by Diana Nixon
Since the meeting was over, I left the room and headed downstairs, texting my brother on the way.
“What’s your favorite place in SF?”
“The Cowboy.”
“Sounds like a trashy strip-bar, or a cowboy for line-dancing, beer, and hicks.”
“It is a strip bar, one of the best in the city, btw.”
“I was asking about something more civilized.”
“Then go to El Paraìso — a perfect place for ladies of your caliber.”
“Thanks!”
A few moments later, Oliver sent another message.
“Holy crap, are you going out with Scar?”
I didn’t bother to reply.
“You really are!” He sent a text again. “Be careful, Bro. Last I checked, you didn’t know how to keep your hands off her. And you have Candace now, remember?”
“Tais-toi!”
“Don’t tell me to shut up! I just can’t wait to see what will happen next, your life is like a soap opera,” he texted with about a dozen smileys at the end.
I shook my head and got into the car, and told my driver to take me back to the Fairmont. I needed a shower, preferably a cold one, and some time to think about what to do next.
What the hell is wrong with me? Did I really want to start this torture with Scarlett yet again? Wasn’t I just thinking that I didn’t need her to be complete?
I knew that dinner was a bad idea. I was like an addict dying to get another dose of his favorite drug. I tried to make myself believe that it was going to be just dinner, but deep down in my gut, I knew that I wanted so much more than just dinner…
I took my cell phone and sent a message to Scarlett, “Put on something sexy. You know how much I love your curves.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you!” She texted back.
“The hell you are not! You don’t want your precious Derek to know about our short and very naughty adventure, do you?”
“Blackmailing me again? So very you.”
“So what? If it’s the only way to make you spend an evening with me, then hell yes, I don’t mind blackmailing you, not even a little bit!”
“Screw you, Dominick!”
“Looks like my bad girl’s back. Love it!”
Scarlett didn’t send any more messages after that, but I knew she wouldn’t ignore my invitation; she didn’t have a choice but to accept it. And I couldn’t wait for the moment that I could play with her again…
Chapter 17
Scarlett
“This is not happening, this is NOT happening!”
For the last half an hour, I had been pacing my bedroom, hoping that everything that happened today was just a dream, a very bad dream.
Many things had changed since the last time I saw Dominick, except for one — I still lost my head around him. He drove me absolutely crazy, in both senses of the word: good and bad.
The moment I saw him in the meeting room, I thought I would faint. My knees trembled and it took every ounce of my damn self-control to not forget how to speak. He always liked when I spoke French, so I didn’t hesitate even for a second before I greeted him in his native language. When he turned around, something fell to pieces inside me, for instance the wall that I had been trying to build to keep my heart closed off from Dominick for months. I did my best to not think about him. I tried to not call him, unless absolutely necessary. I didn’t even ask Jillian about him. But now, I knew it was all for nothing… I knew with just that one look, one look into his eyes and I was right back to where I started; Jillian was right, I allowed this man to ruin me, and I kept giving him the power to do so.
When our eyes met, I felt the familiar warmth, forming in my tummy. God, he looked so gorgeous, as always. Ugh, why did he always have to look so amazing? And damn it, why did he always have this effect on me? I couldn’t stop staring at him, drinking in every line of his face, every small feature that I missed so much. It was pointless to keep fooling myself, nothing had changed since the day I left New York. He was still the only man I ever truly wanted to be with…
I sighed in frustration. Not even Derek could make me feel that way. He was nice and sweet, but something was still missing. And until today, I didn’t realize that something that was missing was the rush of excitement that I always felt in Dominick’s presence. I knew that sooner or later I would see him again, but I didn’t expect that our meeting would bring so many emotions tumbling back into my heart. One second I thought that I hated him, then the next I was sure that I was madly in love with him, and then again, I thought there was no way I would or even could accept his invitation for that damn dinner. Then, as if my indecisiveness wasn’t bad enough, Derek had to go ahead and tell Dominick how he believed I was in good hands with him, and he was okay with me going to dinner with him. Thanks a lot Derek!
I read Domonick’s messages again, and felt my blood boiling slowly in my veins. It took no more than one glance at those gorgeous bright-blue eyes of his to make the ice in my heart melt. And now, I didn’t know what to do. I knew he would never ask me out without a reason. He obviously wanted something from me, and I wondered if his desires were identical to mine, because deep down inside me, I knew that talking was the very last thing I wanted to do with him.
My eyes travelled to the picture of Derek and me, and I cursed mentally. I couldn’t betray him. He did so much to make me feel special and loved every single day that we were together. I even considered the idea of marrying him. After all, miracles happened, didn’t they? I could love him in time right?
I turned away from the picture and looked at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes screamed fear. I was so confused, I needed to talk to someone and there was only one person who always knew what to say to make me feel better. So, I decided to go ahead and give her a call, and maybe see what her opinion was on the matter.
“Hey, Beautiful,” I said to Jillian.
