by Bryce Oakley
"Every single pair," Domino said with an animated shrug.
"Why am I getting the impression that your parents are like, very formal?" Sabrina asked.
Domino laughed. "Because they are. Formal. They're like the epitome of Reagan-supporting Baby Boomers," she said.
Sabrina cringed. "Fiddlesticks," she murmured, more to herself. "Is there plastic on the couch?"
Domino laughed. "No, thankfully. Their standards lowered by kid number five," she said, pointing to herself.
"Let's get you ready!" Zoey called from the bathroom.
Sabrina sighed. "Should I be scared of what's about to happen?"
"Oh, almost certainly," Domino said with a laugh.
* * *
Sabrina stared out the window at the suburbs rolling by. "Do you ever miss living around here?" She asked. There was a quaintness to the area, even with its polished palm trees and strip malls.
"Billie and I got to the beach as soon as we could," Domino laughed. She pulled onto a residential street with sprawling ranch homes. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure,” Sabrina said, resting her chin in her hand as she stared out the window.
“Why did you say you don’t do family things?” Domino asked, her voice tentative.
“My family disowned me when I came out,” Sabrina said. The pain and hurt of it had numbed in the decade since it had happened, but it always felt awkward admitting it.
“I’m so sorry,” Domino said.
Sabrina lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “It’s fine. Well, it’s not fine, but I’m okay. I don’t think about them anymore.”
“Where are they?” Domino asked.
“The desert,” Sabrina said vaguely. “A tiny town outside of Ridgecrest near Death Valley.”
Domino nodded, pressing her lips into a thin line.
"Anything I should know before we go in?" Sabrina asked, her stomach twisting with nerves. She ran her hands over her hair, trying not to undo the subtle wave that Zoey had expertly put in. She glanced in the side mirror to check her subtle lipstick again.
Domino considered her question in silence for a moment. "I guess now is as good of a time as any to let you know that Domino isn't technically my real name," she said with a sigh, parking in the driveway.
"What? What's your real name?" Sabrina asked, taken aback. She watched as the front door opened.
Domino opened the car door before Sabrina could get an answer from her.
Sabrina took a deep breath to steel her nerves, then opened her own door. Domino held the door for her, helping her out of the car.
"How kind of you to take time out of your busy schedule to join us," an older man standing at the front door said, who Sabrina assumed was Domino's father.
"And miss Mom's lasagna? Never," Domino laughed.
Seeing Domino joke with her father made Sabrina feel slightly more relaxed, but as soon as the man's curious gaze landed on her, Domino's posture stiffened and her typical casual ease disappeared.
"This is my friend Sabrina," Domino said, taking a step out of the way.
“Um, hello, it's very nice to meet you," Sabrina said, holding out a hand to shake.
Domino's father took her hand. "You can call me William," he said.
"Is that Dominique?" A woman called from inside.
Dominique? It was so feminine and fancy... Sabrina tried to keep her expression blank as Domino glanced at her to judge her reaction.
Her grip tightened on the bottle of Merlot she had brought as a hostess gift for Domino's mother.
"Yes, honey, she's here. And she brought a friend," Domino's father called over his shoulder.
"Jeez, Dad, we're right here," Domino said, clapping him on the shoulder as she walked past him into the house.
Sabrina followed behind, closing the door after her.
A tiny yipping dog came running down the hallway to her left, its nails clicking on the floor as it ran. It looked to be some kind of wiry terrier. A Yorkshire Terrier that had a run-in with an electrical outlet, perhaps?
"Oh, beware of the carpet shark," Domino teased.
The dog ran at full speed and nipped her ankle before running away with a growl.
"Ow," she said, lifting up her foot to rub her tiny wound and casually check for blood.
"Don't take offense. That's just how she marks her victims," a man who she assumed was Domino's brother joked.
Sabrina watched the dog run back down the hallway and disappear into what she saw was a bedroom, judging by the headboard and bedskirt she glimpsed before walking past.
"Matt," the man said, introducing himself. He gestured to the very tall, plain woman standing beside him. "And this is my wife, Holly."
