by Cee Smith
We took turns ordering our lunch, and I waited until the waiter left to get to the point of our meeting.
“I don’t know if any reporters have already started hounding you down about our association, but my lawyers have warned me that it shouldn’t be long before they do.”
She looked stunned as if she couldn’t fathom the concept. I couldn’t tell whether she was trying to placate me or if she actually believed that I was immune to the piranhas that thirsted for blood, regardless of whose it was. With wide eyes still staring into mine, I pressed on, “I’m not asking you to say anything you wouldn’t ordinarily say about me. There aren’t too many women that could vouch for me, but none have known me as long as you—”
“Whatever you need, Dominic. I know you would never do anything like what they reported. It makes me sick to think that they would spout these lies about you.” Her usually soft voice quivered as the words rushed from her lips, peaking to an indeterminable screech every few words. She still remained quiet enough that as I looked around I didn’t notice any of the other diners focusing on our conversation, but I kept looking in case her screeching took on a higher note. Luckily, she regained composure, and the migraine that I felt lingering abated.
The conversation of my scandal died down, and for the sake of my public image, I sat through an hour of “catching up,” which would have been better appreciated by one of her WASP friends. She filled me in on what I’d missed in the last year since I dropped off the map, i.e., since I’d taken my wife. Jinni apparently now managed a couple luxury boutiques around the city. She didn’t really strike me as someone who would actually work, not that owning something constitutes working, which in her case it probably didn’t, but I was sure she would have been married and working toward her 2.5 kids by now.
After I’d mentioned that I hadn’t seen her in the pages as much recently, she prattled on about the caliber of girls that were being invited to events that were once upon a time too high society for new age girls just barely admitted to state colleges, no less. That was about the time that I was thanking my lucky stars that my life wasn’t as fucking shallow as worrying about who was invited to what. As it were, there were very few people of my caliber and even fewer whom I respected.
As much as I hated participating in mindless bullshit conversations, I knew when I made the call to Jinni that this was what I would have to endure for calling in a favor. That was payment and, oh, how I paid.
The conversation was completely one-sided with my only contribution being that of the occasional head-nod or “yes” to signal that I hadn’t quite checked out just yet.
“Ah, Dominic, you let me spend all lunch filling you in on all my stuff and I didn’t get a chance to ask you what’s new with you,” Jinni said just as the waiter came to retrieve my now-empty plate and hers still littered with the remains of limp lettuce that had been speared until the once crisp leaves resembled something closer to sautéed spinach.
“There’s always next time.”
The waiter dropped off the check, angling it toward me, as I was sure that he could tell just by the raised chin, primly crossed ankles, and tweed dress that hit mid-calf that Jinni wasn’t the type of girl to pay for anything when a man was present. Women like her were in rotation at places like these, and I was sure he could nail them down before he even had a chance to go over the featured wines of the day.
I threw some cash down, careful not to acknowledge the way Jinni’s chin raised higher and breasts angled out as if the sight of money was the biggest turn-on since the sight of my dick some odd years ago. Shooting off a quick text to Scout that I was ready to leave, I escorted Jinni out to the curb and hailed her a cab.
“It’s been so nice catching up with you, Dominic. Don’t wait so long to call me again. You’re back in town, so no excuses,” she said in a voice that feigned scolding.
“I’ll be in touch. Thanks, Jinni.”
“Bye, dear!” She pulled me in, this time grabbing the bulk of my biceps, gripping tightly as if using the weight of my arms to keep her upright. She reached up on her tippy-toes, giving her closer access to my face, almost as if she wanted to kiss me. I turned my head sharply, in an obvious reminder that my lips weren’t available for the kind of goodbye we usually parted with. I couldn’t be sure, but it felt like she let out a tremor of a groan as she kissed one cheek and promptly followed it up by moving to my other.
