Blurred Visuals – Chapter 9

*Lovely Readers, this will be the first chapter of a multi-chapter update (Chapters 9 – 12). Here is your recap of what has happened…plus a reminder of the use of names in this fic.

Recap: So far in our story, Lacey Porter (now known as Kylie Samuels) is living in Embarrass, Texas as a member of the Witness Protection Program. Her mother and sister are in the same program with her.

Lacey is in this program because her former Green Grove, New York neighbor Solomon Fitzgerald (formerly known as Manny the Fingers Riccobono) was murdered by the mob. Unbeknownst to both Lacey and her friend/duplex neighbor Phoebe, Solomon had been a member of the Witness Protection Program because he had been very instrumental in bringing down the former head of the Bastinino crime family. Sol's former friend and new mob-leading enemy, Vinny Bastinino, placed a hit on Solomon.

In an unusual twist, Solomon had become particularly very friendly with Lacey – sharing the love of photography with her and the love of storytelling. Too bad the stories he told Lacey were laced with hidden mob code of warehouses, names, and locations.

As a warning to Lacey, her friend Phoebe was eliminated courtesy of young assassin, Charlie McBride. This is what forced Lacey and her family into government protective custody assisted by FBI Agent Michael Eddison and handled by US Marshal Archie Yates.

Unfortunately, one of Charlie's old buddies, Danny Desai, is the assassin assigned to kill Lacey. Danny has relocated himself to Embarrass, Texas with the purpose of infiltrating his target's life, s*ducing her, and then easily killing her. He has already met her and is working in the same Peaceful Meadows Wellness Center (in the same nursing assistant program) as our dear Lacey! Under the guidance of his mentor, Jackson Schumann, the very handsome Danny has worked his charm with Lacey pretty cozily.

Let us find how far his charm and skill will advance him…DimplesValntina

***Reminder: Lacey will be addressed by her new identity, "Kylie Samuels", when others talk to her aloud. She will privately (mentally) refer to herself by her birth-given name of "Lacey Porter".

Since the chapter will jump between people calling her Kylie in conversation while Lacey is having personal thoughts, I will italicize Kylie to avoid some confusion.

Likewise, Danny's internal thoughts will always refer to his target as her birth-given name of "Lacey". However, he will call her by the new identifier, "Kylie", whenever he is speaking to her or speaking about her to others in Embarrass, TX (except for his conversations with his mob friends).

To the townsfolk here, Danny is operating under the assumed name of "Danny Bashir" instead of his birth-given name of "Danny Desai".

The Peaceful Meadows Wellness Center is considered an assisted-living center where the inhabitants have medical conditions which prevent them from living independent lives alone. There are different levels of the residents' physical abilities here; however, this is still considered a hospital/nursing facility type of environment.

The Head Trainer/RN Patricia Fields is Lacey's all-day supervisor. However, Patricia acts as Danny's afternoon supervisor when he joins the ladies on their afternoon rounds. She will be referred by others interchangeably as either "Nurse Fields" or "Nurse Patricia".

RN Morris Talevera is Danny's morning supervisor in the Dialysis and Gastro division.

Okay, with those particulars out of the way, let us begin Chapter 9….

And along comes Shirley

At the Peaceful Meadows Wellness Center, ornery sixty-seven year old Shirley Beaumont is in the hall corridor when she spies her target. He is new. Oh, boy, this is gonna be fun. Better yet, he seems to be busy talking to that pretty little thing, Kylie Samuels. The more unsuspecting, the more the thrill…

At first, Shirley is going at a normal, regular speed in her power wheelchair and then she goes full throttle as she gets closer to him. She gets less than a foot from him before she veers slightly to the left and the young man jumps to the right. She giggles with glee as she speeds by. She gives a wave at Lacey as she passes by her. The young lady is shaking her head in disbelief.

"Did you see that? She almost ran me over with that thing!" Danny complains.

He looks down the corridor in the direction where that ol' bat out of h*ll has gone. As he stares at the back of that speed demon's wheelchair, he asks "Who the h*ll was that?"

"That was Mrs. Shirley Beaumont." Lacey replies.

Lacey sympathizes as she explains further. "Yeah, she loves seeing how close she can get to you before you jump. She calls it her version of playing 'chicken'. She says it's her way of getting cheap thrills at her age. You jumped, you lived, and now you learn to be on your toes whenever she comes barreling down the hallways."

"Does she have a license for that thing? Is that legal? What…she does this on a regular basis?" Danny questions.

Lacey thinks his outrage is justified, but funny…very funny…especially when you visualize him jumping out of the way from being mowed down by a nearly 70 year old woman with a smile on her face and excitement in her eyes. A snicker escapes from Lacey.

