A/N: I tried to wait until actual Mardi Gras, but that's Forever away and I just wanted to post this now. Different point in time, different storyline for this one shot! Please leave reviews and such! I seriously read them all multiple times. I love them :) Thanks for reading!
"Happy Mardi Gras!" Mindy cheered, tossing beaded necklaces as she entered the office.
"Thanks Dr. L!" Betsy said, grabbing a purple one and swiftly placing it over her head, smiling.
"Necklace, Danny?" Mindy held one on the tip of her finger. She beckoned to him, making it swing towards his chin.
"The only necklace I wear has a cross on it," Danny replied, not even looking up from his paperwork.
"Ugh, you're such a bummer. Mardi Gras is fun! You get candy, jewelry, and alcohol. It's like Valentine's Day, without the reminder of being single." Mindy said cheerily.
"You're not even in New Orleans," Danny shook his head, walking back towards his office. Mindy followed.
"So what? Harry Styles is on another continent and that doesn't stop us from dating."
"You're not –" "Shhhh." Mindy interrupted, putting a finger to his lips. "Anyway, the point is that it's a holiday and I plan to celebrate it to its full extent."
"What're you gonna do? Go to some bar wearing a sparkly green dress and a mask?" Danny chuckled, sitting down at his desk.
"Well, I found a couple places that have Mardi Gras theme nights," Mindy replied, perching on the edge. Danny batted her off.
"So you're gonna get drunk with a bunch of strangers." Danny narrowed his eyes at her.
"Danny, it's so much more than that! There'll be beads, and dancing, and okay, yes, a couple of colorful drinks. You should come!" Her eyes lit up with excitement.
"No, the whole party thing is more your scene," Danny waved her off, shrugging. "I'll just go home and watch a documentary on it. I'm sure the History Channel's got something playing tonight."
"Danny." Mindy walked around the desk, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You are not a grandfather yet." She smiled and straightened up. "It's decided. You're coming out with me." She turned around, exiting confidently.
"I'm not wearing any necklaces!" Danny shouted after her, nervously nodding at a patient passing by. He quickly shut the door before Mindy could wrestle him into anything else.
"You should really lock your front door, you know," Danny said as he walked into Mindy's room. She screamed, clutching a hand to her chest.
"Danny! You have to knock! Your Italian family may have been paranoid about what goes on behind closed doors, but in my house, we respected privacy."
Danny used Mindy's mini-rant as a chance to evaluate her wardrobe. She was wearing a sparkling green wrap dress, plus a pair of sky-high golden heels. He smiled, loving how well he knew her.
"Danny? Are you listening to me?" She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "The party starts in half an hour," she explained, putting on some heavy-looking chandelier earrings. He smirked at her tilted head as she tried to put them through. Her hair fell in a curtain past her shoulders, and he could already smell the telltale citrus aroma of her shampoo.
"What?" Mindy asked, straightening up and pulling the edges of her dress down.
"Nothing," Danny replied, folding his arms. "Just enjoying the spectacle that is you getting ready."
"Well unfortunately for you, it is almost over. Here, can you zip me up?" Mindy turned her back to him, sweeping her hair away from her neck. Danny slid the zipper up the length of her back, breathing in her perfume. He sighed. Mindy turned around, breaking him from his reverie.
"Okay, I'm ready to go." She grabbed her clutch from the nightstand. Finally done preparing, Mindy realized what Danny was wearing. "Danny! Jeans and a denim tshirt? This is a Mardi Gras party we're going to, not a Bruce Springsteen concert."
"Show. It's a show." Danny corrected. He held out his arms. "And what's so wrong with denim? It's an American fabric. The stuff of cowboys." He put his hands on his hips, proud.
"Whatever, Texas Ranger. Let's go." Mindy grabbed his elbow and led him out of the apartment, excited for the festivities that lay ahead.
"It looks really crammed in there, yknow, I think I'm just gonna head home-" Danny began, turning away from the club entrance.
"Oh no you don't," Mindy stopped him, grabbing his hand. Danny glanced down and back up, Mindy letting go quickly. "You're already dressed, you're already here. We're going to celebrate Mardi Gras and that's final." She turned back around, walking up to the bouncer.
