Summer Love

Chapter 2: Whatever It Takes

Lindsay glanced over at the desk across from hers for what felt like the millionth time that day.

It was May 30. Danny had only left the week before and she already missed him.

I am officially pathetic. We aren't even in a relationship! She reminded herself, not wanting to admit that those words had become something of her mantra within the last few days.

She reflected back on the previous week, she hadn't even gotten to see him off.

He'd called her, from the cab, on his way to the airport, to tell her he was leaving.

FLASHBACK

Her pants were buzzing. She stepped away from the newsstand she was perusing to see who it was.

She couldn't help the smile on her face when "D" flashed on the screen.

"Hey." She said warmly into the phone as she moved away from the noise of the busy street.

"Hey Montana. What's goin' on?" He asked, perking up a little at the sound of her voice.

"Heading into work. Where are you? I hear background noise." She stated, unable to place where he was.

"In a cab. Heading to LaGuardia. We're leaving." He replied, this time his tone was flat and low.

She froze. He was leaving. Today. And she wasn't going to get to say goodbye. "Oh… Ok…" She answered, grappling with the right words.

"I'm not happy about it either. I wanted to say goodbye to you but my parents pounced on me the second I was released. They had my stuff packed and everything. I'm meeting them now." He explained, hoping she'd take comfort in the fact that he was just as unhappy as him.

"It's… It's OK. They just want you to get better, and the sooner you get out of the city, the quicker you can get back." She reminded him, realizing she needed to hear those words too.

"That's true. Listen I gotta go. But I just wanted to say goodbye. And… I'll miss you." He said into the phone, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I'll miss you too." She replied, keeping her voice calm and steady.

That was the last she'd heard of him.

"Linds!" A voice broke into her thoughts. She snapped her head up, and found herself staring into Don's blue eyes.

"Sorry, I was just sort of out of it." She apologized lamely, running a hand through her curls.

"You're depressing the whole lab, you know that right?" He questioned teasingly as he entered the office and sat down across from her.

"I am not. If anything, the rumors have tripled since he left. No one is depressed." She responded with a small smile.

"Maybe not everyone but you sure depress me. Every time I see you, you look like your face is about to cave in." He observed honestly.

She offered him a smirk. "Thanks, that really helps." She shot back, sitting back in her chair.

He put his hands up in defense. "Hey, don't get mad at me. Besides, I could take you." He told her, hoping to bring a smile to her face.

It worked. She gave him a real smile. "Atta girl. Knew you had it in you." He praised as he stood and headed to the door.

She turned back to her work when his words interrupted her again. "Linds? He's coming back, don't forget that." He reminded her, rapping the door frame for effect.

Flack's gesture of kindness and the equally thoughtful words seemed to pull her a little farther out of her funk, and until that point, she hadn't even realized she needed the pulling.

A week after her conversation with Flack, she got up the courage to email him. She sat there, like a high school girl, waiting for her email response. She never received one.

She didn't bother to mask her disappointment.

Flack cornered her in the kitchen the week after she'd emailed Danny. "Ok, so who kicked your puppy?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow at her.

"I emailed Danny 4 days ago and I haven't heard anything." She replied miserably, doing her best to try not to sound like a whiny 18 year old.

"How do you know he has a computer?" Flack asked logically.

She froze. "Didn't think about that did ya?" He questioned. He didn't say anything more, just turned and left her to her thoughts.

After an hour of staring at her phone, she worked up the courage to send him a text. It was a short and simple "how are you?"

She pathologically checked her phone the next 5 days and never heard a peep.

Her depression had resurfaced by day 6.

"Ok, that's it. It's 5:30. Pack up. We're getting a drink." Flack announced as he strode into her office, his tone suggesting he wasn't asking, rather, he was telling.

She was sputtering for words as he snatched the paperwork from her hand and plopped it in her inbox.

She watched in awe as he grabbed her coat and purse off the rack and put it in her lap.

Without a word, he grabbed the back of her rolling chair, (with her still in it) and pushed her through the office and out into the hall.

"Stand up or I'm dumping you on the ground." He instructed as they crossed the threshold.

She stood and he turned and lightly pushed the chair back into the room. He shut off the light and pulled the door closed.

He turned his attention back to her and he quickly guided her down the hall, his hand on her back as he steered her towards the elevator.

"Sure Flack, I'd love to go for a drink, thanks for asking!" She recited sarcastically as they got on the elevator.

