Danny had practice after his last class of the day. He checked his phone, nothing from Lacey. He warmed up, stretched out and was ready for a team run when Archie finally made it out onto the field.
"Yates!" Danny shouted to the tall, handsome quarterback.
Archie jogged over and ran along side Danny as he began his lap.
"Wearing my favorite shorts, I see." Archie smirked.
"Did you run with my girlfriend this morning?"
Archie's good natured, flirty face melted.
"Wow, what a friggin baby—"
"Don't talk about her like that."
"All I asked was if she knew why you blew me off for our workout this morning."
"Well that's obviously bullshit—"
"Why, what is she saying?"
"She's pushing me away." Danny admitted in frustration.
"Away?"
"Yeah, dude. Toward you."
"She is?"
Archie kept pace with Danny and ran in silence for half of their trek around the track. Danny knew that it was more likely that Lacey's sudden cold shoulder was just his mistake at age eleven coming back to haunt him more than it was Archie's reckless manipulation, but it certainly didn't help.
If Lacey was on the fence after their conversation last night, Archie's bullshit certainly seemed to help to push her off.
"I'm only going to say this once, stay out of my relationship. I'm not losing Lacey because you can't accept reality."
"If your love for each other is so strong, how come it's hanging by a thread after I make one comment?"
"It's more complicated than that but the bottom line is, you need to leave us alone."
Archie stopped and grabbed his side as he caught his breath, "Tell me that you don't think of me anymore, that you're really happy with just her. Tell me we're done and I'll leave you alone."
"We're done."
Archie nodded and walked away, the cramp in his side no match for the pain in his heart.
He waited until dinner time before he couldn't take it any more. He wanted to fix this, to fix them. If it wasn't going to work out, he just needed to know.
Danny: I can't get the smell of tempera paint out of my nose
Lacey: Alright, how long were you in that closet?
Danny: Long enough to know that there is such a thing as tempera paint
Lacey: Hands on learning is always the best
Danny: I'm sorry about today
Lacey: Me too
Danny: Still want the number?
Lacey: Of course I do
Danny: 31
Lacey: I honestly thought it would be higher
Danny: Half were repeat customers, the other half were one time deals.
Lacey: Customers, nice
Danny: What can I say, I filled all the orders
Lacey: So, a quarter of your hook ups were all in my art class today?
Danny: Maybe I have a type :)
Lacey: So what number am I?
Danny: Number one
Lacey: I'm serious
Danny: You're 31. I haven't been with anyone new since we started hanging out
Lacey: Just one repeat customer
Danny: Just Archie that one time. I talked to him today btw, he'll leave us alone from now on
Lacey: I realized today that you don't even know that I have a sister
Danny: Do you really?
Lacey: We don't know each other Danny
Danny: Go out with me tonight
Lacey: Where?
Danny: A hookah lounge I like. I know the door guy, he'll let us in. It's a nice place, we'll relax, learn more about each other. Let me take you on a date.
Lacey couldn't help the smile that crept into the corner of her mouth. It did sound nice. She didn't answer right away, debating in her head if this was worth it.
Lacey: It's a Monday night, who goes out on a Monday night?
Danny: I do. Besides, it's break time now, every night is Friday night.
Lacey: What time?
Danny pumped his fist in the air above him in victory, "YESS!" He shouted, all alone in his condo.
Danny: I'll pick you up in an hour, we can go eat first
Lacey: I'll be ready
Danny flew up the stairs to clean his post-practice body. He had spent major time manscaping before Lacey's class today so the only thing left to do was scrub and moisturize.
The hookah place was casual but he still wanted to look nice. He picked an ivory henley and deep mulberry linen pants. He pulled half of his hair up and finished his look with his army green bomber jacket.
Lacey opted for a bath, soaking their previous activities away, wanting to start over. She also moisturized, picking a body butter that had a soft shimmer to it. She wanted to radiate and glow.
"Oh shit, you're using that body butter—" Phoebe got distracted from packing and watched as her roommate obviously prepared for a date.
"Danny's taking me out tonight."
"He's not going home for Thanksgiving either?"