She apologizes "I'm so sorry." Lacey bites the corner of her mouth to try to maintain some composure.

At Lacey's expression and at his own visual picture at what just happened, Danny's outrage evaporates and he does find the situation funny. It is funny to think that here he is, a trained assassin (who is usually on the lookout for a threat from a gun or some other weapon…or even some other attack) was caught off-guard by some senior citizen. Of all the precautions he had taken and the situations he had prepared to encounter, he could never have anticipated an attack from a little ol' woman in a wheelchair. This curveball makes the situation quite funny.

He chuckles (although the underlying source of his humor is a little different than what is causing Lacey's as she giggles).

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't laugh. It's just that your expression and her expression…her actions and your actions…" Lacey pauses as a giggle captures her before she contains it with a closed-mouth smile.

Her mood is infectious as Danny finds himself returning her smile. He issues another small chuckle himself.

He shakes his head and says "It's okay, Kylie. It is funny…a little life-affirming there, but funny."

Lacey motions her head to the hallway at the right. "Well, I'd better get going. I have to complete my morning rounds by lunch."

Danny responds "Yeah, I'd better get going myself. Maybe I will see you at lunch later."

He wants to seem nonchalant. His comment is to convey something casual - as if it would be nice to have a familiar face in the cafeteria.

It works because Lacey nods and states "Sure."

She excuses herself to go on her routine tasks for the morning. Danny heads in the opposite direction to meet with Morris, his morning RN Supervisor. He is very alert in the corridors in case the speed demon is still on the prowl.

During the afternoon rounds…

Later, the speed demon is formally introduced to Danny on his and Lacey's afternoon rounds with Head Trainer, RN Patricia Fields. Mrs. Shirley Beaumont is a regular of Nurse Field's patients, but this is the first time that Danny has been assigned to assist with the patient. Lacey is already quite familiar with Shirley. Shirley is definitely one of the more lively residents at Peaceful Meadows. Lacey is intrigued how Danny will adapt to the spirited senior citizen.

Nurse Fields introduces the two. "Mrs. Beaumont, please meet one of our newest nursing assistants, Danny Bashir. Danny, this is Mrs. Shirley Beaumont. She is, by far, one of our most active residents here at Peaceful Meadows. Whatever you want to know, Shirley has the pulse on all activity here." Patricia smiles with the introduction.

Shirley adds "You forgot to mention that I was also your favorite resident."

Patricia tsks "Now, now, Mrs. Beaumont, you know I can't play favorites. I love everyone the same around here." Patricia teases.

Shirley corrects "And you and I both know that is not true."

To Danny, Shirley greets. "Newbie, nice to meet you. You are might spry on your feet, young man. That's what I like. Some of these assistants are a little out of shape. How in the world are you going to handle sick patients when it looks like you belong in the sickbed yourself? Nice to see that you can think on your toes. Quick reflexes." She compliments.

Patricia chastises "Now, Mrs. Beaumont, you haven't been trying to run people over again with your 'chicken' game, have you?"

Shirley objects "People love that dodge game."

"You know the Center Director said that she would revoke your privileges if you hurt someone." Patricia reminds…although she can't hide her small smile.

Shirley defends "No one has been hurt. No one has complained. Everybody loves to play."

Patricia counters "Or do you give them no choice but to play or get run over?"

Shirley enunciates "Toe-may-toe or Toe-mah-toe, six-a-dozen-half-the-other. I'm an ol' lady in a wheelchair. I get the thrills where I can."

"As long as no one gets hurt." Patricia repeats.

Shirley turns to Danny and asks "Were you hurt?"

Danny frowns. He is not sure he should answer, but he does anyway. He replies "No."

Shirley smirks as she proclaims "Good! Now you know the game whenever you see me coming down the hallways towards you."

He frowns and says a little unsurely "Okaaaaay…." He trails his comment as he turns to the other two for guidance on how he should have responded to Shirley's comment. He looks at Patricia, who shakes her head in feigned dismay, and at Lacey, who tries to fold down her lips to hide her smile unsuccessfully.

Patricia advises "Tell you what, Mrs. Beaumont, give Danny some time to get to know you first before you spring that 'chicken' game again on him."

Shirley hedges. She says "I'll consider."

Even though he was introduced as "Danny", Mrs. Beaumont asks if he was born a Daniel. Danny affirms the statement.

Then, the older woman insists on calling him "Daniel". Her rationale? She states "I'll call you Daniel. Your parents gave you that fine name. Why on Earth wouldn't you use it? Kids these days are always using nicknames."

So, fine, whatever, he was Daniel to her.

Consequently, that isn't the last Mrs. Beaumont wants to know about Daniel. She seems all too fascinated with him. During her examination, Shirley is full of questions for the new male nursing assistant.

