Dom

The rest of day passes in a blur. Joy keeps bubbling up from inside me, mixing with excitement, and then whisking me on a whirlwind tour of daydreams of my future. Nate didn’t ask for anything more than a proposal for the project, but it’s a start. There’s no doubt in my mind that I’ll get approved. Before the end of the first quarter, I’ll be spearheading a major move for an up and coming company, one that will put both of our trajectories on such a solid path…

And there it is. I’m smiling again.

I call Jacki the minute I get in the cab to go home.

“You have no idea what kind of day I’ve had,” I say after she grumbles her greeting into the phone.

“That’s it? No hi Jacki, how are you? Not going to ask how my day’s been? Or my weekend, for that matter? Just gonna jump straight into what’s going right in your world?”

Well, hell. A grumpy Jacki is never a good thing.

“I’m sorry, doll. How was your weekend?” I smile through gritted teeth.

“Obviously, you don’t care.” Jacki pauses and the phone rustles as I assume she pinches it between her chin and shoulder. “But I’m going to tell you about it anyway,” she finishes cheerfully.

I pull the phone away from my ear to check the time. “Great,” I say. “But I’ve only got a little time to talk and—”

“I know, I know. You really want to tell me your news. You’re kind of an asshole, Dom. Have I ever told you that before?”

“Once or twice.” I stare out the window, my face reflected in the dirty glass, a sheer overlay on the people striding down the sidewalk. My breath fogs up the window and I run a finger through the moisture.

“So. I met someone. He’s amazing and I think I love him. Okay. I don’t love him. But he’s definitely amazing.” Jacki takes a breath. “His name is Eric, which is perfect because he looks like Eric Northman from Trueblood? Except not the guy in the TV show, but the one in the books. Which is funny, I know, because how do you ever know if the way you see the character in your head is the way the author intended them to look, but this guy looks just like the way I imagined him…”

“I love you, Jacki. You know I do, but can we skip to the Cliff’s Notes?”

She puffs. “Sorry. You know how I ramble when I get excited. Anyway, after you ditched me on Friday—”

“I didn’t ditch you.”

“Whatever. After Hotty McBroodypants sat down and you ran off to the bathroom and he followed and you never came back, I ran into this guy Eric. I went home with him because margaritas.”

“Obviously.”

“Obviously.” Jacki laughs. “I was totally prepared to never hear from him again after I slunk home sometime in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Which really disappointed me because Dom? His dick—”

“Cliff’s Notes!”

“Sorry. Long story long, he called me yesterday and we’re meeting for dinner again on Saturday.” Jacki is so excited she actually squeals and I smile before I shift the phone to my other ear.

“That’s wonderful,” I say and I hope I can mean it. Only time will tell, and if history is any indicator, it won’t take much time at all to find out if this guy is as great as she thinks he is.

“I know you’re busy wondering if this guy’s like the rest of them. And I get that. But right now? I don’t think he is.”

The cab pulls up outside of my apartment. I pay the guy, tip him generously, and hop out.

“Okay,” says Jacki. “Now tell me about your day.” There’s a clatter on the other end of the line and I assume it’s her, kicking off her high heels.

“Well. I’m not dating Eric Northman or anything.” I punch the button on the elevator. “But you know that idea I was going to bounce off Mr. Wellington?”

“You mean Hotty McBroodypants?”

“Sure. Him.” I laugh as the doors close. “He loved the idea. Told me to submit a proposal. I’m telling you, Jacki. This is it. I can feel it. Things are starting to move. I’ll be a household name before you know it.”

“That’s awesome, Dom!”

I can tell by her tone of voice that she’s faking her excitement. Jacki works because she likes the paycheck and that’s it. She doesn’t need success and when she leaves the office at the end of the day, work stays at work. Sometimes I envy her, but not today.

“I haven’t stopped smiling all day.”

“I bet.” Her tone of voice tells me I’m losing her attention fast.

Time to get it back. “There’s more.” The elevator doors slide open and I start down the hallway towards my apartment. “I’m going on a date with him tonight.”

“Who?” And, she’s back.

“Nate.”

“Hotty McBroodypants?” I’ve got her full attention, now.

“I don’t know where you got that name for him, but yeah, him.”

“Oh, come on. That dark hair? Those blue eyes? The way he just stared at you like he wanted to devour you. Fuck, Dom. That was intense. If mental sex was a thing, I swear you guys did it right there in the middle of Cadillac Jack’s.”

“I guess…” I trail off as I slide my key into the lock, my attention consumed by the way his lips felt against mine. “Anyway. Dinner. Tonight. And maybe there’ll be more than just mental sex.”

“Dom!” Jacki gasps. “He’s your boss. And it’s a weeknight!”

“I have no shame.” I get the door open and hang my coat in the closet, dropping my purse in a chair on my way to the bedroom.

“I’m just saying. First, you tell me you got the career opportunity of a lifetime. Then you tell me you’re gonna sleep with your boss. One plus one equals uh-oh here.”

I open my closet and dig for just the right dress. “Or, one plus one equals a total win.” Jacki can judge all she wants, but sex and work are two different things. I can keep them in their different compartments, and I’m sure Nate can, too.

“Just be careful, okay? Don’t be too much of an asshole?”

“Gee, Jacki. Nice to know exactly what you think of me.”

“Try, gee Jacki. It’s nice to have a friend who knows me so well.”

“Well, that’s true, I guess.” I pull out two dresses and hold them against my body. “Plum or black?”

Anyone else would be confused. Not Jacki. “The plum with the high neck and the peekaboo hole for your cleavage?”

“Yeah. With the matching Jimmy Choos?”

“The suede ones that make your legs look fifteen times longer than they actually are? Yeah. Do that. Especially if you’re in the mood for more than just mental sex.”