'That was quick.'
'I'd rather be here than in there,' he said.
'So…' I closed my book and turned to look at him.
'So?' he asked.
'What's up?'
'Nothing. Why?'
'You're here.'
'I missed you.'
'And…' Dom shrugged. I watched him for a few minutes while he looked down at the quilt, thinking. Then it began, as I knew it would.
'You know, I don't know why you don't want to move in together. I don't understand why you don't want to get married.' I could see him getting angrier. It happened every time he visited his mother. 'We've been together for eighteen months now. I love you, I know it's right. What's holding you back?'
I went to answer but he cut me off. He was in full flight now.
'If you don't feel the same way, then call it off. Tell me to get lost and let me have a chance of meeting someone else, rather than stringing me along!'
'Is that what you want, Dom? Do you seriously think I'm stringing you along?' I was getting annoyed now, too. We'd had this fight before; it was nothing new. It was one of the reasons I avoided his mother.
He folded his arms across his chest.
'No, you know that. I want to marry you or at least take the first step and live together. But obviously you don't feel the same! Why?'
I sighed. All of a sudden I was exhausted. My anger dissipated and I felt like crying. I usually only cried when I was frustrated. I could feel the anger radiating from him.
'Dom, we've talked about this before.'
'But I don't get it.'
'Yes, you do.' He went to speak and I shut him down. 'Listen, just listen to what you are saying.'
I placed my hand on his arm and he bristled.
'This is not you talking. You are a confident, gorgeous man who has a woman who loves you madly. You know there is no one else in the world for me, yet you go to your mother's place for dinner and you come back neurotic, questioning my love for you and our future together.' I was just warming up. 'You know I've been married before and it wasn't great! I'm not saying I don't want to commit again. I have said this before and I'll say it again: I want to be with you until I die. I'll wear your ring and say we're married if you like; I'll call you hubby, partner, whatever! I just don't want to get legally married just yet. And as for living together, if you want to move in, move in!'
I must have shouted it because Atlas raised his head. Or perhaps he was getting territorial. I hadn't discussed it with him first. I gave him a look that said he would still be the alpha dog.
'You could move in with me,' he said, his anger waning.
'You live in a small apartment with no yard. Besides, my home is dog proof.'
'So the dog takes priority?'
'Atlas has been with me for three years, you've been with me for eighteen months. Yes, Atlas is in the lead.' I was over the conversation now. 'I've said all I can say on this subject, Dom. You're just looking for a fight.'
I sighed and went to the bathroom to give him time to work himself up or down, depending on how many beers he'd had. When I returned his anger seemed to have diffused. I climbed into bed beside him. Dominic covered his face with his hands and groaned. Neither of us said anything for a while. He slid down until he was level with me.
'I'm a dickhead,' he said.
'Yeah, but you're my dickhead!' I grinned.
He looked sheepish.
'Jesse, I'm sorry. My mother and sister got into me about how you couldn't love me if you weren't prepared to commit, that I was wasting my time and so on. By the time I left, I believed them. I questioned our relationship all the way here. I had to come over to make sure…'
'I was alone?'
'Partly,' he said looking away, 'but mostly to hear you put all that straight.'
I ran my hand over his chest.
'Move in,' I suggested.
'You're just saying that because I've been a total idiot.'
'No.' I assured him. 'I've been thinking about it since you suggested it a few months ago.'
'Six months ago,' he interjected.
'Yep, since then. I've thought a lot about it. I think it would be great.'
He looked at me for a long time and pulled me closer to him. He reached over and turned off the bed light. We kissed. Then he stopped.
'Jess…'
'Yes?'
'I'm sorry that this happened.'
'I know how you can make it up to me,' I said.
He laughed.
'If you still think moving in together is for you, then suggest it to me again later in the week. I'll believe you then. If you don't bring it up again, that's fine too.'
He lay on his back and looked up at the ceiling. I rolled onto my side and he buried his face in my hair. The tension dissipated. I moved my hand down his flat stomach and kept going. He moaned. I took it as a sign that he was feeling more secure.
CHAPTER SIX
Ed and I set up the water conservation client with coffee and presented our campaign overview. One hour later we waved him off at the door. Once the lift doors closed, Ed and I looked at each other and grinned.
'Love your work,' Ed said.
'Love your work too, babe,' I fired back. We had just scored another six-month contract launching the same project into another region. It was time to invoice! Of course the downside was that we would be busy again, but better that than sitting around wondering if we should start marketing ourselves.
I left Ed to continue on the Memories of Summer campaign and sent Dom a text. He had been full of bravado that morning as I had known he would be. He was trying to re-establish his confidence and control after last night's performance. I tapped out a message: Have you booked a trailer for the move this weekend? Love Jx.
He wanted confirmation and I wanted him to have it. I was nervous about him moving in but I was also secretly excited. It would be great to come home to Dom at the end of the day.
I checked the office answering machine. There was a message from Melanie boasting she had information to share. I called Ren first. He was either a perfect gentleman or he had short term memory loss and had forgotten about Mel. We agreed to meet at the café near where his car was blown up. I rang Melanie.
'What took you so long to call me back?' she exploded.
'Work. You know how it is. Got to eat, pay the rent, keep Atlas in the lifestyle he's accustomed to. How did it go?'
'Good, really good,' Mel said in a slow drawl.
'That's great! So, will you see him again?'
'What? No, I don't mean it went well with Ren. He's okay, a bit slow, but all right if you don't have to talk too much. I meant my sleuthing went well. I think I may be good at this. When you're ready to take on a partner…'
That was the second offer I'd had in so many days. I'd barely had enough clients to call myself a private investigator!
'I'll bear it in mind,' I promised her. 'So, spill it!'
'Well for starters, he collects cars. He has several Mercedes, a Harley and a Ducati motorcycle. He also has this amazing collection of vinyl records and baseball memorabilia. Plus movie posters, many of them autographed.'
'Oh,' I said.
'What? Isn't that what