Fic: [NR] Tuesday Night Restaurant (TNR) Series: Pink Pie [1/1]
Tuesday Night Restaurant Series: Pink Pie
Word Count: 1,608
Pairing: strain to see hints of Dani/Nico ;-)
Spoilers: None
Summary: “They have Pink Pie for October. It is almost as good as their chocolate cake. And, better yet, all the profit from it goes to Komen. Just no more Tuesday nights!”
Author’s Notes: Comes after my Crack!Fic Pretty in Pink story (no need to read it first but it is fun). Also goes in my "Tuesday Night Restaurant" series.
“Vivica, how’re the donations going for our team?” Dani asked at their weekly Race for the Cure meeting. There were only eight more days before the run. The players had been bummed that they couldn’t run with them, but the game had to come first.
Vivica smiled. “Ninety percent of the players have pledged at least $1,000. Three have pledged $25,000. You know about the Pittman Group’s pledge of $100,000. But the new big one is an anonymous donor called ‘Hawks Fan’ for $25,000. There are also some new staff ones that total about $1,000. This puts us at a grand total of just over $250,000.”
Dani stared at the other woman. “You are kidding me, right? A quarter of a million dollars? This has to be Terrence’s doing.”
Vivica laughed. “No doubt in my mind. Your talk with him about the importance of pink scared him. A good kind of scare. He’s been pushing the guys pretty good to donate to us. Also, he got some of the wives and cheerleaders to walk with us, so our team is now 18 strong including Juliette, Lindsay and her two friends and your mother.”
Dani smiled shaking her head. “You would think we’ve been working on this for months, not seven weeks. Thanks, Viv, for handling a lot of this.”
Vivica laughed. “I know, it does seem crazy, but then everything TK gets involved in goes crazy. Not a problem, it’s been fun.”
“Oh! All this pink reminds me! You have got to get Terrence to bring you back to the restaurant we met at on Tuesday night a few weeks back, where the older gentleman threw out the paparazzi?” Dani smiled. “They have Pink Pie for October. It is almost as good as their chocolate cake. And, better yet, all the profit from it goes to Komen. Just no more Tuesday nights!”
Vivica laughed. “Sounds like TK and I are headed there Thursday for some dinner and Pink Pie.” She flipped through some papers. “That reminds me. I wanted to have a thank you dinner for the other team members. I was thinking of using that restaurant. What do you say Thursday after the race? We’ll all have recovered by then, hopefully.”
Dani smiled. “Sounds like a plan. Do you want me to make the arrangements?”
“No. I’ll have Juliette talk with Marcie since they meet tomorrow about your Military project. Those two are good, they can handle that one.” Vivica shook her head.
-%-
Dani stared at the announcer. Their team had raised the most money at this particular race? She looked over at Vivica who had a similar shell-shocked expression on her face.
-%-
“Doctor D! You coming tonight?” TK called down the hall. It was the Thursday after the race, the night of the ‘thank you’ dinner for the race team.
Dani laughed. “Of course I am. You going to be good or should I have Nico meet us there just to keep an eye on you?”
“I do not think you will need my services there tonight, Doctor Santino.” Nico spoke from behind her.
She gritted her teeth but didn’t flinch. “Nico, how many times do we have to talk about you sneaking up on me?”
TK laughed at the two of them and headed off. “Don’t be late, Doctor D!”
“Point of fact, I did not sneak up on you, Doctor Santino. You were focused on TK and just did not hear my approach.” Nico gave her a half smile and noted her eye roll. “I know you have a later appointment. Did you want me to drive you to the restaurant? I did not see your car in the parking lot earlier.”
Dani smiled. “No, but thank you, Nico. My mom, Juliette, and Lindsay are picking me up. Lindsay’s friends and their families are meeting us there.”
Nico nodded. “Enjoy the evening, Doctor Santino.”
-%-
Dani sighed. Her last appointment had gone longer than she had planned and she had called her mother to tell them to meet her at the restaurant: she didn’t want them to be late. She grabbed a cab and was surprised when she arrived at the restaurant to see the line of people. She knew it was usually busy but it was a Thursday in late October. Then she blinked when all of the pink hit her.
She squeezed passed people to get to the host’s table and smiled when she saw Sergei. “Sergei, what is going on? I thought-.” It hit her then that the entire restaurant was pink: pink table clothes, pink roses, pink cloth napkins, pink window dressings. And there were pink ribbons everywhere, including being handed out to every patron.
