Sam shook her head, like she was dismissing how strange the whole thing was. “Do you think you’ll feel better by tonight?”
“I should, yeah. Want to hang out?”
She grinned and suddenly thrust her hand into my face. “He did it! Mike proposed!”
I dropped the suit and grabbed Sam in a tight hug. “Sammy! That’s amazing! I’m so happy for you!”
“We’re going to have an impromptu dinner tonight with everyone. I was going to invite you when I found you at work. I’m glad I didn’t, though. I want to keep it a secret until dinner and there’s no way people wouldn’t have heard us squealing.” She held my hands and grinned at me. “Tell me you’ll be there. I need you.”
“Of course, Sam! I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“Mom and Dad will be in the same room for the first time since our high school graduation and there won’t be a massive audience of people between them tonight.”
She picked up the suit and shoved it into my hands, unaware of the way I’d just experienced a mental snap at the idea of being near her mom and dad at the same time. “Come downstairs with me, please? I need help. I’m trying to find my journal from when Mike and I first started dating.”
I followed her absently, silently contemplating if I should come out and say something, but the timing was wrong. She’d just gotten engaged.
“Of course Dad will bring Dominic and Holden tonight. They’ve always been a part of my life. I won’t go as far as saying they’re like uncles, because of the whole attractiveness thing, but yeah. Mom’s new boyfriend, Jonah, will be there. Mike’s family, of course. Everyone should be good. I’m only worried about Mom and Dad. I’m not telling Dad about Mom bringing Jonah, just in case he decides showing up with some barely dressed bimbo to piss Mom off would be fun.”
I choked on my saliva and stumbled down a few carpeted steps going into the basement. I caught myself, but had to sit down heavily as I realized I was the barely dressed bimbo she didn’t want Barrett to bring.
“Are you okay? Jeez.”
I forced a laugh and nodded. “Yeah, sorry. I just missed a step. I always used to trip down these stairs when we were young. Good to see nothing’s changed.”
She helped me up and hugged me tight. “I’m so happy, SJ. Will you listen to me ramble on with way too many details about the proposal while I find the box I’m looking for?”
I nodded. “Of course. I want to hear everything. I can be a little late getting back to work.”
Or I could not go back at all. When I left her there, still looking for her journals, I went straight to Dominic’s house and hid in his bed. I stayed under the covers, ignoring the outside world. I hoped everyone would just forget about me and I could stay hidden in bed for the rest of the night and the next few days.
My plans were ruined when I heard the front door slam a little while later. I tried to flatten myself to the bed and become invisible, but not even a full forty seconds later, Dominic pulled the covers off the bed completely and stared down at me with a frown on his face.
“You want to explain to me why you never came back to work and refused to answer your phone?”
I winced. “I didn’t hear it ring?”
He hit a button on his phone and a few seconds later, my phone started ringing, audibly, a few feet from my head. “No?”
“I can’t leave this bed ever again, Dom. I just can’t.” I rolled over onto my stomach and groaned helplessly. “I couldn’t tell Sam. She told me her news, but her news was great and happy, so I didn’t want to rain on her parade. But I’m the barely dressed bimbo she’s worried about!”
“Excuse me?”
“Please, leave me here, Dominic. Just pretend you never saw me, okay?”
He gripped my leg and dragged me down the bed. Once I was at the bottom edge, he sat down next to me and then pulled me over his lap. Instead of spanking me, he just held me there. “Start from the top, pet. Make it make sense to me and I’ll rethink the paddle.”
52
***SJ***
Icutmyeyesat Dominic, still angry that he’d spanked me without letting me come and then forced me to get ready for the dinner. Holden rocked back on his heels next to me, his face a mask of barely suppressed laughter.
“You clearly don’t want to come tonight, Sugar, not with the way you’re looking at me.” Dominic focused his intense gaze on me and licked his lips as he looked me over. “Which is really too bad, because I was planning on a midnight snack.”
Trying to remain mad was futile. I found his bossiness charming and it made me smile. Especially when he was trying to make me stop looking upset with him. He didn’t know it, but it was a gesture that showed his soft underbelly. He didn’t want me to be mad at him. Some people would bring flowers or maybe even jewelry, but that wasn’t how Dominic worked.
Even as a smile stretched my lips, I rolled my eyes at him. “You’re not playing fair.”