“Ballet?” she asks.
“Among other styles. What gave it away?” I ask.
“Aside from what you just did up here?” she asks. “The way you walk.”
I nod. “I guess it never leaves you,” I say.
But then I turn to her. “What’s this got to do with me and Dominic?”
“You said you wanted to play him at his own game. I’m pretty sure this would do the trick. If you were up on that stage, you’d drive him wild. Especially if he can’t have you after. Per his own rules.”
I snort. “Yeah, except you forgot one thing. I don’t work here anymore. Ican’twork here anymore.Per his rules.”
“Not as a waitress. He never said you can’t get a side hustle dancing…” she says, smiling while pressing the tip of her tongue to her teeth.
“No,” I say after a moment. “No, he did not.”
Chapter 18
Dominic
I never consideredhow much she’d actually be at the house when I asked, make thattold, Mila to move in with me
I know that might sound strange, but I’ve never lived with a woman before. I’m not used to smelling perfume in the house, hearing pop music playing from the gym, or seeing all the sugary coffee creamers and fruity yogurts in the fridge.
I think it really hit me that we are doing this when I walked out of my bedroom this morning and found a steaming cup of coffee on the counter. That wasn’t alarming, but I nearly dropped that cup of steaming hot coffee when I turned and saw Mila. She was outside on a lounger by the pool, wearing a white string bikini.
I told her she could use the pool and that she would most likely be wearing a bathing suit while using it. I guess I just wasn’t expecting it to be so distracting.
Because I’ve been so distracted by her, I’ve been hiding out in my office. Although I do leave the door open. I may be doing it on purpose, or maybe I’m doing it subconsciously. I don’t know.
Half way through my morning coffee, my phone rings. It’s my dad. Hooray.
“Good morning,” I say as I take the call.
“Is it?” he asks, and I close my eyes, the impending headache looming behind my eyes. “My arthritis says differently.”
When I don’t say anything (because what the fuck am I supposed to say) he goes on.
“Surprised I caught you.”
“I’m a busy man,” I tell him, taking another sip of my coffee and reaching for the aspirin.
“So I’ve noticed,” he says.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask.
“You’re on social media, son,” he says with the same tone he’s been using with me since I was seven. “You’re also in half the business magazines on the planet.”
“I’m going to regret this,” I say as I wipe my hand over my face. “But what did you read this time?”
“Didn’t have to read it. It’s what I saw that had my Grape Nuts growing roots in my stomach,” he answers.
“Fine. What did you…” I say when I see Mila walking back into the house in nothing but her bikini and suntan oil. I know she’s wearing oil because she’s glistening in the sunlight. “... see?”
“You and a girl,” he says. “Which, as you know, is new to me.”
I’m aware. I’m aware that me having lunch alone with a girl is new. I’m aware that having said girl not just cleaning my housebut living in my house is new. All of this is new, and it’s taking me a minute to…adjust. And speaking of adjustments, if I had known she was going to be traipsing around my house half-naked today, I wouldn’t have worn the world’s tightest business slacks.
