Friday afternoon shone bright and clear. It was an ideal summer day, complete with warm breezes and fluttering branches. Her father had eventually acquiesced, allowing her to go on her non-date with Danny on the single stipulation that three of her father's men watch out for her from a distance. Mia wrinkled her nose at the thought of chaperones, even if they weren't right there next to her, and the competing images of Amish youths and creepy stalkers arose unwittingly in her mind. She knew, however, that her father wouldn't budge from this requirement and so after a few half-hearted protests she had accepted her bodyguard escorts.

Breathing in deeply, she stepped out of the shadow of the newspaper building and into the warm, late-day sun. It was four o'clock, and her work day and first work week was officially at an end. She had a couple of hours until Danny was due to pick her up for dinner and the concert, and she impulsively decided to take a nap.

If there was one thing in the world that she loved, it was a good afternoon nap. There was something so luxuriously right about sleeping before the sun had made its westward descent. She hummed contentedly to herself as she pulled in front of her house, and smoothly shut off the engine and stepped out of the car.

A few moments later she slid into bed, yawning deeply.

Mmm. I'll wake up at five-thirty, that gives me a whole hour to get ready. Yeah, five-thirty, she thought hazily as she drifted to sleep.

Mia awoke to the persistent knocking of some evil person. "Go way, sleepin," she mumbled, pulling her blanket over her head. She froze and her eyes snapped open.

"Oh my god," she said frantically, throwing herself out of bed and wrenching the door open. "What time," the words died on her lips as she found herself face-to-face with an immaculately put-together Danny. A pair of light-wash Guess jeans, with a DKNY tee shirt and black sports jacket thrown over it.

He looks… like sex on legs, her mind helpfully suggested.

She blushed at the thought and then the realization of what she was wearing. Pink pajama shorts with one of her brother's old ratty old t-shirts, and hair less up than down after being slept on.

"It's six-thirty," he supplied good-naturedly, his eyes dancing with muffled laughter.

"Oh my god, Danny. I'm so sorry. I had just planned on taking a short nap after work but I must have forgotten to set an alarm and oh my god I should stop talking and change. I'll be right back," she promised, shutting the door before he had a chance to respond.

Mia leaned heavily against the door and groaned. She took a deep breath and hurried toward her closet, pulling out her favorite pair of boot cut, dark-wash jeans before pawing through her clothes. A top. Need a top, and A-HA, she grinned as she yanked a cute, pseudo-dressy white top from a hanger. It was a bit more revealing than she tended toward, but with a crocheted, black-lace sweater that stopped just under her breasts would make it perfect for a first date.

Except it's not, she reminded herself gently. She found the sweater, grabbed a pair of black stilettos of reasonable height, and her purse and jerked open the door. Danny was leaning comfortably on the wall to the right of her room, and he stood up slowly and smiled approvingly.

"You look amazing."

She moved to run her hand through her hair and realized, to her horror, it was still in its messy disarray. "See, now I know you're just saying that because my hair looks terrible." Mia tugged the hair band out of her hair and shook it out, thanking her lucky stars for her manageable hair.

"I like it," he laughed. "You look cute, all rumpled and freshly woken up."

"Thanks," she replied dryly.

"No, I mean it!" he protested, stopping her just as she was about to walk down the stairs. "You always look beautiful," he said sincerely, looking her deep in the eyes. "Always."

Mia blushed and turned away, stepping down the first stair as she said, "Thanks."

"Okay," Danny bounded after her, slinging an arm around her shoulders, "So where do you want to go to dinner?"

"We can go anywhere I want?" she said mischievously.

"Yup. Wherever you would like," he agreed easily.

"Paris!"

He chuckled, "We can do that, if you really want, but I don't think we'll make it back for the concert."

"Well, in that case," she paused at the last step, "I have no idea."

Danny pulled open the front door for her and bowed grandiosely, "Then it's very lucky I have three options for you."

"Really?" she giggled as she slipped her stilettos on. "Oh, I'm leaving!" she called into the hallway before stepping out of the door. "So, tell me what my options are."

"We can go to Moto, Everest, or Tru," he said casually as he opened the door to his silver Aston Martin.

"Thank you," she slipped into the soft, leather seat. "And that's funny," she rolled her eyes, "We wouldn't be underdressed at all. So what are the real options?"

"Those are the real options."

Mia blinked. "You're kidding."

"No, I'm really not," he looked curiously over at her.

"And you have reservations at all three of those places?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes."

"But we're not dressed for it."

He shrugged, "They won't care."

There was a beat of silence before she grinned infectiously. "No," she said slowly, "I suppose they won't. Let's do it," she laughed.

Danny felt his face breaking into an identical smile, "Which one?"

"Moto," she decided. "What's more fun than magnetic silverware?"

"Moto, it is," Danny declared as he revved the engine and rolled through the gates.

**

Mia and Danny chatted effortlessly as their tenth, and final, course arrived. It had been so easy with him, with none of the awkward silences that often smothered first dates. Non-date, she repeated to herself.

Admittedly, the several conversations they'd had in the days past had helped immensely in lessening that initial discomfort – not that the oversleeping, being seen in her pajamas had helped – but, it was more than that, because everything just meshed.

She grinned as he speared the strawberry slice on his dessert and held it tantalizingly in front of her, and she agreeably opened her mouth and let him feed it to her. Mia could see how easy it was to be dazzled by him. For most girls, it'd probably be his fancy car and fancier restaurants. But Mia was used that part of this life, and was only faintly impressed by it.

What was far more stunning was how much he cared and how deeply he listened. The way he remembered that she loved Maroon 5, even though she hadn't mentioned it since god knows when; or that she loved strawberries, which he was accommodatingly feeding her; or that she hated bananas, which he had cutely stolen from her plate; or just the way he listened, like she was the most important person in the world, like she was saying the most important things in the world.

It was overwhelming and intoxicating.

A perfect, cream rosebud appeared before her face, and she stared askance at him.

He just smiled a gorgeous, half-smile.

Yes, it wasn't hard to see at all how he got his reputation.