Chasing That Desire | Danny Amendola

Chapter 11

** Danny's POV **

"So wait, let me get this straight... You two basically cuddled on the couch... and you were touching her... and you didn't have a massive boner," Julian questioned, blue eyes wide. "What's wrong with you, man?"

I rolled my eyes. "Nothing. Contrary to what you may think, I do have self control. Besides, I was too worried about her. She looked like she was going to throw up. I felt really bad for her," I replied as I slowed the treadmill down.

"Man, you said you were literally massaging her! That doesn't sound like a thing you do with 'just a friend'. You need to tell her how you feel," Julian said as he stopped his treadmill.

I stopped mine, wiped my brow with a towel and shook my head. "I-I don't know Jules. How would I even tell her in the first place? I freaked out the minute we did something other than kiss," I grumbled. "How the fuck am I supposed to ask her out to dinner?"

Julian sighed. "I don't know man. Just like go home tonight and be like 'Hey Juliet, do you want to go to dinner? I've kinda liked you for a while now'. Simple as that, Dola," Jules pointed out as he hopped down and began walking toward the locker room.

I rolled my eyes as I followed him out. "If I told her I liked her I might throw up my guts," I mumbled as we made it into the empty locker room.

Julian rolled his eyes. "You're so over dramatic, Dola. Just grow a pair and fucking do it," Julian shot back at me as he began to strip from his clothes and wrapped a towel around his waist.

I sat back in my locker and shook my head at him. "What if she says no," I asked in a small voice. "I don't think I could handle it."

Julian stopped dead in his tracks. "Please. Like she'd say no. She likes you Dola... Otherwise she wouldn't have let you touch her like you did last night."

He made a good point, but I was still unsure.

***

"Juliet, I'm home," I called out as I closed the front door behind me.

"I'm in the kitchen," she called back.

I dropped my bag on the floor and kicked my shoes off, then rounded the corner into the kitchen. She was sitting at the counter with her laptop out, tying a paper or something.

"Hey," I mumbled as I moved in and sat down next to her.

Her beautiful honey eyes looked over at me as a smile found its way to her face. "Hey Danny, how was your workout with Jules?"

I shrugged. "Not bad. Was the usual. How was your day at work," I asked as I folded my arms and pulled my hoodie closer to me.

"Okay I guess. Full of meetings and a bunch of bullshit, like usual," she replied with a sigh. "I'm so sick and tired of this. Ugh, why do I need to write the article for the Celtics game? I didn't even cover it!"

I chuckled and shook my head. "You feeling better today," I asked after a second.

"Yeah, actually, I am. It's nice to not be in pain right now," she said with a giggle on the end. "Thank you for asking... And thank you for helping me out last night. It meant a lot."

I nodded and smiled. "It was the least I could do. I thought you were going to get sick," I confessed as I moved my hand over and placed it on her hand.

She sighed as she moved her hand so she could grasp mine. "I felt like I was going to get sick, so thank you. Gene never would've done that," she whispered.

Was now the time to ask her? My heart began to pound at the thought.

"Juliet," I said. I mentally facepalmed, it came out a lot louder and awkward than intended.

"Danny." She had a big smile on her beautiful face, and her silky smooth voice was full of sarcasm.

Bile began rising up my throat—I couldn't do this. "What do you want for dinner? I'll happily make whatever you want," I quickly substituted.

She shrugged. "I don't know. You're the one who is on a meal plan, that's up to you, Danny," she replied as she clicked save on her article, then closed her laptop.

I let go of her hand and ran it through my hair as I nervously laughed. "I don't care what I eat today... so you pick, and I'll make it," I shot back at her with a smile.

She rolled her eyes and shoved me in the shoulder. "I'm not picking, Danny! I picked last night," she said with a laugh.

"That's cuz you were sick! Now you're feeling better so you should be able to pick a recovery meal," I told her as I shoved her back.

"Ugh! No, Danny! You pick," she laughed.

"Fine, I'll go in the fridge... take out the first thing I see... And based off of that you can pick what we're having," I persuaded her as I rolled my eyes.

She rolled her eyes in return. "Fine! Cuz it seems that that's the only way we'll decide on something," she grumbled as she leaned against the granite countertop.

I smirked as I made my way over to the fridge. I pulled it open, the first thing I laid my eyes on was chicken. "Okay Jules... Chicken! Now pick something!"

She rolled her eyes. "Chicken Parm?!"

I nodded as I leaned down and grabbed it. "Your wish is my command Ms. Taylor."

***

"Ugh! That was so good, Danny! I didn't know you could cook like that," she mumbled as she leaned back in the kitchen chair and put both of her hands over her stomach. "I'm completely stuffed right now."

I smiled as I took a sip of water from my glass. "Thank you. I didn't think you'd be able to eat all of that... I mean a whole chicken breast, a good helping of pasta... and you ate like all the broccoli that I made! I didn't even get any," I told her with a smile.

She smirked. "I was hungry! Can you blame me!? Maybe I should make you cook more often," she replied.

"You didn't even want me to cook at the beginning of the night though," I teased.

She rolled her eyes. "Maybe you shouldn't have. I'm never leaving now. You're gonna make dinner for me the rest of my life," she joked.

"Awe man!" I laughed as I continued to smile at her.

My heart began to pound again... This... This was the time...

"Juliet," I mumbled quietly, causing the smile on her face to disappear and become a serious one.

"What's wrong, Danny? You've been acting weird... and this is like the third time you've just randomly said my name tonight," she said as her honey eyes looked at me with worry.

"I-I..." I paused as I thought about what Julian said to me back at Gillette. "I-I really like you... and would you maybe wanna go to dinner with me on Friday?" I spoke way too fast.

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What did you just say, Danny? You're speaking too fast." She reached forward and placed her hand over mine.

I sucked in a long breath. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears. "Juliet... I-I," I swallowed the spit gathering in my mouth. "I really like you... I have f-for a while... Will you go to dinner with me on Friday?"