Where is he from, how long as he been on the nursing program, why did he choose the program, does he have any family around here, is he married, have any kids, how old is he, etc.

When she hears his age, Shirley says that Danny reminds her of an old soul who has seen a lot and has lived far longer than his actual years. (Little does she know that is far too true, Danny internally muses.)

Finally Nurse Patricia offers Danny a reprieve from Shirley's interrogation. She chastises the resident "Now, Mrs. Beaumont, you should save some of your questions for another day. Isn't it better to get to know a person over a length of time instead of finding out everything all at once? It can leave a little mystery."

"Oh, I feel there is lots more to Daniel than what meets the eye." Shirley cryptically responds. She narrows her eyes as she looks at him unflinchingly.

Danny is not sure how to decipher that.

There is an intercom message hailing Nurse Patricia Fields to Room 145. Patricia apologizes and announces that Kylie and Danny are to complete the rest of the work with Shirley unsupervised. As she exits the room, the RN teases that Mrs. Beaumont will let her know how the nursing assistants perform. Mrs. Beaumont has a keen interest in Danny. She keeps looking at him.

Danny raises his eyebrows and asks "Is there anything wrong, Mrs. Beaumont?" Her staring is a little unnerving.

Shirley states "There's a little something…that I can't quite figure out. There's something…definitely rascally about you – which isn't necessarily bad. I've known a few rascals in my day. They definitely keep you guessing. Yep, it's like you are hiding something. I wonder what it is."

"Sorry, I think you are mistaken." Danny forces a laugh effortlessly.

Lacey gives a chuckle. She smirks as she adds "Danny's a nice guy, Mrs. Beaumont. What do you think he would be hiding?"

Shirley sizes him up. She surmises "Oh, I don't know. Could be nothing, but you remind me of my second husband, Alfonso, who was just full of secrets…."

Lacey, frowning, prompts "Secrets?"

Shirley explains with a sigh "Yes, secrets…like he was a lying son-of-a-b*tch with debts up to his eyeballs and a wife and two kids in another state!"

Danny gives a small smirk. He raises his eyebrows as he attests "Well, I don't have debts up to my eyeballs nor a wife or any kids in any state so that rules me out."

Lacey smiles at Danny's comment.

Shirley gives a smirk. She can appreciate the humor. She remarks "Yes, well, that was long ago and I am an old lady now. Yet, Mama always said 'Go with your gut' and my gut still says that you're rascally – just the same. Watch this one, Kylie; he is much too pretty, just like my Alfonso."

Shirley changes the subject and asks "Is everything done? All of a sudden, I feel tired."

"Yes, we are completed. Is everything okay, Mrs. Beaumont?" Lacey says a little alarmed.

Shirley waves a hand to dismiss her concern. "Child, I'm fine. I'm just old. When you are my age, you'll see that you tire easily. You all have been poking and prodding at me for the last 20 minutes and I have been asking young Daniel 20 million questions. All that tires an ol' lady out."

Lacey disagrees "You aren't old, Mrs. Beaumont."

Shirley smiles up at Lacey as she responds "Why, thank you, child."

Shirley's smile immediately disappears the next instant as she fusses "Now, get out of here with all that flattery nonsense so that I can rest! Kylie, you should be ashamed of yourself…lying to a senior citizen. Of course, I am old – but…I appreciate the lie nonetheless."

She adds "Now, go on…must be some other poor soul that needs you more. I'll be here tomorrow and the next day, Lord willing, for you to aggravate with all your needles and your testing. Goodbyeeee."

She shoos the two out of her room with a wave of her hand.

Both chuckle as they exit and say "Have a good afternoon, Mrs. Beaumont."

After they walk down the corridor, Danny turns to Lacey and says "Thanks for the rescue back there. I felt like she was going to ask me for my Social Security verification. What is she? The Census Bureau? She's quite the character."

Lacey dismisses "Oh, that's just Mrs. Beaumont. She is like that with everyone at first – until she feels a comfort level with you."

Danny inquires "So that treatment wasn't just a Danny-special?"

Lacey gives a closed-mouth smile which exposes a dimple. She answers "No, definitely not. You aren't the first and you certainly won't be the last. My first time with her…" Lacey stops and gives a single chuckle as she remembers her first encounter with the unforgettable Shirley Beaumont.

She continues "Well, Mrs. Beaumont told me that she never trusted another beautiful woman because they always tried to flirt and steal her husband. I told her that she could rest assured that I wouldn't do that. She said 'Oh, honey, you'd have to go six feet under to steal him – literally – from his coffin. That b*stard thought that he could outlive me but hah, guess who got the last word? Me!"

