about something that wasn't true just to rekindle her devious schemes to break her and Rob up.

"Well, don't you worry your pretty little head, Danielle," Roberta purred. "Your secret's safe with us." Then she winked.

But Danielle sputtered in protest, "But there isn't any secret to safeguard!"

"Sure there isn't," Roberta said as she made a zip up motion in front of her lips.

"No, seriously—" but unfortunately for her, Roberta was already walking away, waving her elegant hand as a good-bye to Wolfgang with Darryl in tow.

When Roberta and Darryl were out of eye and earshot, Danielle snapped around and fixed Wolfgang with an infuriated look. "See what I mean??!" She threw up a hand. "First chance she gets she's going to open her fancy phone and call Rob and lie to him that I was with you this morning!" she cried before she marched off.

Wolfgang watched for a few moments before he followed her. "Doesn't sound like your relationship with the lawyer-boy's all that strong if a little gossip can threaten it so easily," he noted.

Danielle stopped and snapped around as she glared up at him.

"His name is Rob, NOT lawyer-boy. For one, he's not a lawyer—yet—and two, he's NO boy! Now stop acting like you're soft in the head and try and remember that, okay? Although I haven't seen any evidence to support it, I'm pretty sure you're smarter than that." She popped upset eyebrows at him. "And for your information, if you were any other guy, Rob would just shrug his shoulders and pay no mind to any stupid gossip, but it's not exactly as if the two of you are on good footing, is it? So yeah. It can bother him if he thinks I'm out with you!" Then she snapped around and marched around the corner toward the bus stop.

To her surprise—and relief—this time he didn't follow.

She dropped herself on the bench in the bus stop shelter, and took out a stick of gum. She broke off bits and pieces, adding to the growing piece in her mouth as she chewed with a troubled frown above her lowered eyes.

To her, it wasn't a good sign to run into Rob's conniving, deceiving older sister who couldn't let go of the fact that her younger siblings had outgrown her. It was worse that she just happened to be with Wolfgang.

Roberta was a bit of a control freak, and she had never approved of Rob and her relationship so seeing her with Wolfgang gave her the ammo she needed to continue her quest to break them up. Roberta believed her brother could do much better than hook up with the daughter of a gas station owner. She was sure their parents thought the same thing although they never mentioned it, but it did stand to reason since Rob was their only son who would one day take over the family firm.