this. If you want us.” On cue, my very smart dog wedged his face between us.
I was holding on to her too tight. I could feel her balanced on that ledge, and long seconds ticked by without me knowing which way Ally would lean. My Ally. She didn’t really have a choice. Neither did I. And I think we both knew it.
“When you say ‘this,’ what do you mean?” she asked.
“Us. Together.”
“Monogamous?”
I glared at her. “Yes. So don’t even think of that asshole Christian James again.”
“Both of us. Monogamous,” she repeated.
“Of course.”
“What else?” she pressed.
“Ally, I don’t fucking know. We’ll figure it out. We both want to continue having sex with each other and only each other, correct?”
“That’s not exactly romantic,” she pointed out.
“Yeah, well, I’m not really a hearts and flowers kind of guy.” I was more of a “fuck her in a dark corner until she screamed my name” kind of guy.
“This is crazy,” she breathed.
“It is.”
“And irresponsible and stupid, and we’re both probably just drunk on sex.”
“Life-changing, counter-defacing sex,” I pointed out.
Her lips trembled, then lifted. “I’m probably going to regret this.”
I held my breath and squeezed her arms. Say it.
“But I’m in. Let’s give this disaster waiting to happen a shot.”
Relief and something brighter, warmer, happier, lit me up from the inside. I picked her up and spun us around. Ally’s arms came around my neck and held tight.
“This is insane,” she laughed.
It was. And for the first time in my life, the insane choice felt like the right one.
Forty-five minutes later, my mother arrived in a subtle cloud of Chanel No. 5 and oversized sunglasses.
I took her coat while she showered her granddog with attention. “I still can’t believe you got a dog,” she said, straightening back into her elegant and proper posture.
“I’m an excellent dog dad,” I pointed out, opening the door and ushering her through.
“Of course you are,” she said, patting my cheek. “I’m just surprised you committed. It’s a good thing you haven’t felt compelled to commit to everything you’ve ever French kissed.”
“About that.”
My mother stopped in her tracks in the kitchen doorway.
“Hi.” Ally waved guiltily with a spatula from her sentry at the stove.
“Ah,” Mom said and turned back to me. Her expression was unreadable. But I wasn’t picking up on any hostile vibes. Yet. “Hello, Ally,” she said.
“Mom, have a seat,” I said, pushing her toward the table Ally had set in the dining room while I cooked.
She sat, and I gestured for Ally to do the same. I took the pan off the heat and scooped eggs and spinach onto plates with sliced tomatoes.
Carrying the plates into the dining area, I felt remarkably calm for what I was about to do. And that told me everything I needed to know. It was time for new priorities.
I took the chair next to Ally’s and picked up my tea.
“Mom. I’m resigning.”
53
Ally
My fork hit the plate with a resounding clatter.
“You’re what?” Dalessandra and I said together.
Dominic placed a hand over mine, but his attention was on his mother.
“As of last night, Ally and I are in a relationship. You’re the first to know. Well, besides a Romanian woman who broke into Ally’s house.”
I felt like I was having an out of body experience. I was floating up toward the ceiling and looking down at this scene with a distinct feeling of what the fuck? I imagined people who were hit by buses felt the same kind of detached bemusement on their way off the mortal coil.
“You are not resigning,” I said a few decibels louder than I intended.
Brownie trotted into the room, Dominic’s underwear dangling out of his mouth.
“I am,” Dominic insisted. “Ally will stay on in her current position for whoever you appoint to take my place until Greta comes back. If Greta chooses to leave or retire, Ally can continue on in the position permanently. If Greta prefers to stay, I want you to find Ally a suitable placement with the salary she has currently.”
“You can’t just make decisions like that without consulting me,” I choked, valiantly trying to wrench my hand free of his so I could smack him upside the head.
“Or me,” Dalessandra agreed. She was handling it better than I was, slicing up a dainty portion of tomato and egg.
“You hard-headed, bossy, alpha—Brownie, put those down!” The dog shot me a guilty look and ran out of the room, underwear flapping. “This is not how a relationship works. You don’t just make all the decisions and expect