From the first bite I was in love and would never be able to eat eggplant parmesan from anywhere else, ever again. I managed to eat half before surrendering. My pants were going to split at the seams if I ate another bite. I sat back and watched Dominic eat his lasagna. He too was engrossed in his food. After he finished his serving he started to eye up my leftovers. I handed him my plate, unable to look at it anymore and sipped my wine, enjoying watching him eat with such fervor. Between the wine, my full stomach and the warmth from the brick oven, my eyelids grew heavy and I really didn’t think it was possible to eat another bite until Franco brought over the Tiramisu. I rallied and reached for a spoon, savoring the sweet creamy goodness that slid down my throat. I could get used to this, I thought to myself.
After the meal was done we got up to say goodbye. I hugged Gloria and Franco and thanked them profusely for the best meal of my life. They both beamed and said I was welcome anytime. We walked through the restaurant, which had already closed. Bianca was bopping around with her iPod clearing the tables. We waved goodbye and she waved back without interrupting her groove. Dominic grabbed my hand as we walked outside into the calm, chilly night. Before we got in the car I stood up on my toes and kissed him.
“Thank you for introducing me to some of your family…and their cooking!”
“You’re very welcome. “
Eleven o’clock is past bedtime for most people, but the night was still young for me and Dom. He drove down to the Penn’s Landing River Rink and parked in the empty parking lot. The ice skating rink was empty too, since it was after hours.
“What are we doing here?”
“Do you know how to ice skate?”
“Yeah, but it’s closed.”
“Wait a few minutes. You’ll see.”
Moments later a rusty Buick Century pulled up and parked next to us. A middle-aged man wearing glasses stepped out and walked up to Dominic’s window. When he confirmed that it was Dominic he asked us to follow him. He opened up the rental area and flicked on the lights. He helped us pick out the right size skates. Once we were set, Dominic led me out on the ice. It took me a few falls on my ass to get the hang of it. It had been years since I last ice skated. Pretty soon Dominic and I were skating around the rink like pros, well, semi-pros. He helped steady me when he felt my legs get wobbly and never let go of me once. We laughed and goofed off like teenagers. It felt good to move around after the big dinner. The cold air beat back the drowsiness brought on by a full stomach.
The view out on the riverfront was beautiful too. Philadelphia during the winter months was just plain ugly. The landscape becomes gray and barren. Litter blows around the streets like urban tumbleweed and the cold penetrates every corner. Homeless people sit on steam vents like birds perched in a nest and Broad Street becomes an enormous wind tunnel that tries to suck your breath away. But down here on the riverfront, with the Ben Franklin Bridge lit up in the background on one side and the skyline on the other, Philadelphia was charming.
We skated for about an hour then put the skates back and the guy locked up behind us. He had even made us each a cup of hot chocolate. I thanked him as we walked back to the parked cars. He nodded and waved before we separated.
“Dominic, do you like own the city or something? How did you pull that off?” I asked as soon as we were in the Mustang.
“My dad knows the manager and he owed him a favor.”
“That must have been a big favor. What does your dad do?” I realized that I knew more about his cousins, aunts and uncles than his immediate family.
“He owns a construction company and is involved in the real estate investment business with Uncle Marco.” An image of a dump truck with Grabano and Sons emblazoned on the sides flashed in my mind.
“Well, I’m impressed. You sure know how to plan a date!”
“It’s not over yet,” he said with a smile and stretched across the front seat to kiss me. His lips and tongue tasted of the hot chocolate. I welcomed the yummy goodness. When we separated I was left wanting more. He caressed my cheek and then started the car. He pulled out of the lot onto an almost deserted Columbus Blvd. He only drove a few blocks and then turned right into the Waterfront Square Condominiums. I stared in awe at the giant towers that loomed into the night sky. Dominic slowed the Mustang down in front of the lobby and a valet appeared out of nowhere.
“Good evening Mr. Grabano.” the valet greeted Dominic and held the door open for him. Then he spotted me in the passenger seat. “Oh, I’m sorry Miss,” he said and hustled around to my side.
