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~*~*~*~*~
Dan Rydell woke up with a song on his lips - and pounding through
his brain. It stayed with him through his bowl of cereal, left his
lips at full-throated volume during his shower, and annoyed the cab
driver on the way to the office by the tap-tap-tap of the beat on
the leather seats.
After paying the cabbie and exiting into the warm Spring morning,
Dan stopped to get two coffees, one for him, one for Casey. Waiting
for his mocha and Casey's cappuccino, he continued to sing the song
stuck in his head, substituting his ordered drink for the words.
"Pe-pe-pe-peppermint, pe-pe-peppermint - mo-mo-mocha".
Multiple eyes stared at Dan, oblivious to the world. Dan would plant
the ear-worm in to other people's brains, earning silent curses from
fellow customers.
"Here!" the barrista declared, wanting to clear Dan and his now
drum-beating fingers out of the Starbucks.
"Th-th-th-thank you much. Th-th-thank you much." Dan added, as he walked
out of the store, heading toward his office one building over.
Each step matched the beat in Dan's head. Reaching the elevator,
people seemed to move to the side, letting Dan and his constant
humming and throaty noises, with accompanying minute dance moves
shimmy throughout the entire back of the elevator. More than one
sigh of relief was expressed as Dan left the elevator, heading
towards the bullpen and his office.
Casey, who had been looking for Dan since he himself got into
work, stuck his head out their communal office door. "Danny! Come
in here. We need to go over some stuff."
"Just a minute, Case!" Dan called back, stopping off to pick up his
mail. "Morning, Jeremy" he said mindlessly to his coworker as he
went through his mail.
"Morning," Jeremy replied, noting Dan had started a combination
hum and whistle of the same song Dan had been singing the day before.
"Man," Declared Danny. "You ever get a Lady GaGa song stuck in your
head and can't get it out?" Dan mindlessly continued humming Poker
Face for the millionth time that morning.
Jeremy deadpanned. "No, sorry. Remember, I'm straight."
Danny turned to Jeremy with a glare. "Casey!"
"What, Danny?"
"Jeremy's picking on me!"