Sergei smiled. “Marcie and Juliette approached me about a fundraiser and since you never asked me and the restaurant to sponsor your team, we at the restaurant wanted to do something as well.” He offered her his arm. “You will notice that every female employee is not working tonight. They are enjoying the food while the boys and men serve. Benefactors had the option of purchasing plates or tables. All of the food has something pink in it: vodka sauce, strawberries, etc. Pink Pie, which is the hit of this month and the rave in the food critics’ articles, will be the dessert.”
Dani pulled him to a stop and just stared as she turned slowly in a circle. “You and the girls have outdone yourselves.” And then she spotted the sign. “Congrats, Team LadyHawkes! Most Money Raised. NYC Race for the Cure.” She laughed and took Sergei’s arm again and leaned in to kiss his cheek.
“Doctor D!” TK yelled through the entire restaurant.
Everyone looked over at her and Dani turned red and shook her head. “Thanks, Terrence.”
“Sergei, I will escort Danielle to the table of honor.” Nico stepped up beside her.
The older man nodded with a smile. “Congratulations, Danielle, on the fantastic race and for suggesting all of this in the first place.”
Dani smiled at him, then turned the smile on Nico. “I thought we wouldn’t need your services here tonight, Nico.”
Nico chuckled. “You don’t, but that does not mean I do not support the cause.” He leaned down and whispered, “You should know this isn’t just a fundraiser. Your team is going to honor you and Vivica.”
Dani blinked and turned to look up at him. “Honor us? In front of everyone?” She sighed at Nico’s nod. “Thanks for the warning but where was that warning when I saw you earlier today?”
Nico laughed and started them moving again. “Considered it but decided the possibility of you not showing up would get me into more trouble with more people.”
“So, Doctor D, you like Juliette and Marcie’s Pretty In Pink Night Out?” TK asked as they arrived at the head table. “It’s genius!”
Dani blinked. “You knew about this? How did you keep this a secret?”
TK laughed. “Viv told me this afternoon.”
Dani looked over everyone at the head table: Vivica, TK, Juliette, Marcie, Lindsay, her mother, Ray Jay, and Nico. She smiled at them all. “You all are sneaky. How come Vivica got to know about this and I didn’t?”
“Actually, I didn’t know until I got here as well.” Vivica spoke up. “I was just on time.”
-%-
“Doctor D, this pie ROCKS! I say it is better than the chocolate cake!” TK declared. “I admit to freaking out about it the first time.”
Juliette was the one to ask. “What happened the first time?”
Vivica laughed. “It was priceless and completely TK. I ordered the Pink Pie and didn’t warn him about it.” She patted TK’s hand. “He was horrified at the pinkness. Strawberry ice cream. Raspberry cream. Strawberries and raspberries. Pink crust, as you can see. He couldn’t bring himself to try it, too much pink.”
“Until she told me it was delicious.” TK spoke up.
“And that the profits of the sale of Pink Pie goes to Susan B. Komen.” Sergei chuckled from behind them. “Then he declared it the shizzle.”
Everyone laughed at that.
-%-
Dani watched her mom, Juliette, Lindsay, and Lindsay’s two friends head out. They were headed to the movies. She figured she could get Nico to drive her home, besides, she needed to have a little talk with the man.
“Does this mean I am providing you with a ride home, Danielle?” Nico asked behind her.
Dani smiled as she turned. “I didn’t think you had left and, yes, I would appreciate a ride.” She had stayed, thanking benefactors and restaurant staff, until everyone was gone.
Nico smiled and lead her to his Lincoln. “Why do I have the feeling you have questions, Danielle?”
She shrugged. “Because you are Nico and because I always have questions?”
Nico chuckled. “True. So what is the topic for tonight?”
She was tired and still unsure she wanted to bring this topic up. It took her until they were almost at her home. “Hawks Fan. The anonymous donor.” Dani stated, keeping her eyes on him.
“You want me to find out who it was?” Nico asked, surprised. He hadn’t figured she would want to track down someone who wanted to stay unknown.
Dani shook her head as they pulled into her driveway. “No. I respect his desire to stay unknown.” She opened her door then changed her mind, leaned over, and kissed Nico’s cheek before she whispered, “Thanks, Nico. I appreciate it.” And then she was gone.