“Hey, girl! How are you?” She asked in response.
I could hear the rustle of sheets and murmurs in the background. “Am I interrupting something? Shall I call back later?” I asked.
“No. I was just about to make breakfast.”
I looked at my watch and frowned. “Since when do people just start cooking breakfast at 9:00 o’clock at night?”
“I had a very long day that sauntered all the way into my night as well.”
I chuckled. “I see. Can you still walk?”
“Don’t be jealous. I feel absolutely amazing.”
“I’m not jealous,” I said, laughing. “I’m worried about your health.”
“My health is just fine. In fact, I think my heart is healthier than it has ever been. Now, what makes me think that I already know the reason for your call?”
“Maybe the fact that you work with the very reason for my call every weekday of your life?”
I heard her sighing. “I bet he made your panties wet in seconds.”
“I’m not sure I want to talk about my panties with you, but yes, you are very close to the truth. He asked me out tonight.”
“Wow, like for a date? What about Derek?”
“I know, I know, but I wasn’t going to sleep with Dominick, and Derek told him that ‘he knew I was in good hands with him’.”
“Does Dominick know that you are not going to sleep with him? Something tells that that’s exactly what he would like to get for a dessert.”
“Please, Jill, don’t make me regret calling you.”
“You never regret calling me and you know how much I hate all this it’s-gonna-be-okay bullshit. Besides, we both know that this date, or whatever it is, will end with you riding my boss or vice versa. And don’t even try to deny that you want it, as I’m pretty sure your internments with Derek never go beyond boring sex in bed. Does he always leave the light on?”
I rolled my eyes. “No, he doesn’t.”
“That’s great news. Maybe he’s not as much of a lost cause as I thought he was.”
“Well, thanks for your honesty, bu
t this is not what I need right now.”
“My point exactly! So go, put on your best big-girl panties and make Mr. Altier go wild on you. Or under you, or behind you, or-”
“Okay, I got your point. I will think about it.”
“No, Sweetie, no thinking crap tonight! It’s time to face the music and admit that Dominick and you can’t live without each other. So if he comes back to New York in a shitty mood again, I swear, I’ll kill you, Scarlett. I’m sick and tired of his belly aching. He chews out at least ten people every day, and I don’t even know how I’m still alive! So please, make his balls happy, and save me from another half of a year of his unfulfilled face showing up in the mornings.”
“I didn’t know it was that bad. You never told me about his mood swings.”
“Because you never asked! I thought you didn’t want to hear anything about him. Now you know everything. Promise me you will use this information for good instead of evil, don’t just take it to throw in his face the next time you see him. Take it and make your dreams come true, because I know you well enough to know that you’re not happy with Derek. As well as I know that you miss Dominick as much as he misses you. Now go and get your man!”
“I’ll try, I mean to use the information for good that is.” Even if I wasn’t going to sleep with Dominick, it was just about time to sit and talk.
“Call me when the mission is done,” Jill said. “Or if you are unable to make a call in the morning, I’ll take it as good news.” She giggled into the handset.
“You are impossible, you know that?”
“I do. But that’s exactly why you love me so much, isn’t it?”
“Damn true.” I smiled to myself and said good-bye.
Jillian was right, I never regretted calling her. Eventually, the decision was made, and I went to find some nice big-girl panties. Well, just in case – you are not going to sleep with him – I somehow end up without my dress on…
At 7:00 PM Dominick texted me, “I am downstairs, hope you haven’t changed your mind, ‘cause I have something big planned for tonight.”
“Keep that something big in your pants,” I texted back.
“I was talking about dessert, you naughty, little tease.”
“So was I.” Unintentionally, I smiled and looked one last time at my reflection in the mirror. The moment I saw the reflection of my eyes, my smile faded. I haven’t seen myself so happy for a long time. Why the hell did it have to be Dominick to make those sparks in my eyes shine so bright? I shook my head, trying to get a grip on my raging emotions and left the apartment.
I saw Dominick leaning against the back of his car, with that leisure half-smile that always promised trouble.
“I’m ready,” I said, realizing a little too late how he would interpret my words.
“I can see that.” He looked at me from head to toe and nodded approvingly, opening the passenger door for me. “Blue is my favorite color. You knew that, didn’t you?”
“Actually, I didn’t,” I said, getting into the car. “But it’s my favorite color as well.”
“I know.” He winked and went to take the driver’s seat.
Since it was the beginning of March, San Francisco was still chilly at night. I was wearing an ivory cocktail dress, with a light-blue velvet coat over it. My hair was pulled up in a high bun. I thought it would make me look more inaccessible.
“You aren’t wearing your hair down,” Dominick said, starting the engine. “Did you do that on purpose?”
“Excuse me?” I looked at him, a little confused. It had always been hard to know what he was getting at.
“Your neck. Now I won’t be able to think about anything but kissing it.”
