Author's Note: Post-Christmas Party Sex Trap but we're assuming that things with Mindy and Cliff have already fizzled out.
"C'mon, you have to come out with us tonight, Danny." Mindy could hear a tinge of whining in her voice and she hoped it wasn't obvious to the rest of the office. They were all making last minute plans to go out to a new club for New Year's Eve and as usual, Grandpa Castellano was dragging his feet about agreeing to come out and be social. Ever since the Christmas party, he'd seemed reticent to spend time with Mindy outside of the office. Rather than stress herself out around the holidays and overanalyze his behavior, she chose the adult route – ignore a problem until it goes away!
"Dr. C, the night just won't feel complete with you. And we know you love to dance. Like we could forget the way you shook your Italian sausage at the club last year when Mindy met Josh." Ugh, did Morgan really have to take it there? "Can we not, Morgan? I'd prefer to forget about that dark time in my life." And besides, Mindy had much more recent memories of Danny's dancing skills to focus on, memories that were seemingly burned on to her retina ever since the Christmas party. It wasn't so much his dancing skills that had stood out, but the peaceful and carefree look on his face while dancing. It was like a door had been opened and she was finally glimpsing at the real Danny Castellano.
"Why do you need me to go anyway? Tamra has Ray-Ron, Morgan will be in the bathroom earning tips, Jeremy and Betsy will be… well, you know, and Mindy, you've probably invited Cliff, right?" Something in the tone of Danny's voice told Mindy that he was fishing for information. "Nah, we went on a date after the Christmas party and things just kinda fizzled. I think that once I got over the initial excitement of succeeding at my man trap, I realized there weren't any sparks between us." She gave Danny a meaningful look and held his gaze for a moment too long.
Danny sighed and threw his hands up in the air. "Fine! I give in. Mindy, I'll be at your apartment at 8pm so we can share a taxi to the club."
As she put the finishing touches on her mascara, Mindy heard a knock at her door. 'That must be Danny,' she thought to herself. "Coming! You better not have on your old person reading glasses!"
Mindy swung the door open and was rendered momentarily speechless. "Danny, wow, I mean, I guess your weird body looks better than usual tonight." To cover up for her brief moment of shock, surprise, and maybe even lust, Mindy reverted back to her usual snarky attitude. Danny walked in the front door and Mindy gave him a quick once over as his back was turned. He was wearing slim fitting navy blue pants, what looked like expensive loafers, and a white button down with the first few buttons undone. If she looked close enough, Mindy could see what looked like a very well defined chest. 'Get it together, Lahiri!' Her brain was still trying to understand her newfound "feelings" for Danny, but her body seemed more than ready to test the waters with him.
"Mindy, I said do you have anything to drink?"
"Huh?" Mindy shook her head and attempted to pay attention to Danny.
"I said, do you have anything to drink. If we're going to do this whole office outing/New Year's Eve at a club thing, I'm going to need one or several stiff drinks in me before heading out."
"Yeah, sure. The tequila is on top of the fridge. I think there might be a lime or two in the cabinet if you want to slice them."
Mindy stood back and observed as Danny quickly made himself at home, navigating his way around Mindy's kitchen. A brief image flashed in her mind…. An image of Danny cooking dinner in her kitchen, of her sampling a new recipe that he prepared for her, an image of her tying his tie and him helping her zip up difficult dresses.
"Here you go." Danny handed Mindy an overly full shot glass of tequila.
"Where's the salt?"
"Patience, Min. I was just getting to that part." Mindy's eyes widened as Danny licked his inner wrist, sprinkled some salt on it, and extended his wrist in her direction.
"Why are you looking at me like you've never done a tequila shot before?" There was a sly twinkle in Danny's eye. He knew exactly what he was doing, that little devil! 'Fine, two can play at this game," Mindy thought to herself.
Mindy quickly downed the shot and grabbed Danny's wrist, never taking her eyes off of his as she slowly licked the salt.
Sucking on a lime wedge, Mindy noticed that Danny looked visibly shaken and was looking at her with an almost predatory look in his eyes. Uh oh. 'Better wrap this up before things get out of hand.'
"Your turn," she sing-songed, extending her wrist to him just as he had to her. "Quick, or we'll be late to meet everyone!" Mindy watched as Danny took the shot and slowly brought his lips to her wrist. 'Jesus, was it always this hot in my apartment?' she wondered.
Danny licked his lips and winked at Mindy. "You taste great."
The cab ride to the club had been quite. Mindy was too stuck in her own head to make conversation. She kept playing different scenes over in her mind. The first, Danny's dance during the Christmas party and the second, the tequila tasting that had just taken place in her apartment. If any other guy had said "you taste great." Mindy would've turned the tables around with some witty and flirtatious comment but with Danny, she couldn't do more than stand around and gape like a fish.
Before she knew it, they were making there way to the club's line. A shiver ran through her as she felt Danny gently place his hand on her back and guide her through the crowd. It was a familiar gesture that he'd always done but tonight was different. Tonight, she could feel his skin burning through her dress.
