Author's note - this is kinda long for a one-shot, but too short for a multi chapter, oh well. Plus I didn't want to write anything that would go past the next episode cuz I'm sure I will want to start fresh... with the potential, ahem, inspiration that the episode is sure to provide!
"Heeyyyyy, Danny..."
Danny looked up from his piles of files to see Mindy standing in his doorway, hanging on the jamb and peeking up at him through her lashes.
Her posing and tone of voice meant only one thing. Mindy was going to ask him a favor, undoubtedly one that he would refuse at least twice before relenting. It was almost comical how easily he would accede to her requests, and every time, he swore it was the last. So far, she'd made a liar of him again and again.
Danny gave the tiniest of nods in her direction and she bounded into the room. Expecting her to sit down, he readied himself for her barrage of whining and pleading. He squeezed his eyes shut as he stretched and twisted in his chair. Swinging to the left, he caught Mindy across the midsection, as she had scampered to his side of the desk.
"OOOF!" Mindy stumbled backwards, doubled over, dropping a bunch of papers. Danny leapt from his chair and grabbed at her, and she swung her arms to ward him off.
"Jesus! Danny! Are you trying to kill me? I'm very delicate!"
"Sorry! I didn't... Why don't you warn a person?"
"Warn you that you were going to knock me over? Oh Danny, I'm so sorry I forgot to tell you your giant arms were flailing out of control!" Mindy huffed and took a chair.
"I was stretching..." Danny mumbled, picking up the papers Mindy dropped and flipping through them. "What is this stuff Mindy? Real estate listings? Are you making a career change?"
"I'm thinking of buying a house, Danny, that's why I wanted to talk to you." Mindy rubbed her torso and pouted. She hadn't even begun her appeal and was already posturing, so Danny knew this was going to be a whopper.
He scowled to hid his grin and glanced up at her. "You own your apartment. Why do you want a house now?"
"It's just something I'm thinking about" Mindy grabbed at the papers and Danny held them just out of her reach.
"Geez Mindy, if you can afford these places, we're paying you too much!"
"Um hello, Danny, I am a partner, not your employee, so shut it. It's an investment."
"Yeah, because nobody ever loses money in real estate." He scoffed.
"Thank you for the concern, Warren Buffett, but I have very valid reasons to consider buying a house. I can lease it out, or use it for weekend trips... and maybe I would live there. Someday." Mindy's voice took on a dreamy quality. "I'm not raising kids in the city, Danny... I want a place with a yard, a neighborhood... You know, white picket fence, the whole American dream."
Danny rubbed his hand over his face, holding it over his eyes a moment, then lowering it to hold his chin. He swallowed the lump in his throat that had formed as he watched her wistful expression. Mindy talking about things like raising children turned his insides into knots. He caught himself gazing at her a second before Mindy did.
"What? What's that look for?" Mindy frowned. Danny shrugged and looked back at the papers.
"So what do you need me for?" Danny asked, kicking himself for the choice of words. Mindy needing him was pretty high on the list of things that gave him a reason to wake up every morning.
"Well, I want to go look at some of these places tomorrow. I have an agent ready and we can go in the morning and..."
"Nope." Danny shook his head and pushed the papers across his desk at her.
"Danny! I wasn't even finished! I'll buy you lunch, and..."
"Nope." He leaned back in his chair and lazily grinned at her.
Mindy humphed and crossed her arms. "Danny. You always say no and you always give in. Why do we have to play this game?" She put her hands on the desk and leaned forward. "Just give me what I want and stop trying to resist me." She smiled devilishly at him. "You are powerless, Daniel Castellano!"
She spoke the truth. He would give her anything she wanted, as much as it killed him to admit it.
"Fine. Whatever." Danny exhaled and rubbed his face again. "But you are buying me lunch, Lahiri."
"Thank you, Danny!" Mindy leapt up and ran up behind Danny's chair, wrapping her arms around him from behind. "Thank you! Thank you!"
Danny tried to wriggle free of her grasp, but Mindy held on, squealing her thanks into her ear. As he pulled away, looking at her with feigned disgust, she planted a kiss on his cheek and murmured her thanks one more time, lips moving slowly on his skin, sending his synapses firing in overdrive .
Danny froze. Exuberant Mindy, he could handle, but this... this was too much. Just the feeling of Mindy's warm body pressed against his back was doing things to him that were highly inappropriate, but her breathy voice pushed him over the edge. He turned his head towards her and for a moment she was frozen too, their eyes locked, just inches between them. Mindy sucked in her breath and pulled away, cheeks a little pinker than normal, and Danny finally exhaled.
