Danny and Lacey had a pretty good first half of their day. Lacey still drifted off into thinking about Archie sometimes, but Danny always reeled her back in. He didn't let her stay silent for too long. Lacey appreciated what he tried to do for her. She finally found out that without a doubt, she was wrong about Danny. Sure he was still a cocky bastard, and his asshole tendencies made her want to scream, but he pretty much was a good guy. She attributed his forward way of thinking to his looks. The man was absolutely gorgeous. Lacey could stare at him for hours. If she really allowed herself to look at him. She had to force herself not to. He turned her on too much. She would never tell him that though. He's probably just waiting for her to crack. Lacey wondered what he had in store for her when he said he wanted to cheer her up. She made it perfectly clear that she wasn't going to sleep with him. In theory and in her mind she wasn't going to and it was totally out of the question. She didn't trust her heart at the moment so she wasn't listening to anything that it had to say. Her body was completely on board with sleeping with him.
Lacey was pretty glad when lunchtime finally rolled around. She started thinking that she really should start eating breakfast along with her coffee. Waiting half of the day to eat was starting to wear on her.
"Do you have anything in mind for lunch?" Danny asked as he stood up and stretched.
Lacey subtly watched his muscles move under his shirt. "Actually, I do. I was thinking that I wanted something from Chipotle. Is that ok with you, or would you like something else? We don't have to eat together if you don't want to." Lacey says as she gives him a slight smile.
"No, Chipotle is fine with me. Are you eating with Phoebe and Whitney or are you still avoiding her?" Danny asks
"I guess we can eat with them. I just didn't need her in my face this morning. Don't say anything about it around her, please." Lacey replies.
"I won't." Danny says as they head out of his office.
"I have to stop past my office. How about you see what Cole is up to so that you don't have to eat with three women?" Lacey suggests.
"That's a good idea. I'll stop past his office and meet you all at the elevators in 10. Does that sound doable?" Danny asks.
"Yup. See you in 10." Lacey says as she smiles and walks away. She heads straight for the ladies room, her office and then made her way to Phoebe's office since it was closest to her. Lacey knocked and poked her head in. "Hey, Ms. Daly. How's it going?" Lacey asks as she smiles at her good friend.
Phoebe looks up and smiles. "Hey there Lacey. I'm doing good. I thought I would have to eat lunch by myself today since I didn't see you and Whitney isn't here." Phoebe says as she stands.
"Whitney isn't here today? Is she sick?" Lacey asks in concern. Lacey instantly felt a little guilty for trying to avoid her when she might be home sick in bed.
"I'm not sure. I haven't talked to her. I hope she's ok." Phoebe says.
"Yeah, me too. Do you want to join me, Danny, and Cole for lunch? Danny and I were thinking of Chipotle." Lacey says.
"Oooh. Lunch with Cole. I'm in. I could stare at that gorgeous man all day." Phoebe says as she grins.
"He is pretty gorgeous. Want me to find out if he's single?" Lacey asks as she locks arms with Phoebe and they walk to the elevator.
"Yes. But don't make it too obvious that I want to know." Phoebe says.
"I won't." Lacey says as they both giggle and don't stop when they see Cole and Danny standing at the elevator waiting for them.
Danny can't help but smile when he sees Lacey. He's happy to see that she's laughing and seems happy with her friend and has forgotten about her boyfriend cheating on her. Danny still wondered what kind of idiot would cheat on her. Lacey was gorgeous. Beautiful inside and out. Danny still thought that this fool making that huge mistake works well in his favor. "You two aren't laughing at us, are you?" Danny asks casually.
"Of course not." Lacey says with her smile never leaving her face. "Just girl talk."
"Good. Ready for lunch then?" Danny says.
"Absolutely. Why wouldn't we be?" Lacey asks as they step on to the elevator. Danny and Lacey have their playful exchange and have all but forgotten about Cole and Phoebe.
"Phoebe, do you get the feeling that we're intruding on their date?" Cole asks Phoebe and she grins.
"I was just thinking the same thing." Phoebe says.
"We're sorry guys." Danny says.
"So I guess it's safe to assume that you two don't hate each other anymore." Phoebe says.
Danny and Lacey look at each other and smile. Lacey hunches her shoulders. "I guess you can say that." Lacey says and gives Danny a playful wink that causes his penis to twitch. "So, Cole. Do you have a girlfriend? I don't see a ring." Lacey says and Phoebe looks at her with wide eyes.
"Nope. I'm between girlfriends right now." Cole says.
