For several days, I convinced myself that I should do what Dominic told me to do or leave as he always wanted. Of course, leaving was always an option, but I don’t think I would be able to find a similar place that could provide me with food, shelter, and security.
“What do you mean I have to buy our groceries?” I asked him after hearing his announcement that I should go out to buy our stocks.
“Stop asking questions, Marian. Instead, go and get ready so that I can drop you off at the supermarket before going to work,” he announced.
“Just me?”
Dominic raised his eyebrows at me and narrowed his eyes at me, and then he said, “Look, if you can do the simplest task of buying groceries, then why the hell should I keep you here?”
It had always been his rebut whenever I had to question him, and oddly, I was getting tired of it. So first, I glared at him for being unreasonable, and then before my emotions would get the better of me, I gave him my sweetest smile. “What time are we leaving?”
“In an hour,” he said.
“Okay,” I agreed.
Sometimes, I wondered if he’s enjoying every moment he’s annoying me. For a few days that we live together under the same roof, I concluded that Dominic was the worst bully I had the misfortune to get involved with.
Inside the bathroom, I studied my appearance and got a little dismayed because I looked the same. While applying the conditioner to my long hair, I considered cutting it short. I looked around for a scissor, and when I didn’t see one, I decided to do it after drying myself.
As soon as I finished putting on my clothes, the same clothes I wore on the day I left home, but I planned to wear a hoodie later on. Dominic donated one of his old hoodies to me, and I was glad at his benevolent deed.
Luckily I found one inside the second drawer of my bedside table. I immediately took it and returned to the bathroom. I thought it was easy, but after checking the result, I panicked at seeing my appearance. I looked hideous in the mirror, and the colors on my face were drained.
While trying to compose me, Dominic knocked outside, and I had no choice but to open the door for him. I got out of the bathroom and strode towards the door. As soon as it was unlocked, I saw his scowling face.
“Can you give me a minute or two?” I requested.
“Why?” He questioned me.
I bit my bottom lip while trying to develop a valid reason why I needed additional time to get ready, but his glaring eyes pressured me. “I need to adjust my hair,” I admitted.
By the time his eyes studied my crowning glory, he had burst out laughing, and I felt so bad. “What have you done to your hair, Marian?”
“Trying to cut it short,” I answered.
“You should have told me then we can go to the parlor! There’s a parlor a few blocks from here!”
“I tried to do it myself. It is awful?”
“Sort of,” he answered in a low voice as if he also felt bad about my ruined hair. “Where’s the scissor?”
“Inside the bathroom,” I replied.
“I’ll fix it,” he offered.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, come on. Let’s get it done so we can leave as soon as possible. I’m already late at work,” he stated.
Dominic entered my bedroom as he had always belonged inside and went straight to the bathroom. I followed him there, but after he locked the door, I suddenly felt uncomfortable.
“Do you have to lock the door?” I inquired.
“Are you uncomfortable?’
“A little,” I admitted.
“Okay, then let’s keep it open,” he compromised.
Dominic positioned himself behind me, but after cutting a few strands of my hair, he stopped all of a sudden and said, “I think you should take off your clothes.”
“Huh? Why should I?” I was worried that he planned to do something wicked to me; after all, it was only him and me inside the room.
“Do you have other clothes to wear outside?”
When I realized what he was trying to tell me, I had to consider it carefully. “Then what should I wear while you cut it?”
“A towel will do,” he replied nonchalantly.
“W-what?”
“You can just throw the towel after using it, or you can choose to wear one of the clothes I lent to you.”
In the end, he made me wear a towel while he cut my hair. Those ten minutes of adjusting my hairstyle have been the most uncomfortable ten minutes of my life. I was always worried that the towel would fall off.
“Done. You can take a quick shower now, and then we can go,” he said.
I just nodded my head in agreement, and when he exited the bathroom, I proceeded to take a quick cold shower. It lasted for less than five minutes then I was out of the bathroom.
