CHAPTER TWO
Life was a lot less stressful now that I wasn't worrying about telling Tammy about Dominick. It was a hurdle I'd have to cross eventually, but for now, it was on the back burner. What was the real rush anyway? Sure, it kind of sucked that I couldn't bring Dominick home with me during holidays and vacations, but he didn't seem bothered by it. Besides, it would only make things more awkward for everyone.
Life went on. When Tammy asked about my mystery man, I told her the relationship was fleeting. We just weren't compatible, and so it was time to move on. Of course, she brought up that age was probably a factor in the relationship falling apart. People with large age gaps between them usually weren't interested in the same things. I let her think she was right, only because I didn't know what else to say about it, though I knew that probably wouldn't help my case when the truth did come out.
Since the end of last semester, Dominick began to trust me more. He allowed me to take the bus to and from school whenever I wanted, which wasn't often. To be honest, I preferred for him to drive me most days, though I felt like it was a bit of an inconvenience to him. He also let me go out with Victor from time to time, though never without an argument.
I suppose I shouldn't have been upset when I came home one afternoon to find a woman sitting on the loveseat. I had heard her through the door as I approached, and for several moments, I just stood there, listening in on the conversation. Of course, my mind immediately went in the wrong direction. Is he cheating on me? It was a stupid question. I came home from school at the same time every day unless I went grocery shopping, and I had mentioned no plans of grocery shopping to Dominick, so surely he expected me to arrive home at the normal time.
“Have you tried the pomodoro technique?” she was asking.
It sounded like something sexual, which made me want to charge through the door and find out what was going on, but I held my ground.
“Ugh,” Dominick grunted. “If I hear one more person suggest the pomodoro technique to me, I might vomit on myself.”
“It works for some.”
“I don't see how you can get anything done in fifteen minutes.”
“It was originally twenty-five minutes.”
My palms were beginning to sweat as I listened to them. They were talking about sex. Weren't they? They had to be.
“I would literally just sit and stare the whole time if I knew all I had was twenty-five minutes. When I don't want to write, I don't want to write. Forcing it is just ugly,” Dominick told her.
Confused and tired of standing outside like some creeper, I shoved the key in the keyhole, opened the door, and walked inside, trying to seem casual about it. Dominick and the woman looked startled for a moment, but then the woman smiled broadly at me.
“This must be Kim. I've heard so much about you.” She stood to shake my hand.
“And you are? I'm sorry, Dominick didn't tell me we'd be expecting company.”
“That's because my visit was a surprise. I'm Melinda McWilliams, Dominick's editor. He's been falling a bit behind on his deadlines, so I came to give him a push in the right direction.”
After shaking hands with Melinda, I went to sit beside Dominick and assess the woman, who promptly seated herself across from us. She looked older than Dominick by a few years, but completely gorgeous with long straight honey blonde hair, big bright green eyes, legs that went on for miles beneath a red pencil skirt that matched her lipstick, and a professionalism that made me feel somewhat uncomfortable. She was practically perfect in every way, physically, at least.
“Dominick never mentioned to me that he was behind on his deadlines,” I commented, averting my eyes thoughtfully so that it didn't seem like I was staring.
Dominick sighed, “That's because I'd rather not bother you with my work.”
“But you still let me read it from time to time. I think I'd know if you were behind.”
“You let her read your writing?” Melinda asked with a grin.
“I see no problem with it,” Dominick's voice was firm.
“No, of course not. How does this exchange happen?”
“I e-mail her an updated file every night.”
“That sounds time consuming.”
“It takes less than five minutes.”
“I'm just trying to figure out where the lag is. Perhaps for a while, you should spend that extra time writing.”
“Yes, Mother.”
“Oh, don't be a brat. You know I'm only here to help.”
“I know, but you're not helping. Five minutes doesn't make a big difference in the grand scheme of things. I send her the file after I've stopped for the day anyway. So that time is technically my free time.”
“Well, you might need to reduce your free time for a while then too. The publishing company sent me here to make sure you get your latest and greatest in on time, and I intend to do just that, even if it means I have to spend every waking minute with you.”
Dominick glared at her.
“Don't give me that look. You did this to yourself. Do your work, and I'll go away.” The smirk she gave him was enchanting. It amazed that he didn't seem to fall prey to it like I had. If I was a guy, I'd be all over that.
“Thank you for stopping by. I appreciate your concern,” Dominick said, standing to usher Melinda to the door.
“It's not just concern as your editor. I'm also your friend, Dominick. If you need to talk about anything, I'm here for you. Well, will be here for you until this project is done. Maybe after, depending on what the publisher wants.” She pulled a card out of her purse and handed it to him. “Here is the apartment complex I'm staying at. The gate code is on the back. I just thought you should have it since I'm going to be around for a while.”
“Thanks,” he replied dryly.
“Kim, it was a pleasure.” Melinda turned her attention to me. “I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of each other in these coming weeks.”
I smiled politely as I watched Dominick follow her out the door. He stood in the doorway until she was out of sight, then stepped back inside, closed the door, and rested against it, looking more annoyed than I'd seen in a long time. For some reason, that made me happy. If he had any interest in the beautiful creature who had just left, he was hiding it well.
“That was unexpected,” I commented.
“You're telling me.”
“What's this about you being behind on your deadlines?”
Dominick sighed, returning to sit on the loveseat across from me which Melinda had previously occupied. He flipped her card in his hand, fidgeting with it absentmindedly.
“I didn't want to tell you because it's none of your concern.”
“Tell me what?”
“I haven't made a deadline since you moved in with me.”
I quirked an eyebrow. “Really? Why not?”
“Change isn't something I adapt to easily. I'm used to just writing and doing nothing else. I've lived a life of solitude because it keeps me free from distractions. Not having distractions means that I can work at a faster pace than a lot of other authors. When I first started with Smart Romance Press, they absolutely loved it that I could push out a novel a month. After a while, I guess they just began expecting it.
“My life has changed though. Between traveling for the movie deal and dating you, I just don't have the same amount of time to write that I used to. The publishing company tried to extend my release schedule because of the movie deal, but it seems like the extra time they've given me isn't enough.
“I find myself easily distracted by you and worrying about other things. Sometimes I can't concentrate enough to write. My head's just not where it used to be.”
“I'm sorry,” I said, feeling guilty. “Tammy was worried I'd be a burden on you before I even moved in.”
“You're not a burden though. I enjoy having you around. The publisher's expectation of me is the burden.”
“So talk to them about it.”
“I can't. I'm under contract to produce three more novels this year. Until the contract ends, there's no room to negotiate.”
“Well, after the contract is up, tell them you need more time.”
“I plan on it. That doesn't help me now though. They must be really worried I'm not going to live up to my end of the deal, otherwise they wouldn't have sent Melinda.”
