Chapter 12
Back at the cabin, Dom approached a grouchy Gelato with apologies and grabbed dog food.
“You had enough to last you all night. It’s not my fault you ate it all.” He talked over the food, hitting the plastic bowl. “It wasn’t even twenty-four hours. You weren’t going to die.”
Gelato barked once and continued to eat with an attitude.
“You can’t have an attitude and eat. You can’t have it both ways, mister. And I had a great time. Thanks for asking.” Gelato ignored him until he mentioned Anna’s name. “Oh, now you care. You only like her because she rubs your big head in all the right places.”
Gelato wagged his tail, and Dom smiled despite his fussing. Dogs were a good judge of character. If his dog liked her, she was worth keeping around.
“I’ve got work to do today. You coming, or you plan to mope all day?”
Gelato grumbled but followed him out the door. There wasn’t much to do, but Dom wanted to restock on the firewood and double-check the cameras he had set around the perimeter. The line was secure, but anything from a good rain or an animal could disconnect them or reposition them. There were five cameras in total. Three pointing towards the house entrances, and two pointing towards the backwoods and the only entrance path. Dom couldn’t afford to be surprised.
He worked, barely processing what he was doing. Anna consumed his thoughts. What was it about her? He couldn’t stop thinking about her. Their time together was a breath of fresh air. He almost forgot he was supposed to be in hiding. Almost. Still, he wanted to be with her again. He wasn’t sure about the whole Sugar Baby thing. The thought of Anna dating other men drove him crazy. His fist clenched around the ax handle just thinking about her sexy body underneath anyone but his. But how could he tell her that? She would think he was a crazy man. The site made it clear that it was an arrangement. Maybe there was a way to get her to agree to exclusivity. The thought blossomed in his mind and bloomed as he worked.
It took him three trips, but he managed to restock the shed with wood that would be dry and ready, should any emergency occur. He reset the camera wires and double-checked the feeds that came to his computer with ease, still thinking it over. Only when he was sure the line was secure and encrypted did he realize the time. His stomach growled loudly.
“Time for lunch.”
Dom was in the mood for something quick and easy. An Italian sub fit the description. Dried oregano, Dijon mustard, shredded lettuce, ham, salami, roasted red peppers, provolone cheese, and small red onion sliced on bread sated his hunger. Gelato, the food monster, whined until Dom gave him some leftover ham slices.
Lunch cleared his head and he nodded, sure of himself as he opened the message tab.
Anna,
I want you to come over this weekend. Pack a bag and send me your address. I will send a car. I have a proposal for you, and I hope you accept.
He had a sugar proposal, and he was going to propose it to her face. Technology was a horrible medium for things of the heart. It wasn’t the Italian way.
Anna messaged back within five minutes.
Of course. See you Friday.
*****
What could it be? What on earth could Dom want to propose? She knew it wasn’t marriage. Could you imagine? She felt so much for him, and she hoped it was reciprocated, but those feelings weren’t enough to warrant wedding bells. But how exactly did she feel? They’d just met, but the connection was undeniable. It was like magic waiting to happen. It was everything she’d dumped Ethan for. She knew butterflies weren’t just a thing in movies or books. It was real, and with Dom, she had that. So what else could he be proposing?
Oh!
It clicked. This entire time they’d been messaging via Seeking Arrangements. This was probably a sugar baby proposal.
Her stomach flipped, and she wondered if that were true, how would she take it?
She couldn’t be offended. She was on that site seeking arrangements, and if it wasn’t Dom, it would be someone else. It had to be. She needed it. So why not take arrangements with someone she actually liked, someone she knew and already had a connection with.
It made sense.
But it also set her teeth on edge.
Why?
Why indeed.
She figured it was the money. She felt weird about taking it from him. Arrangements always came with an allowance, and even though she needed it, she didn’t want to take it from him. She could say no to it all, but would she?
Her mind couldn’t gather an answer before the driver opened her door.
“We’ve arrived, ma’am.”
“Great. Thank you,” she said and climbed out, smoothing down her dress.
It was now or never. She was doing this.
Now.