Quickly, I put my clothes on, and then I checked myself in the mirror again, and I was satisfied with what I saw. I felt like a new person with my new hairstyle, and I could say that Dominic has skills.
“Should I dye it red or pink?” I asked the man responsible for my new look when I saw him waiting in the living room.
“It already suits you, Marian, but it’s up to you. You can do whatever you like with your hair,” he replied.
“Can you tell me where the list is? You mentioned it earlier,” I reminded him about the grocery list.
“Are you going out looking like that? The hoodie is old, and it isn’t mean to be worn outside the house,” he stated, and I frowned at his harsh reaction. “Follow me to my room,” he said after a couple of seconds.
I sighed and pursed my lips before glaring at him. “To your room? Why?” I didn’t want to enter into his personal space because I didn’t want to impose on him too much or to give him an idea that I liked him.
He responded, “So you can pick a hoodie,” and walked away without saying anything else.
While walking behind him, I frowned at Dominic’s demeanor. It’s perplexing that he may be both cold and warm at the same time! Stepping into his bed, however, was not a good idea. No, it’s just too dangerous!
“I’m sorry, Dominic, but I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
Dominic looked up to the heavens as his patience with me seemed to dwindle, and he was afraid of losing it all! “Why not?” He asked. Then he added a joke after the question, “Don’t tell me you’re sexually interested in me!” I knew that at the moment, my face turned crimson red. “Are you ashamed of admitting it?”
Dominic continued to provoke my patience, and my eyes darkened while listening to his nonsense. “Are you done talking?” I asked, and he seemed to get my drift and shut up.
At first, I hesitated to enter his bedroom, but I didn’t choose because he would presume I was sexually interested in him. He guessed it correctly.
“Is it all black?” “There’s no gray or white?” I inquired, and when he nodded, I wasted no time in grabbing a black hoodie. “No way, this isn’t going to work,” I refused to wear an oversize hoodie in going out and took it off.
“Come on, Marian. Don’t be choosy,” he told me.
“I am not choosy! Can’t you see that this one is too huge for me?”
“Who will notice? You’re just going to buy some groceries, and didn’t you want to conceal your appearance? Isn’t it the main reason for cutting your hair?”
How could I rebut his argument he was telling the truth? “Wear it with sunglasses if you’re uncomfortable,” he suggested.
“No way!”
“I insist,” he said.
The way he insisted that I should wear some glasses has a lot of authority, and all of a sudden, I remembered my father. I escaped from Richard Vera, but then I happened to stumble upon Dominic, whose last name remained unknown.
Before opening a drawer containing his sunglasses and other eyewear, he let out a deep sigh. Then, between clenched jaws, he said, “Come here and pick one whatever suits to your liking.”
“Okay,” I replied because I was forced into wearing one, and then while picking one of his sunglasses, I realized that it could help me conceal half of my face. Who knew if my father’s men would be in every supermarket, hoping to find me unaware?
“You have a sexy body, Marian.” He commented out of nowhere, and I had to turn around to look at him.
“Are you sick?” Suddenly, I was worried about my safety because, knowing him, who has a big appetite for women, he could ravage me if he wanted to. No, there’s no way I would allow anyone to touch me without my signal.
“No, I’m just stating some facts.”
“Seriously, Dominic?”
“Well, I imagine how it feels to be buried inside your luscious form,” he admitted, and then he shook his head as if he regretted what he was saying to me.
“Oh my God! You are crazy!” How could he imagine himself to be buried inside my body? “Your thoughts are so filthy and disgusting, sir.”
“Sorry,” he apologized, but the way he stared at me, he didn’t look sorry at all.
“You’re not sorry at all,” I told him.
“How did you know?”
“Dominic! How can you be so despicable?” I was so worked up, but I realized that he was playing with me when he grinned. Whoa, I had no idea that he’s a prankster, but then, he didn’t know me at all.