"Nope, home game Friday."
"Oh damn. So, what you're telling me is that the entire football team will basically have campus to themselves and the ratio of those fine ass men to other girls will be significantly imbalanced and that I should rethink my plans?"
"Did I say all that?" Lacey teased, smiling as she worked on her makeup.
Phoebe pouted and sat beside the pile of clothes she still had to fold into her suitcase.
"Don't get down, you're not missing anything. The spirit team is staying behind too."
"Gross. I assume Danny's naked body will rub itself all over this room for the next week until I return? Maybe strip my bed and wash my shit before I get back?"
"Honestly, I think we're about to slow things way down."
"Is this about the aunt thing?"
Lacey paused and leaned back in her desk chair, mouth still open from a combination of shock and applying mascara.
"How did you know about that?"
"I had lunch with him today."
"Wait, you had lunch with Danny?"
"Yep."
"And—he just—told you? I mean, how did that come up?"
"Well, first of all, did that boy get naked for y'all in class today?!"
Lacey shook her head in disbelief, "Oh yes."
"Why didn't you tell me this was going down?!"
"He surprised me."
"I'll bet."
"Anyway, anyway, please, continue—"
"He asked if you were okay, I told him I thought you were still a little off because of last night. I was talking about you being a stripper for his parents, he thought you told me about him blowing his aunt's brains out or whatever."
"Jesus."
"Why are you slowing things down?"
"There's just a lot we don't know about each other."
"You know the good stuff, just saying."
"There's more to life than fucking, Phoebs."
"I agree, but literally, at the end of the day, it all comes back to that."
"We're compatible sexually, big fucking checkmark, okay? I want to learn him, I want to know him. Really know him."
"I dunno, finding someone who likes to eat ass and then letting them actually go ahead and eat your ass—what else ya gotta know?"
"I'm going to miss you this week." Lacey giggled at her roommate-turned best friend.
"I know." Phoebe winked.
Danny: I'm out front. Sarita won't let me in because I forgot her tickets again :(
Lacey: I'll be right there
"How do I look?" Lacey twisted from side to side in their full length mirror.
Lacey was wearing a shorter black high-waisted skirt with an ivory sleeveless satin blouse tucked into it and killer black booties. She chose her black leather jacket to wear with it.
"He's gonna die. Just have fun tonight, no more heavy stuff. It's Thanksgiving break, enjoy yourself."
Lacey helped carry Phoebe's luggage outside to her waiting parents, Danny's jaw dragging along behind the girls as he supported them both from afar.
"See you in a week. Bye, Danny!" Phoebe and Lacey hugged goodbye.
Danny waved politely as they drove away.
"Lacey, you look incredible—" Danny looked her over like she had just invented beauty and he was the first to see it.
"Thanks, so do you." She smiled, her curls bouncing along with every graceful step she took.
Lacey had been so busy these first few months of school she hadn't explored life in Syracuse outside of campus at all. Their Uber took them to some hole in the wall restaurant that served gourmet fusion dishes.
Danny was adventurous and went for some sort of shaved lamb French dip sandwich and fried pickles with mango habanero chutney.
Lacey chose the best steak nachos she had ever tasted.
"You have to try one, here, lemme load it up."
Lacey scraped together all the different cheeses, sauces and a good bite of the steak before extending her arm out in front of Danny's face.
"You think that whole thing will fit in my mouth?"
"Just picture a huge cock, buddy—" Lacey giggled and easily fed Danny the overloaded chip.
"You're right, that dick trick works for over ambitious bites. Wow, that's so yummy—" Danny wiped his mouth.
After dinner and a lot of catching up, they walked to the hookah lounge, Danny's bouncer friend ushering them in like they were VIPs. They went to the bar first until a hookah spot opened up for them.
"What are you drinking?" Lacey asked, offering to pay for their first round.
"Spicy margarita."
"Seriously?"
"What? They're good!"
"What can I get you two?" The bartender asked.
"I'll take whatever porter you have on tap and he'll have a spicy margarita."
"Fourteen."