She opened the door of the yellow cab still lingering at the curb, and her fingers rapidly curled like scaling the keys of a piano as she waved goodbye over the top of the door just before disappearing inside the car. I watched the cab dart into traffic, slipping seamlessly into the ocean of cars careening on the street like tides breaking across black sand. Scout pulled into the spot just vacated by the taxi and I didn’t miss a beat as I pulled my coat in tighter against my chest just before throwing open the door and falling into the plush leather that welcomed me into its folds with already warmed seats readied for my arrival.
That was the longest Hailey and I had gone without communicating and it wasn’t until I held the phone firmly in my hands that I felt the anxiousness that distance created. It wasn’t so long ago that there was no one in my life to miss.
Before the car even pulled away from the curb I was texting Hailey.
On my way home. Did you make the call?
Dinner should be ready in 20. We called. We’ll talk when you get home. Love u.
Love you.
I didn’t know how I felt about the “we’ll talk when you get home” part of her message, but I assumed if she hadn’t called me, then it couldn’t have been all that bad. She knew how much I hated to be left in the dark, especially with things that pertained to her. So if it held any significance, she wouldn’t have waited to call me. I held onto that bit of reassurance as Scout steered us closer to home, the buildings moving in a slow blur in the stop-and-go traffic. She would tell me if anything were wrong, wouldn’t she?
***
The smell of Clema’s famous chili met me as soon as I opened the door. I followed the scent to find all the ladies of the house congregating in the kitchen. Jessa held Ellie in her arms as she sat across from Clema at the kitchen nook, while Hailey stood over the stove. She sprinkled something into the large pot, picked up the wooden spoon, and proceeded to stir before noticing that I’d entered the kitchen.
“Baby, you’re just in time. Dinner’s almost ready.”
“Mmm,” I moaned with need as blood rushed through my veins making my cock lurch at the sight of my wife. She wore those black leggings that hugged her round ass and hips—perfect for my hands—and I wanted nothing more than to bend her over and use my seed to paint my name across her skin. I ignored the other women as I stepped behind Hailey. Her neck arched and her body swayed as my arms bounded around her like a barricade containing the luscious pillowy-soft body that melted into my chest.
“Are you really cooking or is this some trick to keep me?” I murmured into the crook of her neck.
“I don’t need any tricks to keep you. Let me know of the tricks to get rid of you.”
She flashed me a mischievous grin before I gave her butt a hefty swat with the palm of my hand. Startled, she leapt a few inches off the ground before righting herself in my arms. The spoon fell against the side of the pot as she turned to give me a kiss that was the greeting that I had come to anticipate.
Her mouth opened against mine inviting my tongue into the cavern of her mouth. I pulled her deeper into the kiss, inhaling the spices of chili that lingered on her tongue. She nibbled my lips, and I lashed her tongue as I felt my hunger rush forward, urging me to take her. With every swipe of her tongue, I felt her relinquish the power of her body over to me. I held her up as our mouths warred—becoming a hurricane of lips and teeth.
It was reassuring to know that no matter the amount of time we spent apart, our bodies still hungered like we’d spent months locked inside chastity belts. Oftentimes my arrival would mean fin
ding the quickest way to undress, with us racing to see who could come first. But, with present company, our sexcapades would have to wait until we were in the privacy of our own bedroom. I may have been brutish, but I wasn’t a barbarian, and I wasn’t sure that our audience would have appreciated the epic fucking that would have commenced had we continued.
A not-so-subtle cough reminded me that we had company. With that, I disengaged my lips from Hailey’s and made my way over to the table, giving a quick kiss on Clema’s cheek, followed by a kiss on Ellie’s forehead, finished with a “fuck-off” look from Jessa. Clema, sensing the sour mood that my presence evoked in the usually vivacious Jessa, thrust out her arms toward Jessa in a signal that she was ready to take the baby. Jessa gently placed Ellie in Clema’s arms and watched as Clema carried her out of the kitchen and toward the hallway leading to the bedrooms.
