Revengeful Deceptions (7 page)

It wasn’t because she was
African-American and mixed with something else that he couldn’t quite put his
finger on.
Maybe she was part creole,
he thought to
himself
.
That would certainly explain the exotic looks and the soft warm color of her
skin.

  
He'd dated woman of all nationalities and cultures, no it wasn’t that.
It was the feeling that he felt the instant he was near her; it was a feeling
of warmth and hope. She isn’t shallow like the others; she isn’t fake and
materialistic either.

  
Adam knew that he had made some incredibly bad dating decisions and
hoped that since he was nearly 33, he would now chose his dates by using the
head on top of his shoulders, and not the one between his legs.  But he
had to admit, Dominique certainly stimulated both.

  
“Pam am I doing the right thing?” asked Dominique who had called her
friend the moment she pulled out of the parking garage.

“Dominique of course you are,
you're young, you still got your whole life in front of you, I told you the men
were gonna swarm all over you like bees to honey! Oh I’m so happy for you Dom.
so go and enjoy yourself and don’t over think everything, just enjoy his
company and take it from there.”

 
“I'm nervous Pam, you realize this is the
first time I’ve gone out on a date ever since Stephen, and well I don’t have to
say any more, you already know,” she said stopping herself before the tears
came.

“Yes I do know Dominique and I also
know that he would want you to be happy, you’re not forgetting about them
Dominique, your simply moving forward with your life that's all. Dominique,
Stephen and Teddy are together, now don’t you think it’s time that you found
someone to be together with so that you can find that happiness once again? I
do, so hang up the phone, go get ready and enjoy your evening, and get laid
already will ya! That’s an order, do you hear me?” she said chuckling with
delight.

“I hear you and I’ll try. Listen,
thanks for listening Pam, I can’t wait for you guys to come and visit. Talk
soon, love you.”

Dominique felt better after she
finished talking to her friend. Time to get ready for my date she said to
herself as she turned on the shower.

By a quarter to seven Dominique was
dressed and ready for her dinner date. The night was chilly and she chose a
long sleeved Liz Claiborne black, wrap dress that was very low cut and clung in
all the right places. She had bought it months ago during a shopping spree that
she and Pam had made to the outlet stores. Grabbing her wrap and purse, she
decided to wait for Adam outside.  Once outside Dominique let the crisp
fall air fill her lungs as she closed her eyes and took some deep rejuvenating
breaths. Sensing someone watching her she quickly opened her eyes.

 
“Damn you look good,” said a strange man who
stood at the bottom of the brownstone steps.

“You live here?” Dominique didn’t
know what to say, she wasn’t used to being accosted.
What was I thinking
wanting to wait outside?
She thought to herself as she remembered the
realtor telling her the neighborhood wasn’t the safest.

“Hey, I’m talking to you; do you
live here or not?”

Dominique stammered as she thought
of the right answer. “Um no I am just visiting,” she said nervously as she
watched him ease his way up a step.

“Then how come you ain't going
inside?” He asked taking another step.

 
“Oh I’m just waiting, but I think I’ll give a
call,” she laughed nervously as she fished inside her purse for her cell.

Dominique stood frozen as the
stranger quickly made his way up the remaining steps and now stood directly in
front of her. She did not want him to see the fear in her eyes as she tried to
walk past him.

“Where do you think you’re going?”
He said gruffly while he grabbed her arm.

“Let go of me NOW!” she shouted as
she kneed him in between the legs.

Her attacker let out a howl as he
grabbed himself with both hands.

“You fuckin bitch!” he shouted at
her as he began to go after her once again.

Dominique had barely a second to
move out of the way as Adam pounced on her attacker forcing him onto the
ground.

“I think you owe the lady an
apology,” said Adam as he held the stranger in a headlock.

“Sorry lady geez, can you let me go
now, I can’t breathe.”