"And if I'd have honestly believed you'd say that, I would have asked. But I didn't believe that so I didn't ask." He shot back as they rode the elevator down.

"I don't know what everyone's issue is." She remarked under her breath.

"The issue is you're walking around here acting like he's dead. He's not dead. He's in Miami Linds. Relaxing. Recovering. He's coming back." He reminded her for the millionth time as they stepped off the elevator.

"Yeah but probably not to me." She replied, her voice full of hurt.

"Why wouldn't he come back to you? He's nuts about you. Believe me, I would know." Flack told her.

"He hasn't answered my text. I sent it 5 days ago. He always responds to my text messages. And he always has his phone. ALWAYS. You know that." Lindsay told him, daring Flack to challenge her.

He winced a bit at this. He knew what she was saying was accurate. But he also knew one thing she didn't. Danny's parents were a bit… Controlling. And based on their reaction to Lindsay… It wouldn't surprise him if they'd made him leave his phone off or refused to let him bring it. They'd do what it took to get her off his mind.

What he wasn't sure of was whether or not he should share this information with Lindsay.

"Don't sweat it, OK? There's no way he doesn't miss you. Just let it go, try to enjoy your summer. Please? For the sake of the lab? They're afraid you're gonna lose it and stab one of them." He joked.

This time, she full on laughed. He felt a stab of warmth shoot through him.

He stood with her at the light, waiting to cross. "I don't see how going out is going to help." She grumbled as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Yeah, that's nice Linds. Real mature. Going out helps get your mind off him. You shouldn't be sitting in your office moping all day. This is a reminder that other people exist besides Danny." He told her as they crossed the street, headed toward Finley's, the local hang out.

"I know that other people exist." She protested as he held the door open and gently nudged her forward.

"Really? Cause I'm pretty sure you're under the impression that the world stopped when Danny left." He returned as they found their way to the bar.

Lindsay opened her mouth to protest but nothing came out. He was right. Her world had stopped and she hadn't even realized it.

She sank onto a stool, completely disgusted with herself. "Just hit ya, didn't it?" He asked as he took the seat next to her, putting a beer in her hand.

She nodded slowly as she took a sip of her beer, still not making eye contact.

"Happens to the best of us." He told her, giving her a small smile and resting a hand on the middle of her back, attempting to be comforting.

"I can't believe myself. I spent one night with him, barely that! And look at me! I'm a mess! It's not like we were married, or even together. It was one night…" She muttered miserably.

Thank God she realizes that… He hadn't wanted to say it, but it had been hanging in the back of his head, a constant reminder. But he also knew it wasn't just one night, things had been brewing between her and Danny for awhile.

"It may have only been one night that you acted on it, but you guys have cared about each other for awhile, right?" He questioned as he took a swallow of his own beer.

"I guess, I mean, yeah, sort of… It was a lot of flirting. But when I came here… And up until I went back home to testify, I didn't really have the same kind of feelings he had. I had all those skeletons to deal with, it's only been recently that I've even allowed myself to feel anything." She explained.

"So, all the feelings… They've just been Danny up until recently?" He questioned, wanting to clarify. That was new information to him. He knew Lindsay had stood Danny up and they'd had it out afterwards, but he hadn't really had any of the details until now.

"Mostly. I mean, I liked him, but not as anymore then a friend or co-worker, until recently. That's why it's just so silly that I'm this upset." She went on, feeling more and more stupid as she actually spoke the words aloud.

He nodded, not quite sure of what he should say, he wasn't even entirely sure that there was anything he could say to that.

"I guess it just seems like we have bad timing. When he was available, I wasn't. Now that I am, he's gone." She continued after taking a long pull from her beer.

"He is coming back Linds." Flack reminded her for what felt like the millionth time, beginning to sound like a broken record.

"Yeah, but in the mean time, he's surrounded by tons of women who are either naked or next to naked." Lindsay interjected, not bothering to hide her disgust.

At this, Flack definitely couldn't say anything because he knew just how right she actually was. And the fact that Danny was probably partying with two or three women at this very moment made him a little sad for the woman sitting next to him.

He turned to Lindsay, waiting for her to meet his eyes.

"Linds, my honest advice to you is to do whatever it takes to make you happy and keep your mind off Danny. Remember, you guys aren't together or anything, you don't owe him anything. Enjoy your summer. What happens when Danny gets back is a whole other story."

As Lindsay held eye contact with the deep blue eyes of Don Flack, she realized he just may have a point.

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