Rico, Lace and Danny
I'm not doing this right am I"?
Rico joked as he tried to keep up with Lacey, Clara and Regean.
What's to learn it's a two step" Clara said "You're doing it right. Now just do it to the beat".
Lace laughed trying to loosen Rico up "Well Clara in his defense this isn't the best music to teach him either". She said as she wrinkled her nose in disgust at her Father and mother dancing together to "The Cupid Shuffle" as it played in the background.
"We're on it" Clara said following Lace's gaze as she grabbed her phone and her friend and moved towards the MP3 player. A minute later the Migos could be heard playing through the speaker, chasing all of the adults off the dance floor as Clara and Reagan danced along.
Lace looked up to see Danny join the girls and start moving along with them. Reagan was especially eager trying to drop low in front of him. Lace laughed at the scene before catching Danny's eyes as he discreetly danced away from her grinding and grabbed Clara's hand in a brotherly two step instead.
Rico noticed her looking over at the trio and grabbed her hand to get her attention.
"Are you thirsty" he asked "I was just going to get something"
"Yeah I'll take a soda, orange if they have it, if you don't mind.
"Nope.. I'll be right back" he said grabbing her hand and placing an adorkable kiss on it before he left.
She watched him walk away and immediately turned around to find Danny standing behind her with his hand poised to tap her shoulder.
"Wow"! "Your insticts must be on 100" He joked at her as he stood there searching her face.
"Only With you Desai" she replied smartly. "What do you need"?
"You and I both know the answer to that, but I really just came over here to apologize about earlier. I didn't mean to come off like such an asshole" He admitted as he looked into her, his eyes dark and unfathomable.
"I just wish..." he said nervous all of a sudden as his courage faltered "I just want...".
"What"? "What do you want from me Danny" She said getting lost in the river of his emotions again.
"Hey" Rico said startling them out of an impending storm "they had orange and I brought you some with ice just in case it wasn't cold enough"."Everything okay"? he added noting the thick tension of unspoken words hanging in the air between them.
"Everything's fine" Danny said grabbing her cup and placing it on a nearby table. "I just saw you guys dancing and wanted to ask Lace if I could have this dance"?
"Can you keep up" she said her eyes sparkling in an intimate challenge
"Lead the way" he challenged back.
"Hey Rico" she called behind her as she was leading Danny away
"Have fun okay".
He put his 2 fingers up in a scouts honor salute but she was already occupied.
Lace led Danny over to the back of the yard and his hands fell naturally to her waist. They gravited to a tree next to his old swingset as they grinded and swayed to their own music back and forth...
Judy, Karen, and Tess
"Just look at them Judy" Karen said as they sat on the patio sharing a bottle of wine and watching the two of them dance oblivious to anyone else.
"I'm looking" Judy said. If she was honest she hadn't stopped watching them out of the corner of her eye since they got there. It was apparent to her that Danny and Lacey were deep in something. Whether that something was love or lust, in her opinion, remained to be seen.
"Admit it then" Karen told her, giving her a friendly elbow to the rib "They need eachother right now.
"The only thing I'll admit" Judy said, her stomach churning at what she was witnessing "is that those two CHILDREN, I'll remind you, have no idea what they need". "It's up to us Karen to help them figure it out and as Lacey's mother the last thing I think she needs is the kind of trouble that Danny always finds himself in".
At Karen's defensive expression Judy rushed in to soften the blow. "Look I love Danny and I know he hasn't had it easy at all, but I have a real chance of getting my daughter back, she's so young I don't want to see her hurt or worse trying to hurt herself again if things don't work out between them this time".
"I get what you're saying Judy, but Danny was 11 years old defending himself from abuse". "We've sat here on this very patio many times when I've confided my suspicions about Tara to you.
Blame me if you must" Karen pleaded "but please don't hold his mistakes against him for the rest of his life".
"Karen I'm not even talking about his murder conviction". "I'm talking about how he broke my daughter's heart". "This year". "This time". "I'm talking about her trying to kill herself because she felt like noone cared about her". I'm assuming she felt he was one of those people".
