For a moment, there is stunned silence at the other end. Mr. Moneybags isn’t used to getting the brush off from women, apparently. Then Max clears his throat and regains his composure. ‘Of course, Dominica. I understand you perfectly. So I’ll leave the ball in your court. Just call me when you can.’
With that, there is a soft click, and the line goes dead. Dominica stares at the silent receiver. There, she has done it. She has done the right thing. She has stopped being selfish and thinking of her own pleasure and happiness, and put Jo and her responsibilities first. Thank God she has come to her senses.
Dominica grabs her coat and rushes out to lunch alone. She doesn’t want anyone to see the tears that are welling up inside her.
6: The Ginger Love Machine
Even by the standards of ordinariness in Dominica’s life, Tuesday evenings are usually pretty dull. She cooks a lasagna while Jo buckles down to her homework, then the two of them eat together, listening to music on Spotify. Jo has created a playlist with music that crosses both of their tastes. When a Joss Stone track comes on, it reminds Dominica of the evening on Max’s yacht. How had he known that Joss Stone was her favorite singer?
She brushes the thought aside and concentrates on talking to Jo. They are just clearing away the dishes from the meal when the doorbell rings. Jo goes to answer it while Dominica continues to load up the dishwasher. A few moments later, Jo pops her head round the kitchen door.
‘Mom, I think you had better come and see this.’
‘See what, Jo?’
‘Just come and look.’
Dominica pushes the door of the dishwasher closed and follows Jo down the hall to the front door. She hears the sound of sneezing. A delivery guy in brown overalls is standing in the doorway, trying to manage the biggest bunch of flowers she has ever seen. Dominica is no expert on flowers, but anyone could see that this bunch is not only beautiful, but very expensive. The delivery guy looks a little embarrassed.
‘Are you Soccer Mom Extraordinaire?’ he enquires hopefully, reading off the card attached to the flowers. Then he sneezes again.
‘I beg your pardon?’ she replies, somewhat perplexed.
Before he could repeat himself, Jo cuts in. ‘Yes, she is. They are for her. Take them, Mom. They are obviously from your new boyfriend. What’s his name…Max.’
‘Oh.’ Dominica smiles as the penny finally drops. ‘But he’s not my boyfriend…’
‘For Christ’s sake, Mom, just take them before this guy dies of a hay fever attack.’
Dominica takes the flowers, the heady scent hitting her immediately. She thanks the delivery guy and struggles up the hallway to the kitchen. She places the bunch of flowers on the kitchen table and looks at them thoughtfully. Jo leans over her shoulder.
‘Mom, that’s just ridiculous. It’s the most enormous bunch of flowers I’ve ever seen. We don’t have a vase anywhere near big enough for that lot. I thought you said you weren’t seeing this Max guy again?’
‘I’m not. These could be from someone else.’
Jo looked at her mother as if she was mentally challenged. ‘Helloooo…planet earth calling Mom. There isn’t anyone else. None of your other ex-boyfriends could afford this lot without taking out a second mortgage. What does it say on the card?’
Good thinking. Dominica finds the card buried amongst the mass of colorful foliage and reads it out to Jo. It says simply:
To: Soccer Mom Extraordinaire
From: An Admirer, with Love
XXX
‘An admirer!’ Jo says. ‘You’ve got a multi-million dollar admirer, Mom. That’s cool.’
‘I thought you didn’t like the idea.’
‘I’m coming round to it now. This guy has some style. Are you going to call him?’
‘No, I have decided it would be best not to.’ Dominica tries to sound positive and emphatic, but inside she feels hollow and empty. After all, what’s not to like about a rich, handsome guy who sends you enormous bunches of flowers. Especially one who is good in the sack, too. She feels her cheeks flushing at the thought, and turns her attention to finding something to put the flowers in. Eventually, they find several vases and split the bunch between them. It’s a shame to break up such a beautiful arrangement, but Dominica’s furnishing isn’t designed to accommodate this kind of extravagance.
Every time she looks at the flowers, Dominica finds her resolve wobbling. Maybe she should call him, just to say ‘thanks?’ No, that would be sending out the wrong signals. She has to stand firm on her decision.
