"Jeremy, did you get an invite to Tom's wedding?" Mindy snagged Jeremy's arm, pulling him to an unexpected halt as he passed her office.
"Of course. Did YOU?" He tilted his head and cocked his eyebrow.
"You don't have to say it like that." she said, and hit him playfully. "I'm only invited to the reception though."
"Same. I think the ceremony is private. I wonder why..." Jeremy said with a smirk.
"Shut up, Jeremy. I didn't get drunk until the reception last time." She turned the invitation over in her hands thoughtfully. "I guess he's ready to forgive and forget."
"You know, I wasn't sure I was going to attend, but I am definitely going now."
"Jerk. You think Danny's going to go?"
"Why don't you ask him? He's at his desk right now." Jeremy gave her a funny look and continued to his office.
She poked her head around the door to Danny's office. "Are you going to Tom's wedding reception?"
Danny looked up from his paperwork and disconnected his reading glasses to slip them off of his face. "Yeah. I was kinda surprised he that he was getting married again so quickly, but Tom's always been a bit of a wild card."
"You're telling me. Want to be my date?" she asked with a bright smile, hoping that what happened at Jeremy's party would pass soon and knowing that it wouldn't. They had barely spoken this week, both apologizing regularly for being so busy and then failing to do anything about the growing distance.
"I, uh, I'm invited to the ceremony. I'm actually going to be in the wedding party."
"Are you kidding me?"
"Tom and I got kinda close for a while there. We've had our differences, but I get where the guy's coming from. I'm really honored."
"Is this a 'Getting Over It Gang' thing?"
"Yeah, some of the other guys will be at the ceremony."
"Will Kris..."
"Stop. Leave him alone."
"Just asking," she said, trying to act casual.
"Anyway, I'll be with Tom for the morning, but I will catch up with you at the reception, okay?"
"Okay."
. . . .
Mindy paced herself, well aware of what happened when she got into the vodka last time, and just sat back and enjoyed the reception for what it was. She caught up with various friends from medical school and residency days. She wore a bold Pacific blue cocktail dress was simultaneously sexy and sweet and more importantly drew compliments from all over. It was just...nice. In the reception line she shook Tom's hand briefly and introduced herself to his new bride as an 'old friend' from when they were residents, and Tom looked grateful that she had stopped there and moved along.
She was seated at the same table as Jeremy, who almost definitely would end up in the arms of some woman later because weddings made him feel 'vulnerable', but for the moment made a perfectly charming dinner companion. She caught glimpses of Tom throughout the night and unlike the last time, he looked so relaxed and happy that her heart swelled with happiness for him.
After dinner Tom found her flirting mildly with the DJ and pulled her into a quick hug. "Thanks for being here, Mindy. And for being cool."
"My pleasure." Her face lit up with a genuine smile. "Can I ask though, why did you invite me? Aren't you afraid that I'll get wasted and destroy something?"
Tom smiled back. "I've come to realize a couple of things since my first marriage. I can't control everything, and trying to control everything just makes me miserable. Which in turn makes everyone around me miserable. I don't want to do that anymore. What makes me happy though, is enjoying the good things right here in front of me." He glanced over at his new bride. "So yeah, you might ruin something, but you won't ruin my night. I'm happy."
"Well, I'm happy you're happy."
He looked around the room, searching for someone. "Where's Danny? I thought he said he was going to meet up with you after dinner."
"I don't know. I mean, I saw him briefly up at the top table with you, but not since then. Think he's scamming on some bridesmaids?" she asked honestly.
Tom looked at her, confusion creasing his forehead. "That seems...unlikely."
"Oh, well I'm sure I'll find him later."
Tom's expression settled back into a soft smile. "I'm sure you will."
"Well congratulations to you and your bride." She lifted her glass and caught his eyes flicking to it. "Relax, it's just fizzy water."
"I am relaxed," Tom said and gave her another quick hug. "Think about what I said."
"About what?"
"Enjoy the good things right in front of you. One way ticket to a happy life. I promise."
"Thanks, Tom."
. . . .
"Jeremy! You're not a bad dancer. You're no Danny, but..."
"I'm no Danny. What's going on with you two? Usually you're thick as thieves"
"Nothing." Mindy shook her head. "We'll figure it out."
"Please do. You're both unbearable when you fight."
"Ex-squeeze me? If I'm so unbearable why are you dancing with me?"
"Because there is a lovely lady I've had my eye on tonight and I'm going to tell her later that you dumped me."
"Gross, Jeremy."
"Don't hate the player. Hate the game."
"Have you been hanging out with Peter?"
"Why?"
"No reason."
"Well, anyway. Kiss and make up." He raised his eyebrows suggestively.
"Jeremy!"
"May I?" came a voice from her right.
Jeremy stood back and gestured for Danny to step in "Of course, if the lady doesn't object."
"The lady doesn't object." Mindy smiled up at Danny. Jeremy raised his eyebrows again, and bowed out.
As soon as Danny had taken her hand and slipped his other around her waist the song changed to something slower, something definitively jazzy. She felt Danny's body shift subtly to match the music, and her own body responded almost instantaneously, looser in his arms. "I love this song." he said.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Miles Davis. Blue in Green."
