by Sky Corgan
“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 party.”
“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 TEN
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 for 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.
“I suppose you're right. For the most part, I go over there, so she really doesn't come over here.”
“Exactly.”
“And how will this affect our schedule?”
“Why should it change? I'm not going to keep you a prisoner here because of something I decided, though it would be helpful to me if you stuck around more and entertained him while I work.”
I tried not to let my scowl deepen, thinking about how big of a sacrifice this would be for the both of us. “And what about sex? How are we going to have sex with him around?”
“In the bedroom like normal people, I suppose.” He seemed annoyed by the question.
“I'm only asking because it's rare we actually have sex in the bedroom. You usually just do it . . . wherever I'm standing when the urge hits you.” I couldn't help but smirk at all the times he had taken me unaware in the most random places. There wasn't a room in the entire condo that hadn't been christened by our lovemaking.
“I guess I'll have to learn how to exercise some self-control.” He grinned at me wickedly, and I knew exactly what he was thinking.
“Oh, no you don't. I have homework to do, Mister.” I waggled my finger at him as he crossed the distance between us and sat beside me, taking my hand in his and seductively sucking on the finger I had waved at him.
“Well, I don't have to exercise self-control now,” Dominick teased.
“But I do. No means no means no.” I tried to get up to leave, but he grabbed me around the waist, and I knew I was lost. There was no getting away when he got into such a mood. He took what he wanted from me, and I gave it willingly, writhing in pleasure beneath him as he brought us both to the erotic heights that our greedy bodies enjoyed so much. Even after all this time, Dominick still knew how to manipulate me, to make me bend to his will.
“You're so bad,” I told him when we had finished, and I was panting breathlessly on the loveseat. “And this sofa is uncomfortable. If you're going to insist on screwing me on it, you should buy a bigger one.”
“It if pleases you,” he purred into my ear before kissing me on the temple.
“If it pleases me,” I mocked him, thinking about the first few times I had heard him say it. It sounded so strange back then, so proper. It still did. Maybe I'd never get used to it.
“You please me.” Dominick continued a trail of kisses down my neck, and I feared a round two was coming on.
“No, Dominick.” I pushed myself up. “I swear to God, if I don't get my homework done, I'll be so mad at you.”
“You would never be mad at me for loving you.” His lips pressed into a delicious pout, and I hated how easily he made me want him. It was like he put me under a spell, turning me into his sex slave with just a look. I had to close my eyes to resist him.
“No. College. Important. Leaving,” I stuttered as I blindly walked away from him toward my bedroom. For several seconds, I thought he might give chase, but when he didn't, I sighed in relief, grateful that he was considerate enough to let me escape and finish what I needed to get done.
***
I moved into Dominick's bedroom the night before Jeff was scheduled to arrive. It felt odd putting my night clothes and unmentionables in the bottom two shelves of his chest of drawers. Hanging my school clothes up in his closet was even stranger. I inhaled the smell of laundry detergent, ties, and leather one last time, wondering if my clothes would change that scent. Since I washed Dominick's clothes, we both used the same laundry detergent. Still, my closet smelled different than his. I couldn't help but wonder which one of our scents would take over, or if they'd mesh and create something new.
I had school the next day, so I wasn't around when Jeff arrived. Instead, I came home to find him sitting on the loveseat watching television. The resemblance to Dominick was almost staggering. In fact, the first time I laid eyes on him, I simply stood there and stared for several moments.