Dominic walked next to me with his hand on the small of my back. The doorman opened the main door and we entered the expansive lobby. It was all I could do to keep my jaw from dropping. Once I had attended a wedding that was held at the Four Seasons and this place made the Four Seasons lobby seem ghetto. Crossing the marble floors, my heels echoed up in the high ceilings. Thankfully Dominic was steering me towards the elevators, because I would have probably stood there in the middle of the lobby, like an idiot, completely slack-jawed and dumbfounded.
The elevator shot up to the twelfth floor in seconds. Dominic reached for my hand and gently pulled me out into the hallway. Our footsteps were silenced by the plush gray carpet.
“You live here?”
“Yeah. My dad’s company built this whole complex. They’re investors too.”
Dominic opened the door to his condo. Windows stretched the whole length and the view was breathtaking. The Camden waterfront twinkled in the distance and reflected on the river. The white oak floors gleamed only to be outshined by the granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. The layout was open and the kitchen and living room shared the vistas. Dominic walked into the living room and flipped a switch. The gas fireplace roared to life and flames danced off of the dark brown leather sectional, making the room glow.
“This is amazing! Bartending must be working out for you to be able to afford a place like this!”
He laughed and came up behind me to take my coat. He draped it over one of the bar stools at the breakfast bar and circled his arms around me.
“No, not bartending; the family helps me out.”
I leaned back against him, his arms circled my waist and his lips moved slowly down my neck, making me shiver. “Mmmm…that’s nice.” I turned around and placed my arms around his neck, meeting his lips with mine. He moaned and pulled my hips against him, pressing his arousal against them. I gasped and our kissing deepened. Eventually, he led me over to the living room and we stood by the fire, our kisses growing more urgent. I started unbuttoning his shirt, but impatience won out and I ripped it off, scattering loose buttons everywhere. I yanked my sweater over my head and tossed it on the floor.
We fell to the carpet in front of the fireplace. He lay over me on one side while slipping my pants off with one hand. He paused and his breath hitched when he noticed I wasn’t wearing any underwear. Then it was my turn, I admired his six-pack, tracing the ridges of muscle before reaching for his zipper. His excitement was evident as I worked at his pants and the bulge they contained. We attacked each other. He played with me and made my body react in ways I never thought possible. I had been with a few guys in my life after Toby, but didn’t have the best experiences with them. Dominic erased all of that. Not once did I feel self-conscious. He wanted me just as badly as I wanted him. My hips rose to meet him and we moved together on the carpet. I moaned as my back arched in a spasm which rippled across my entire body. I felt very warm, wet and suddenly giddy. Dominic moaned, his body shuddered and then he rolled onto his back, panting.
“Oh my God that was amazing,” I whispered into his neck and snuggled close.
“Yes it was,” Dom kissed my forehead and pulled me closer.
We dozed off and when I woke, Dominic was spooning me. We were both still naked and on the floor in front of the fire. I nuzzled up closer to him for warmth. He physically responded to my movements and we started touching each other; slower this time, d
rawing the pleasure out. We ended with me draped across Dom. I moved so my chin was resting on his chest and really looked at him. The green of his eyes were barely visible through slits as he stared back at me. Satisfaction had softened the hardness of his jaw line where stubble had sprouted up overnight and his dark hair was tousled. I traced the tattoo spanning Dom’s collarbone, shoulder and upper arm on his left side. It was all black ink and bold, geometric lines framing the word “famiglia”.
“Family?” I asked.
“Yeah, it’s the most important thing in my life. Without family, well, I can’t imagine.”