Lacey's eyes bugged out. She slapped down the only twenty dollar bill she had. She had so been hoping she'd be able to get herself more than one drink tonight.
"So how do you know the bouncer anyway?"
Danny had been sipping his drink through the tiny stirring straw. His eyes darted over to the door and he smirked, pulling away from the glass and looking Lacey in the eye.
"He's number nineteen."
Lacey looked over at the door again. The guy was tall, huge muscles and had a shaved head. Not super attractive, to Lacey anyway. She couldn't picture it.
"He was a senior last year, also on my football team." Danny almost blushed, swirling the ice in his drink as he recalled their time together.
"Repeat customer or one time deal?"
"Oh, repeat, definitely." Danny answered quickly and stuck his straw back in his mouth.
"You know, porter was invented by my family." Lacey changed the subject and let it go, taking a long sip of her ice cold beer.
"Really?"
"No."
The bartender listened to their easy banter and watched Lacey's smile and a smooth, natural camaraderie build and build until their drinks were empty.
"Excuse me." The bartender leaned over toward them.
Lacey was sure he was about to ask for their IDs and they'd get kicked out.
"Hi." Lacey leaned in too, the boisterous patrons and awesome music making it difficult to hear.
"You a student over at SU?"
Danny was curious about this old dude asking Lacey these questions. He leaned in with Lacey so it was obvious that if he was addressing her, he was addressing them both.
"Are you?" Lacey fired back, not in need of a speck of help from anyone.
Danny leaned back and continued to sip his drink, damn she was amazing.
The bartender extended his hand, "Tim Calvert. I'm the owner here. Would you be interested in a job?"
"Lacey." She shook his hand, "What's the job?"
"I need someone to run drinks on weekends, you know, just walk around and serve drinks to people."
"That's it?"
"Yeah. Want to try now? I'll give you a tray, see if you can sell them?"
"Oh, well, Tim, I'm on a date here—"
"Tim." The bartender extended his hand to Danny this time.
"Danny."
"Nice to meet you Danny, next drink is on me." Tim turned his focus back on Lacey, "You keep any tips you make."
"One tray?"
"One tray, ten drinks. They're eight dollars each. You bring me back an empty tray and eighty dollars, you keep the rest. Tell me then if you're interested."
"Let's go then Tim, whip 'em up. You're slacking—" Lacey played with her probable new boss before turning to Danny, "You okay for a few minutes while I give this a try?"
"Of course, sounds like I have a free drink coming, I'll be fine. Good luck!" He smiled, thinking that if he were approached by Lacey he'd buy all the damn drinks.
A few minutes into her tour around the lounge and Lacey had sold seven drinks and had orders for several more. She could absolutely kill this job.
"Drink?" She offered a well dressed group of men in the corner.
"I'll take one."
Lacey set the tray down and slid a drink to the man who had spoken up. He was handsome, had to be in his forties Lacey guessed. His hair was slightly graying and he was wearing all black.
"Eight dollars, please."
"What's your name?" He asked as he fished out his wallet."
"Lacey. You?"
"People call me Jack." He slid Lacey a twenty dollar bill.
Lacey began to pull out some change.
"No, keep it—"
"Thank you Jack, you enjoy now." Lacey smiled and folded the twenty into her tiny, borrowed apron.
Lacey looked over at the bar, doing a double take as she watched Danny interacting with the bouncer. The bouncer had his hand resting on Danny's back.
Danny had seemed so flustered when he spoke of him, she wondered what they were talking about. Maybe she shouldn't have left him alone on a date they specifically went on just to connect deeper.
The last two drinks sold quickly after that, her whole trip taking less than ten minutes. Lacey stepped up next to Danny and slid the empty tray onto the bar before pulling out the cash and counting out eighty dollars. She handed the money to Tim along with a piece of paper.
"What's this?"
"Those are food and drink orders. Don't make 'em wait, Tim. Where's your sense of urgency?" She scolded lovingly.
"Is she always like this?" Tim asked Danny.
"Assertive, tenacious and charming? Yes."
"Work for me. Please." Tim asked again.