"Hey there. So me and my friend-" she gestured towards Danny "have two tickets to get in. Under Lahiri?" She looked up at the giant that guarded the door. He skimmed his clipboard, grunting in approval. Mindy beamed, pulling Danny along behind her. He swallowed as he skated by the muscle-bound man.
He immediately regretted entering. The music was deafening, and it was so dark he could barely see two feet in front of him. If it weren't for Mindy holding onto his hand, he would've been lost in the crowd in a split second.
After a few painful minutes of tug-of-war, they ended up near the bar.
"What do you want?" Danny asked, pulling out his wallet. "What?" Mindy asked, already bouncing to the music. Danny leaned in close. "What do you want to drink?" "Oh, something fruity. Something with mango!" Mindy nodded, shouting. Her breath tickled his ear and Danny quickly retreated.
"Okay. I'm gonna go -" Danny gestured to the bar. Mindy nodded, already busy staring at the extravagant decorations. There were streamers from wall to wall, sparkles all over the floor and everyone, and beads draped from every surface. Danny glanced back as he pushed through the crowd. He could tell that she was in heaven.
"I'll have a Sam Adams and a Mango Tango," Danny shouted at the bartender, shrugging at the fruity drink's name. The guy nodded in reply, preparing the order. Danny turned around to see a dark figure in front of Mindy. She was nodding and smiling up at him, still bobbing to the beat.
The bartender pushed the drinks across the bar, Danny throwing a bill at him. "Keep the change," he said as he rushed towards Mindy.
"This guy bothering you?" Danny asked, sizing up his competition. He handed Mindy the drink, moving in close to put an arm around her.
"Um, no, Zach was just telling me about his job as a party planner." Mindy shifted out of his grasp, hiding behind her hair to give him a look that screamed "what-are-you-doing"?
"Yeah, I planned the Macy's Day Parade and -" Danny cut him off. "Yeah, that's real nice buddy. Sounds interesting." Danny's tone conveyed he thought it was anything but.
Taking the hint, Zach turned to Mindy. "Well, maybe I'll see you around…later." He nodded towards Danny, making his exit.
Mindy turned to her instigator. "What was that for?!" She cried angrily.
"What? The guy was hitting on you and you looked uncomfortable, so I came over here. Jeez, you should be thanking me." Danny shook his head. He knew she hadn't been displeased with Zach's presence, but he was.
"Ugh! Whatever. It's fine, Danny, I'll just be single for the rest of my life. When they find my body in my apartment two weeks after I've died, think back to this moment." She turned away, sipping her drink, but a little smile peeked out. Danny smirked, knowing she wasn't really mad at him. He guided her away from the bar and back towards the pandemonium of the dance floor.
Danny was actually enjoying himself. He'd forgotten what it was like to be "young". What, 30 was the new 20 right?
"Danny! Dance!" Mindy demanded, jumping up and down in the crowd. Danny shook his head. "Come on!" she protested. "I know you can! I saw you burning up the dance floor when the practice went clubbing!"
Danny scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. He'd forgotten about that. He just couldn't help himself; he'd taken dance lessons when he was younger and the talent'd never left.
Mindy didn't give him a chance to think it over. She pulled him close, smiling in anticipation. Danny groaned and rolled his eyes, but began to dance.
"Ohmigod! Danny you're so good! It's like watching Dick Van Dyke be Beyonce's backup dancer!"
Danny scoffed at her backhanded compliment, but didn't stop moving. He was really getting into this now. His swung his hips in time with the music, concentrating on staying on the beat. Mindy continued to jump up and down in front of him. He shook his head. "No, here. We're dancing to Zydeco music. Let me show you."
He grabbed her and pulled her close, tucking her into his side. She let out a little squeal of surprise but quickly mirrored his actions. When he would swing forward, she swung back. Soon they were spinning around, not caring that they were grazing the backs of the twenty-somethings grinding on each other. Mindy laughed as Danny twirled her out and back in, so her back was to his front.