"So... I've got a car rental arranged... If you're good to drive?" Mindy sauntered back around the desk and collected her paperwork.
Danny was still a little flustered, so he just nodded and waved her off. Mindy walked towards the door, pausing for a minute and looking back at him as he avoided her eyes and tried to look busy. She bit back a smile. He looked up at her with an exasperated expression and she bolted away. He couldn't help but smile too.
The next morning, Danny showed up at Mindy's almost an hour early, breakfast sandwiches and coffee in hand. Mindy wouldn't have let him in otherwise. She grumbled about her lack of clothing and makeup, neither of which Danny had any complaints about. She was just as bewitching to him when she was bare faced in a terry cloth robe, maybe even more so than when she was all dolled up.
It was going to be a long day. Mindy gobbled her sandwich and abandoned Danny while she showered and dressed, so he casually poked around her kitchen and living room. There were no surprises - Mindy's fridge was nearly empty and her magazine rack full to bursting. Danny was already having reservations about this trip. He had told himself he was just helping out, that he wanted to keep her from making an expense impulse buy, but honestly, he just wanted to spend the time alone with her. That was terrifying to him, and yet, he relished the thought.
Finally Mindy emerged from her lair, dressed casually to match Danny in jeans and a sweatshirt, just a light application of makeup. Danny felt stupidly happy to see her and covered it by gruffly complaining about the wait. Mindy wasn't fooled. She was used to Danny's false bravado, and the dichotomy between his words and the way his eyes lit up when he saw her gave her a flutter in the pit of her stomach. He was doing that to her a lot lately, making her feel things she was reluctant to accept, things she was scared of feeling. Things she thought he might be feeling too.
A half hour later they were on their way in a beige rental sedan. Danny wasn't exactly a confident driver but traffic was light at the early hour and he maintained his cool pretty well. Mindy chattered the whole drive but she was trying harder to actually converse instead of simply rattling on about her favorite topics. Danny found it impressive.
They met with the agent who resembled a castoff from one of those "Real Housewives" shows. She seemed a little put off by the casual outfits her clients were wearing, since they would be touring million dollar mini-mansions. That annoyed Danny and he really wanted to make a comment, but Mindy seemed like she hadn't noticed, so he kept quiet.
They began the tour by piling into the agents Mercedes, Danny taking the back seat, barely suppressing the scowl that wanted to form on his face. Mindy and the agent, Barb, discussed window treatments and various types of tile. Barb explained a home buyer needs to decide on the things that were must-haves, things that they wanted but could compromise, and things that they would prefer to avoid.
Danny was thrilled to get to the first house just to get out of the car.
It was a nice place that left Danny cold, but as expected, Mindy was in love. She gasped in awe at the vaulted ceilings and huge windows, squealed at the vast bedroom with huge walk in closets, and swooned over the fabulous jet spa tub. She would have undoubtedly placed an offer instantly, but Danny jumped in to ask some questions.
"Barb, this place has been on the market six months, and the sellers actually raised the price last month. I can't see any comparables in this price range - it looks like it's about a quarter million over market. What's the story?"
Both the agent and Mindy gaped at him. Barb muttered something about new flooring in the kitchen, but Danny kept asking questions. When was the sewer line replaced? How old is the roof? The windows, are they single or double pane? Barb answered all the questions with a forced smile.
"Min, let's look at the next place, OK?" Danny grabbed her elbow and steered her towards the door.
"Danny! How did you know all that, about the comparables and stuff?" Mindy was flummoxed.
Danny shrugged it off. "Ah, just looked it up on the Zillow app, and did a few Google searches."
"Danny. You've had that smartphone almost a year and I've never seen you so much as take a photograph. How did you figure out apps?" Mindy was grinning, highly impressed.
"I finished at the top of my class in med school, Mindy. I think I can handle a little phone." He cut a quick sideways look at her, as she beamed a huge smile in his direction. "Just never had a reason to bother..." He ducked into the agent's car to avoid further scrutiny.
The next house went almost the same way - Mindy agog at the gorgeous styling, and Danny pointing out the potential issues. "This one was sold three months ago and is back on the market with a 40% price bump. Looks like a flip. See these floors? Cheap laminate that looks like the good stuff. And the cabinets, bargain stuff with fancy hardware."
The next house had high HOA fees; the one after that, Danny pointed out cracks in the foundation. By the fifth house, Barb was rolling her eyes and pointing out potential issues all in her own. She politely suggested they reevaluate their must-haves and wants, now that they have seen an example of the market, and she would be in touch when she had some more potentials to look at.
