The Pilot

Chapter Ten

Someone caught her eye...

Danielle jumped back in to the car, panic starting to set in. She could feel her heart beating in her throat, her palms were sweaty. She took a deep breath telling herself to get it together.

She turned her head again in the direction Stefania had just walked. The front of the building was bustling with people but Danielle could just make out the lobby from where she was sitting. She watched as the tall brunette made her way inside. She sat there in shock with wide eyes as her worst fears were confirmed. She watched as her new boss stood there shaking hands with the past that Danielle had worked so hard to forget.

Sure, the woman currently greeting Stefania was older and had more grey hair than Danielle remembered but she'd recognise that face anywhere. "Paula" Danielle sighed. She wasn't sure how long she'd sat there just gazing into space and she hadn't realised the tears that had been coursing down her cheeks until a passerby tapped the glass window to ask if she was ok. She pulled herself together and started the car. The engine roared into life and she drove off. 

She didn't know where she was driving to, she just knew she wanted to get as far away from that building as possible. "I need a drink" she thought to herself. After a while she pulled over and came to a stop. She looked up and was stunned by where she was. She went to get out the car but stopped herself. "Danielle, what are you doing? You need to pick Stefania up in a couple of hours. You can't go drinking just now!" She spoke to the empty car. She let out a frustrated scream and punched the steering wheel a few times. She opened her eyes and looked up. She couldn't believe that her subconscious had brought her here. The old building looked the same, like it was stuck in time, a time Danielle would sooner rather forget.

Just then, Danielle saw a man climbing a ladder to remove the neon "DeLuca's" sign. He let it fall, landing on the ground beneath him, shattering into a thousand pieces. The noise brought two other men running out from the bar. Danielle gasped and sunk down in her seat not wanting to be seen. She watched as the three men had a very heated conversation. One of the men, who was dressed in a very expensive looking suit seemed to be the one calling all the shots. He was handsome but had an air of arrogance about him Danielle thought. The other man, had grown up a lot but still had the same goofy smile that Danielle remembered him having as a teenager. He clearly had taken care of himself. His body was muscular and his thick dark hair was immaculate as always. He looked good standing there in his tight white shirt, dark jeans and black boots. Danielle continued to watch as the workman started to hang a new sign on the front of the building. It was big and it was flashy and it said... "BarBella".

"BarBella? Where have I heard that name before?" Danielle wondered aloud. Then she remembered, that's what Kevin had said the name of Cooper's new bar was. "Oh no, no, no this cannot be happening" she groaned. She watched for a few minutes longer until the younger of the three men was left outside on his own. She couldn't believe what she was about to do but she took a deep breath, checked herself out in the mirror and climbed out the car. 

"What are you doing standing there?" She shouted to the dark haired man. "I thought you were supposed to be working hard but I show up to find you hardly working instead" she continued with a grin and a laugh. The man looked up and couldn't believe his eyes. "Danielle?!" he screamed and ran to her lifting her off her feet and spinning her round in the air! "What are you doing here? Why didn't you get in touch and tell me you were going to be here?!" He was still spinning her round in circles. "Andrew" she giggled. If you put me down, I might be able to tell you. He stopped his spinning and put Danielle back down on her feet. "Hi" he said looking into those blue eyes that he'd missed so much. He gave her a hug so big, she thought he would squeeze all the air out of her lungs. "OK, OK, let me go" she laughed. 

"God, Danielle, you look so good". He grinned at her, taking her hand and squeezing it gently. They both just stood there lost in the moment, lost in each other's faces. The were quickly brought back from the moment by a voice behind them. "Hey DeLuca - get in here. We have still have paperwork to go through."  "DeLuca?! Andrew, your name isn't DeLuca. It did however used to be mine so would you care to explain what the hell is going on?" Danielle asked, now more confused than ever."Um.. let's go inside and I'll explain everything." He said, taking her hand and leading her inside the bar. 

Walking through the door, Danielle was suddenly hit with a wave of emotion. The place was exactly the same as it was the last time she was there. The tables sat in the exact same places, the same old posters of Italy hanging on the wall. It even still had the same smell of dried liquor lingering in the air. She didn't know whether to smile or cry.

"DeLuca, about time. Your girlfriend's hot" The man in the suit from earlier said giving Danielle a look that made her feel uncomfortable. "Uh, Cooper this is Danielle. She's not my girlfriend. She is however, my oldest and dearest friend in the world." "Well in that case, it's a pleasure to meet you Danielle" Copper said as he extended his hand to her. She shook his hand out of politeness but couldn't stop the chills in her body when she felt his thumb rub the back of her hand. "So Andrew, are you getting me drink or what then?" She turned her attention back towards her friend. "Yeah of course. One Old Fashioned coming right up" He grinned at her. "Oh you better just make it a coffee. I need to go pick my boss up when she calls. That's her car that's parked out front". "Ok then - One Deluca special latte coming right up then" He winked as he made his way to the bar. 

Danielle watched as he stood brewing her coffee. He was no longer the skinny 15 year old that she left behind. He had grown up, she could see that. He was a man now. He was also apparently the man that was signing her family bar over to this man that Stefania had a past with. Danielle didn't know what was going on but she knew she had to get to the bottom of it.