by Sky Corgan
“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 co
ndo 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.