“Sure.”
“Do me a favour? Put him out of his misery, will you?”
“He didn’t look miserable to me.”
“Trust me. He’s not been the same.”
Dom sidles up to Dan. “What’s not been the same?”
“Nothing.” Dan picks up the two pints and one bottle, holding them between his palms as he walks away.
“What time do you get off?” Dom asks.
A smile unfurls thinking about how I just got off. And all it took was him calling me little fox. He’d take great pleasure in that, so I can never tell him or I’d never live it down.
“My shift finishes at half-past eleven.”
“How you getting home?”
“I have my car.”
He nods as he takes a sip from the bottle. “Is it still running all right for you?”
“It’s like new after your friend looked it over. I tried to pay him for it, but he said you already took care of it. Thank you.”
“It’s no bother.”
The queue at the bar doubles as we’re about to call for last orders.
“Hey can I get a drink over here or are you gonna stand there gassing all night?” A guy waves a note in the air waiting to be served.
Dom tilts his head, cracking his neck as he shoots daggers at the man, reminding me of our first encounter at Club Curve.
I lean over the bar and grab Dom’s shirt before he lunges for the guy’s throat. “Hey, Dom.” I pull him back to me, his face inches from mine. “I can handle it. Trust me.”
His nostrils flare, but he nods and relaxes his shoulders.
“I have to get back to work.” My palm cups his face, wanting to say so much more, but it’ll have to wait until I’ve dealt with the hoard.
After last orders, Heather cashes up. She lets me go a little early, but when I go into the pool room, Dom’s nowhere to be found. My heart sinks. I thought he would have waited for me. Maybe he’s still trying to give me space after I made such a song and dance about it.
Disappointment weighs heavily on my chest, making my shoulders slump as I trudge to the car through the crisp night air. I search the parking lot for his Range Rover, but don’t see it on this side of the building and decide to drive around when I start my car, hoping I’ll be able to catch him.
I could just go to his place. Or call him. I have his number. So many times I’ve thought about calling him, but never had the courage to make the first move after I rejected him. I worried he might give me a taste of my own medicine, but deep down, I know that’s not Dom’s style.
Slipping behind the wheel, I slot the key into the ignition and turn. I turn again when nothing happens, then try again. I’ve not had any problems in months since Kane gave her an overhaul. The battery’s been running fine.
A knock on my window makes me jump, but when I look up, Dom’s cheeky grin is smiling down at me.
“Having car trouble?”
I wind the window down. “Let me guess, the distributor cap?”
“Nah, I just unhooked the battery.” He looks down, then back at me with a glint in his eye.
I open the car door and step out, swatting at his chest. “You just can’t stop tampering under my hood, can you?”
He steps closer, his breath fanning my cheek. My heart pounds like our first encounter. “You used to like me tampering under your hood?”
