Sweetness (34 page)

The next week flies
by and after an epic performance at
Bumbershoot the guys are stoked to be in the home
stretch of this tour. From here on out it is small gigs and
state fairs. This also means they get a few days off before
their next gig in Las Vegas. After Bumbershoot, instead
of riding down on the bus, Justin, Rocco, and Chris
decided to fly down so they can get in some downtime.
Since I have to leave in the morning Dominic choose to
stay here with me and fly out in the morning, too. I hate
having to say good-bye to him again. I know I will see
him in four weeks but it still doesn’t make this any easier.
I wonder if it will ever get easier to watch him leave.

Waking up next to my fiancé-I will never tire of
that phrase-it is bittersweet. I know this is the last time I
will wake up next to him for weeks. I watch him sleep,
drinking in every moment I can. His ruggedly handsome
face is so sweet and innocent in his slumbered state. His
muscular arm is bend behind his head while his other
arm is draped over his flat stomach. Even sleeping I can
see how tight his abs are. I allow my wondering finger to
trace over the middle of his washboard stomach, over his
belly button and along the deep V that creeps into his
black boxer briefs with the words “Born to Rock”, written
across the waste band. As I run my index finger along the
elastic band Dominic stirs and slowly turns to face me,
but never opens his eyes.

“Morning, baby.”
“Morning.”
“Watcha’ doin’.”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing, huh. Certainly feels like you are doing

something to me.” Dominic grabs me by my forearm and
pulls me over toward him so that our faces and chests are
lined up but my crotch is on his thigh that he has slipped
between my legs. I can feel his hardness on my lower
thigh and I grind into him as I tug his bottom lip with my
teeth.

“My, my, aren’t we in a feisty mood this morning.
It is barely,” Dominic takes this opportunity to open his
eyes and look at the alarm clock on the nightstand. “Nine
A.M. and you are grinding that sweet little pussy of
yours on my leg. Didn’t I scratch that itch more then
once last night?”

“Oh, you sure did but today is a new day. Besides,
if I am not getting any for four whole weeks, I better
savor every last orgasm I can.” Dominic and I both laugh
quietly as we continue to kiss and explore each other’s
bodies.

“As enticing as that sounds, I would like to
actually go out today, since it is our last day together for
a while. Besides, I have an idea.” Dominic’s face lights up
like his has been keeping what he is about to tell me, a
secret to too long.

