by Nikki Bloom
“My mother is in town. She made the samosas,” she told me as she slid a plate my way. The food perked me up considerably and I even summoned a smile of thanks for her.
“Please tell her I love her.”
Jacinda laughed. “Will do. So who was that guy last night? I didn’t know you had a boyfriend.”
I stared at her in horror. “Who, Rooster? I met him last night.”
“No, not the big fat one; the tall muscular one who kinda looked like The Rock.”
I frowned in puzzlement. “Dom looks nothing like The Rock.”
She barked a laugh. “Dom? He even has a big-ass movie star guy name.”
“He’s not that big,” I mumbled quietly, amid a mouthful of samosa as I avoided her eye. Considering the breadth of his shoulders, I knew I was full of shit, but I wasn’t about to be gushing over Dom of all people.
“Besides The Rock has no hair, and Dom has those wavy black locks. Furthermore, his eyes are blue.”
“Uh-huh…” Jacinda nodded patronizingly and I could tell that she was laughing at me, but I couldn’t seem to stop my silly protestations.
“He’s my brother’s friend!”
“Okay, okay, I get it. He’s not your boyfriend and you totally don’t like him.” Jacinda snorted as she stood up to get more coffee. I opened my mouth to emphasize that yes, I absolutely did not like him like that at all, but then closed it again. Even I knew when I was protesting too much.
“So what’s on the agenda for today?” I asked instead.
She brought me a sheet outlining the alleged ingredients in a new drug. “We have to test the veracity of this. Also, someone needs to research the sourcing because they’re making some pretty outlandish claims.”
“Oh, joy. Give it here.”
We worked quietly together all morning, peacefully as Danna didn’t deign to show her face. I was pretty absorbed in my work and it wasn’t until a knock on the door had me looking up that I realized how much time had passed.
I looked to the door then at Jacinda. She shook her head. “Danna doesn’t usually wait to be asked to come in. Must be a visitor.”
I straightened up, wheeling around on my chair. “Come in,” I called. When familiar blue eyes appeared at a rather higher point than I was expecting, I felt my heart stop.
What is he doing here?
He smiled tentatively. “Hey. Sorry to spring up on you like this, but I was wondering if I might take you for lunch?”
Jacinda gave the fakest cough ever, giving me a side-eye. I knew just what she was thinking and shook my head.
“No?” Dom actually sounded disappointed. I shot to my feet.
“No! I mean yes!” I winced at myself. “Yes, I will have lunch with you.”
“Oh.” His shoulders seemed to slump in relief. “Great. So are you ready or shall I just wait out here?”
“No, I’m good.” I took my lab coat off and perched it on my seat. Grabbing my purse, I made my way to him, feeling suddenly shy. I smiled a bit and he smiled back, stepping back to let me through the door.
“Have fun!” Jacinda called perkily and I knew we would be having words when I got back.
Dom had his hand on the small of my back as he led me out of the building. We passed a few people as we walked and there were a few double-takes. Clearly, Dom’s face was recognizable enough even for these science geeks. The security guard at the door, who mostly ignored me every morning tipped his hat at me as we passed.
“Huh…” I said thoughtfully as he offered me his hand and we turned down the street. He set a sedate pace that I was easily able to match in my ballet flats.
“Where are we going?”
“Well, I thought we could grab some hot dogs at the park. I know how partial you are to them.”
I narrowed my eyes, making a mental note to kill Morgan later. The only way Dom could have known about my obsession with hot dogs was if Morgan had told him. I focused on looking blasé about it as he wove through pedestrians without bumping into anyone.
“Isn’t that a bit…low brow for you?”
He turned to me, grinning widely. “You forget where I come from.”
“Actually, that’s not true. You just assume that I know things about you because my brother is your friend, but I don’t.”
“Hmm.” He glanced speculatively at me. “That could be true. We don’t really talk much, do we?”
“No, we do not.”
“We should change that.”
I quirked an eyebrow, genuinely curious. “Why?”