"Great." Lacey says and leaves it at that. Phoebe still looks like a deer caught in headlights. The four adults head to the eatery and have their lunch that pretty much turned out to be a double lunch date. Phoebe and Cole spent their time chatting and Danny and Lacey practically undressed each other with their eyes the entire time. Lacey started to really look forward to their non date that night.
Danny and Lacey finished out the rest of their work day. They knew they both had their outing hanging over their heads. Although it technically wasn't a date, they still were two adults that weren't just friends, going out for the evening. Lacey was still sticking to her guns about not sleeping with Danny. She was just with Archie and she wouldn't do that no matter how bad she wanted to. That is completely where she drew the line. She would have to give it some time. She wasn't thinking of jumping into a relationship either. She needed time to recover from that as well. Archie really threw her for a loop with his confession. Lacey came to the realization that the fates had somehow worked with her to get her to call out Danny's name during sex with Archie. She knows for certain that he never would have confessed and told her that he slept with someone else. He would have continued to portray the doting boyfriend that treated her good and made her happy when he wasn't out of town on business. Lacey still wondered how long ago it happened. How long had he smiled in her face knowing he cheated on her? How many times after it happened had he slept with her? Did he sleep with that other woman immediately after or before he slept with her? Those questions had the potential to drive Lacey crazy. She decided she was better off not knowing because it would only make her feel worse, not better. There's really nothing Archie could say to make her feel better. Knowing that he cheated on her was painful enough. She knew that she would eventually get over it, but right now it stung. Danny made it sting a little less. He had already made her feel a little better by not allowing her to wallow in her pain of thinking about Archie and his indiscretions.
"So, are we still on for tonight?" Danny asked as they were gathering their things to head out that evening.
"Yes." Lacey says as she looks over at him. "Why? You haven't changed your mind have you?" Lacey asks almost skeptically.
"No, I haven't changed my mind. I was just making sure you didn't." Danny says as they head out of his office.
"So, how do we do this, Danny? Do I meet you there, or what?" Lacey asks quizzically.
Danny hands Lacey his phone. "Call your phone from mine. I'll text you where to meet me in an hour." Danny says as Lacey dials her number.
"So, what should I wear?" Lacey asks as they step on the elevator.
"Anything you want to wear is fine. I think you should dress comfortably though." Danny suggests.
"Ok." Lacey says and she smiles and gets a little excited. They ride the elevator down to the main lobby in a comfortable silence. When they arrive to the first floor, they head out of the building and head to the garage.
"I'll see you soon, Ms. Porter." Danny says as he winks and walks away.
Lacey blushed and giggled like a schoolgirl as she headed to her car. She got in and thinks of how she felt when she got into her car that morning. Huge difference. Danny actually made her day much better. Lacey smiled thinking that Danny was really starting to grow on her. She now thought that them being put together on that assignment was a good idea.
Lacey put on Beyoncé this time when she drove home. She arrived there in about 20 minutes and headed for her kitchen to get a trash bag. She started to walk around her house and threw in everything that belonged to Archie. She didn't want his stuff in her house. His stuff had accumulated after a year and a half of dating even though he didn't stay there that often.
She went from room to room. The majority of his things were in her bedroom. She wanted to be petty and throw in the things that he gave her, but she decided to be more of an adult than that about these latest events. She just took everything that he brought her and threw it in the trash. It wasn't much. Just a few things like a teddy bear for Valentine's Day, a bracelet for her birthday and a pair of earrings for Christmas. He gave her more things that she couldn't keep as souvenirs like dinners, shows, and outings. He also brought her a few more items that weren't significant that she just threw in the trash can like they were nothing. They no longer meant anything to her. She obviously didn't mean anything to him, so keeping the things he brought her weren't worth keeping. He threw their relationship away, so throwing those things away seemed like the right thing to do. Once she was finished, she undressed and went into her bathroom to shower for her outing with Danny. As soon as she was in there, she threw Archie's toothbrush right in the trash.
Lacey then showered and dressed in just jeans, a white tee, and black leather boots. She put her hair into a ponytail on the top of her head and let the back hang down. She finished it with a black leather jacket. She was desperately trying to dress down and still ended up looking stunning. She really didn't have to try hard to be a knockout. It came naturally. Lacey's beauty was the envy of lots of women. She's one of those women that are so pretty that you want to hate them, but you can't. She had an equally amazing body and an amazing personality. A woman who seems too good to be true. Most people instantly assumed that she was stuck up and conceited, but that was far from the truth. She was the exact opposite.