"Try to follow me." He whispered in her ear, He moved his feet, holding her tight so she would have the balance to do the same. A shiver ran up Mindy's spine as she tried to concentrate on dancing and not the man pushed up against her, teaching her the ways of Mardi Gras. She was feeling awfully close to saying something when the music changed. Danny swung her around to face him, laughing.
"So? What do you think of the real Mardi Gras?" Danny asked, smirking.
"It was alright," she replied. She hoped it was too dark to see her burning face. She searched the room for inspiration. They needed a topic change. "Look, Danny! A stage!" Mindy jumped up and down and pointed. Over the crowd, Danny could see the platform. Lit up by purple, green and yellow lights, a young woman danced to the club Zydeco music. At the edge of the stage lay a basket oozing candy and necklaces. Mindy turned to Danny.
"Danny. Ohmigod. She has the necklaces. It is not officially Mardi Gras until I catch a necklace!" She started to shove through the crowd towards the stage. Danny followed after, apologizing to those pushed aside.
Mindy cheered once she reached her destination. "Mardi Gras!" She cried, jumping up and down. The dancer noticed, bending down towards the basket. She grabbed a handful of beads and tossed them in Mindy's direction. Mindy, holding her now-empty glass, missed the catch.
"Dammit!" She exclaimed, turning to Danny. "Here, hold my glass." She turned around, scanning the floor for the lost prize.
"I thought it only meant something if you caught the necklace," Danny smirked.
"Oh, whatever," Mindy waved him off. "Oh! There they are!" Mindy bent down to retrieve the beads. Danny was appreciating the sight in front of him when-
"OW! DAMMIT! OH, GOD!" Mindy snapped back up, clutching her right hand with her left. Danny instantly became worried. "What? What? What happened?"
"Someone stepped on my hand!" Mindy cried, waving it around. She whimpered with pain.
"Hold on a second, just let me-" Danny shoved the glasses onto the stage with a look of disapproval from the dancer. Danny ignored her, turning back towards Mindy. He caught her hand, stopping her injury dance.
He examined it. There was no blood, so she was lucky on that count, but it did feel like there might be some internal damage. Danny, resisting the urge to kiss her hand, looked at Mindy. "We're gonna go to the hospital."
"What? Danny, no! We just got here! And I didn't even get my necklace!" Mindy replied, upset. Danny quickly ducked down, used his arm to block a sliding pair of legs and rose again with a necklace in his hand.
"Here, see? You got a necklace. Now it's time to go get that hand checked out." Danny pushed past her, grabbing her uninjured hand. He quickly shoved through the crowd and out into the open air, hailing a taxi.
"Hey, how you feelin?" Danny asked, walking into the exam room. Mindy stared miserably at her left hand, several fingers taped together.
"Okay, I guess. He said he thinks my middle finger may be broken. Don't," Mindy stopped Danny before he could make any jokes. Danny nodded, chuckling. "Anyways, he says I just need to keep them taped for awhile and they should be fine." Mindy sighed.
"Aw, come on, that's not too bad. Could've been worse. It could've been your writing hand," Danny offered sympathetically.
"But now I can't wear an engagement ring for awhile! What if I meet Mr. Right and I can't even accept his proposal?" She sounded so distressed.
"Well, first of all, I would hope that you wouldn't get engaged that quickly," Danny joked, nudging her. "It's only gonna be a month or so before you're better. And secondly, what about Harry?" Danny smirked.
"We have an understanding," Mindy smiled, happy Danny was playing along. "Unfortunately, Harry and I have decided to take a break to focus on our careers. I've got babies to bring into this world, and he's got music to teach them the ways of love." She sighed dramatically.
"Alright, Casanova, let's get you out of here." Danny shook his head, laughing. "Why don't we go get you a soft pretzel?"
"I think that would be the perfect ending to my Mardi Gras celebration," Mindy smiled, following after him. He grabbed her right hand, smiling, giving her her precious beads. She ran her finger along the plastic, already reminiscing. Then she squeezed his hand tight and followed him out, turning the lights off as they exited.