A.N. I swear to the heavens, this is not my month of technology. First my computer, then my iPod, then my printer, now hates me and wouldn't let me upload files for a week. Chapter 14 was done last Wednesday afternoon, so I'm posting Chapter 15, too.
For future ref, I'll be posting all new chapters of my fics on my livejournal (link on my profile).
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
When Danny saw Lindsay step out of the crowd towards him, he nearly swallowed his tongue. The little red dress was simple, but clung to her curves as she moved.
"Hi," she said when she was finally in front of him. Delicately, she rose up on her toes to hug him. "Thanks for coming," she added, pulling away.
"Anytime," he said, slipping his jacket from his shoulders. "Thanks for asking me."
A faint blush tinged her cheeks, and she nodded. "Here, let me get your coat."
"Lindsay," a shrill voice shrieked from Danny's left, somewhere in the crowd. Glancing over, he saw a woman slinking towards them on man-eater stilettos.
"Oh crap," Lindsay whispered, barely audible.
The woman came to a stop just inches from his arm and looked him over with a sly smile. "Who's your friend?"
Lindsay smiled calmly and gestured between the two. "Danny Messer meet Millicent Dowd," Lindsay said politely.
"How ya doin'," Danny nodded at the woman, feeling a bit nervous as she eyed him hungrily.
"Pleasure," Millicent practically purred. "Why don't I introduce him around for you, Lindsay?"
Catching his eye apologetically, she smiled again at the other woman. "Actually, I was just about to get him a drink."
Not wanting to put Lindsay in an awkward position with the vip, Danny smiled charmingly to ease the sting. "Thanks, though."
Millicent took it in stride and moved away, hips swinging, though Danny could see she wasn't one to be thwarted easily. She was one of those high power types who used their sexuality to climb the ladder. Gorgeous, sophisticated, boring. At least, compared to the woman currently drawing him across the room towards the wet bar.
He leaned against the teak counter as she went around behind. "Nice dress," he commented as she reached for a bottle.
Straightening, she glanced down at herself as though she'd forgotten what she was wearing, then smiled up at him. "Thanks. Freddy got it for me. Everything I had clung too much."
Danny automatically eyed her midsection, trying to discern whether or not she still wore bandages over the wound. He couldn't tell. "Well, you do clean up nice."
"So do you," she teased, pouring scotch into a glass.
He smiled. He's always known women found him attractive, had known since he had that growth spurt at fourteen. Somehow though, hearing Lindsay say it sent his heart skittering, and he was suddenly very grateful he'd been blessed by genetics. Maybe because he had a vague idea that Lindsay didn't care what he looked like; would, in fact, have said the same thing if he were bald and pudgy.
Knowing this, he let his smile widen as she handed him the glass. "Thanks." His face settled into a smirk as her cheeks grew pink again when their fingers brushed.
She quickly turned away to replace the bottle and hide her face. "You're welcome," she murmured quietly.
Danny waited to speak until she'd come all the way around the bar and stepped up next to him. "Nothing for you?"
She wrinkled her nose. "Painkillers and alcohol don't mix." Her eyes flicked to him from under her lashes. "How's your shoulder?"
"Good as new," he quipped, taking a sip of the scotch. "So who are all these people?"
Shrugging, Lindsay shifted to put her elbows up against the counter. "Donators, mostly. I don't think there are any board members here tonight. They like to keep these things casual," she said mockingly, gesturing at the cocktail attire and fancy drinks.
"Yeah, real casual." He felt himself stiffen as Freddy came out of the crowd, talking with a shorter, heavyset man. Lindsay must have felt him tense because she shot Danny a confused look that he promptly ignored.
"Hey Danny," Freddy called when he noticed him next to Lindsay. "How's the arm?"
"Good as new," Danny repeated tensely, trying to smile.
"Glad you could make it. Oh, sorry, Harold. Harold Slater, this is my niece Lindsay."
"Good to meet you," she said, smiling widely. Harold nodded and swallowed nervously.
"And her date, Danny Messer."
