by S Gonzalez
“So technically YOU run the company.”
“The day to day stuff I do. You father has worked incredulously for many years, building his company to the level of success it has become. Now, I can take it to a whole other level. The company is getting stale and we need to work on younger cliental. Music, high-end booze, technology, social media, that’s what we are targeting. We can go over the specifics on Monday but for now the Lost account is your only priority. The summer is a hot time for concerts and promotion. We have a huge show in Miami in August. You will accompany me to that event. We will be there for about a week so keep your calendar free. My assistant Stephanie will set up the travel arrangements and update your calendar with everything related to the band.”
“Great. I can’t wait. I won’t let you down Mr. Hernandez. For the next month I will live and breath work.”
He picks up his fork to finish his meal silently. I am so excited. I can hardly wait to give Dominic the news. My life is finally snapping into place. It has been a long hard road to get to where I am. Perhaps karma has decided I finally get a break.
We head back to Hill Tower and into the garage. Gabe, ever the gentleman, opens my door and takes my box from the backseat.
“Thank you for lunch Mr. Hernandez. I am glad we have been able to come to an understanding. I am sure I will learn a lot from you. I am always eager to learn new things.”
“Glad to hear it Emma.” His tone of voice is less icy that before, but his face remains impassive. It’s almost as if he wants to like me but is holding back. He hands me my keys and my box in the elevator and when the doors open to his floor I get nothing more then a curt nod.
Once I am home and showered, I call Mark to make the arrangements for him and Max to meet Wanda and I at the spa tomorrow. Our appointments are at noon but I suggest we go out for breakfast first. I also email Mia to thank her for the clothes, and spa package, and…everything she has done for us.
Mia and I get along as well as can be expected. She is a gold-digger, no doubt about it. It has definably been her life’s mission to marry well. But she loves my father and makes him happy so I take it for what it is. An arrangement that satisfies both parties. She has always made an effort with Mark and I as well so I can’t complain. I’m happy that Gabe took over some of my fathers’ duties so he can spend more time with her. He has worked very hard his whole life to get where he’s at and he deserves to take a break.
At just after eight I decide to call Dominic. “Hey Sweetness, hold on a sec.” I can hear him walking through the bus. The noises in the background are changing as he walks from room to room. A door opens and closes again.
“Hey beautiful. What’s up?” His voice echoes. “Are you in the bathroom?” I giggle.
“Yes.” I can almost hear his smile on the other
end. I picture him sitting in the small bathroom grinning like a goofball. “There is no privacy on this thing.” “What about the bedroom? I seem to remember us having privacy before.” I close my eyes and remember his face as he lay above me staring into my soul; green eyes, blond hair, and sexy dimples that could stop traffic on a city street.
“I just told you I have no privacy and you are getting me hard. I may have to do something about that.”
“DOMINIC!” I blush, and I know he knows it. “Thank you for the box. I will sleep in my new favorite tshirt every night.”
“Did you call me to have phone sex because that is where this is going to lead if you keep screaming my name like that and talking about sleeping with nothing underneath my t-shirt but your soft, naked body.” His voice is low and dripping with sexual promises I have no doubt he would fulfill.
“Anyway…I wanted to let you know that I will be flying out to see you next month in Miami. I am sure Gabe told you already but I wanted to let you know that I will be on his team at HMA for the bands promo tour.”
“Really! Sweetness, that’s amazing. No, he didn’t tell me. He asked me today if it would be a problem if he put you on the project. I of course told him I would prefer it. He also told me we need to keep our
relationship a little more discrete for your own protection. He doesn’t want you to get bad press for dating someone like me.”
“What do you mean someone like you? Did he say that?”
“Millionaires’ daughter dates rock star. The tabloids would have a field day. Lets face it Emma, I am hardly country club material. And no, he didn’t say it. I am saying it.”
Does he think I am some little tart trying to rebel or something? Has the last few days not shown him how in this I am? “Seriously! You think I’m doing this as some kind of an act of rebellion against my rich daddy. Like you are a phase or something? You think I would actually use you like that? If you do, then you don’t know me at all apparently.”
“Whoa, calm down. I’m not trying to piss you off. I am just saying that we are not necessarily on the same playing field. My mother is a nurse and my father is an accountant. You father is a millionaire and he owns my future. The bad boy rocker with the bell of the ball is juicy news to most tabloids. We don’t’ know where this thing between us going and I don’t want you to have to deal with paparazzi following you. I can’t protect you on the road. I don’t want to see you get hurt because of me. Mr. Hernandez and I feel that keeping you out of the spotlight is best.”
“Don’t do that. Don’t put yourself down. My stepfather stayed blue collar even after he married my mother and her money. He still works in his garage not because he has to but because he likes it and my mother was never ashamed of him for it. They fought a lot when I was a kid, because in his mind her money made her better than him, even though she would always tell him he was silly to believe that nonsense.