“Do you really think she can help get you back on track?”
“I don't know. I'm really far behind.” Dominick raked his fingers through his black hair, stress apparent on his face.
“Well, I'll support you. Whatever you need to do to get back on track, I'm in one hundred percent. Just let me know, okay.” I gave him an earnest look, moving to sit beside him and take his hand in mine. He tossed the card onto the coffee table, scowling at it.
“Things might be rough for a while, Kim. I might not be in the best of moods. We should probably cancel all the dates we had planned until I get this next novel out.”
“Of course. I understand. All of that stuff can wait. Your work is more important.”
“Yeah. Well, I better get back to it.” Dominick let go of my hand, standing up abruptly to go to his office, leaving me with an uneasy feeling.
It wasn't often I saw Dominick upset. All of my fear of him cheating faded into worry. He spent so much time in his office, I couldn't see how he was behind. Then again, his schedule had changed since I'd moved in. When I moved in, he started driving me to and from school. Then there were all the times I made him eat meals with me. Before I had come, he pretty much only ate one meal a day. Being with me took at least several hours away from his work for chauffeuring me around and meals and . . . sex. The sex part was his fault though. I never initiated it. Dominick took me at will whenever and wherever he felt like it. So that time lost had to be blamed on him, not that it didn't count as a distraction.
I groaned as I made dinner, thinking about how I had screwed up his life and trying to figure out how to fix it. Maybe if I served him meals in his office that would save some time if he worked while he ate. I could also insist that he stop driving me to and from school completely. Perhaps I could even suggest not having sex until he was caught up on all of his projects. Who knew how long that would be though. It was only September, and I didn't realistically think either one of us could go four months without sex. No. If he wanted to cut down on our sex life, that would have to be something he suggested. I wasn't going to do it.
Despite my thought to serve Dominick in his office, I kept to the same routine, gently knocking on his office door when dinner was ready. He seemed no less upset than he had been earlier, and we ended up eating together in silence, choked by the stifling tension from his bad mood, though it was in no way directed toward me. After dinner, I washed the dishes and retired to my room, giving Dominick the rest of the night to work in peace while I did my homework. It was strange knowing he was unhappy. Hopefully, it would pass soon. Dominick rarely held onto a bad mood for long.
The next morning, I told Dominick I would take the bus to school for the rest of the semester. He grunted in agreement, and I was glad that he didn't argue with me. His bad mood had simmered down a bit, though it hadn't completely gone away.
When I returned home that afternoon, Melinda was on the loveseat in the living room having another conversation with Dominick. It seemed like she was being more of a hindrance than a help, wasting his time by coming over and speaking to him. Surely, her first visit had been enough to get the point across that he needed to get on the ball.
“Hi, Melinda.” I gave her a nervous wave.
“Hello, Kim. I was just telling Dom here that I'm going to be on him like a tick on a dog until he gets his next book out.”
Is that such a good idea? I thought, though I dare not say it. This was their business, not mine. Maybe he needed her on his ass to kick him in gear. It seemed to me like she was just stressing him out though, and I doubted a stressed-out Dominick would get any work done.
“Well, I'm going to get started on dinner,” I said, hurrying past them to put my backpack in my bedroom. Being around them made me nervous, especially with how volatile Melinda seemed to make Dominick.
Thankfully, she didn't stick around for too much longer. I eavesdropped on them as I went about rolling sushi, listening to the writing tips and techniques she tried to give him for speed and concentration. He didn't even seem to be concentrating on what she was saying, sitting there with his head propped up in his hand, his elbow resting on his knee as he stared at her with a just-go-away look. She didn't notice at all, or if she did, she was doing a good job of ignoring it.
“I thought she'd never leave,” Dominick told me after she was gone. He had come into the kitchen to pick at the seaweed salad I made, and I had to slap at his hand to keep him away from it, though not before he had gotten a mouthful.
“You don't like her very much, do you?” I asked while I plated the sushi.
“It's not that I don't like her. We get along really well on a general basis. It's only when she nags me that I don't like her.”
“She's just trying to be helpful.”
“Well, she's not doing a good job at it. She'd be more helpful if she just went away.”
“Have you told her that?”
“Yes. But she says that's not her job.”
“Badgering you about making deadline shouldn't be her job either if she's just your editor.”
“It's kind of not and it kind of is. I have to do my job, so she can do her job. The longer I take to turn the manuscript in, the less time she has to edit it. If there are errors in the completed project, it's on her, even if it's my fault that she didn't have enough time to edit it. So, it kind of makes sense that she'd take it upon herself to rush me.”
“That does make sense, I suppose.” I quirked my head thoughtfully, then scowled when Dominick swooped in like a hawk and stole a piece of California roll before the plate had even made it to the table. “Manners, you neanderthal,” I chastised him.
“Leave me be. I'm grumpy.”
“Fine,” I sighed, letting him have his way.
The next day when I came home from school, Melinda was on the loveseat again. This time, Dominick was nowhere to be found.
She stretched and yawned as she looked up at me from her ereader. “Welcome home.”
“Thanks,” discomfort was apparent in my voice. “Where's Dominick?”
“He's in his office. He's not allowed to come out until I say so.”
“That's just . . . weird.”
“I've gotta do what I've gotta do to get him to do what he's gotta do.”
“Don't you think he could get it done on his own?” I tried not to sound unwelcoming, but I wasn't sure how else to word it.
“If I did, I wouldn't be here.” Melinda gave me a coy smile. “There will be no need for you to cook for him tonight. I stocked him up on snacks and finger foods so that he wouldn't have to leave his office.”
“Wow. You're really serious about this. I don't know whether to thank you or . . .”
She laughed, “I realize this probably makes you very uncomfortable, but my job is a lot different than Dominick's. He works for the publishing company, but he's somewhat of a freelancer. Once his contract is up, it's up to him whether he stays or moves on to publish elsewhere. I an employed directly with the publishing company. They write my paychecks, and my relationship with them is lasting. If I don't get my job done on time, there are more serious repercussions for me. That's why it's so important for me to keep him on track.”
“Don't you have other books you could be editing though?”
“Not right now. This time slot is reserved for his book, which is why I'm spending it trying to get him motivated,” Melinda paused. “You look horribly awkward standing there holding that heavy backpack. How about you put that down and you and I go grab some dinner together?”
“That hardly seems fair, feeding him finger foods while you and I go out to eat.”
“I think it's perfectly fair. He wouldn't be missing out if he had gotten his work done on time.”
“I can hear you guys,” Dominick called from his office in a less than chipper tone.
“Even more reason for us to be on our way, hm?” Melinda gave me a look as to say it wasn't an option.
With a heavy sigh, I dropped my backpack off in my bedroom and then followed her out the door. When I passed by Dominick's office, he was slumped in front of his desk staring at his computer with angry death eyes. I highly doubted any work was getting done in there. Maybe if we left, he'd relax a bit.
