by Sky Corgan
“Ugh!” I screamed. “I'm going to kick his ass on Monday. I can't believe he'd say something like that to you. It's not true.”
“It's not?” He looked at me with surprise.
“Of course it's not. I love you. I'm in love with you. You're the only one for me.”
“Then why haven't you been around? It seems like ever since I bought you the car, you can't stand to be around me anymore. I thought you were trying to break up with me.”
I sighed, sinking further into the seat, the fight quickly leaving me as I realized how hurt he sounded. “I wasn't trying to break up with you.”
“I don't understand.”
“I was worried about you falling behind in your work again, so I've been staying away.”
“There's no need for you to worry, I'm doing just fine with my work.”
“You're not behind anymore?” I gave him a hopeful look.
“No. I haven't been behind for a while.”
“Yay!” I threw my hands up, hitting the roof of the car and hurting myself again. “Goddamn it!”
“Would you please stop flailing around,” he chastised me.
“Sorry.” I drew my hands to my chest as if that would keep me from moving.
“I know you're not happy being with me, Kim. That's fine. I just want you to be honest.”
“I am being honest. No one wants us together. Your life was perfect before I came along. You always got your work done on time. Then I came into your life, and you started falling behind.
“You know at that party we went to, the one for Behind Her Green Eyes? Your publicist pulled me aside and told me we should break up because I'm not good for your career. I thought that if I stayed away, you'd get back on track. And he was right. Once I started staying away, you did get back on track. I'm a problem for you. I'm just trying to make it better.”
Oh no. I'm getting emotional again. My heart was breaking at the idea of losing Dominick. All this time, I thought I was doing what was right for us, but I had just been hurting him. Would I ever stop screwing things up?
“My life was empty before you, and it will be empty after you,” he told me. “Victor offered to fill that void, since he had convinced me that you don't love me anymore. I'm not gay, but I was just feeling too numb to move. That's what happened.”
“I still can't believe he told you I don't love you. It's the complete opposite. Everything I've done has been out of love for you.”
“It hasn't felt like it. And I can't believe that Ray would say something like that to you. I guess this all stems from him then.”
“Not just him. Before that. Melinda said something similar. And they're not wrong. You do slack off when I'm around you all the time.”
“I slack off because I'd rather spend my time with you, because I love you. That doesn't make it your fault. It makes it my fault for not being more disciplined.”
“Still. It feels like it's my fault. When I came into your life, it turned upside down.”
“When you came into my life, it got better.”
The sobbing came out then. I wasn't sure if it was because of the alcohol coursing through me or raw happiness. Within seconds, I was a blubbering mess of I love yous and apologies. Dominick did his best to keep his annoyance at bay, though I could tell he wasn't in the best of moods with me.
“We'll discuss all this again tomorrow when you're sober,” he told me as we pulled up in front of the condo.
“There's nothing else to discuss. You're mine. He can't have you.” I clutched onto his side as he led me up to the front door and inside.
“You should take a shower and go to sleep. You smell like a bar.”
“I'm going to sleep with you tonight.”
“I'll ready the vomit bucket on your side of the bed.”
“I'm too drunk to shower,” I groaned.
“Then we'll shower together. You're not getting in my bed smelling like that.”
I felt like a doll. Dominick took me into the bathroom and undressed me, then himself. As soon as the clothes were removed, all I could think about were perverted things, but he fended off my grabby hands, giving me a warning look every time I'd get too touchy-feely.
“You need to prove to me you're not gay,” I teased.
“I think I've proven that enough times.”
“Not since I saw you kiss another dude.”
“I didn't kiss him,” he grumbled.
“Still. I need proof.” I grabbed his flaccid cock, and he quickly slid my hand off of it.
“Ohhh, it feels like a tube snake. So slippery.”
Dominick couldn't help but laugh, “You're so drunk.”
“I want to touch it again.”
“No. Stop it.” He slapped at my hand as I went to grope him again, but he was grinning the whole time, and that made me happy. It felt like things might be alright between us.
Once the shower was over, he toweled me off, and we crawled into bed together. I curled up against his chest and purred softly, though sleep didn't come easy. For some reason, my body reacted to the nap at Victor's apartment as if I had gotten a full night's rest. Most of the night was spent laying there, listening to Dominick snore. Eventually, sleep did come, but it wasn't until nearly six o'clock in the morning. When I awoke the next day, Dominick was gone, and all I had keeping me company was the worst hangover of my life.
In truth, I didn't remember most of the night. One moment, I was hanging out in Victor's dining room. The next, I was in Dominick's bed. It was like my brain had erased everything between. How did I get home?
I rolled out of bed to start what parts of the hangover curing process I could. Eating wasn't an option. This was going to be a day of worshiping the porcelain Goddess, I was sure. Though my hair was still a bit damp, I took another shower, hopping it would wash away the rest of my alcohol stink. Then I crawled back into Dominick's bed and prayed for sleep to come, spending the rest of the day between dreaming and waking and puking. It wasn't until almost five in the afternoon that I emerged from the room like a bear from its cave, my hair going every which way, my eyes with bags under them. I rounded the corner of Dominick's office, peering in at him. By some miracle, he looked up at me without me even having to knock.
“Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes.” He smirked.
“I'm never drinking again,” I groaned.
“I've heard that one before. I guess we'll be ordering pizza tonight?”
“Sounds lovely. I think I could hold it down.”
“Pizza it is then.”
He placed the order and then came out of his office to eat with me when the pizza arrived. We hung out on the loveseat for the remainder of the night watching television. I felt bad for keeping him from working, but I couldn't really go anywhere in my condition.
“Where's my car?” I asked.
“It's at Victor's apartment. We can go pick it up later.”
“I'm sorry you had to come get me.”
“I wouldn't have wanted you driving like that.”
“I know, and I'm sorry I drank so much.”
“Well, hopefully you learned your lesson.”
“Yup. I'm never drinking again.”
“You're a bad liar.” Dominick squeezed me gently and kissed me on top of the head.
“I miss this,” I sighed contently.
“Me too. We should do it more often.”
“It takes you away from your work though.” I frowned.
“I would rather be taken away from my work than taken away from you. I can get other publishing contracts. I can't replace you.”
“What's that all about?” I arched an eyebrow at him.
“What?”
“This talk about losing your publishing contract.”
“Do you not remember anything we spoke about last night?”
Suddenly, I felt ashamed. “I don't remember anything about last night.”
“That might be for the best. You told me what Ray said to you at the part
y.”
“Oh.”
“You said that's why you haven't been hanging around the house as much, because you're worried that I'll fall behind again. You seriously don't remember any of that?” He gave me a skeptical look.
“Nope.”
“Do you at least remember that you love me?” Dominick asked hesitantly.
“I could never forget that.” I leaned against him. “I love you more than the world. That's why I only want what's best for you.”
“What's best for me is you. All the rest is just a bonus.”
I swooned at his words, knowing he meant them. While I wasn't exactly sure what had happened last night, I suppose it wasn't all bad. Apparently, my staying away had been doing more harm than good for our relationship. I understood that now, though I still felt guilty that he was willing to sacrifice so much for me. Was I really worth it? If I wanted to be, then I'd have to work extra hard to be a better girlfriend. Perhaps we could find a balance between spending time together and him still doing what he needed to do to ensure the stability of his career. We could think about it later. For now, I just wanted my hangover to go away, and to enjoy the company of the man I loved.
Dominick dropped me off in front of Victor's house to pick up my car at ten. I called beforehand, and Victor greeted me in the apartment complex parking lot with my keys in hand and a smile. He tried to approach the Maserati to talk to Dominick, which I thought was a bad idea. Before he got within five feet of the driver's window, Dominick was pulling away with a scowl, showing the same distaste for Victor as he always had.
“I don't think he's ever going to like you,” I commented as I watched the Maserati turn onto the main road. In all honesty, I was kind of surprised that Dominick had just left me there. It was out of character.
“Of course he likes me. He's just playing hard to get.” He smirked.
“What's that supposed to mean?” I quirked an eyebrow at him.
“I take it you don't remember last night.”
Again, embarrassment flushed through me. It sounded like I had missed something important.
“Do you remember?” I asked shyly.
“I remember everything.”
“Oh. Well, the last thing I remember is taking shots with you at the dining room table.”
“That's probably for the best.”
“That's what Dominick said.” We stood in awkward silence for a few minutes before I spoke gain, “Well, I guess I better be going. School tomorrow, and all.”
“Yup. See you at school tomorrow.” He waved casually at me, before heading back inside.
On the drive home, I wondered what had happened that was making them both act so strangely, but I was afraid to find out. No doubt, I had done something embarrassing and stupid, ruining the night for all, as if having to get picked up by Dominick wasn't bad enough. All that mattered was that neither of them were mad at me. Some things are better left unknown.
Chapter 6
The following week was like a sexopalooza. In fact, the very next day, as soon as I arrived home from school, Dominick was waiting at the door like some sex-starved beast. He pulled my backpack off my shoulder, tossed it haphazardly on the floor, picked me up and threw me over his shoulder, then carried me off to the bedroom like some caveman who had just clubbed his woman over the head. What happened after that left me bowlegged for the rest of the night.
The next day, he was only slightly less aggressive, giving me enough time to set my backpack down in my room before he pounced, dragging me into his office for some naked carpet aerobics. When I asked him what had gotten into him, he simply murmured that he was proving to me that he wasn't gay. I wasn't sure what that was all about, but I damn sure knew he wasn't gay. Despite my insistence of that knowledge, he continued to prove it to me for seven days straight, not that I was complaining. My only worry was that it was taking him away from his work, but he didn't seem to care one iota.
