Sabrina: You stay the night with a cute girl?
Isla: Perhaps.
Sabrina: I have some news!
Isla: Did you finally knock boots with Domino?!
Sabrina: Knock boots, are you serious?
Isla: You know, a bit of the old in-out, in-out.
Sabrina: Isla.
Isla: Bow-chick-a-wow-wow.
Isla: Horizontal tango.
Sabrina glared down at her phone.
Isla: Dancing in the sheets.
Isla: Getting one's canoe shellacked.
Sabina: ISLA.
Isla: Okay, that last one may have been too far but it's pretty funny.
Sabrina: It doesn't even make sense.
Isla: Doesn't it?
Sabrina: ANYWAY, as I was saying, I have some news! What's your teaching schedule like?
Isla: Next week is officially winter break, so I'm finally freeeeeee. What's up?
Sabrina: Perfect. I need an assistant.
Isla: Oh no.
Sabrina: I'll love you forever!
Isla: Getting warmer.
Sabrina: I'll pay you!
Isla: I'm in! You coming home tonight? We can talk about it then.
Sabrina glanced at the sleeping woman on the couch.
Sabrina: Let's play that one by ear.
Isla: Well, that's one I haven't heard before.
Sabrina giggled, rolling her eyes.
She walked upstairs as quietly as she could, looking around the master bedroom. She figured that even if she could just have the kitchen, great room, laundry area, and bedroom done, that'd be enough for photos. If she had time to add the garage to that list, that would be even better, but it was unlikely. She wouldn't get her hopes up too much.
Her phone was nearly dead. She sat on the edge of the bed and opened the side table, looking for a spare phone charger.
She sighed, rifling through what looked to just be trash, but paused when she found a handwritten letter crumpled into a ball. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure Domino hadn't woken up and come to find her, then flattened out the letter. Her heart pounded in anticipation, knowing she was doing something slightly unethical.
"Didn’t want to wake you but had a great time, let’s see each other again tonight/soon/next week. - S."
S? Who was that and when had that note been written? Why had it ended up balled up in a side table?
She stared at the paper, the unnerving feeling of jealousy building inside of her.
She knew that Domino was infamous for leaving the club with a different girl every night. She knew because she had seen it happen.
And now she was that girl.
Her hands shook as she crumpled up the piece of paper again.
"Already back in bed, I see?" Domino said from the doorway.
Sabrina jumped, dropping the paper onto the ground. She put a hand over her heart. "You scared the bejeebus out of me," she said, taking a deep breath.
"Well, that doesn't sound good. How can I make it up to you?" Domino said with a wry smile as she climbed onto the bed, grabbing Sabrina to pull her down.
Sabrina laughed, her heart still thumping in her temples.
She wrapped her arms around Domino, kissing her neck. Why should she be jealous when she had the world's sexiest woman next to her in bed? She didn't want a relationship just as much as Domino didn't. Her career was teetering on the precipice of really taking off. Everything was in her five year plan.
She should be ecstatic.
So, then why was she still thinking about that note? And worrying about how much longer she had with Domino?
She squeezed her eyes closed, taking a deep breath, trying to revel in the moment with Domino.
Chapter Eleven
Domino
The next week and a half passed in a whirlwind.
With Isla helping Sabrina, work seemed to go much faster. Even Meg chipped in. Zoey brought coffee one day, but tried to argue against organizing the bookshelf by color –– apparently one of Sabrina's cardinal sins –– so she was demoted to Not Helping.
Sabrina slept at her place most nights. Domino found that on the nights where Sabrina stayed over, she couldn't get an entire night's sleep. It wasn't that Sabrina hogged all of the blankets (she did) or that she talked in her sleep (she did) or that she asked too much of Domino's time (she didn't –– it wasn't possible).
It was just that when Sabrina stayed the night, Domino found herself with boundless energy. She went surfing as early as she safely could, she walked around the neighborhood late at night, she rode her bike through the silent, sleeping streets to feel the cool air on her cheeks.