Melinda's car wasn't much less pretentious than Dominick's. She drove a black Escalade that swallowed her petite frame when she stepped inside, and mine as well.
“You must have a family,” I commented as she put the key in the ignition.
“Nope. I got it in the divorce.”
“Oh.” I sank into the seat and kept my mouth shut while we drove down the road to The Cheesecake Factory.
“Have you eaten here before?” she asked when we pulled up in front of it.
“A few times.”
“They have good cheesecake.”
“It's in the name.”
The smile she gave me was sarcastic, but there was something friendly about it that didn't make it so unsettling.
We walked inside and waited to be seated. The entire time, I found myself staring at Melinda while she wasn't looking. There was no ring on her finger, so I could only assume she hadn't replaced her ex-husband yet. Of course, that didn't mean she wasn't dating someone. I hoped she was dating someone. Even though Dominick had shown nothing but disdain towards her, I didn't like the idea of the two of them being alone together.
“So, how long have you known Dominick?” I asked after we were seated and the waitress came to take our orders.
“Since Behind Her Green Eyes.”
“Wow. Since the beginning then.”
“Yes. Since the beginning.” She grinned fondly. “And you've known Dominick since before the beginning. You're Tammy's sister.”
“He told you that, huh?” I pushed a strand of hair behind my ear nervously.
“There's not much he doesn't tell me. He leads a rather boring life. When there's something to talk about, it's not hard to get him to talk.”
“I suppose. What else has he told you about me?”
“That you make him happy.”
“Right now I just feel like a burden. He told me after you left the other day that his production has fallen since I moved in.”
“It's true, but I don't think he minds it.”
“Your publishing company minds it though.”
“Well, yes, but that's because it's a company. Companies like their employees to pick up on production, not to slack off.”
“But I thought his production was already higher than most.”
“It is, but that only means he's held to higher expectations.”
“That's what he said too.”
“Listen, Kim, I know it might be hard for a while, but I'd appreciate it if you and Dominick had as little contact as possible these next few months while he's finishing up his contract. I talked to him about getting you a short-term apartment, but he refused. So, we're just going to have to make this work out somehow. If there's anything you need, come to me first, not him. If you need to go to the store, or you want to get out of the house, just ask, and I'll be happy to take you wherever you need to go.”
“I didn't realize I was that much of a hindrance to him that I should move out,” I grumbled.
“Not a hindrance, but a distraction. None of this is meant to offend you, I just don't think you realize how far behind he's gotten, and it's not just his life that's affected. I wouldn't be speaking so bluntly with you if it wasn't important.”
“Alright,” I sighed. “I'll do my best to distance myself while he finishes up these novels. But afterward, your company better start being more reasonable. Dom is a person. He's not some machine that can pump novels out at the same pace forever. People's lives change. They need to understand that.”
“Businesses don't particularly care about the lives of their employees. They care about deadlines and money. They're greedy. You'd do well to remember that for when you graduate from college.”
We spent the rest of the meal talking about other stuff, like Melinda's nasty divorce and how Dominick had helped her through it. That was why they were on more of a friendly than professional basis.
“I got that stupid fucking car though. He loved that car. It was a small victory with him getting the house, if you could even call it a victory. I honestly don't know if he was pissed that I got the car. I like to think of him sitting in our house stewing over it, not that he couldn't just go down and buy another one. As far as I know, he didn't though.
“Now he's shacked up with some bimbo half my age and the house is on the market. He took it from me out of spite, the nasty bastard. That's what I get for marrying a lawyer though. They're crooked, every one of them.”
I could only sit there and cringe as I listened to the story. It sounded absolutely horrible.
“Anyway, Dominick let me stay with him while I got my life back together. He helped me heal from the divorce. He's such a good man, selfless and kind,” she sighed at a happy memory that only made me shift uncomfortably in my seat. I was scared to think about what she was recalling of her time with Dominick. Was it more than just friendly? Part of me feared so, but I was too afraid to ask.
I was never happier than when the waiter dropped off our bill. While Melinda had been very nice to me, there was something about her that I didn't like. Some part of me refused to like her. Even though she was only there for business, she seemed like a threat to me. Maybe it was her beauty. Perhaps it was the fact that she had spent time alone with Dominick before I had come along to claim the spot as his girlfriend. Maybe it was even because they were closer in age. I really wasn't sure. All I knew was that I couldn't wait for the next few months to hurry up and pass so that she would go away, and things could return to the way they were before.
When we returned to the condo, I spent the rest of the afternoon locked in my bedroom doing homework and playing online. Melinda set herself up in the living room with her laptop and ereader, planning to stick around until however long she felt it was necessary. I'm honestly not sure when she left, because I fell asleep before then.
The next afternoon, she was on the loveseat again when I came home. And by the following afternoon, I decided to submit to the fact that she would probably be a permanent fixture in the condo until Dominick finished writing all the books that he owed her.
On Saturday, I tried to wake up early and cook Dominick a proper breakfast. He was complaining that I had spoiled him and that pop tarts just weren't cutting it. Melinda arrived before I had even finished cooking, and welcomed herself to join us. That would have been all well and good, except for that she chastised me while we were eating for going off of her plan. I sulked, feeling like a child who was being reprimanded for doing something wrong. Hell, I was only trying to feed my boyfriend a decent meal.
After that, I decided it was better if I left for the day. The more time I spent around Melinda, the less I could stand her, and while I didn't particularly want to leave her alone with Dominick, I knew I wouldn't be able to make it through the day locked in my room like some prisoner. That's what we both felt like with her around, prisoners.
“I'm going out with Victor,” I told Dominick as I walked past his office on my way toward the door.
He grunted at me, probably too afraid to argue and incite Melinda's wrath. It was pleasant to know that I wouldn't have to deal with fighting him, but a bit unsettling that he had given up so easily. A tremor of suspicion ran through my mind. Maybe he wants you to leave. Maybe he wants to be alone with her. Maybe there's something else going on between them.
I quickly shoved it to the back of my mind. If there was something going on between them, then surely he wouldn't act so miserable every time she was around. No. It was probably just my imagination playing tricks on me, making things out to be something they weren't. Trust. You need to trust him, as he trusts you.
Victor picked me up and we headed to the theater, then we went shopping at the mall and finished off the night at Chili's. He was such a good sport, following me around into all the various clothing stores, watching me try on outfits, and giving me his opinion, whether I liked it or not. If Victor was one thing, he was bluntly honest. It was like there wasn't much of a filter between his mouth and his brain. That wasn't always a bad thing, unless we started talking about Dominick, which we did once we had gotten seated at a booth in the restaurant.
“On a scale of one to ten, how pretty is this woman?” Victor asked while he unrolled his silverware.