"Dr. L! Dr. C!" Betsy waved frantically from her place in line. Mindy quickly picked up on the way that Jeremy was looking at Betsy and hoped that tonight would be he night he'd finally make a move.
Danny and Mindy joined their friends in line and made their way towards the door.
"I'll go grab the first round of drinks," Danny offered once they had all secured a table inside the club. It was crowded, full of pulsing lights and dancing bodies.
Mindy observed as Danny made his way to the bar. She couldn't help but notice the looks that several women gave him, looks that said, "that's who I want to dance with tonight."
"Ugh, who wants to spend New Year's Eve at a crowded club full of desperate women?" Mindy whined as everyone stared at her. "Um, Mindy. Need I remind you that this outing was your idea?"
"Shut up, Jeremy! No one asked you."
Danny approached the table with an armful of beers and an assortment of cocktails. "Here, Min. I made sure to get you a drink that came with an umbrella. I know you like those." Mindy was stunned at his thoughtful consideration. It never failed to surprise her when Danny remembered little details about her life. Why had it taken her so long to realize there was some serious chemistry between them?
An hour and several drinks later, Mindy was finally loosening up and enjoying herself. Morgan had made himself scarce and Jeremy kept leaning towards Betsy and whispering things in her year. "We're going to go dance," Betsy announced to the group as a blush made its way across her face.
"It's about time," Mindy shouted as she smiled and waved them off towards the main area of the club.
Danny's voice rang out from behind her, "and then there were two. C'mon, Min. I didn't let you drag me out to a club so we could sit around watch other people dance all night. It's almost midnight. Cheer up!"
"Oh, what the hell, let's go dance," Mindy said as she took Danny's hand. They threaded their way through the crowd, making their way to the center of the room. Once they were out there, Mindy was at a loss as to what to do. She knew Danny could dance and dance well, but she wasn't about to just twerk all over him. Her life was not a Miley Cyrus video. Putting her hands over her head, Mindy began shimmying her hips in time to the heavy bass that pounded throughout the club.
She watched as Danny suppressed a laugh. "Mindy, that's not exactly what I had in mind when I said let's dance. Let me show you how we'd dance back on Staten Island." Before she even realized what was happening, Danny's hands were resting on her hips as he pulled her in close towards his body. "Just relax, Min," he looked her directly in the eyes, "I've got you. And trust me, I know what I'm doing."
The song had shifted from and energetic pop hit to something with a slow and steady beat. The bass was powerful and it pulsed through her body like a heartbeat. She surrendered to the moment and decided to stop worrying about what may or may not be happening between her and Danny. "Ok," she leaned forward, "show me your best Staten Island moves, Danny Castellano." His eyes gleamed at the challenge and he began to rhythmically roll his hips against hers. Mindy slipped her arms around his neck, pulling her body flush against Danny's. The feeling coursing through her body made everyone else around them disappear. As she grew more comfortable with their proximity and dancing, Mindy's hands to roam, seemingly of their own accord. She ran her hands through Danny's hair, marveling at how thick and soft it was. Next, she explored his back. Mindy always knew that Danny worked out, but she was feeling the results of it for the first time. His back was toned and strong. As if taking a cue from Mindy, Danny was also doing a little exploring. Keeping one hand slung low on her hips, the other roamed up her back. "No bra, Mindy?"
"No panties either. The dress is too tight." Upon hearing her words, his fingers dug deeper into her hips, as if holding on to her was all that was keeping him grounded and she could hear a barely suppressed groan. The bass picked up as the song changed once again. Danny quickly spun Mindy around and his hands curved their way up and down her body. His lips brushed against her earlobe as he whispered, "are you ready for this?". Mindy whimpered and reached behind her, threading her hands into Danny's hair and pulling him back towards her back. She was always a sucker for neck kisses. As the music continued, Mindy reveled in her feelings. It was as if she was intoxicated, but not from the alcohol. Mindy was drunk on the feeling of Danny's body against hers. Each roll of the hips brought a higher level of ecstasy, something she had never expected to feel while dancing with Danny Castellano. Suddenly, she was pulled from her Danny induced haze as bright lights came on in the club.
"Alright, y'all," a voice thundered from above, "time to count down to the New Year!"
Ten.
Nine.
Mindy's movements stilled as Danny held her into place against his body.
Eight.
Seven.
Six.
She turned around and looked up into Danny's eyes.
Five.
Four.
His eyes darted back and forth between her lips and her eyes, asking her a silent question.
Three.
Two.
'Oh, screw it,' Mindy thought as she crashed her lips into Danny's.
One.
As the crowd cheered around them and confetti rained from the ceiling, Danny and Mindy reveled in the fact that they were kissing one another. Finally. Much like his moves on the dance floor, Danny's kisses were masculine, insistent and powerful, but also gentle. His hands framed her face as if she were the most delicate of gifts.
"Happy New Year, Min."
"Happy New Year, Danny."