Chapter Text
On Tuesday morning she sat at her desk, enjoying the calm before the storm that was the rest of her busy day. The recent trip to LA had made Mindy reevaluate her life once again. When Danny told her Cliff was lucky to be with her it reignited her self worth and highlighted Cliff's lack of faith in their relationship resulting in a newfound single status. End of the day as Beyoncé says, if you liked it then you shoulda put a ring on it! It also made her take a step back and appreciate the growing attraction between her and Danny.
Here was someone who recognized her value even though she annoyed him with her constant pop culture references. Yes, he was a surly little Italian but he was also caring and chivalrous. And the way he looked at her, oh man! All smouldering, she couldn't decide if it was a figment of her imagination that it seemed as if he was undressing her whilst staring into her soul? Mindy knew she was attracted to Danny and she was pretty sure of the fact that he reciprocated, after all he had told her it was good she looked like a woman, albeit a slip of his tongue.
As she sat imagining Danny's tongue and whether she was over thinking whatever this was between them, Morgan brought in the first of the bucket load of patients she was seeing this morning before the C-section she scheduled mid afternoon. After dealing with an array of problems from morning after pills to panicky overbearing fathers to be, Mindy was happy realizing she had freed up a little extra time so she didn't have to rush her lunch.
"Hey Danny you free for lunch? I can't decide between a chicken sub or noodles from that new truck down the street!" When she looks up from her Instagram feed she notices Danny is already in his leather jacket, filling it rather nicely.
"Hey Min, I didn't realize you were free. I'm actually meeting Stevie for lunch, he's got some big news for me!" Mindy interrupts, "You mean Stefan," with a poke to Danny's arm. He ignores her, "But you can join us, I'm sure he'd be glad to see you!"
Danny winks at her after he blatantly lets his eyes travels to her ass and although she wants to wipe the big grin off his face, Mindy feels the heat travel up her neck allowing herself to appreciate his gaze for just a moment.
To shield her slight blush she makes her way out of his office, "Aww thanks Danny, that's sweet of you but you guys catch up. I think I'll get noodles and head onto the hospital: I don't trust the guy serving but they taste soooo good!" Mindy doesn’t notice how his eyes linger on her backside.
***
When Mindy walks into the doctors lounge that night she is exhausted. One C-section turned into two after another of her patients had turned up and then to top off her killer day she helped Peter with a twin’s delivery. So upon seeing Danny sprawled on the couch with a pack of sour straws her mood significantly brightens.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" She sits next to him and reaches for her candy, "Mrs. Anderson finally gave birth: 3 hour labour, 8lb boy, everyone happy." He makes room for her, with an accommodating arm on the back of the sofa and they both slightly lean toward each other. "You look tired Min," he observes and switches the channel to the Kardashians. It's little gestures like this that make Mindy's heart swell and realize how far they have come, how their bickering had turned into banter and after a long day he just knows that all she needs is some candy and trashy TV. Yep, she was in deep with Danny Castellano. But right now she is too tired to address her feelings and decide on whether to make a move and risk shifting the precarious position of their relationship.
"How was Stefan?" Danny chuckles at this ongoing joke, shifting and sitting a little taller but moves closer to let her continue rest against him. "STEVEN is getting married next month and it's his engagement party this weekend." At this news Mindy sits up too, "Ooooh, Danny that's so exciting! Is there a theme? I'll help you pick out your tux trust me I will pick the perfect one that will match any colour scheme! In fact I'm sure there's one in the look book I made for you!"
Mindy can't help but get excited at the notion of Danny being best man, all suited and booted standing at the altar. But rather than let her mind travel down to meet him at the end of the aisle, she focuses on Danny telling the tale of how Stevie met his bride to be in high school, how they dated on and off and this wasn't a shotgun wedding but really a story of two stubborn people finally getting their act together. Mindy is so engrossed in this little romantic journey, that it isn't until Danny puts a hand on her shoulder that she realizes how much they are in each other's space. It reminds her of the last night she'd spent with him before Haiti, when her glasses had 'schmutz' on them and this made her heart beat faster. "Min," he releases a breath she didn't realize he was holding, "I want to ask you if erm," he clears his throat but holds her gaze and she patiently stares into his dark eyes.
"Oh hello you two!" They're interrupted by Jeremy, "What are you still doing here? You can't possibly have had a worse day than me I tell you, I can't wait to get home I've just had this tosser screaming in my ear the entire delivery about his wife's gas and air!" Mindy laughs at Jeremy's posh accent whilst stealing a glance at Danny. She was sure she saw a look of annoyance flash on his face and was that disappointment? "Danny was just telling me how his best friend is getting married. You remember Stevie, old man Castellano is gonna party with him this weekend!"
Jeremy sits on the smaller chair near Danny and claps him on the back, "Ah well you'll be happy to hear who is coming to see us tomorrow old chap!" Jeremy grins and Danny just stares back. "Brooke's in town, I'm sure she'll accompany you, you two can reconnect!" Jeremy laughs again and wiggles his eyebrows. Mindy is bemused at the slight blush Danny is beginning to exhibit, "Who is Brooke?"
"She's a pharmaceutical rep and Danny's ex girlfriend. Last time she was in town Danny and her..." Before he is able to finish that sentence Danny is up and almost shouting, "She wasn't my girlfriend we just went out that one time ok! Now that's the end of that. I'm going home, you coming Min?" Jeremy just continues to chuckle, "Home eh?" He wiggles his eyebrows again and this flusters Danny even more.
"No I meant we're both tired and erm I, we uh," Mindy giggles enjoying Danny's unease at what Jeremy implied and gets up too, "Ok relax, we all know you're obsessed with me its nothing new but right now I think we should save our Danny jibes for another day!" He smiles at her crookedly and they both bid Jeremy goodnight.