Lacey turned toward Danny, "I'm about to lose weekends." She warned him, looking for feedback.
Lacey hadn't planned to start looking for a job until after the new year, but this was easy money.
"The people around you notice your talents, Lace. This is the second time today you've been offered an amazing opportunity. Look at what you made in ten minutes. You should take it. If you want me too, we'll make it work."
"Okay." Lacey smiled as she tucked the forty dollars she didn't have ten minutes ago into her tiny purse and looked up at Tim, "I accept." They shook hands.
"We're closed until Saturday, start then? Seven o'clock."
"I'll be here."
Danny and Lacey made it to their hookah spot and enjoyed some mint varieties before deciding on dancing together. They were buzzed and feeling relaxed, ready to let the music move them.
"How's number nineteen?" Lacey asked in Danny's ear as they found a spot on the dance floor.
"Married. His wife's pregnant—"
Lacey's eyes got huge, Danny just smiled. He knew Lacey was still worried about them. He pulled her closer, their bodies remembering the mechanics of the other like magnets, their hips mirroring each other's in perfect time.
At some point, Lacey bumped into someone. She turned to see Jack turning around at the same time.
"Sorry!" Lacey shouted toward him.
Jack accepted and held a hand to his chest to show her she was forgiven. He continued dancing and managed to slide himself in behind Lacey. Danny watched the exchange and noted that while Lacey tensed a little, she hadn't really done much to stop him.
"You coming back to campus with me tonight?" Danny asked sweetly into Lacey's ear. He wanted her to know that he saw everything that was going on right now.
"I am." Lacey declared proudly.
"Relax then, have some fun. It's not a big deal." Danny suggested, "Dude's hot." He acknowledged.
Lacey pulled Danny closer, Jack now taking up more residence behind her. Danny and Jack traded glances a few times, neither of them objecting to dancing together with Lacey in between.
Lacey eventually spun around to face Jack, letting go and just enjoying the music. She could feel Danny protectively move in closer behind her while Jack chanced reaching out to hold her hips.
"Stunning." Jack huffed out near the side of Lacey's head, "You're absolutely stunning."
Lacey grinned and let the compliments fall around her. Danny was right, it wasn't a big deal if they didn't make it a big deal.
"Boyfriend?" Jack eventually leaned into Lacey's ear and asked quietly once he realized that Danny wasn't going away.
"Yes, sir." She replied happily.
"Lucky man." Jack replied as if he had lost the game.
Lacey ignored Jack's pouting and wanted to bring his focus back to their dance. She stepped up closer to Jack and matched their hips up to sway together, Danny still right behind her.
Jack just moved with her as she requested, looking up at Danny a few times to make sure he wasn't about to get punched and very surprised he'd let anyone dance this way with his girlfriend.
Danny didn't react. He danced patiently, just feeling the vibe. He took his turn to hold Lacey's hips while Jack held her waist. They were a hot mess, Lacey loving every minute of the attention.
"Look at you, you love this—" Danny chirped hotly in her ear.
Lacey closed her eyes. She could feel Jack's interest begin growing against her hip the longer they continued to grind together, the same feeling she was getting from Danny just behind her. She loved that she had this much command over these two wildly attractive men, but she really needed to slow this thing with Jack down. Just another minute, she thought to herself.
"Plans after this?" Jack took his shot, asking his question out in the open so both of them would hear.
"We do, actually." Lacey confirmed even though her and Danny hadn't really planned a damn thing. Danny squeezed her hips, he'd take her lead.
"Change of plans maybe?" Jack tried again, this time looking at Danny.
"No." Danny said simply, having perfected the art of just saying no when the answer was no. No explanations, no apologies.
"Thank you for the dance, you two enjoy your night." Jack smiled at Lacey and slid away from them.
Danny spun Lacey around and pulled her against him. He wrapped his arms around her and just held her, loving and easy.
"I am in love with you." Danny confessed as if it were the first time, "We don't know everything yet, but I'm in love with what you've let me see so far. I want to keep this going."
"I love you, too." Lacey smiled and leaned forward to finally kiss him, "Let's go."