by Sky Corgan
“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.
“Hi,” he said, giving me an awkward look.
“Hi,” I replied hesitantly, studying his face.
They had the same gray eyes and strong jawline, but Dominick's hair was darker. It was like looking into the past, at Dominick when he was still a teenager and had a youthfulness about him, though the clothes were all wrong. Dominick had been a jeans and T-shirt guy. What Jeff was wearing was at least three sizes too big. His T-shirt practically hung off one shoulder and had a picture of two masks on it, one laughing and one crying. His jeans were so baggy that the only thing holding them up was a cheap looking rope belt, and it was doing a poor job. Despite his haggard appearance, he didn't seem thuggish though.
For the first few weeks, things went fairly smooth. Jeff was playing the good-guy act, constantly thanking Dominick for taking him in. He said he understood the path he was going down and wanted to get away from it, but that it was hard because of all the peer pressure. Unlike the neighborhood that Dominick and I had grown up in, the neighborhood Jeff and his family lived in wasn't very safe. There was a lot of gang activity going on, and Jeff said his options were either to join in or experience retribution for it.
Dominick listened to his story completely unamused, waiting for it to be over so he could give one of his famous fatherly lectures. He would be the mean parents if we ever had children together. I could tell. Still, I found it enduring that he tried to pass on what advice and wisdom he had, though I doubted Jeff was listening to any of it. The way he made it sound, there really was no escape from the gang. Once he went back to Virginia, they would come to him again, and all of this would be for nothing.
At night time, I laid in bed with Dominick, thinking about everything Jeff had told us. “This isn't going to help him,” I said.
“What?” Dominick asked.
“He's been here for a few weeks already, and he's been well behaved. I don't think the problem is so much his behavior as it is his environment.”
“Well, we've taken him out of that environment.”
“That's not the point. Once summer comes, he'll be going back to Virginia, back to that bad neighborhood. He's going to fall back in with the gang again. I just know it.”
“That's completely up to him. Once he goes back home, it's out of our hands.”
“It doesn't sound like it's up to him though. From the way he tells things, you're either in the gang or you're harassed by them.”
“Everyone has a choice, Kim,” Dominick sighed.
“You know it's not that easy.”
“Well, what do you want me to do about it?”
“I don't know.” I sulked, rolling away from Dominick to sleep. It was obvious he didn't want to discuss it any further, and in truth, he was doing all he could. What more could anyone expect from him?
The next afternoon, I decided to talk to Jeff about his situation. We sat together in the living room. He played games on my laptop while I did my homework. Dominick was in his office with his door closed. He had started keeping it closed ever since Jeff came to stay with us. He said the sound of the television distracted him, and Jeff tended to keep it on a loud setting, no matter how many times Dominick told him to turn it down. It was Dominick's only real complaint about having him around. While it was a burden on him, it did give Jeff and I the opportunity to speak more privately.
“So, you've been here for almost a month already,” I commented, setting my pen down to take a little break.
“Yup,” he replied, not even bothering to look up at me.
“Have you thought about what you're going to do when you get back home?”
“I have.”
“And?”
He glanced at me over the monitor. “Do you want the truth or do you want me to lie?”
“The truth, of course.”
“You're not going to like the truth.”
“I didn't think I would,” I sighed.
“Then why did you bother to ask?”
“I don't know, because I don't want you to go back to the way things were.”
“I think the only one who is fooled here is Dominick. He thinks he's helping, but he's just postponing the inevitable. When I get back to Virginia, the guys are going to come around, and I'm going to have to go with them. My parents might kick me out, but what does it really matter. I'm old enough to be on my own anyway.” He shrugged.
“Aren't you worried about going to jail?”
“There are worse things than going to jail.”
“You think they'd kill you if you stopped?”
“Maybe. They might do a drive-by on my house. Someone else could get hurt. My parents. My little sister, maybe. I'd rather not risk it.”
“If the neighborhood's that bad, then why don't your parents move.”
“They can't afford to. Not everyone is rich, you know,” Jeff said in an offended tone.
“I know. I'm sorry. It was just a suggestion.”
“Well, it was a shitty one,” he growled, and then his features softened. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude.”
“It's okay. It's a frustrating situation.”
“It is.”
“Have you thought about maybe getting a job and moving out on your own?”
“Pfft. Any job I got there, the gang would know about. My money would go to them, not toward saving for a place. That's how it works there.”
“Well.” I shifted, thinking. “What about staying here? I mean, you'll be here a few more months. That's plenty of time to get a job and save up some money.”