Oh, God…
I closed my eyes for a moment, hoping it would help me clear the visions of him kissing me away. No such luck; it only made the visions more colorful and defined. Damn it…
I cleared my throat and looked at his still smiling face.
“Can we just have dinner and talk?”
“Talk? Hmm, it has always been the only thing that we hopelessly sucked at. But if you want to talk, why don’t we give it a try?” He pushed the gas pedal and for a second I felt like a trapped rabbit, without a chance to live through the night…
El Paraiso was one of my favorite places in all of San Francisco.
“How did you know?” I asked, a little surprised to find our car stopping at its entrance.
“How did I know what?”
“I love this place,” I said, looking out of the window.
“Really? I didn’t know that. Oliver recommended it.”
“How is he doing?”
“Great, as always.”
I saw Dominick’s brother here in San Francisco a couple of times. He always looked happy and I wondered if he knew what a bad mood was.
Dominick opened the door for me and offered his hand. I hesitated and he rolled his eyes.
“Come on, Scar. It’s not like I’m going to undress you right here. Unless that is what you want me to do, of course, then I would be happy to oblige.”
“You always liked getting on my nerves, didn’t you?” I took his hand that he offered and let him help me out of the car.
He didn’t let me go. Our gazes locked, and his joyfulness was immediately replaced by something I couldn’t understand. Sadness?
“Shall we go inside?” I asked, trying to break the intense silence.
“Sorry, I got lost in my memories,” he said, turning away from me. To my surprise, there was no humor in his voice.
Our table was in a private area, where no one but the waiters could find us.
Now, it was my time to ask, “Did you do this on purpose?”
“Do what?”
“Reserve this precise table?”
He smiled slightly and looked at me. “It’s the first time I’ve ever been here, remember? I didn’t know that a private table would be that private.”
“Right. So tell me, Mr. Altier, how have you been doing all this time?” We were still watching each other, and somehow it felt so good, so familiar. I didn’t want to look away.
“It depends on what exactly you want to know, Scarlett.”
Again, I felt trapped and he knew it.
“I was asking about your life,” I said. “Work, holidays-”
“Dating?”
I felt my cheeks blushing. “It’s a part of your life too, isn’t it?”
“I met someone,” he said, nodding. “We live together.”
My heart stopped beating at once. Of course, I realized that Dominick wouldn’t be alone for too long. I had a relationship too, but hearing about another woman sharing a bed with him felt somehow painful.
“That’s great,” I said. “Who would have thought that you would let a woman into your house?”
“It’s not that we are going to get married, but-” He paused for a moment. “Candace made it easier not to lose my mind.”
Okay, that sounded familiar. I used to say the same about Derek.
“What about you?” Dominick asked. “Is that thing between you and young Mr. Leighton serious?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. We are having a good time together.”
“Would you marry him?”
The conversation was not exactly what I expected it to be. Dominick looked a little nervous, and his every question felt like a dagger right through my heart.
“Maybe,” I said, taking the menu. “We haven’t talked about marriage yet.”
“Do you know that he hates New York?”
“I don’t think it’s a problem. We can live here.”
“But you hate this city.”
I took a deep breath before saying, “So what?”
“Nothing. But I never thought you would be with a man who would make you give up on your dreams.”
“I’m not giving up on anything.”
“Really? But heading the branch is not the same as heading the entire company, with the headquarte
r in New York.”
Finally, we got to one of the most important issues.
“You are right. I want to go back to New York.”
“Then what stops you? And don’t tell me it’s Derek, ‘cause I would never believe this shit.”
“You think you know everything about me?” I was getting really angry. If he wanted to check how long I would be able to stand his company, he could simply ask all those questions at the meeting and be with it. But apparently, he was up to something that I was missing.
“You are right, it is not about Derek. It’s about you.” I didn’t think I would admit it, but it was true, and there was point in lying; Dominick knew he was the reason for my escape.
He shook his head, laughing quietly. “You know what’s the only thing that I can’t understand, Scarlett? Why are we sitting here and talking about all this nonsense instead of making love and sending to hell the rest of the world?”
Well, that was quite unexpected…
“Maybe because now we have someone else to make love with?”
“You know that I would do anything to make you stay with me tonight. Then why shall I pretend and act as if I didn’t want you?”
“Sex won’t change anything, Dominick.”
“You are right. But I’m not talking about sex.”
Of course he wasn’t. Again, he tried to tell me about his true feeling for me and again, I refused to believe him.
“You have Candace now.”
“If this is the only thing that stops you from coming back to New York and working with me again, she won’t be there by tomorrow morning.”
“See? This is so very you, Dominick. You use women and then throw them away like a wasted pair of gloves. This is what made me run away from you. This is why I don’t want to come back — you will never change.”
“I would change for you.”
I smirked. “No, you wouldn’t.”
“Why don’t you give me a little more credit, Scarlett? Are you so scared to admit that you love me too? That I’m the only man you ever wanted to be with? Do you really think that I don’t know what it feels to be you now?”