“Like how pretty do I think she is or how pretty do I think a guy would think she is?”
“It's kind of the same thing, really. Women know when other women are attractive. Just like men know when other men are attractive. Most straight people are just scared to admit it.”
“Well, she is really pretty, for an older woman.”
“Bringing age into it?” He smirked.
“She's not that much older. She told me the other day that her ex-husband is dating someone half her age, so that means she has to be at least thirty six.”
“If that's older to you, then I guess it won't be much longer before Dominick reaches his expiration date,” Victor teased.
“Oh, shut it. That's not what I meant.”
“Do enlighten me. I must confess, I'm a bit confused.”
“She's pretty. Okay? Gorgeous, even.”
“So, she's a threat.”
“No. Yes. I don't know. Her and Dom have been friends for a long time. And she says she's there strictly for business. She's being really mean to him, so I don't see how something could be going on between them.”
“You never know. Some guys like being rough handled.”
“I can't picture anyone rough handling Dom.”
“Well, the point is that she's there all day with him, every day, and you're not.”
“No. The point is that she's there on business. Why are you always trying to get me worked up over the littlest things?” I knitted my eyebrows.
“This isn't exactly a little thing, Kim. Think about it. This woman just shows up, starts spending copious amounts of time with Dominick, and is trying to push you out of the picture.”
I shook my head in frustration. “It's not like that. You just don't understand, okay.”
“I may not understand the situation, but I understand men. If you give a man the opportunity to be with a beautiful woman, he's going to take it. What better opportunity is there than being alone with her all day.”
“I hate it when you get like this. I really do. It feels like you go out of your way to try to break us up sometimes.”
“I don't. I go out of my way to open your eyes to reality.”
“And the reality is that she's here on business, trying to get Dominick back on track.”
“The reality is that she lived with Dominick for a while, which means they definitely had sex together, and now she's using business as an excuse to keep you away from him.”
“I don't want to talk about this anymore.” I crossed my arms over my chest, sinking into the booth.
“Fine,” he relented, moving on to a different topic, though my mood was already ruined.
For the rest of meal, I listened to Victor talk about the project he was working on in his computer game development class. Most of what he was saying went in one ear and out the other, since my mind was almost entirely focused on the things he had said about Dominick and Melinda. Though I knew I shouldn't let them bother me, he had watered the seed of doubt that my subconscious had already planted, and it was beginning to grow.
By some miracle, Melinda was on her way out when Victor dropped me off after dinner. She smiled warmly at me, telling me that Dominick had been a good boy and she had decided to give him the rest of the night off. How thoughtful of you, I thought bitterly. And what do you mean by he has been a good boy?
When I entered Dominick's office, he seemed grumpy as usual, staring at the screen in disgust. For a while, I didn't even think he was going to acknowledge me, but then he turned, and I almost wished he hadn't.
“Thirty pages,” he said. “I've written thirty pages, and I hate every one of them.”
“Well, Melinda says you have the rest of the night off, so I wouldn't worry about it anymore.”
“They expect me to write, but they don't care if it's good or not.”
“It would seem that way.”
He huffed before pulling himself out of the chair and walking past me without so much as a glance. His dismissive actions stung, and it made me realize how physically distant we'd become since Melinda arrived. Suddenly, I was craving intimacy with him something fierce, but I was too scared to approach him. I simply stood there, depressed and lost in thought until I heard the shower head in the bathroom turn on. Then I knew there was no point of standing there any longer, so I retreated to my room to get my clothes ready for my own shower.
As I stepped under the spray of warm water, my mind flooded with memories of things Victor had said, of things Melinda had said, and of the way Dominick had been acting. Victor was wrong. Melinda was there strictly for business. If what was going on between Dominick and Melinda was anything different, he wouldn't have been able to hold onto his miserable disposition for so long. I knew Dominick well enough to know he wasn't acting. He was truly unhappy when Melinda was around, and as sick as it sounded, that thought made me happy—that one thought was keeping me sane.
It felt like a lot of my worries washed away with the shower, and I emerged in a better frame of mind. Dominick was parked on the loveseat, watching the news half-asleep. I climbed onto the small space beside him and rested my head against his shoulder, inhaling the scent of soap and clean skin. Just touching him brought naughty thoughts to mind. It felt like it had been forever since we'd last had sex, not since that awkward phone call with my sister. Dominick was too tired to initiate though; I knew that. Maybe it would be alright if I did it just this once.
I started by kissing his shoulder, feeling his hard flesh beneath my lips. He smiled warmly at me, though there was no lust behind his eyes, only exhaustion. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.
“Can I sleep with you tonight?” I asked, sounding small and innocent.
“If by sleep with me, you mean in the literal sense. I'm too tired for anything else, Kimlet.”
“I know. I meant it in the literal sense. I just . . . miss you, is all.” I nuzzled my face against his.
“I know. I miss you too.”
“We should have showered together.”
“We should have, but I wasn't thinking.”
“It's alright. Next time.”
He grabbed the remote and turned off the television, signaling that it was time for us to go to bed. I wasn't very tired, but I wasn't about to miss out on a chance to cuddle. Whatever physical time I could get with Dominick, I was going to take. Tomorrow, it would be back to ignoring each other like we didn't exist.
We laid in bed together in the darkness, our naked bodies entwined to where my head was resting comfortably on his chest. Just the feel of his skin caused deep stirring inside of me, and it took everything in me to keep my hands to myself. What would he do if I slid my hand between his legs, gripped his manhood, and started fondling him? The soft snoring sound just above my head told me that I had lost my chance to find out. Poor guy. He was so tired all the time now. I couldn't help but wonder when we would get the chance to have sex again. With Melinda around constantly, it would probably be a while. Hopefully, he'd catch up on his work soon, and she would leave. Being ignored wasn't fun, and I honestly didn't know if I could handle several more months of it.
Melinda knocked on the door bright and early the next morning, and I hated her for it. It seemed like with each passing day I liked her less and less. Of course, she hadn't really done anything to cause me to dislike her. She was just there. But still, her just being there disrupted my life, and it was starting to make me crabby. I was beginning to worry that by the time she left, Dominick and I would both be permanently moody. That wouldn't be very fun.
In an attempt to save my sanity, I called Victor again to see if he wanted to hang out. He was busy though, so I ended up tagging along with Carmen and her friends. We went to the mall, which kind of sucked since I had just been there the day before. I wasn't going to argue about it though. I was just there to tag along.
They talked about boys and fashion and makeup like little high school girls. Not that I didn't enjoy talking about those things, they were just all so dramatic about it. Half the day was spent rolling my eyes while I trailed behind them like a lost puppy, while the other half was spent feigning interest in their conversations as if I actually knew the people they were talking about.
