"Danny, I am not interested in your opinion on this!" Dr. Mindy Lahiri slammed the lid closed on her laptop with a little more force than was necessary. "Why are you even here anyway? I thought you were going to your cousin's wedding or something..."
Dr. Daniel Castellano folded his arms over his well-muscled chest. "I think it's my business when a coworker starts making STUPID decisions that'll ruin her whole life." He fired back. "And the wedding is off...I don't want to get into it. I decided to come in and get some work done." Unfortunately it was slow as hell around here. The floor was deserted...thanks to Mindy.
Mindy tucked her legs underneath her, "Mrs. Martin delivered three hours ago, she's fine. And Erica Thompson popped an hour ago. She's sleeping."
Sitting down across from her, he scoffed. "Don't change the subject!" Narrowing his eyes, he took in the sight of her. Yeah, she could stand to lose fifteen pounds but she carried it well. He'd always liked a woman with curves, something to hang onto when you made love to her. Not like his stick of an ex-wife who exercised four hours a day and was a strict vegan. "Why were you scrolling through that disgusting website..."
Groaning, she shifted uncomfortably. "I'm thirty-one, Danny. Every relationship I've had has ended terribly...I thought I met the guy I was going to marry and he picked the Serbian bagel girl over me!" Anger welled up in the pit of her stomach, bringing tears springing to her eyes. "So you know what? I'm done with it...I'm done with love. I'm DONE with romantic comedies. It's time to cut my losses and start shopping for sperm donors..." She stared him down, "I may have failed at romance but I need to have a family."
Danny was stunned by her. "Mindy...fuck..." He dragged a hand over his face, "And this is your only option?"
Looking at him incredulously, she stood up. "What other choice do I have? Tom and I didn't work out...I am pretty much unlovable. But I've wanted a big family since I was a kid. I was an only child and...it was lonely." She'd been lonely her whole life.
"But sperm donation from some sketchy random online database. Mindy, come on! I doubt those guys are who they say they are. How can you know their medical history or their background? What if they're in prison? They could be Al-Qaida terrorists!?"
"WHAT IS IT WITH YOU AN AL-QAIDA TERRORISTS!" Mindy hollered. "I need you to support me in this, Danny! For God's sake, please!?"
Danny moved toward her, his hands gripping her upper arms. "I'm just looking out for you, Mindy! It's my duty as your doctor to inform you of all the risks!"
Tears burned down her cheeks, "I am a doctor too, Danny! Do you think I don't know the risks?" Swiping at the hot tears, she sniffled. "But how long do I have to wait? Every year I get older it's going to get harder and harder to have kids and...I'm ready now."
The second that first tear dropped, his heart twisted. He hated when women cried...especially women he reluctantly (would-never-in-a-million-years-admit) cared for. "Come on...don't cry." Pulling her close, he wrapped his arms around her.
Snuggling into him, she let out a soft sob. For some reason it helped...having someone to talk to about this. Gwen was too caught up in her own life. Although they had been best friends throughout college, they'd drifted apart. Carl didn't care for Mindy either and asking a woman to choose between her husband and a friend just wasn't something she could live with. Resting her head on his shoulder, she took a shaky breath, "Thanks, Danny...you're a good friend."
"Jeremy's on call this weekend...what do you say we go somewhere and talk?" Danny suggested. "The Cheesecake Factory is open until midnight and I know you only eat at chains."
"That you remember that is...shocking...and kind of sweet. Let me just change out of these scrubs, okay? I'll be five minutes, tops." Heading into the locker room, she changed out of the scrubs and tossed them in the linen basket to be washed. Shimmying back into her jeans, she tossed the sweater over a tank top and clipped the belt around her waist. Putting on a little bit of chapstick, she grabbed her purse and headed out to where Danny was waiting.
While Mindy was in the locker room, he had time to think. His marriage had crumbled over the baby issue. He wanted children...and his wife didn't. She couldn't imagine ruining her perfect figure; not to mention it would completely ruin their social lives. At first he thought he could handle it but the resentment built and festered until their shaky marriage crumbled. Women weren't the same as they were back in the old days; women like his mother and grandmother were practically extinct. Hearty, strong women who believed in their families.
Following her out of the hospital, they headed down the street. "You look nice..."
A soft laugh emanated from her throat, "I look like hell. My eyes are all red and my face is puffy..." Smiling, she linked arms with him. "But thanks." Heading into the restaurant, it was practically deserted. "I know I said it before but this is really nice of you. I appreciate it..."
"Don't mention it," Danny replied, "To anyone. I mean it." He was smirking at her, showing her that he was kidding. Gently, his hand rested on the small of her back as the hostess showed them to a booth in the back.
The soft pressure of his hand on her back sent heat singing through her. She wrote it off as hunger pains. Burying her face in the menu, she looked at it for a few minutes. "I've decided I'm just eating cheesecake for dinner...which means I can have two pieces instead of one." She waited for him to say something. "No potshots, Danny?"