"But next time, Mindy..." Barb whispered as Danny went to collect the car. "Leave the boyfriend at home!"
Mindy started to correct her, then decided not to bother. She joined Danny and suppressed her laughter.
"What?" Danny frowned at her from the drivers seat.
Mindy chortled. "I think you bummed Barb out with all your knowledge!"
"So? She's just trying to sell you something you don't need so she can make her commission. She should be bummed out that you're not a sucker." Danny said, sounding rather self satisfied.
"Yeah she said next time, leave the boyfriend home." Mindy looked over to gauge Danny's reaction. He just stared straight ahead, pausing before replying. "Yeah?" Mindy nodded, still giggling.
Danny drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as they waited at a light. "You know, if I was the boyfriend..." He glanced back at Mindy and waited a beat, his eyes flitting up and down appraisingly. "I'd expect a hell of a lot more than just lunch for this." A crooked grin slid across his face and he turned back to the road.
Mindy felt her face heat up from a wicked blush. Danny had never made such a blatant innuendo before - the most brazen he had gotten was his suggestion she wear the wine bra regularly. For once, she found herself without a snarky comeback. In fact, she had no words at all.
Danny felt a little taken aback himself - it wasn't like him to blurt out his thoughts, but he was tired and hungry, and spending all day with Mindy had caused his walls to come down a little.
Changing the conversation, he suggested a restaurant they had passed on the way to meet the agent and she quickly agreed.
They had a quick, quiet lunch at a diner as Mindy pored over her photos and notes she had on each house. Even with the issues Danny had pointed out, they all had attractive qualities, but none were just right.
"Sorry you didn't find what you were looking for, Min." Danny fidgeted a little and played with the drawstrings of his hoodie as they walked back to the car. Mindy was fiddling with her phone and barely acknowledged him.
"Danny, can we make one more stop? There's an open house somewhere around here, and it's For Sale By Owner. I heard you can get good deals that way."
Danny didn't even try to argue. He just pulled out the paper map he had brought and asked Mindy for the address. Mindy gawked at him. "Danny, this car has a GPS! Just use that! You're the tech master now, right?" She snickered.
"What, this map is fine. I didn't learn how to use every piece of electronic equipment for you."
He caught his words and looked at Mindy to see if she had too. She was biting her lip and smiling at him.
"I mean, I didn't learn the phone thing for you, I mean, I had it, I just, I figured I would try it... Shut up. " Danny looked down and the map, smiling.
Mindy smirked as she used her phone and mapped the open house for him, saying in a singsong voice "You can learn the map app, it is not a crap app." That earned a truly disgusted look from Danny.
When they found the place, it was obviously not in the same league as the shiny, newer McMansions they had been touring. It was a cute, older Colonial, with a huge green lawn and lush flower beds. The paint was aged but decent condition, and it had a new looking roof.
"This doesn't look like your style, Min. You really wanna go in?" Mindy nodded. "We came all this way, why not?"
They were greeted at the door by a pleasant older woman. If this was a sit com, she would be the hip, wisecracking Granny who baked a mean apple pie. Both Danny and Mindy were charmed instantly. She showed them around the house, which was decorated with lovely antiques and tons of photos on the walls.
"We've owned this place over 40 years." Explained the owner Maureen. "We... My husband Michael passed away last year. I raised four kids here, but it's too big and empty now that they are all grown."
She showed them around the house, which was clearly well maintained and loved, but not flashy or modern. "Michael was a wonderful Dad. He was busy, and we were never rich, but we had enough. So the house hasn't really been updated, aside from necessities..." She shrugged her shoulders. "Folks today want granite counters and stainless appliances. This place, it has good bones. These floors are hand scraped hickory, they should last another 40 years!" She pointed out the dual pane windows replaced a few years back, the newer plumbing, and other solid features.
Mindy was remarkably quiet during the tour, but she had a look of wonder on her face. Maureen finished by showing them the backyard. "OK, I'm going to leave you two alone for a little while. Feel free to look around, and come find me if you have questions." She smiled at them sweetly. "I sure would love it if this place went to a nice couple like yourselves. You remind me of when Michael and I were first married, before we started our family."
Both Mindy and Danny started to correct her, then stopped, looking at each other and quickly looking away. Too much bother to explain this, thought Danny. Mindy just smiled to herself.
"Let's go back upstairs." She said to Danny, almost reaching for his hand then thinking better of it. Whatever was going on needed to be dealt with, just, not right now. They peeked back through the bedrooms - a nice sized master with attached bath, a smaller room next to it that Maureen had explained was the nursery but was later converted to her hobbies room, and the guest rooms which had once been the children's.
