by Sky Corgan
“Dom?”
“Yeah?”
“These things you write . . . Are they things you want to do with me?”
His grin was lecherous. “What if they are?”
“They're so perverted and . . . risky. Do you find me boring?”
He swiveled around to face me, outstretching his hands. I stepped forward, taking them, looking toward the floor and trying to keep the warmth invading my cheeks from turning into a full-on blush.
“Of course I don't find you boring,” he told me while pulling me onto his lap. “The things I write are fantasy.”
“But if they're fantasy, then that means they're things you want to do.”
“A lot of people have fantasies they'd never actually carry out.”
“A lot of people. I'm not asking about a lot of people though. I'm asking about you.”
Dominick affectionately kissed the side of my head, though it did little to make me feel more secure. “Well, as of yet, I haven't had many opportunities to take advantage of you in public. Aside from picking you up from school and taking you grocery shopping, we really don't go out much. That's mainly my fault though. I have a deadline to meet, so it's hard for me to drag myself away from the computer. Things will be different when we go to California this weekend though.”
If I hadn't been blushing before, I definitely was now. California. It had been in the forefront of my mind since Dominick had asked me to go with him. Would he molest me on the plane, as he had in his book? Part of me hoped so, but another part of me was terrified at the prospect. Planes weren't very comfortable, and I tended to get motion sickness while on them. I'm sure he wouldn't want to write that into his book.
“Are you excited about the trip?” he asked, noticing that I was starting to space out.
“Mhm. I suppose. We're not going to be gone for very long, and you'll be doing work stuff most of the time, but it will be nice to go somewhere with you.”
“I know it's not the vacation you'd hoped for.”
“You never promised me a vacation, just that you'd take me with you.” I smiled at him, kissing him on the nose, which made him scrunch up his face in the most adorable way.
“You should probably think about packing. We're leaving in two days.”
“I know. I've always been a last minute packer though, and I've never forgotten anything.”
“If you say so.”
We stared at each other awkwardly for a moment before he spoke again, “As much as I'd love to keep you as a lap warmer, I have a deadline to make. Besides, it's getting late. To bed with you, Kimlet.”
I still cringed a little inside when he called me Kimlet, but I had learned to accept it as a part of us that would never die, no matter how much I wanted it to. Dominick must have seen me as a woman, otherwise he wouldn't be sleeping with me. Why he was so resistant to let go of the pet name he'd given me as a child, I'll never know, but I decided not to nag him about it. For as much as I hated the name, it did have a sense of nostalgia to it.
I retreated to my room, a little disappointed that he hadn't gotten aggressive. Dominick ran hot and cold, and sex only seemed to happen on a whim. Like he had written in his book, he reminded me of a predator, waiting to pounce on me until I least expected it. Even if I wasn't in the mood at the time, it didn't take long for him to warm me up. There was something about his touch that was absolutely magical. Just knowing he wanted me was enough to light a primal fire deep inside my core.
It seemed like the days dragged before our trip. I wasn't sure why I was so anxious to be going with Dominick. We were together all the time as it was. This vacation wouldn't be much different than being at home. I would just be doing my homework in a hotel room while he was gone on business. The more I thought about it, the more I wondered if it was even worth me going. There probably wouldn't be much time for sightseeing, and the last thing I wanted was to be stuck inside a hotel room. Maybe there wouldn't even be time for sex. I scowled at the thought.
Friday came, and the butterflies in my stomach swirled maniacally as Dominick picked me up from school, and we drove to the airport. I wasn't sure if I was more nervous about the flight or him. All that was playing through my mind was the airplane scene I had read from his novel. Would he follow me if I went to the lavatory? Was he thinking all of those wicked thoughts about me?