I rested my head on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat, and tried to imagine a big family. Dom tightened his arm and pulled me closer, our bodies flush against each other. We stayed like that until the room gradually grew lighter and I peered out the window at the rising sun. Carefully extricating myself off of Dominic and stepping over our pile of clothes, I went to stand in front of the window. My naked body reflected on the glass and I made a quick assessment noting my abs were firm and toned, my breasts perky and my hair fell around me in waves, dark against my fair skin. My lips were fuller from all of the kissing and my eyes were bright – wide awake. I watched Dominic’s reflection walk up behind mine. His was close to a foot taller and had a swagger to his walk. His body was muscular and his olive skin was smooth, flawless except for the tattoo. He had pulled a blanket off of the couch and wrapped it around us as we watched the sun rise, basking in the golden glow.
As the sun rose higher into the sky, reality began to sink in. The day was putting an end to a perfect night. I had classes to attend and a roommate to check in with. With a heavy sigh I turned towards Dominic. He looked down at me with understanding.
“Come on, I’ll get you home.”
He went into his bedroom to get a new shirt and I followed him in to investigate as we hadn’t made it that far. The spicy scent of his cologne was more concentrated here and I inhaled deeply. A king sized bed pressed up against the window and the Delaware River sparkled below through the slats of dark wood blinds. The master bathroom was like a spa retreat in itself. A giant Jacuzzi tub called my name and I stared at it longingly.
“Next time we’ll try that out.”
“Next time?”
“Oh there’ll be a next time, although I don’t want this to end.”
“Me either,” I admitted, running through my class schedule in my head and determining I couldn’t miss any today.
The Mustang was waiting for us when we got down to the lobby, the interior already warm – high rent had its perks. My purse vibrated so I reached inside and pulled out my cell phone. The display read that I had three new messages. There were two text messages and a voice mail all from Chelsea. Ever since Chelsea had broken up with her boyfriend she had a little too much time on her hands and had started living vicariously through my life. The first text message came in at 1:00 am – What time r u coming home? The next text message came in at 3:00 am and I perceived the annoyed tone – I’m going 2 bed. The voicemail had just been left for me at 8:24 am – Nat, I’m really worried and hope you are ok. Please call me!
Dominic overheard and chuckled. “You better call her before she calls the National Guard.”
“Yeah, seriously,” I laughed as I dialed Chelsea’s cell. She picked up after the first ring.
“Nat! Are you okay?”
“Yes, I am more than okay,” I winked at Dominic and he smiled back. “I had my phone on vibrate and didn’t even hear it. I’m sorry to have worried you.”
“You should have called to let me know you weren’t coming home.” She sounded sullen. I pictured her sulking, her lower lip sticking out in a pout.
“You’re right and I will try to remember next time. I was just a little…preoccupied.” Dominic reached for my left hand and squeezed it.
“Oh. Oh!” Chelsea gasped, picking up on what I was alluding to and I knew all would be forgiven if she wanted the details. “Are you on your way back?” she asked, no longer sulking by the sound of her voice.
“I’ll be there in a few minutes.” I hung up the phone and glanced over at Dominic. He was trying to keep a straight face.
“What?”
“Preoccupied? Is that what it’s called nowadays?”
“I was trying to be discreet.”
“What we did to each other last night was definitely not discreet!” He squeezed my hand and a warm flush washed over my body.
The trip to my apartment was too brief and it was hard to say goodbye. Dominic promised to call me to make arrangements for later that night. As I was getting ready to open the car door he pulled me towards him and into a kiss. His stubble bristled against my cheek, but I didn’t mind because his lips were soft and gentle against mine. I could feel Chelsea’s eyes burning into my back from the living room window so I slowly pulled away from Dominic and somehow managed to get out of the car.
Just as I had anticipated, Chelsea was waiting at the door. I had barely set foot into our apartment when the inquisition started.
“Oh my God, he is gorgeous! Where did you go, did you stay at his place…did you sleep with him?” She was firing off questions like an automatic machine gun and I could barely keep up. I held my hands up to silence her.
“Geez, Chels. Can you give me a second?” She looked at me impishly and backed off. I dashed to the bathroom to relieve myself and splashed cool water on my face. I should have been exhausted, but was running on pure euphoria and endorphins at the moment. I glanced in the mirror and saw my eyes were bright and wide with excitement. There were dark smudges underneath from my mascara. It wasn’t heinous though and that surprised me. The smudges added a smoky, dramatic effect. Hmmm, not bad, I thought to myself.