Mindy returned to the master suite and looked out the bay window which opened into the vast back yard. There was still a swing set, long since abandoned by time, with which clearly Maureen could not stand to part. Danny stood by the closet, pretending to inspect the hinges on the door.
"Danny. What do you think of this place?" Mindy sat down on the bed, folding her hands in her lap, expecting Danny to join her. He complied, taking a spot on the folded quilt beside her.
"It's... nice. Cozy." He was hesitant. Mindy grabbed his forearm and squeezed.
"I really like it, Danny. I mean, I totally thought it would be an old dump, but it's... it feels..."
"Like a home." Danny finished for her.
"Yes! I mean, it needs some new decor, but it's so inviting, and I just feel this energy here, nothing like those other houses."
Danny looked at her hand, still clutching his arm, then back at Mindy's shining eyes. "It's not like those places. It's warm, and they were... cold. They were all looks, no heart. Nobody lived in those houses." He looked away, feeling a strange sense of longing. "I can see you here, Min. I can see you with a couple of little terrors, and a dog, and they're tracking in mud and you're yelling at them, but not really."
Mindy was so touched by Danny's little speech that she could hardly breathe. It wasn't that long ago he had mocked her hopes for a family, which had crushed her at the time. She blinked back tears and tried to deflect these feelings with humor, as was her defense mechanism.
"Well, I hope you see a gainfully employed husband in the picture somewhere too!" She said jokingly, bumping Danny's shoulder. He laughed and bumped her back.
"Hey! Danny you almost knocked me off the bed!" She giggled, sliding back closer to him, then she threw herself backwards to lie down. Danny leaned back on his elbows.
"This is just such a nice, cozy place. I can see myself here on the weekends, sleeping in on a Sunday morning, rain is falling..."
"Isn't that a Maroon 5 song?"
"Wait, what?! Did you just recognize a pop song reference?" Mindy's jaw dropped. "First the smartphone, now this? Who are you and what did you do with my Danny?" She rolled towards him, playfully pushing his shoulder.
"I like them, they're jazzy..." He muttered bashfully. My Danny. His ears were ringing from those two little words. God, how he wanted that to be true. Mindy rolled back laughing, forgetting she was close to the edge, and started to slip. Danny instantly reacted by grabbing her waist and pulling her back, a little too hard, pulling her against his body protectively. She clung to his bicep to steady herself.
"Careful..." Danny said under his breath, not sure if he was saying it to Mindy or himself. She was too close, laying almost beneath him, her hip against his groin. She looked up at him and he found himself devastated by how gorgeous she looked, slightly flushed, breathless, her hair spread out against the mattress. His fingers were splayed against her waist, feeling the warm skin that was exposed as her sweatshirt had ridden up. He was overwhelmed with the desire to run his hand under the fabric and explore her skin further.
Mindy's expression did nothing to dissuade him of this notion. Her lips were slightly parted and her pupils dilated, causing his pulse to race. He realized almost giddily that he was about to kiss this woman on a guest bed in a strangers house, and how insane was that, when Maureen's voice lilted up the stairs and broke them apart. They almost leapt off the bed, briefly glancing at each other guiltily, as the older woman walked in.
"How are you two doing? Can I get you something to drink?" She appeared in the doorway smiling. Mindy and Danny joined her in the kitchen and sipped ice tea while Mindy asked questions about Maureen's family.
"I have to tell you, I really like this house. I know I'm not supposed to say that. Danny says it will hurt my bargaining position." She grinned at Danny, who just waved a hand and made a face. He was still trying to recover from what had nearly happened upstairs.
"But I just... I really like it, Maureen."
"I'm glad, Mindy. Oh! I completely forgot!" Maureen rose and gestured to Danny. "I didn't show you the garage! Michael made a gorgeous custom work area. He was really into woodworking when he retired "
"Oh... That's OK, Maureen. I don't think Mindy is going to be doing any carpentry..."
Maureen looked confused. "Well, no, but..." She looked back and forth from Mindy and Danny quizzically.
"Danny is... my friend, Maureen. We work together, and he's helping me find a house. Though I wouldn't turn him down if he wants to make me a new dining room table!"
"Oh... Well, you should still see it, Mindy..." Maureen ushered Mindy towards the door, and gave a glance back at Danny. "You, too." She said with a wink.