Even though I wasn't having the best time, I was grateful for the distraction and didn't want it to end. I even followed them to one of the girl's houses for a makeover party. That was a bit more fun, doing each other's hair and makeup and being pampered. It would have been better if I had someone to show it all off to when I got home. Melinda was the only one who got to see me before I stepped into the shower and washed it all away. Dominick was off limits.
Monday rolled around, and I was thankful that I didn't have to search for something to do. Between school and riding the bus, I was well occupied for most of the day. The few hours that I spent locked in my room at night weren't so torturous with homework to fill the void.
The week dragged on, and I found myself in a constant state of discontent. Every afternoon, I'd come home and Melinda would be there serving as a fleshy barrier between Dominick and I. Most days, she'd stay until I went to bed.
As I walked around the condo, I had to endure the sound of duel keyboards tapping away. Melinda in the living room. Dominick in his office. Tap. Tap. Tapping away. It felt like our home had turned into one big office, and I hated it.
Things did get better with time, though not for me. Dominick began adapting to Melinda's harsh schedule, and while he wasn't any less tired, he did seem happier. Instead of staying in his office all the time, he'd come out on occasion to talk with Melinda. Rarely did he visit my room to check on me. They were getting really friendly, and though I tried to push suspicious thoughts to the back of my mind, it was starting to bother me.
It wasn't until Dominick finished the first of the three novels that Melinda finally gave him a day off. To my dismay, he decided to celebrate it by taking the three of us out to lunch. You'd think that after being locked to his desk for so long with that insufferable woman nagging at his back, he'd want to get away from her and actually spend some time alone with his real girlfriend, but that wasn't the case.
At the restaurant, I found myself feeling alienated. They laughed and discussed work as if I wasn't even there, though Melinda was gracious enough to ask me a question from time to time that would bring me back into the conversation. It was really beginning to feel like I was losing my boyfriend, like I was slowly being replaced by this older more mature woman, this gorgeous woman with beautiful blonde hair, a killer body, and a great career. Hell, compared to me, she had everything going for her. Why wouldn't he want her instead?
Calm yourself, Kim. It's not what you think it is. Like she said, once this book writing business is over, she'll go away, and things will return to normal. For as much as I told myself that though, I couldn't force myself to believe it. There was something going on between them. I could see it in the lingering hugs she gave him, the way he looked at her when she walked away, the witty banter they shared back and forth, that of which I was completely excluded from because my mind couldn't work fast enough to keep up. I was losing Dominick. I just knew it. And there was nothing I could do but watch. If I said something, that I wanted her to go away, it would only sound selfish. Both of their livelihoods depended on Dominick getting his part of the job done, and apparently he couldn't do that without her being around.
“Are you alright?” Dominick asked me when the lunch was over, and we were driving back to the condo without Melinda. Without Melinda. After the past two weeks, those words seemed almost impossible. Maybe when we got home, she'd be waiting there for us. My mind was trained to think that way.
“I'm fine,” I lied.
“You don't seem fine.”
“I'm just tired is all. It's been a long week.”
“You're telling me. I think I got that novel done in record time, though I can't help but feel sorry for Melinda.”
“Why?” It's me who you should feel sorry for—me who you've been neglecting.
“Because I make a lot of mistakes when I'm rushed. She's going to have her work cut out for her.”
“I don't think she cares as long as it's done.”
“Well, hopefully my readers won't care either. That certainly wasn't my best work, and I doubt the next two will be either. When I'm rushed, it tends to show in my writing.”
“I'm sure it will be fine.”
“I appreciate your confidence in me.”
I smiled weakly at him, and we drove in silence the rest of the way home. The remainder of the afternoon was spent sitting on the loveseat together watching movies. Surely, he'd want to have sex eventually. This was the first time we'd really been alone together in what felt like an eternity. While his eyes were glued to the screen the entire time, mine drifted between the television and his body. Nestled snugly in his arms, all I could think about were the wicked pleasures I had been denied. I licked my lips while I undressed him with my eyes. Though I had seen Dominick naked hundreds of times before, the excitement was there as if it was the first time. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and the body as well.
I tried to press myself closer against him, to kiss his chest, to rub his arm affectionately. Those moves weren't bold enough to get the point across though. He simply held me tighter, squeezing me gently from time to time in acknowledgment of my actions. Then I tried kissing him on the lips, but he didn't seem to want more than a peck, acting more annoyed than aroused by my obvious neediness. Finally, I gave up, scowling at the television and stewing in my rejection until it was time to go to bed. We slept in the same room that night, but the emotional distance between us felt miles wide. His touch was cold, his intentions more innocent than they had ever been. I felt like a glorified bed warmer, just there to take up physical space, and wondering if the space in his heart for me was getting smaller by the day.
The next morning, it was back to the grind. Melinda showed up before I left for school, and I didn't bother to hide my disdain for her. I opened the door with the grumpiest frown I could muster, and barely even looked in her direction before I left.
“Have a good day at school, Kim,” she called to me as I walked out the door.
Completely fed up, I grumbled back, “It will only be a good day if you're gone by the time I get back.”
She wasn't gone when I came back though. She was on the loveseat, tapping away, ready to drive me insane with her presence. I glared daggers at her, imagining all the scandalous things her and Dominick had probably done when I was away. Had they fucked? Was that where he was getting his motivation from now? Was that why he wasn't interested in me?
I paid her no mind as I walked into my bedroom and threw my backpack on the floor with an exasperated huff. If there had been anything breakable in it, it would have shattered. My agitation was bordering on violence. I needed to get rid of this woman. That was all there was to it. Either she needed to go, or I did, but we both couldn't continue to occupy the same space every day. Her constant presence was turning my life into a living hell.
My only viable option was to take the offer of the short-term apartment. But I knew that if I did that, Dominick and I would truly be over. That's just what she wanted, for me to leave so that she could have him to herself. That had probably been the plan all along. Plan B worked well enough though, to drive me away. The only question was, whether or not I was really willing to let him go. My heart broke at the thought of leaving Dominick, but I honestly couldn't handle our living situation much longer. Knowing that this woman was with him every day, and not knowing what they were doing together, was killing me almost as much as the thought of losing him. With each passing day, it felt like we were growing farther apart. My desperate feelings weren't enough to keep us together. He wasn't making an effort, so why should I? It was time to throw up the white flag, no matter how much it hurt to surrender him to this harpy.
All fight left me by the next morning. I greeted Melinda with numbness, staring into her perfect face with tempered hatred. You won, you bitch. You can have him. I'll leave.
The day was spent sulking around, not paying attention to my classes. Victor noticed my dismal mood, and he did his best to cheer me up, though the effort fell flat. We sat together at lunch, and I didn't feel like eating. I used my lunch sack as a pillow instead, crushing the contents with my head like some sick pathetic idiot.
“Are you going to be alright?” Victor quirked an eyebrow at me while he twisted the cap off his soda.
