The wonderful thing about having a party at an establishment like Chuck E. Cheese was there was no clean up for me. And once it was over, I was done.
Chapter 12
Double Dutch
September arrived before we knew it, and school started for Lucia. Dominic went with me the first day so he could learn the routine and the location. He had purchased himself a car to get around the first week he was here, a nice BMW 328i.
I imagined it wasn’t what he was used to compared to his previous experience in high society. The more I thought about it, I didn’t even think he drove too much in New York. He seemed well adjusted, not just to what he drove, but to his new life. In all the time he’d been here, I couldn’t picture him in his old life at all. He fit with us.
I told Dominic to drive so he could get a feel for where everything was. When we arrived at the school, we all piled out, Lucia was excited to have Dominic with us, and she dragged him to her line. She pointed out all of her friends and the location of her classroom and the lunchroom. Dominic took it all in, and even asked her questions to encourage her even more. I loved how much he nurtured her outgoing personality.
Once the kids had gone into their classes, we went to the office to add Dominic to the list of authorized people for emergencies and pickup. Even though he was my employee, something about these changes and additions made me tingle with excitement. In my mind, it was as if he was inching his way into our lives more and more, one change at a time — and I was very happy with that.
On our drive back to the house, he asked, “Not to get personal but, where is Lucia’s dad?”
I glanced over at him for a moment, trying to judge his expression. I wondered why he was asking. “Um . . . he’s not around.” I looked at Dominic once more to gauge his reaction.
He snuck an encouraging look at me, and then flashed his eyes back to the road.
“We were married, but he was never around. He worked all the time. Lucia didn’t even know him. He told us he was working to give us a better life. It was a crock of shit.” I snorted, shaking my head. “I mean, we had known each other as kids. And once we met up again and got married, I think we mistook our common past for love. Things changed when he started his job; from then on, it was always about work. The attentive, sweet man I knew was gone. I kept hoping he would settle down and put us first, but he never did. I realized he never would,” I said. “He was having an affair. I kicked him out, and he just walked away without looking back.” I shrugged.
Dominic nodded and met my eyes again.
“I suppose what stings most is that I have a failed marriage on my record. I mean, that’s the one thing I wanted to do right. My parents divorced when I was young, and I wanted to find ‘the one’ and prove that I could stay married.” I snorted at the absurdity. “The other thing — and this hurts more than anything in the world — is that he relinquished his parental rights with Lucia.” I shook my head in disgust.
“I don’t understand how he could just walk away.” Dominic’s lips were set in a grim line.
He was quiet, and I noticed the lines on his forehead were pulled tight like he was thinking. His clenched jaw made him look angry, but he didn’t say anything more.
I figured this would be a good time to get the exes out of the way. “So, Lori told me a little about your fiancée. What happened with you two?”
His eyes flickered to mine. Taking a deep breath, he then released it with a quick puff.
Shrugging, he said, “She left when I lost my job. She was more interested in my connection to the social circles in New York and my money than in me. When I told her I was not going to look for another job in that field, she packed up and left without a word. She didn’t even want to hear me out or try to understand why I wanted a new career. I was burned out, tired of the fast pace without the rewards. I mean, I gave my life to that company, and they kicked me to the curb the moment things got tough.” He rubbed his knuckles across his chin a few times and continued. “The thing was, I had my career all worked out. We were going to get married, and I wanted to start a family. I wanted that, and I thought I was going to have it with her. I should have known she was shallow. I should have seen it, but I suppose being on the inside blinded me, and I couldn’t see what was going on.”
I snorted. “I know just what you mean. I should have demanded Alex lay off his job a lot sooner or left him if it didn’t change, but I got caught up as well. I tried to be the supportive wife without the nagging, and look where it got me. But what makes you think you should have known she was shallow?”
