AN: Hey guys – welcome to my new story! This is an AU Dacey fic (aren't they all at this point), based on the premise that Danny is a professor at a local college where Lacey is a student.

Before you guys come for me for not being original, let me say that I am more than aware that this is not a new plot line. I have seen other fandoms try this type of story to varying levels of success, but I've not yet seen it done in the Twisted universe (feel free to point me in the direction of one if it exists – I love reading new stories). I'm writing this story as a challenge to myself, to see if I can take an idea that's been done several times over and make it fresh and entertaining.

That said, I hope that you all like it, and I welcome your feedback (positive or negative). Anyway – on with the show!

Chapter One

Danny strolled into the coffee shop late on Tuesday afternoon. He had spent the last week becoming acclimated to his new life in his new town, and he looked forward to starting his new job tomorrow. Danny was a 28 year old Master's level instructor of English. He had relocated to Green Grove, New York to take an associate professor's position at the small but prestigious liberal arts school, Brentley College. He was working on his dissertation in order to obtain his Ph.D. in English, and felt that the close-knit Brentley community would be the perfect place to do so. Also, the fact that his new position was tenure-track meant that he would achieve permanent residency within three years, provided that he maintained satisfactory progress in the eyes of the administration during that time. All of this was a far cry from the life of chaos he had chosen to leave behind in New York City, and he looked forward to Green Grove's simplicity and stability.

Danny smiled at the barista as he completed his order, handing her money for his purchase and dropping the change she gave him into the tip jar at the corner of the register. Once he received his beverage, he spent the next few minutes browsing the selection in the attached bookstore. He idly strolled up and down each aisle, scanning the myriad of titles in an attempt to locate something that would interest him.

The stacks were nearly empty at this time of the evening, and Danny enjoyed the quietness of the area. He became so distracted by his searching that he did not notice the woman sitting on the floor until he had literally stumbled over her.

"What the…" Danny said as he hit the floor, spilling his coffee and hitting his knee on the hardwood floor. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry," was all he heard as he felt a sharp and jagged pain sear through his leg. He was blinded temporarily by the pain, and he hoped seriously that his knee was not broken.

"Are you okay? Let me help you up…" Danny heard the voice of the woman, and he looked up to see her standing over him, extending her hand. He grasped her small hand lightly to balance himself as he stood, wincing slightly as he put weight on his injured knee. He straightened his clothes and attempted to right himself as he watched in amusement the woman in front of him. Once she'd helped him up, she immediately busied herself with cleaning up his spilled coffee and gathering her books, dropping one again in her hurry. He bent down just as she did, and their heads collided, causing them both to laugh as they realized the ridiculousness of the situation.

"Well, if this isn't the most awkward encounter I've ever had with a woman," Danny said lightly as he reached again for her book, this time retrieving it for her.

"Well, awkward is pretty much my middle name," the woman responded, laughing nervously and smoothing her hair.

"Last Exit to Brooklyn, huh?" he inquired, studying the cover before handing the text back to her. "That's one of my favorites, actually. How are you liking it so far?"

"I actually haven't started on it yet," she said, taking the volume from him, her fingers brushing against his just barely before tucking the volume back into her bag.

The touch was brief but electric, so much so that it made Danny actually look up for the first time at the woman in front of him. What he saw when he did so took his breath away. Before him was the most stunningly gorgeous woman he'd ever laid eyes on. He took in her tawny brown skin and lithe frame, clothed casually in black leggings and a slouchy turquoise tunic. Her dark, expressive eyes were framed in a pair of ruby cat's eye glasses, and her long dark hair was thrown haphazardly on top of her head in a curly messy bun. She smiled a brilliant smile at him, revealing perfect white teeth, but soon bit her bottom lip nervously as he stared at her too long. Worried that he'd made her uncomfortable, Danny quickly regained his composure, extending his hand to introduce himself.

"I'm sorry, I don't think we had a chance to become properly introduced during all of that – I'm Danny."

She smiled again at his introduction, taking his hand and responding, "Hello Danny, I'm Lacey – nice to meet you."

The two of them again stood in awkward silence for a moment, smiling and blushing like a pair of teenagers, before Lacey decided to remedy the situation. "So, I guess I ruined your coffee – sorry about that. Would you like to let me buy you another one, and then you can tell me all about 'Last Exit to Brooklyn'?"

