can accept the other stuff, but right now I’m just enjoying being with him. I’m enjoying reliving the part of my life I’ve always cherished most, and it feels too good to just throw it out. I don’t know how to explain it in a way other people would understand, so I’m not looking for an explanation. Instead, I’m hanging on to what I realized when he showed up to my house yesterday; Dominic is the love of my life, and there’s nothing more powerful than knowing that’s true.
Once we’re inside, we’re taken to our seats immediately. It’s hard not to think about the last time we had dinner, but we both do a good job of acting like it’s not in the back of our minds.
Our waiter, a tall guy with a super-thick mustache, takes our orders and we’re left alone. I sip my wine and take a second to soak Dominic in. He has grown up to be so incredibly hot that I’m still surprised by it. Who would’ve known that the lips everyone used to make fun of him for would end up being his best feature. It took a little time, but he grew into everything with absolute perfection.
“What’s up?” he says when he sees me staring at him.
“How’d you get so hot?” I ask with a giggle.
“Look who’s talking,” he replies, and we share another laugh.
“No, really, Dominic. You’re twenty-five years old, you make a ton of money, and you’re gorgeous. So, I really want to know how you got to this point without at least a long-term girlfriend. Any other guy who has what you have would be taking advantage as often as possible.”
He lets out a sigh and sinks into his chair, making himself comfortable.
“Well, growing up, my concern was never about getting girls,” he begins. “When I was a kid, everybody made fun of me, especially girls. I’m sure you remember that. So, as a result, I guess I decided I wouldn’t give anybody that kind of attention. At least until I met you. You’re the first girl I ever had a crush on, and that kinda stuck after you left. Not to mention, I’ve had some crazy experiences with women in the past, let me tell you.”
“Ooh, please do. I love stories about crazy women!”
“Oh yeah? Well, I’ve got a few. I knew this one girl who told me she was pregnant with my baby three days after we met.”
I burst out laughing. I even manage to draw the attention of the table next to us.
“Are you serious? How’d she try to explain that one?”
“She didn’t,” he continues after a sip of his champagne. “She found out I owned casinos and the next thing I knew, she showed up with a positive pregnancy test. She brought it with her when we went out on a date. Pulled the stick right out of her pocket at the dinner table and told me how happy she was that we were pregnant.”
“Oh my god! That’s crazy and gross at the same time,” I exclaim while laughing like a kid with a sugar high. “So, then what’d you do?”
“I laughed a little, then I got up and left her crazy ass at the table alone.”
“Wow. That’s a good one right there.”
“I had a girl lick my face one time,” he continues.
“What the hell?”
“Yep. I made the mistake of going to a nightclub with this one chick. We’re on the dancefloor doing our thing—I hate dancing, by the way—and the next thing I know, she leans in and licks my fucking cheek like it has tartar sauce on it or something. It was our first and last date.”
I laugh so hard it starts to make my stomach hurt. I imagine this woman pausing her dance routine so she can stand on her tippy-toes to lick Dominic’s face, and it just splits my side. The neighboring table looks at me again, but I couldn’t care less.
“Don’t laugh too hard,” Dominic says, still chuckling himself. “I’m sure you’ve had some crazy stuff happen to you, too. We’re both twenty-five and unmarried, remember?”
“Oh, I know,” I reply as the waiter brings my steak and delivers Dominic’s giant seafood platter. “I didn’t have the best luck with guys when I was in Alaska, which is why it was so easy to leave.”
“Alright, so let’s hear it.”
“Okay,” I begin. “Well, I don’t know how much you’d want to hear about this, but it’s pretty weird and funny. I knew this one