“I don’t see the Uncle Sam’s top hat you talked about,” Kimmie said as she peered and towered over most people. She stood six feet tall plus several more inches from her wedges.
“Maybe Gabe is not wearing it, then,” said Sally. Her petite frame provided a view of most people’s shoulders.
“Well, let’s just enjoy the music and let him find us,” declared Kimmie.
Sally thought of the huge bouquet of beautiful purple flowers that had not even wilted yet. “Right, Gabe will find us,” she said confidently.
The orchestra ended a piece and Kimmie cheered. “Just a minute, I’ll be right back,” Kimmie said after spotting a camera crew.
“Wait. Where are you going?” asked Sally. She looked over at the cameras and knew that for Kimmie, national exposure on television was priceless.
And then Sally saw him again. Gabriel stood up front by the stage staring intently at the cellist section. Sally made a beeline to him after several “Excuse me’s” and quite a bit of polite squeezing and bumping. Sally felt herself slowly melting from the heat and from getting closer to Gabriel.
“Gabe!” she shouted while she was in earshot. Gabriel looked at her with glazed awareness but then he smiled slightly.
“Sally?” he asked .
“Hey, we’ve been looking for you. It’s so hard with all of these people.”
“Oh,” Gabe said flatly.
Sally wondered why Gabe looked so disinterested in seeing her. He already stared back at the orchestra. Had he changed his mind? Things felt awkward. Sally looked back at the news crew and saw Kimmie trying to turn her side profile and shoulders in while in view of the cameras.
Sally considered talking to Gabe when she felt a slight tap on her shoulder and turned around to see Dominick smiling from ear-to-ear. “Hello, Sally!”
Sally couldn’t help but smile at Dominick’s face-painted British flag. She pointed at it and laughed. “What were you thinking, Dominick?”
“Ah, it’s just British humor. God save the queen!” Dominick yelled as some onlookers gave him perplexed looks.
Sally looked over at Gabriel texting on his phone. I wonder who he is texting. Why isn’t he even talking to me?
“Now don’t you judge me, Sally Rubino. Same colors, right?” Dominick pointed to his cheek.
“True.” Sally nodded and smiled. Dominick had a silly sense of humor.
“Sally, your Saved by a Scoundrel kept me up most of the night,” admitted Dominick.
Sally gasped. “You read it? Really?” Sally asked doubtfully.
“Yes, Gabriel had a copy of it. I quite favor Mr. Toddington, even though he does remind me a bit of one of my cousins. And the main character, Fanny, she’s precious, like you,” said Dominick.
Sally looked at Dominick in awe, flabbergasted by how freely he expressed his feelings aloud in front of Gabriel. Meanwhile, Gabriel texted furiously away to someone in the universe.
“Hey, guys!” Sally turned around as Kimmie hugged her with excitement. “Isn’t this fantastic? Sally, I think they got a good shot of me,” Kimmie gushed.
“Yeah, I saw you over there. You looked great,” confirmed Sally.
“I hope someone notices. I think one of the camera guys is into me.”
“And you must be Kimmie,” chimed Dominick.
Kimmie batted her beautiful blue eyes at Dominick, who stood the same height as Kimmie in her heels. Wow. It must be amazing to look at a man at eye level like that. Sally felt short.
“Dominick? From South Africa?” Kimmie squealed and hugged Dominick as if finally reunited after years apart. Dominick managed to look bemused as Kimmie hugged him and slowly let him go.
He nodded. “That’s me.”
“Ever since Sally said you were in town, I have wanted to talk to you. So you know I want to go to South Africa, right?”
“Right.” Dominick nodded.
Then Dominick focused his eyes on Sally as Kimmie kept talking to him. “And I heard that I could ride the elephants, but the little ones are harder to catch than you might think and…” babbled Kimmie.
Sally wondered why Dominick kept looking at her while Kimmie talked to him. Dominick quietly smiled at Sally and she smiled back. Would he stop looking at her and realize the gorgeous model talking to him? Oh, my God. Dominick is really looking at me. What is happening here? What about Gabriel? And as much as Sally did not want to break the mesmerizing trance, Sally looked over at where Gabriel was standing.