Danny easily obliged her request, happy to have the opportunity to continue talking with her further. He followed her over to the counter, placing another order with the barista as Lacey placed one of her own, and then scouting out a quiet place for the two of them to sit and enjoy their beverages together. He found a sofa and chair toward the back of the reading area, and beckoned Lacey to follow him as he made his way back there with their drinks. He sunk into one of the plush leather club chairs, allowing her to take the sofa, and handed her the coffee.

"So," he began, "what brings you in tonight?" Although her initial invitation had been to discuss the book, he felt compelled to know more about Lacey herself. She had intrigued him in just the few moments that they had interacted with one another, and he wanted to get to know her on a more personal level.

"Well," she said casually, "I'm actually here to check out the newest books they've gotten in. New shipments come on Tuesdays, and so this is kind of my Tuesday night ritual." Clearly embarrassed at her own admission, she began to blush, and Danny couldn't help but to notice the slight stirring he felt within himself as he watched the warmth spread across her tanned cheeks. He briefly wondered what other things would make her flush like that, but quickly shook the thought from his mind.

He opened his mouth to ask her another question, but she quickly interrupted him. "So, tell me about 'Last Exit to Brooklyn'," Lacey said, steering the conversation away from the more personal questions she anticipated he would ask. She was already enamored with the man in front of her, and she wanted it to last a little while longer. She knew that once he realized she wasn't as much fun as most of the college girls around town, he would move on, but for now she had his attention and she didn't want to let her nerd-like tendencies ruin it.

Instead she listened intently as he spoke animatedly about the book. He told her the basics of what it was about, a series of six lesser stories depicting the lives of various people living in Brooklyn, NY. He talks about the gritty style the author uses to tell the story and about the authenticity of the work. The way he talks about it makes Lacey more and more excited to read the book, and she can't help but wonder why Danny talks about the book as if it were his own story. She doesn't ask him about it though, because asking would invite questions of his own, which she did not want to answer tonight.

Danny noticed Lacey's evasion each time he delved into questions regarding anything outside of the books. He understood, however, that maybe she didn't want to go into all of that with someone she'd only just met. Under usual circumstances, he wouldn't be eager to discuss anything personal either. However, something about Lacey only made him more and more curious about her as the night wore on. Not wanting to scare her away, he settled for getting to know her through the books that she read. Surprisingly enough, he was able to glean a great deal of information from her choice in literature. He could immediately tell that she was a voracious reader, and that she probably loved books as much or more than he did (something he found incredibly sexy). He also determined that she had a very romantic heart, and that she was sharp and bright. She was also very realistic, as evidenced by her love for books that depicted true love stories instead of fairy tales – even though they didn't always end with a happily ever after. He wondered if her heart had been broken, and if that's what gave her an affinity for books that didn't always have a happy ending.

They talked for hours on end, only stopping when interrupted by the lights flickering in the building, alerting them that it was now closing time. Danny hated to see the night end, but knew that he needed to go home to prepare for the next day. As he and Lacey gathered their things to leave, he grabbed her hand briefly to get her attention.

"I really enjoyed meeting you tonight, Lacey," he said earnestly, his dark eyes looking deep into hers to convey his sincerity.

"Thanks, Danny. I really enjoyed meeting you, too," she said, blushing again as a small smile spread across her face.

"I would really like to see you again, if you'd be interested," he said, silently praying that she would say yes.

"I would like that very much," she said with surety, getting ready to walk away. "You should call me some time."

"Wait though, I don't have your number," he said, grabbing his things as he followed her retreating form.

"Sure you do," she said, turning to smile at him over her shoulder, "Just look in the front of your book."

And with that, Lacey disappeared out the door and into the night. Danny stood just outside the coffee shop, slightly flummoxed as he tried to figure out which way he could go to catch up with her. Frustrated that she had managed to evade him, he ran his hands through his shoulder length black hair, shaking his head at the bizarre turn of events. He made his way home, wondering all the while what book she was talking about.

When he got to his apartment, he emptied his messenger bag of its contents, noticing that there was something extra inside. A volume of "The Gentleman's Guide to Dating a Blerd" lay on the table in front of him, and he couldn't help but smile. He had no idea when she had been able to slip this into his bag, but he had to admit that he admired her creativity. He immediately opened the book to the inside cover, and saw that she had written her number there and a smiley face – nothing more. He got ready for bed that night thinking about the beautiful girl from the coffee shop and looking forward to the next time he would see her.