“Because if we’re going to get hitched, we should know things about each other. Oh, also, I should tell you that my lawyer would like the write-up from your lawyer ASAP. Do you trust your guy? Does he have your best interests at heart?”
“Oh, so you do wanna go ahead with this thing?”
Dom stopped walking, wrapped his massive hand around my arm, and pulled me to face him. His impossibly blue eyes bored into mine like he was trying to see into my soul. “Yes, I do. Do you?”
I blinked stupidly at him. “Uh, yes?”
If anything, his staring intensified. “You’re not sure?”
“No, I am. I just…”
He nodded as if I had made any sense. “Yeah, shit is about to get real. It’s scary.”
Exactly! Huh, who’d a thunk that he’d get it?
“Yeah, it is,” I said quietly.
“Well, I don’t think we have to worry too much. We have Morgan to pull us away from the abyss if we stare into it for too long.”
My eyebrow went all the way up. “Who knew you had some poetry in you?”
He grinned, pointing dorkily at himself. “I did?”
I bit back a smile, shaking my head, and resumed walking. We entered the park and I chose the pathway that led to my favorite hot dog vendor. I couldn’t help feeling a little excited, just as I did every time. It’s pathetic, I know.
“So why hot dogs?” Dom asked me. “What’s so special about them?”
I colored up just a little.
“Come on,” he coaxed, literally as if he could read my reluctance. “Tell me.”
“I’ll tell you after I’ve had my lunch. A girl is hungry.”
“Well, by all means, let us hurry.” He took my arm, pulling me at a fast clip down the path. I was hard put not to laugh but I managed it. We got to the stand, and Miguel, the hot dog maker, smiled at me.
“Hello, Miss Innes. Same as usual?”
“Yes, please,” I replied all pretty-like. Dom stared at me with raised eyebrows.
“And for your friend?” Miguel asked.
I gestured for Dom to go ahead and make his order.
“Uh, I’ll have what she’s having.”
Miguel smiled wide and nodded. “Ah, young love. It’s the best, isn’t it?”
Dom and I exchanged glances and he smirked at me before turning back to Miguel. “Yes, it is. The absolute best.”
I knew my cheeks were on fire as Miguel handed me my hot dog with all the trimmings and then did the same for Dom. He paid for the meal and we wandered away toward a miraculously empty bench under a tree. We took a seat and I bit contentedly into my hot dog.
We ate mostly in silence, enjoying the meal and the view and the family of ducklings that came swimming towards us. When the meal was finished, Dom crossed his legs and turned to me.
“So, Nicolette Innes, won’t you tell me why you’re obsessed with hot dogs?”
I sighed in resignation. “Fine. But you can’t laugh at me.”
His lips twitched. “Cross my heart and swear to die.”
9
Domenic
This story couldn’t possibly live up to the buildup. The expectations were already too high; what with the protracted secrecy, the blushes, and coy glances…I mean, unless she lost her virginity to a hot dog, I’m seeing disappointment in my future.
“So, go ahead and tell me.” I turned around in the seat to face her, my hand draped along the back of the
bench.
She took a deep breath, avoiding my eyes. “Okay, so you know I grew up in Texas, correct?”
“Yeah, Prairie View.”
She nodded. “That’s right. Anyways, my stepfather was an ass and my mother couldn’t stand up to him. Every Saturday, this hot dog truck used to come down our street, ringing its bell and calling for every kid to gather around.” She stopped swallowed, blinking a few times as if to stop herself from crying. I began to feel concerned. “All the kids would run screaming after him as if he was the pied piper or something.
“Well, I never did. I knew there would be no hot dog for me. Hot dogs were for good kids and I was an eternal pain in the ass.” She snorted, flicking her eyes at me as if to make a joke of it all. Except that the pain of those words was still very prominently written in the darkening of her eyes and the paleness of her skin.
I didn’t wanna hear any more of this story.
“So let me guess, when Morgan brought you to New York, the first thing he bought you was a hot dog?”