With a stifled groan I climb off of Dominic and sit
up to stretch. “Fine, what’s your idea”
“You like coasters?”
“Like, rollercoasters? Yea, I guess.”
“Good, because we are going to a theme park. On
a date,” he tells me very matter of factly.
“A date. Dom, we’re engaged. I don’t know if they
are called dates anymore.”
“Yes they are. Besides we have only gone out on
one official date; in New York when I took you to the
restaurant in Central Park.”
I scrunch up my face as if to say “no way” but he
is right. We have always hung out before or after shows,
on the bus, or in hotel rooms. How is it possible for
people to be engaged when they have been out on only
one date?
“You know what, you’re right. That’s weird isn’t
it?”
“Not for us. So get your ass up so we can get
going.”
I climb out of bed and gather my clothes off the
floor from last night. As usual my panties are missing.
“Um, Mr. Ross, you wouldn’t happen to know
where my panties are do you,” I ask him, with my hand
on my hip already knowing the answer.
“Yes I do.” He holds up his index finger before
riffling through his overnight bag. “You can have these
back. I washed them.”
In his hand he holds out my white and red panties
he stole from me in New York.
“I washed them, they’re clean,” he repeats as I
stare at them in disbelief.
“Why are you giving them back to me now?”
“Because they lost their scent. Besides, I have new
ones.”
“DOMINIC! I can’t believe you just said that. That
is disgusting. You can’t keep collecting my panties. How
many pairs have you horded?”
“Don’t know. Let me check.”
Dominic reaches his hand into the bottom of his
bag and pulls out a large, clear plastic storage bag. From
the outside I can see at least three different colors
intertwined. When the hell does he do this? I snatch the
bag away from him and leap over the bed trying to put
space between us.
“Give me that! Those are mine,” he jokes.
“No, panty thief, they’re mine. Why do you have
them in a storage bag?” I shriek in utter astonishment
and he tries to grab them from me.
“To keep them fresh. The other ones lost the scent
too quickly so Justin came up with this idea,” he says, as
if
I am
the one who is crazy.
“WHAT! You’re friends know you do this? Oh
god, this is so embarrassing. You’re crazy you know that.
And this is disgusting.” My eyes widen with
embarrassment as I hold the bag in the air, yet I don’t
know if it is embarrassment for him or me.
“Don’t you look at me like that. It gets lonely. I
need something to remind me of you.”
“Then take a freaken picture, not my underwear.
Anything else you have stolen this time around?”
“Not yet, but I will,” he says firmly.
Dominic walks over to me and takes the bag out of
my hand and throws it on the bed. He pushes his hands
into my hair and grasps the sides of my face, tilting my
head up to meet his eye line.
“When it comes to you, Sweetness, all bets are off.
I will take any piece of you I can, to feel you close to me.
When you are not with me, it is like time stands still. I
love you… fiercely. I feel like I can never get close
enough. It is like we are one person. When you are not
with me, I feel like a part of me is missing. So none of this
is embarrassing. Not to me anyway.”
Oh goodness. How this man can melt me with his
words. His kisses. His…just him. As he kisses me
sweetly, my body molds to him and I want to cry from
the wonderful things he makes me feel.
As we both part I tell him, “my bag’s over there.
Steal away. I am going to take a shower.”
After a round of shower sex
and a big breakfast we head
out to have a fun filled day of junk food and theme park
rides. Dominic rented a white 2013 Mustang convertible
to take us to our destination. We kept the conversation
light but fought the whole time over who had control of
the radio. Dominic insisted on listening to 90’s
alternative, while I was switching the tuner to modern
pop, earning a disgusted sigh or two. After there was no
compromise to be had, he switched off the radio and
decided talking was better.
“So. My mother wanted me to invite you and your
family for Thanksgiving,” he shrugged before turning his
eyes back to the road.
“Really? That could be a disaster. What family do I
invite? My mother and Paul with the demon spawn tag
alongs? Or my father and Mia who would make your
parents feel completely uncomfortable? Or all of the
above and treat it like a cage match?”
“What do you usually do for Thanksgiving?”
“I go to Wanda’s parents house with her and
Max.”
“Well, invite them.”
“Are you kidding? Do you know how many of the
Lopez’s there are? Besides they would never come. They
do it up big for the holidays.”
“What about just you and Mark? I would really
like to get to know your little brother. What does he do
for Thanksgiving?”
I ponder that question and come up with nothing.
I really have no idea what my brother does for the
holidays. It has been so long since I even considered
going to my parent’s house, I never thought about what
Mark does.
“I’ll ask him. I don’t know what he does to be
honest. I would like to spend some time with him
though. I feel like I left him in the dust once I left for
college and I have been busy with work since he moved
to New York. My father and Mia usually go away on
vacation, that much I know.”
“All the parents are going to have to meet
eventually. You know that don’t you. If we are going to
get married-“
“I know. I know. But his threat of castration when
I told him we were engaged was not to be taken lightly.
He didn’t appreciate not being asked for permission.
Martin Hill is a man who doesn’t like to be messed with,”
I tease.
“Shit, Emma, I didn’t even think he would care if I
asked him first. I mean who the hell does that anymore;
asks for permission to marry his daughter. It is so old
fashioned. No offense, but your family doesn’t exactly
scream traditional.”
“I know but believe it or not my father is old
school. Him and my mother were very happy once upon
a time. I often wonder, if they had stayed together how
differently all our lives would have been.”
I did often wonder what would have become of us
is if my mother didn’t sleep with Paul in a dirty auto
body shop, behind my fathers back. Or what would have
happened if my father had cared more and fought for
custody. What if my mother realized what a dick Paul
was and left with her pride intact? What if one of my
parents figured out what Glen was doing to me? These
are all questions that will plague me forever.
Truth is, my mother is to blame for most of this
mess. She didn’t protect me from her bad decisions. Hell
she didn’t protect herself from them, but they were her
bad decisions, not mine. Her bad life choices, not mine.
So why the hell did I have to suffer for them? Why was
my life ruined because of my parents’ inability to protect
their child?
“Hey, where’d you go? You look lost. You
thinking about your dad? Don’t worry about it, I will talk
to him. Apologize if I-”
“No. Fuck them. This is my life and I will marry
who I want, when I want. They can’t decide now to give
a shit after I practically raised myself in that loony bin I
call home. No. You will not apologize and neither will I. I
love you and we are getting married, fuck um’ all.”
I look over at Dominic whose expression is
unreadable. His lips twitch up in a proud smile as he
slowly turns his gaze back to the road. “That’s my girl.
Hell yeah, fuck um’ all.”

