“Ugh! You are so annoying!” I growled and stalked off to the bar. Dominic was just finishing up, so I went to the employee lounge to get my things. As I was taking my jacket off of the hanger I overheard Brittany in the bathroom area talking to someone.
“…and he was holding her hand. Can you believe it? He never held my hand. You know what’s funny? I think she really likes him. He’s such a player and she has no idea.”
“Yeah and she’s Grant’s sister, now that takes some serious balls. Grant will kill him if he burns her,” the other person commented.
I froze when I realized who they were talking about. So Dominic was a player. That explained his interest in me. It was too good to be true. My heart sunk into my stomach. Grant was right and he tried to warn me. I could feel the lump forming in my throat and I tried to swallow it down, but it wouldn’t budge. My eyes started to tear up with bitter disappointment. I cleared my throat, put on my jacket and with my head held high, marched out of the lounge. My guard was back up.
Dominic was waiting right outside the doorway and I hesitated.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing,” I lied. I couldn’t meet his eyes, his beautiful eyes.
“Okay… are you ready to go?”
“I, uh, I just remembered I have to work on a project for school. It’s due tomorrow,” I lied again and he saw right through me.
“Come on Nat. Something’s bothering you. What’s going on?”
Brittany and the shooter girl walked out of the employee lounge then and she smirked at me. She picked up on the tension between us and seemed pleased. Dominic saw the smirk and scowled at Brittany. She laughed and walked away.
“What did she say?”
I didn’t want to talk about this, but didn’t want to leave it unresolved either. So I put as much armor up around my heart as possible and answered him.
“I overheard her talking about us and she said you’re a player. This whole thing between us is just a conquest for you isn’t it?”
“No, not at all! Brittany is a psycho. We dated…briefly, but it didn’t work out. She is a little obsessive.” He seemed like he was being honest and I wanted to believe him. But, then I thought about Grant’s warning and still wasn’t convinced.
“Natalie,” he continued, reaching for my hand, “I really like you and I swear this isn’t just a thing. I enjoy hanging out with you.” I looked at him skeptically, but his eyes were sincere. Knowing I might regret my decision later, I smiled and squeezed his hand.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t judge based on hearsay. It’s just, well, I’m not exactly like a Crimson girl.”
“No you’re not. You’re very different – you’re real.” He bent down and kissed me. His lips were soft and tasted of mint from his gum. “Now, are you ready to go?”
“Where are we going?
“Are you hungry?”
At the mention of food my stomach growled. It dawned on me that the only thing I had to eat was the bowl of cereal. “I’m starving!”
He laughed at my enthusiasm as we walked to his car. “You told me you like Chinese food. Are you up for that?” At the mention of Chinese my stomach growled even louder, this time he heard it. “I’ll take that as a yes.” He chuckled as he held the door open for me.
We went to a small restaurant in Chinatown and the hostess recognized Dominic.
“You must like Chinese food too,” I commented as she led us to a table.
“My parents took the family here all the time growing up. “
We were the only customers, but being that it was three in the morning, I wasn’t surprised. As we waited for our order I sipped on some tea. I didn’t need alcohol to talk to Dominic anymore, conversation came naturally between us.
“So, when will your uncle make you manager of Crimson?”
“I’m not sure. It’s really up to Miranda, I guess.”
“Why’s that?”
“She’s Uncle Marco’s oldest so she gets preference.”
“Wait, I knew you were cousins, but Marco is Miranda’s dad?” I asked, shocked. There was no way Marco could have fathered someone so beautiful. I examined Dominic more closely and saw the family resemblance I never noticed before. He and Miranda had the same eyes and black hair. Miranda was fair skinned though, where Dominic had more of an olive complexion.
“You seem surprised.”
“Yeah, I am. I just thought Grant would have mentioned it.”
“Those two are good at keeping things private. I’m sure there’s a lot about Grant you don’t know about.”
“You’re probably right. He’s always busy getting into my business so I’m usually too annoyed to get into his!”
