Chapter 3
Talia
I kicked off my heels, removed my bra, and sighed. Today had been long.
I had managed to salvage the client Dominik had almost cost me by oversharing with her.
And I had made partner.
The first thing I did... was have a written warning given to Dwayne.
He didn’t know what personal space meant, and if he crowded into my space one more time, I was going to knee him in the groin.
My head was bent as I looked into my fridge, trying to decide what I wanted for dinner, when there was a knock on my door.
I sighed, closed it, and then headed to my front door.
I lifted on a tiptoe and checked the peephole.
At the sight of my mom, I unlocked the door and opened it.
She smiled at me, “Hey, honey. Can I come in?”
I stepped to the side as she walked in, then I closed the door.
She headed to my couch, and I followed her.
The moment we both sat down, she took my hands in hers and offered me a smile, then she said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that I have been taking Dom’s side in things. Not until you were quiet at dinner.”
I nodded.
She shook her head, “Don’t do that, Talia.”
I lifted a brow at her, “Don’t do what?”
She smiled sadly, “Don’t nod and agree with me. Tell me how you really feel.”
I shook my head, “Mom, it’s fine. Really.”
She sighed, “It’s not fine, Talia. I can’t fix what I’m doing if I don’t know what’s wrong.”
I nodded, then tentatively I asked, “Can you look at it from my perspective?”
She nodded, then said, “Explain it to me.”
“I was the surprise baby. You had already decided not to have any more kids. And things had been a certain way. And Dominik was already a part of everything. So, from my perspective, you loved him more than you loved me. You had more time with him to build that relationship.”
She winced, “I can definitely see that.”
Then I nodded.
She winked, “I’ll work on it. Okay?”
I smiled, “Thank you, Mama.”
“The ways y’all bicker are hilarious.” She said.
I snickered.
Then she winked, “What can I do to help?”
I thought about it and then asked, “Care to help me make him a cake, but instead of cherries, put strawberries in it?”
She got a look in her eyes, a mischievous look, then she nodded.
Together, we made a cake for Dominik for his birthday, which was tomorrow.
She eyed the cake, then nodded, “He’s going to hate it.”
I snickered as I started pulling out the rest of the ingredients to make the chocolate with cherries mixed in.
She lifted a brow, and I shrugged.
I couldn’t explain why I always made sure I had the ingredients on hand to make his favorite cake.
***
I pulled to the side behind a bunch of vehicles outside of Dominik’s house.
His house was about a ten-minute drive from Garrick’s.
It was white with black accents, and I loved it.
Plus, it had a tin roof.
Hearing the rain... priceless.
I even loved the little alcove that was built into the house.
It would be perfect to curl up on the little bench and just read a good book.
I smiled wistfully at that thought.
One day, one day, I would have a house like his.
I climbed out and grabbed the two cake boxes.
The one with strawberries had a note on it, For Dominik , then I tagged the bag I had his present in, closed my door, and headed up the front walk.
Ethan opened the door for me, and I leaned up and pressed a kiss on his cheek.
As I made my way to the kitchen, I heard Dominik call out, “Thank fuck.”
I stopped and looked at him, and saw he was eyeing the cakes.
I snickered, and then glanced at everyone, and felt my body lock when my eyes landed on a certain redhead who was the incarnate of Satan herself.
Ashlee Jester.
My nemesis.
All throughout school.
She had to outdo me in everything.
For example, if I told Harlee that I liked a boy, she somehow found out about it and started dating him.
If I got a good grade on a test, she got a higher grade on the next one.
If I showed up with my hair looking lackluster, she showed up with shiny hair the next day.
Or if I brought an awesome lunch to school, she bragged about her better lunch the next day.
I disliked her with a passion.
What in the world was she doing here?
I eyed her, then I looked at Harlee, who winced.
Then she came over to me and lowered her tone, “I didn’t know she would be here. She pulled up a few minutes before you did.”
I sighed, “Of course she did.”
I shook my head.
Then I carried the cakes into his kitchen and set his gift bag on the butcher block island, my dream, and then unboxed the cakes.
I knew where he would be.
So that was why I grabbed the cake and carried it out to the dining room.
I had been right.
Everyone was standing in the room, and he was sitting.
I placed the cake in front of him as he rubbed his hands together, tagged a paper plate and a fork, took one of the slices, and placed it on his plate.
I caught my mother’s look, and then I had to bite down on my giggle.