She made a sound that was supposed to be a laugh except for how wet it was. “No. Morgan was all about discipline and hygiene and nutrients. Do you know what hot dogs are made of?” Her imitation of her brother was perfect; I couldn’t help smiling. “Nah, he fed me my vegetables.”
“Okay, so…?” I lifted my eyebrows at her.
“I got a job in the backroom of a grocery store, doing inventory and shit. After we got paid that first week, the other people I worked with were like, ‘let’s go to the park and stuff our faces and eat hot dogs.’” She flicked me that embarrassed glance again and it was very hard not to reach out and squeeze her hand. “I was about to say, no, I’m not allowed when it hit me that hey, I was free now. I could go to the park if I wanted. I could buy a hot dog if I wanted. I had my own cash even.” She grinned at him, “It was the first time I realized that I was truly free.”
So I was wrong about this story. It definitely lived up to the buildup. Hell, the lump in my throat said it surpassed it. I couldn’t speak for a while. Thankfully, she seemed to understand.
She took a deep breath, blinking away the moisture from her own eyes. “The fact that I bought my first hot dog from Miguel and that he was so nice to me, even told me that the first one was free…as if he knew that it was my first hot dog…” she shook her head briefly, dropping her head and swallowing.
I gave in to my own urges and reached out for her hand, squeezing it hard. “Yeah, you got out. You’re free.” If my voice sounded a bit raspy, it was because I hadn’t spoken in a while, nothing else.
She nodded, took a deep breath, and looked back up at me with a smile. She didn’t let go of my hand though. “So that’s my sob story. Fair’s fair, what’s yours?”
My lips twisted. “My mother’s an addict and my dad was a whore and an alcoholic. I was supporting my household by the time I was fourteen.”
“That’s the vastly abridged version, huh?” She smiled wryly.
I shrugged. I didn’t figure she wanted to hear about bikers at the moment. Then a thought occurred to me. “Hey, look at us getting along and everything!” I grinned happily at her.
Weirdly, that made her face fall and she blushed, lashes sweeping down to hide her eyes again. “Uh, about that. I wanted to say sorry about the other night. I did something stupid and you had to bail me out.”
“Yeah, that sure was stupid, going with that man, but I’m guessing you had your reasons?”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “Well, to be honest, I have an aversion to being told what to do, especially in the way that you did it, but also I was upset and not dealing with it well, even before that.”
“Mind telling me what upset you?”
She moved her shoulder in sort of a sulky shrug. “My supervisor told me the grant’s going to the other girl.”
I cocked my eyebrows. “The name girl?”
Her lips twisted as if she was trying to stop herself from laughing. “Yeah, the name girl.” She huffed, looking supremely amused. “Why is everyone calling her that?”
“I guess because you wanted to marry me for my name.” I narrowed my eyes at her. “Do you still?”
She looked away from me, eyes far away and thoughtful. “I mean, I guess so. Just judging from how differently my colleagues treated me walking down the hall with you, it might make a difference.”
“Hey and you know I can make a hefty donation too.” I do not even know why I offered to do that.
She smiled. “That would be nice, I guess.”
“You guess?”
She turned to face me. “I suppose it would help. Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome. And congratulations on getting wise to working the system to your advantage.” I clapped for her sincerely, even though she watched me with suspicion. “I mean it.”
“Yeah, well…” She shrugged, clearly embarrassed. “I’d like to have been diabolical about it, but really it was just that I read too much fan fiction.”
I laughed. I’m sorry, I just couldn’t help it. “Whatever works, I guess.” I clapped my hands to call the meeting back to order. “So about this marriage thing, are you in?”
“Yeah, I guess I am.”
“Great. And about those guys last night, don’t worry about it. It’s taken care of.”
“What happened after I left? Morgan wouldn’t tell me.”
I sighed, debating on what to tell her. “Well, obviously your guy was kinda mad that you threw a stool at him and bolted. People tend to take that kind of thing personally.” I hesitated, wondering if I should tell her the next part. She leaned into me, her scent washing over me as she peered into my eyes, hypnotizing me.