Danny laughs.

Lacey gives a big smile as she adds "I asked her 'You didn't get along?" She replied 'H*ll naw. We lived for making each other miserable. I never should have let my first true love go. I call him the One Who Got Away. Frank, my dear Frank, was a sweetheart; but I thought we were far too young. I broke his heart by ending things before they could really blossom. I never should have done that. Oh, well, no use crying over spilled perfume.' "

Lacey concludes "Then she fussed at me for trying to be nosey and pry all of her personal business out of her."

She laughs. So, does Danny.

Lacey states "That's what she does. She gets you to talking and then when she feels she has said too much, she makes an excuse or a silly remark to shoo you away. That's just her behavior. You will get used to it."

Externally, Danny nods and walks with Lacey to their next patient on the rounds. Lacey chats about the new improvements that are coming for this wing of the Wellness Center.

Internally, Danny reflects on Mrs. Beaumont. He thinks that he will have to charm this little ol' lady so that she doesn't spread her suspicious tendencies towards Lacey – like an infection. Lacey doesn't suspect him of having ulterior motives and Danny plans to keep it that way.

The rest of the afternoon rounds go well with Lacey. At the end of their shift together, Lacey surprises Danny. She announces that yes, she can be his new study partner – if he is still interested. Danny smiles and nods his head. They make plans to meet an hour tomorrow before their morning shift to make a study schedule. Whatever time remains tomorrow morning, they can have a short study session.

When Danny's body falls into his bed that night, he is very tired and very pleased. It seems that his day had begun with a surprise (an almost-accident at the hand of a wheelchair being driven like a racecar) and had ended with a surprise (the beautiful Lacey agreeing to study with him).

He goes to sleep with a smirk on his face. Danny loves when everything is going well according to plan…

The next day…

The next morning, Lacey and Danny meet to strategize a study schedule that will fit them. Since they are on the same work rotation (same days and hours working and same days off), they find it easy to sync available times to meet. They agree to study in the Employee Lounge or the Cafeteria (if open).

Lacey suggests to alternate between meeting an hour earlier before their work shifts or else staying an hour later after their shifts are completed. Danny likes the idea but he also proposes some weekend study time as well. Sometimes it takes a little while to get the momentum going when you start studying and that 1 hour might fly by – without much being accomplished. Therefore, if they allow one or two Saturdays – or Sundays, if that is better – then, they aren't confined by the 1 hour time limit. He reasons that this would allow them to make more progress with the massive amount of material they have to learn.

Danny mentions that the bonus to studying on the weekend is that they wouldn't be in the exact same environment as where they come to work each day. If they study here all the time, the mind may be on a patient or something else work-related. A different environment would allow the brain to turn itself 'off' work and focus more on the study material.

Lacey likes the idea to incorporate external study environments as well. She lists some of the places they could use and the perks of using them. There's the nearby coffee shops (lots of seating and open early or late), Anita's Café (energy sugar-surge from the best baked goods in town), and the public library (equipped with small conference rooms plus a huge reference section in case they need to refer to outside materials to understand a difficult study module). There's even a Barnes & Noble in the next city – if the other places become too crowded.

Danny notices a common denominator in the environments that Lacey listed. They were all very public. Plenty of people around would give Lacey a comfort level rather than a private place like his or Lacey's home. He won't debate any of her choices. He will yield for now. He is confident that he will steadily gain more of her trust. Trust would allow her to drop her apprehensive guard.

The absence of anxiety would allow her to entertain suggestions for other meeting places. At that time, Danny can introduce another option…like an offer to cook dinner for the two of them at his place. Home environments are comfortable settings. A cozy setting drops inhibitions. The absence of inhibitions permits possible intimacy to be introduced. Intimacy would allow Lacey to fall for him and then, Danny can use her emotions to blind her from his ultimate goal: Vinny Bastinino's kill-order.

Therefore, Danny acquiesces to everything Lacey has suggested. He compliments her on the places she has recommended. They update their calendars with a few dates so that the study sessions can begin right away. From two books, they choose which chapters they want to focus for their first study session for tomorrow.

It is time to start their individual morning rounds. Danny is off to Dialysis and Gastro with Nurse Talevera. Lacey is off to work with Nurse Fields this morning. They wish each other a good morning shift and make arrangements to meet in the Cafeteria for lunch.

As Danny walks towards the Dialysis and Gastro area of the Center, he smiles as he thinks of his surprise move that he will make towards Lacey at lunch.

Lunch time…

When Lacey sits at the lunch table, she notices Danny is near the vending machines and the microwave stations in the corner of the Cafeteria. He appears to have brought his lunch and is warming it. Their other cafeteria mates won't be able to make it today.