“Jessa,” I said with a nod. I was never one to skirt an issue. I usually liked to tackle them head-on, but I knew that Jessa wouldn’t be as easy. For one, I had more to lose what with her being my wife’s sister. The other thing was I’d never felt like I owed anyone anything like I did Jessa. In some ways, I owed her more than I owed Hailey. But when it came down to it, I actually liked Jessa. She was usually straightforward and cut-to-the-chase and very protective of Hailey, which at this moment could be a good thing or a bad thing.
“You have some fucking explaining to do,” she said by way of greeting. I glanced over my shoulder at Hailey to see if she was watching our interaction with those curious eyes of hers, and sure enough, hers eyes glistened with a look of caution and trepidation.
“We can discuss this after dinner.” Her eyes narrowed to thin slits as she gave an imperceptible nod. I took this as my dismissal and made my way back over to Hailey, giving her a kiss on the forehead as I exited the kitchen to go get cleaned up.
Dinner was unusually quiet with all of the tension of unvoiced grievances filling the air like a jam-packed elevator with only the sound of rustling fabric to voice protestation. Hailey tried so hard to bridge the ever-increasing distance between Jessa and me.
“I heard on the news that they’re going to announce California’s in a drought soon,” Hailey said with more enthusiasm than a meteorologist could muster.
Jessa did little more than huff between bites, and Hailey peered down into her plate as if conjuring up a topic of conversation that would garner a little more than a grunt.
“Yeah, they’re going to start doing water days like they do in Vegas. I wonder what Mom will do about her garden.”
“Maybe she’ll get rid of it.” Jessa glared at me, and I was sure we weren’t talking about gardening anymore. Silence descended once again, but this time it was the sound of Hailey’s fidgeting that filled the air. She appeared restless as she shimmied and squirmed across her seat, and after minutes of the fabric of her pants pitching against the leather chairs, I reached my hand to grip her forearm, stilling her movement. Her eyes shifted up to look at me before settling back on Jessa, and when I met Jessa’s eyes, her glare was murderous as she peered down at the hand still locked against Hailey’s arm.
Dinner continued this way. While my wife was too busy tending to Ellie or eating to notice, Jessa glared daggers sharp enough to skewer me right there at our dinner table.
Our plates were nearly empty and a heavy silence descended on the room, prompting me to excuse Hailey from the discussion that was about to take place.
“Hailey, take Ellie to her room.”
Hailey got up from the table leaning toward my chair as if she wanted to tell me something before she left, but what she was feeling didn’t need to be voiced. I knew everything she thought from the moment I told her to call Jessa. She didn’t know who to protect: me from Jessa, or Jessa from me. In a way, we were both headstrong, alpha male versus alpha female, and Hailey was afraid of the cataclysmic fallout that would ensue if we were unable to rein ourselves in.
I gave Hailey a soothing rub from her waist down across her hip and up again, my touch reassuring her that everything would be OK. She clutched Ellie to her chest with one arm, reaching out with her other arm to run her fingers through my hair. Her eyes closed as if she needed to remember the way I felt before she left the room. Who knows? Maybe she does. Maybe she needs another reminder that I’m not all bad. I’d apologized repeatedly for taking her, but the truth of the matter was I wasn’t unhappy with the results. It was a risk I was willing to take, and I took it. It all worked out in the end, though I do hate that I caused Hailey any unnecessary pain or anguish. Which was the real reason that Jessa’s breaths were coming out ragged like a lioness intent on protecting her cub. She didn’t like Hailey hurting any more than I did.
“What the fuck, Dominic?” Jessa burst out just as Hailey’s frame was swallowed up by the darkness of the hallway.
“Keep your voice down,” I gritted between clenched teeth. I looked back one more time to make sure Hailey hadn’t heard Jessa’s outburst before returning my focus to Jessa. “I know how angry you are; believe me, I know. If you can’t contain yourself, perhaps we should take this conversation somewhere a little more private.”
“What, so you can add murder to your list of criminal activities? Right.”
