"Danny Messer? Is that you?" A pretty blonde lady approached Danny and Lindsay as they waited in line for their daily dose of caffeine.
"Leila?" Danny asked incredulously.
"Yes!" she got closer and it became obvious that this woman was a living, breathing Barbie doll. She was perfect in every way. Her blonde hair was sleek and shiny against her pink, strapless sundress that hugged her curves perfectly. She had beautiful blue-green eyes and dainty features. Barbie pretty much shoved Lindsay out of the way to embrace Danny, who looked slightly uncomfortable, but hugged her back.
Danny pulled away. "What are ya doin' here?"
"I live her now!" she squealed. "I got a job as a secretary at a doctor's office."
"That's wonderful."
"Isn't it?" She eyed Lindsay as though she hadn't seen her standing there until that very moment. "Are you going to introduce me to your little friend?" she simpered.
Little friend? Lindsay fumed.
"Uh…Leila, this is my fiancée, Lindsay." Lindsay wasn't sure how she should react to the stunned look on Leila's face when she heard Danny say 'fiancée.' "Linds, this is my old friend Leila."
"Old friend?" Leila giggled. "Is that all I am now?"
Lindsay raised an eyebrow and gave Danny a 'you –better- tell –me- what's- going -on' look.
"Ok…. old friend slash ex-girlfriend." Danny confessed, rubbing the back of his neck, a tell tale sign that he was uncomfortable.
"Oh." Lindsay said, unable to think of anything else to say. "It's nice to meet you, Leila," she lied.
"You too," Leila plastered an obviously fake smile on her face. "I'm sure we can be great friends. But, to tell you the truth, it surprises me that Danny Messer is settling down once and for all."
"Oh really?" Lindsay challenged. "And why would that be?"
Leila opened her mouth in preparation to say something, but couldn't think of anything to say and closed her mouth.
"That's what I thought," Lindsay said coolly. "Danny, we really ought to be going. Our shift starts in 10 minutes."
Danny had been silent during the women's exchange, but spoke up. "Yeah…. you're right. Well, it's good seeing you Leila. Maybe we can meet for lunch sometime soon."
"Yeah. That'd be great." Leila answered, a real smile replacing the fake one that she had been wearing.
Danny and Lindsay both picked up their coffees and left the coffee shop. "What was that all about?" Danny asked once they were on the street headed towards work.
"What do you mean?"
"Why were you so rude?"
"Me? Rude? She's the one that was being rude."
"She was not!"
"Was too." Lindsay huffed.
"Seriously, Linds, that was uncalled for. She was one of my closest friends in high school."
"She was more than a friend Danny."
"Don't act like you know everything that went on when I was in high school, Linds. You were off in Montana milking a cow."
His comment stung her, but didn't let it show. "Well, I know what I heard, and I know what I saw."
"And what is that?"
"It is her objective to get you back and she's not going to stop until she does."
"That's insane."
"Is it? I mean just look at her."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You know exactly what that means, Danny." They had just gotten off the elevator on their floor and Lindsay hurried off to find Stella.
"Trouble in paradise?" Flack teased, having overheard much of the conversation.
"Shut up." Danny snapped and walked away.
"I'll take that as a yes."
"She's like a freaking Barbie doll!" Lindsay screeched. She and Stella had gone to a local café on their lunch break, and Lindsay was filling her in on the events of that morning.
Stella chuckled. "Come on. It couldn't have been that bad."
"It was." Lindsay insisted. "She was all over Danny and he pretended that he didn't notice."
"Linds, men are stupid. They don't pick up on stuff like that. Especially Danny."
"Don't I know it?" She grumbled, referring to the fact that it took Danny forever to notice her constant flirting. She sighed. "Ok. I guess I overreacted a little bit."
"I would say so," Stella laughed.
"But I still don't like her."
"I never said you have to. Just talk to Danny. Make this right. You don't want to ruin your relationship over a plastic doll."
Lindsay laughed. "She is probably partly plastic."
"I'm sorry." Lindsay burst out. She and Danny hadn't spoken to each other all day long, and by the time that they were in the locker room, ready to go home, she just couldn't stand it any longer. "I got jealous and felt inferior. I'm sorry."
"There's no reason for you to be jealous." Danny told her softly.
"Yes, there is! She's perfect! Didn't you see her?"
"I only have eyes for you," he said as seriously as he could, but Lindsay could see his eyes twinkling, telling her that he was suppressing a smile.
"Has that line worked in the past?"
"Never tried it."
Lindsay rolled her eyes. "Likely story."
"Linds, the bottom line is that I love you, ok? You are the one I want. Sure, Leila's good looking, but you are perfect in every way. You understand me in ways that Leila never did, and nobody else ever will, and I love you for that"
"I love you, too."
He pecked her on the lips, took her hand and led her out of the building. He walked with her to the subway, where they had to part and get on different trains. "I'll call ya tonight, babe." He promised.
"Ok." Lindsay boarded her train and watched through the closing doors at Danny. A sudden wave of sadness crossed her as she thought about the prospect of losing him. She couldn't let that happen, not after she had worked so long and so hard to be able to call him her own.