The next day, it was Saturday. She had 12 days until she left for Haiti. The build-up of anxiety continued. Not just with confusion with her feelings for Danny but simply due to the fact that she was leaving home, to a country she didn't even know much about. Yes, Casey would be there but it was still scary. She really wanted comforting from someone other than Casey and Danny.
'Hey Gwen! I haven't talked to you in such a long time!' Mindy needed a voice of reason.
'Hey, Mindy! I heard about you going to Haiti? I'm so sorry I couldn't come to your going away party, I was in LA with Carl and Riley.'
'It's okay, Gwen. You're married now; you can't always come to my things.'
'I know, but I might not see you again! Anyway, you all ready and packed? I can't believe you're doing this, I mean, it's not a Mindy thing to do.'
'I know, I know. Love changes things, right?'
'Yeah it does, but if I'm honest I don't think you should do it Mindy.'
Mindy felt a stress barf coming on. 'Okay, why's that?'
'Well… I feel like you don't know Casey well enough to do this.'
'What do you mean? Casey is a great guy; he is loving and giving, in terms of morals of course. But with sex as well.' She laughed.
'Okay, okay. I've been thinking about this for a while but I never said anything because I don't want to hurt you. But I am saying this for your own good… I don't think Casey is the right guy for you.'
'Wait, what? You say this now?'
'I'm sorry, really I am. I just think there's someone else who is out there for you. Someone that maybe you have a good bond with.'
'Where is this heading?' Mindy had a feeling Gwen would say a certain name.
'I think you know who I'm talking about.'
'No… I don't know.' Mindy tried to hide it but her voice was cracking.
'It's Danny!'
'Really, Gwen? Josh said this in Santa Fe and now you? Why does everyone think Danny and I have a thing?'
'Because it's so obvious that you do! I know you are in love with Casey, well you think you do but deep down you know Danny means a lot to you.'
'He is a great friend, of course. But there can't be more than that. I don't think we could ever work.' Mindy tried to convince Gwen but it seemed more like she was convincing herself.
'I've seen the way he looks at you. When I first met him that time you made a bunk bed for Riley, he was so engrossed with you it was so obvious. And I know you like the back of my hand, Mindy. You love being with him and he makes you feel good. Just admit that you like Danny.'
'I don't like Danny. I love Casey.'
'Are you sure? Because I sense doubt in your voice.'
'Gwen, I've got to go shopping for supplies. I love you and I'll try and see you before I go. Bye.'
'Bye Mindy, love you too. Be happy.' Mindy heard a sigh from the other end of the phone before hanging up. She took her antidepressants and headed out to go shopping.
Mindy was looking through some shampoo that she could take with her. There were so many brands to choose from. Just like that, all of them fell onto the floor. Great, as if this day wasn't getting any worse.
'Mindy?' It was a familiar voice. Mindy looked up to see Christina peering down at her. She always looked gorgeous, in her professional attire and her short hair really suited her unlike Mindy's where it went in every direction.
'Err… hi Christina. What a pleasant surprise.' It wasn't really.
'Buying stuff for Haiti?' She had a tight smile on her face.
'Yep. I'm leaving in 12 days. So how are you?'
'Well, I was wondering how Danny was. He hasn't talked to me since your party. We were about to move in together and everything and now he's ignoring me. Do you know why?'
Mindy hesitated. What could she say? Yes, because you're a heart-breaking bitch, that's why?
'No, I don't. I thought you and Danny were still together.'
'I don't think we are. He drives me crazy, seriously. He gets back together with me and then decides to supposedly break up with me without even informing me? He's got some nerve. No decency to even tell me. I don't even know why I went back to him; he's still the same Danny that he was when I married him.'
Mindy frowned. Was she serious? 'Okay…'
'I'm fed up of chasing after him. I think I'll go back to Syria and focus on my photography.'
'No disrespect, Christina, but you have broken Danny's heart in the worst way possible. Cheating on him is not acceptable in any form.'
Christina gave her a look of disbelief and scoffed. 'Excuse me?'
'It really hurts me knowing what you did. And then you say he's got nerve for ignoring you? At least he isn't cheating on you with some other woman! I know this isn't my place but Danny is my friend and I don't like hearing bad things about him, especially coming from you.'
