A/N: Chugging along. This "one shot" has collected quite a few chapters... I think I'm building up to something good. We'll see. As always, please feel free to leave comments about whatever you like. I find them encouraging, even it they're criticisms, because they mean that people are reading this, and that they care about where it goes.
As soon as Mindy and Danny entered the main meeting hall of the hotel, her mother honed in on her, breaking away from a gaggle of confident and beautiful older women, who all looked a little like Mindy in varying degrees.
She approached the couple with a bright smile spread across her face and drew Mindy in for an enthusiastic hug. "My baby. I'm so glad you've arrived." Her voice only slightly accented by the tinge of some exotic flavor, barely noticeable. "Your father has gotten lost in the cavernous space, going on and on about bricks and bars. I have no idea what he's talking about."
She leaned back, still holding onto Mindy's forearms. After a quick once over, taking in the chartreuse silk dress and its deep purple accent belt, she raised her eybrows. "You look nice. A bit bright for my tastes, but I've long since given up trying to tone down your look." Her gaze wandered over to Danny. "Are you going to introduce us?"
Mindy swallowed, adopting her story telling cadence of speech. "Mother, this is Danny Castellano, my boyfriend. He's a doctor in New York, an OBGYN like me." Danny had stepped closer to her during the introduction, slipped his arm behind her, settling his hand on her hip. "And this is my mother, Amarita Lahiri."
Danny leaned forward, offering his hand to Mindy's mother. "Very nice to meet you, Mrs. Lahiri. Mindy always speaks very lovingly of her family."
Amarita smiled, giving Danny the same once over she'd given Mindy. "Ah, call me Ama, everyone else does. You must be someone very special to my daughter, even though she has said nothing about you. We never get to meet any of the men she dates, not that there have been all that many." She laughed.
Danny laughed too, but for an altogether different reason. Mindy discreetly nudged him with her elbow. He stopped mid-chuckle and cleared his throat. "Um, yeah. We've definitely been dating… and whatnot." God he was a terrible liar. He lapsed into silence, hoping Mindy would take the lead on this one.
She got the hint and plunged into an explanation. "Oh, mom, you know how it is. Being in love. No one else exists." She leaned her head on Danny's shoulder, doing her best to look smitten. There was this silent struggle between the two women.
Ama knew something was up. Mindy was always playing games like this. Ama wanted grandchildren, and soon. The last three family get-togethers had also doubled as blind dates for her daughter, not that Mindy had known. Ama had invited another eligible young man tonight as well. Ok, not so young, it was getting harder to find the young ones. The appearance of Danny had thrown a wrench into her plans. She was going to get to the bottom of this.
Danny looked nervously back and forth between Mindy and her mother. What the hell was going on? He could feel the muscles in her back tense up each time she cheerfully said something. He gave her an encouraging squeeze with the hand resting on her hip. She glanced up at him, a little surprised, but mostly pleased, then turned her attention back to her mother.
Ama cast another shrewd look at Danny. "Well, Mindy, it's too bad you didn't tell me you were bringing your new love. I wouldn't have invited Nicolas. He's such a nice man, too."
Mindy's smile strained a little bit. "A nice man? And by nice, do you mean in his late sixties, like last time?"
Ama clucked her tongue. "It's that kind of sass that men like Nicolas don't need in their life. Perhaps it's best you've got Danny." She focused on him. "My dear, I don't know how I raised such a fiery daughter."
Danny grinned. "I don't know, I kind of like it. Things are never boring with Mindy around."
Ama laughed. "That's true. One time I got a call from the principal of her middle-school because she started a riot in the cafeteria over the use of non-dolphin-safe tuna."
Mindy sighed. "Ok, mom, that's enough. Danny doesn't need to hear every single anecdote about my childhood."
Danny straighted up. "Oh, Min, you know it would – "
She cut him off. "As a matter of fact, why don't you go to the bar and see if you can get them to pour me a glass of rosé or something?"
Ama was still watching their interaction curiously. Danny was fully aware of her observation. He nodded to Mindy, pausing a moment. He looked down at her lips, remembering the way they yielded under his own. He could kiss her again, right? They were putting on a show. This time it could be a sweet and soft kiss. The kind that people who've been together forever give without even thinking.
"Sure, hon." He leaned down and kissed her quickly but gently. His left hand lightly grazing her cheek, and resting briefly under her chin for a second before withdrawing. He turned to Ama. "Again, it was nice meeting you. I can't wait to hear all about Mindy's misadventures."
The kiss had surprised Mindy, for a moment she'd forgotten about the conversation with her mother. She just watched him as he walked away, barely catching herself before she let out a contented sigh. Suddenly remembering her mother's presence, she turned back around.
Ama had her eyebrows raised again. "You know, I had thought you were up to something. I know you hate it when I set you up, but now I don't know. Danny seems like a nice young man."
She drew Mindy close to her side and began walking to the front of the hall. "I'm glad you've finally found someone you want us to meet." She waved at Mindy's father. He was sitting at a large table surrounded by a large group of men. "Ooh, looks like our father has finished with his grand tour of this place. We should go let him know you've finally found his future son-in-law." She grinned mischievously at her daughter, her tone only half joking.
Mindy rolled her eyes as her mother dragged her along, but she couldn't help but wonder at the fuzzy feeling permeating her body.