And Gabriel was gone again.
So Sally and Kimmie watched the colorful fireworks with Dominick before he left to go back to Louisburg Square. Tears welled up in Sally’s eyes, but she felt Dominick wrap his arms around her.
She didn’t remove his arm. It felt so good to be held close by Dominick.
After the final blast off of the fireworks, Dominick kissed Sally on the cheeks good-bye, and she smiled as if it was just a customary gesture of his. But it wasn’t.
Chapter Ten
“I just don’t understand why Gabriel wouldn’t talk to me.” Sally sighed. She wiped a tear away. Don’t cry over him anymore, damn it. The man already broke your heart once.
“Look, Sal. You gotta get over that man,” reasoned Kimmie.
“But what about the flowers? Was that him saying sorry, it’s over, or that he wants to be with me again? Maybe I jumped to conclusions.”
“Sal, the flowers were real. But it’s over with Gabriel. It’s been o-vah. You said there was no note. What if Dominick sent the flowers? Dominick is the man you need,” emphasized Kimmie. “Come on, let’s go on the roof.”
Sally and Kimmie climbed the narrow staircase of Kimmie’s apartment to the rooftop terrace overlooking the commons and the city.
“I love it up here,” admitted Sal. She admired the view of the city buildings and the Boston Common.
Kimmie lit a cigarette and dragged it slowly. “Yeah, this almost makes it worth the rent.”
Sally looked at the crescent moon and realized she was confused. “Kimmie, why do I keep thinking about Dominick now whenever I try to think about Gabriel?”
Kimmie laughed. “I don’t know. But what I do know is that Dominick is wicked into you, Sal.”
“You think?” questioned Sally.
“Duh. Could he make it more obvious? Dominick kept staring at you, put his arm around you, and he kissed you on the cheeks.”
“Kimmie…”
“Yeah, I saw that. He probably slipped you some tongue when I was working the camera crew and you’re not even telling me,” joked Kimmie.
“Stop,” protested Sally.
“Wait, look. It’s him.” Kimmie pointed over at a rooftop a few terraces over.
“Who?” Sally asked as she looked over to where Kimmie was pointing. A man with no shirt on was doing jumping jacks in the moonlight.
“Mr. Workout,” Kimmie said dreamily. She sighed as the man started doing pushups. “Look at those muscles. Yeah, baby. Keep going.”
Sally felt a little embarrassed watching a neighbor work out, but the man was serious eye candy. “I wonder why he works out this late at night,” Sally thought aloud.
“Oh, honey. He works out twice a day. He’ll be up at it again at dawn. Sometimes I just get my cawfee, come up here, and enjoy the show,” admitted Kimmie.
“Have you ever communicated?”
Kimmie shook her head. “No, but he has looked over here. I’m sure he knows we are watching. He probably gets off on it.”
“So, back to reality. Do you think Mark is really going to ask you?” asked Sally.
“Yeah.” Kimmie took a drag of her cigarette. “He keeps dropping hints. He said he wants us to go to the Aquarium on Sunday. He better not ask me in front of some penguins,” Kimmie said.
Sally shook her head. “What about the sharks?” she joked.
“I’d kill him,” declared Kimmie.
“Do you even want to marry Mark?” Sally knew Kimmie had some commitment phobia.
“You think you could be with just one man?” Sally had to ask.
“That’s just it. I’m horrible. Whore-able. Get it?”
Sally shook her head. “I wish you would quit smoking. It’s so bad for you.”
“I wish you would get over Gabriel already. Look, Sal. I have a plan. I could marry Mark. Later, when we get bored of each other, we’ll both take on lovers. Like Mr. Workout across the way. How’s that sound?”
“Would you please be serious, Kimmie?” Sometimes Sally didn’t know if Kimmie could handle monogamy.
“Okay. I could try, Sal. The truth is, I’m scared,” Kimmie admitted. She lit another cigarette with shaky fingers.
“Why?” Sally had hardly even seen Kimmie so distraught.
