Chapter 8
"Oh no oh no oh no. She doesn't know... H-HIDE!"
Danny went to the back of the fort and slipped out through a whole at the bottom.
Lacey ran to the table and threw the second set of cutlery into the picnic basket, making it seem like she was eating alone.
"Lacey? Is that you?" Jo asked pushing aside the beads and staring into the room with a weird look.
"YEAHHH, HEY! Just uhmm... finishing up my lunch!" she said, emphasizing it by throwing her plate, fork, and wine glass into the basket.
"Yep yep yep. Juuuust headin out! I gotta go shopping!" She started to gather up the table placements and got up.
"Woah woah woah. Why are you being so weird?" Jo stepped in front of Lacey, grabbing her hand.
Lacey looked down at their interlaced fingers and stared at Jo.
"Im busy busy busy. I just wanted to uhm, relax before the chaos started. But I kinda have to go now." Lacey tried to side step Jo but Jo stopped her.
"Don't leave just yet." Jo whispered, leaning into Lacey.
"Jo, I have to go." Lacey was starting to get anxious.
Jo, now faced to face with Lacey, shook her head slowly.
"No..."
"Wh-what? What do you mean, no?"
Lacey was confused as all hell and got the strange feeling that Jo was trying to do something to her.
Jo lifted up a thin finger and traced Lacey's bottom lip.
"You're not leaving just yet."
Jo looked up into Lacey's eyes and gave her a devilish smile.
"Jo what the fuck are you doing?!"
Jo giggled at Lacey's expression and leaned into Lacey, sliding her small hand behind her neck to keep it in place. Slowly she fluttered her eyes shut and was a breath away from Lacey's lips when she was interrupted.
"Ehem, hope I'm not interrupting anything."
Lacey gave a sigh of relief while Jo snatched her hand from Lacey's neck, giving a sigh that signaled her obvious annoyance, and turned around abruptly.
"What do you want?" She crossed her arms and stared at Danny.
"I'm here for Lacey." he flashed a smile
"Lacey? Why?" her eyes opened and she turned to look at Lacey.
Lacey looked into Jo's eyes and could see jealousy briefly flash in her eyes but she turned away.
"He was going to help me shop for my outfit since you said you couldn't. I invited him over tonight." Lacey crossed her arms and stood tall.
"Oh." Jo managed out.
"Yeah. Shall we go, doll?" He winked at Lacey and offered his hand.
Jo flinched at the way Danny called Lacey doll but hung her head and stared at her fingernails.
"We shall." Lacey took his hand and smiled, giving Jo one last glance.
They walked to Lacey's car, hand in hand. Once they reached the car, Lacey gave him the keys and stared at him expectantly.
"I guess I'm driving?" Danny chuckled.
"Please?" Lacey gave him a dose of her dimples.
He chuckled again and shook his head, "Let's go."
He walked her to the passenger side and before opening her door for her, gave her a small tender kiss on the lips. Lacey tiptoed and returned the kiss, smiling up at him when they pulled away. Shutting the door as she got in, he walked over to the other side and hopped in, giving the fort a last glance and catching Jo peering out of the corner; her eyes seemed puffy as if she had been crying. Danny shook his head and put the car into drive and pulled out, heading back into town.
"What the hell was that all about...?" Lacey spoke her thoughts out loud, shaking her head.
She looked down at her hand and noticed it was laced with Danny's...
What a strange week...
Danny looked at her and smiled.
"Jo's been acting out lately with you too, huh?"
Lacey whipped her head to look at him and stared.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, she keeps coming up to me, and trying to... seduce me." He could hardly get out the last part.
"Oh, like you've been doing to me." Lacey noticed she had said that out loud and put her hand over her mouth.
"I-I... I didn't mean to uh s-say... I-I uhm."
Danny laughed and flicked her nose playfully. Lacey frowned at his actions and pouted at him.
"I guess I should apologize for that... It's just that I-"
"It's fine. It's in the past." Lacey smiled at him.
Danny sighed slightly. It seemed as if every time he was about to tell her, something interfered. But he quickly let it go and smiled back at her.
After spending the remainder of the day at the mall with Danny, Lacey started to fall for him. Hard. She would twirl, showing off her outfits for him and he'd applaud her, telling her she looked amazing. They spent the entire time smiling and laughing and sharing cinnamon pretzels. Lacey could even say she loved him.
Once the shopping trip was over and they drove home, Danny walked her to the front door.
"So, are you staying for my Dad's party? I could really use a friend." Lacey smiled up at him and gave him her puppy dog eyes and lip pout.
He ran a hand through his hair and chuckled, "Sure."
She bit her lip in utter bliss and stood on her tip toes to kiss him.
"Thank you."
Danny couldn't help the grin that slowly showed up on his face.
"You're welcome, Lace." He couldn't stop grinning.
Lacey grabbed his hand and pulled him inside, taking him to his mother.
"MOOOOOOOM?! WHERE ARE YOU?" Dannychuckled at the way she yelled.
"IN THE KITCHEN. I THINK I BURNT THE CHICKEN." Now Danny was full blown laughing.
"I love your mom. I still remember that one time she burnt our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches."
Lacey playfully nudged him with her elbow and laughed at the memory. She turned into the kitchen, pulling Danny along with him.
"Hey La-" Her mother stopped dead in her tracks and dropped the charred chicken.
"Danny?" Laceys mother whispered.
"Hello Mrs. Porter." He gave her a small smile and a nervous wave.
She stared at him for what felt like forever and then smile.
"DANNY!" She ran around the kitchen counter and hugged him.
"OOOOH, MY LITTLE DANNY!" She squeezed the life out of him but he hugged back.
She held him at arms length and smiled.
"Oh, well you are just the most handsome boy." She smiled and walked back to her chicken.
"Lacey I burnt these. Ugh. Im so glad I bought twice as much as I needed. Second times the charm."
She grabbed the second set of chicken from the kitchen and started to season them.
Danny stepped around the kitchen counter and stopped her.
"Let me help you, Mrs. Porter."
He grabbed the chicken and seasoned it with his own spices, then tied the legs and placed rosemary on each. She placed them on a buttered up deep baking pan and placed them in the oven.
Lacey and her mother stared at him, enraptured.
"Now, they need to cook for an hour. JUST an hour. I set the timer on the oven so that it rings automatically when it's done."
"Oh... Okay... So why did you put it in that baking dish?"
"Because as it cooks, the juices will be left at the bottom, ensuring a moist chicken and you can use the extra juices to pour over the chicken when you serve it, or as a gravy component if you're making mashed potatoes."
He smiled at them as they stared wide eyed.
"Oh... Thank you! Now you two go run along. Oh, Lacey!"
"Yeah mom?"
"Is Jo coming tonight? I bought extra food." Lacey's mom looked up from the pot she was stirring.
"Uhm... No. Her dad needed her today, remember? Internship and all. Plus... we had a sort of falling out. I think it's temporary but I need some uh... space. So if she does come around, tell her i went out to the movies or something." Lacey looked everywhere but her mothers eyes.
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, Sweety. I'm here if you wanna talk." Lacey's mom raised a suspicious brow but returned to her now boiling over pot.
"Yeah..."
Lacey grabbed Danny's hand and led him upstairs to her room.