up. The smell of bacon hung heavy in the air, and against my better judgment, I slipped into a robe and went downstairs, checking my hair in the mirror. Predictably, it was not one of my fairer days. My face looked puffy and wan, and I needed to wash my hair.
“Good morning,” Dom said, sounding overly formal. His back was turned to me, and I grunted a greeting at him before pouring myself some orange juice. I wasn’t sure how I was feeling about him right now, but I had to admit that he still looked divine; even though he hadn’t played baseball in years, his biceps filled the sleeves of his t-shirt and his waist was neat and trim. I stared at the back of his gorgeous tan neck, suddenly fighting the urge to plant a kiss there.
“Hi,” I said shyly, sitting down at the table. Dom grunted in response, and I felt anger flare up in my stomach. “You were out late last night,” I commented, taking a long drink of juice.
“Yep,” Dom said flatly, whisking the bacon from the pan to a waiting plate. I cringed when I saw he hadn’t put down a paper towel; bacon grease instantly pooled in the base of the plate. He set the plate down on the table and little specks of grease spatter the wooden surface. Sitting down with a couple of paper towels, Dom began eating the bacon with great relish, not offering any to me. I wrinkled my nose, feeling offended.
“I’m sorry if I made things awkward,” I said. I didn’t really want to apologize, but it seemed like there was no other way Dom would talk to me. And furthermore, why was he ignoring me in the first place? I was the one who was mad!
“You didn’t,” he said, chewing thoughtfully. “Want some bacon?”
I accepted a piece from the proffered plate and bit off the end. “This is good, thanks.”
“No problem,” Dom replied, shrugging. “I think I’m going to this gallery opening tonight, it’s a friend of mine. Do you want to come? I know you really haven’t been getting out much.”
“I went to the movies yesterday,” I protested.
“Yeah, because I made you,” Dom replied quickly. “So do you want to come? There are some nice people there, you could make some new friends.”
I had a flashback to 16-year-old Dom telling me about Ryan’s party, and how Ryan was an asshole. Shaking it off, I pursed my lips. “I’m not sure,” I admitted. “I might have more work to do.”
“That was a great essay, Michelle. You don’t have to do any more work on it.”
“It doesn’t really explain why I would make a good doctor, though,” I said, flushing. There was no way I’d tell Dom about the new essay I’d written last night, it was way too embarrassing. He could never know that I harbored feelings for him for so long. And even though I was still mad, I didn’t want him to know that I’d been that upset over him. My dignity was worth more than that.
“It does,” Dom added, grabbing another fistful of bacon. “It shows that you’re a smart person who realized who cares about her, even if it took a while. You sound normal, not selfish.”
“Thanks,” I muttered, a blush rising from my neck onto my cheeks and face. “That’s nice of you.”
“So, will you come? You deserve a break. There’s going to be good wine,” Dom added, giving me one of his winning smiles. I smiled at him, shrugging my shoulders.
“Okay, I’ll come for a little bit. But I don’t want to stay for too long,” I warned. “I am going to have to get some work done.”
“Michelle,” Dom said in a patronizing tone. “You imply I still waste my whole life partying.”
“Why wouldn’t I,” I muttered, crunching into my last bite of bacon. “You stayed out all night last night.”
Hours later, I stood in front of my closet in frustration. Nothing I had looked appropriate enough to wear to a gallery opening—not that I even knew what people wore to those things. I picked a black
“Good morning,” Dom said, sounding overly formal. His back was turned to me, and I grunted a greeting at him before pouring myself some orange juice. I wasn’t sure how I was feeling about him right now, but I had to admit that he still looked divine; even though he hadn’t played baseball in years, his biceps filled the sleeves of his t-shirt and his waist was neat and trim. I stared at the back of his gorgeous tan neck, suddenly fighting the urge to plant a kiss there.
“Hi,” I said shyly, sitting down at the table. Dom grunted in response, and I felt anger flare up in my stomach. “You were out late last night,” I commented, taking a long drink of juice.
“Yep,” Dom said flatly, whisking the bacon from the pan to a waiting plate. I cringed when I saw he hadn’t put down a paper towel; bacon grease instantly pooled in the base of the plate. He set the plate down on the table and little specks of grease spatter the wooden surface. Sitting down with a couple of paper towels, Dom began eating the bacon with great relish, not offering any to me. I wrinkled my nose, feeling offended.
“I’m sorry if I made things awkward,” I said. I didn’t really want to apologize, but it seemed like there was no other way Dom would talk to me. And furthermore, why was he ignoring me in the first place? I was the one who was mad!
“You didn’t,” he said, chewing thoughtfully. “Want some bacon?”
I accepted a piece from the proffered plate and bit off the end. “This is good, thanks.”
“No problem,” Dom replied, shrugging. “I think I’m going to this gallery opening tonight, it’s a friend of mine. Do you want to come? I know you really haven’t been getting out much.”
“I went to the movies yesterday,” I protested.
“Yeah, because I made you,” Dom replied quickly. “So do you want to come? There are some nice people there, you could make some new friends.”
I had a flashback to 16-year-old Dom telling me about Ryan’s party, and how Ryan was an asshole. Shaking it off, I pursed my lips. “I’m not sure,” I admitted. “I might have more work to do.”
“That was a great essay, Michelle. You don’t have to do any more work on it.”
“It doesn’t really explain why I would make a good doctor, though,” I said, flushing. There was no way I’d tell Dom about the new essay I’d written last night, it was way too embarrassing. He could never know that I harbored feelings for him for so long. And even though I was still mad, I didn’t want him to know that I’d been that upset over him. My dignity was worth more than that.
“It does,” Dom added, grabbing another fistful of bacon. “It shows that you’re a smart person who realized who cares about her, even if it took a while. You sound normal, not selfish.”
“Thanks,” I muttered, a blush rising from my neck onto my cheeks and face. “That’s nice of you.”
“So, will you come? You deserve a break. There’s going to be good wine,” Dom added, giving me one of his winning smiles. I smiled at him, shrugging my shoulders.
“Okay, I’ll come for a little bit. But I don’t want to stay for too long,” I warned. “I am going to have to get some work done.”
“Michelle,” Dom said in a patronizing tone. “You imply I still waste my whole life partying.”
“Why wouldn’t I,” I muttered, crunching into my last bite of bacon. “You stayed out all night last night.”
Hours later, I stood in front of my closet in frustration. Nothing I had looked appropriate enough to wear to a gallery opening—not that I even knew what people wore to those things. I picked a black
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