Ch6: Drs. Mindy "Beyonce Pad-Thai" Lahiri and Danny "Gettin' Over It" Castellano: Somewhere between "Crazy In Love" and "Put a Ring on It"
As always, you could count on Mindy to save the day, or in this case, a date. She was like Superwoman when she wanted to be, whether it be kicking ass of poaching mid-wives or delivering breech babies in emergency surgery. To be fair, after she got to know the Deslauriers and Brendan apologized for being such a dick, they were on okay terms. She didn't think they were such quacks anymore, and she respected what they did for their clients/patients. Dare she say she might go back for a hot stone therapy session? Anyways, back to Danny's bedroom:
"Hey, Danny, let's go up to the rooftop and go look at Pluto and the harvest moon. I saw you had a telescope in your living room." Mindy suggested.
Danny looked up from his laptop screen and smiled with a hint of mischief, "Should we just feign amnesia from the events earlier tonight?"
"Castellano, you read my mind," she said. "I'll get the wine glasses and the wine."
"And I'll get the telescope," he finished.
Upstairs on the rooftop, they sat next to each other on a blanket, glass of wine in hand, looking up at the night sky. They were both sitting cross-legged knees touching, leaning slightly back on the hand not holding the wine. Mindy broke the ice.
"You know, Danny, do you ever worry about building up something in your mind, only to be disappointed later?" she started.
"Uh, story of my life," he said sarcastically with a hint of bitterness.
She gave him a sideways glance. "Well, for me, when I was a kid, I really, really wanted a Snoopy snow cone machine. The commercials with all the kids eating their snow cones looked so fun. I was in fifth grade. But, for my birthday, my parents took me to the Toys R Us and I could only get one thing. Parents are so indulgent these days, back then you only got one thing. Anyways, I was torn between the Snoopy snow cone machine and a new tennis racket. I had a long, internal monologue in my head about the pros and cons about the Snoopy snow cone machine and the practicality of the new tennis racket."
"What did you end up getting?" Danny asked.
"The tennis racket. It was practical. But I kind of always regretted making the safe choice." she said wistfully. "I got the Snoopy snow cone machine later, but it ended up breaking the first time I used it, and I ended up disappointed."
"Mindy, where are you going with this story?" Danny asked.
"I don't know." Mindy said
"How about this? Sometimes, with great expectations comes inevitable disappointment." he said wearily.
"No, that's not what I'm saying," Mindy corrected. "Jeez, Danny, that just sounds like a depressing outlook on life."
She continued. "What I'm saying is that even though it can be scary to take a risk on the unfamiliar, or the less practical choice, it keeps life interesting."
"I hate to break it to you, but taking unnecessary risks and making reckless decisions is how people end up getting hurt." Danny wasn't sure what they were talking about anymore, but he had to be truthful with Mindy about his point of view. No matter how romantic the situation was supposed to be, she started this, and they were going to finish it. That's just how they were, always have been, and always will be.
"You know, Danny-downer, let's just get this out of the way now. Let's just talk about why we would never work, and if we both agree at the end of this that it would never work, then we both saved ourselves some time. I'll start. Okay. You are obviously so much older than me, our kids would wonder how two people from different generations got together."
"Mindy, we are five years apart. Fine. You like celebrity gossip and romantic comedies way too much. It makes you seem ditzy."
"Hey, I need an outlet for fluff after the crap at work we have to deal with. Plus, you are not exactly a ray of sunshine, Mr. Doom and Gloom."
"At least I don't have my heart stomped on week after week by a parade of men and we have to hear all about it at work." Danny was going to go there.
"No, you just drink alone and show up half-naked in your office at work." Mindy smiled at him.
"I don't like that you felt the only solution to get your office back from Paul was through a drinking contest. I don't care that you can drink anyone under a table. It's not classy, Lahiri," he retorted.
"Classy like the time you and Jeremy didn't have the guts to fire Beverly and I ended up getting punched in the face?" she cocked her head.
"You always expect me to be the fall guy and pick up the pieces of whatever you dump in my lap. Remember the delivery when you were thrown in jail... or women's health segment that you were supposed to do?" he threw his hands in the air.
"Remember Stevie, whom you were prescribing illegal narcotics to? Who had to rescue you from that?" she threw her hands in the air.
"Need I remind you that you brought a prostitute into my home? My home?" he shook his head.
"What about when you were so desperate to be in a relationship that you hooked up with your ex-wife, who cheated on you again? How naïve can you be?" she narrowed her eyes, going in for the kill.
"I'd rather be naïve than so desperate to be in a relationship that I almost slept with the male nurse who has 'magic powers' after calling off my engagement!" he shot back, eyes narrowed. Two can play this game.
Mindy and Danny locked eyes, dead heat, at a standstill. Mindy narrowed her eyes with frustration directed towards Danny. Danny's nostrils were flared in anticipation of her retort. Mindy grabbed Danny to her and kissed him on the lips. She pushed open his mouth, searching for his tongue. He responded, eagerly and expertly kissing her back, his hands reaching up to her face. She let out a soft moan, driving him slowly out of his mind. Their hearts were racing, and Mindy pulled back first. Their foreheads were touching, and they were both breathless after that kiss.
"I didn't see that one coming," he said. Danny looked at her with those intense smoldering, mysterious, melancholy brown eyes.
"Now I know," Mindy said.
"Know what?" he asked searching to read her mind.
"That you don't have a plan B and that you're all in. 'Cause I'm all in, Danny, if you are," she said with a knowing smile and a twinkle in her eyes.
Danny smiled a sly smile. "I'm glad we got that out of the way. I've waited for you long enough, Mindy Lahiri. Now that you are done, we are going to…." he started kissing her neck.
"Don't tell me, Castellano, show me what you want, and this time, bring your A-game."
And he did, much to Mindy's delight.