Wednesday, January 18, 2017
He had arrived in New York that morning, and the memories flooded him as soon as he set foot on American soil. Four years, that's how long it had been since the last time he was here.
Dominick put on his dark sunglasses and adjusted his black coat.
The light breeze managed to tousle his hair.
He had to meet two of his best friends, Marcus and Ketlan, who were only visiting the country. One had to return to Italy, and the other was heading to Las Vegas.
After admiring the airport scenery one last time, he headed toward the car where his chauffeur, Gregory, was waiting for him.
Gregory was shorter than him, with dark eyes and fair skin. He had worked for the family for many years and was someone they could trust.
"Gregory, take me to Caesar's," he ordered as he slid into the backseat.
Gregory obeyed immediately. Dominick watched as the car pulled away from the airport grounds.
As the houses and buildings came into view, the memories attacked him. Images of him and Jazmín played in his mind, all the places they had visited, even the one he once called their "special place."
His mind was overwhelmed by those memories until one came back clearly…
Flashback
He was sitting in his new office, frustration weighing heavily on him. The company's partners didn't believe he was capable of running such a major corporation...
"Dreamer", they had called him, a young guy who looked at life without thinking about what truly matter.
He cursed under his breath.
All he wanted was to honor the memory of his late father, and protect the estate that belonged to his brother... And to himself.
The sound of the door made him lift his head. Jazmín walked in wearing only a nightgown.
"There you are. I've been looking for you," she murmured as she approached. "Are you okay"
"Yeah, I'm just a little tired. The company has me stressed out. The partners aren't very happy with me... They don't think I'm capable"
"Don't listen to them. You're more than capable of handling that role." She kissed his cheek and took his hand, guiding it through the opening in her gown.
"And your underwear?" He asked with a smile.
"In the bedroom." Dominick pressed the button of her desire. She smiled.
"Now, I'm going to help you relax."
Tbsh kissed passionately, and like so many times before, ended up making love wherever they happened to be in the house...
He gave a bitter smile, thinking about how many times she had slept with his brother and then gone straight to him. The thought disgusted him.
"Sir, we've arrived," Gregory announced.
Dominick looked out the window, just to confirm what his driver had said.
"Gregory, take a drive around the block," he said, reaching for the door handle. "I'll call you in an hour."
Gregory nodded. Dominick stepped out of the car and admired the building's façade. As he walked in, a soft background music filled his ears... Adding to the calm of the place.
He didn't have to look far, because he immediately spotted his two friends at a table to the right, deep in conversation.
He walked over at once.
"Great to see you both again. How have you been?" he asked, taking a seat across from Marcus.
"Wonderful, as always," Marcus replied with a smile.
"Same as always," said Ketlan, flipping through a newspaper.
"I figured," Dominick smiled, though the smile didn't reach his eyes. And the three men at that table knew it wasn't real. It was all an act, just a disguise.
"Stop pretending," Ketlan muttered.
"I have no idea…"
"Enough, you two," Marcus interrupted, rolling his eyes. "Let's not start an argument in here."
"I'm not in the mood to argue," Ketlan murmured, downing the last sip from his glass.
Ketlan had brown eyes with no shine to them, like he was dead inside. His brown hair was neatly styled. He was tall, broad-shouldered, square-jawed... A handsome man.
"I heard you turned down a possible partnership with the Dutch," Ketlan said. "What happened?"
"They didn't want to adapt to my way of working, and I don't tolerate people who won't follow my orders."
"You sound like a dictator," Marcus muttered.
Marcus, on the other hand, had beautiful blue eyes. His honey-colored hair, with shades of brown and blonde, was longer on top. He was tall, well-built, and his genuine smile was charming.
Dominick shrugged.
"What brought you out of your beloved Russia, Marcus?" Dominick asked.
"The whole Clara situation. You know how the old man is always worrying too much," he rolled his eyes. "And Brian 'needs' my help." Marcus made air quotes with his fingers at the word.
"Women, they're the root of all men's problems," Dominick said with a grimace. "The best thing that ever happened to you was getting rid of that harpy. They're all the same."