I caught him frown out of the corner of my eye. “With Porsha, she always wanted to one-up her friends, had to have the nicest things, and be seen in the most exclusive places. To say that I was a financial advisor on Wall Street was a big thing, and she loved bragging about it. I guess I just ignored those self-centered behaviors of hers.”
Dominic cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck with his right hand. “By the way, you didn’t fail at your marriage, Mia. You failed in your choice of a husband. You still have a chance at a successful marriage; you just need the right man.”
~*~*~
The three of us formed a routine with ease and adjusted well. I arrived home after work one day, and the scent outside the door was delectable. The smell of onions, mushrooms, and garlic wafted out into the hallway. The muffled sounds of Dominic giving Lucia instructions and her responding giggles put a smile on my face.
The front door opened right next to the kitchen, so I opened it as quietly as I could to spy on them. Dominic was a wonderful cook, and he had been teaching Lucia. I thought it was a great idea for her to learn at her age, and she was so eager to participate in anything Dominic wanted to do with her.
The scene I walked in on made my heart beat faster. Lucia was kneeling on one of the bar stools, using her little fingers to spread crust in a pie pan. After her fingers would push down on the dough, her thumbs would smooth it out. The tip of her dark pink tongue peeked out of her closed, rosy-red lips. A lined formed between her eyebrows, showing her deep concentration. If she knew I was standing there watching her, she made no move to acknowledge me. Instead, she looked at Dominic with a serious expression, held the pie plate up, and said, “Like this, Dominic?”
He had his back to her, stirring something at the stove, and when he turned around to see what she was showing him, his eyebrows raised in surprise. “Wow, that’s perfect. She’s going to love it.” He reached over and grabbed a bowl to set it in front of Lucia. “Okay, now use this spoon to put the pudding on top of the crust.” Lucia pulled the bowl next to her pie plate and began scooping and smoothing until she had used the entire bowl of filling.
“Okay, I’m done. What’s next?” she asked, so happy that she was learning and participating in daily tasks with someone besides me.
Looking around and spotting me standing by the front door, Dominic turned back to Lucia. “How about you say hello to your mother?” he said with a smile that lit his whole face.
Before I looked back to Lucia, I noticed Dominic was dressed in some tight True Religion jeans, a white T-shirt, and bare feet. He was sexy as sin, but I couldn’t say anything about it yet. He had made no move toward me at all since he had arrived, and although a lot of what he did seemed like a form of courting, there was no real indication of interest, so I would just have to sit and wait. I was not going to make the first move because I was so afraid of screwing this up and chasing him away. Now that we had him, Lucia and I would not survive without him. I knew it deep in my soul.
“Momma!” yelled Lucia before she jumped down from the stool and ran right into my arms. Pulling her close, I sprinkled kisses wherever I could reach. I pulled her back so I could see her face and snuck one last kiss to her nose.
“What are you two doing?” I asked.
She squirmed to get down, and as soon as her feet touched the ground, she grabbed for my hand and pulled me into the kitchen. I spied Dominic
putting the pie in the refrigerator. “Hi, something smells divine,” I said, feeling shy all of a sudden.
He still had that beautiful smile on his face. “Oh, nothing. We just made dinner. Why don’t you go put your stuff away and come back so we can eat?” He stood behind me and lifted my jacket from my shoulders. I slid out of it, and he hung it in the closet.
“Thank you; I’ll be right back.” I went to my room, changed out of my work clothes, and threw on a Guess sweat suit. I wanted to rush back out so as not to miss a moment with those two, so I sped through washing my face and brushing my teeth.
Lucia was sitting at the table with all the patience she could muster, while Dominic was in the kitchen pulling clean plates out of the oven. He had been thoughtful enough to heat up the plates to keep the food warm while we ate. As soon as she spotted me, Lucia called me to the table, and then yelled to Dominic, “She’s here!”
“Can I help?” I asked.
“Oh, no! You sit down and let me do this for you,” Dominic answered with an adorable smile. He had so many smiles, and every one of them was amazing. Every time I looked at him, my head would spin — he was so swoon-worthy.