Once our entrees arrived, we were too preoccupied feeding each other with chopsticks to talk. Sometimes food slipped and would land on the table, or in my glass of water; which set us off laughing.
It was almost five in the morning when he pulled up in front of my apartment building. This time there was a parking space and my brother’s Lexus was nowhere in sight. I didn’t want the night to end, but I had class in four hours and had to get some sort of nap in. I scooted over to kiss Dominic goodnight and he cupped my face in his hands, pulling my lips to his. Reaching behind his head I grabbed onto his thick hair. This wasn’t like a shy first kiss or like an ‘I’ve had too much to drink kiss’ either. This was deeper, passionate and hungry. The same connection was there too, I hadn’t imagined it last night. Dominic moved his lips down my neck and kissed my collarbone and I moaned with pleasure. His arms wrapped around me and pulled me closer. I went willingly. My body was pressed to his and he moved my jacket aside to slip his hand up under my blouse. I gasped when his skin grazed against mine. His fingers were cold and sent shivers down by back. I lifted his head up from my neck and kissed him hard. We were both breathing heavy and I was getting to the point of no return. It took all my willpower to stop and pull back.
“Oh my God this is hard. I want you so badly Dominic, but I have class soon and I need to get some sleep.”
Dominic groaned in frustration. I kissed him again, slower this time. “I’m sorry,” I said, pulling away.
He twined his fingers through mine. “I understand. But next time, I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop.” He lifted my hand up and kissed the top.
“Next time?” I teased and raised an eyebrow.
“What are you doing tonight? It’s Monday so we don’t have to work.”
The promise of a normal date with Dominic was too good to pass up, even if I had a ton of projects due this week. “I’m not doing anything.”
“You are now! I’ll pick you up at 8.” With the plans set, he kissed me one more time and then I trudged up the stairs to my apartment. I didn’t even make it to my bedroom and passed out on the futon.
Chapter 8
Chelsea shook me awake. “Wake up Nat. You’re going to be late.”
I groaned and mumbled, “Go away”. She continued to try to rouse me. “You’re persistent,” I growled at her, but I was awake – barely. My eyes burned and it felt like the undersides of my eyelids were made of sandpaper. I sat up and yawned and caught a whiff of my breath - Chinese food morning breath, nothing worse. I rushed to the bathroom and started brushing my teeth. Studying my reflection in the mirror, I surveyed the damage. Dark circles had formed under my eyes; which were bloodshot. Medusa had had better hair days than this - a ponytail would have to suffice since there wasn’t time for a shower. I threw on a pair of jeans, a sweater and my sneakers. I readjusted the ponytail, dropped some Visine in my eyes, grabbed a diet coke out of the fridge and bolted to campus.
My 9:00 class was Art History and in a large lecture hall. I knew the risk of getting caught sleeping was minimal so, I was able to doze. Chelsea was in my next class and she kept nudging me awake when she heard my breathing get deep.
The rest of the day dragged by in a fog and by the time I got home at three, I was ready to fall into a coma. Che
lsea was dying to hear more about Dominic, but took pity upon me when she saw haw badly my ass was dragging. Thankfully she sent me straight to bed without any questions.
I was still exhausted when my alarm went off at 6:30 leaving an hour and a half to work a miracle. Dominic might run away screaming if he came to pick me up and I looked like an extra from The Walking Dead. I had no idea what he had in store for our date and was at a loss as to what to wear. Chelsea came to my rescue and started pulling clothes out of my closet. After having me try on five different outfits and trying my patience, we both decided on black, boot cut pants and a deep wine red v-neck cashmere sweater. The pants paired with high heeled black leather boots made my legs seem longer and the sweater hugged my curves in the right places. The neckline actually made my boobs appear bigger. I never realized how handy it was having a fashion design student as a roommate. Chelsea let me borrow her black leather jacket to complete the ensemble.
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do in this,” she teased.
“I don’t even want to know what you’ve already done in this.”