A flash of anger crossed Marcus's eyes.
"Don't generalize," Ketlan stepped in. "Just because your ex-fiancée was an easy bitch doesn't mean all women are like that."
"Whatever, they all want the same thing," he laced his fingers together. "They want a rich man to take them out of poverty, move them in, and give them a life of luxury."
"You're exaggerating, Dominick," Marcus added.
"Whatever," he said. "Neither of you will change my mind." He looked at them both.
"As you wish," Marcus said, rolling his eyes.
"Ketlan, I heard someone saw you with a woman. Is that…"
"It was Kylan," he interrupted.
"How long are you going to keep this up?" Marcus asked. "It's not good for you. You should go out with a woman. "I don't know, when was the last time you slept with one?"
"I'm the least qualified to give advice," Dominick chimed in, earning the attention of the other two. "But I do agree with Marcus on this one. Go out with someone, have a little fun."
"You want me hopping from bed to bed, is that it?" Ketlan narrowed his eyes. "Thanks, but no, that's not the life I want."
"You know it wasn't your fault," Marcus reminded him.
"Yes, it was. And if your words didn't change anything back then, they won't now either." He set the newspaper aside just as the waiter approached.
"Good morning. Are you ready to order?" asked a small man with messy hair and lively eyes.
"I'll have scrambled eggs, bacon, toast with strawberry jam, orange juice, a bit of coffee with two sugars, two croissants, and some cheese," Marcus ordered, touching his chin in thought. "Ah... and a slice of chocolate cake. That'll be all."
Dominick and Ketlan stared at Marcus in disbelief.
"You'll get indigestion," Ketlan warned. "You shouldn't eat all that."
Marcus simply rolled his eyes.
"I'll just have grapefruit juice, toast, and scrambled eggs," Dominick said. The waiter nodded, jotting it down.
"More wine," Ketlan said curtly.
"And you talk about me? You're the one drinking at this hour," Marcus shot back.
"Gentlemen, your order will be ready shortly," the waiter announced.
"Where were we? Oh, right." Dominick looked at Ketlan. "You need to understand, it wasn't your fault. You didn't pull the trigger. She made that choice."
"I didn't pull it, but it was as if I had." His face darkened. "I took advantage of her. I should've done something. I could have done something."
"You didn't take advantage of her. Did you ever force her into anything?" Dominick asked. Ketlan shook his head. "She wanted to sleep with you. The fact that she was a virgin wasn't your problem, she was going to have sex someday."
"I should've married her. She deserved that. It wasn't her fault she trusted a bastard who only saw women as sex objects," he lamented.
"Are you listening to yourself?" Marcus jumped in. "We're not in the 15th century. She was an adult woman who knew what she was doing."
"If I'd married her, she'd still be alive," Ketlan murmured.
"Sure, but then you'd be living a completely miserable life next to a woman you didn't love. And that's not healthy," Dominick said softly.
"It wouldn't be any different from how I live now," he admitted.
A silence settled between the men. Each of them carried a different kind of pain, each with his own strange way of living with it.
Dominick decided to break the tense silence.
"I've never been with a virgin," he confessed, grimacing.
"I didn't need to know that," Marcus laughed.
"I've only been with one," Ketlan said, surprising both friends.
"Well, since this has turned into a confessional…" Marcus chuckled. "I only..."
The waiter interrupted him, and in his opinion, took far too long. He placed the orders in front of each of them and then left.
"As I was saying, I was with one when I was young. It was… a bit complicated," Marcus said.
"Honestly, I'm not into that. I'm used to experienced women, ones who know how to please a man. I doubt a virgin with puritan tendencies would know how to give a blo..."
"Dominick, your language," Ketlan scolded. He and Marcus burst into laughter.
"You're always so proper," Dominick teased.
"I do agree with Dom, though, there's nothing better than a woman who knows what she wants, how, and when," Marcus laughed.
"Sometimes I really can't stand you two," Ketlan muttered, sipping his wine.
They fell into a lively conversation while Dominick and Marcus ate. They talked about everything they'd done in the time they hadn't seen each other.