“No,” I groaned.
“It's not the end of the world, you know. This would have happened eventually anyway.”
“Shut up, Victor.”
“I'm just saying. Besides, now you and I can spend more time together.”
“Shut up, Victor.”
“You know, I got a new apartment at the beginning of the semester, and it's been kind of hard paying rent on my own. You could always move in with me.”
“Shut up, Victor. Wait. What?” I lifted my head to look at him, and he shrugged, turning his attention to his sandwich.
“Just a thought.”
“You'd actually let me move in with you?”
“You'd have to get a job, of course, but I don't see why not. I mean, it's not a bad deal. My parents are rich, so if we ever fell short on rent, they would pick up the tab.”
“I don't really know if that's a good idea,” I said, thinking about how hurt Dominick would be if I moved in with Victor. Then again, he kind of deserved it after what he had done to me. And who is to say he would even care. He had Melinda now. He didn't need me anymore.
“I'm just throwing it out there. It's up to you.”
“I think I'm just going to take Melinda up on the offer of getting me a temporary apartment for now. I'll figure out what I'm going to do after the lease is up. Besides, I could use some time alone. With Melinda at the condo every day, I feel like I'm never alone anymore.”
“You were never alone before.”
“I know, but this is different. Dominick always stays in his office, so a lot of the time, it felt like I was alone.”
“What makes this any different then? Doesn't Melinda stay in the living room?”
“Yeah, but it's just the fact that she's there.”
“She's a threat.” He smirked.
“She's a big threat. Was a big threat. She won. It's over. I don't want to think about it anymore.” I deflated, resting my head on my lunch sack again, the sandwich inside squishing beneath the weight.
“So, when are you planning to move out?”
“As soon as possible.”
“Have you talked to Dominick about it yet?”
“No. I'll talk to him about it tonight. I was going to wait until the weekend, but I honestly don't think I'll last that long.”
“Do you think they can get you into an apartment before the weekend? That's very doubtful, Kim. There's usually a process.”
“I know,” I sighed. “Tammy and I went through it the first time I thought I was going to move out.”
“You could always stay with me until things get settled. I've got plenty of room, and I won't even make you pay me partial rent.”
“That's kind of you. I'll think about it.”
“Well, you have my number.”
“I know. Thanks.”
The idea of moving in with Victor, even for just a little while, was weird. I was a bit apprehensive to consider it, knowing myself too well. When I was sad, I was vulnerable, and Dominick had denied me his touch for too long. My body was all confused want. It wouldn't take much for me to fall prey to Victor's advances. Then what would happen? Would our friendship be ruined? Would it turn into something else?
I pondered this among many other things as I trudged through the rest of my classes. There were so many questions and what ifs going through my mind. How would Dominick react to me wanting to leave? Given the way he'd treated me these past few weeks, he probably wouldn't care. Knowing that only made me hurt more. My heart felt like a swollen gaping wound, slowly bleeding out until it killed me. Melinda was an infection, and I honestly wasn't sure I would survive her. Things felt bad now, but I knew they would only get worse once it was confirmed that Dominick and I were over. I honestly didn't know if I'd be able to handle it. There was no choice though. Torturing myself wasn't doing me any good. It was better to rip the band-aid off, to rip it off and bleed to death from the injury.
I entered the condo as quietly as possible, as if I didn't want to stir the beast within. She still looked up at me though, greeted me, gave me that genuine smile that I wanted to punch right off her perfect face. She asked me how my day was, and I grunted in reply, walking past the living room to drop my backpack off in my room like a sack of bricks. Dominick was typing away in his office. He didn't even bother glancing at me as I walked past. That was to be expected though. It was rare he took the time to acknowledge me anymore.
With a sigh, I plopped down in the chair in front of my computer and decided to kill time until the witch went home. There was no point talking about my plans while she was still here. I didn't want to disturb Dominick from his work, and I really didn't want to approach her until I had talked it over with him first. So I waited and waited and waited, waited until it was past my bedtime, waited until it was almost midnight.
“Did you get a lot done today?” I heard Melinda say to Dominick.
“Yes, Master,” he replied sarcastically.
“Good. How long before it's done do you think?”
“Well, I got 10k done today, but I doubt I'll keep up with that pace. Two weeks at best. Three weeks if I don't kill myself over it.”
“You're going at a good pace. Let's shoot for two weeks. Three would be fine though.”
“I'm so taking a vacation after this.”
“You and me both. Maybe we could go somewhere together.”
I cringed at her suggestion, hating her for it.
“See you tomorrow, Melinda,” he told her.
“See you tomorrow, Dominick. Get some sleep.”
“You too.”
Then she was gone, and I was never happier to hear the front door close behind her. How dare she suggest going on vacation with my boyfriend. He won't be your boyfriend much longer, I reminded myself, and my heart shattered at the thought. Just get this over with. Rip the band-aid off the wound. Bleed to death.
My feet didn't want to move though. I heard Dominick getting up from in front of his computer, and I just couldn't force myself to meet him. Each step would take me closer to the end of us, and I didn't think I could bear it. So I just sat there, trying to coax myself to move as I listened to him walk into his bedroom. Then I heard the shower turn on, and I chastised myself for being so slow. Once he had finished his shower, he would go straight to bed. That's how the routine always went. Then it would be too late to talk to him, and I'd have to wait until tomorrow. What was worse was that I would have to suffer through the same misery all day again, waiting and wondering about how everything would play out. That thought motivated me to move, to get off my ass and walk into his bedroom, to sit on the bed and listen to the rapid beating of my heart as it counted down until Dominick finished his shower, to the time of our break up.
Each minute was agonizing. My mind was a messy flurry of scenarios, none of which had a positive ending. I did my best to numb myself, to prepare for the storm to come. Dominick would be tired, so I doubted there would be any fight in him or care. He would just want to get the conversation over with and go to bed. That was probably for the best. The sooner it was over, the sooner I could go cry myself to sleep.
He emerged from the bathroom with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. My eyes lecherously consumed his body, thinking of how delicious he looked. It's amazing how you can be horny and depressed at the same time, a confusing combination.
“Kim,” he said my name quietly, surprised to see me sitting there.
“Dominick.”
The surprise faded, and annoyance took its place. “Can this wait until tomorrow?”
“No.” I shook my head, wrapping my arms around myself as if it would protect me from his disapproving gaze. Already, he was being so cold that it made me want to start crying.
“What's up?” He came to sit beside me, though he didn't even bother to look at me.
My heart broke as I said the words, “I'm going to take Melinda up on the offer to get me an apartment.”
“Why?”
“Because I'm distracting you from your work, and I think it would just be easier on both of us if I went away for a while.”
“Distracting me from my work? How are you distracting me? I barely see you anymore.”
“That's why she's here, isn't it? To keep us away from each other. To keep me from bothering you and interfering with your work.”
