by Tammy Lewis
into his arms, he began to kiss me with a great passion and
urgency, all over again…
After an incredible weekend, Monday morning came around
fast, feeling tension fill the air as soon as I had arrived at the
office. Exiting the elevator, Ashlee was stood waiting for me,
ready to fill me in on what my morning would entail. Then
stopping me dead in my tracks, she concluded, “Oh and Ms
Hilary is in your office waiting for you.”
Spinning around to face her, feeling my heart skip a beat, I
asked, “Ms Hilary! Why is she waiting for me in my office?”
Shrugging her shoulders, nervously pushing her cute little
glasses further up her button nose, she replied, “I’m sorry
Dom’, but I have no idea.”
Wanting to get this over ASAP, I walked straight into my
office, apprehensively greeting Ms Hilary on entry. Noticing a
message appear on my phone from Quinn. Feeling awkward
at the thought of answering the message in front of Ms Hilary,
I turned the phone off instantly and tossed it into my purse.
Smiling over at Ms Hilary, pulling up my chair, trying to hold
my nerve, I greeted her “good morning Ms Hilary, how can I
help you?”
Watching her face harden before me, pressing her fingers
together in front of her, she suggested “we both know what’s
going on here.”
Confused, I asked, “what, what’s going on here?”
Noticing her become even more abrupt and slightly agitated, she replied, “Quinn, I am not stupid Domini, it’s obvious that
you two have a little something going on.”
Cringing, sure that I didn’t want to be having this
conversation with anyone, especially her.
Studying my entire face, she stated, “I really like him, and I
am pretty sure that he likes me too. But there’s something
between you both, I can feel it, tell me Domini is it serious,
are you sleeping with him?”
Widening my eyes, certain that she had overstepped the
mark, while I remained adamant that I was not going to
expose my personal life to her.
Reading my reaction, I watched in amazement as her face
became excited, and she claimed, “you’re not sleeping with
him, are you? When you both disappeared, at the same time
on Saturday night, I assumed that you had left together. But
when Ashlee mentioned that your apartment building had
caught fire, I assumed that’s why you had left. Then arriving
into work this morning, receiving a huge bouquet of flowers
from Quinn, I realised that maybe we needed a little chat.”
Feeling my heart sink, I asked, “he sent you flowers?”
Nodding, watching her whole face smirk back at me in
retaliation, Ms Hilary gushed, “yes, they are incredible. He
even sent a little note, apologising for leaving early on
Saturday evening.”
Speechless I sat there, running back through our entire
weekend together. The governor’s ball, then waking up in his
arms Sunday morning. Our late afternoon Sunday picnic,
watching a movie together at the open-air theatre and our
moonlight stroll back through the park. Consumed by my own
thoughts, Ms Hilary called out, “are we done here Miss Stone?”
Nodding I replied, lost in my dismal mood, “yes, Ms Hilary.”
Sat there alone, at my desk in silence, instantly hearing a
knock at my door. Popping his head around the door ajar,
looking alarmed, Marcus appeared, asking “is everything
okay? Ashlee sent me a message, she said that Ms Hilary was
up here and she didn’t look very happy.”
Pouting heavily, not wanting to speak, knowing how I had let
myself down again, allowing Quinn to get close, leaving me
hurt and heartbroken all over again. Noticing my raging
sadness, Marcus made his way over to me, throwing his arms
around me from behind, in the most protective manner. With
a heightened level of concern in his tone, he asked, “Dom’
what’s wrong? Tell me now. Is it him? Has he upset you? I’ll
kill him, you know that I will.”
Spinning me around to face him and crouching down before
me, looking deep into my sombre eyes, he whispered, “please
Dom’, please tell me what’s wrong.”
Breathing deeply, sure that I had to tell him soon. Trying to
find the words, that I didn’t want to say, I replied, “Quinn
sent Ms Hilary flowers.”
Looking clearly confused, Marcus stated, “but you’ve spent
the whole weekend in each other’s shadows, I don’t
understand.”
Shrugging my shoulders, certain that I didn’t have the
answers either, Marcus asked, “is that why she was in here?”
Nodding, I replied, “she wanted to know if we are sleeping
together.”
Furious Marcus stood before me, unsure whom he was more annoyed at, Quinn for leading me on, or Ms Hilary for making
me come clean, concerning my personal life.
Charging towards the door, I called out, “Marcus stop! What
are you going to do?”
Turning to face me, watching the fire emblazon in his eyes, he
replied, “she may be our boss, but she can’t speak to you like
that. Whatever happens outside of this building, is no concern
of hers. And as for him, I’m just glad that you have seen him
for what he is, before it got any more serious. Though right
now, nothing would please me more, than marching over
there and punching him straight into his perfect nose.”
