I stared at the phone Dominic had bought in my room. I considered calling my father for the first time. Since my disappearance, he must have been concerned. Instead of fleeing from home, I should have just told him I didn’t want to marry the man he handpicked for me.
I couldn’t make up my mind after a few moments. I tried to call Marian’s phone number, but it rang on the other line, so I had to cancel it.
As I waited for my call to be connected, I took a deep breath and let out a sigh. Hearing my most favorite person in the world’s voice made me weep up, and my guilt kept me from speaking right away. As soon as I mustered the confidence, I said, “Papa…” “Papa…,” I couldn’t stop crying any longer and didn’t know where to begin.
“Juliana, can you tell me where you are?” I felt horrible for worrying him out because his voice was full of anxieties.
“Don’t worry about me, Papa; I’m fine.” I tried to remain calm, but it was excruciating to speak with him again after such a long time. Before hanging up, I remarked, “I’ll call again later.”
Keith arrived with a bouquet shortly after I spoke with my father. I was taken aback when I saw him again. “How are things going for you, Keith?” As soon as he walked into Dominic’s house, I informed him, “It’s been a long since you visited.”
“Please accept my apologies. I’ve been so preoccupied with my work recently. Do you want to meet for coffee?” He inquired.
We weren’t in a relationship to be dating or sharing coffee or anything like that, so I narrowed my eyes at him. He was welcome to visit us, but now that Dominic and I were in a closer relationship, I didn’t feel it was appropriate to entertain him.
“What makes you think we should meet for coffee?” I inquired.
He reasoned, “Because we’re buddies, and there’s a new coffee shop close.”
“A coffee shop? What are your options in this small town? ” I couldn’t believe what he said about a coffee shop is nearby.
“All right, so come on. Let’s get started! ”
“Hmmm, I’d like to,” I answered, “but Dominic told me to stay at home while he went to work.”
“Don’t worry about your boss; he’ll understand,” Keith said, assuring me that Dominic would understand. Aside from that, Marian and I had planned a coffee date. I yearned for the time we spent together in the neighborhood coffee shop.
I said, “I’ll just change my clothing.”
It was merely a coffee date, as he stated. At the coffee shop he owns, we had coffee and pastries. He invited me to see his new coffee shop, which was the major reason for his invitation.
“Do you believe this company will be successful in this area?” I questioned his judgment because he went to a distant location with little foot traffic.
“This location will become a tourist hotspot in two to three years. The Salcedo’s are preparing something major here,” Keith told me, though it wasn’t out in the open yet.
“Are you serious?”
Keith didn’t respond, instead simply nodding his head.
The news that Ethan’s family was planning a major project in the area sparked an idea in my head that would benefit our organization. Maybe I should go home and start planning right away.
Keith and I had a long coffee conversation. We talked about various topics, and before we realized it, it was time to leave. My eyes widened as I checked the time on the adjoining wall clock; it was beyond five o’clock in the afternoon, and Dominic would usually be home around five-thirty.
“I need to go home right now,” I told Keith about my plans.
Keith offered to bring me home even though he wasn’t ready to leave his coffee shop. I accepted the offer because hailing a public bus would be difficult.
I was relieved when I arrived at Dominic’s house a few minutes later. I was so relieved that I missed the brooding man on the couch. “Hello, Mister Dominic,” I joked, but he scowled at me.
“It’s just Dominic, Marian,” he replied. “What have you been up to?” He inquired.
I said, “I had coffee with Keith.”
“Do you have a strong desire to see another man after me?” He accused me of watching Keith perform the things we did, which irritated me much!
I brushed him aside and proceeded to my room. His accusation enraged me, especially because I had done nothing wrong. When I went inside, I closed the door and checked my phone. It had several missed calls, all of which were from my father.
I was almost tempted to call him back, but I decided to switch it off and walk outside to ask Dominic about something before I forgot about it, but when I arrived, he was no longer in the living room.
I reasoned that he was most likely upstairs.
“Are you inside, Dom?” Outside his door, I summoned him.
I heard him say, “The door is open,” and I opened it.
“Either you’re worried out, or you’ve come here to seduce me.” Marian, which is it? He inquired and then drew me towards him. I should have avoided standing so close to his bed!
“You’re completely wrong; just let me go!” I tried to get away from him by wriggling my body, but his grip was hard and tight.
“I miss the sound of your quiet whimpers beneath me and long to hear them once more.” His lips quickly engulfed mine, nibbling, sucking, and playing with his tongue.
I was once again engrossed in his kisses, and he has a fantastic tongue. I murmured as his lips touched the skin on the back of my earlobe. It tickled me, but it felt great at the same time, and, like previously, he had no trouble removing my garments.
“Dominic…” I murmured as he trailed a series of lovely kisses from my neck to my breast and into my navel, then lingered there for a bit. As he licked my belly button, I almost screamed from the tickling feeling his tongue generated.
“Are you sure, sweetheart?” Tell me what you want…,” he murmured before returning to his work.
When his mouth reached the most private region of my body and laid light feathery kisses on the delicate skin, I yelped in surprise. I assumed that was the end of it, but I was caught off guard when he began to lick me down there with the tip of his tongue.
“Oh my god…!” As soon as I felt something I couldn’t put into words, I exclaimed.
I said, a few minutes after he whisked me away to cloud nine, “I’ve only seen this kind of connection in movies.”
“Is this the kind of relationship you’re looking for?” “What exactly do you mean?” He inquired, most likely because he was perplexed or sought clarification.
“Dominic, you understand what I’m talking about when I say friends with benefits,” I responded.
“So you just assumed we’re like that?” He looked at me as if I had gone insane or something, and when he smirked, it offended me.
“It’s true. So, what else are we going to call it? “Are we on the same page?” I kept going.
“That’s ridiculous. Marian, you’re my girlfriend.” He stated, and I wondered when he courted me because I couldn’t recollect it during my stay at his house the previous few days.
“Is she your girlfriend?” Are you insane? “How long have I been your girlfriend?” Because his reference to me as his girlfriend insulted and humiliated me at the same time, a string of inquiries spilled from my mouth. Was he joking around with me?
He said, “When you let me kiss you.” “Should I compel you to remember that moment?” He looked at me as if he had some nasty ideas again.
“There’s no need, but let’s clear up some things,” I murmured, crossing my hands over my bare chest. Okay, I’m not your girlfriend.”
“Whether you liked it or not, you already are!” He insisted, but despite his threatening tone, I was unconcerned.
I told him, “An ideal partner would never raise his voice to the girlfriend.”
“Ah, is that so?” he asked, nodding his head as if he agreed with me. He scoffed, “But I’m not your usual boyfriend.”