“That's the whole idea asshole, and
I don’t want to see you around these parts anymore, because you know what'll
happen if I do? He asked, tightening his grip. “I'm gonna tell my buddies over
at Mickey’s bar, to come and take care of you, you got that you piece of shit?
I'm sure you know just what I mean don’t you? “

“Ah, yes sir, I just want to go,
can I go now?”

“What’s the magic word asshole?”

“Please.”

“Get the fuck out of here and
remember what I said low-life.”

Humiliated and ashamed, the man
straightened out his dirty overcoat and took off running down the street.

 
“God you look beautiful! Are you alright
Dominique? I'm sorry you had to see that but that guy had it coming. Come on
let's get you warm,” he said very casually as if nothing out of the ordinary
had just occurred.  He opened the door to his range rover and helped her
inside. Dominique was a bit excited by what she had just witnessed, she had
seen a side of Adam that she hadn't expected but it didn’t scare her, in fact
she liked it. She liked having him come to her
rescue,
she was turned on by it.

“Thank you,” she said when he got
into the car. “I guess I should think twice before I step outside for some air
huh? I certainly wasn’t expecting that,” she said letting out a small gasp.

“Dominique, you've got to be
careful, now I know that you told me that you've just moved here, but you
failed to tell me from where?”

Dominique wasn’t sure if she was
ready to share that part of her life with Adam, no, she would wait. See where
things go first, if she allowed things to go anywhere at all, that is.

“Oh, not from a city I can promise
you that,” she said with a nervous laugh.

“Okay Dominique I am guessing that
you have your reasons for not telling me where you’re from, but I hope that you
learn to trust me enough to maybe tell me one day, but until that day comes, I
won't pressure you.”

“Thank you Adam. Not just for
saving me, but also for respecting my wishes.

“You’re welcome Dominique and did I
mention how stunning you look in that dress?”

“Well you did say beautiful yes,
but stunning?  I would have remembered that,” she said laughing now.

“Well let me say it again, you look
absolutely stunning.”

Dominique reached out and gently
touched his hand. “So where are you taking me?”

“I hope you like French food
because I made reservations at Mistral's.”

“I've never had French food but it
looks like I’ll be trying it tonight,” she said with a grin.

“Dominique if you want to go
somewhere else, you just say the word and I’ll take you wherever you want to
go.”

Dominique knew that he meant every
word.

“No of course not. I’m quite open
to trying new things Adam really, it's Okay.”

A sly grin crept across his face.
“I will definitely keep that in mind Dominique.”

The moment she'd made the comment,
she wished she could take it back.
Oh what he must be thinking,
she
wondered to herself.
Maybe I’m not ready for this dating thing, or maybe I
should do what Pam said and go with the flow.
  Dominique tried to
redeem herself by telling Adam that she simply meant that she was open to
trying new foods but it was too late, he told her. He already had images of all
the many, many things that he would like seeing her try and food only being a
very small part of it. Dominique blushed and folded her arms as she listened to
Adam go on and on about all the things she should be open to try. Finally when
they arrived at Mistral's, Adam turned to face Dominique.

 
“I told you I’d get you back,” he laughed as he
watched the expression on Dominique's face.

“YOU ASS!” Dominique said laughing
and punching him hard in the arm.

Adam had managed to stop laughing
long enough to tell Dominique, “You walked right into that one.”

“I suppose I did,” she said as they
continued to laugh and smile. Dominique could not remember the last time she
had laughed so hard and so much. Not since she was with her boys. The thought
sobered her.

Adam seeing her expression turn
grim, thought he had offended her.

“Dominique, I am sorry, it was only
a joke, really. Once you get to know me, you’ll find that I'm not an asshole,
really. Say something Dominique.”

“Adam, I’m sorry, my mind was
somewhere else, and don’t worry, I don’t think that you’re an asshole, I know
you were only joking. So are you planning on taking me to dinner in there or
are we going to sit in your car all night? Come on I’m hungry.” She said
stepping out of the car.

“Yes ma'am.” Adam said as he
followed her inside.