Begging him, I pleaded “no Marcus, please leave it. He’s just
not worth it.”
Chapter 20
Forcing back the pitiful, unwanted tears that I could feel form
in my eyes, angry at myself for allowing him the power, to
make me feel this way. Struggling to concentrate, with my
head full of complete and utter nonsense. Hearing a
commotion, coming from outside my office door, suddenly
the door flew open and in stormed Quinn, followed by
Marcus. Turning to face them both, unprepared for the
showdown that was about to commence, I sat there silent, my
eyes filled with anguish and bitterness. Regretting the first
time that I had ever set eyes on Quinn.
Placing his hands down forcefully on to my desk, before me,
sensing an urgency in the tone of his voice, his face filled with
the most serious glare that I had ever seen, Quinn explained,
“I didn’t send her those flowers. I promise you. I don’t even
like her, why on earth would I send her flowers? Domini, I
think that I’m falling in love with you.”
Feeling my eyes widen, confined to the spot and my heart rise
up, high inside my chest. Speechless I gasped, placing my
hands up to cover my mouth. In complete shock, I began
frantically shaking my head. I was sure that this had to be
some sort of dream, or maybe some kind of nightmare.
Noticing that Marcus had also become mute, surprised just as
I was, at Quinn’s shocking revelation. When another knock
came from the already half opened door, taking us all out of
our daze and breaking this deafening silence. As
hlee
appeared, holding a large white box. Unsure what she had
just walked into, placing the box down on to the desk before
me, Ashlee gasped, “I’ll leave this here,” before exiting
quickly.
Averting everyone’s attention away from the current topic,
sure that this wasn’t something that I wanted discussed as a
group. Confused, yet curious, at the package that sat before
me, lifting the lid off of the box, I felt my whole body stiffen in
horror. Revealing a multitude of mutilated, distorted and
graffitied fashion doll heads. Each one as hideous as the next,
revealing a note, attached to the lid of the box, it read: -
“Quinn likes his girl’s plastic.
Quinn likes his girls fake.
Quinn likes his girls stupid.
And that’s why Quinn likes you!”
Lunging forward and taking the box from my desk, Marcus
yelled, “I am taking these to the police, maybe they can get
some prints off of them and put an end to all of this.”
Shaking his head, Quinn urged, “that’s what Cynthia wants, attention, just throw them in the trash. I am sure that once
she gets used to seeing us spending time together, then she
will leave us alone.”
Shaking his head furiously, Marcus replied “Dom’, you can’t
let her get away with this. How far does this have to go until
you put a stop to it?”
Looking over at Quinn, desperately needing some sort of
reassurance. Clearly seeing the distress within my eyes, he
replied, “Cynthia only operates from a distance, I promise, if
she tries to get close to you, I will put an end to all of this.”
Not looking very confident, Marcus backed down for now,
though I could see him fighting to keep his anger, fury and
opinions to himself. Sure, that he had heard quite enough,
Marcus left, taking the unwanted parcel down to the
basement, to be incinerated at once.
Taking his opportunity, seizing the moment, Quinn reached
out to me, securing me tightly in his arms. Feeling his warm
breath against my ear, he asked, “are you sure that you are
okay? Do you want to go downstairs, I will take you out for a
coffee?”
Refusing his offer, looking up into his gazing eyes, I asked “do
you mean what you said?”
Nodding, with sincerity in his eyes, Quinn replied, yes if she
gets close, then I will put an end to it. I promise.”
Shaking my head, closing my eyes tightly, absolutely sure that
I couldn’t look up at him, as my mouth struggled to form the
words that I needed to say. Hesitating, taking in a deep
breath, I mumbled “you said, that you think… uh… that you
may be… well uh.”
Stumbling over myself, when thankfully Quinn’s confusion turned into a smile, that emblazoned his entire face. Feeling
his lips gently press down on to the top of my head, squeezing
me a little tighter, Quinn whispered “in love.”
Swallowing, the invisible lump present in the back of my
throat, preventing me from trying to form a sentence of any
kind. Certain that the longer that this silence continued, the
more anxious I became. Feeling Quinn’s fingertips, grace the
tip of my chin. Face to face once more, the knots in my
stomach began tightening with a great intensity, in chorus
with his loving, longing glare. Wanting to pass out from the
fire, burning deep down within, leaning into me once more,
he placed his lips upon mine. Returning his kiss, I became
lost in him, wanting this moment to last forever. Releasing all
of my hidden emotions, with a great surge of power, that only
now, I had allowed him to free.
Opening my eyes to see him, to take in every inch of his face.
Hearing and feeling someone else present, within the room.
