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I’m already at the door as he speaks to the room. “I’m heading out, friends!” he booms. “Thank you so much for all you do. Like I said earlier, I wouldn’t be able to do any of this without you! Enjoy a few more drinks on me, alright?” Cheers break out in the room as Dominic walks my way, acting like he’s the king of all, the best man in the world.
“Should we follow along, sir?” one of his security officers asks at the door.
“No, no. It’s all good, Frank.” Dominic claps his shoulder. “The wife should be able to get me home. I’ll call if I need you though.”
The wife? Fucking asshole.
I storm out of Fox Trot to get to my car as quickly as I can in my heels. I unlock the doors and climb behind the wheel, but my eyes fall to the croissant box on the seat. I snatch it up and toss it behind the passenger seat, just as Dominic opens the door and settles onto the fine leather with a lazy smile.
I start the engine and drive, letting my anger simmer. It isn’t until we’re turning onto the street of our private home that Dominic says, “You embarrass me, you know that?”
Here we go. “Oh, I embarrass you?”
“Yes, Jo! We can’t even have a damn rally without you accusing me of flirting with someone. And how the hell are you gonna accuse me when I saw you laughing it up with Sanchez?”
“I saw you with my own two eyes, Dominic, and if I did, I know everyone else did too!” I ignore his Sanchez remark. “You’re the one making me look like an idiot—like I have no backbone. I swear to God if it wasn’t for this campaign, I’d be done with you right now.”
He chuckles, and I swear I want to stomp on the brakes just so his face slams into the dashboard. The idiot isn’t wearing a seatbelt. He thinks he’s invincible. He’s lucky I don’t go through with the action in mind. Plus, slamming on the brakes and breaking his damn nose won’t make him look too good in the press.
“Let’s not get carried away, alright? We all know you’re never going to leave me, Jo. You have way too much at stake. Besides, if it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t even have that unit near the park. You wouldn’t have all your little girlies huddled up every week in your fancy tea shop, gossiping and talking about tea flavors, chocolate cake, and God knows what else you do. It’s such a waste what you’ve done with your dad’s money.”
“Excuse me?” I snap. “It’s because of my father’s money that your first campaign was funded! It’s because of his money that you wore those expensive suits and traveled to places unknown and were able to network with all those politicians. If it weren’t for us, you’d be nothing, Dominic! Nothing!”
I’m so sick of this. It’s been like this between us for the last two years. We fight, I threaten to leave, he counters it with how much I have to lose. He’s right. I do have a lot to lose. If I walk away, Dominic will make the divorce a nasty one. He won’t relent and I refuse to walk out of this marriage without being financially secure.
I drive along the cobblestone driveway, fuming. When I park the car in front of our house, I slouch back in my seat and bring my hands to my face. And for the first time in what feels like weeks, I break out in a sob. The sob hurts my belly and everything inside me. I hate crying. I hate it even more so when it’s done in front of him.
“Oh, come on, Jo.” His hand is on my arm with gentle pressure. “Jo, look, I’m sorry. Okay? I didn’t mean it. I’m sorry.” His words are empty. Useless. He’s only saying them so I won’t be upset.
Well fuck that. Those words won’t cut it this time. They don’t stop the tears and I’m still angry. I drop my hands and collect my purse and keys, pushing the car door open and rushing toward the house. When I’m inside, I slam the door behind me.
TEN
DOMINIC
Jo won’t let Dominic into the bedroom. It’s his bedroom too, God damn it. He rolls his eyes, turning away from the locked door. She’s acting like a baby, like the world revolves around her. He’s getting so tired of her bitching and whining all the time.
With a grimace, he marches to one of the guest rooms. He’s been spending a lot of time in the guest room lately. His marriage is in complete shambles, and he has no idea how to fix it.
“Do I even wanna fix it?” he mutters.
Truthfully, he can’t figure out why Jo puts up with him, but he knows why he puts up with her. She was right that her father’s money funded his career. Well, it was more so his death that fueled it. Her father had been stingy with his money, only giving her enough for college tuition and meals. He’d provided a car so she could get around on campus, of course, but Jolene had a job while in college, despite the trust fund he’d set up for her, one she couldn’t even access until she’d graduated. Her father wanted her to continue working, to be involved in the real world. When he died, she drowned in an enormous inheritance. He was partner in an oil company, so she’d practically struck gold.
Dominic retrieves a set of pajamas he keeps stored in the dresser of the guest bedroom. His emergency pajamas, used on the nights when Jo doesn’t want to see his face. Soft black pants, a white T-shirt. He takes a quick shower, changes into them, then sits on the edge of the bed.
When he’d met Jolene, she was different. She was bubblier, happier. He remembered seeing her coming out of the gym, a sheen of sweat on her forehead. The first thing he’d noticed was her ass in the yoga pants. He couldn’t help staring at her. How had he not noticed her before? He tagged along with her when she walked out of the gym, and he remembered her looking at him like he’d lost his mind. He’d never spoken to her, didn’t even introduce himself. To her, he was some random man taking up her space.
“I work out too, ya know?” he’d said, and he felt stupid for it. Many people worked out. That didn’t make him special.
But, oddly enough, it made Jolene laugh. Her head dropped, and she said, “Good for you, bud.”
He wasn’t sure what it was about her. Her body. Her smoky and enticing voice. The tinkle of her laugh. The softness of her smile. He wanted to get to know this new girl and soon enough he did. They studied together, worked out together, ate dinner together. Everything they did was together.
With a sigh, Dominic walks out of the guest room and down the stairs. One of the lights in the kitchen is on already and when he steps around the corner, Jolene is behind the oversized quartz island counter, pouring steaming water from the electric kettle into a mug. Her eyes flicker up to his—puffy, red, and swollen—and he feels awful. He remembers the Jolene from college, the one who loved him with her whole heart, who relied on him. Who trusted him.
Damn. He’s betrayed her trust so much.
He ambles through the kitchen and doesn’t stop until he wraps his arms around her, reeling her in from behind.