Alicia, a second-year nursing assistant, did not report to work today because of a migraine. Theo, another second-year nursing assistant, informed Lacey that he had a shift change for today. Chet, from Housekeeping, was on vacation for two weeks. Lacey misses some of the others' chatter, but she is pleased that Jana had not arrived to the table today. Perhaps today would be Jana-free.

Lately, Jana, another second-year nursing assistant, had imposed her presence on their fun lunch group. Jana is not a friend of the group because she doesn't have the best attitude or personality. Lacey, in particular, isn't friends with Jana because Lacey discovered that Jana had placed a patient's welfare at stake. When Lacey had to report this major error in judgment, Jana was reprimanded. Although Jana was given a second chance by her supervisor, her employment record received a written warning. Thus, Jana wasn't particularly fond of Lacey.

No, Jana didn't sit at this table because she wanted to be friends with the others. She sat at this table in hopes of snaring Danny's attention. To his credit, Danny recognized Jana's intentions right away and has spurred all her attempts. Unfortunately, Jana didn't give up easily.

As Danny sits down to the cafeteria table, Lacey notices he has plastic portable containers which he opens. The aroma is enticing and the food looks good.

She teases "Looks like someone cooked last night."

Danny gives a slight laugh. He replies "Yeah. I was getting to the point where I was sick of take-out. You know how it is when you get home – you want something quick to eat because you are tired. Well, I was in the mood last night to cook and decided to bring some leftovers for lunch."

Lacey compliments "Whatever that is, it smells great."

Danny explains "Well, this is tandoori chicken. I've paired it with my favorite duma loo, a potato dish. Then, to add some more protein, I have lentil curry. For dessert, I have some fried shankarpali. Last weekend, I was craving some sweets my mother used to make. So, I decided to bake shankarpali. It's a chickpea flour cookie."

Lacey is impressed. "Wow, I didn't know you baked, too. Good skills you have there…everything looks good."

Danny produces a couple of spoons. He slides his containers in front of Lacey.

He offers "Have you ever had Indian food? It's the best! You must try some of this."

She says "I have tried a few chicken curry dishes before. I liked it but some of it was very spicy…"

Danny insists "This isn't spicy. I deliberately made everything mild – even the Tandoori chicken – because I wanted you to taste some of my cooking." He places a big anticipatory grin on his face.

Lacey is still a little apprehensive. "Oh, I don't want to take your lunch. Thank you for offering…"

Danny insists "You won't. I made more than enough for both you and me. You must at least try a few spoonfuls of everything. If I say so myself, I am a pretty good cook. Don't you want to see if I am right? Aren't you the least bit curious?"

He can see that Lacey is tempted. He teases "I am very clean. I don't have any pets or any cooties – if you were wondering. No one has died from my cooking. Tell you what, I will even take the first bite."

He does that and makes an mmmm sound to illustrate how good it is.

Lacey laughs. At times, he can be quite silly, which is surprising…and cute. She nods her head and says "Okay."

Lacey grabs a few of the offered spoons and she scoops a few bites of each dish upon her plate. She tastes them. They are quite good. As she chews she gives a 'thumbs up' approval sign.

Danny scoops some more onto her plate even with her objecting. He reasons "Your slice of pizza, bag of chips, and an apple don't look nearly look as good as my Indian food. Eat up!"

Lacey eats all of the Indian food he has placed upon her plate. She is full and hasn't touched any of the other food she originally had purchased. She decides to get a to-go container for the remaining food on her plate.

Danny can't help the pleased smirk on his face. He brags "See, my cooking beats cafeteria food any day."

Lacey grins. She concedes "Okay, I won't argue with that statement. You are a great cook. Thank you for sharing your meal with me."

They have some small talk before lunch is over. They go about the rest of the day on the afternoon rounds together under the guidance of Nurse Fields.

As they exit Peaceful Meadows together at the end of the shift, Lacey thanks Danny again for sharing the delicious food at lunch. Danny mentions that he may start cooking more often and that he will be sure to bring in extra if he does. Lacey does not object.

Over the next few weeks, Danny makes a meal at least once during the workweek. He always brings extra for Lacey. Through him she has experienced besan halwa (a mildly sweet type of chickpea candy), chicken biryani, and pilau rice. All were delicious.

Danny is even considerate to bring the dishes in a container to give to Lacey before their morning shift starts. This way, Lacey will know that she doesn't have to purchase lunch for the day. For the days when she may pack a lunch, Danny still gives her the container to have a snack for the day or to take home with her for dinner. Likewise, Lacey makes sure to return the favor; she brings Danny food sometimes that her family has prepared the night before.