"So now it's Danny's fault that she felt unloved" Karen said her voice inflection rising with each word "Her feeling like her life didn't matter had nothing to do with you and Samuel"?. "Funny how Lacey is a CHILD one minute unable to make basic decisions about her life and an adult the next able to handle all the problems her grown parents throw at her".
"Nobody's blaming anybody Karen" Judy said her hackles beginning to rise at her tone. "But maybe for once instead of going into Protect and Defend mode about YOUR son you'll realize other parents feel the same way about their kids too". "Everything isn't going to be about Danny and how he feels to the detriment of everyone else".
"That's funny you say that because EVERYTHING my son has had to endure this time including that sex tape is because EVERYONE ELSE won't let him live down what happened.
"It's obvious to anyone with eyes that he loves that girl why can't he be happy when so much happiness has been taken away from him..".
"Whoa, Whoa hold on there let's just take a sip of this incredible Pinot noir and calm down a bit". Tess said as she pulled up a chair between the two mother's. "Okay as a neutral party here let me say this". "Karen, Judy is right about a few things..."
"How did I not see that coming" Karen exclaimed sarcastically " Why would YOU ever take MY side"?
"It's not a side Karen.." Tess said. I have always been your friend
"I let Jo stand up for Danny before, during and after his conviction even though it has cost me so much in my own marriage to Kyle.
"Your problems with Kyle have nothing to do with Danny and you and I both know it". Karen quipped
Judy tuned out the argument as a wave of deja Vu about an argument they had 5 years prior in this very same spot washed over her...
Karen was sitting outside on the Patio plastered, her eyes rimmed red and swollen. She wailed inconsolably into her hands repeating 5 years over and over and then devolving into fits of tears as Judy and Tess held her in a group hug.
It was hours after the arraignment and Judy and Tess
had gathered together to give her moral support.
Tess had allowed Jo to read a statement as a character witness on Danny's behalf but Judy had refused feeling that putting Lacey into such a public fiasco would be damaging to her and that Lacey's Police statement of events that day would be sufficient.
"It's going to be okay" Tess said rubbing small circles in her back as she began to calm down,
but Judy was a little more uncertain.
"Karen honey" she asked hesitating a bit before continuing "I have to ask you... why did Danny plead guilty"?
"I don't know" Karen replied helplessly
"It just doesn't add up" Judy stated. "Why didn't he tell them about how Tara abused him"?
And Why didn't Vikram show up?
It seems like... I'm just gonna say it... Like he feels like Danny might be guilty of Murder too.
"I didn't ask you here as Vikram's friend". Karen snapped at her "I asked you here as mine, I don't give a shit about Vik right now, all I care about is my only son lying in a prison cell unprotected and afraid".
"Karen I'm not attacking you" Judy said quietly "I'm just saying that this whole situation seems like it's missing some pieces and I'm trying to understand".
Tess who had become eerily quiet suddenly chimed in "Judy's right Karen something doesn't add up. Vik wouldn't just abandon Danny like that you know. He's lost so much in his life already. I couldn't see him willingly doing that to Danny if he didn't feel he had to".
"Why am I not surprised that YOU of all people would be Vikram's supporter at a time like this". Karen shouted.
"Here's a tip Tess if you want my husband back you're gonna have to pry him from my cold dead hands". She said as she picked up her drink and stormed off into the house with Tess following closely behind calling after her...
Judy came back to the present with a start as Karen picked up her drink, calmly this time and declared "Since it's clear that were not going to agree on this I'm not going to let it spoil this day for Lacey or for Danny". "Please enjoy yourselves". "I'm going to check on our other guests" and with that she walked off to talk to Kyle and Samuel as he manned the grill.
"I'm getting a headache I think I'm going to clear out of here soon" Tess said rubbing absently at her temples. She got up and walked away as Judy continued to watch Danny and Lacey sway together in the breeze.
