“I wouldn’t mind lunch. Do you have to order up front or does someone come to the table?” I reached into my bag to pull out my wallet when Dominic leaned over to grab my wrist.
“On me, since I asked you here. Wrap and an iced tea? They have a sweet tea that’s good.”
I nodded. “Sure. Sounds great.”
A slow smile crept across his lips. “You got it.”
I watched him make his way to the front and speak to the women behind the counter. Both of them smiled as he approached, one bursting out laughing at whatever he said.
The first thing I’d ever noticed about Dominic was his disarming swagger. He owned every room he walked into, but not in an arrogant way. He was charming, funny, and loved to poke fun at everyone around him, including himself. No matter how bad my day had been, whenever we were together my cheeks would ache from laughing.
I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him while he waited for our food. His movements were still so damn familiar. The hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth right before he’d teased me just now brought back so many bittersweet memories. He was like an old song I hadn’t heard in a long time, but once it started to play, I knew every word and note.
I remembered other things, too. The serious Dominic who only I saw. The Dominic who would whisper in my ear how much he loved me while he moved inside me. I’d heard of muscle memory and how your body could still go through familiar motions even though your brain didn’t quite remember.
The heart was a muscle. Maybe it did the same thing. Mine wasn’t supposed to love the now stranger before me, but the motions were too familiar to stop.
8
Thea
Dominic thankedthe cashier and turned back to our table. I straightened in my chair, grabbing my phone to pretend I’d been fiddling with it the entire time he’d stepped away. Judging by the wary eyes he gave me as he placed our food on to the table and sat across from me, he’d sensed me staring.
“Thank you,” I said as I unwrapped my lunch. As anxious as I was, my stomach growled as I lifted the wrap to my lips. I stifled a groan when I bit into the perfectly toasted crouton and the tang of the dressing hit my tongue.
“Told you.” Dominic’s lips curved. “They have the tiny croutons you always used to like.”
I nodded, happy my mouth was full as I didn’t have a response to that. The fact that he remembered something so trivial about me made my heart seize a bit. You only recalled the little things about someone when you cared enough to notice.
Dominic leaned back in the chair with a heavy sigh. “I guess it’s lame if I ask how you’ve been, right? I actually do want to know how you’ve been but…Jesus,” he sighed, running a hand through his thick inky black hair.
“You never thought we’d have to struggle for a conversation starter.” I put the wrap down and laughed to myself before taking a sip of tea. “Honestly, neither did I.” I rested my elbows on the table. “I’ve been good. Busy with my new job, but it’s been great, so far. I’m glad to see you and Joe doing so well.”
I spotted his chest deflate a tiny bit. It was nice to know I wasn’t the only one holding a tense breath. “We are. Ocean Cove is a great town, and each year, the restaurant gains more regulars. Summers are the busiest time, as you can imagine, so a second location in a more residential town would be perfect.” He took a long pull from his water bottle and squinted at me after he set it down.
“You must travel a lot.” He kept his eyes on me as he unwrapped his sandwich. My eyes drifted to his wrist and forearms. Even though his skin was darkened from the sun, I still could see the dusting of hair and remembered how soft it felt when I’d run my nails back and forth every night before he fell asleep.
I’d never imagined we’d be on opposite ends of a table making tense small talk.
“Not that much. Usually, the spots are in or around the city with only a few overnight stays. This is the first assignment that seemed more like a vacation.” I took another bite of my lunch, but Dominic’s attention remained fixed on me.
“Does your fiancé mind that you’re away so much?”
I stopped chewing and fell back in the chair.
“My fiancé?”
His gaze darted from mine for a moment. “My aunt told me back in February she heard from someone in your family that you were engaged. I forget who she said, I know she runs into your cousin Carron a lot.”
I finally managed to swallow. “Of course, she did.”
“My Aunt Netta is still the original TMZ.”
Despite all the tension, I burst out laughing. Netta was a sweet little old Italian lady who was the nucleus of all gossip in Queens and parts of the Bronx.
“Well, to answer your question, no. I’m not engaged anymore, so it’s of no one’s concern if I travel a lot.”
“Oh,” he whispered, seemingly more to himself than to me. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”