“All the money in the world can’t buy happiness. You are well on your way to achieving your dreams. Not many people get the opportunity to do that. You are an amazing musician, you are handsome, and thoughtful, and caring…the list is endless. What you are not, is an asshole, so don’t act like one. My last name doesn’t leave me at an advantage over you. You made it here on your own. Long before me. And you will continue to make it on your own merits.” The silence on the other end of the phone is deafening.
Maybe I overstepped and he hung up. “Hello? Are you still there.”
“Yes, Emma, I am still here. You are unpredicted baby.” He answers and takes a deep breath. Slowly releasing it into the phone.
“Unpredictable? How?” Unpredictable, as in crazy? I didn’t mean to rant at him but I don’t want my fathers money to ruin anything we could potentially have together.
“You are just…. what you just said…it was perfect. I don’t care what your last name is, Emma. The fact that you think I am so unflawed is…inspirational. Misguided, but nice all the same,” he chuckles.
“I meant it. I just wish you could see what I see.”
“I have worked so hard to get where I am and I feel like my life is falling into place now that you are in it. I am kind of a loner and it’s just nice to have someone believe in me. My parents always told me what a waste my music is. They say I should stop being silly and get a real job. You telling me how great you think I am…no one has ever told me how great I am. I didn’t even know I needed to hear it until you said it.
“Every girl I have ever dated has always just wanted to be able to say she was my girlfriend. They didn’t care about me, myself; they just wanted a piece of the guy on stage. I know you care because you let me leave. You put my feeling ahead of your own. That’s big.”
He makes my heart melt. How could he not know how great he is? How could his parents not be proud of the man he is? He is caring and kind. He has been nothing but a gentleman and he makes me feel like I am not such fucked up person. He scares me though. This whole thing scares me. It is all moving so fast. I have never let anyone get to me the way he does. It is scary and exciting all at the same time. His declaration negates me and gives me hope of a normal life. A life where I am not looki
ng over to see if Glen is standing in the shadows ready to pounce on me.
“Hello?” He says, pulling me out of my own thoughts.
“I’m here. It seems that we both need each other. I am sorry that no one ever told you how special your music is or how remarkably special you are. Your music is what drew me to you in the first place. When you sing, it does things to me. I’m a little embarrassed to say that when you took me out on Thursday, I thought that you just wanted to nail me before you left. I was willing to let that be the beginning and the end of it. But as the night went on, I wasn’t willing to let go so easy.”
“I know you were,” he sighed. “I really did want to see if the girl I knew five years ago was still there. I knew I had to kick it up a notch and not take you on some lame date before I took you home. And what do you mean when I sing it does things to you. What kind of things?” He was grinning through the phone, I could tell by his voice. The thought of telling him how his voice alone sends shivers up my spine is completely
mortifying.
“So I was a sure thing, huh. Well, can’t argue with that. I wanted to jump on you when I heard you doing sound checks, Wednesday night at the bar. And you know what your voice does to me. I told you last night.” That last part comes out more breathy then I wanted.
“What did you tell me Emma, I don’t know what you are talking about?” He is going to make me repeat what I said to him? His breathing gets heavier he speaks.
“I told you that when you sing, it makes me wet. The sound of your voice alone is enough to make me come.” I am so turned on by the way he was making me spell it out for him. I knew he needed to hear this so he could finish whatever he started in the beginning of this conversation. I just wish he were here to finish me off too.
“You made me say it to you before you would put dick back inside me.” Describing back to him what we did, to get him off, is my pleasure. I have a feeling that there will be many nights where he may need to return the favor.
“Then you slid me up and down until you came inside me.”
That is as brave as I get. He may need to use his own imagination if he needed more.
“Fuck, Emma.” He hisses. Well I guess that took care of that. “Well Sweetness, again you surprise me. I had you pegged for a good, sweet girl but it seems like you have a very dirty mouth. I like it.”
“And you are a dirty boy. Are you going to jack off during all of our conversations?” He stutters incoherent things, not able to string actual words together. “Don’t worry baby, its ok. Anytime I can help, you give me a call,” I giggle.
If I can manage to get him to let me do it, perhaps he will keep his eye on the prize and not fuck some random chick to relieve the pressure. He told me he doesn’t do the groupie thing. I believe him but temptation will be everywhere now.
“Uh. Well I told you, you were making me hard. I have no self-control when it comes to you. Perhaps next time we can do this together.”
“Good to know that I have such an effect on you.”
“Of course you do. I told you that already, but perhaps I should’ve kept that my secret. I have a feeling you will use it against me,” he teases.
“I will only use my powers for good. Promise. I am going to sleep baby but if you are bored or something text me. Anytime.”
“I guess I should get out of the bathroom before the guys realize what I am doing in here. I will text you before I go to bed.” I softly laughed at his comment.
“Ok, baby. Make sure you wash your hands.” I tease.
“Good-bye Emma.” He fakes annoyance and I am sure that comment earned me an eye roll.
“Night handsome.” I hang up and hug my phone to my chest like a teenage girl with a crush. I guess in many ways I am. Under different circumstances I would have done this years ago. I suddenly feel the urge to see his face. I hop off my bed and grab my laptop to Google ‘Dominic Ross’.