I wasn’t going to touch that comment with a ten-foot pole. There was nothing this conversation was going to accomplish besides allowing Jessa the opportunity to vent all of her frustrations. Only time and visual confirmation would allow her to see that I wasn’t the same man that I was when I abducted Hailey. Jessa never even met that man because Hailey intrinsically changed me. From the moment I took her¸ I knew things wouldn’t be the same. We both changed.
“She told me what happened, but I’m not even sure I believe that she isn’t covering for your ass. Did you hurt her? Brainwash her? What did you do to my sister?”
“I didn’t hurt her in any way that she didn’t want. I didn—”
“Wait, what the hell does that mean?”
I raised my eyebrows and tilted my head, hoping that she would catch on to my silence. I didn’t want to have to outline our sexual proclivities to her straight-laced sister. That was a conversation for Hailey to have with her.
“Oh, ohhh,” she said as the thought seemed to sink in a little deeper. She tilted her head too as if trying to piece together the image of her sister that she’d never known about.
“I didn’t brainwash Hailey. I didn’t do anything to alter her in any way. Jessa, there’s nothing I can say that’s going to make this OK in your book, and I’m OK with that. I love Hailey and I love Ellie. I would do anything for either one of them. Regardless of how you feel about me now, I want you to know I would never hurt them. I’m sorry for what I did to Hailey, to your family. It’s something I apologize for every day. I wanted you to be here because I know how Hailey feels about you, and with everything that’s going on, I know she needs you.”
Jessa’s eyes darted around the table, taking inventory of all that was left there, busying her mind with something else to focus on besides my words that seemed to have struck a chord.
I didn’t know Jessa that well, but I could see that there was something else that was weighing on her, something besides the revelation of her sister’s turmoil. It wasn’t my place to call Jessa out on it, but I would be sure to point it out to Hailey, if she wasn’t already aware. If Jessa was anything like Hailey, she didn’t do well with secrets held from her sister, and I assumed whatever it was, was eating her up solely for the fact that it wasn’t shared with Hailey.
Shaking those thoughts from my head, I reverted my attention to the matter at hand. “This is all new to you. I don’t expect your forgiveness, but I would like it. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but at some point, I want it. I know I’ve thanked you repeatedly for your gift, but if for nothing else, I would always take care of my family simply as a thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”
After we found out that Hailey was pregnant, I resigned myself to my fate. I acc
epted things for what they were. It was unlikely that I would find a donor and get the liver transplant that I so desperately needed. So when I followed Hailey back home it wasn’t even a thought that passed my mind to ask Jessa to get tested to see if we were a match. It was Hailey that orchestrated it all, and the day we got the results of the test was the biggest gift to all of us. The truth was, I would always be indebted to Jessa.
I exhaled as I watched Jessa’s shoulders relax a little. She sat back farther in her seat, seemingly giving up her idea of throttling me. As soon as I saw that, I knew that while she didn’t forgive me yet, she would.
“I’ll answer any questions you have if it will make you feel only slightly better about our situation.”
“What are you going to do about my brother? I can’t imagine that you’re OK with this.”
“There’s nothing to do. The damage is already done. I assume he’s accomplished what he set out to do. Anything else, I’ll leave up to Hailey. It doesn’t need to be said that I’m not a fan of Adam, but I respect that he’s in Hailey’s life. She called him today, didn’t she?”
“Yes, though I’m not quite sure if she got what she wanted out of it.”
“What do you mean? What happened?” I hated the edge of panic that took my tongue hostage, revealing how unsettled I felt. I had spent two years knowing every move Hailey made, every word she’d said, and I was still grappling with how to give her the freedom she desired. Some days were easier than others.
I knew I should have waited to hear from Hailey what happened on the call to her brother, but I knew Jessa would give it to me straight. I couldn’t be sure that Hailey would reveal everything, seeing as how she knew I despised her brother. She didn’t want to give me any more reason to hate him.