As soon as we boarded the plane, I caught myself staring at Dominick in my peripheral vision, watching his eyes. It wasn't long before he took out his ereader and began reading, making me sigh internally in relief. Out of all of his fantasies, this was the one I wanted to experience the least. There was just too much that could go wrong. What if the flight had turbulence while we were having sex and one of us got injured? What if someone managed to open the lavatory door and found us? What if someone really had to use the bathroom, and they ended up getting a bladder infection because we were selfishly doing the nasty for too long? I was such a worry wart sometimes.
To ensure that fantasy never became reality, I laid off the liquids until we reached California. If Dominick had any thoughts of perversion, they didn't show. The plane touched down without incident, and we picked up our bags and headed to the limo.
I continued to watch Dominick, even in the limo. This wouldn't be such a bad place to have sex. It was kind of private. The only person who would see us would be the limo driver. That wouldn't be so embarrassing. Sex didn't seem to be in the plans though, and I was beginning to wonder why I cared so much about it.
In truth, even though Dominick had told me he didn't think I was boring, I still felt boring. I pretty much lived monotonously. Every morning I'd get up, make breakfast, head to school, have lunch with my friends, get picked up by Dominick, go home, fix dinner, eat, clean, do my homework, and if I was lucky, Dominick would advance on me, and we'd have some wild and kinky sex. Sex with Dominick was literally the highlight of my life, and if it wasn't for him initiating, it would never happen. He must get bored having to always be the one to start things. Or maybe he thought that I didn't really want it. Grrr. Why was I thinking about this?
We pulled up in front of the W Hollywood Hotel. It looked cheesy from the outside, with seven-story high movie posters plastered on the sides of the building, but once we walked through the double doors, I gasped at how extravagant it seemed. The color scheme was royalty red and white, with a spiral staircase encircling a plush seating area. It had a very red carpet feel to it. Then again, I suppose that was the point.
Dominick glanced at me. “I know. It's not where I would have chosen, but this is where they decided to put us up at.”
“Are they paying for it?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, thank God. It probably costs a fortune to stay here.”
“It does. At least, the room we're staying in does.”
When we went up the stairs and he opened the door, I could see why. The room was absolutely expansive and gorgeous, richly furnished to the point that it put Dominick's condo to shame. While the bed was only big enough for two, the seating area looked like it was built for a party. A charcoal serpentine sofa wrapped around a black ottoman, and across from the sofa was even more seating in the form of small black leather square chairs.
“Are we expecting company?” I asked.
“Who knows? Probably not.” Dominick didn't look impressed at all. If anything, he seemed annoyed, sighing towards the sofa.
“This place is incredible,” I said in awe, stepping up to the floor to ceiling windows that looked out over Hollywood. It felt like I could see the entire city. The lights of hundreds of homes and businesses glittered like stars fallen from the heavens. There was something magical about it.
“I'm glad you like it,” Dominick responded dryly, but I knew he was being sincere.
“You don't?” I turned to him.
“It's a little over the top. As long as I have a roof over my head, I'm happy.” He opened up the mini-fridge and took out a beer.
I practically sk
ipped to his side, looking at the contents with a squeal. “I've only seen stuff like this in movies.”
“I'm glad you're amused.” Dominick smirked at me as he closed the door and twisted the top off of his beer.
“I am. So amused,” I replied, grabbing a bag of chips from the Munchie Box and tearing it open. “So, what's on the agenda tonight?”
“We just got off a plane, and you're already ready to do something?”
“Well, yeah. We're only going to be here for two nights, and tomorrow you're going to be busy.”
“Plane rides kill me. I'm not much in the mood to drive around, to be honest. But, if you're hungry, we could always go downstairs and grab something to eat.”
“I'd hope you'd feed me. That scone we got from first class has already gone through me, and I don't really want to make dinner out of the stuff in the Munchie Box.”
“Dinner it is then.” He took a sip of his beer. “Do you want to freshen up first?”
“Do I not look fresh?” I sniffed at my clothes, wondering if I smelled.
Dominick laughed. “You look fine. I just figured you'd want to change, since that's what girls usually do.”