After an emotional
five and a half hour flight, my
homecoming is bittersweet. As I exit the first class section
of the plane and head over to the baggage claim, I am
painstakingly aware that I am alone. Leaving Dominic in
the airport in Seattle was hard. Neither one of us wanted
to let the other go. I wish I could have stayed with
Dominic for the rest of his tour. I know I should be
grateful Gabe was gracious enough to let me spend the
past few weeks with Dominic. Instead I am acting like a
spoiled child because I want more. It doesn’t make it any
easier to come home though. In fact it makes the
separation even harder.

I have to snap back to reality. The past few weeks
have been amazing but life on the road- that’s not my
life. My life is here in New York at HMA. I have my
dream job and I am engaged to a man that literally rocks
my panties off. I need to concentrate on work. Once the
promo tour is over I can spend some time with Dominic
but for now, I need to focus and get my head back in the
game.

I would recognize that voice anywhere. That
sultry sexy voice could belong to none other than, Wanda
Lopez, herself. She has a voice made for radio and a body
made to drive men wild. I follow the voice to the end of
the baggage carousal where I see a large pink sign saying
“Welcome Home” decked out in so much glitter,
Liberace, himself would gag.

When I see Wanda, I break out in a run, slamming
my body into hers and knocking her back a foot or two.
Then come the tears I was keeping at bay; they break free
like the little boy took his finger out of the dike. I don’t
know if it is because I am glad to be home, or sad to be
home, or happy to see Wanda, but the past few months
have been such an emotional rollercoaster I let the tears
leak from my eyes onto her silk top. I missed my friends.
I missed the stability and security in my life that they
represent.