"It's nice." She nodded agreeably as she followed his lead.
"You've heard it before, you must have. I play Miles all the time. We literally just watched that episode of Jazz with Miles Davis a couple of weeks ago."
"You're right it does sound familiar." She licked her lips nervously. "Listen, about that night..."
"Hey, it's okay. Don't worry about it."
"I do worry about it. I didn't mean to... I mean..." she started awkwardly.
"I know what you mean."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I'm the one who should apologize. I let my feelings get the better of me. I shouldn't have said any of that stuff to you when we were on your fire escape."
"Why not?"
"It's not fair to you. I know that." He shook his head.
"Danny... I want you to say what you feel. Even if I'm not well equipped to deal with it, I want you to feel like you can say anything to me."
A strange look passed over his face. "I'll try."
Her stomach unexpectedly clenched as the final notes of the song echoed through the hall. He spun her and she let out a surprised laugh.
He held her hand lightly, and smiled. "Let's go get you some cake."
"Danny! They haven't even cut the cake yet."
"I'll sneak a piece from the back for you." He pulled her by the hand over to the door that led out into the hotel. "Wait for me here."
She watched him as he smoothly dodged cheerful guests and old friends to sidle up to the table where the cake was displayed. He fumbled around with things on the table for a moment, then he looked at her from across the room with a big grin and shrugged. Then he scooped a huge chunk of cake from the middle layer with his bare hand. He peeked at it and scooped a second chunk from the bottom layer with his other hand and took off running for the exit behind her.
"Go!" He hissed as he passed her, and she bolted ahead of him to push the door open. They spilled out into the hallway laughing.
"What did you do?"
"I couldn't find a knife." He looked around them and nudged her with his shoulder. "Move, move. Someone will see us."
She took off for the bank of elevators at the other end of the hall and hit the button to call it. Thankfully it was already on the second floor and arrived only moments later. A well dressed couple got off as Danny and Mindy got on and did a double take at the pair. The older gentleman smiled and winked at Mindy as the doors closed.
Mindy opened her tiny sparkly handbag and pulled out a key card. "You, mister, are just lucky we have a place to hide out. What came over you? And why did you take a piece from each layer?"
"I thought they might be different flavors, so I got you one of each."
The elevator dinged and she peeked into the hall to check for witnesses before she waved at him to follow her. She unlocked the door and held it open for him and flipped on the light. "Don't make a mess, I'll get some sort of plate to put those on."
Danny walked slowly around the room and stopped at the window. As she came up behind him with two saucers from the tea and coffee station in the kitchenette, he turned to her and plopped a piece onto each.
"Seriously though, what were you thinking?" She nodded at his frosting covered hands in exasperation. "This isn't you, this is me!"
"I don't know. It's been a good day. And I thought it would make you laugh." His face lit up with that stupid half grin that could be so irritating when it was at her expense, but tonight made her breath catch. "Besides, what kind of wedding would this be if you didn't ruin it?"
"I didn't ruin it! You did!" She dipped her head so he couldn't see her blush and carried the plates over to the table and set them down with a chuckle.
"I'll tell Tom it was me."
She kicked off her silver sandals and padded barefoot across the room to join him at the window. "You know, I don't think you have to. He and I talked tonight, and he seems really...happy. I don't think he gives a crap about a bit of cake."
"I hope not."
"He told me to enjoy the good things in front of me. A ticket to a happy life, he said."
"He did?" Danny looked at her again with raised eyebrows and her stomach fluttered. Then he cleared his throat and nodded toward the table. "Like cake?"
"Definitely." She watched him lick some frosting from his finger and suddenly the room felt much smaller than it had only moment ago. She needed to think about something else. "Um...what kind of cake did we get, then?"
"You'll be glad to know I was right, there are two kinds. This one," he waved his left hand, "is just vanilla. This one," he held up his right hand, "might be lemon. I'm not sure."
"What do you mean, might be lemon. It either is lemon or it isn't."
"I don't know all the fancy fruits. It might be something else. Mango? I don't know."
He held his finger out in front of her, and she impulsively leaned forward and licked it. "Passionfruit. I think it's passionfruit." Her chest was too tight, her words came out as a whisper.
He stared at her with dark eyes and unreadable expression. He put his finger to his mouth, and tasted it again. "Are you sure?"
"No."
"Do you want to taste it again?" He was breathing faster than usual. Or was she?
"Sure." This time she leaned forward more slowly, and he put his thumb to her lips. She closed her mouth over it and sucked. What had begun as a little flutter in her stomach had moved lower and she gasped as her body tightened in response. She saw him swallow hard as he pulled his hand away.
He gestured toward the bathroom. "I should probably go get cleaned up."
She stepped back and nodded. She didn't trust herself to speak. As he turned to go though, she reached out and slipped her hand into his. "Danny, wait."
He looked down at their hands, the frosting smearing between their fingers and he looked back up into her eyes,. "Min...we'll make a mess."
"I don't care."
Notes: I don't even have anything to say other than to be continued tomorrow if I can finish writing it, and reviews are always appreciated.