The memory of the look of recognition dawning on his face was still priceless. I thought at the time the realization would have made him retreat, but he never wavered.
“Dominic, I’m embarrassedforyou.” Caterina slowly shook her head as he laughed. “Did that really work on women before that?”
“I never said it before that night. And for your information, itdidwork, in the best way.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets, his dark eyes boring into mine. “And I meant it.” I spied the same regret that seeped into my bones but for different reasons.
He asked me to have a drink with him after that and we talked for hours. He took me home at four o’clock in the morning and asked me out to dinner that night. From that point on, for the next year, we were never apart for more than a day or two. It was a huge contrast to our second year together, when all I did was reach out to him and all he did was shut me out.
If someone had told me we’d end like we did, or end at all, I never would have believed it for a single second. We’d shared a simple but powerful love before it became strained and complicated.
“Anyway,” Dominic scratched the back of his head as he inched away from our table. “I better get going. I told the crew I’d help with the walls today.”
“Already? Wow, I can’t wait to see how it looks.” I forced a wide smile, thankful for the change in subject.
“Me too. Did you both drive here? I can take you back if you want.”
“No. I mean,” I cupped my forehead, flustered at the thought of riding in Dominic’s passenger seat like old times. “Caterina and I came here for a meeting and got a little sidetracked. But when I’m back, I’ll head down there and take a peek.”
“Awesome. Well, I’ll let you guys get to back to business. I saw you through the window when I was walking by and just wanted to stop and say hi.” His sheepish grin made me take pause.
“For a busy guy, you spend a lot of time on the boardwalk.”
He laughed at my lifted brow. “When I can make it here. The long walk clears my head. See you later.”
He turned to leave, my eyes following him until the chime from the bell on top of the door signaled his exit.
“So, here it is.” I didn’t address Caterina’s sad eyes as I lifted the folder from my purse. “I think Violet went through most of this with you. The contract has the hourly rate agreed on, and there are some tax forms to fill out.”
“Thanks,” she told me before taking it from my hands. “Do you need me to sign all of this now, or can I look it over and drop it off?”
“You can look it over and bring it by this week. If you have any questions, I’ll give you my cell. Violet is a little tough to get a hold of these days, but I can reach out to her if there’s anything I can’t answer.”
“Sounds good. I’d actually love if we could do this again soon.” She tilted her head to the side. “This was fun. My friends are still in Brooklyn, and talking to you makes me much less homesick.”
“I was thinking the exact same thing on the drive here. That would be great.” I exhaled and splayed my hands on the table. “I could use a friend right now,” I whispered.
“I know,” she said, reaching across the table to give my hand a pat. “If you need someone to talk to, I promise I’m a vault. The guys wouldn’t know anything.”
“It’s hard,” I admitted, surprised at how easily my confession slipped out. “But I’m trying.”
“I know,” she said, nodding slowly. “He is, too. He looked so sad before, I can’t even tease him about that lame pickup line he used on you when I see him later.”
That dopey line had been the beginning of something beautiful until it became a sad story with an ending I still couldn’t understand.
14
Dominic
Five Years ago
“So this is it,you can get rid of me for a little while,” I teased as I pulled up in front of Thea’s building, not realizing how short the ride back from the airport was. Seemed like it took forever to drive there Friday night, but on Tuesday afternoon, the drive home seemed all too quick.
“I know! What a relief,” Thea heaved an exaggerated sigh before opening the passenger door and climbing out of my car. “You’re draining as hell.” She bit back a smile.
I knew separating after the past three days was going to suck, but I was actually itching to leave and head to my mother’s house. I needed to propose soon, before I lost my damn mind, but I wanted to give Thea my grandmother’s ring. Before she’d passed away, my grandmother made me promise I’d use it when I met the right girl, and since I’d been a kid at the time, I brushed it off and told her sure. All I’d thought of since stepping off the plane was asking my mother for that purple velvet box.
Maybe I could come back and do it tonight. Planning something elaborate where I hid the ring in something didn’t seem right for us. I wanted to do better than just running back to her apartment and begging her to marry me, but I knew I couldn’t wait. I wanted a life with Thea, and I wanted it now. And I had a great feeling she wanted the same thing.
“You don’t have to carry my bag in,” she said over her shoulder as she unlocked the door to her first-floor apartment. “I know you said you have places to go.”