I couldn’t deny him, so I went to sit with Lucia. Stage-whispering to her, I asked, “Hey, what’s the occasion?” She just looked at me like I was crazy. I didn’t think she quite understood what I was asking. “I mean, what’s going on?” I waved around to the table.
She perked up and answered, “Oh, its dinner. We cooked for you.” For some reason, I still felt like they were up to something. I was having a hard time not laughing at her cuteness.
Dominic served us, setting down our plates in front of us, and then took a seat. Our meal included baked potatoes, sautéed vegetables, and steak cooked with mushrooms and onions. He poured Lucia some sparkling apple juice and held up a bottle of wine to ask me if I wanted any. I nodded in response.
In that moment, I was so grateful for having him in my life, knowing I would be overcome with that same feeling a million times more. Although I had always appreciated the small things in life, with him, I appreciated them so much more. The three of us sat there, Dominic at the head of the table, Lucia and I on either side of him, and we said grace. Holding his hand, I gave silent thanks for sending him to us.
Chapter 13
Musical Chairs
Dominic kept himself busy during the day reading or cleaning around the house. He did our laundry, which I was quite embarrassed about the first time I noticed. I didn’t want him to think he was our maid, but he insisted that it was not a problem and promised me that he took time for himself. He wanted to do whatever he could to make my life easier, which I thought was sweet.
During the weekends, at Lucia’s insistence, he would join us on our usual expeditions to the zoo, the park, or museums. I didn’t want him to feel obligated, but secretly, I did want him with us. I enjoyed his calming company. He told me over and over again how he wanted to spend time with us, and I believed him. It was a nice change in our lives.
One Saturday morning in late September, Susan called me while I was making some coffee. Her enthusiasm was much too much at that time in the morning.
“Hello,” she said in a singsong voice.
“Wow, you’re up early. What’re you doing?” I asked.
She made a noise of dismissal and said, “I’ve been up since the ass crack of dawn. I couldn’t sleep. But I want to go with you guys to the zoo today. Are you still going?”
“Of course you can join us. Dominic is going, too. I hope that’s okay.”
“Woo hoo, I get to spend some time with the sexy manny. You hitting that shit yet?”
I inhaled quick and deep. “Susan, don’t be so crude. And no! God, do you have any shame?” I huffed out, quite exasperated.
“Pft, ummm . . . no. I don’t know what’s taking you so long. I’d have hit that sexy piece of man meat a long time ago.”
“That’s not funny. It’s not cool that you’re talking about him that way. Knock it off.”
She blew out a long whistle. “Oh, I think someone has the hots for her manny,” she taunted, cracking herself up.
“So, you mentioned something about not sleeping. What’s wrong?” I said to change the subject. I didn’t like her talking about him like he was just a “piece of meat” to me.
“Oh, okay. Fine, I’ll lay off this time. I was going over a heavy case I’m working on. It’s pretty insane, and it’s kept me really busy, which is why I’m looking forward to a day of fun.”
“Well, I hope the case works out for you. And I’m glad you’re coming, but please don’t tease Dominic. We’re not like that,” I pleaded.
I heard her sigh, and I knew she was pouting because I had ruined her fun. “So, I’ll see you in an hour. I’ll meet you there, okay?”
“Perfect. See you then.”
An hour later, we arrived at the Los Angeles Zoo. Lucia was bouncing in her booster seat while Dominic helped me out of the car. When he opened my door for me, I couldn’t help but stare up at him with wonder. Did he do these things for me just because he was a gentleman, or was there more meaning behind these gestures? Did he feel it was his job? God, I was so confused!
He stood there in his patient manner, waiting for me to get myself together. After I’d grabbed my purse, I held out my left hand for him to assist me out of the car.
“Thank you.”
With a nod of his head, he helped me out. Then he closed my car door and opened Lucia’s for me. I undid her buckles, and she hopped out as quick as a bunny. Not giving us a chance to do anything else, Lucia grabbed our hands and dragged us toward the entrance.