Jo and Rico
Jo was sitting on the bench, lost, in her thoughts and her feelings as she watched Lacey and Clara teach Rico to dance. He was so cute and awkward that she was forced to stifle her laughter then her phone chimed with another text message from Tyler and her lips reflexively curled in disgust.
- Hey.. u mad at me or
something 😐. Serita and
Archie are throwing a party
later. U Coming 😉? Call me.
Jo stared at the message. She had no intention of calling him let alone seeing him again at a party no less but like a lightbulb flash an idea entered her head and she decided that maybe she would go to that party, with a few friends in tow.
By the time she looked up to find him Rico was already on his way to her.
"Hey stranger" she teased "You got a minute"?
"Yeah I've got a few" he said briefly glancing over to Danny and Lacey dancing oblivious to everyone.
Jo followed his gaze and felt herself slipping into a jealous huff but this time the verbal warning from Danny served as a reminder that she needed a different approach or it would backfire. Ignoring his sidelong stares Jo began formulating a plan to get back into Ricos good graces.
"So I know this is weird and kinda random" she said grabbing his attention back, "but do you want to come to a party with me"?
"I'm not really a party type Jo"
Rico said using his hand by leading it from his head to his feet in demonstration.
"Im not sure what mirror you're looking at but from where I sit you're hot" she confessed blushing a little before continuing " probably a lot hotter, I'd bet, than most of the guys at the Party.I'd be one jealous bitch just walking in with you".
"Even Tyler" he asked surprising her
"Even Tyler what"? she asked her face clouding over.
Mistaking her expression for annoyance he rushed in
"Jo you don't have to say all of that... Rico started to say
"I mean it" she interrupted "Especially about the Jealous bitch part". "I've treated you so badly these past couple of months". "You don't deserve that Rico and you know the worst part about it, I did the same thing to you that Lacey did to me, You were my best friend and I tossed you away for my new friends just because I couldn't take it". "How's that for Irony".
"That is preeetty ironic" he admitted with a little laugh. "So
whose party are we going to?
"Sarita and Archie's" she murmured quickly. Predictably his expression changed from curiosity to disbelief so she used her most winsome voice to try and convince him.
"Waaittt... wait.. before you start hyperventilating I have a plan okay". "I might have a lead on Regina's case and the only way I can think of right now to get to it is by going to that party".
"Why are we still trying to solve Regina Crane's murder"?
"Because I'm involved" she said. Noting the shock on his face she amended "sort of". "You trust me right"? she said, at his immediate nod she added "Look if there's nothing there then we can always go to the diner afterwards".
"Promise" he said.
She nodded "Yup it's a date" then realizing what she'd said she rushed to ask "I mean only if you
want to" before looking down into her lap as if his answer laid there.
"Jo" Rico said grabbing her face and gently lifting it up until their eyes met.
"Yes" she said struggling to breathe all of a sudden.
"I want to" he whispered and in that moment Jo swore that she'd never seen anything more beautiful or perfect than his soft brown eyes looking back at her.
"Hey Jo" her mother called startling them both out of the moment
"Yes mother" she said staring up quiet daggers at her mom. The ice slipping into her demeanor easily as the warmth left.
"Well DAUGHTER, your father and I are gonna head out". "I feel a migraine coming on" "You okay getting home".
"Yeah" Jo replied absently "I'm sure I'll manage it"
"Miss Masterson I'll make sure Jo makes it home safe" Rico promised.
"Well that's good Rico, thank you"
She said. She turned to go and said cryptically to Jo as she walked away "Remember what we talked about earlier young lady."
"As if you'd ever let me forget"
Jo muttered to herself but managed to plaster a smile on her face and wave to her mothers departing form as she grabbed her father's arm to leave.
"So what's the plan" Rico said once her parents were out of earshot
"We're gonna need Lacey for that"
Jo replied suddenly focusing on her laughing in Danny's arms.
"Of that I have no doubts" Rico said suddenly focusing in the same direction.
"Hey Rico" she said pulling him up as she got up off the picnic bench "The answer to your question is Yes Even Tyler".