However, her resolve further the next day, when the doorbell rings again on the dot of 8.00pm. Jo has gone out with Billy for the evening, so Dominica hastens down the hallway to the front door. But when she hears a sneeze outside the door, she doesn’t have to open it to know what is waiting for her. It is the same delivery guy in the same brown overalls, but this time struggling to manage an even bigger bunch of flowers.
‘They can’t be for me,’ she says.
‘Are you the Ginger Love Machine?’ he asks. He seems to be struggling to keep a straight face.
‘The what?’
‘That’s what it says on the card. To the Ginger…’
Dominica cut him off quickly. ‘I heard you. OK, I guess they are for me.’
The delivery guy looks at Dominica with renewed interest and respect. He is clearly trying to suppress a smirk. Damned cheek. Dominica grabs the flowers, mutters her thanks and retreats into the safety of her house. In the kitchen, she reads the card:
To: The Ginger Love Machine
Life is too short to say ‘no.’ Seize the day. Live for the moment.
Call me anytime…24x7
From: Your admirer
There is a click as the back door opens and Maryanne lets herself in, excitement written all over her face. She takes the bunch of flowers from Dominica’s hands and examines them.
‘My God, these are beautiful. I’ve seen florists with fewer flowers than this in their whole shop. OK, spill the beans, Dominica. I held off yesterday when I saw the first bunch of flowers arrive, even though it nearly killed me not to know. I’m not one to poke my nose into other people’s business.’
Dominica has to cover her mouth to stop herself laughing at that comment, but Maryanne continues unabashed. ‘But two days in a row? You can’t expect me not to be dying with curiosity. I wouldn’t be a normal woman if I didn’t come round to get all the gossip. What’s that you’re hiding behind your back?’
Dammit.
Dominica had slipped the card behind her back in the hope that Maryanne wouldn’t notice. But nothing escapes her friend’s attention, and Dominica knows it’s easier to just give in now than to have a long drawn-out battle that Maryanne will win in the end anyway. She hands over the card. Maryanne reads it and her eyes do the popping out on stalks thing.
‘The Ginger Love Machine? Oh boy, this guy is good. And so are you, apparently. I take these must be from Max Rockford.’
‘I think we can safely assume so.’
‘Have you called him yet?’
‘No, I don’t intend to.’
‘It’s only just after eight. He says call anytime…24x7. Honey, that is an invitation you can’t refuse.’
‘I’ve decided it’s a bad idea. I should be focusing on looking after Jo, not running around with some guy who thinks he is God.’
‘Dominica, I am definitely going to make you an appointment with that shrink I told you about. He’s very good. He deals with nutcases like you all the time.’
‘I’m not a nutcase, you cheeky bitch. I just want to do the responsible thing.’
‘Honey, you’re allowed to have a child and have fun. People do it all the time. Not in my house, admittedly, but that’s only because I married Herb. I realize now I should have held out for a multi-millionaire. Tell you what, if you don’t want Max, I’m still willing to have a crack at him.’
‘Maryanne, I know perfectly well you would never cheat on Herb, and you would
n’t want to.’
‘Maybe, but I can fantasize can’t I? It’s OK for you - you don’t have to fantasize. You’ve got the real thing right here on your doorstep. For Christ’s sake, pick up the phone and call him.’
But to Maryanne’s amazement and disappointment, Dominica holds firm.
***
The next day at work is a busy one. Dominica is stuck in a consecutive series of meetings from 8.00am until gone 6.30pm. Then she hits a patch of heavy traffic on the way home, and has to crawl most of the last three miles at walking pace. By the time she gets home and prepares dinner for herself and Jo, the clock is striking eight. Just as she puts her casserole on the dining room table, the doorbell rings.
Oh no, not again. This is getting ridiculous.
She looks around the kitchen, the dining room and into the living room. Every window sill and surface is already covered in flowers. Dominica had to borrow several vases from Maryanne for the flowers she already has. If the ringing doorbell signifies another delivery, she doesn’t know what she will do. Dominica walks through the living room and peers through a crack in the curtains. She sees the bottom half of the pair of brown overalls, but the top half is completely hidden behind the biggest bunch of flowers yet. At least the guy hasn’t started sneezing.