Danny nearly choked at the introduction and barely resisted the urge to check Lindsay's face. He had a feeling she wasn't very happy with her uncle at that moment. Offering his hand to the other man, he smiled crookedly. "How ya doin'?"
"Bronx?" Harold asked.
"Excuse me?" Danny leaned forward to hear the other man's soft voice better.
"Harold's a linguist," Freddy explained, moving behind the wet bar. Pulling out the same bottle of scotch Lindsay had, he poured a few fingers into a glass. "Kinda like Pygmalion."
"Pig who?" Danny muttered to Lindsay who stifled a laugh. He found himself eyeing the amount of scotch in Freddy's glass critically and wondered if Lindsay's uncle felt the need to get drunk tonight.
"My Fair Lady," she explained in a whisper.
Turning back to Harold, he found the other man watching them closely which was oddly unnerving. "Yeah, I grew up in the Bronx," he finally answered.
Harold nodded politely and looked to Freddy as he came back around the bar. "I think it would be an excellent venture for you, Fred."
"I don't know, Harold," Freddy said as they began to disappear back into the crowd. Freddy sent them both a smile and wave over his shoulder.
"Interesting man."
Lindsay didn't bother to stifle her chuckle this time, and Danny grinned at her. He was just about to comment on Freddy's friendliness when Millicent Dowd reappeared at his elbow. He barely controlled a start of surprise. How did a woman in stilettos sneak up on someone?
"Now that you have your drink, I thought I'd show you around a bit. Everyone's dying to know the young stud at the bar."
Danny raised an eyebrow, mildly offended at the term, but offered no argument. Lindsay winced over Millicent's shoulder, and he smiled calmly at her. He was fairly certain she couldn't stave the woman off again without seeming rude, and she couldn't seem rude at her uncle's dinner. So, he just shrugged casually.
"Let's not keep them waiting then."
Lindsay couldn't control her face as her eyebrows jerked upwards in surprise but Danny just tossed her a wink as Millicent towed him away. Was it the scotch? Her eyes followed them as they crossed the large living room, bypassing everyone else in between, to reach Millicent's ex husband and his new fiancée.
Sighing, Lindsay turned and went to check on the hors d'oeuvres now that her date had been hijacked. Logically, she knew that Danny had been doing her a favor by not making a fuss about it, but she still found herself wishing he hadn't gone so willingly.
After a long discussion with the head of the serving staff about the rudeness of the guests in which she found herself nodding more than speaking, Lindsay sighed and turned to the trays waiting to be taken around the room. It was a somewhat unwieldy setup considering the kitchen was part of the great room itself and in full sight of the guests. Lindsay had spent an hour consoling the hysterical caterer after he'd seen the kitchen.
Restlessly, Lindsay fiddled with the decorative napkin on one of the trays, feeling useless and out of place. One of the servers looked at her curiously as he passed, and she tried vainly to look busy. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Danny attempting to detach himself from Millicent the Cougar. Familiar with Millicent's tenacity, Lindsay was shocked when he appeared at her side a few moments later.
"What're you doing?" he asked, watching her rearrange a plate of crab puffs.
"Hiding," she answered nonchalantly. "If I look busy, they leave me alone."
He chuckled and leaned a hip against the counter. "Can I join you? Those people are…"
"Intense?" she offered with a grin when he trailed off.
"Try competitive. I felt like meat dropped into a den of lions."
"You were." At his confused expression, she smiled wryly. "That was Millicent's ex-husband. He left her for the woman he has with him."
"Ah. I take it they didn't separate amicably."
Giving up on her ruse of rearranging, Lindsay folded her arms and faced him. "Millicent didn't love him, but I think it rankled that he left her for a younger woman."
"I can see that," Danny said, swirling the ice in his glass absently. "Woman like that."
"You want another?"
He looked down as if surprised to find the glass empty. "Sure."
"What do you mean, a woman like that?" she asked, stepping back behind the bar.
He laid his forearms on the teak and rested his weight on them. "She uses sex as a weapon."
Lindsay flicked her eyes up at him as she poured two fingers into his glass. "Okay."