“Hey, Chica, why the tears?” Wanda coos as she
wipes the wetness from my cheeks.
“I guess I didn’t realize how much I missed you,”
I laugh as I run my finger under my eyes to minimize the
streaking from my mascara.
“Miss me, too?” Max says, putting his chin on my
right shoulder from behind me.
Startled, I whip my head around so fast I smack
him in the face with my ponytail. Some of my hair gets
caught in his mouth and as he spits it out the three of us
all laugh in unison. It’s cathartic to laugh after being so
sad for the past few hours. There is nothing better than
friends at a time like this, and I have the best of the best.
Max and Wanda are my anchors. They know the worst
about me and they’ve stuck by my side throughout all of
it.
“Max, of course I missed you!” I reassure, lunging
my body at him as he wraps his body around me in a
protective cocoon.
There are a few things about Max Reed that I
could pick out of a line up with my eyes closed. One is
his scent. He smells like a mixture of clean soap, hair gel,
and fresh cologne. Another is how his body feels. More
than once Max shared my bed, when nightmares of what
Glen did disturbed my sleep. He would just hold me to
keep my demons at bay until I felt better. Max was the
only man I ever felt safe with.
Until Dominic, of course.
“Are those my bags?” I ask, pointing at the
suitcases next to him.
“Well they’re not mine. I wouldn’t be caught dead
with white lacquer luggage with pink polka dots.”
“Yeah, well I only packed for Miami, so I needed
to get some more luggage and clothes along the way. I
got some stuff for you guys, too. But first things first.
Food, stat.”
“Cool. Lets go. Luke is in the car,” Wanda says
casually, her eyes never meeting mine.
“Luke, uh. So are you guys still-“
“Humping like rabbits? Yes. I would recommend
you get your cleaning lady to sterilize the kitchen. They
seem to like to fuck in public,” Max says as he bolts out
the door before Wanda could smack him.
“Fuck in public?” I question with a raised brow.
“Our kitchen is not exactly public. And it was one
time. Max came over one day and used his key. Luke and
I didn’t hear him come in,” Wanda blushed. Wanda
never blushed. I have seen this girl talk full on trucker
style dirty to a bar full of men and not so much as flinch,
but talking about Luke Jacobs and sex makes her blush?
“So is this thing with Luke…serious?”
“Sometimes. It’s complicated. I am twenty-one
and he is thirty-four. He is ready to settle down and have
kids but I am just starting my life. Right now I am just
having fun but he keeps asking where this is going.
Honestly, I am running out of viable excuses to give
him,” her voice trails off at the end and turns sorrowful.
“You don’t see yourself settling down any time
soon?”
“I do, just…I don’t know. My family and-“
“Wanda, I love your family but this is your choice
not theirs. What do you want?”
Wanda stops dead in her tracks and a small smile
pulls up on the corners of her lips. I glance over to where
she is looking and see Luke leaning against my fathers
Bentley with his arms crossed over his chest, watching us
approach. His eyes soften as they meet hers. For the
second time in the span of five minutes, Wanda blushes.
“Oh yea, that is the look of someone who is
undecided,” I tease.
Wanda breaks from her Luke stupor like a kid
who just got her hand caught in the cookie jar. “What?”
“What? Come on Wanda, I have seen you guys
together for like ten seconds and I can tell you are in love
him. Have you told him?”
“Love him?” she pauses then hangs her head
when I give her a look that tells her I know her secret.
“No. I haven’t told him. I don’t want to give him false
hope.”
“You chicks done bullshittin’? I’m hungry,” Max
yells from the car after putting the bags in the trunk.
Luke greets me with a hug before opening the car
door. Wanda attempts to climb in behind me, but Luke
pulls her back by her elbow and whispers something in
her ear. I watch her expression change from startled to
excited; her eyes grow wide and…another blush.
Wow. I thought I had it bad.
Wanda settles in the seat next to me and watches
Luke cross the front of the car and slide into the driver
seat. Her eyes never leave him. Adjusting the rearview
mirror so he can look back at her, Wanda gives him a shy
wink before he starts the car. I am happy for Wanda, but
them loving it up in front of me makes me miss Dominic
all the more.
“So, you guys are hungry, huh? Good thing
because, Mrs. Maria Lopez, herself is at our apartment, as
we speak, cooking us all more food then we will eat in a
week,” Wanda announces proudly.
“Really?” I ask.
“Yup, talked to her yesterday and she insisted that
since you were on the road for weeks you needed some
good food in you. Her words not mine,” she tells me,
holding up her hands in a gesture of frustration. “I let her
and my father in before I left.”
“Shit yeah! You can cook Wanda but nobody
makes arroz y gandules like mami,” Max says while
licking his lips.
“She didn’t have to go through all that trouble.”
“Hell, don’t tell her that. Besides I think she is
more interested in your engagement, then feeding you,”
Wanda teases, raising her brow in curiosity. I told her the
basics but wanted to wait until I got home to tell her
everything that happened while I was on tour with the
band.
When I look over to Max I can see his face has
tensed while he pretends to take in the scenery out the
window. Luke readjusts the rearview mirror so he can
look at me and for some reason the excitement in this car
takes a nosedive.
“Spit it out, Luke,” I demand.
“Spit what out? I didn’t say anything,” he
responds in a cool monotone voice.
“You hear everything, Luke. What has my father
been saying about my engagement?”
“That is between you and him, Emma. I am not
getting involved in your family drama.”
“But he
is
pissed. Right?”
“Well let’s just say he is not booking the Ritz just
yet.”
“I don’t care,” I say like a petulant child. Even I
can hear the rebellion in my voice.
“This is my life and I will do what I want. If my