She thinks of Danny's reaction to Jeremy's teasing and about Brooke on the subway ride home, was she an old flame or just a one-time thing like he said? But then she chalks it up to Danny's private nature. And what was he trying to say before he was interrupted? He looked so intense yet vulnerable. But rather than entertain and delve deeper into all these questions Mindy gives into her body's tiredness and goes straight to bed still in her scrubs.
***
Mindy walks into work the next day half an hour late but fortunately she has no patients until after midday. After catching up on some paper work she makes her way to the break room for a cup of tea, when a few minutes later Danny and Jeremy walk in with tall brunette with a pretty face. "Mindy this is Brooke," introduces Jeremy and she shakes her hand and smiles politely.
They chat for a while about some new contraception but she barely listens focusing more on how Brooke stands closer to Danny touching his arm and watches as she bats her eyelashes at him. When she laughs out aloud holding his bicep Mindy's jealousy causes her to drop her cup. Luckily there was hardly any tea left and only the handle breaks off. Danny moves to help her but Mindy moves rather quickly and swipes the mug off the floor, wipes up the spillage, depositing the fragments in the trash and excuses her self.
Sitting in her office, Mindy tries to compose herself and rein in her envy at seeing Brooke all over Danny. When Jeremy mentioned her being Danny's date in the doctors’ lounge, she didn't think much of it but now the thought of her dressed to nines and slow dancing with him just makes Mindy seethe. This just reinforced her feelings for Danny. Not only is he her confidante who makes her all hot and bothered, she wants him all for herself so badly, as more than just a friend.
But did she stand a chance when he had a beautiful old flame up in his business? She's not insecure; she's a young, hot independent woman dammnit! She knows that but is she brave enough to compete, is she brave enough to take a chance that he feels the same? She groans and puts her head down against the desk. However Mindy doesn't have much time to dissect and analyze her emotions because Danny walks in, looking slightly nervous.
"Hey, you ok Min? You left suddenly and you looked a bit weird. What was that?" On the tip of her tongue sit the words, 'like you do right now,' but she plasters on a fake smile. "I'm fine Danny, what's up? Brooke seems nice, very pretty isn't she, I'm sure she'll make all your old Staten friends jealous when you roll in with her to the party!" Mindy is rambling, unable to stop the flow of words and she can't believe what is coming out of her mouth! She begins to rearrange her pens to avoid looking at his face because she thinks she might just cry. “I mean her eyes are really big and pretty, although they’re close together, but she’s so thin and her legs go on forever, you two will really tear the dance floor apart…’
Mindy doesn't realize he's moved closer and is behind her desk until she feels his hand on her shoulder stopping her diatribe and he says, "Yeah you're right but I'd rather take someone much prettier. Someone smoking' hot who knows she has an ass that doesn’t quit!" She can't stop herself from gasping and looking up, meeting his eyes. He's doing it again: he's smouldering and yep he's staring into her soul and simultaneously undressing her and the look on his face is so serious yet cheeky! How can one closed off Italian have so many different expressions at any one time?
"Look I wanted to ask you yesterday Mindy but I couldn't get the words out and then Jeremy came and started to go on about Brooke, but I don't care about her Min!" He looks nervous now, eyes wide and pleading yet he still pulls her up to her feet, places his hands on her hips, moving into her space with an air of confidence. "Come to Stevie's party with me. I know we’ll have fun." Mindy takes a deep breath and asks almost shyly, "You mean as friends or as your date? Are you asking me out Castellano?"
Her heart is beating so fast and when he smiles at her it thumps even faster. "Yeah Mindy as my hot date. I've been trying to ask you out ever since we got back from LA but I was building up the courage," Danny's smile is getting wider and he squeezes her hip, "So what do ya say?" Mindy grins back and looks up through her lashes at him, moving her face towards him, her boldness reappearing but Danny beats her to it, his lips capturing hers.
His tongue is eager, better than she imagined and when he deepens the kiss, Mindy is feeling like she is floating. "Woah!" Danny brings one hand to her cheek and rubs his thumb back and forth across her cheek. "I'll take that as a yes!" This time she is faster and she's on her tiptoes kissing him hard and deep her tongue reaching the roof of his mouth but she doesn't realize where she is until he has her pressed up against the wall of her office, hands running down her body to grasp her hips and ass. Danny presses his body into hers and she can feel him becoming aroused against her upper thigh.
She may have only been familiar with his tongue for all of five minutes, but she already appreciates the way he runs it down her neck and when he lightly bites down and sucks where her shoulder begins she can't help but release a moan. This seems to bring Danny back to reality and he steps back. They both look to his pants at the slight bulge. He rearranges himself and meets her eyes. Mindy feels a grin growing across her face and Danny mirrors her expression.
"So erm," she bites her lip and clears her throat, "That escalated!" He smirks at her, "Yeah," and reaches to smooth her hair, tucking it behind her ear. "You wanna get dinner tonight?"
When she replies that she can't his face falls and he looks to the ground, his forlorn expression breaks her heart, but she moves holding his face to kiss him lightly. "I'm covering Peter's on call shift, I promised him last week. But how about you come keep me company? With some food?" Danny laughs at the mention of food and before he can reply someone knocks on the door and they both jump apart. Morgan is looking for Danny and as he leaves he kisses Mindy on the cheek and tells her he'll see her tonight with some Thai food.
Mindy returns to her desk and debates about whether to go shopping for a new dress for her date in the hour she has remaining. But her mind drifts to Danny's body and how they have unfinished business. Business that could have been resolved tonight if it wasn’t for Peter, dammnit!