"So," he explained. "It would really bruise her ego if she was tossed aside for a younger, more attractive model of basically the same vehicle. That man has no taste. The second's as bad as the first."
Sliding the glass to him, Lindsay glanced past his shoulder to where Millicent was chatting up Freddy. Despite her dislike of the woman and her need to seduce anything male that moved, Lindsay felt a little sorry for her. It couldn't be easy having a husband cheat on you, whether you loved him or not.
Then Millicent's gaze rested on Danny's back for a long moment, her tongue coming out to wet her lips, and Lindsay's eyes narrowed. Hot jealousy swept through her, and she looked up to find Danny watching her with a confused expression. "You okay?" he asked.
Forcing herself to relax, she smiled directly up into his eyes. Lindsay wasn't a fool. She knew she couldn't outright compete with the woman for Danny—it might cost Freddy his funding—but if she played her cards right, she wouldn't have to.
"What just happened?" Danny asked, a half-smile forming on his lips.
Lindsay tried to look innocent as she shifted her weight forward. He mirrored the move so they leaned towards each other over the bar, eyes locked, faces barely a foot apart. "What do you mean?"
"I don't know," he murmured and she laughed at his suspiciously amused expression. "But whatever it was, I like it."
She felt the flush creep up her neck, and her smile turned shy. Just as she was about to speak, though, Freddy appeared next to her. "Dinner is served," he called out, toasting the crowd with his glass.
As the guests began to file towards the tables set up on the balcony, Freddy turned to Lindsay with an exhausted expression. "I think I need more alcohol."
"That bad, huh?" Though her voice and tone were sympathetic, she slid the bottle out of his reach. "I think you need to be coherent out there," she told him when he sighed.
"He got more," Freddy muttered, gesturing at Danny who raised his eyebrows.
"Danny doesn't need to convince the room he's worth funding. Run along," she said, pushing Freddy towards the door to the balcony.
"How old is he?" Danny murmured as came around the bar to his side.
She shook her head. "He hates these things."
"Then why do them?"
"The magazine can't fund the trips their writers take on subscription profits. That barely covers the cost of production," Lindsay explained, though she was pretty sure Danny had figured this out already.
He shrugged and let the subject drop as they reached the double doors to the balcony. "Please tell me we're not sitting with Millie," Danny murmured as she led him outside.
"Millie?" Lindsay repeated, sending him a wry smile. He shrugged unrepentantly. "Don't worry, I never seat her anywhere near me. She's on the opposite side of the balcony."
"Have I told you lately that you're a genius?" he asked, leaning down to speak into her ear as he pulled out her chair.
"Thanks," she said, surprised by the gesture. As he seated himself to her right, she leaned in conspiratorially. "I'm not a genius, though. I just have a healthy sense of self-preservation."
He smirked at her. "The hole in your side would beg to differ."
Making a face at him, she turned away to watch Freddy as he stood. "Let me again say welcome to everyone here tonight. I think I had the chance to speak with you all, but, if not, I do apologize."
The guests all nodded regally and Danny let out a disbelieving breath. "Seriously?" he whispered in her ear.
Lindsay elbowed him lightly, trying to control her chuckle by coughing quietly. Freddy's eyes flitted to them briefly then away. She was sure no one else could see the amused glint in his eye.
The candles sputtered in the light breeze, but, thankfully, didn't die. They threw mysterious shadows over Freddy's face as he continued his speech. Vaguely, Lindsay wondered if he knew he looked like he'd stepped out of the pages of a Harry Potter novel. Then she sighed. What was she thinking? It was probably the effect he was going for.
He waxed poetic about the generosity of the guests for several minutes before moving into a prepared segment on the Galapagos expedition. Lindsay stiffened in her chair, knowing what was coming.
"As you might have heard, my niece was recently shot in the line of duty," Freddy said bleakly.
"Oh my God," Lindsay groaned softly, mortified as every pair of eyes turned to look at her.
"Smile, Monroe," Danny said behind her. "I'll kill him for you later."
She wanted to turn and glare at him, but instead smiled as Freddy's speech continued. "However, I assure you that, come the new year, the trip will be back into the planning stages."