“I have something to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“I can’t have kids, Sal.” Kimmie’s fingers kept shaking.
Sally reached over and grabbed her friend’s perfect arm. “What? Since when? How do you know that?”
“Five years ago, I had an abnormal pap. Pre-cancerous cells or some crap.”
“Kimmie, I can’t believe you never told me.”
“Remember that summer I spent away in Spain? I had my ovaries removed. I didn’t want anybody to know. Anyhow, I just had my annual, and still no signs of cancer. But now I have to tell Mark we can’t have kids, and I have to go to a fucking baby shower tomorrow after work.”
“I’m so sorry, Kimmie.” Sally felt shocked and sad for Kimmie. “Cancer? I wish you had told me. You know I’m here for you, Kimmie.”
Kimmie nodded. “I know. We could always adopt, right?”
“Of course,” offered Sally. “How come you didn’t tell anyone, Kimmie?” asked Sally.
“The truth is, I’ve slept with so many men, Sal, I stopped counting. And part of me deep down tells me this is the price I have to pay for being a whore.”
“Oh, please stop calling yourself that, Kimmie. Guys sleep around all the time but don’t get labeled whores. And they don’t all get cursed with ball cancer,” explained Sally.
Kimmie laughed. “That is why I love ya, Sal.”
“I love you, too, Kimmie. Just tell Mark before he asks you. That way it is off your chest.”
“Yeah, and if he still wants to marry me after I tell him I’m barren, then I will marry him,” reasoned Kimmie.
Chapter Eleven
Nothing like a three-story Irish bar in Faneuil Hall for a place to clear one’s head. Gabriel and Dominick sat in the lounge chairs by the bar of the second floor. “Sally is making me crazy,” said Gabriel.
“You do look shit-faced,” admitted Dominick.
“I thought Sally and I still had something between us. The way she looks at me makes me remember things.” Gabriel shook his head and downed his beer.
“Why don’t you keep your head up and just dance?” suggested Dominick. He motioned toward the dance floor area.
“Right,” agreed Gabriel. “Hey. You know why I like Sally so much?”
Dominick did not respond and ordered another beer at the bar.
“Great hair and breasts, man,” Gabriel gushed upon Dominick’s return.
Dominick clutched his drink hard. “I think Sally does still care about you. But you don’t know what you want. And she deserves someone steady.”
Gabriel turned his head and gave Dominick a quizzical look. “Since when are you the relationship expert?”
“Sometimes you have to let go of the one you let go,” suggested Dominick.
“You’re starting to irritate me, man,” said Gabriel. He looked around at the women on the dance floor. Some college chicks were checking him and Dominick out. “Hey, don’t worry about me. I’ll go by her place tomorrow and tell her how I really feel. In the meantime, why don’t you get some action? You’re a free man.” Gabriel nudged.
“I don’t feel like dancing tonight. I’m going to turn in early,” decided Dominick.
“But we just got here. I’m gonna stay and catch a cab later,” insisted Gabriel.
“All right, then,” replied Dominick. He overpaid the tab for his and Gabriel’s drinks and went downstairs to exit the bar. The night air felt crisp and cool. Dominick walked down the steps by Government Center, passed the Custom House clock tower, and headed across the Common back to the Hill.
Dominick retraced the steps he and his cousin had taken to get through the maze of brick streets to Garden Street. He smiled when he saw Sally’s light shining from the window. He buzzed apartment 1A.
Buzz! Sally paused the French film on her TV. Sally peeked out her window blinds but saw nobody. She asked into the intercom, “Who is it?”
“It’s me. Dominick.” Dominick waited nervously for her response.
Sally thought it might be Gabriel. “Dominick? Oh, wait just a minute. I’ll be right there.”
Dominick breathed a sigh of relief.
Sally did a whirlwind clean up and looked in the mirror. Crap, she looked disheveled. She brushed her flyaway hairs back into a ponytail before she opened the door for Dominick.
“Hello, Sally. I didn’t have your number, so I hope this is okay. Are you busy tonight?” asked Dominick
“No, I’m just relaxing. You can come in, but my place is tiny,” warned Sally. She was surprised at how fit Dominick looked in his gray T-shirt.