Chelsea waited in the living room and was twitching like an excited puppy when I walked in. I knew she was holding back a deluge of questions. I plopped down on the futon next to her and prepared for the assault.
“So, you spent the night with him?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“His condo. He lives in the most unbelievable place. It makes our apartment look like a hovel.”
“He’s rich, huh?”
“I guess so. His condo sure isn’t cheap.”
“And the sex, how was it?” I was embarrassed by her directness and flushed when I recalled the intimacy between us.
“Incredible.” That was the only word I could come up with to describe it and then I thought of another. “Mind blowing. Quite possibly - no definitely - the best sex I’ve ever had!”
“Wow,” Chelsea remarked. She inspected my face after my statements. “Oh, Nat you really like this guy don’t you?”
I nodded my head in admittance. I hadn’t allowed myself to get emotionally invested with anyone. After seeing my mom’s heart ripped out and destroyed, I swore that I would never put myself in a position where something like that could happen to me. Then, after Toby, I swore off emotional commitments completely. Somehow, with Dominic, I found that promise hard to uphold. Flings were easy. I didn’t put my heart up for grabs and ended the liaisons before they amounted to anything close to a relationship. I didn’t want just a fling with Dom, though.
Chelsea peered at me waiting for me to continue. “I do like him. He referred to me as his girlfriend when he introduced me to his Aunt and Uncle.” Chelsea’s mouth hung open.
“Wait, back the fuck up! You met family members and he called you his girlfriend?” she paused. “And you didn’t run away screaming?”
“No, I actually liked being called his girlfriend, even though I told him it was too soon for that. His Aunt and Uncle are so nice.” I filled her in on Franco’s Ristorante, the extraordinary food and the ice skating at Riverfront Park.
“Whoa.” She sat across from me and regarded me with her sky blue eyes. “Are you ready for this Nat?” Her question triggered a little bit of the fear. I had let my guard completely down last night and showed Dominic more of m
y true self than I’ve shown anyone in a while. It was easy to be myself around him.
“I...think so? I really like Dominic and want to see where this goes.”
Chelsea had a worried look on her face. She was still raw from her break-up and I’m sure she thought I was crazy to open myself up for hurt. Little did she know that I already opened myself up. That left me feeling both exhilarated and terrified.
Instead Chelsea surprised me. “Well I never thought I’d see the day…” and she grinned. “It’s about time you gave another relationship a try. Sometimes they don’t work out, but you learn a lot about yourself in the process.”
“Oh yeah? And what did you learn about yourself this last go around?”
Chelsea may be living vicariously through my life now, but there were times when I lived vicariously through her relationships.
“I learned that I need to stay true to myself.” Chelsea lowered her eyes when she stated this as if hiding the pain they revealed.
“True,” I recalled how Chelsea had been consumed in her recent relationship with Chad and how she lost touch with her friends, including me. All of her time was devoted to Chad’s needs and she lost sight of her own. “That’s very good advice.”
We both stared off and were lost in our thoughts until Chelsea saw the clock on the cable box and yelled, “Holy Shit, we’re late for class!” It was a mad scramble as I ran to change my clothes and grab my backpack, there wasn’t enough time for me to worry that I smelled like sex. Chelsea and I ran up Pine St. to campus, avoiding the icy patches and frost heaves on the uneven brick sidewalks.
Chapter 9
The euphoria that kept exhaustion at bay wore off early in the afternoon. I struggled through the rest of my classes and slumped back to the apartment, picking up a turkey hoagie from Wawa along the way. Dominic hadn’t called my cell yet, so I had no idea what he was planning for tonight. How could he top last night? I struggled to get through some assignments, but kept dozing off. I gave up and crawled into bed for a nap. My bladder woke me and I stumbled to the bathroom. Chelsea was in the living room watching TV. She looked up at me when I walked in.
The Beautiful People (The New Mafia Trilogy) Page 6