Eventually, I had to cut him off because my lady parts were getting sore. He pouted, but sucked it up, settling for cuddling with me and watching television instead. That's when I brought up that we would have to come up with a schedule to keep him from falling behind again. We agreed that I would go to Tammy's place on Wednesdays after school and Saturday on the weekends, since she always had the weekends off. On Friday night, I would go out with friends. Sunday, Dominick would take off of work, and we'd spend it together. Of course, everything was subject to change depending on what was going on that week, but for the most part, it seemed like a fair schedule.
The compromise worked well. It wasn't long before we fell into a routine, and things started getting better. Dominick wasn't distant anymore, and he was able to meet his deadlines. I was able to get away from the condo and have an outside life while still maintaining my relationship. Things had never been more perfect.
But of course, perfect doesn't last forever. Just when I was convinced that we'd finally settled into a healthy balance between love and life, a wrench was thrown into the works in the form of a phone call from Dominick's cousin. I could tell something was up when he approached me in my room one afternoon. He had a strange look on his face. You know, the look that people make when they know they need to talk about something but don't want to.
“Are you alright?” I asked, looking up from my homework and quirking an eyebrow at him.
“We need to discuss something.” He scratched his temple, avoiding my eyes, and my stomach filled with dread. This definitely didn't sound good.
“Alright,” I replied hesitantly, setting my pen down and turning to face him.
“We should probably go into the living room for this.”
“Did I do something wrong?” I stood to follow him.
“No. This isn't about anything either one of us did. It's about a phone call I received and something that could change things for us for a while.”
“That doesn't sound good.” I frowned.
“It's not bad, per se.”
“Well, you're making it sound bad.”
He sighed, and when he sat on the loveseat opposite from me, I knew it definitely wasn't good. The only time we didn't sit together when we discussed something was when it was really serious. Whatever he was about to say, it was something big. I shifted nervously while I waited for him to speak.
“I got a phone call from my cousin,” Dominick began, making each word sound painful.
“Did someone die?”
“No.” He shook his head. “My cousin has an eighteen-year-old son who has been getting into a lot of trouble lately, hanging with the wrong crowd, doing drugs and what not. He wants to kick him out, and I offered to take him in.”
“You what?” My mouth fell open.
“It's hard to correct a problem if you stay in the same environment that's causing it.”
“Dom, what were you thinking? If this guy's causing problems there, what makes you think he'll do any better here?”
“Well, for one, he'll be removed from the people who are encouraging his bad behavior. Ed and his wife both work afternoon shifts, so there's really no one to stay on top of Jeff and keep him on the straight and narrow. If he's here, I can watch him all the time.”
“The guy is eighteen. He's beyond being babysitted.”
“They're worried he's going to end up in jail.”
“If he's doing bad things, then he deserves to go to jail. He's not your responsibility. What about your writing contract? You just got back on track. Having to watch someone 24/7 is going to put you behind again. And you can't watch him all the time. You think he won't stay up and sneak out at night?”
“He's an eighteen-year-old, not a toddler, Kim. I doubt it will be much different than having you around. Besides, he could use a good influence, someone around his own age who he can talk to that will help him get back on the right track.”
I gave him a sarcastic look. “So, you factored me into your little plan, did you?”
“It wouldn't make much sense f
or me to bring him here otherwise. Besides, it's only going to be for a few months, then Ed and Linda can have him back.”
I sighed, “You have a good heart. It's one of the things I love most about you. You're so selfless and caring, but I don't think this is a good idea.”
“If it ends up being too much of a problem, I'll send him back. I just want to try. He's family, and everyone deserves a chance to be better.”
My stomach churned with the sickness of knowing this was a horrible idea. How could I say no though? It wasn't like I owned the condo. I was living there, free of rent, the same as this Jeff guy would be. At the end of the day, it was Dominick's decision, though I wondered why he even bothered consulting me about it if he had obviously already made up his mind.
“So what are we going to do about the sleeping arrangements?” I asked. “The condo only has three bedrooms.”
“I thought you could move into my room for the time being.”
This shocked me. In all honesty, I half expected him to tell me to move in with Tammy temporarily. Dominick giving up his office sounded more probable than him offering me to move in with him. For a few seconds, I wasn't even sure I had heard him right.
“So, we'd be sleeping together every night?”
“Yes. Does that bother you?”
“No.” I shook my head. In truth, I was elated. If I had known this was what it would take to get us moved into the same bedroom, I would have suggested that someone, anyone, move in with us sooner. “This guy is only a year younger than me though, right? Aren't you worried about what he'll think?”
“You're my girlfriend. I don't particularly care what he thinks.”
“What if it gets back to your family?”
“It's your family who has a problem with us, not mine.”
I cowered a bit. Tammy didn't have a problem with our relationship, but that's only because she didn't know about it. Would this new living arrangement change that?
“How are we going to do this without Tammy finding out?” I asked timidly.
“That's for you to worry about. Tell her that he's sleeping on the couch or in my office. Does it really matter? She rarely comes over anyway, and when she does, she typically stays in the living room. I think you can keep her out of your bedroom for a few months.” He made quotation marks with his fingers when he mentioned my bedroom.