She wrote songs in the living room, quietly, recording voice messages in a whisper to remember the melodies that haunted her at all hours.
She found herself writing a lot of songs about... well, herself. A topic she had stayed away from on Heart's Content . It was as though having Sabrina so close made her more self-aware. She wrote about the pain of growing, of changing, of accepting oneself.
She also wrote about Sabrina, of caring so much for someone that even watching them sleep was a serene experience.
And yet, she was unsettled.
Maybe it was the pace with which Sabrina had come into her life. They had only known one another for a few weeks, but already they cooked breakfasts together, shared television shows, laid in bed playing games on their phones next to one another. Not to mention that the sex was fantastic.
It was... nice. It was comfortable.
And it made her itchy at the same time.
It was as though she couldn't quite relax.
She glanced at the clock. 5am. The sun wouldn't be up for another hour and a half. It was early December, with Christmas right around the corner. Yet, in Southern California, winter meant throwing on a light jacket when the sun wasn't out.
She grabbed a jacket and walked out the back door, locking it behind her. She didn't grab her board. She just wanted to go sit in the sand, shivering as the fog rolled in over the waves.
She walked down her block, then turned onto the main street leading to the beach. The air smelled salty with a hint of seaweed –– fishy, almost, but not in a way that made her cringe. It was the smell of home. Hermosa Beach was Southern California’s version of a calm and quiet beach town, nothing like the gross beaches like Venice.
She was never afraid in her own town, and she cherished that. Growing up in the suburbs had always made her wary of the beach life, but Hermosa was small and quiet enough that she could walk without holding keys in her fingers.
She walked past the closed stores at the entrance of the pier, the sand on the concrete crunching under her shoes. She had once seen paparazzi hiding out there to spot Vero, but Domino wasn’t typically paparazzi fodder, thankfully.
She eyed the lifeguard station warily as she strolled down the stairs to the beach, settling in a spot that was secluded near the pier. Safe little town or not, she didn't want to stick out in any way or attract any attention. Especially not to the lifeguards, who knew her by name, unfortunately.
Her feet sunk into the cool sand, and she scanned the beach in the darkness.
She was alone. The moon was a tiny sliver, illuminating almost nothing around her.
She wished the moon was brighter so that she could see the waves.
She wished she had her guitar.
She sat down, holding her jacket closer to her body. She listened to the waves roll onto the beach, the soft murmur of them slipping back away, folding into themselves.
How nice it must be.
She rested her head on her knees, closing her eyes.
She pictured Sabrina back at her house, fast asleep, her full lower lip sticking out in the adorable pout she had when she slept. An overwhelming feeling filled her chest. She couldn't put her finger on what the feeling was, though. Protectiveness, adoration, affection?
Unfamiliar territory, all the same.
She sighed, humming the
melody that had been stuck in her head for three days. The melody she hadn't been able to capture. "I could get lost in you, but that's not who I am, darling, " she whispered to herself.
"Dom?" A familiar voice asked quietly behind her.
Sabrina?
She turned, staring up at the dark figure.
"What are you doing out here?" Sabrina asked.
"Couldn't sleep," Domino said.
"I noticed. Are you okay?" Sabrina said, hugging her sweater closer to her body. "Wow, it's so much colder out here by the water."
"Come here," Domino said, holding out her arms.
Sabrina settled into the nook between Domino's legs, leaning back against her chest.
"It's so dark," Sabrina whispered.
"That's what I like about it," Domino said.
"How many sharks do you think there are, like circling right there," Sabrina pointed.
Domino grinned, pressing a kiss to Sabrina's hair. She smelled like Domino's shampoo –– coconut with a hint of vanilla.
"At least thirteen," Domino made up.
"How many giant squid are cruising these shores, looking for an unsuspecting victim?" Sabrina asked.
Domino shushed her gently, wanting to savor the quiet.
Sabrina rested her head back against Domino's shoulder.
"I know you can't sleep with me here," Sabrina whispered.