Lacey checked her phone and saw that Danny had texted her an address 10 minutes earlier. She texted him back and told him she would see him soon. Lacey grabbed the trash bag of Archie's things and took it with her. She got into her car and again played Beyoncé. Lacey loved that chick more than she could explain. Lacey put on 'Single Ladies' and danced and sang along in her car. Before she headed to wherever she was meeting Danny, she stopped past Archie's and put the trash bag on his doorstep. Lacey happily got into her car and drove off. Good riddance! Lacey thought as she continued to drive. Lacey really had no idea where she was going because she didn't recognize the address. She had to get GPS directions so that she wouldn't get lost. She pulled up in front of a building that looked like something out of Architectural Digest. Lacey wondered what this building could be. She pulled up into the parking spot that was right next to a black Porsche. Danny's black Porsche.
"Dammit." Lacey said out loud as she turned her car off. It was clear what this place was. Danny had tricked her into coming over his house. "Well played, Danny. You prick." Lacey again said out loud to herself. She exhaled sharply as she got out of her car. She walked up to the front of the building and she had to be buzzed in. She saw that Danny lived in B so she pressed that. All she got was the buzzing of the door. She walked in and it seemed so deserted although the building was immaculate. She got on the elevator and pressed B. She was a little stunned when the elevator door opened right up to his living room. His place was a huge loft/condo space. She reluctantly stepped in and heard the sound of smooth jazz playing and the sound of her heels clicking on the floor. The floors were white marble with hints of black and gray. He had charcoal gray furniture. Lacey looked over and saw that the fireplace was going. She saw stairs that looked like they led to a tv area.
Lacey continued to look around Danny's place and she had to admit that she was impressed. He either had really good taste or a really good interior decorator. Maybe even both. His place looked like something straight out of a magazine or the after picture of a home remodeling show. She really liked his place. She was still looking around when Danny walked out and he took in Lacey's appearance.
"Welcome, Lacey. You look incredible. I'm glad you made it here safely. Make yourself at home." Danny says as he smiles.
"Thank you. And I'm a little mad at you for tricking me into getting into your house. Good one, Danny. Well played." Lacey says as she smiles and takes in Danny's appearance as well. He has on a white Henley and blue jeans. His sleeves are rolled up and his hair is out. He has his hair out. Lacey instantly felt like a fool.
"Oh, come on now. Don't be like that. I know you would have said no if I just invited you to my place." Danny says as he smirks this time.
"You're right. I would have said no. But I'm here now. And I will leave if you don't stick to your promise of being a boy scout." Lacey says as she folds her arms across her chest and matches his facial expression.
"I promise to behave just like a boy scout. Do you want something to drink?" Danny asked.
"Sure. Ice water is fine." Lacey says as she takes off her jacket and sits down on his gray sofa.
"Coming right up." Danny says as he turns and walks back to his gourmet kitchen. Danny came right back out into the living room with her glass and sat down and handed it to her and then sat down next to her.
Lacey took a sip of her ice water and then looked over at Danny. Damn, he's sexy. Lacey thought. "So, how are you planning on cheering me up?" Lacey asks.
"Well first, I'm going to cook dinner for you. And then we're having a game tournament. Once you've played games with the best, you'll feel bad about losing to me instead of feeling bad about your breakup and broken heart." Danny says.
Lacey took another sip of her water. "You think you're the best, huh?" Lacey asks and realizes she walked right into one of Danny's cocky answers.
He turned to face her and eyed her dead on. "I'm good at everything that I do." Danny says seriously.
Lacey looked into his eyes and the look on his face. There is no mistaking what he meant. Her lady parts started to tingle. "Can I use your bathroom?" Lacey asks suddenly.
"Sure. It's right there." Danny says as he points to a door right next to the stairs that lead up to the tv area.
Lacey sat her glass on the glass table in front of her. She stood up and almost ran to the bathroom. She stepped inside and was again impressed. The same marble floor was in the bathroom but the counters were a contrasting black marble and dark cabinets. He actually had fancy and elegant hand towels hanging on the silver knobs. There was a huge marble framed mirror. Lacey didn't really need to use the bathroom, she just had to get herself together. She wanted to leave and stay at the same time. She felt like a fool. Why am I here? I should leave. Should I just leave? Maybe I should say my period started and I have to leave. That should turn him off. Lacey thought as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She shook her head and let out a deep breath. She washed her hands just because and left out.