"A healthy pregnancy starts with a healthy mother..." He replied, "I wasn't going to say anything but since you insisted..."
Mindy raised an eyebrow. "So you're on board with this?" She swallowed. "I mean, as my doctor..."
"If you've really thought this all through...then yeah, of course." He looked at her. "You don't have, like, a friend who could donate?"
"Well..." Mindy had thought about it. "Maybe Jer-" She didn't even finish her sentence when Danny cut in. "JEREMY REED!? Jesus Christ, Mindy! Are you insane!?"
"Why? Why, Danny? He's a good guy and he wouldn't want any part of fatherhood...he's much too into himself for that. Plus we could make the baby the old fashioned way, which would save me a while lot of money!" She snapped.
Danny felt sick to his stomach. "Absolutely not. There is NO way Jeremy Reed is going to be the father of your child." He slammed his hand down on the table.
Mindy stared at him incredulously. "Are you kidding me? Who are you to tell me who can and cannot father my child?" She sighed, "If not Jeremy then who? I don't have a ton of guy friends. Morgan is far too horrifying a choice for a father and you...well you'd be a perfect choice except you HATE me."
Dragging a hand over his face, he sighed. "I don't hate you, Mindy." Swallowing hard, he leaned forward. "What would you say if I told you I was...considering it."
"Danny, don't be cruel..." What was he playing at? He couldn't possibly want to have kids with her...
"No, listen...I'm being serious here. Just hear me out, please?" For a blissful moment she was silent and he knew those didn't come around too often; he had to pounce on his chance while he still had it. "I'm thirty-eight...I always wanted a big family. But things don't always work out like we want them to...I identify with everything you're saying." Stumbling for words, he sighed, "I come from a very traditional family with a lot of expectations about my life. My wife...ex-wife...was perfect. Thin, blonde, breasts like you wouldn't believe, the total package...she was a bombshell!"
Frowning, Mindy sighed, "Make your point, Danny."
"Right, so...the problem was, she didn't want kids. Hated them, actually...just wanted to be married to a rich, handsome doctor such as myself." HIs lips curved up into a half smirk. "I thought about adopting or something. But look at it this way, you want kids...I want kids... I have half the equipment, you have the other half...and hey, we know you don't have STDs since I'm your doctor."
Rolling her eyes skyward, she dropped her gaze back to his face. "I TOLD you I was clean from the start." And yet he'd insisted on doing every test under the sun. "So you're suggesting that we just...get a petri dish, pop it into my oven, and make a little Mindy and Danny baby?"
Shrugging, he nodded, "Yeah. Except, you know, you'd have to marry me."
"MARRY you?" Mindy's head was spinning and she really needed some wine. Where the hell was that waiter? "That is CRAZY. Okay so maybe you don't hate me...but you have to admit that the idea of us getting married is insane. Why can't we just have a baby?"
"No, no my mother would never have it. Let alone my grandmother. They've been pushing me to give them grandkids since I was in my first year of med school." She'd been open and honest with him about what she wanted and her family. Now it was time he told her a little bit about the Castellanos. "I come from a long line of single parents...my grandfather died when my mom was six years old. And my dad walked out on my mom when she was pregnant with me...my brother Stephen was two."
They'd never had a conversation like this before. She was seeing a completely different side to Danny; one she'd never thought he'd share with her. "I'm sorry, Danny...I didn't know." She said softly. "I still don't see what this has to do with us getting married..."
"If I came to my mother and said, 'Hey ma', this is Mindy. She's my friend who I decided to knock up and not marry'...I'd end up buried somewhere in the woods. I'm not like my dad. I own up to my responsibilities...so if we're going to do this, we do it, Mindy. It's all or nothing." His dark eyes caught her gaze and held it.
This whole thing was getting more complicated by the minute. Mindy wanted a family more than anything. And didn't the ideal family include a mom and a dad? "This is all...weird and...exciting, somehow." She licked her lips, "So we get married and we have kids and...then what? We get divorced or something? And...for that matter, how do we not drive each other crazy? You know how we are, Danny. We'd need rules."
Danny nodded quietly. He hadn't really thought of any of that. "So let's come up with some, then. Let's take some time and think about this. We both make a list of rules and regulations and we meet up here this weekend with clear heads and talk things out?"
"That's very rational of you, Danny. I like that. And can I add that until then, we don't talk about this ESPECIALLY not at work? We just play it cool, alright?"
"I thought that went without saying..." Danny replied then thought better of it. He was asking this woman to marry him and have his children, he needed to be on his best behavior. "Deal." Reaching out, he grasped her hand and shook it. "Can we just have a nice dinner and a drink now?"
Mindy let out a shaky breath, "God, yes." She smirked at him, "But I'm still having two pieces of cheesecake for dinner. My diet will start tomorrow."
Danny smirked. Mindy glared. And together, they laughed.
This idea has been stuck in my head and I had to get the first chaper down. What do you think? Like it so far? Please read and review if you want me to continue!