“Women.”
“Huh?”
“That's what women usually do.”
“Well, if you're not going to change, then I guess that still makes you a girl.” He mussed up my hair as he walked around me to the sitting area. Inside, I seethed. Why did he have to treat me like such a child at times? It made me feel so insecure. Surely, he knew that by now. We had discussed it in the past, after all.
“I guess I should get freshened up then,” I grumbled, setting the bag of chips down on the counter and heading to the bedroom to change.
After rummaging through my suitcase for a while, I found the red dress I had brought with me. It was a hot little number, maybe even a bit too sexy. I quickly undressed and slipped it over my head, admiring myself in the mirror. The dress itself was skin tight, a mix of red polyester covering all of my naughty bits and black lace across my stomach and down one arm. The sleeves were long but the dress itself was so short that it barely concealed my ass. There was no way Dominick couldn't see me as an adult in it.
Satisfied with the dress, I went to fight my curly brown hair into submission. I had always hated my hair, but somehow the dress made it look better. A pair of black pumps and some makeup later, and I was ready for a night out.
The entire ensemble was planned as a surprise for Dominick. I was going to wear it on our last night in California, but since he had decided to make those comments about me being a girl, I figured that now was better than any other time to prove to him that I was a woman.
“I'm ready,” I announced as I strode into the living room like a rock star.
Dominick was busy reading again. When he turned to look at me, his expression was dull at first. Then he did a double take, and life sprang into his eyes.
“When did you get that?” he asked.
I couldn't contain the smirk that threatened to curl my lips. “When you told me you wanted me to come to California with you,” I confessed, plopping down beside him and then internally chastising myself at how not graceful it had been.
“Are you sure you want to go out?” Dominick poked at the lace on my side, making me giggle and slap at his hand.
Yes, this is exactly what I wanted. Want me. Suffer. I should definitely get some tonight.
“I didn't get all dressed up just for you to ogle me,” I told him.
“I should hope not. I have more than ogling in mind.”
“I thought you didn't want to do anything after a plane ride.”
He quirked a brow. “I think you should know by now that I'm perfectly capable of doing things after plane rides.”
“That's not what you said earlier.” I stood, taking his hand and playfully tugging on it. “Get up, lazy bones. You said you were going to feed me. Maybe if you're a good boy, you'll get some special dessert.”
“I better get to feeding you, then.”
Dominick grabbed his wallet, and we headed downstairs. On the whole elevator ride down, I felt absolutely devilish. Maybe it was the dress or the excitement of being somewhere new, but all my senses were alight. I stayed close to Dominick's side, rubbing against him softly, trying to provoke him to be naughty. He didn't seem to be getting the clue though. Instead of ravaging me in the elevator, he simply gave me a lecherous grin.
I pouted to myself as we reached the first floor, and the elevator door opened. Maybe he's not as kinky as he makes himself out to be in his books. Or maybe he's afraid of how I'll react. Men are so dense sometimes.
We walked outside onto Station Hollywood, an outdoor oasis for drinks and dining. There was a bar to one side that served a large seating area with lush patio furniture in stylish gray and black. Fire pits and candles provided soft lighting, adding a cozy feel to the unique ambiance.
It seemed like as soon as we stepped outside, all of my confidence melted into paranoia. Was I dressed too scantily? Did I look too cheap for the hotel and restaurant? Was Dominick embarrassed to be seen with me? The woman inside of me retreated, and the child whom Dominick so loved to tease came out to cling to him with the insecurities of inexperience. He looked professional and wealthy in one of his business suits, and I looked like the hooker on his arm. By the time we sat down together on one of the black wicker patio sofas, I just wanted to disappear.
“Are you alright?” he asked, giving me a quizzical look.
“Alcohol. I need alcohol.”
“A woman after my own heart. I can't drink too much tonight though. Business tomorrow and everything. I suppose that doesn't stop you though.” He grinned down at me.