Lindsay nearly collapsed with relief when everyone's gaze turned back to Freddy. He went on to describe what still needed to be done—or redone after the aborted first try—and everyone nodded appreciatively. The evening would obviously shape up to be another of Freddy's successes.
"I cannot believe he just did that," Lindsay hissed through a smile at the couple across from she and Danny.
"Neither can I."
The grim quality of Danny's tone made her worry for Freddy's safety for half a second before she dismissed the concern. After that speech, he was on his own.
Mentally forcing herself to move on as the food was being served, Lindsay politely tried to entice the other couple into conversation. She'd made sure she and Danny were seated in the corner of the balcony with the Ashtons, a couple who were exceedingly quiet. Lindsay could never discern whether it was from snobbery or shyness, though she suspected the latter.
To her surprise, she spent the course of dinner watching Danny charm Patricia Ashton into a conversation while managing not to exclude her husband. With chagrin, she came to the conclusion he really was good at everything. But the thought only intrigued her.
Danny had such a volatile personality that his people skills astounded her. She'd never thought about it before, but when he put his mind to it he could make anyone do anything.
While Danny made the Ashtons laugh with a story he'd picked up on the news—carefully chosen because of its reference to South America, she was sure—Lindsay surreptitiously watched him. She wondered where he'd learned how to do this. To rub along with anyone. It was another bit of his life story she was missing.
Lately, it had been starting to bother her that she knew almost nothing about his past. He knew everything there was to know about her, but he was always so careful not to mention so much as his family to her.
She knew he'd been more candid in the hospital. She was still remembering odds and ends of things she'd heard him say, though it was difficult to sort them out from the drugged fuzziness of her dreams. But she hardly thought that counted considering she'd been in a coma when he was so forthcoming.
Biting her lip and watching him grin in the candlelight, she wondered if he'd tell her if she asked. From the few times his family had accidentally come up in conversation, she knew it was a sore subject. So, she had a sinking feeling he'd sidestep the question.
He glanced at her abruptly, his eyes glinting with mischief that he'd caught her staring. Even in the flickering candlelight his face retained his masculinity. Unlike Freddy's magical appearance, Danny looked more like a fallen angel, and Lindsay felt her heart break a little just looking at him.
She wasn't sure how much of what she was feeling showed on her face until his own fell into concern. Hurriedly, she plastered a smile on her face, turning back to the Ashtons. "I heard you vacationed in Greece this summer," Lindsay said brightly.
Still riding on the comfort Danny had built for them, the Ashtons answered enthusiastically throughout dessert. Every time they paused, Danny would ask a question or make a comment, and Lindsay watched in resigned wonder as the couple blossomed under his attention.
She was certain she'd never heard them speak more than pleasantries to any of the regular donators. She'd chalked it up to timidity, but maybe they simply had as little affection for the others as Lindsay herself did.
The only downside to the Ashtons' sudden frivolity was that she never really got to speak to Danny. Finally, as the guests were leaving, Lindsay tugged on his arm so that he stayed behind as the others filed off the balcony. Though he glanced askance at her, he settled against the railing of the balcony and waited.
"You work tomorrow?" she asked as they watched the guests fawning over Freddy one last time on their way out the door.
"Yeah, early shift."
The last guest disappeared through the door to the elevator, and Freddy looked through the windows at them. Seeing Lindsay lift her hand in a wave, he jerked his chin up in response and strode across the great room towards the bedrooms.
"You should get going then," she murmured.
Danny's eyes had followed Freddy's trek across the room and he nodded absently. "Probably."
A strained silence settled over them as Lindsay straightened and began making her way through the servers who were clearing the remnants of the party. Conscious of Danny's presence at her back, Lindsay stifled a sigh as her gait stiff for the first time all day. Of course he would see her limp. Murphy's Law and all.
"I have Thursday off."
He said it casually, as if he were tossing off a comment on the weather, but Lindsay heard the offer behind it. Swallowing as her stomach twisted around the once delicious portabella ravioli and tiramisu, she paused and waited for him to come around to face her.