An hour later, Marcus was heading to Las Vegas and Ketlan to Italy. Meanwhile, Dominick waited for his driver, whom he had texted earlier to come pick him up.
Five minutes later, Gregory arrived, and Dominick got in immediately.
"To the hotel, Gregory," he ordered.
Gregory nodded and started the engine. The car moved smoothly through the city streets. Half an hour later, they were pulling up to the entrance of a grand hotel with a Victorian-style structure.
A valet took the keys from Gregory's hand, and the two men entered.
In the lobby, hotel staff and guests bustled about. Dominick approached the front desk.
"Good morning, sir. How may I help you?" the receptionist asked with a bright smile.
"I'm Dominick Jackson. I have..."
"Oh yes, I know who you are," the girl smiled and took out two keys. "You have the royal suite. This one is your key, and the other is for your companion. Your luggage is already in your room."
"Perfect." He smiled at the girl.
She looked stunning. Her black hair was tied up in a high ponytail, perfectly framing her oval face. Her blue eyes were striking, her white skin looked smooth, and her complexion was flawless. She looked handcrafted.
"Thank you."
"Just doing my job," she replied as the phone rang and she picked it up.
Dominick and Gregory headed to the elevator. All Dominick wanted now was to get to his room and lie down for a while...
Two days later
Friday, January 201h
Jade
She felt exhausted, the week had been long and draining. At last, it was Friday, and she could go back home.
She wanted to see her father and younger sister, since her mother and half-sister never gave her any real reason to return. The affection she'd once felt for them had long faded, and her stepfather? He was a nightmare.
She took the bus that dropped her off a block away from the house. A few minutes later, she was there. She pulled the key from her bag and mentally repeated inner peace. She knew that once she stepped inside, there was a good chance a fight would break out.
It always happened that way.
She opened the door and closed it behind her, putting the key away and scanning the house. The living room was quiet.
She walked straight to her father's bedroom, where he was sleeping peacefully. He looked much better than he had a week ago, when she had to rush him to the hospital after his health suddenly worsened.
Smiling, she went to check on her sister's room. She was also sound asleep.
Deciding it was time to rest, she headed to her own room.
But laughter coming from inside made her frown. She reached for the doorknob, sighing in frustration when she noticed it wasn't locked, even though she was sure she'd left it that way.
She entered slowly, quietly.
What she saw made her stomach turn.
Allison, her half-sister, was on her bed with some guy, practically devouring each other with kisses while fumbling to get undressed. They were so wrapped up in their lust they hadn't even noticed her standing there.
Jade stepped out slowly, fury rising like fire in her chest. She marched to the kitchen and grabbed a pitcher of cold water.
She went back to her room and, without thinking twice, dumped the freezing water right over Allison and the guy.
"Are you crazy?!" Allison screamed, jumping up at once.
Her breasts were out, and her skirt was halfway down.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" the guy shouted, clearly pissed off.
"What's wrong is that I just caught two degenerates trying to fuck like rabbits on my bed!" Jade yelled, on the verge of losing it.
"That doesn't give you the rig..."
"I'll do whatever the fuck I want! This is my room, you slut!" she snapped, her fierce temper on full display.
"I'm outta here," the guy muttered, adjusting his erection.
"No! Erick, you can't leave!" Allison cried.
But he was already gone.
"Do you see what you've done?! He left because of you!"
Allison raised her hand to slap Jade, but Jade was faster, she grabbed her arm mid-swing.
"Nobody lays a hand on me. Especially not a tramp like you," she hissed, yanking Allison's arm. As Allison struggled, Jade shoved her out of the room. She hit the floor with a thud.
Jade slammed the door shut. She was furious, she would've loved to hit them both, but she knew she couldn't match a man's strength… Allison, though? She would've gladly dragged her across the floor.
She ripped the sheets off the bed and put on fresh ones. The thought that they might've already used her bed before made her shudder with disgust. She forced the image from her mind and lay down.
She just wanted a bit of rest. She knew more drama was waiting for her once she got up.
But she didn't care.
The only thing that brought her comfort was knowing she'd be working next weekend. And that all her efforts were worth it, especially when she thought about her father and sister...