A waitress came by to hand us menus. She glanced at my outfit with distaste before turning her attention to Dominick. The look she gave him made tendrils of jealousy rage through me. I could see a twinkle of want in her eyes. Why wouldn't she want him though? He looked as handsome as ever, poised and perfect, with that charming smile.
“Let's start with two waters, and when you come back, we should know what we want to order,” he told her.
I glared at the back of her head as she returned to the bar.
“Are you sure you're alright?” Dominick asked.
“Yeah,” I sighed. “I guess I'm just nervous. I've never been anywhere like this before. I don't know if I overdressed or under-dressed.”
“Well, this place should be turning into a club pretty soon, so I'd say you look just fine.”
“A club?”
“Something like that. There will be DJs playing a bit later.”
“Oh.” That did help to make me feel a little better.
“These prices are ridiculous,” he grumbled.
“Says the rich guy.” I picked up my menu and glanced over it. The prices were a little high, but nothing too unusual for the area, I thought. California was generally more expensive than Arizona. “Do you want to eat somewhere else?”
“No. I wasn't looking at the food. I was looking at the bottles of liquor. A bottle of Absolut is $325 here. I could buy one at the liquor store for around $30.”
“Well, they sell bottle service, not just the bottle.”
Dominick huffed. “Still, that's outrageous. $325 for a bottle of liquor, some mixers, and someone to ice it and pour it all for you.”
“Well, imagine how much a whole bottle worth of alcoholic drinks would cost you if you ordered them individually here. Considering that the mixed drinks are $15 a piece, that could add up pretty quickly.”
“I suppose you're right.”
“Why are we talking about this anyway? It's not like we could drink an entire bottle between the two of us. Besides, we have liquor upstairs.”
“I know. I was just making conversation.”
“You were complaining.” I frowned at him. “This is a vacation, try to have a little fun.”
“It's not a vacation. It's a business trip.”
“
Well, it's a vacation for me.”
“What do you want to drink?”
“Since you complained about the price, I should order the most expensive drink on the menu, a La Dolce Vida.”
He gave me a sarcastic look. “Bell pepper, cilantro, and pineapple juice. Sounds like a vomit inducing combination to me. By all means, order it. I'll hold your hair back while you're puking later tonight.”
I glanced at the menu again. Now that he mentioned it, the drink didn't sound very good. While I'm not one to knock something before I try it, I couldn't fathom spending $24 on something I probably wouldn't like.
“Now, if you really want me to spend some money, I could get us a bottle of Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé.”
“I get stupid when I drink wine.” I wrinkled my nose, remembering all the embarrassing things I'd said to Dominick when I got drunk around him the first time.
“I rather enjoy you when you drink wine.” He smirked.
“That's not the most expensive thing on the menu,” I quickly changed the subject. “If you really wanted to spend like a boss, you'd get the Remy Martin Louis XIII.”
“That's bottle service again,” he reminded me. “That's why it's so expensive.”
“I've never had cognac before, I don't think.”
“You're not missing much.”
“Are you ready to order?” the waitress asked as she walked up and gave Dominick a winning smile.
“I'll have a Moulin Rouge,” he replied.
“And I'll have a Cucumber Cooler.” I did my best to seem polite, though on the inside I was burning her alive with my laser vision of death.
“Any food for you guys?” she asked.
“Let me have the short rib quesadilla, and we'll split some truffle cheese fries,” Dominick told her.
“And for you?” She looked at me, all warmth fading from her eyes.
“I'll just have the Delphine cheeseburger.”
“I'll have that right out.”
The afternoon air was cool, and I found myself cuddling up to Dominick to keep warm. He seemed to be enjoying the ambiance too much to pay attention to me. His eyes were everywhere and nowhere, staring out toward the street, taking in the scenery. I could feel his body relaxing next to mine, and I was happy that he was beginning to enjoy himself.