Danny was still sitting in the same spot waiting for her. Lacey nervously walked over and sat next to him. She hated that she had to run to the bathroom like a little girl. He's just a man and she's running away from him. She has been alone with a man before. It shouldn't be that big of a deal. Lacey didn't think she had this much sexual tension and chemistry with someone before. Lacey nervously looked around again and saw that Danny was watching her. She smiled despite being totally uncomfortable. "You have a really nice place, Danny." Lacey says to dredge up a conversation.
"Thanks. Are you nervous?" Danny asks and Lacey can't tell if he's being sincere or mocking her.
Lacey decided to give Danny the benefit of the doubt and assume he's being sincere. "Not at all." Lacey lies.
"Good." Danny says as he stands. He grabs Lacey by her hand and pulls her to her feet. "Come on." Danny says.
"Where are we going Danny?" Lacey asks as she lets him pull her with him.
"To the kitchen." Danny says as he leads her in there and stops at the chairs behind the counter. "Have a seat." Danny says as he walks around and stops and opens the refrigerator. He pulls out several things.
Lacey takes a seat and looks at his kitchen. Again, it looks like something you would see in a magazine. He has black and white granite counters and dark cabinets. He has stainless steel appliances. There was a black, gray, and white back splash that really complimented the rest of the kitchen. "What are you making?' Lacey asks.
"Fettuccine Alfredo with shrimp and a salad. You do eat shrimp, I hope." Danny says as he stops and looks at her.
"Yes. Do you need help?" Lacey asks.
"Nope. I'm doing this for you. You just sit back and look pretty." Danny says as he winks at her.
Lacey blushed and felt warm inside. She still felt like she should grab her jacket and her purse and leave. She was in dangerous territory. She felt conflicted. Lacey was really starting to like Danny more and more. And she's starting to feel like that might be a problem. She doesn't want him to be her rebound after Archie. But she also wants to jump on him. She's ridiculously conflicted.
Lacey just sat there and watched Danny cook. She wondered how he knew that having a man cook for her was on her short list of things she really liked. He seemed to really know what he was doing as he moved around his kitchen effortlessly. Lacey started to get a little lost in thought thinking about things. Danny pulled her from her trance when he called her.
"You're thinking too much again." Danny says as he smiles at her.
"Sorry." Lacey says not bothering to elaborate. She will let him think that she was thinking about Archie when she was really thinking about him.
Danny makes a face and starts pouting. "You're making me feel like I'm not being a good host. I invited you over to make you feel better and to cheer you up." Danny says.
"Danny, you are an excellent host. I do feel better already. I wasn't thinking what you thought I was thinking about." Lacey says.
"So what were you thinking about?" Danny asks casually.
"I can't tell you." Lacey says.
"You were thinking about spending the night, weren't you?" Danny asks as he smirks at her.
"I was not." Lacey answers truthfully and also like she's in shock.
"I was joking, Lacey." Danny says. "Come and taste this."
Lacey gets up from her seat and walks toward Danny. He raised the spoon to her mouth and fed her the sauce. Lacey felt aroused and a little embarrassed at the same time. She started to feel warm again from the look Danny was giving her. He took his thumb and wiped the remaining sauce from her mouth. "It's delicious. Who taught you how to cook?" Lacey asks.
"I took a cooking class. I was trying to meet women, and I ended up learning a few things." Danny says light-heartedly.
"You're kidding." Lacey says as she giggles.
"Nope. I was a lot younger then, though." Danny says as Lacey returns to her seat. Danny finished cooking their meal and they sat down to eat. Lacey really enjoyed the meal that Danny cooked for them. Danny really outdid himself. After they finished eating, Lacey helped him with the kitchen. "Are you ready to get killed in a game of Assassins Creed or Halo? I have lots more. You can pick a game you want to play." Danny says.
"No, that's fine." Lacey says as she follows him up the stairs to the tv area. Danny did in fact put on the games he selected and was surprised that Lacey knew how to handle herself when it came to video games.
"I never would have pegged you as a gamer." Danny said impressively.
"I know you wouldn't. Looks can be deceiving." Lacey says as she smiles at him. She learned a lot about playing video games from playing with Archie, but she doesn't feel the need to bring that up.
They just sat quietly on Danny's sofa after Lacey beat him in Call of Duty. Danny looked over at her and hesitated at first.
"Lacey, I have a confession to make." Danny says quietly.
A lump forms in Lacey's throat. God, I hope he isn't married. Or really a woman. He does have that hair. Oh God, what is it? Lacey thinks. She swallows hard. "Ok. What is it?" Lacey asks.
"Lacey, I was never a boy scout." Danny says as he literally attacks her on his sofa.