Domino tensed, blinking in the darkness.
"On the beach?" She asked, trying to lighten the mood, even slightly.
"No, at your house. I know you're restless with me around," Sabrina said. Her voice had a mournful note to it.
"It's not you, Sab," Domino said, sighing. Was it a lie if she truly didn't know what it was?
Sabrina tensed, her arms holding tighter to Domino's legs. "Well, then what is it?" She asked.
Domino shrugged. "It's just an adjustment," she said.
"An adjustment?" Sabrina asked, twisting to look at Domino over her shoulder.
"I've never..." Domino's voice trailed off. "Had..." It seemed so silly to admit now.
"A girlfriend?" Sabrina suggested.
Domino's brow creased. "Well, yeah," she said. How did Sabrina make the word sound so simple? Girlfriend. “A person like a girlfriend.” She tried to make the distinction clear without sounding cruel.
"I know," Sabrina said, turning back around as though she was unbothered by the remark.
Domino knew better than to trust a woman who wouldn’t make eye contact with her after she said something potentially divisive.
"But I don't want you to feel like I don't want you around. I very much want you around," Domino said, her hands sliding over Sabrina's knees that were tucked against her chest.
"Well, I very much want you around," Sabrina said. "I know you're not ready to, um, label this, but I don't care about that. I really like you."
Domino grinned. "I'm glad," she said with a laugh.
"And you really like me," Sabrina said, twisting again to look at her.
"Oh, do I?" Domino joked.
"I seem to remember you saying something along those lines," Sabrina said.
"And when was that?" Domino asked, her voice pitched higher as though she had no idea.
"If my memory serves right, you were on your back, and I was between your thighs," Sabrina said, moving to kneel, facing her.
Domino laughed. "Maybe I need a reminder?"
She could nearly hear Sabrina grinning in the dark. Sabrina put her hands on Domino's shoulders, pressing her body into Domino's. Domino grabbed Sabrina's ass in both hands, holding her tightly against her own body. Sabrina leaned down to take Domino's mouth in her own, biting Domino's bottom lip between her teeth.
Domino hissed in pleasure and pain. Sabrina slowly licked Domino's bottom lip to soothe where she had bitten.
"I heard sex on the beach was overrated. Sand everywhere," Sabrina whispered against her lips.
Domino fell back into the sand, bringing Sabrina with her. "I think that's a risk I'm willing to take," she said. "I think the trick is to keep on as much clothing as possible."
Sex on the beach had always been one of those things that sounded better in fantasy. In reality, sand was a hell of an abrasive substance. Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to care too much about that at the moment.
"Well, we'll see about that," Sabrina said, unbuttoning Domino's jeans. "Because what I really want to do might involve you taking off your pants."
"Is that so?" Domino asked, laughing in surprise.
"You can't see me right now, but I'm nodding," Sabrina said, giggling. She tugged Domino's pants and underwear down over her hips.
Domino hastily took off her jacket, sliding it under her. "At least let me not get sand in my vagina," she said, smirking.
Sabrina dug her fingernails into the soft skin around Domino's hip bones. "I'll allow it," she whispered.
Domino heard shuffling, and then felt the warmth of Sabrina's tongue between her legs.
Her hips rose in the surprise of pleasure, of warmth flowing through her entire body. She wove a hand through Sabrina's hair, letting the other fall into the cool sand.
Her back arched as Sabrina pushed two fingers inside her. All thought gave way to sensation and she was lost in the intensity.
“Oh, fuck, yes,” Domino whispered. “Harder.”
Sabrina obeyed, pushing into Domino until all thoughts left Domino’s brain. She was completely in the moment, concentrating on the smell of the damp sand mixed with the sweet scent of sex and Sabrina’s shampoo.
The sound of the waves muffled the sounds of Sabrina's tongue and Domino's moans as she begged Sabrina for release.
She rose with the waves, peaking and crashing into the darkness, calling out Sabrina's name as she crested her climax.