Sabrina racked her brain for the run-down that Domino had given her on the way over. Matt was a pediatrician and his wife, Holly, worked at a wolf sanctuary. Sabrina couldn't wait to question her about that.
"Sabrina," she said with a smile.
"So, you're the one organizing Dominique's house," Holly said with a smile that Sabrina couldn't read. "Don't envy you there."
Sabrina forced a good-humored smile. "Actually, the pleasure is all mine. Working on Domino's house has been a wonderful opportunity to innovate and experiment," she said.
Holly raised her eyebrows as if she was about to roll her eyes but thought the better of it.
A woman who Sabrina assumed was Domino's mother popped her head out of the kitchen. "Dominique, dear, would you help me in here for a moment?" She asked. She looked like an older version of June Cleaver, dressed immaculately with hair that barely moved.
Domino murmured an apology and walked into the kitchen just as Billie and Vero and a very large man came through the front door.
She recognized Billie, of course, but seeing Vero De Luca in person was something else. Vero was much tinier than Sabrina had anticipated, given her larger-than-life personality in the media. Her hair was casually pulled back into a ponytail, but she also wore a nice dress that was slightly fancier than anything else the Rush family was wearing –– except her. She mentally high-fived Vero for also bringing her A-game.
Billie wrapped an arm around Vero and held out a hand to Sabrina. "Hey, I'm Billie," she said with a smile and a curious glint in her eye that Sabrina recognized from Domino's classic look. "And this is Vero. And this is Jackson, Vero's bodyguard who insisted on coming."
"So nice to meet you," Sabrina said quietly, completely star-stuck by both Billie and Vero.
Billie introduced Vero, who hugged Matt and Holly, and Sabrina had the strangest feeling that she was intruding on a personal family night. If she was really invited to get the spotlight off of Vero, why had Domino chosen her and not some model she knew?
Vero took a step towards her, touching the sleeve of her gown. "This is stunning," she said quietly so that Sabrina had to lean in to hear her.
"Thank you. Zoey picked it out," Sabrina explained. She didn't volunteer the information about how Domino had given it to her in a way that made her want to jump her bones right there and then, of course.
"Jealous. I wish Zoey was my stylist," Vero giggled.
"Ugh, same," Sabrina said.
"You want something to drink, Jackson?" Vero asked the bodyguard, who shook his head with a firm expression on his face. "He insisted on coming. Like this was going to be a really dangerous situation or something." She rolled her eyes with a grin. "Although, now that I'm here, I see his point."
The two outsiders watched Billie, Matt, and Holly chat, with Domino and her mother talking just past them in the kitchen.
“I hear the dog bites,” Vero said pleasantly, as though she was talking about the weather.
"Uh, yeah, what's that all about?" Sabrina asked, glancing back toward the hallway.
“Billie tells me that her name is Martha and she hates everyone. She's like a tiny murder machine. Watch out for your Achilles heel," Vero said with a laugh.
Sabrina laughed, too, at the absurdity of it.
<
br /> Billie turned back to Vero, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. "You want anything, babe?" She asked.
Vero shook her head.
Billie pointed to Sabrina. "You want wine?" She pointed down at the bottle in Sabrina's hand.
Sabrina nodded quickly. "Um, I brought this for your mother," she said, holding out the bottle of wine. "But I haven't met her yet."
Billie grinned. "Let me guess, she grabbed Domino the moment y'all walked in?"
Sabrina nodded again.
"She's pretty evil that way. Hold on, let me go rescue Dom for you," Billie said, turning on her heel and walking into the kitchen.
"Oh no, now they've both abandoned us," Vero said, just as the room went silent.
Sabrina blinked, then laughed at the sheer awkwardness underlying the moment.
"Sabrina, come in here, please," she heard a woman say from the kitchen.
She exchanged a look with Vero, who gave her a shrug and a sympathetic frown.
She walked into the kitchen to find Domino, Billie, and their mother all huddled around the pantry.
"I was just telling Mom what wonders you've done on my place," Domino explained quickly.