“You think Dominick would let me leave the house?” He gave me a sarcastic look. “I love my cuz, but he treats me like a prisoner.”
“I don't think he means it that way. I think he considers this more like rehab for you.”
“Rehab,” Jeff huffed.
“I'm serious though. You have enough time to get up on your feet here. If your parents are going to kick you out anyway when you get back, you might as well work on getting a new start somewhere else while you have the opportunity. I could talk to Dominick about it.”
“You really think he'd go for something like that?” There was a hopeful look in his eyes.
“I think so. I already told him that I really don't think staying here is doing you much good. Would you even be interested in something like that?”
“Well, yeah, I think so. I mean, it's not like I'd be alone. I've got you guys.”
“Exactly.” I smiled at him. “We'll support you and help you to stay on the right track.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that.”
I spoke to Dominick about my idea that night, and he seemed on board with it, though there would definitely be rules in place. The next afternoon, we sat down with Jeff to go over them. At the top of Dominick's list was that Jeff would only be able to leave the condo to go to and from work. Either he or I would drop Jeff off and pick him up every day. Internally, I sighed, realizing how much more of a strain this would put on both of us. I had to keep reminding myself it was for a good cause though. Jeff would also be required to turn all of his paychecks over to Dominick until it was time to start looking for an apartment. Surprisingly, Jeff agreed to that too.
After our little meeting was over, I sat down with Jeff and helped him look for jobs online. Thankfully, he wasn't picky. Up to that point, he hadn't had a job before, so he seemed to be up for anything.
I made a resume for him and then sent it out to as many local restaurants and gas stations that I could until it was time for me to do my homework and go to bed. It had been a long mentally exhausting day, and as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was fast asleep.
For the rest of the week, Dominick took over, driving Jeff to his job interviews. I knew his work was suffering because of it, but I had little sympathy. This had been his idea in the first place, providing a short-term solution for his cousin. My solution was more permanent, and we both agreed that if we went the extra mile, it would eventually be worth it. Maybe we could even get Jeff out of the condo faster. Part of me hoped we could, but another part of me feared I would have to move back into my old bedroom, which I really didn't want. I had gotten comfortable sleeping with Dominick every night. Even though the rest of the changes that Jeff had caused by moving in with us were stressful on me, that was one thing I enjoyed, and I didn't want it to change.
Luckily, it only took Jeff a week to land a job at a local pizza joint. His excitement and enthusiasm over it was contagious. It seemed like he was really serious about getting up on his own two feet and changing his life, which made both Dominick and I happy.
Since Jeff didn't go into work until ten o'clock in the morning, Dominick took him to work every day, and I p
icked him up in the afternoons after I got out of school. Dominick was ever grateful for the quiet time he got during the day while Jeff was at work, and on the weekends, we were even able to sneak in some randomly located sexual encounters. Our sex life had admittedly slowed down quite a bit since Jeff had moved in, but this new job gave it a boost, which we were both elated about.
When Jeff got his first paycheck, we went out to dinner to celebrate. Afterward, Dominick took us both shopping, insisting that if Jeff wasn't going to be a thug anymore, then he needed to stop dressing like one. While he didn't seem too pleased with Dominick's assessment of his style, he still went along with it, allowing me to doll him up like a preppy while Dominick took care of the bill. It was an overall fun afternoon, one that I'd remember for a long time, and not just for that reason.
When we got home that night, Dominick retired to his office. I stayed in the living room with Jeff to keep him company, as normal. That was our routine. As soon as I got home and finished my homework, Jeff and I would hang out together until it was time to go to bed. For the most part, we'd either watch television or talk, or I'd watch television while he played games on my laptop.
That particular afternoon, we decided to watch a special on Comedy Central. During the program, Jeff got up to go to the restroom, and when he returned, he sat right next to me. Usually, he sat on the loveseat across from me, keeping a safe distance.
“What's up?” I asked, trying not to sound as uncomfortable as I felt.
“Nothing.” The look he gave me was completely innocent, and when he leaned back, I started to relax a little, though I kept my body on the edge of the seat.
After a few moments, he readjusted, spreading his legs so that our knees were touching. For some reason, I kept getting the feeling that he was looking at me, like his eyes were burning into the back of my skull. All of my concentration on the television show was lost, and I briefly considered moving over to the other loveseat, though I didn't want to offend him, especially if nothing was really wrong.
“Thanks for today,” he said.