And after, as Sabrina lay next to her, she kissed her in gratitude, in adoration, and in the promise of cradling that special woman's heart with tenderness. Her lips tasted just like the ocean.
Domino watched the photographer from Decor Magazine set up her equipment. She was a tall woman with legs for days and silky blonde hair. She had introduced herself as Catherine, but had insisted they call her Cat.
She was exactly the type of woman Domino normally pursued. And yet, Domino felt apathetic towards how attractive she was. She cringed, wondering if she'd never find another woman attractive again if she continued to date Sabrina.
Another woman stood nearby, Greta, the creative director, explaining exactly what shots she would take.
She sat on the couch, staring at Cat's strong arms, trying to feel more than she felt staring at a nice painting –– appreciation, but she wasn't going to lose her head over it.
"Easy, tiger," Sabrina said beside with her with a wink.
Domino rolled her eyes, looking away from Cat to Sabrina. Sabrina was wearing a jumpsuit –– the woman could make anything look good –– and had pulled her hair back in a high ponytail. The result made her high cheekbones and gorgeous, dark brown eyes pop even more.
The house had been completely redone. She had picked out paintings. Rugs. She had let Sabrina guide her, but in the end, the house was 100% her. She looked around the room, smiling at the framed photos, at the gold record denoting Heart's Content 's success. The entire home was so perfectly her, and Sabrina had made that happen.
She put an arm around Sabrina, kissing her cheek.
Greta turned to them on the couch. "We should get a photo of the two of you," she said with a huge, hungry smile that Domino recognized immediately.
"I'd rather not," Sabrina said quickly, not turning to look at Domino. "I don't want the world to think Domino took pity on me because I'm her... friend." She said the word strangely, as if 'friend' was a weird way to describe what they had.
Domino blinked. "I'm fine with posing together," she said, afraid that Sabrina was projecting her own worries.
"No," Sabrina said forcefully, shaking her head.
Domino frowned. "Okay," she sa
id, looking up at Greta. "Then I'd rather you photograph Sabrina than me with this feature. She's done all the hard work. I want it to be an afterthought that it's my place."
Greta raised a brow. "And take away the star power of the entire article?"
"I think Sabrina's work stands on its own merit without it having anything to do with me," Domino said. She knew how to stand her ground with journalists and people in the media. She had been doing it her own way for years.
"Of course," Greta said, smiling sweetly.
In the end, Cat and Greta took forever going through the house. They staged scenes, arranged things with Sabrina's help, and even took separate pictures of Domino and Sabrina.
Sabrina followed them around with a bounce in her step. She looked equal parts excited and nervous, but mostly just giddy. It was one of the cutest things Domino had ever seen, but she resisted mauling her until Greta and Cat were out the door.
"We're going to put this up on the website ASAP, and then the full article will appear in the February print issue," Greta explained.
Domino resisted the intense urge to wink at Cat as she and Greta walked out the front door.
As soon as she door shut, Sabrina began hopping up and down. "I think that went well," she said, giggling.
"You did it," Domino said, wrapping her arms around Sabrina. "I'm so proud of you." She smiled, leaning down to smother Sabrina's face in kisses.
Sabrina giggled. "We did it," she said.
"Now, what other things could we do?" Domino teased, nipping at the tender skin of Sabrina's neck. She pulled Sabrina down onto the couch. The doorbell rang and Domino pretended to be surprised. "Oh, maybe it's Greta and Cat back for something else? Do you want to go get that?"
Sabrina arched an eyebrow, but hopped off the couch and walked over to the door, anyway. She opened the door and Domino heard loud shouts of congratulations and surprise.
She watched Sabrina hold a hand to her chest and begin laughing, taking a step back to let everyone in.
Domino had arranged for all of the best people to come by the house after the shoot was finished to make sure that Sabrina felt the appreciation she deserved. Billie, Vero, Meg, Zoey, and Isla traipsed through the door, oohing and aahing at the makeover.
Bewilder (The Kaleidoscope Album Book 2) Page 11