"Shockingly, so do I," she said, trying to sound unconcerned and collected.
"Maybe we should do something then," Danny said in the same tone, though his eyes were sparkling with amusement.
Sometimes she hated that he could see right through her. Dropping the act, she cleared her throat and glanced away before turning back to him. "I think Freddy has a meeting on Thursday."
When something flickered over his face before it completely shut down, she hurried to add, "Which means we'd have complete control of the remote."
He grinned down at her, one hand stuffed in his pocket, the other dangling casually next to him. "Thursday it is, then."
She smiled shyly back then noticed a shadow in the hallway to the bedrooms. Foreboding filled her and quickly she began leading Danny to the door, picking up the pace as Freddy appeared.
"Okay then I'll see you Thursday, right?" she babbled, yanking his jacket out of the closet and wishing for the first time that Danny was more biddable as he dragged his feet.
The rebellious man in question sauntered up to where she was waiting and raised his eyebrows as she practically shoved his jacket at him. "You in a hurry, Montana?"
She forced a laugh, unable to resist glancing over her shoulder at Freddy. He was heading towards them now, and a deep panic clutched at her throat. "Not at all, Messer. Get out."
Shaking with suppressed laughter, he slid his arms into his jacket and leaned down to brush a kiss against her cheek. At the contact, they both froze against a sudden rush of heat. Her heart pounded as she turned her head slightly to meet his gaze, just inches from hers. Their eyes locked for several heartbeats, neither able to look or move away.
"Hey," he murmured finally, his face very serious.
"Hi," she whispered back.
"Hello yourselves."
Instantly the spell was broken and they jerked apart guiltily. Danny, at least, looked calm, but Lindsay faced Freddy with dread.
"Freddy," Danny said, holding out his hand which Freddy grasped firmly in his own. "Thanks for having me."
"Sorry Lindsay dragged you," Freddy answered with an easy smile. "Only redeeming qualities of these damn things are her and the food."
"In that order, I hope," she muttered, slightly offended.
Freddy sent a lazy half-smile in her general direction but didn't answer. "So what's Thursday?" he asked instead.
Vehemently wishing she'd never had an uncle, Lindsay forced a bright smile. "Danny and I are planning a coup on the remote."
The tension in Freddy seemed to coil even tighter. "How nice."
"Isn't it?" Danny responded, obviously picking up on Freddy's minor hostility.
"You do realize she has a hole in her, right?"
Lindsay frowned. "Freddy, what are you talking about?"
But she stopped dead when she saw that Danny had gotten it. The flush creeping up into his cheeks as his eyes narrowed surprised her. Then she felt the heat of anger rolling off him and she bit her lip, abruptly understanding.
Before she could think of a way to diffuse the situation, Danny spoke in a low, controlled voice. "I would never—"
"Good," Freddy stated evenly. "Then we'll get along just fine. Good night, Lindsay. Messer."
And he was walking away, leaving Lindsay sputtering with shocked anger behind him. Danny was so rigid he looked like he'd break if she touched him, so she kept her hands to herself.
"I am so sorry, Danny. I don't know where he gets off sometimes," she told him, her voice oozing horrified anger.
"Don't worry about it," he said, still staring after Freddy's back.
"Danny, really—"
"Don't worry about it," he interrupted, but his eyes came back to her face, and he forced a smile for her benefit. "I'll see you on Thursday."
"Yeah. Thursday," she repeated as he stepped through the door.
When it clicked shut behind him, she whirled on her heel and stalked down the hallway. "Freddy!" she shrieked at the top of her lungs.
The door to his bedroom swung open to reveal him in the entrance. "You bellowed?" he murmured, unbuttoning his linen shirt.
Reaching out, she shoved his shoulder. He lost his balance, falling a step back, but didn't look as though it had been an unexpected move. "What's wrong with you?" she yelled.
"Please, Lindsay. The neighbors might hear."
"What neighbors?" she yelled some more and he stepped to let her into the room.
"Lindsay—" he said, stripping off his shirt.
She glared at him. "Don't Lindsay me, and I don't need to see that," she added angrily, pointing at his bare chest.