Chelsea snorted out a laugh and then left me alone to finish getting ready. I blew dry my hair until it was straight and smooth. It hung in long, dark shiny plaits down to the middle of my back. I found some lipstick, the same shade as my sweater, and dabbed it on, but not too much as my lips were big enough. When I stepped out of the bathroom, Chelsea whistled at me.
“You’re hot!” I smiled at the compliment. For the first time, probably since Toby, I felt sexy.
The intercom let out a loud buzz announcing Dominic’s arrival. Chelsea, perched on the edge of the couch, waited in anticipation. I probably made Dominic sound like a model in my description of him. I opened the door as he was reaching the top of the stairs. He had a dozen red roses in his hand. He stopped when he saw me and his eyes lit up.
“Wow! Have I ever told you how gorgeous you are?” He appraised me up and down and I dropped my head in embarrassment. He looked fabulous himself with dark blue jeans, which hung just right on his hips, and a black shirt that was unbuttoned at the neck. He too had a black leather jacket on. He handed me the roses and kissed me. I stepped closer, deepening the kiss. Then Chelsea quietly giggled, reminding me of her presence. I broke away and spun around.
“Please come in and meet my best friend.”
Chelsea sprung up from the couch and shook Dominic’s hand. She was appraising him too, but I think she appreciated his sense of style more than anything.
“Nice to meet you, Chelsea.”
“Me too. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Chelsea smiled at me and winked. I shook my head and blushed. Nice, Chels, very subtle. Dominic and Chelsea chatted while I put the roses in a vase. I set them on the breakfast bar and wished I had a more suitable surface for the bouquet. We left my apartment and walked down the block to Dominic’s Mustang. He held my hand and I appreciated the warmth.
“What do you have planned for us tonight?”
“I’m taking you to the best Italian restaurant in the city,” he boasted.
“Spaghetti Warehouse?” I asked, completely deadpan, referring to the remodeled warehouse converted to a restaurant which served all-you-can-eat spaghetti. He had the most horrified expression on his face, like I suggested we commit a murder or something. I couldn’t keep a straight face and busted up laughing. It took him a few seconds to recover, but he soon joined in.
We drove to South Philly again and he turned onto a small side street like any other street in Philadelphia with brick row homes lining each side. One had a little sign extended out by the front door. The street was dimly lit so I had to squint to read it: Franco’s Ristorante. The restaurant was so non-descript I would have passed by thinking it was just another house until Dominic opened the car door. Scents of roasted garlic and other deliciousness assaulted my senses and my mouth started watering. I inhaled the aromas deeply and Dominic smiled at me..
“Wait until you taste it,” he said as he locked the Mustang.
He held the door for me and I walked in through a small foyer. The aromas inside were so much stronger. A girl, a little bit younger than me, was waiting at the hostess stand. Her eyes lit up when she saw us. “Dominic!” she squealed and threw herself at him. Dominic gave the girl a big bear hug and actually lifted her off the ground. He set her down and laughed. She looked at me curiously.
“Natalie, this is my cousin Bianca. Bianca, this is Natalie.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” I smiled and held out my hand. She shook it enthusiastically. The girl radiated enthusiasm. She spun around like a pixie and grabbed a couple menus.
“The usual table, D?” she asked as we followed her through a small dining area.
“That’d be great B,” he answered. Cute, D & B, I thought to myself. We entered what probably would have been a living room at one time. There were several occupied tables and a couple of people glanced up as we walked by, but most were absorbed in their dinners. I couldn’t blame them, the food appeared delectable. We proceeded through this room and Bianca led us through a set of double doors straight into the kitchen. Pots and pans clanged, food sizzled on the stove by which an older couple stood, arguing in Italian. The speech was so fast, I didn’t recognize any words. The dining room was calm and the kitchen was chaos.
Ignoring the arguing couple, Bianca sat us at a small dinette table in the corner by the brick oven. After she got us situated she spun around and shouted, “Ma, Pa, will you shut it for two seconds! Look who’s here.” The silence was deafening. Who would have thought such a little thing had such a big voice? The woman dropped a spatula she had been wielding like a weapon into a big pot of red sauce and, wiping her hands on her stained apron, waltzed over to us. She was short and round and her full cheeks were bright pink from steam. She opened her arms up and Dominic walked into her hug.