During this time at the lunch table gatherings, Theo and Alicia trade knowing looks when Danny and Kylie are eating their mutual Indian dishes that Danny has prepared. They appreciate when Kylie offers for them to try the dishes. Sometimes, they do take a spoonful to try, but they know that this is Danny's special treat that he does for Kylie. They don't want to ruin anything. The two can tell that Danny is interested in her – even if she doesn't appear to notice. For the times that they do partake in a sample of the dishes, Theo and Alicia always compliment Danny on his cooking.

Jana has graced the table with her presence a few times during these weeks. When she sees the Indian dishes, she ingratiates herself upon Danny to try some – by sticking her clean fork into his plate to help herself. Danny fixes that bad habit. He purposely makes his portions of food spicier (while Lacey's container has a mild version). Therefore, a few times when Jana has stuck her fork into his plate, she has more than she bargains for. She would start coughing over the very spicy morsel she has stolen.

Danny would then state "Oh, you don't like spicy? Well, I'd better warn you…I usually prepare a spicier version for myself. Kylie always gets the mild version. So anyone taking a bite directly from my plate will wind up with a scorched mouth from the spices."

Jana mentions that she would like to try a mild version next time. However, Danny never brings anyone any leftovers but Kylie. Eventually, Jana stops mentioning her desire to try more of his cooking. She is not pleased by the attention that Danny has bestowed upon Kylie.

Anytime Jana tries to insinuate herself into Danny's orbit at the lunch table, Lacey finds that she is irked by Jana's behavior. Anyone can see that Jana is trying to mark territory over Danny. Lacey finds the behavior distasteful. She does an internal eye roll while her external demeanor shows no expression.

She thinks to herself "If he were interested, then Danny would make it obvious, Jana."

Then Lacey reflects "I never get the excuses or the side-stepping that he does with Jana."

Of course, she immediately corrects her internal dialogue: Danny isn't interested in Lacey herself either. This lunch-sharing thing? Well, Danny is just being nice and wanting to share a part of his culture with someone that he spends so much time. After all, they work together every afternoon shift; he is just being friendly. Then, why does that bother her?

Okay, she'll admit, she wonders sometimes if he has someone that he is dating. When the lunch gang had inquired on his personal status a while back, Danny had stated that he had broken up with a girlfriend just before he had taken this job.

Lacey wonders if that ex-girlfriend is back in the picture. Danny is far too good-looking to not have someone. What if he has someone? Maybe that is why he hasn't made any moves towards Lacey or anyone else in the nursing staff.

If he does have someone, the woman would be lucky; a smart, nice, good-looking guy who could cook was rare to find. She hopes that the woman would appreciate her good luck. Then Lacey wonders why she is even pondering Danny's love life. Lacey wonders if she is jealous of a relationship that she knows nothing about.

The Study Sessions…

During this time, Danny and Lacey have been study partners for the upcoming certification exams. At first, they had some sessions in the work lounge at Peaceful Meadows until Jana was nosy at why they were spending time together. Then, she was full of hints of what is on the upcoming exam – since she was a year ahead in the nursing assistant program unlike Danny and Lacey, who were still in their first year. While they appreciated a 'heads up' on some material, they both saw Jana's visits as interruptions to their valuable study time – for Jana's visits were long. It was Danny's idea to avoid the Center's work lounge for a while and just meet at some other location instead. Lacey agreed.

They met at the library, Anita's Café, and several coffee shops. To make the learning fun, Danny suggests a game to break up any monotony of the study material. There are quizzes at the end of each chapter of the accompanying workbooks. Since the answers to the quizzes were contained within the workbook index, Danny proposes that whoever scored the highest on the quizzes would win a treat of some sort. The person with the lower score would buy whatever treat the winner requested. He insists that the treats be inexpensive and fun.

Initially, the wins were for something sweet. When Lacey won, Danny has bought some candies and cookies from a nearby Middle Eastern/Asian market. Once when Danny won, Lacey made 7-layer bars.

Then, the wins were for non-food items like a leather lanyard to hang your nametag/security badge. (Lacey makes those and Danny complimented her once on her own.) So, that was one of her prizes for him.

Other prizes were certain pens and artistic memo pads – since this was something misplaced quite often at the Center. Having one's own more personal supplies helped to trace misplaced items better since no one else had that particular pen or pad. Then, the prizes progressed to more practical uses: assisting each other at the end of a shift with filing records or cataloging supplies. Lacey appreciated the fun aspect that Danny had incorporated into their learning.

A prize of a different kind…

At the end of today's session, Lacey has to concede to Quiz Master, Danny. She laughs at Danny's outlandish behavior. He is not a humble winner today. She shakes her head.

She admits "No, that module was a really hard chapter. You deserve to gloat. You earned it. What do you want as your prize?"

