Chapter 12 #2
Avery made a face, looking down at her pizza.
“No,” she sighed, taking a big bite of pizza and chewing as though it was comforting.
Heck, it might be. Pizza was one of Domi’s comfort foods.
She wasn’t sure why not talking to Olivia would get this kind of reaction.
“I uh… well, Nick and I have been flirting a lot more, then this weekend… he kissed me, and…” She was turning beet red as she spoke, but she didn’t look entirely happy about the situation.
“It was hot, and he’s very take-charge, but… I don’t think he’s kinky.”
“Is kinky a requirement?” Rae asked, glancing at Domi.
Rae hadn’t completely sworn off the idea of a vanilla guy, though she’d prefer to find a kinky one, especially once she’d figured out where to look.
Which was how they’d ended up at Stronghold in the first place.
Domi hadn’t wanted a guy—at all—but now she couldn’t imagine herself with someone who wasn’t at least a little into the same things.
She didn’t need wild, kinky sex every time, but she couldn’t imagine giving it up entirely now.
“Maybe?” Avery shrugged. “It’s been so long since I’ve even had sex, I don’t know if I care.”
Ouch. Domi knew how that felt.
“So, your dry spell may be affecting your judgment,” she teased. “Maybe you should come to Stronghold with us and get laid before making a decision.”
“I don’t know when I’d have the time,” Avery said ruefully.
“Marquis has only been open a few months, and I’m needed Wednesday through Sunday.
Even though I can get the occasional Sunday night off, Friday or Saturday would be impossible, and by the time the restaurant closes, it’s way too late for me to go out. ”
“What if you asked for the time off, super far in advance?” Rae asked.
“Maybe on a Thursday night or something. And we could go to Marquis instead of Stronghold and watch a show. That way, you won’t have to travel, and it might give you a better idea about whether you want to hold out for someone kinky. ”
Hope lit Avery’s eyes, but she still looked conflicted.
“I’m kinda smelly at the end of a shift…”
“We won’t care,” Domi reassured her. “We can just spritz you with body spray or something.”
They all laughed.
“Okay,” Avery said happily. “I’ll see if I can get a night off sometime soon. It might not be for a few weeks.”
“No problem. We’ll make it work. The reservations usually fill up several weeks in advance, anyway.” Rae grinned at her, then changed her focus to Domi, as they were all finishing up their dinners. “So… Domi. Where are you and Mitch going on Tuesday? Has he said?”
“No.” Domi glanced down at her phone. “I texted him to ask. He said it’s a surprise, but to dress casually and so I can move.”
Rae and Avery blinked, nonplussed. Clearly, they had as little clue as Domi did what Mitch might be thinking.
“Casual and so you can move? What does that mean?” Avery asked. Since she only knew what Domi and Rae had told her about Mitch, she had the least to go on.
“Knowing Mitch, it’ll be something memorable.” Rae picked up her glass of wine, which was only half-finished, and got to her feet. Domi and Avery followed suit.
Trying on clothes right after eating pizza might not be the best idea… but hey, he was the one who told her casual. Domi was going to take him at his word.
“Rock climbing, maybe? Trampoline park?”
“Is that the kind of thing he’s into?” Avery asked, bemused, as she followed Rae and Domi to Domi’s room.
“No idea. I’m not sure when the last time he dated someone, if ever. He’s not exactly Mr. Commitment.” Domi smiled wryly, heading to her closet and flinging the door open. “Hmmm… maybe I shouldn’t try too hard.”
“So, what am I looking for then?” Rae asked, rolling her eyes. “Something with holes in it?”
“My clothes don’t have holes in them.”
“Maybe something tacky… some mismatched accessories…”
“You’re an accessory,” Domi muttered.
“Thank you,” Rae said breezily. “I consider that a compliment.”
“I didn’t say you’re a pretty one.”
“Bitch, please.”
Avery started cracking up, and Domi and Rae winced, exchanging a look. Oops. They’d almost forgotten she was there. Yeah, they needed to be better about that.
“You guys are awesome,” Avery said, lifting her glass in tribute. Domi smiled back at her, relieved she didn’t seem upset at being left out, but she and Rae were still going to work on including her more.
“What do you think?” Domi asked, pulling out one of her favorite shirts.
Cute, dark blue with big pink and white flowers on it, and incredibly comfortable, not something she’d normally wear for a date, but it would still look good.
Also, it was worlds away from what she’d usually wear to Stronghold.
“Oh, that’s cute,” Avery said, stepping into the closet with them and reaching out to touch the material. “Oooh, soft.”
“So, he’ll want to get his hands on you,” Rae said, grinning and nodding. Domi rolled her eyes.
“Like his hands haven’t already been all over me.” They were doing the relationship thing a little backward, but that was okay. At least she didn’t have to worry about whether the sex would be good.
Just whether or not they could do anything other than the sex.
Yup. No big deal.