“Dominic, it’s so nice of you to stop in!” After their embrace she held him back at arm’s length surveying him. She clucked and shook her head, “You’re too skinny Dominic. Are you feeling well?” Dominic laughed and assured her he was just fine then he introduced me.
“Aunt Gloria, this is Natalie Ross, my, um…my girlfriend.” I’m surprised my jaw didn’t hit the floor. Girlfriend? I wasn’t ready for that, but didn’t correct him. Instead, I recovered quickly enough and went to shake Gloria’s hand.
“Oh, please honey!” She cried and pulled me into a suffocating hug. Afterwards I went through the same inspection as Dominic. I too was declared too skinny, something I would never hear my mom say, and a loaf of fresh baked Italian bread was brought over to the table. I was introduced to Uncle Franco after Gloria had finished fussing over us. He brought over a bottle of red wine and popped the cork, pouring us each a glass. Uncle Franco was tall and skinny, with dark, olive skin. His soft brown eyes were kind, just like Bianca’s.
“Sorry you had to hear us arguing, Natalie,” he apologized in a deep voice.
“It’s alright.”
Even though they were arguing, the atmosphere wasn’t tense. I could sense the love between Gloria and Franco. After being raised by a single mom it was nice to bear witness to a relationship like that. I bit into a piece of the Italian bread and practically swooned. It was still warm from the brick oven and the crusty exterior melted away to a moist, soft center. I would have been satisfied with just the bread and wine all night, but didn’t dare suggest that to Gloria.
Franco fried up some calamari and brought a heaping plate over. Dominic dipped a piece in the marinara and popped it into my mouth. I had to close my eyes and savor the moment. The golden batter was light and flaky and the marinara had a bit of spice to it. I’d never had calamari like that before. Having an Italian God feed it to me wasn’t too bad either. Dominic seemed entertained by my enjoyment of the food. Then he handed me a menu to pick out the main course. I couldn’t make up my mind.
“What do you recommend?” I asked Dominic.
“Everything,” was his answer. I
had to play eenie meenie minie moe to pick my entrée and landed on eggplant parmesan.
Gloria and Franco were distracted making our dinners so I seized the opportunity to grill Dominic. I found out that Gloria was his mother’s sister and Franco was the third Franco to run the restaurant, Franco’s grandfather being the first - he was an Italian immigrant right out off the boat from Sicily when he started serving meals out of his house. Bianca was their youngest out of five children.
“She’s cute,” I commented.
“Yeah, she’s like a little sister to me. “
“I can tell. She just adores you. That’s sweet.”
“She’s a good kid and the same age as my brother, Johnny.” I leaned forward, interested in learning more about Dom’s family. “As you can tell, Aunt Gloria and Uncle Franco like to feed us, so I’d stop by after school for snacks with my cousin Dante. All the kids still do.” Dom paused and took another bit of calamari.
I took a sip of wine, followed by a deep breath before addressing the elephant in the room. “Listen Dom, I really like you, but girlfriend? I don’t think I’m ready for that.”
His eyes met mine. “You’re not?”
“No. It’s been awhile since I’ve been someone’s girlfriend and that didn’t end well. We need to take it slow.”
He frowned slightly and processed what I said. “It’s been awhile for me too. I’m not a relationship kind of guy,” he admitted. “But, I feel differently about you. I’ll take it slow with you, but as far as I’m concerned, you’re my girlfriend.” He said this with a sort of possessiveness.
At first I thought he was feeding me a line, but he didn’t break eye contact and seemed sincere enough. “I think I can work with those terms.” Smiling, I reached my hand across the table. He entwined his fingers with mine and caressed the side with his thumb. We were interrupted by the sound of Aunt Gloria clearing her throat. She had a steaming plate in each hand. We separated so she could set them down. I caught her wink at Dominic before she turned and smiled at me approvingly. I giggled, embarrassed.
The Beautiful People (The New Mafia Trilogy) Page 5