Nico stared at the car seat she vacated for a moment before he shook his head with a smile. Impact Player.
Word Count: 1,608
Pairing: strain to see hints of Dani/Nico ;-)
Spoilers: None
Summary: “They have Pink Pie for October. It is almost as good as their chocolate cake. And, better yet, all the profit from it goes to Komen. Just no more Tuesday nights!”
Author’s Notes: Comes after my Crack!Fic Pretty in Pink story (no need to read it first but it is fun). Also goes in my "Tuesday Night Restaurant" series.
“Vivica, how’re the donations going for our team?” Dani asked at their weekly Race for the Cure meeting. There were only eight more days before the run. The players had been bummed that they couldn’t run with them, but the game had to come first.
Vivica smiled. “Ninety percent of the players have pledged at least $1,000. Three have pledged $25,000. You know about the Pittman Group’s pledge of $100,000. But the new big one is an anonymous donor called ‘Hawks Fan’ for $25,000. There are also some new staff ones that total about $1,000. This puts us at a grand total of just over $250,000.”
Dani stared at the other woman. “You are kidding me, right? A quarter of a million dollars? This has to be Terrence’s doing.”
Vivica laughed. “No doubt in my mind. Your talk with him about the importance of pink scared him. A good kind of scare. He’s been pushing the guys pretty good to donate to us. Also, he got some of the wives and cheerleaders to walk with us, so our team is now 18 strong including Juliette, Lindsay and her two friends and your mother.”
Dani smiled shaking her head. “You would think we’ve been working on this for months, not seven weeks. Thanks, Viv, for handling a lot of this.”
Vivica laughed. “I know, it does seem crazy, but then everything TK gets involved in goes crazy. Not a problem, it’s been fun.”
“Oh! All this pink reminds me! You have got to get Terrence to bring you back to the restaurant we met at on Tuesday night a few weeks back, where the older gentleman threw out the paparazzi?” Dani smiled. “They have Pink Pie for October. It is almost as good as their chocolate cake. And, better yet, all the profit from it goes to Komen. Just no more Tuesday nights!”
Vivica laughed. “Sounds like TK and I are headed there Thursday for some dinner and Pink Pie.” She flipped through some papers. “That reminds me. I wanted to have a thank you dinner for the other team members. I was thinking of using that restaurant. What do you say Thursday after the race? We’ll all have recovered by then, hopefully.”
Dani smiled. “Sounds like a plan. Do you want me to make the arrangements?”
“No. I’ll have Juliette talk with Marcie since they meet tomorrow about your Military project. Those two are good, they can handle that one.” Vivica shook her head.
-%-
Dani stared at the announcer. Their team had raised the most money at this particular race? She looked over at Vivica who had a similar shell-shocked expression on her face.
-%-
“Doctor D! You coming tonight?” TK called down the hall. It was the Thursday after the race, the night of the ‘thank you’ dinner for the race team.
Dani laughed. “Of course I am. You going to be good or should I have Nico meet us there just to keep an eye on you?”
“I do not think you will need my services there tonight, Doctor Santino.” Nico spoke from behind her.
She gritted her teeth but didn’t flinch. “Nico, how many times do we have to talk about you sneaking up on me?”
TK laughed at the two of them and headed off. “Don’t be late, Doctor D!”
“Point of fact, I did not sneak up on you, Doctor Santino. You were focused on TK and just did not hear my approach.” Nico gave her a half smile and noted her eye roll. “I know you have a later appointment. Did you want me to drive you to the restaurant? I did not see your car in the parking lot earlier.”
Dani smiled. “No, but thank you, Nico. My mom, Juliette, and Lindsay are picking me up. Lindsay’s friends and their families are meeting us there.”
Nico nodded. “Enjoy the evening, Doctor Santino.”
-%-
Dani sighed. Her last appointment had gone longer than she had planned and she had called her mother to tell them to meet her at the restaurant: she didn’t want them to be late. She grabbed a cab and was surprised when she arrived at the restaurant to see the line of people. She knew it was usually busy but it was a Thursday in late October. Then she blinked when all of the pink hit her.
She squeezed passed people to get to the host’s table and smiled when she saw Sergei. “Sergei, what is going on? I thought-.” It hit her then that the entire restaurant was pink: pink table clothes, pink roses, pink cloth napkins, pink window dressings. And there were pink ribbons everywhere, including being handed out to every patron.
