[for Mindy]

[so_catholic]

"Oh boy..."

The tie just won't sit straight. Why is he even wearing one? His Ma is nowhere to be seen and it's not like he's at a funeral. Though staring at himself in the bathroom's mirror and failing in the simple task of even straightening his own tie does kind of make him want to throw himself in front of the nearest moving vehicle.

He's wearing it for Mindy, he tells himself, passing the heel of his hand across his forehead to stave off the sweat. Shirt, tie, smart blazer, dark jeans. Nothing too fancy, so she knows there's room for improvement, but nice enough for her to realize he's made an effort.

They have been on hundreds of dates before, he can see that now, but back then, neither of them had acknowledged the time spent together as that. A date. Suddenly they slap a name on what they're doing and Danny finds himself heading straight for the bathroom almost as soon as they'd sat down at their table. He had brought Mindy somewhere a little upmarket because surely that's the way to make this thing they've started, this new aspect of their relationship, official? Judging by the way his stomach is twisted in knots, however, he would much rather be chilling on the couch with her in scrubs, eating dry chicken nuggets and watching whatever crap she'd chosen to torture him with on any given night.

Taking a deep breath, he checks his watch, mentally calculating how long he's been in here. Fingers that are usually so nimble tug at the loop around his neck with renewed speed, undoing it for the third time just so he can retie it again.

Comments

[beyoncepadthai]

Mindy resists the urge to reach across and swat him, figuring that she's banned from more than enough food establishments across the city as it is. She does, however, give him a glare to assure him that she is wholly unamused.

"You are the worst," she tells Danny, though there's not much heat in her voice. She doesn't actually know much about his dating habits in the city, a fact she's happy to stick with.

Apparently sensing their need for more wine, it's mere moments before there's a waitress ready to take their order for drinks and food.

"I will have your second largest steak," Mindy says, practicing some absurd version of self-restraint.

[so_catholic]

Danny orders through a suppressed smile, which he lets out as soon as the waitress has left. The very attractive waitress whom he doesn't give a second glance.

"I'm sorry, hey," he presses up from his chair, one hand braced on the table, the other beckoning Mindy with a finger, "gimme a kiss." There's something about receiving an all too familiar glare on their first official date that puts him at ease. And more than amuses him. "Before you get steak stuck in your teeth."

[beyoncepadthai]

Because she can, Mindy leans across and gives a kiss that's borderline torturous before leaning back in her seat and taking a sip of her wine, smiling brightly. It's not that she's going out of her way to deprive the guy from sex, it's just that she's kind of ruined a lot of relationships by rushing into the physical side of things. She can't risk that with Danny, but she can be a little cruel right now as retribution for his poorly landed jokes about other girls. "Don't hate on my steak. Do you know what it's like growing up Hindu? The worst. I didn't taste Filet mignon until I was, like, nineteen."