Jo is in the living room, reading on the sofa. She gets up and peers through the curtains, too.
‘Well, those flowers as sure as hell aren’t from Billy, so we can safely assume they must be for you. Better answer the door, Mom.’
Dominica doesn’t want any more flowers. She is trying to put Max to the back of her mind, and this nonsense isn’t helping at all. She decides to take a stand.
‘I’m going to send them back,’ she says firmly. ‘This can’t go on. I’m going to tell the delivery guy what he can do with his cheeky smirk and his damned flowers. And his stupid sneezing.’
Dominica is irritated now. She storms down the hallway and flings the front door open. Before the guy has a chance to make any smart-ass comment, she cuts him short.
‘I don’t want your flowers, and I certainly don’t want your attitude or your hay fever germs. You can just take them back, or give them to charity…’
She stops mid-sentence as the delivery guy pushes the flowers to one side to reveal his face. She wasn’t expecting this. It isn’t the sneeze machine…it’s Max, standing there and grinning. Even in workman’s overalls, he looks gorgeous.
‘Oh, and I went to so much trouble, too. Come on, Ginger, give a guy a break,’ he says. ‘I’m having trouble finding florists with enough flowers to send. Don’t make this any harder than it already is. What does a guy have to do around here to get a beautiful lady’s attention?’
Dominica is shocked and feels a little foolish. She is embarrassed about her outburst. ‘Oh, Max, it’s you…I had no idea. I don’t know what to say.’
‘Well, “come on in for a coffee” would be a good place to start. We can take things from there and see how they turn out.’
‘Oh yes, sure. Come on in.’
Dominica composes herself as best she can, leads him into the living room and introduces him to Jo. Dominica brushes her hands through her hair and worries about her lack of make-up, while Max turns on the charm and succeeds in knocking Jo sideways.
‘Jo, I am delighted to meet you,’ he says. ‘And you are just as beautiful as your mother. No wonder she is so worried about all the boys chasing after you.’
Dominica is amazed to see her daughter looking flustered. ‘Oh, thank you. Great to meet you, too, Mr. Rockford.’
‘Call me Max, please. You know what? I was thinking how lucky you were to have such a wonderful mother. But now I can see that it works both ways. She is obviously very lucky to have you, too.’
This is interesting. Dominica is surprised to see her super-cool, worldly-wise teenage daughter reduced to a heap of quivering jelly within moments. Clearly it is not just older women that Max has an effect on. He can make teenagers melt, too. They only exchange a few sentences, but that’s all he needs to have an effect like a nuclear weapon.
Dominica asks Jo to make them all coffee, and invites Max to sit down on the sofa. Jo seems reluctant to leave the room, but she does as she is asked, closing the door behind her.
Max makes the most of the few minutes of privacy they have before Jo returns.
‘I’m not used to ladies who play hard to get. I don’t wish to sound big headed, but it’s quite a novelty for me. It just made you more intriguing than ever,’ he says, giving her a wicked smile that makes her heart skip. She tries to play things cool.
‘I’m not playing hard to get. I just think that continuing our relationship would be the wrong thing to do. I have responsibilities, you know – Jo in particular.’ However, she is aware that clutching Max’s enormous bunch of flowers to her bosom undermines her position somewhat. But she doesn’t want to let it go.
Max is not one to give up easily. They talk for a few minutes, and Dominica finds her resolve weakening. Maybe it would be OK to go out with Max on just one more date? No, she has made up her mind and must stick with her decision. But Max is relentless in his pursuit.
‘I’m not planning on eloping with you, Dominica. I’d just like you to have dinner with me. No strings, no commitments. Just a pleasant social evening. Are you free this weekend?’
‘No, I’m busy,’ she lies.
‘Yeah, that’s right,’ says Jo, returning to the room with a tray of coffees. ‘She’s busy cleaning the microwave and dusting the cupboard under the stairs. It’s a very hectic schedule.’