After one more go around the house, mainly so Mindy could take photos from every angle, the pair headed out. Mindy was practically buzzing with excitement. Once they were on the road, Mindy busied herself sorting through the pictures and regaling Danny with her impressions of each room.
"Oh gosh, Danny. This is so crazy. I know they say not to make an offer on the first place you see... but it wasn't really the first, right? Just the first day... but I've only been even thinking of buying a place for a few weeks." Mindy shook her head as if to clear her thoughts.
"I don't know, Min. You seem to really want this place."
"I think I do, Danny!"
"Well... You want something that badly, you need to make a move. Don't spend too much time thinking about it. Otherwise..." Danny looked at Mindy for a moment. "You might lose your shot."
Mindy watched Danny's face. "Wise words, Dr. Castellano. You should write fortune cookies."
"Yeah, yeah." He grinned.
"So is that what you do when you want something, Danny? Don't overthink it, just act? Because that doesn't sound like you." Danny waited before he replied. He had a feeling Mindy wasn't talking about the house anymore.
"Maybe I'm turning over a new leaf."
Mindy snorted. "Yeah, we'll see." She went back to her flipping through her photos. After a few minutes of silence, Danny glanced over and saw she had fallen asleep.
By the time they arrived at Mindy's apartment it was dusk and Mindy had awakened with a yawn. Danny couldn't tear his eyes off her as she moved lazily, stretching her arms over her head, arching her back.
"Hey. It's too late to return the car now, so I'll just take it home and drop it off in the morning. Unless I can't find a parking spot... I guess I'll just drive around the block all night."
"Danny, just park it there!" Mindy pointed to a spot near her building. "I want you to come in, anyway."
"I'm exhausted, Min. I'll change your lightbulbs another time, OK?"
"Shut it. That was just the one time and I can change the bulbs, I just couldn't unscrew the fixture!"
"Then what do you want me for?" Danny asked as he pulled in the spot.
"Can you just look over my agents contract? I need to know if I have to use her if I make an offer."
"What? I don't... I'm not a legal... eagle... ok fine."
Danny followed her into her apartment and shut the door. Mindy proceeded to the couch where she sat and untied her shoes, slipping them off quietly.
Danny waited, watching her, but she seemed to have forgotten he was there.
"Uh... Min. The paperwork?"
She pulled the elastic from her hair, fluffing it out and running her fingers through it, and then just looked at him blankly.
"Paperwork?" She said, walking towards him, stopping just in front of him. Without heels, she was significantly shorter than Danny, and she peered up at him with a shy smile.
"Yeah, your contract thingy. You wanted me to look it over?" Danny was rattled by her proximity. They were alone... In her apartment... This was dangerous territory and Danny was having trouble keeping his guard up.
Mindy made a face. "That's... silly. What do you know about contracts?" She pulled one arm, then the other, loose from her sweatshirt sleeves, and then pulled it over her head, dropping it in the floor at their feet. She just had a thin French cut tee shirt underneath. Danny could see a scattering of goosebumps on her tawny skin. He felt heat in his face, and in his belly. Swallowing hard, his mouth suddenly dry, he barely spoke above a whisper. "That's why you had me come in... Mindy. Why are you taking off your clothes?" His voice cracked.
"Why aren't you taking off yours?" She bit her lower lip and reached for the zipper on his hoodie, tugging it down his chest. Danny stared at her wide eyed.
Mindy suddenly got cold feet and tried to backpedal. "Danny, I'm just kid..." She couldn't finish the sentence because Danny had reached for her, pulling her face towards him, and captured her mouth with his lips. She found herself responding eagerly, wrapping her arms around his waist, when he pulled away.
"Did you say you were just kidding?" He asked her in a panicky tone, as the words had registered a moment too late.
"I thought you were freaking out, Danny!"
"I am freaking out!"
"You said if I want something, I should make a move!" Their voices were escalating in volume almost to the point of yelling.
"I meant the house!"
"I meant you!" Mindy shouted.
"Me? You... you want me?" Danny asked her with trepidation.
"You couldn't tell that from the kiss, Danny?" Mindy pushed his chest with both hands. "You couldn't tell from my sorry excuse to get you up here? Do I have to tattoo it on my forehead?"
A grin spread across Danny's face. "Yeah, right next to idiot. To match mine." He grabbed her by the hips and pulled her against him, trapping her mouth once more with his. She slid her hands up his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Danny trailed kisses down her throat and she murmured something in his ear. He pulled back slightly.
"What was that, Min?"
"I said you are powerless, Daniel Castellano. You finally wised up and quit trying to resist me."
He laughed into her neck. "You got that right."