Danny's laughter settles and he looks pensive for a moment. He replies "A movie."

Lacey's eyebrows lift as she questions "What?"

Danny stares at Lacey with those suddenly intense amber-colored eyes. He clarifies "I thought we could do something different. I wanted to see the new sci-fi movie, 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes'. It is playing at the big IMAX Theatre about an hour away from here. What do you say?"

Danny was testing Lacey. Would she say yes or would she find an excuse to refuse him? Would she trust going that driving distance with him – away from her family – just the two of them alone?

There were a couple of reasons why he chose this particular movie. First, he actually wanted to see the movie. He liked several actors in the film. Second, seeing this type of movie about humans rising up and freeing themselves from a captive society could work in his favor.

The movie could build Lacey's esteem that she could fight any circumstances in her life. That would help her drop some of the cautious reserve she still displayed around him. Sure, Danny had made progress in his friendship with Lacey, but there were still strides to be made to have that friendship segue into relationship territory.

Conversely, if the movie scared Lacey, that would work for Danny, too. Fear often would bond a couple quicker to each other…something about heightened circumstances forcing a quicker attachment response. The movie would be viewed in a possible romantic setting - in the darkened and bodily-close interior, where Danny could provide assurance if Lacey needed it.

All Lacey had to do is say 'yes'.

Lacey's thought process regarding the movie. She agrees but she will meet him there.

Danny insists on driving them – saving gas and besides, the movie was his idea. Lacey says that since she lost the quiz bet, she should be the one driving them and he can be the happy winner…and happy passenger.

Danny sees that he will not win this argument. He will look suspicious if he tries to persuade her anymore. At least they are traveling together. So, he will be the happy passenger. They make plans for two days later (a Saturday night) to go to the movies.

Movie Night…

Before picking Danny up, Lacey informs her family of the theater name (and its corresponding phone number) of where she is going to view the movie. As soon as she arrives to Danny's, she takes a pic of his home and sends it, along with his address, to Clara to receive. Per US Marshal Archie's instructions, Lacey should notify her family with the name and description of the study buddy's home location as well as information regarding the theater and the route she is taking to get there.

She is equipped with protective measures in her purse: pepper spray, hair aerosol spray in case the pepper spray is taken away, portable small hair scissors which sharp edges can be used for defense, a phone to take pictures of her surroundings, a pen and pad in case she needs to communicate undetected for help, and emergency cash stowed on her body (bra tonight…sock if worn in future). Archie's other instructions were for her to incorporate ways to communicate with her family periodically during her night out – to let them know how things are and if she is still feeling safe.

Archie had assured Lacey that this may seem overwhelming and overboard at first. However, after a few times with this process, these precautions would seem fairly routine. The first outings are always big steps for the relocated family…especially if the outing was initiated by a female member of the family versus a male member of the family. Per Archie, the Samuels family would become pros at it in no time. Although Clara has had a few dates, the excursions have always been a date within a group setting with other singles or other couples. There was safety in numbers.

With Lacey, this was an outing with only one other person. Archie declares that after a few outings with the same person, some of the initial precautionary steps could be lessened. Though the extent of some precautions could be reduced, Archie strongly advised to still have some available at one's disposal – no situation should be easily dismissed when it came to the family's personal safety.

As for Danny…he doesn't mind Lacey picking him up at his home address. He wants her to know where he lives. It is two-fold: his place is secure so there will be no surprises for her to uncover by accident and her coming here will build a comfort level within her and a trust of him.

If he has predicted accurately, Lacey would most likely snap a picture of his place with her phone and typed in his address to send to someone – for safety's sake. She didn't call him until she had arrived at his place. That act would give her plenty of time to take her picture and email it – all undetected – since Danny would not know the precise time she had arrived. Danny had counted on that move and whoever would receive the photographed information would find nothing on him.

If Lacey was as smart as he knew her to be, she would have left the theater location and phone number with a family member or with her Witness Protection handler. Plus, she probably will make a couple of bathroom breaks or other excuses to check in with someone during the movie date – to convince them that she is okay. At least, this is what Danny would do if he were in a Witness Protection Program and out on a date with a person for the first time – miles away from a personal 'safety zone' familiar base.

When Danny gets into Lacey's vehicle, he wants to put her at ease. As they drive, he talks about the first two movies in the Planet of the Apes franchise reboot as well as the original series. When Lacey wants to talk about work, he teases that tonight is a work-free zone; only fun topics are allowed. The radio was playing softly in the background; so, Danny asks her about her favorite music.