After I type his name in the search engine, pages of press releases, and photos, and Facebook pages about him and, Lost, pop up. I click on the most recent and read an article about the show from last night. There is a picture that was taken while we were kissing onstage with the caption:
“ Dominic Ross lead singer from the band Lost, sings his new song, Sweetness, to an unknown fan. Sure to be their first single, Ross plays up the crowd by kissing this fan to heighten the reaction. This act will surely be repeated at all of his future shows.”
The hell it will. I blow up the picture and set it as my new screensaver. I also send it to Dominic. _________________________________________________ From: Emma Hill
To: Dominic Ross
Subject: My new screensaver
I have attached a photo of us from last night. If you will refer to the caption you will see that my first job on Monday will to make sure that that doesn’t happen. ☺ xoxo- Emma
I hear a ding on my laptop as I attempt to leave the room to get a water bottle from the kitchen. I walk back to check it and see Dominic has replied in record time.
___________________________________________________ From: Dominic Ross
To: Emma Hill
Subject: MY new screensaver
No worries, Sweetness. I always keep my promises. You are the only one I want to make beautiful music with. Did you Google me? This was the first image that I saw on my Google alert when I checked it. You distracted me so I forgot to tell you.
-Dom
___________________________________________________ From: Emma Hill
To: Dominic Ross
Subject: Distract you?
I did Google you, yes. Google alert is a good idea, thanks. I am glad to hear you keep your promises. <3
Miss you,
Emma
From: Dominic Ross To: Emma Hill Subject: Stalker
Why did you Google me? Don’t believe everything you read on the Internet. I am sure there will be false stories every now and again so don’t drive yourself crazy. I will always be honest with you. If there is anything that you need to know just ask. I want you to trust me, Emma. If we can’t trust each other then any relationship we endeavor to have will not work. I hope you feel the same way.
-Dom
___________________________________________________ From: Emma Hill To: Dominic Ross Subject: Trust
I agree. We will need to trust and be honest at all times. I know I won’t be able to control everything on the Internet but it is my job to make sure that you and the band are viewed in the best light possible. Not only because of work, but because I am your friend…with benefits. LOL.
To answer your question, I Goggle’d you to see your face. I miss you and I wanted to see you. Even if it is just in a photo.
Emma
Silly fan girl missing her “friend”
__________________________________________________ From: Dominic Ross To: Emma Hill Subject: Pictures
Check your picture file. You will see that while you were in the shower, I uploaded some pictures of us together. HMA hired a photographer to take photos of the show and I asked him to forward me any that had you in them.
There is a very nice one of you looking in the mirror in my dressing room while leaning over to get closer look at yourself. I took that one myself.
It’s for my eyes only. I miss you, too! xoxo
-Dom
___________________________________________________
When did he take pictures of me? And I am the stalker? I open my picture file and see ten photos, one of me backstage watching him, a few while I was on stage sitting on the black box, one of us kissing on stage, and the one he took. I hate pictures of myself. The
professional ones aren’t bad but the one he took himself shows me how he sees me. I am leaning over the counter to fix my lipstick. My legs are closed and my dress is a bit shorter in the back due to me bending slightly. You can see down my dress showing off a exaggerated view of my cleavage in the reflection. The reflection in the mirror is of an awkward girl completely out place an
d scared to death. It is almost as though he captured the seventeen year old me in the mirror looking back at the twenty-two year old me. It’s truly amazing.
I turn off my computer and climb into bed so I can text Dom before I go to bed:
Emma: Thank you for the pictures. The one you took is great.
Dominic: I mean it. For my eyes only!
Emma: Of course. It is very intimate and I wouldn’t dream of showing any else.
Doiminic: You’re right. It is intimate, that’s why it’s my favorite. You looked so beautiful.
Emma: The one of me watching you is my favorite.
Dominic: Is that when I got you wet?
Emma: Ha ha. I’m sure it was.
Dominic: Good. Emma: Night baby. I am physically and emotionally burnt out. All this sex talk is exhausting.
Dominic: Lol. Ok, get some rest. Nite, Sweetness. <3 No matter how people saw me when I was younger I was always just wearing a mask, to fake normal. I always faked normal. I never felt like I belonged anywhere before. When I was a kid my father was always gone or busy with work and the family I lived with was dysfunctional to say the least. When I met Max and Wanda, they didn’t know me. I didn’t have to pretend to be someone else because they had no idea who I was in the first place. I was a blank slate and it was a great feeling to come out of my shell. I can be myself with them.
With Dominic, I can be the me I want to be. He makes me feel safe, and special, and worthy of his affection. His words and actions aren’t harsh or depraved but instead caring and gentle. I can feel his words in my soul when he speaks to me. When he sings, his lyrics touch me in places physical touch could never reach. Places I didn’t know I had inside of me. Good places, which have been shadowed by the darkness of what Glen, did to me. It’s nice to show the world the girl behind the mask. I kind of like her.