‘So dinner with me would be a welcome reward for all that hard work,’ Max points out.
‘Absolutely,’ says Jo. ‘What time will you pick her up?’
‘Eight o’clock, Saturday.’
‘That’s settled then.’
Dominica looks bewildered. ‘Hey, wait a minute. Don’t I get a say in this?’
Jo shakes her head. ‘No, Mom. You seem to have lost the ability to make rational decisions. I’m invoking power of attorney on the grounds of temporary insanity and making the right choice on your behalf.’
Dominica glares at Jo in disapproval. But secretly, she can’t help but feel delighted.
7: Sweet. Fruity. And delicious.
OK, this is cool. I can deal with this.
Dominica composes herself and tries not to gape and gawp like a kid going to see Mickey Mouse at Disneyland. But it’s hard not to. Max’s house is…well, remarkable. In fact, remarkable isn’t really a big enough word, but it’s the best she can come up with. Of course, she had expected something special. When you have as much money as the Rockford family, you are entitled to splash it around a bit…or even quite a lot. But this is more than she expected.
This is the kind of palace you see in movies, but which you don’t expect people to actually live in. Dominica searches for the right word to describe it. House seems inadequate. Luxury home doesn’t do it justice.
Mansion. That’s the word. Max lives in the kind of mansion that most people can only aspire to, and few would ever dream up this kind of luxury, even in their most indulgent moments. It’s not a castle, but has some of the features you would associate with French chateaux and old English manor houses. The estate sits on some of the most beautiful acres of Californian coastline, hugging the cliffs and offering spectacular views across the ocean. The house itself tops the estate – a grand, grey stone edifice that is imposing, yet endearing.
The Merc pulls up outside the house, and Max takes Dominica’s hand to lead her inside. They are welcomed by a butler who is courteous and deferential. Max leads her through the house to a terrace on the ocean side, with views that could only be described as breathtaking. A table at the far end of the terrace is laid ready for dinner. The sun is setting across the ocean, and the sky is filled with an orange-red glow that is iridescent with splendor. The picture looks too good to be true. It seems as if Max has arranged for God to Photoshop the sky into th
e most beautiful backdrop imaginable.
The evening passes far too quickly. Like Christmas morning when you are a kid, the time flies by in a blur. But every moment is glorious. The food, in particular, is sensational. Every course seems to pack in new flavors, colors and aromas that tickle her senses in delightful ways. She can’t keep her excitement to herself.
‘Max, this is the most wonderful food I have ever tasted. You must have the most wonderful chef.’
Max takes a sip from his glass of wine. Dominica is not usually a big wine drinker, but tonight she is prepared to make an exception. The wine perfectly complements the food. To her, it is the most extraordinary culinary experience ever. But Max takes it all in his stride.
‘A wonderful chef? I certainly do. He wasn’t easy to find. To tell you the truth, I pretty much searched the whole planet to find the right person for the job. I tried chefs from some of the world’s top hotels, but I was nearly always disappointed. You see, to me, food is an experience that should be truly savored and enjoyed.’
‘Well, I am truly savoring and enjoying all of this,’ Dominica replies. ‘My home-made lasagna is going to seem pretty tame compared to this.’
‘Not at all, I bet. In fact, I insist that one day soon, you must make me some lasagna. Eating something I know has been prepared by a beautiful woman will add a whole new dimension. And there is nothing to compare with the aroma of a kitchen where great food is being freshly prepared. Now that I come to think of it, maybe I should have looked for a beautiful woman to be my chef. Then every meal would be more interesting. I hadn’t considered that possibility before. Andre is very talented, but I doubt if even his mother would claim that he is attractive. Perhaps I should let Andre go and look for a new female chef…’
‘No, that would be a rotten thing to do! Well, if you do, I won’t be applying for the job,’ Dominica says. ‘Once you got bored of lasagna, you would find that I was sadly lacking in other options. But surely you are not serious about sacking Andre?
The Domination of Dominica Dunn: Discovering New Worlds of Sexual Sensation Page 8