'Says the woman who ruined her ex's wedding by giving some drunken speech? You should be embarrassed of yourself to even do that. I don't think I could live knowing I did that.'
'Well at least I'm not some cheating scumbag! Did you even apologise to him for what you did?'
Christina was silent. Her face was getting angrier by the second.
'No, I didn't think you did. I may be a train wreck but at least I am loyal to the people I am with.'
'I'm sorry but you are far from loyal. You're defending Danny like he's your husband or something when you have a boyfriend! One that you humiliated in front of everyone at your party? You don't know when to stop do you? You are not loyal; if you were we wouldn't even be having this conversation.'
'Shut up, Christina before I get seriously angry.'
'What are you going to do? Jump on top of me? You could actually kill me considering how obese you are.'
'What the FUCK?' Mindy started grabbing at her hair and shoulders.
'Get off me!' Christina started scratching at Mindy's face.
A brawl between them continued for another two minutes until a security guard came and separated them. Both were arrested for disruption and unfortunately for Mindy, Christina had forced Danny to bail her out. Danny, the lovely guy that he was bailed Mindy out as well.
'I don't even want to know what happened.'
'Yeah, you probably don't want to know.' They awkwardly stared ahead at the windscreen of a taxi cab.
'I do want to know, actually. I thought you'd jump and tell me.' He laughed.
Mindy turned to look at him and saw his smug grin.
'Oh and Christina and I are over. Just thought I'd tell you.'
'YOU TELL ME NOW? I wouldn't be in this mess if you told me!' Mindy went to itch one of her scars and then winced in pain.
'Hey, don't itch it. It gets worse.'
'Thanks for such ground-breaking advice Danny.' She turned to face the window.
'Okay, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just didn't think it was important.'
'Of course it is important! We are both equally invested in each other's love lives and it's only fair that you tell me everything.'
Danny smiled when hearing this.
'I'm sorry. I promise to keep you up to date with future girlfriends and wives.'
'Good.'
'Now tell me about what happened with you and Christina? When I asked her she told me to go to hell and to never contact her again, that's how grateful she was that I bailed her out. I couldn't help but feel relieved if I'm honest.'
'So I'm guessing honesty is your protégé now?' She turned to look at Danny again and sighed. 'Christina and I got into a fight about you. She was calling you horrible things and I told her off. She had no right Danny, not after what she did to you.'
Danny looked back with those dilated pupils of his. She was dying to know what he was thinking.
'That was really nice of you Min. Thanks for defending my honour… although it's normally men who do that for women.'
'Whatever. I didn't even get to buy my supplies for Haiti!'
'So you're still going then?'
'Yeah… I think so.'
'Okay.'
It was an awkward drive for another thirty seconds until Mindy spoke again.
'Your mom told me a lot of things about you. She practically told me your life story.'
Danny looked tense. 'She did?'
'Yeah. Danny why didn't you tell me how bad your life was? All those things I said that were harsh and completely unforgivable, I can't believe I said them. You have had such a hard life and I just threw insults at you here and there. God, I can be such a jerk.'
'Min. I'm glad I didn't tell you otherwise you'd treat me like I have prostate cancer or something. I don't want sympathy. Everyone goes through bad patches in life and now I am happy where I'm at. So don't feel guilty. And hey, at least you're not a handsome jerk.'
Mindy stared at Danny and felt her skin turn red. 'What?'
'I know what you think of me,' he grinned. 'Gwen told me.'
'I am going to kill Gwen the next time I see her!'
'Okay, calm down. Look, to thank you for what you did with Christina because she deserved it, I'm going to take you to see You've Got Mail. They're showing it at the cinema.'
'Oh my God. Danny you would do that for me?' She smiled.
'It's the least I can do since you nearly bit my ex-wife's head off.'
'You're the best!' She reached out and hugged him while the taxi driver rolled his eyes. She felt Danny tense up under her touch and she felt his breath on her cheek. Is it me or is it really cold in here?
Danny and Mindy watched 'You've Got Mail' sitting in the back of the cinema. They talked throughout most of it, which irritated the other viewers. But they didn't care. They were going to enjoy themselves, whether it actually meant watching the movie or not.
