“Because it wasn’t my business. And because I figured you’d tell me when you were ready—if you ever wanted to.” He leans forward, elbows on his knees. “But here’s what I need you to understand: I don’t do relationships. I’m a disaster at them. But I know women, and I know you. And I will always,alwayshave your back. No matter what. Even if it means dealing with your parents if they go too far this time.”
The sincerity in his voice makes my throat tight.
“You’d seriously go to war with my parents?” I ask, laughing to lighten the moment.
“Abso-fucking-lutely.” His expression hardens slightly. “You know I’ve got you covered there. Whatever you need. The hard stuff, the awkward stuff, the stuff you don’t want to handle yourself. That’s what I’m here for. I’ve got you.”
I’d like to say I won’t need backup, that I’m totally prepared to white-knuckle my way through this collision of worlds on my own. But I can’t lie to Dominic—not about this. We’ve logged so many hours in the trenches together, it would feel wrong to put a mask on now.
“Thanks,” I say quietly. It burns a little, how much I mean it, how I wish I’d told him so much sooner.
He lets the silence live for a minute, then grins, mercifully shifting gears. “All right, enough heavy shit. What’s the plan? You gonna bring Audrey to the house for dinner, or are we talking black tie, five-star restaurant?”
“Dinner at the house. Saturday night. I already called my mother.”
“How’d that go?”
“About as well as you’d expect. She asked if Audrey came from ‘good stock.’”
“Jesus Christ.”
“I told her Audrey’s father owns an auto shop and her brothers are mechanics.”
Dominic winces. “And she said?”
“She said, ‘How... industrious.’ In that tone she uses when she’s trying not to say something worse.”
“Your mother is a piece of work.”
“My mother is a snob who married into money and has spent the last forty years pretending she was born with it.” I drain the rest of my whiskey. “And my father is worse, because at least mymother is obvious with her disdain. He just... quietly makes you feel like you’ll never measure up.”
“For what it’s worth, I think you’re doing the right thing. Audrey’s not going to run just because your family is fucked up. Everyone’s family is fucked up in their own way. At least yours comes with good real estate.”
I laugh despite myself. “That’s your silver lining? Real estate?”
“I’m a practical man.” He refills our glasses and holds up his own. “To facing the firing squad.”
“To surviving it,” I counter.
We clink glasses and drink.
“Now,” Dominic says, settling back into his chair, “tell me about this relationship of yours. I’ve barely seen you for weeks. Feels like I’m operating with only one arm now that I’ve lost my wingman to relationship mode. So, what is it you two do together? Get hotted up whenever you conquer a particularly hard line of code? Do complex algorithms drive you both so wild you’re banging in the lab in between simulation tests?”
I can’t hide my smirk. “I’m not telling you any of that.”
“Oh! You do. Come on. Just the broad strokes. Was there a desk involved? Do you keep your lab coats on?”
“I’m leaving.”
“What about those protective glasses? Do you guys wear those? Oh! You do it on those lab benches, right? I’ve heard they can hold a lot of weight. They’d be perfect.”
I’m already heading for the door, but I’m smiling. This is what Dominic does—takes the heavy stuff and makes it lighter, reminds me that I’m not alone in this.
“Saturday night,” he calls after me. “Text me after. I want to know if your mother actually combusts when she meets a woman who doesn’t curtsy.”
CHAPTER 24
Audrey