“What's this really about?” He turned to me, but I couldn't stand to meet his eyes.
“That is what it's really about. I'm a distraction. Ever since I moved in with you, you haven't been meeting your deadlines. But ever since she came to stay with us, I've been doing poorly at school. I think it would solve both of our problems if I just left for a while.”
“You make it sound like she's moved in.”
“She practically has. She's here all time time. I barely have a chance to wake up before she's knocking on the door, and she doesn't leave until after I've gone to bed on most nights. She might as well be living here. If I leave, she can move in, and it would save everyone a lot of trouble.”
“Listen.” He lightly touched my shoulder. “I know things are hard right now, but it won't be much longer.”
“It doesn't have to be liked this.” I shook my head. “Things would be a lot easier for all of us if I just left.”
“Is that what you really want?”
I sighed, “No. It's not what I want, but it's the best solution I can come up with.”
“What would make this better on you?” his voice softened.
I could feel myself breaking down. It had only been a matter of time. My eyes were watering, and I was losing what composure I had left. All of my emotions were flooding me, pushing at my throat, wanting to spew out in words that I really felt but would probably regret.
“I want her to go away,” I said finally.
“I do too,” he whispered.
“You do?” I looked up at him.
“Of course I do. Do you really think this is any fun for me? She watches me all day long, doesn't let me leave my office. Things haven't exactly been ideal for me either.”
“But I thought you liked her.”
“Is that what this is really about?” His lips twisted into a half-smirk, and I instantly blushed and averted my eyes.
“No.”
“Kim.” He touched his fingertips to my chin, drawing my face back towards him. “Are you jealous?”
“No.” I shrugged, pulling away from him. “She's just . . . around all the time. And the two of you seem to get along so well. Sometimes I just feel like a third wheel.”
“Of course, we get along well. She's my editor. We have a professional relationship. We kind of have to get along well.”
“Just a professional relationship?” I asked, internally cringing at how pitiful it sounded.
“You are jealous,” he laughed, wrapping his arms around me and kissing me on top of the head. I struggled for a moment, but then surrendered, allowing him to hold me, though I was scowling the entire time.
“Well, she's beautiful and smart and well off. Why shouldn't I feel threatened?”
“Because there's no reason to feel threatened. You're the only one for me. You'll always be the only one for me. I figured you were smart enough to know that by now.”
“But you haven't wanted to have sex lately.”
“We haven't had much of an opportunity. By the time she leaves at night, I'm absolutely exhausted. Maybe not physically, but mentally. I only want you to have the best of me, and I can't give you the best of me when I'm not all here.”
“But when you had the day off, you didn't want to do it either.”
“Again, that was because I was mentally tired. It had nothing to do with me not wanting you.”
“I don't need your best all the time, Dominick. I just need you.” I leaned against him. “You know, if you're tired, you could just lay there, and maybe I could try being on top.”
“That's an intriguing idea,” he purred, nuzzling the side of my head.
“Then let me try it.” I pressed my palm against his chest, feeling his warm skin and the electricity that the contact caused. My body lit up even at the suggestion of sex. It didn't matter how it happened, as long as it was with him, as long as we made that connection.
Dominick kissed me gently on the lips, and I savored the taste of him, pressing for more. His kiss felt tired, but there was a softness in it that I enjoyed, and I was willing to take what I could get, whatever I could get from him. It had been too long.
My hands tugged at the towel around his waist, pulling it away to expose his naked flesh. He smelled clean and delicious, though I wasn't able to breath him in for long before he broke free from my lips, trailing kisses across my cheek and down my throat. I craned my neck for him, looking up at the ceiling and thinking of how much I had missed this.
“I just took a shower,” he moved back up to my ear to whisper.
“I don't care,” I replied stubbornly.
“You're going to make me dirty all over again.” Dominick nibbled on my earlobe, sending a shiver down my spine.
“Mhm.”
I put my hand on his chest and pushed him gently. He pulled away from me, giving me a quizzical look. It wasn't until I pushed him a second time that he realized what I wanted, for him to lie down so that I could crawl on top of him. I stood and undressed while he got into position, and he watched me with lustful eyes, eyes that it felt like I hadn't seen in forever. His body became aroused from just the sight of me, and I was never happier to see an erection in all my life. He still wanted me. Thank God, he still wanted me.
With a lecherous grin, I climbed on top of him, lining him up between my legs, though I didn't take him inside of me immediately. I spent a bit of time teasing him, rubbing his hard cock between my soft folds, gearing him up for what was to come. The aroused impatience on his face only made me grin more, the way he was trying to hold back. Dominick never gave up control, and I could tell it was difficult for him.
“You're being a very naughty girl,” he growled at me, grabbing my ass and kneading his fingers into my muscles as he urged me to take him inside. The sight of him writhing beneath me was too amusing though, and for all my lust, I was enjoying teasing him. Just knowing he wanted me in such a desperate way made me want to keep the game going forever.
I groaned as he slid back and forth between my legs, his hardened length twitching with undeniable want. As I humped him, I played with one of my nipples, making a big display of it. Eventually, it was more than he could handle, and he ended up grabbing me roughly and rolling on top of me. When he jammed his cock inside of me, my body shot off in an explosion of pleasure. His needy thrusting only drew out the contractions that wrecked me, making me moan shamelessly as he fucked me with a ferocity I hadn't felt in a while. So much for me being in control.
By the time we were finished, my body felt half-broken. There was a soreness between my legs I hadn't felt in months, a soreness from being pushed to my limits, past them, from being manipulated and maneuvered in ways that were almost unnatural, in ways that magnified his pleasure. I had gotten a fair share of my own too. For all of his claims of being exhausted, Dominick fucked me like he had all the energy in the world. We were both spent when he finally collapsed beside me in a breathless heap, and it was only moments later that he was snoring softly, leaving me to clean up on my own and then crawl back in bed beside him. We had gotten filthy, and the scent of it lingered behind like an intoxicating perfume. Perhaps tomorrow Melinda would smell it, and she'd know he was mine.
Apparently, Dominick wasn't the only one who was exhausted. I woke up to the sound of the doorbell ringing, groaning as I looked over at the clock and realized I had overslept. Since Melinda had been coming over every morning, there had been no reason to set my alarm. My body usually knew before she arrived. I'd wake up in a bad mood, anticipating it. Today I hadn't been given time to wake up in a bad mood.
Dominick looked equally annoyed by the sound, lifting his head and sighing before letting it fall back down with a huff. “Are you going to let her in, or should I?”
“We could tell her to go away.” I smirked at him, rolling over to kiss his shoulder.
“I suppose we could.” He smiled at me.
“I could take the day off of school and we could spend it together,” I suggested, hopeful.
“We could, but then I'd get behind in work and you'd fall behind in school.”