"Ah, well, it was nothing," Sabrina said, blushing as she leaned against the counter.
"Sabrina, this is my mother, Lydia," Domino said.
"So nice to meet you. Thank you so much for having me in your beautiful home," Sabrina said. Lydia was classically beautiful, but something about her dress and demeanor screamed I Will Judge You Harshly.
"I'm happy to have you. Dominique has never dared bring a woman to dinner before," Lydia said.
"Mom, we're just friends," Domino said quickly, not meeting Sabrina's eye.
"Of course, dear, and your father and I are just roommates," Lydia said, patting Domino's shoulder condescendingly.
Sabrina held out the wine. "I –– we –– brought you this to thank you for having me for dinner," she said.
Lydia smiled, taking the bottle without even glancing at it. "Thank you," she said as she set it on the counter.
Maybe not a Malbec fan, then?
Sabrina tried to swallow the uncomfortable lump that had begun to form in her throat.
"Anyway, the point is, Sabrina, dear, what do I do with this pantry?" Lydia asked.
Sabrina took a step forward, peering behind the door to the walk-in pantry. It was absolutely crammed with canned goods, bags of chips, random condiments, and the odd bag of candy.
"You know what I'd recommend?" Domino said, grinning. "Bins."
"The student becomes the teacher," Sabrina teased, looking over her shoulder at Domino. "I agree, though, Lydia. You need to separate your items into sections, so it's easier to see what you have when you want it. It's your choice how to organize it, either by meal type or by item, but whatever you choose, stick with it. You might want to start by going through everything and seeing what's expired. I don't know about you, but Domino had canned green beans that expired four years ago."
Domino laughed. "Hey, you never know what you may need in the apocalypse," she said.
"Botulism? Is that what you're planning for the apocalypse?" Billie interrupted, grinning.
"Maybe you could trade botox injections for other's goods," Lydia said, shrugging as though it was a pretty good suggestion.
Billie and Domino started laughing, and Sabrina was in awe of their quick-witted repertoire. She had never had that type of relationship with her parents, even before they had kicked her out. For Domino to think that Lydia and William were formal was like saying there was too much icing on a cake: Not everyone's preference, but certainly not a terrible bad situation.
"If you'd like me to come over sometime and help you with it, I'd be delighted," Sabrina offered.
Lydia smiled. "I knew I liked you," she said. She turned back to the wine. "Would you be a dear and open this? I’ve got to meet the pop star dating my daughter.” She rolled her eyes.
* * *
"How do you take your coffee?" Billie asked Sabrina, staring down at her. Sabrina was sitting on the immaculate sofa in the sitting room next to Matt and Holly.
"Nearly white with cream, but no sugar," Domino said without glancing up from her conversation with her father.
Billie's eyebrows raised and Sabrina side-eyed Domino for remembering how she took her coffee.
Vero sat on a nearby chair, looking between Sabrina and Domino. When she realized that Sabrina was watching her, she winked.
“So, Vero,” Matt began. “How long have you and Billie been dating?”
Sabrina watched as Vero expertly navigated the interview with composure and class, like she was on 60 Minutes. They’d been together for nearly a month, but had known each other for longer. Vero explained how they had written a song together.
“I love that song,” William said, nodding with a convivial smile.
"So, then, Sabrina,” Matt said in the same tone. "How long have you and Dominique been dating?"
Sabrina laughed. "Oh, we're not... we're just friends."
"Holly and I were just friends," he said with a grin.
Sabrina smiled politely. "And what a personal choice it was to take it further," she said.
He blinked, clearly not expecting that reaction from her.
"Ah, I see," he said. "Well, our Dom has never been one for commitment."
Domino yawned exaggeratedly. "Look at the time," she began.
"I don't think she's ever had a girlfriend," Matt added.
Billie returned with the coffee, looking around the tense room in confusion.
"Don't pick on Dominique," Holly began. "She just hasn't found the right woman."
Sabrina clenched her jaw to keep from saying something about not worrying about Domino finding women –– she was an expert in that subject area.