Releasing my lips from his, still closely caressed in his arms,
with his lips making their way to my neckline. I turned to see
my boss, Ms Hilary stood within my office doorway. Patting
Quinn’s forearm, to try and get his attention, all while
watching the evil fire burn within my boss’s eyes. Finally,
realising that we were not alone, he rested his lips on to my
cheekbone, feeling each and every word as he spoke.
Looking directly at Ms Hilary, he asked, “isn’t it mandatory, if
not polite, to knock before entering someone’s office?”
Placing her hand on to her hip, appearing furious, Ms Hilary
replied, “I guess that it would also apply to sexual relations of
any kind, within the workplace.”
Releasing me momentarily, only to reply to Ms Hilary
“touché.”
Then kissing me once more, gently on the lips, he began to leave. Reminding me of our dinner plans this evening, a
company dinner, with all of his business associates, that
somehow, I had agreed to attend, during our Sunday night
open air movie.
It was then in his absence, that I was faced with Ms Hilary
alone. I could see that she was anxiously awaiting an
explanation. Trying to function a sentence, stumbling before I
even began. Ms Hilary abruptly implied, “Domini, why didn’t
you just tell me that you were in a relationship. It would have
saved me from making an absolute fool of myself.”
Apologising, I replied, “I’m sorry Ms Hilary, but we have only
been out together on a few dates. I honestly didn’t think that
we had anything. Other than maybe a friendship or some sort
of love to hate relationship.”
Confused, Ms Hilary frowned, raising her eyebrow, she
suggested, “well I am no expert, but what I have just
witnessed, it would seem that Mr Hamilton is smitten.”
Unsure how to take her words initially, undecided on whether
I wanted him to have any feelings for me at all, uncertain if
they could ever be reciprocated. Undecided if it was at all
possible, for me to ever love someone in that way, ever again.
Later that evening, seated in the middle of my bed, vacantly
staring through my bedroom window, out on to the busy city
below. When suddenly, breaking my gaze, feeling a hand rest
on my shoulder, turning to see Marcus, stood behind me.
Lowering himself on to my bed beside me, playfully he asked,
“so what’s up slugger? Aren’t you supposed to be getting
ready for your big date this evening?”
Shaking my head, I replied, “I’m not going.”
Returning to my distant gaze, Marcus asked “Dom’, what’s wrong?”
“Marcus, I just can’t do the whole love thing again. I like the
guy, but I can’t let myself go through all that nonsense all over
again. If I go with him tonight, after what he said, then am I
just leading him on?” I explained.
Pulling me into his arms, holding on to me tightly, exhaling
deeply, Marcus asked, “Dom’, what the hell am I going to do
with you?”
Placing my head on to his shoulder, looking up into his
indecisive eyes, feeling Marcus’s lips rest on my forehead. It
was then wrapped within the silence, Marcus asked, “Dom’,
you always talk about finding
the one. I hate to even suggest
it, but what if he is the one?”
Shrugging my shoulders, I replied, “but if he is the one,
wouldn’t I know, wouldn’t I feel it?”
Caressing me closely, sighing heavily, sure that Marcus had
no more words of advice or reassurance left to give. When
suddenly the screen of my phone lit up on the bed beside us,
displaying a message from Quinn, it read: -
“On my way, I will see you in 5.”
Chapter 21
Leaving me in the same dismal state, Marcus left to go and
answer the door to Quinn. Feeling the knots tighten deep
within my stomach. Knowing that now that he was here, I
would have to come clean and tell him that I couldn’t go with
him tonight, but more importantly, why.
Certain that I could feel someone’s presence in the room behind me, looking over my shoulder to see Quinn, stood in
my doorway. Noticing the curious look of concern, consume
his entire face. Making his way over to me and sitting himself
down on to the bed beside me, tugging at my sweatpants,
Quinn joked, “I guess that you are going for the comfy casual
look this evening? Or are you having second thoughts, of
attending the business dinner altogether?”
Not wanting to answer, positive that he could tell by my
reaction, that it was the latter.
Placing his arm around my shoulder, pulling me into him,
just as Marcus had, only moments before. Resting my head
on Quinn’s shoulder, he asked, “it’s my premature statement
earlier, isn’t it, at your office. I’ve scared you. And now it’s
given you second thoughts.”
Knowing that he had hit the nail right on the head, without
making it too obvious, but wanting to be straight with him,
because he had been so upfront with me.
Cutting to the chase, I replied, “Quinn I can’t go. I can’t do
this. I can’t turn up, and face those people again. They all
believe that we are a married couple, I’m scared. I’m not an
actress, I don’t know how it feels to be married.”
When surprisingly, Quinn asked, “Domini, have you ever seen
the movie Reservoir dogs?”
Squinting at him, curious, wondering in which direction this
conversation was heading, Quinn continued. “It’s a great
movie, by the way. What I am trying to say is, all of my past