Then I watched as Dominik got a forkful of the cake and put it in his mouth.
He chewed once and then grimaced.
Everyone looked at his face, then at me.
The little tart had the audacity to sneer at me.
Was she fucking for real?
When Dominik started laughing, he shook his head and looked at me, “Been waiting on you to do that.”
I giggled.
My mom snickered, “I helped her.”
Dominik nodded, then said, “Please tell me the other one is the good cake.”
I gasped, “Their both good cakes, Big Foot.”
He nodded, “Yeah, they are, Sparkles. But why have the not-so-amazing one in favor of the amazing one?”
I sighed, headed to the kitchen, tagged the amazing one, his words, and then headed back to the dining room.
The moment I set the cake down, he eyed it, looked at me, then back down at the cake, and I sighed, “Seriously, Dominik?
He chuckled.
And then he moaned with that first bite.
Holy cannoli.
That moan.
All these years later, and it still made my lady bits tingle.
I knew what I was doing when I got home tonight.
I was heading straight to my shower and getting myself off with my shower head.
I shook my head at where my thoughts had been headed and then had to stifle a laugh when Ashlee moved to get a piece of the cake.
Had she not realized that no one else had made a move?
Dominik slapped her hand away, “Don’t.”
The hurt and shocked look on her face... priceless.
Then, when it was time to hand him presents, I watched as he shook his head at everything he had gotten, and then I handed him mine.
He lifted a brow at me, “Is it going to bite me?”
I snickered, “No, but I might if you don’t open it before I die of old age.”
My mom snickered; I shot her a wink.
I was glad we had our talk. I just hoped that things didn’t go back to how they had been.
Dominik smirked, then he opened the bag, pulled out the tissue paper, and I watched.
He swallowed hard, and then I watched as he breathed in deeply, and in a whisper, he asked, “How?”
“What is it?” everyone asked in different ways.
Dominik reached in and pulled out the glass case that his father’s pocket watch was inside of.
See, when his father had been alive, he always carried a particular pocket watch with him everywhere he went.
And sadly, when he passed away, Mrs. Davis had to sell some things to be able to provide for Dominik and herself.
That pocket watch being one of them.
And she had felt horrible about it, because she always thought it would go to Dominik; it was her husband’s wish.
Mrs. Davis had told me about it one evening when I was helping her with her laundry.
I had asked for a picture so I could see it.
And I had felt horrible at the time, but I had taken that picture with me that day and hid it.
Vowing that one day I would find it and give it back to him.
I can’t even begin to tell you how many sites I had been on looking for it.
How many sales I watched, hoping it would pop up.
Then, a few months ago, Cassie had talked about an estate sale she and Alec were going to.
I had taken a wild haunch and looked at what had been for sale.
And when I saw a pocket watch, I was suspicious, because it was never that easy.
Until I clicked on the pictures of it.
Particularly what was engraved inside.
Ryan,
You're my light, my treasure, my forever.
Zada.
I had jumped on it, emailing the coordinator, and told them about the pocket watch. I even took a picture of the picture I had of the pocket watch and the engraving that was visible and sent it to them.
Thankfully, they had removed it from the sale for a price, which I happily paid.
Dominik lifted the glass case, lifted the lid, and then took out the pocket watch that I had resting on blue velvet fabric.
I felt eyes on me and realized it was my mom and dad.
They were both looking at me with pride in their gaze.
Dominik stared at the pocket watch and then he placed it back in the glass box, closed the lid, then set it carefully on his coffee table, stood up, rounded it, and then walked over to me, and wrapped me in his arms.
Against my hair, he whispered, “Thank you, Sparkles.”
“Welcome,” I whispered against his chest.
Then the moment was ruined when Ashlee said, “Okay, saved the best for last.”
I growled in Dominik’s chest and felt his chest rumble.
I lifted my head and glared at him.
He winked, then he let me go, stepped to the side, and faced Ashlee.
She was all smiles, and I wanted to beat her.
Dominik said, “Today is a special day for you, Ashlee.”
I gasped, then looked at Dominik, “You can’t be serious.”
He looked down at me and winked.
Oh, I wanted to slap that wink right off his handsome face.
I crossed my arms over my chest.
Then Ashlee snickered at me, and then she looked at Dominik with puppy eyes.
“You made Talia’s life a living hell in school. And I wanted to do this in front of her. You know the building you have your business in?” He asked her.
Ashlee’s frame tightened, then she nodded.