Sergei smiled. “Marcie and Juliette approached me about a fundraiser and since you never asked me and the restaurant to sponsor your team, we at the restaurant wanted to do something as well.” He offered her his arm. “You will notice that every female employee is not working tonight. They are enjoying the food while the boys and men serve. Benefactors had the option of purchasing plates or tables. All of the food has something pink in it: vodka sauce, strawberries, etc. Pink Pie, which is the hit of this month and the rave in the food critics’ articles, will be the dessert.”
Dani pulled him to a stop and just stared as she turned slowly in a circle. “You and the girls have outdone yourselves.” And then she spotted the sign. “Congrats, Team LadyHawkes! Most Money Raised. NYC Race for the Cure.” She laughed and took Sergei’s arm again and leaned in to kiss his cheek.
“Doctor D!” TK yelled through the entire restaurant.
Everyone looked over at her and Dani turned red and shook her head. “Thanks, Terrence.”
“Sergei, I will escort Danielle to the table of honor.” Nico stepped up beside her.
The older man nodded with a smile. “Congratulations, Danielle, on the fantastic race and for suggesting all of this in the first place.”
Dani smiled at him, then turned the smile on Nico. “I thought we wouldn’t need your services here tonight, Nico.”
Nico chuckled. “You don’t, but that does not mean I do not support the cause.” He leaned down and whispered, “You should know this isn’t just a fundraiser. Your team is going to honor you and Vivica.”
Dani blinked and turned to look up at him. “Honor us? In front of everyone?” She sighed at Nico’s nod. “Thanks for the warning but where was that warning when I saw you earlier today?”
Nico laughed and started them moving again. “Considered it but decided the possibility of you not showing up would get me into more trouble with more people.”
“So, Doctor D, you like Juliette and Marcie’s Pretty In Pink Night Out?” TK asked as they arrived at the head table. “It’s genius!”
Dani blinked. “You knew about this? How did you keep this a secret?”
TK laughed. “Viv told me this afternoon.”
Dani looked over everyone at the head table: Vivica, TK, Juliette, Marcie, Lindsay, her mother, Ray Jay, and Nico. She smiled at them all. “You all are sneaky. How come Vivica got to know about this and I didn’t?”
“Actually, I didn’t know until I got here as well.” Vivica spoke up. “I was just on time.”
-%-
“Doctor D, this pie ROCKS! I say it is better than the chocolate cake!” TK declared. “I admit to freaking out about it the first time.”
Juliette was the one to ask. “What happened the first time?”
Vivica laughed. “It was priceless and completely TK. I ordered the Pink Pie and didn’t warn him about it.” She patted TK’s hand. “He was horrified at the pinkness. Strawberry ice cream. Raspberry cream. Strawberries and raspberries. Pink crust, as you can see. He couldn’t bring himself to try it, too much pink.”
“Until she told me it was delicious.” TK spoke up.
“And that the profits of the sale of Pink Pie goes to Susan B. Komen.” Sergei chuckled from behind them. “Then he declared it the shizzle.”
Everyone laughed at that.
-%-
Dani watched her mom, Juliette, Lindsay, and Lindsay’s two friends head out. They were headed to the movies. She figured she could get Nico to drive her home, besides, she needed to have a little talk with the man.
“Does this mean I am providing you with a ride home, Danielle?” Nico asked behind her.
Dani smiled as she turned. “I didn’t think you had left and, yes, I would appreciate a ride.” She had stayed, thanking benefactors and restaurant staff, until everyone was gone.
Nico smiled and lead her to his Lincoln. “Why do I have the feeling you have questions, Danielle?”
She shrugged. “Because you are Nico and because I always have questions?”
Nico chuckled. “True. So what is the topic for tonight?”
She was tired and still unsure she wanted to bring this topic up. It took her until they were almost at her home. “Hawks Fan. The anonymous donor.” Dani stated, keeping her eyes on him.
“You want me to find out who it was?” Nico asked, surprised. He hadn’t figured she would want to track down someone who wanted to stay unknown.
Dani shook her head as they pulled into her driveway. “No. I respect his desire to stay unknown.” She opened her door then changed her mind, leaned over, and kissed Nico’s cheek before she whispered, “Thanks, Nico. I appreciate it.” And then she was gone.
Nico stared at the car seat she vacated for a moment before he shook his head with a smile. Impact Player.