 
When they walked into the restaurant, Dominique couldn’t help but notice
the beautiful interior. There was handpicked pottery along the arched floor to
ceiling windows, and high ceilings housed gorgeous chandeliers made out of old
wine barrels.  Small lights adorned each table and the bar, well there was
only one word to describe the bar, and that was sexy, simply sexy. It was a
French Provencal style lounge area that just emulated warmth and sensuality.
She pictured herself lounging sexily next to Adam as they sipped a hand crafted
drink and gazed into each other’s eyes.

 
“Shall we have a drink at the bar Dominique?”

“NO! I mean, no thank you let’s
just head over to our table,” she said. Dominique knew that if she sat with
Adam at the bar, she would get caught up in the moment and lose herself. She
could not let that happen.  This is just a friendly dinner with a little
bit of flirting thrown in she kept trying to convince herself.

During dinner Dominique made sure
to steer the conversation away from her and onto Adam and his family.  She
did not let on that Molly had filled her in a lot about his life already
because she wanted to hear about it from Adam himself. She listened intently
while Adam spoke of his privileged childhood and all the luxurious advantages
he was awarded while growing up and how although his brother was given the very
same advantages he chose to follow the wrong path. Adam told her that his
brother dabbled in small time drug dealing in college and soon dropped out.
That is when he started hanging out with Nick and the DiNunzio crew. Adam
explained to her that DiNunzio was one of the most dangerous mob families in
Boston. Dominique couldn’t help but tell him that their lives sounded like that
of a movie script.

 
“Forgive me for saying this Adam, but it all
sounds dangerous and exciting at the same time. It's like even though you were
both lucky enough to live such an opulent lifestyle, for one of you at least,
that was never enough. Sounds like your brother Brandon likes to live on the
edge, I mean it’s one thing to take the occasional risk but just as long as it
doesn’t hurt anybody else Adam. But tell me, has he ever hurt anyone Adam? Come
on, you can tell me,” she said with a wink. “I mean you did say that he was
involved with the mob, do you think he's gone so far as to hurt people?”
Dominique was trying to be subtle and find out whether or not Adam knew about
the evil doings of his brother, she hoped not, despite her better judgment, she
was already beginning to like him.

 
“No.” Adam stressed. I don’t believe so, at
least I hope not but with Brandon, you never know. Dominique, you wouldn’t
believe how much time and money my parents spent trying to get him on the right
track, but he always found his way back to his old habits.”

“Do you think the job as an
investigator will do him some good?” asked Dominique as she sipped her wine.

“I'd like to say that I hope it
will, but I already have my doubts but there is no telling my father that, it’s
as if he refuses to give up on Brandon.”

“Well I don't think he should give
up Adam, but maybe he should cut the ties a little you know? Let him take
responsibility for his own actions, whatever they may be.” she said snidely.

Listen to me, it’s none of my
business,” she said with a nervous laugh.

“Dominique it’s alright really, I
really enjoy talking with you. I haven’t had this much of a good conversation
in quite a long time so thank you and I hope that we can do it a lot more,” he
said, eyes on fire and boring into her.  Dominique fought to look away
from him as his stare seemed to stir something so deep inside of her that she
thought she might burst.

“I'd like that Adam,” she said
returning his gaze.
There go the damn hormones again.

Adam was intrigued by Dominique,
she was the first woman he had met that seemed to leave him wanting more, and
not just in the physical way.  There was an air of sorrow that surrounded
her no matter how hard she tried to mask it. Something terrible happened in her
life and he wanted to know what it was so that he could tell her that if she
let him, he'd make sure not to let anyone or anything hurt her ever again.

Chapter Nine

“I had a wonderful time Adam, thank
you so much for dinner. That restaurant was spectacular and the food was
delicious, thank you again.” Dominique hoped that he wouldn’t offer to walk her
to her door, but she knew it was inevitable, given the type of man he was and
his proper upbringing, there was no way he was not going to.

“You’re quite welcome Dominique,”
he said getting out of the car.