Rolling his eyes, he snatched up his shirt and slipped his arms through the sleeves, muttering something about Americans, which only made her angrier. "Lindsay—" he tried again, but she barely let him start.
"Why did you do that?" she demanded, gesturing wildly.
He sighed, running a hand through his already disheveled hair. "Lindsay, he looked like he was going to jump you in the foyer."
She couldn't argue with that. "Maybe I wanted him to," she growled back instead, slamming her hands onto her hips. Immediately, a tearing pain made her wince and slide her hand over her side.
Freddy quickly stepped to his night table and pulled open the drawer. "Believe me, I could see that, but you're in no shape for any of that," he said, opening a prescription bottle and shaking out a pill.
"Shouldn't that be my decision?" She wanted to sound as tough as she had a few moments ago, but the pain had stolen her breath and her words sounded like a whisper.
"What did your doctor say?" Freddy asked, thankfully not jumping on her weakness. She really loved him for that.
When he tried to hand her the pill, she shook her head, still holding onto her side. "I shouldn't mix. Mine are in my room."
"It's the same thing." Taking her hand, he pressed the pill into it. "I'll get you some water," he told her, disappearing into the bathroom.
"Why are you taking percocet?" she asked weakly, eyeing the familiarly shaped pill.
He ignored that as he came out with a glass. "What did your doctor say?" he insisted.
"No sexual activity," she told him in a mutter, not particularly enjoying the conversation. Now that her anger had been dissipated by pain, the embarrassment swooped in to fill the empty space.
"For how long?"
"Until he gives me the okay," Lindsay admitted, taking the water he offered.
Sighing, she sat on the edge of his neatly made bed to swallow the pill. Freddy waited until she was done then held out a hand for the glass. Silently, he disappeared back into the bathroom and returned a moment later empty handed.
"Freddy," she said, wincing at the breath it took. "I'm not a kid anymore."
"I know," he said gently, cupping a hand under her elbow and helping her stand. Once she was on her feet, he led her slowly to the door. "And I know you feel excessively sheltered here. But you need someone to take care of you for now. Could you stop fighting me on it?"
"Do you have to try and embarrass me into submission?" she asked weakly as they moved down the hall to her bedroom.
"I was trying to embarrass Messer," he grumbled.
"Danny doesn't get embarrassed easily," she informed him matter-of-factly. "Not about sex anyway."
That made him tense again, but then she felt him force his muscles to relax. In the doorway, she stopped to face him. "I know you mean well, Freddy, but could you try and be polite to my friends? Even when you're worried?"
Looking dark, he turned his face away and she reached up to grasp his shoulder. "Danny would never put me in danger or intentionally hurt me in any way."
A resigned expression settled over Freddy's face. "You trust him, huh?"
"Yeah. Completely."
He sighed. "Why couldn't you have loved Connor? He was so much easier to handle."
"You were the one who told me not to marry him," she pointed out calmly.
"Yeah, cuz you didn't love him."
"And the circular argument rears its ugly head," she muttered, mincing her way across the room.
"The truth is never an argument. Just a fact," he told her with a smile, having followed her to the bed. Crouching as she sat on the edge, he gently slipped off the flats she wore and set them aside.
"Freddy," she protested, pulling her feet away from him.
"Sorry," he said, rising to his full height. "It maybe have been twenty five years ago, but I used to do that for you almost every day, you know."
"I was three, Freddy."
He shrugged that off and dropped a kiss on top of her curly head. "Get some sleep."
"At least we don't have to clean up," she said absently as he retreated to the door.
"Good night, Linny."
She smiled at the nickname that only he used and struggled not to collapse on top of the comforter. "Night, Uncle Freddy."
Suddenly all she wanted to do was sleep for several days. Grudgingly, she admitted to herself that Freddy was right. If just a dinner took this much out of her, one where Danny did all the talking, no less, she still needed to lay low, despite her cabin fever and restless need to move on.
She didn't have the energy to do more than strip the dress off and fall backwards onto the bed. Blindly tossing the dress over the easy chair in the corner, she crawled under the covers and immediately passed out.