father doesn’t like it he doesn’t have to come to my
wedding. In fact that goes for anyone who feels they
know what’s best for me better than I do. I love Dominic.
I am going to marry him. End of story.” I cross my arms
over my chest and pout. I know this is going to be a
tough sell but no one is going to change my mind.
“I am not your enemy, Emma. If you’re happy
then that’s all that matters to me, but you know damn
well taking a stand like that can have repercussions. You
may want to get that temper of yours under control, girl,
before you deal with your father. Spouting off like that
will get you no where and you know it,” Luke reasons.
And he is right. I have to play this cool with my father.
He has the power to make or break my career. I don’t
want to push him too far, too fast.
The rest of the car ride is silent as I figure out how
to broach the subject gently. As we pull up in front of my
apartment building I see Wanda tense up when Luke
opens the car door.
“I will bring up your luggage Emma, after I park
the car,” Luke says to me but looks at Wanda.
Wanda fidgets from side to side. “Maxcandoit,”
Wanda says so quickly I barely hear what she says.
“The hell with that. If Luke wants to do it, then he
can carry them. They’re heavy,” Max mutters as he walks
into the apartment building.
Luke’s jaw clenches and he slams the door, more
forcefully than necessary, before returning to the driver’s
side and speeding away.
“What the hell was that about?”
“My parents are up there,” Wanda yells
exasperated. “He asked to meet them and I told him it
wasn’t a good idea. I don’t want them interrogating
him.”
I laugh because Wanda has never been more out
of her element in her life. She is pale and sweating and I
can tell her nerves are getting the best of her.
“Wanda it will be fine. Just introduce him as your
boyfriend. You guys are dating, so what’s the harm?”
“WHAT’S THE HARM? Did you just say that to
me? You know damn well once I tell them Luke and I are
dating, my mother will be picking out china patterns and
calling Father Rodriguez to see what dates are available.
And my brothers…no way.” She shakes her head
violently.
“I’ll help. It will be fine. I think Luke feels the
same way about you, that you do about him.”
“Why do you say that? He has been dropping
hints but he hasn’t said anything,” her voice is strained
with anxiety. “He’s driving me crazy.”
“He probably hasn’t told you yet because he
doesn’t think you’re ready. Just go with it, Wanda. A hot,
older, hot, guy loves you. Enjoy it.”
“You said hot twice,” she states with a smirk on
her face.
“Because he is twice and hot as most guys,” I joke.
Wanda scrunches up her face in irritation and lifts
her head to the sky. “Holy hell, this is going to be
terrible. But you’re right, you’re right. I have to tell them“
“And him.”
“-and him. But if this ends badly I am taking
something expensive out of your closet.
“Done.”
When I enter my apartment I am nearly tackled by
Maria and Juan Lopez as they hug and kiss my cheeks.
Wanda’s parents are the sweetest people I have ever met.
Wanda’s mother stands tall at five foot nothing and
weighs probably about a buck fifty. Her round face and
warm complexion complements her large round, brown
eyes. Wanda’s father Juan, who hugs me like I am in a
vise, is a bit of a man at five foot five inches tall. His short
brown hair is lightened slightly by excessive sun
exposure and his dark tan skin is hard and rough from
years of working outdoors as a landscaper. Wanda’s
parents always treat people like they are family. They
have an open door policy for anyone who needs a warm
bed to sleep in and a hot meal. They were Maxs saving
grace when he was a kid. If it weren’t for them, there is
no saying where he would be today.
“Emma! Mamita, look at how beautiful you are.
Now, let me see that ring.” Maria grabs my hand to get a
good look at my ring. Her hand slaps against her ample
chest gasping at the same time. “Dios mio, es grande.
Juan, mira.”
Juan whistles through his teeth. “If he calls off the
wedding, don’t give the ring back. My cousin, Pito, will
give you a good deal at the pawn shop”
“Idiota,” Maria retorts, smacking him across the
back of the head. “A man who gives a woman a rock that
big doesn’t plan on leaving.”
Just then Wanda and Luke enter the apartment,
hand in hand. Juan stiffens next to me and Maria’s eyes
get glassy. Wanda and Luke are smiling like love struck
teenagers. I am guessing the “L” word was used. From
their disheveled appearance I can wager it was sealed
with a kiss and maybe an impromptu rub out in the
elevator from the flush in her cheeks.
I know it well.
“Mami. Papi. This is Luke-my boyfriend.” Wanda
looks up at Luke, who stares down at her like he wants to
haul her off to her bedroom and fuck her silly.
Luke releases Wanda’s hand to shake Juan’s hand
first. Juan must make up in strength what he lacks in
height because Luke flinches when their hands clasp
together. Maria refuses his hand when it is offered, and
hauls him in for a hug. Luke has more then a foot on this
woman but she is throwing him around like a rag doll
before hauling him off to the dining room, asking him
question after question and shoving food in front of him.
For the next few hours we eat and drink while
catching up on my life on the road. Juan interrogates
Luke about his job and family at every pause in the
conversation. Maria wants to hear all the details about
when and where they met and what their future looks
like.
Yup! Father Rodriguez will be getting a call soon.

The next morning
I drag my tired ass out of bed in order
to start my first day back at HMA. All night long I tossed
and turned in anticipation of seeing my father today. I
have no idea what he is going to say to me, but the
thought of him not supporting me in my decision is
tearing me apart. I have visions of what my wedding day
would be like. What girl doesn’t? I envision my father
walking me down a long isle to where Dominic is
standing, waiting for me. I want that dream. I want it all.
And I want my father to be on board with this.