“One day won't kill us.”
“It wouldn't, but she might.”
“Dominick,” I groaned. “I can't go on like this anymore. I really can't.”
“Alright.” He gave me a short look of concern and then rolled out of bed. I watched him walk to his chest of drawers to pull out a pair of pajama pants and a T-shirt. My body ached as each inch of naked skin was covered. Damn me for feeling so needy.
With a sigh, I quickly dressed as well and then went into the kitchen to make myself breakfast while Dominick let Melinda in. I hated it that he hadn't given in to me, but I did understand. Whether I liked it or not, I was going to have to bear her presence for the next few months until this was all over with.
“We need to talk,” I heard Dominick tell her, instantly drawing my attention to the living room.
“Oh, what is it?” she asked, following him to sit on the loveseat.
I continued about my business, pouring a bowl of cereal and trying to pretend like I wasn't eavesdropping. My ears were completely tuned in to their conversation though, wondering what he was about to tell her.
“I can't do this anymore,” he said.
“What do you mean?”
“This. You being here all the time.”
“It's starting to get to Kim, isn't it?” she sounded genuinely sympathetic.
“Not just Kim. It's getting to me too. I understand you want these projects done as quickly as possible, but you're being a slave driver.”
“I'm only doing this because it's important. My being here helps keep you on track, doesn't it?”
“Yes. But you don't need to be here all the time. I appreciate what you're trying to do, but you can't stay on top of me 24/7.”
“Well, I obviously can't leave you to your own devices, or you won't get anything done.”
“If you keep this up much longer, I'm going to go on strike,” he threatened, though there was no malice in his voice. “You're burning me out. I'm a writer, not a factory worker. You can't expect me to write twelve hours straight every day without burning out. When you force me to write for so long, the quality of my work suffers. Surely, you've seen that in your edits.”
She hesitated, “I have, but this stuff has to get done.”
“It will get done, but you need to trust me.”
“I wish I could, but you're already so far behind,” Melinda sighed.
“Let's work something out then. I understand your need to stay on top of me, I really do, but my work is starting to suffer and so is my relationship. Kim told me she wanted to leave last night because she can't handle you being around all the time.”
“I'm sorry. I didn't know. I never came here with the intentions of messing stuff up for you. I just remember how you were before, how hard you used to work.”
“I still work hard. Things are a bit different now though. I'm not the person I was before. Before, I didn't have anyone, so I was able to work like a machine. I'm not a machine though, and I can't keep up this pace.”
“I understand. What do you want to do then?”
“Eight hours a day. That's more than enough time for me to get a good amount of work done. That's all the time I'm going to give you. You can come over from nine to six. Kim's first class starts at eight forty-five. That way, her and I can have the mornings together. If you leave at six, we can still have part of our afternoons together as well. I tend to slow down after five o'clock anyway, because I can't really think anymore.”
“That's nine hours.”
“I factored in two fifteen-minute breaks and a thirty-minute lunch.”
“Sounds fair.”
“Good, because that's the way that it's going to be. I promise I'll get these books out before deadline. You have to trust me.”
“I do. I think I was just freaking out for myself. You know what happens if I don't meet my deadline.”
“I know, and I promise I won't let you down.”
She took a deep breath, “Then I suppose all I can do is trust you. You've never let me down before. I don't see why I should worry about it now.”
“You shouldn't. Since you're already here, we might as well get to work. I want you out by five o'clock though, since you're here early.”
“Fine, Dominick. I understand. I'm sorry I've been so overbearing lately. I didn't mean to mess things up for you with Kim.”
“I know you didn't. Your intentions are always good.”
Dominick retreated to his office, and I ate my cereal in the dining room with a smile on my face, elated that he had stood up for us. Part of me felt guilty though. Melinda sounded sincerely remorseful, and I can't help but think I had painted the wrong picture of her in my mind. There probably wasn't anything going on between them, though if there was, there was no way for me to find out. Still, I decided to trust Dominick, to trust both of them. After all, I expected him to trust me with Victor. The least I could do was return that trust.
As she had promised, Melinda left the house at five o'clock that afternoon. I still wasn't too pleased to come home and find her sitting on the loveseat, but it made me a lot less grumpy knowing she wouldn't be there much longer. That night, I made dinner, and Dominick and I ate together. He seemed every bit as glad as I was that she was gone.
The days and weeks marched on, and things got better for all of us. Dominick and I were generally happier, and even Melinda confessed that being around us all the time had dragged her down a bit. She didn't realize that what she was doing had such an impact on all of our moods. We all seemed happier for the change, and Dominick's productivity didn't dip. Melinda was surprised to find that he got almost as much work done in eight hours as he had in twelve. The finished product was a lot better too, less editing on her part.
While the suspicion of Dominick cheating loomed around for a while after the schedule change, it didn't take long before his sex drive picked back up, and that fear was eradicated. With my happiness restored, I was less hostile toward Melinda, and I even started to like her. Sometimes, when the workday was done, she'd stick around, and we'd chat about how Dominick was before I had come back into his life. She'd tell me funny stories, and we'd laugh and have a good time at his expense. He wasn't exactly pleased that she disclosed such embarrassing things about him, but he did like it that we were getting along.
After Dominick finished the second of the three novels, Melinda started coming around even less. Since she had ridden his ass about the first two, there was plenty of time to get the last one finished. It was honestly odd not seeing her so often, and I strangely began to miss her. She was such a constant in our lives that when the contract was up at the end of the year, it almost felt like I was losing a friend.
“I can't believe we got it all done,” she commented as we sat together for a celebratory dinner after the last novel had been finished.
“I know,” Dominick said. “I couldn't have done it without you.”
“I know you couldn't have.” She smiled before turning her attention to me. “You keep him on his toes. I don't want to have to come back here and set him straight again.”
“I don't think she wants that either,” Dominick laughed.
“It sucked at first, but I think I'm going to kind of miss you now,” I said.
“Aww. I'm going to miss you guys too. You're like my little family away from family.”
“I bet you'll be happy to get back home to New York though,” Dominick said.
“I'll just be happy to get this all turned in. Remember when you go in to renew your contract to tell Marty that you want more time between projects.”
“I don't think Kim will let me forget.” He rubbed my knee under the table.
“I won't. If you do this to me again . . .” I thought about threatening to deny him sex, but then I got too embarrassed to say anything.
“I bet he'd have hell to pay.” Melinda smirked.
After the meal was over, we hugged and went our separate ways. It was strange to think that this woman had almost torn Dominick and I apart, and now I was sad to see her leave. In truth, it wasn't her who had almost torn us apart, but my own insecurities. Dominick was right. I was stupid to ever think he would love someone besides me. He had a dedicated heart. Before me, it had only belonged to my sister, and she had cast it aside, to my benefit. I would never cast him aside though. Not ever.