It was simple and almost perfect… except for that tiny, niggling question in the back of my mind that wouldn’t go away.
As we leaned against one another, a cadence of saxophones and piano wrapping all around us, the clock ticked past midnight. Kobe pecked a soft kiss on my cheek and whispered, “Merry Christmas.”
26
Kobe
It was late whenwe got to bed. By the time we wrapped Cosette’s presents and indulged in a few more holiday drinks, we were both fading fast. A make-out session on the couch turned to lazy kissing in the dark of the bedroom. It ended with sloppy hand jobs.
The box of condoms I’d slipped into Dominique’s hand earlier lay on the bedside table, but neither of us reached for them, mutually deciding that we were too drunk and too exhausted to take that step.
“What time does Cosette usually get up?” I murmured, draping an arm over Dominique and nuzzling my face against the back of his neck.
He clung to my hand, keeping it pressed tightly against his abdomen. Our lower bodies molded perfectly together, warm and sated.
“She was late to bed, so it’s hard to say. Typically, she wakes between seven and eight when I don’t have to work.”
I groaned, and Dominique chuckled, his chest bouncing. “I’ll need strong coffee.”
“I can do that.”
I was losing the battle with sleep, absorbed in Dominique’s scent and heat. It was the most content and happy I’d been in a long time, and on Christmas no less. As the haze of sleep pulled me under and I slipped beneath the veil, Dominique spoke, startling me awake.
“Kobe?”
“Mm,” I mumbled, unable to form words.
“I’m an earlier riser than Cosette.”
“I know. You’re a freak.”
Another chuckle. “My neighbor. The one who watches her in the morning sometimes. She went away for the holiday. Left three days ago.”
I wasn’t sure where he was going with this, and I was barely following the conversation, but I made a noise of acknowledgement while fighting to stay awake.
“I was wondering… Would you mind if I escaped to the gym in the morning? I’ll be home long before you or Cosette wakes up. Six at the latest.”
“Are you serious? It’s Christmas. The gym won’t be open, and who the hell wants to work out on Christmas?”
“I do.” A note of humor colored his tone. “It’s a twenty-four-hour facility. It doesn’t close. All you need is a swipe card. Diane said she would be gone all week. I may not get many chances to go. You don’t have to if you aren’t comfortable.”
I squeezed his hand and inhaled his unique essence. “No, it’s fine. Cosette won’t freak out if she wakes up early and you aren’t here, will she?”
“I doubt it. She likes you. I wouldn’t have asked if I was worried about her. Thank you, Kobe.”
Kissing his nape, I snuggled deeper. Before long, sleep took me.
I vaguely recalled Dominique leaving in the early morning, having no idea what time he slipped out of bed. He kissed me lightly and told me he was going, but I wasn’t awake enough to respond with more than a grunt. I instantly missed the heat of his body and shuffled over to lay where he’d been, absorbing his lingering scent on the pillow.
As I drifted off again, I smiled at the domesticity of it all. I may not have known the first thing about what a functional family looked like, but this had to be close.
The good feeling carried me into a dream that depicted a future with Dominique. Cosette and Émeric played arcade games at the park surrounded by a field of brilliant yellow dandelions. A scorching summer sun hung high above us. Dominique lounged on a blanket under a prolific oak, hands cradled behind his head, eyes closed, with his unique half-smile turning the corner of his mouth. One of his nonfiction books sat beside him. I unpacked a picnic basket with pierogi from House of Targ and eggnog in a thermos.
Despite the cloudless blue sky, it began to rain, but no one seemed to notice but me.
For whatever reason, in the dream, I had a blanket draped over my shoulders. Dominique kept trying to take it, and I clung desperately, knowing I’d be cold without it, despite the blazing sun. In the end, Dominique was stronger, and the blanket vanished. I whimpered and squirmed. Beneath, I was naked, and cold raindrops peppered my skin.
I shivered, trying to curl away from the assault, but someone prevented me. Then, on a gasp, I opened my eyes as a hot, wet tongue licked a path over the globe of my ass.