Although Lacey had the station W-KMLJ 85.9FM (the soft-listening station for the best music from the '70s, '80s, '90s and beyond), she actually was very versatile in her listening choices. She was well-versed in ol' school hip-hop, rap, pop, R&B, and some rock. They even bonded over Kanye West. They discussed his album progression and if they thought his last cd should have gotten more acclaim.

When the radio station plays the Phil Collins' song, 'In the Air at Night', Danny says "Oh, man, I haven't heard this in a long time."

Lacey agrees "It is a nice song. I think it is my favorite one of his songs."

Danny starts to simulate playing the drums in mid-air.

"You didn't tell me you were an air drummer." Lacey teases.

Danny replies "Oh, if you think I am a drum master on this one, you should see how I am with Phil's song 'Don't Care Anymore'."

Lacey laughs. She knows the song and she can actually picture Danny in a frenzy drumming away in mid-air to the song. This is a dorky side of him that she hasn't seen him exhibit, but she likes it. Yes, she approves.

Lacey asks "Do you play the drums?"

Danny grimaces "I wish I played the drums. No, when it came time for me to choose which instrument I wanted to play, I chose the guitar. Vik was disappointed that I didn't choose to learn the piano like Mom."

"Who's Vik?" Lacey asks.

Danny is caught-off guard. Sh*t, he didn't mean to have that slip of tongue.

***What will Danny do now that he has that mis-step in what has been an easy-going plan of his so far? Chapter 10 Preview after these notes…

Lovely Readers, thank you for reading. Thank you for your support.

Within this fic, I will be introducing 3 senior citizens at Peaceful Meadows Wellness Center. All three will be instrumental to how Danny and Lacey become closer. You have met our most entertaining one, Mrs. Shirley Beaumont. I based her upon how I thought a retired Shirley McClaine would be in an assisted-living center. I imagine the actress would be a spit-fire, full of opinions that she doesn't mind giving, and basically taking nobody's mess. So, when you read about Mrs. Beaumont throughout this story (sprinkled here and there), envision actress Shirley McClaine.

Kylie Bunbury Easter egg - "A snicker escapes from Lacey. She apologizes 'I'm so sorry.'" It is a tip-of-the-hat to the Cambio interview when she finds the ID name Esther humorous but regrets her snicker. The Kavan Easter egg is their bonding over Kanye West which both actors have shown in the Twisted Behind-The-Scenes interview and on a Kavan Instagram-posted video.

I am sure you caught the Twisted Easter egg "you and I both know that is not true" – Shirley uttering a tv Danny line.

You will notice that I deliberately misspelled the word 'tomato' so the reader could imagine Shirley illustrating the two pronunciations of the word when she was trying to justify her playing the 'chicken' dodge game on unsuspecting victims with her power wheelchair.

'Six-a-dozen-half-the-other' is a common saying which means that two alternatives will still provide the same result. It doesn't matter which one you may choose.

Chapter 10 Preview!

Lacey is busy stirring the Cream of Mushroom sauce around and over the pot roast which was in the slow cooker. Clara has decided that she wants garlic mashed potatoes and starts peeling and cutting them.

They are working in a comfortable silence. Lacey is in an unassuming mood when finally Clara poses what she probably had been itching to say earlier.

Clara, out-of-the-blue, says "Your co-worker – he's hot."

Lacey responds absent-mindedly (as she is applying a little extra seasoning to the pot roast) "Hmmm, what hot co-worker?"

Clara gives a single loud laugh. She chides "Like you are bound to have many hot guys at that Center…the hot guy from the parking lot. Duh!"

Lacey adds some vegetables to the slow cooker to cook alongside the roast. She gives a nonchalant "Oh, I guess." She pretends like she hasn't noticed Danny's looks until Clara backs her in a corner verbally.

Clara insists "I know that look. It's the one you always give me when you don't want to tell me something. Come on, confess. I know all your tell-tale signs when you are trying to avoid talking about something."

Lacey counters "No, you only think you know my tell-tale signs." Still, Clara is partially right in this case about Danny.

Lacey then acknowledges "Okay. Maybe I have noticed, but Danny and I are strictly co-workers and study buddies."

Clara questions "Your study buddy? The one you have been meeting at work and at coffee shops? The one you recently took to the movies? I got a theater address and phone number, a picture of where he lived, but no picture of a guy that smokin'. Why were you holding out on me? You never mentioned he looked like that!"

Lacey states "That is because his looks didn't matter – his mind and commitment to studying did. I was more concerned that we were compatible."

At Clara's raised eyebrows and pointed look, Lacey clarifies "That we were compatible to study Medical Composition and Ethics in Healthcare Strategies together – not determining real-life human attraction."

Although Clara's face shows disbelief, she gives a simple "Okay, if you say so."

**Lovely Readers, see you at Chapter 10…DimplesValntina