Susan was waiting at the ticket booth, and before I could introduce her to Dominic, she scooped up Lucia and hugged her.
“Auntie Susan, too tight!” Lucia gasped, sounding out of breath.
“Hi, my little girl. How’re doing?” Susan asked while letting Lucia get down.
“Good, Auntie Susan,” replied Lucia.
I began introductions, the whole time burning a hole in Susan’s head with my eyes, hoping she would remember to behave.
“Dominic, this is my best friend—not that I know why most of the time—but she is, nonetheless. And, Susan, this is Dominic.” Leaving the manny part out felt right; he wasn’t one today, and I didn’t want him to think that was all I thought of him.
I knew she wouldn’t keep her promise. A wry smile spread across her face, and she caressed his arm while she shook his hand. “It is so nice to meet you.” Flicking her eyes to me then back to him, she continued. “Mia has told me so much about you,” she said with a sweet, sarcastic voice.
Dominic’s eyes flashed to mine, and then a huge smile formed on his mouth. “It’s nice to meet you, too,” he said, making eye contact with me rather than her.
“Come on, everyone. Let’s go!” screeched Lucia.
“Great idea, baby. Let’s get in there. I want to see the elephants. How about you? What do you want to see?”
“I want to see the monkeys, Momma.”
Flies and bees swarmed us while we stood by the fence watching the elephants. The sun was hot and mixed with smells of animals, making the experience feel a little overwhelming. It was all worth it, though. I knew that Lucia was enjoying her day. We were in great company, and none of us could get enough of watching our favorite animals. Susan watched Dominic and me like a hawk; I supposed she was trying to read something more into what was between us. She was ridiculous; every time he moved, her eyes were on him.
I watched Susan’s eyes follow Dominic’s every move when he offered to buy Lucia Velcro hugging monkeys, and me a plush elephant with a squeezable heart on its chest. She watched while he held Lucia’s hand most of the day and when he placed his hand on my back to allow me to go before him in doorways. Her smirk grew when he passed me the ketchup at lunch and held onto my hand for a moment too long. I knew I was going to hear all about it later, but as long as she didn’t embarrass us here, I didn
’t care. All the same, I could tell she was impressed with him and his attentions toward Lucia and me.
The whole outing was fun. Toward the end of our day, I noticed Susan took a moment to have a conversation with Dominic that, by the expressions on their faces, seemed serious. Knowing her meddling personality, I imagined she was giving him permission, as my best friend, to pursue me.
~*~*~
My baby girl had attended her first ballet class a few weeks ago, and she was obsessed with it now. She was serious about her instruction and practiced all the time.
“Lucia, come on, sweetheart; it’s time to go.” I lifted her pink ballet bag over my shoulder.
She turned the corner from her room into the hallway in her pink leotard, tights, and tutu. Dominic had learned to style Lucia’s hair, and today he had pulled it into a tight bun.
The first time he asked me to teach him how to do her hair, I had finished showering after putting Lucia to bed and had gone to the kitchen to make some hot tea. Dominic heard me and sat across from me at the bar.
“Um . . . Mia?”
I looked up at him. His eyebrows were scrunched, and his cheeks pinked a tad.
“Yeah? What’s wrong?” I asked. His fingers were fidgeting on the counter, and it was beginning to worry me. Was he going to quit?
“Well, I was wondering if you could show me how to do Lucia’s hair. Because . . . umm . . . there are times when she goes to ballet and she wants it in a bun. I have no idea how to do that. So, do you think you could show me?”
My heart began to flutter; he was so sweet and considerate.
“Of course, do you have time now?” I asked. Watching him drum his fingers made me want to reach out and hold his hand.
“Well, yeah.” He shrugged. “I mean, I have nothing else to do and if you’re not busy right now . . .”
My Mr. Manny Page 7