“Then what happened.”
“Well, he drew a gun.”
She gasped, like I knew she would, and paled. “God!” she whispered.
“Naturally, Morgan and I got between him and you, as he tried to get past us to kill you. Morgan was forced to break his wrist while I kicked his knees out from under him. We thought we might have to fight our way out.”
Her eyes were so wide, it was like they took up her whole face. I hesitated but she waved at me. “Go on.”
“The club president put a stop to all of it. He got between us and your guy-”
“Don’t call him that. He’s not my guy. His name’s Rooster.”
I chortled with amusement and she shrugged to show that yeah, she got it was extremely lame. “Anyway, Rooster was down for the count and it was just everyone else we had to deal with.”
She blinked anxiously at me. “But the club president stopped it.”
“Yeah. He knew who I was, but not that I was club affiliated. He had two guys kind of restrain us – though I’m pretty sure we could have broken loose. But even if we did, we’d have to fight our way out. So I said we should resolve matters club to club. We never gave up our membership of the Lost Boys, after all; we just left town.”
“So you’re saying they’re gonna demand some retribution from your club or something?”
I grinned at her. “You really do read too much fan fiction. No, they’re gonna ask for compensation. The club will pay and I will pay the club.”
“So they’re not gonna ask for body parts or some shit?”
“Luckily for us, this isn’t the wild west.”
To be honest, I wasn’t sure what Sunny would ask for. I did know that Tank had a reputation for ruthlessness and mayhem. He wasn’t someone to be trifled with. That’s why I invoked his name. No doubt it would get complicated, but Nico didn’t need to know that.”
“I’m soo sorry about all this.” She looked like such an earnest puppy with the eyes and the sincerity, I just wanted to pat her on the head and tell her that everything would be fine.
Instead, I shrugged, one-shouldered. “It’s no biggie.”
“No, it is. It’s huge. I owe you big time. If he asks for money, I can pay it. Don’t even worry about that.”
“Hey. Relax. None
of that now. It’s going to be fine. I promise. It’s handled. Can we talk about something else? Engagement rings? What do you prefer? Diamonds? Emeralds? Gold or platinum?”
She blinked at me as if taken by surprise. “Engagement rings?”
“Yeah, I mean you gotta have a big ass rock to flash around, don’t you?”
“No big ass rocks, please?” She looked quite horrified.
I smiled. “Fine. I’ll get you something simple yet elegant. Leyland will put an announcement in the paper, probably tomorrow. That’s okay, right? We should also probably go out to dinner. Somewhere people can see us.”
She swallowed, looking quite pale. “Uh…I…okay.”
“Great.” I looked at my watch, “Oop, your lunch hour’s probably almost up. We should go back.”
“Yeah.” I got up and helped her up. I kept hold of her hand as we walked, and I think she was too dazed to object. Watching her from the corner of my eye, she seemed quite lost in thought and I wondered what concerns had put that furrow in her brow. I kept quiet, waiting to see if she would fill the silence.
But she just walked by my side without speaking.
Somehow though, it wasn’t awkward. In fact, it was quite peaceful and restful. Our hands swung back and forth between us, our shoulders occasionally brushing. It was more like a real date than most of my recent dates.
I dropped her off at the FDA building with a kiss on the cheek and watched color bloom with amusement. She nodded to me before hurrying into the building and as I watched her, the thought flashed through my mind with horror.
What if she’s a virgin?
I mean…how many people do you know who blush at a kiss on the cheek? I walked back to my car, pondering that possibility and wondering if I could possibly pop her cherry as part of a contractual agreement.
I shuddered, shaking my head. “Nope, no. She’s twenty-six years old. Ain’t no way in hell she’s a virgin.”
Starting my engine, I aimed my Mercedes Jeep at the traffic and wondering if I shouldn’t have just opted to take the train to Manhattan where Leyland had his offices. By some miracle, I was able to drive there and still be in time for my appointment. Now that I’d secured the bride, there were other issues that needed straightening out before my meeting with Tech Dyne.