“Okay, let’s all calm down,” Billie said, handing Sabrina a mug of coffee and setting down another for Holly.
"No need to get sensitive, Billie. Dominique just marches to her own beat," Lydia said, trying to keep the peace with years of practice.
"Ah, right, the rock star life. How's that going for you guys? Is it a one-and-done situation? Are you going to get real jobs now?" Matt asked.
Holly squirmed in her seat. "Honey," she said, laying a hand on his arm.
"Well, we can't all find sick kids riveting, Matt," Domino said, looking bored but calm.
Sabrina cleared her throat, turning to Holly. "I heard you work with wolves," she said, pointedly trying to change the subject.
Holly smiled. "I do––" She began.
"––But not for much longer, right, gorgeous?" Matt interrupted.
Sabrina sipped her coffee, trying to avoid glaring at him for interrupting her.
"What? Why?" Billie asked, her brow furrowed.
"We're going to have a baby," Matt said, smiling as he put his hand on Holly's stomach.
"Really?" Lydia gasped.
"That's wonderful news!" William said.
"We? You're carrying it, too, Matt? Like a seahorse?" Domino interjected.
Vero snorted, trying to hold back a laugh with her hand over her mouth.
Sabrina really wished there was whiskey in the coffee.
"You can't just be happy for us?" Matt said.
“I am happy for you," Domino said, not even smiling.
Lydia looked at Domino and narrowed her eyes. "Dom," she said as a warning.
"Oh, so now this is suddenly my fault?" Domino said, incredulous.
Just then, Martha, the dog from hell, came running into the room. Sabrina quickly picked her feet up off the floor, but Holly wasn't so lucky. She yelped dramatically as Martha ran past her, then ran out of the room again.
Sabrina took back her metaphor. This place wasn't like too much icing on a cake. It was the Twilight Zone. Just when she thought everything was fine, there were sibling fights and killer dogs...
Domino stood, walking out of the room silently.
"Ah, off she goe
s to pout," Matt said.
"Way to go, Matthew," Billie said. "Hey, Sabrina, want to see the back patio?" She stood up, gesturing with her head toward the back door.
"I've never wanted to see a back patio more than right at this moment," Sabrina said, standing with her coffee. Vero stood, too, and the three of them walked out onto the back deck.
The night air shocked her as she stepped outside. She held her mug in both hands, trying to warm herself up.
Billie closed the door behind her.
"Oof, is he always like this?” Vero asked, her heels clicking on the deck as she crossed to lean against the railing. She sipped from a La Croix.
"I don't care how he treats me," Sabrina said, sighing. "I do care how he treats Domino. I know she's tough, but that was brutal."
Billie shrugged. "Domino puts on a good devil-may-care act, but she's not so tough," she said.
Sabrina bit her lower lip. "What makes you say that?"
"Domino is the most empathetic person I know. She feels things stronger than other people. It's what makes her such a good songwriter, and why we've depended on her for that. But it also means that she hurts easily," Billie said.
Sabrina nodded, unable to fully support the armchair analysis of her friend without her there to defend herself, but she was also finding herself in total agreement, from what she had seen so far.
"She's taking your falling out pretty hard," Sabrina dared to add.
Vero rolled her eyes. "I wish they'd get over it," she said.
"She betrayed my trust," Billie said, shrugging. "I still love her. She's still my best friend. But it's going to take a little while to get that back."
Sabrina nodded, sniffling in the cold air.
"For what it's worth, even if you are just friends, I think you're a good egg, and I like you for Domino," Billie said quietly. "She needs someone like you. She has Meg, who is so kind and sweet and shy she'll go along with whatever you say, and Zoey, who is off in Zoeyland most of the time. But she doesn't really have any close friends outside of the band, and I'm glad she found you."
Guilt, that sneaky little feeling, stabbed Sabrina right in the chest. Was she actually a good friend? Was she leading Domino on because she couldn't decide what she wanted? She wanted to stick to the plan, but she also didn't want someone like Domino to slip through their fingers. But then, if she did act on it, would she really want to risk losing her new friendship if things didn't work out?