“Great.” Dominick smiled as she let him inside her small apartment. Although smaller than most people’s garages, the apartment’s cottage décor made it cozy. Waverly printed curtains adorned the sole two street-facing windows along with a matching comforter and pillow set on her daybed.
“Um, you can just sit on my daybed with me, if you don’t mind,” said Sally. Since the studio provided nowhere else to sit, Dominick did not protest. Even her TV rested on a dresser in her closet.
“Do you want something to drink? A bottle of water?” asked Sally.
“Sure,” said Dominick. “What are you watching?”
“A French movie,” Sally said as she grabbed a water bottle from her fridge for Dominick who was staring at the paused scene of the lovers hiding under the house as they listen to the protégé cello teacher play above them.
“Wait. I know this movie. All the Mornings of the World.”
Sally was impressed. “You’ve seen this?”
Dominick nodded. “Oui. It’s a great movie.”
Sally could hardly contain her excitement. She grabbed the controller and motioned to Dominick whether she should hit play. He nodded, and she smiled. She couldn’t believe Dominick sat on her bed watching her favorite French movie with her. “The music is so beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Yes, I spent a summer in France and saw this movie in Paris.”
“Really? I dream of going to Paris one day,” said Sally.
“You will love it,” Dominick predicted confidently. Dominick looked into Sally’s amber eyes and then at her soft mouth. He touched the side of her face and leaned in to kiss her tenderly.
Sally couldn’t believe the warm feeling that washed over her entire body as Dominick kissed her. Their soft kiss turned into a passionate yearning to taste each other. Sally parted her lips and let Dominick gently prod his tongue into her mouth and entice her over and over. Sally felt her body tingle with pleasure and wanted Dominick to put his hands all over her but stopped herself. “Dominick, please don’t.”
Dominick hesitantly pulled back. “Are you okay?” he asked her for reassurance.
Sally nodded. “I just met you. And Gabe is your cousin.”
Dominick nodded. “I know. I feel torn, too. You are supposed to be off-limits, but I can’t stop thinking about you. We only just met and I’m absolutely mad about you. You are so beautiful and smart, Sally.”
Sally felt herself melting with his words. “I don’t want to cause a rift.”
“Listen. Gabriel is my cousin and my best friend. The last thing in this world I would want is to hurt him. But I know he hurt you when he broke up with you. Sally, what I feel for you is real, and I cannot leave without letting you know that. Gabriel is a great guy, but he still wants to live the bachelor life. You need someone you can trust.”
Sally nodded. She could not believe her ears. Dominick knew what she felt and understood her more than she could ever have hoped a man would. “But aren’t you leaving soon?” asked Sally. She knew she sounded confused, but her emotions made her nervous.
“It’s okay, Sally. I am leaving at the end of the week.”
“Oh,” Sally said. She felt her heart drop at the news of Dominick’s upcoming departure. And he wasn’t just going out-of-state. He would leave the country to a world away in South Africa.
Dominick took Sally’s hand in his own and held it. “I don’t want to leave now that I have met you. But I have to go back to my family’s business for a while. I could pay for you to come see me. Would you do that?”
Sally shrugged. “I don’t know, Dominick. Don’t you have a girlfriend back home? What would your parents think of me?”
Dominick squeezed Sally’s hand. “I don’t have a girlfriend, Sally. You can trust me. When I’m not on vacation, I’m very busy. As for my family, they would absolutely love you. Just mention your Harvard brain, and they wouldn’t care if you had missing front teeth.”
Sally smiled. How nice it would be to feel accepted into a man’s family rather than completely rejected.
“Here, let me hold you.” Dominick offered to lay down with Sally. And he held her while Sally drifted asleep in his arms to the lull of French words and cello music.
Chapter Twelve
Over the next several days, Sally wrote with fervor in the mornings so she could spend the rest of the time with Dominick. Dominick treated Sally like royalty and let her decide wherever they went.
Beacon Hill Beauties (Siren Publishing Allure) Page 4