(Part 09 / 12)

“Well, I’m going to go for a walk with Clay,” Anna announced after they had arrived back at the house from dinner and changed out of their nice clothes. She hesitated for a second, and then said, “Daniel, do you want to come with us?”

Daniel didn’t say anything; he just turned and went outside on the deck.

“Is he moodier than most girls or am imagining this?” Matt asked. Sammie elbowed him.

“I’ll be back tonight, definitely,” Anna assured the rest of them, ignoring Matt’s comment and taking one last sad look at Daniel before picking up her bag and leaving.

The others all decided they wanted to split a bottle of vodka, sit on the beach at night, and look up at the stars. Jeff thought this was a good idea, or at least a relaxing one. They were on their way out when Jeff caught a glimpse of Daniel, still standing out on the deck, staring off into the darkness. He suddenly had an idea.

“Jeff, you coming?” Lex asked, yanking his arm. He handed her the vodka bottle he’d taken from his grandfather’s cabinet.

“Yeah, I’m coming, I’ll be there in a bit, don’t wait for me,” he said, shrugging off her arm.

She followed Jeff’s gaze out the door. “Bad idea,” she said, “He’s just gonna get mad.”

“He’s mad half the time anyway. And besides, I kind of owe him a favor.”

Lex had trouble hiding her shock. “You do?”

“Kind of.”

“What favor?”

“Remember when I asked Kate out after that whole mess with Chris?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, that was mostly Daniel’s fault.”

“But Kate’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you –”

“And if it wasn’t for him I probably would have let her go,” Jeff said. Lex wrinkled her nose. “Hey, I’m not happy about it either. But you know, it’s strange, after all these years…I dunno, he’s not really friendly or anything, but he’s not a bad guy.”

“Yeah,” Lex said with a smile, “I secretly like him too.”

Jeff grinned. “We must have been separated at birth or something. We’re the same person. It’d explain my hair if I was actually Irish.”

Lex giggled and was about to say something when Fred called for her. She turned back to Jeff and tossed a look through the glass door at Daniel. “All right, go talk to him. Come find us when you’re done.”

“I will.”

Jeff waited to make sure everyone was gone before sliding the door open and stepping out next to Daniel on the deck. Daniel was leaned over the railing, and Jeff hadn’t seen it before but he was drinking out of a bottle of scotch. Daniel must have left it out there from earlier this afternoon.

“You like that stuff now, huh?” Jeff asked, leaning against on the railing.

“I like the burn,” Daniel shrugged. “It’s all right once you get used to it. What are you doing out here Delricci? Shouldn’t you be frolicking with Red on the beach with the others?”

Jeff smirked. “Frolicking? I don’t frolic, thanks. I don’t actually know what I’m doing out here. But you’ve been moping around all day and I’m sick of it.”

Daniel glared at him. “What the hell would you know about it? It’s none of your business what I do,” he snapped.

“You want to come drink vodka and hang out with us?” Jeff asked.

“No. I spend enough time watching you all act like children during the day.”

Jeff shrugged. “Whatever. I came out here to say this much: quit being an indecisive son of a bitch and just do something already. Take her out, end it, I don’t care, but don’t do nothing. Anything’s fucking better than sitting here watching you be pathetic. You like each other, for some God forsaken reason I don’t understand. Be a man and do something about it. So what your friend is pissed at you for a while? He didn’t care when he did it to you. So fucking go for it and leave the rest of us in peace.”

Daniel looked at him suspiciously. “That’s what I said to you before you hooked up with Red,” he muttered.

“Yeah, I know,” Jeff shrugged. “It was actually the best advice I ever got.”

“This is a fantastic trip down memory lane,” Daniel sneered, “But it doesn’t even apply in this situation –”

“Yes, it does,” Jeff said simply. “Well, not all of it. But some of it. Sure, Anna’s got a crush on this guy, but she loves you. She’s coming back tonight. And when she does, you’ve got the rest of the night to show her why you’re the right choice. Do something about it.”

“Don’t tell me what to do,” Daniel growled. He looked a mix of defiant and skeptical.

“It’s just a suggestion, take it or leave it,” Jeff shrugged. “But you should know that when she came out of the water the other day, she wasn’t asking for some stranger she didn’t know, or me, or Chris or any of her friends. She was asking for you.”

“She asked for me?” Daniel asked, sounding surprised.

“Yeah, for some God forsaken reason I don’t understand,” Jeff grinned. “Listen, DeRienzo, I know we’re not close but we’re on the same team here.”

“What do you mean?”

“You think I want that dope in the city, hanging around where Kate and Sammie can giggle about him all the time?”

Daniel smirked. “You wouldn’t have this problem if you could attract women like I can.”

“I get my fair share of women, don’t worry too much,” Jeff said, looking out at the ocean. “I like Kate best, though,” he added. Admitting this to Daniel probably wasn’t the greatest idea, but Daniel was so good at reading people that he probably already knew it anyway.

“I figured. Why else would you put up with her insanity?” Daniel asked with his usual arrogance.

“I’m actually a masochist,” Jeff said seriously.

Daniel snorted with laughter. “Nice. The secret life of Jeff Delricci.”

“Next thing you know I’ll be on the internet in one of those leather outfits being whipped for my own enjoyment,” Jeff shrugged.

“Don’t expect me to watch that crap. I’m a girl-on-girl porn kind of guy,” Daniel grinned.

Jeff chuckled, “I won’t tell Anna.” He opened the deck gate at the top of the stairs. “The others are waiting for me so I’m gonna go. I just wanted to…whatever this was.”

Daniel nodded. Jeff had taken a few steps when Daniel said, “Hey Jeff?”

Jeff stopped, waiting for the insult he’d actually been expecting, even if it was a little late. “What?”

“Red likes you best too. And O’Leary…Fred couldn’t have picked anybody better for himself,” Daniel said seriously.

Jeff turned and looked back up the stairs. He got the message. “Yeah,” he nodded, “You’re welcome.”

He left to go hang out with the others on the beach. He hoped Daniel made the right choice.