Chapter Twenty-Six
Nicole
“Sit.” I hold the treat up, making the same motion that Dom taught me, and Cocoa plops his little butt down on the soft grass. “Good boy!” I click and hand him the treat.
Cocoa pretty much inhales it and then grabs his frisbee, sprawling out in the grass to chew on the edges, which will most likely affect its aerodynamics, but…
I need Cocoa to be as occupied as possible right now.
Leaving his leash attached to my wrist, I start laying out the picnic blanket and then set up the basket of sandwiches I made. Dom has planned most of our dates, but this time, I want to make my mark.
Well, or at least just show Dom that I care. I have big news to share with him, and I want everything to be perfect—as perfect as it can be with Cocoa the Tyrant present for lunch, anyway.
“We’ve totally got this,” I say under my breath as I set the picnic basket down on the blanket and carefully pick through it. I glance back at the door that leads to the courtyard, wondering if Dom will arrive on time.
Or if the cheese will start to get warm.
“I guess then you can eat them?” Cocoa bounds into my lap as I plop down onto the ground, my body angled toward where Dom should soon appear.
I hug Cocoa, scratching behind his ears as I release him. My heart pounds in my chest, which only leads to me feeling that much more anxious about this entire lunch date. I don’t even totally understand where our relationship is at, but I do know one thing…
I don’t want it to end, no matter where we end up geographically.
The breeze blows through my freshly curled hair, something that I worked hard on before I came downstairs. I glance down at my athletic skort and T-shirt. “Am I trying too hard?”
Cocoa responds by licking under my chin in the grossest way. I burst into a fit of giggles, and as I look up, I catch my breath.
There’s Dom, coming through the doors. He’s got on a plain black hoodie and shorts, his outfit completed with a pair of Nikes. It’s amazing how the man can make such basic clothes look phenomenal. I think it’s a gift of his. Seriously.
“Hey,” Dom greets me. “I was going to bring you flowers, but I realized that your hundreds of roses are probably still alive.”
“They are still living.” I laugh as he plops down across from me. I slide the picnic basket toward him and gesture to the contents. “I totally made all the food myself, so it might be horrible, but I tried.”
“A for effort.” Dom shoots me a wink and then shoves his hand into the basket, pulling out one of the subs.
Cocoa squirms in my arms, but I hold him, not letting him steal the sandwich that I’m sure he would if I gave him even a little slack. Luckily, since the new training routine, he doesn’t totally fight me.
Thank goodness.
“So.” I clear my throat, eyeing the picnic basket. My stomach is swirling too much for me to even consider eating right now. “How was your day?”
Dom takes a bite of the sandwich, shrugging. “It was good. How was yours?”
“Fine,” I say, feeling my face heat up. “I talked to the Cityscape investors.”
He nods, chewing his food. I wait for him to finish, thinking that he’ll ask more questions, but he doesn’t get a chance. Cocoa bursts from my arms, jerking the leash right off my wrist.
“Cocoa!” I yelp as my little terrier mix takes off across the courtyard. He heads right for the flock of birds that land in the corner. I clamber to my feet and chase after him, shaking my head.
I was just thinking how good you were doing! Ugh! I try not to trip over my own two feet as I race across the yard, where he’s bouncing around like a little nutcase.
“Cocoa, come.” I sharpen my voice and stomp my foot in frustration. “I need to tell him about the meeting I had today.”
Cocoa glances back at me, his little pink tongue hanging out of his mouth.
Dom finally makes it beside me, his sandwich still in hand. “He’s a quick little thing, isn’t he?” He’s laughing, head tipped back.
“At least he can’t escape the courtyard,” I huff, folding my arms across my chest as Cocoa inhales the dirt, grass, and whatever insects he comes across as he sniffs around where the birds once were.
“I wouldn’t jinx it,” Dom says through a mouthful. “I think it might end with him somehow scaling the wall and pulling the greatest escape yet.”
I peer up at Dom, meeting his gaze. “Yeah, maybe so.” My chest tightens, the humor slipping away as a quiet fear settles in. Not panic—just the sudden awareness that this moment feels … fragile. Like our days together might already be numbered.
I don’t know why that thought takes hold.
I only know I don’t like it.
His brows furrow suddenly, and I realize he must see my emotions written all over my face. “Are you okay, Nic? Is it Cocoa?” He pauses, swallowing his mouthful. “Because he’s getting a lot better. It takes time for animals to get it down perfect, you know?”
“Yeah, for sure.” My voice softens, and I do my best to push away the feelings in my chest. I don’t think Dom is nearly as concerned about the future of us as I am. I divert my gaze back to Cocoa, blinking away the moisture that’s making me feel absolutely ridiculous.
I watch Cocoa, waiting for the right moment to step on the end of the leash and get my dog back under control. Finally, the black nylon material comes within about one foot of me. I stomp on it quickly, breathing out a sigh of relief.
“Gotcha,” I mumble under my breath as I secure it around my wrist. Dom lets out a chuckle, but I can’t bring myself to look back up at him. I don’t want him to see how I’m feeling right now, and I know it’s all over my face. And now that Cocoa is caught, he’ll know it’s something more.
“Are you not hungry?” Dom asks as I keep staring down at Cocoa, who is now sitting at my feet, peering up at me like I owe him a treat for my own skill of catching him.
“I think Cocoa is always hungry,” I joke, but my voice comes out sad and weak. I dig into my pocket, searching for one of the few treats I brought with me.
“No.” Dom’s hand brushes my forearm. “Nicole, I’m talking to you. You made amazing food and you’re not eating. I can hold Cocoa for you.”
I finally peer back up at him, and when I meet his eyes, I can see all the concern on his face. “I’m okay. I think I’m just not hungry right now. You know how it is.” I shrug, trying to brush it off.
He nods slowly and then shoves his hands in his pockets.
Let’s just get this over with…
“How was your meeting today?” I ask, trying to sound as bright as I possibly can, all the while bracing for the news that Dom is leaving LA.
He’ll probably be moved out before we ever have a chance to hang out again.
“It was a little tense…” Dom’s voice trails off as his gaze stays transfixed on my face. “I don’t want this to come out the wrong way—”
“It’s okay.” I force out a laugh as my stomach starts doing somersaults. Even Cocoa seems invested in the moment, probably catching on to the tension rising between us. “You can just rip the band-aid off, you know.”
He takes a step toward me, a warm smile tugging at the corner of his mouth and forming dimples in his cheeks. “Nicole,” he says quietly, “I told my agent I’m done pushing for the next thing. I want to be here.”
“What?” I nearly choke out the word, not sure I heard him correctly. “You’re not … going to Texas?” It’s impossible to hide my shock.
He shakes his head. “There was never anything definite. Just noise. Interest. And I told my agent I didn’t want him chasing it.” His mouth curves into a small smile. “I’m staying here. At least for now.”
I stare at him, my pulse thudding in my ears. “Here… here?”
“Yeah.” He laughs. “But I also know I don’t control everything. Trades happen. Careers are messy.” He reaches for my hand, squeezing it once. “What I do know is that I don’t want to make choices based on fear—or walk away from something before I give it a real chance.”
My chest feels too tight to speak.
“But the thing is, I don’t want to be the reason you don’t chase your dreams,” he continues.
“If Miami is what you need to do to pursue things with Cityscape, I won’t stand in your way.
I’d never want that.” His thumb brushes over my knuckles.
“But I do hope you’ll give me a chance at being your boyfriend anyway, even if it’s long-distance. ”
“Dom.” I burst into laughter, tears filling my eyes. “I have to tell you something.”