get the Barry White CDs out? ;)
Smiling, I typed back: No need for romance, just open a bottle of wine and I’m all yours. And this time, I won’t change my mind.
I put my phone down on my bed, and threw some things into a bag with a weird sense of déjà vu.
“You know what, you’re right,” Dominic said, following me into my room. “It’s none of your business, but it’s obviously pissed you off, so before things get any more uncomfortable between us, I’d like to get it out in the open.”
“Dom, why do you always want to talk everything out?” I sighed. “It’s been a rough week. And you knew that. Hearing Tilly crying in her room, having her crawl into my bed in the middle of the night – it hurts. You could have been here, you should have been here. Instead, you lied to me and you lied to Tilly and that’s not okay.”
“I didn’t lie. I was called to New York. But Serena … she’s … we were-” he trailed off again, and I wondered what the hell was so difficult for him to say. Was she just a friend? Was she important?
Do I care?
“I was seeing her,” he said, eventually, sitting down on my bed. “Not seriously, we were … like you and Neil. We work together, we were attracted to each other and it was just … easy. But she started wanting more from me than I was willing to give.”
“Why weren’t you willing?”
“Because she’s a self-involved, shallow bitch. Makes me sound like a dick for sleeping with her for so long, but she wasn’t so bad at first. But the more I got to know her, the less I liked her.”
It sounded nothing like what I had with Neil. We both knew where we stood, we didn’t want a relationship, but we still had respect for each other.
“I broke things off with her last week,” he went on. “But when she found out I was in New York this week, she wanted to see me. She invited me over to her flat last night, tried to get me to change my mind. The only reason I left my work there was because I was in such a rush to get away from her. I thought I’d made my feelings clear, but if she called here-”
“Hold on,” I interrupted. “When did you say you broke things off with her?”
Dominic averted his eyes.
“Oh God,” I said, wearily rubbing my eyes.
I’d never once thought that having sex with Dominic was anything more than two people venting their frustration, but the idea that he might have been thinking about someone else at the time didn’t exactly fill me with joy.
“We need some time out,” I said. “Because at the moment, when we’re together, everything just gets messier. I’ll stay at Neil’s tonight, and I’ll come back late on Saturday.”
Then all we have to do is survive a four hour car journey together on Sunday morning. Yay.
I’d have much preferred to spend the weekend at home, near Tilly. My time with her was rapidly running out, but the idea of clashing with Dominic over and over didn’t appeal at all. I still hadn’t said half of the things that had been circling in a constant loop around my head for the past week, and letting them out would only cause another fight I didn’t have the energy for.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I don’t want to argue.”
“Me neither. But if I stay, that’s what will happen.”
He nodded. “Okay. Okay.”
***
Neil took one look at my face and said, “We’re not going to have sex tonight, are we?”
I’d arrived on his doorstep, carrying my overnight bag and wearing a look of … well, I’m not sure what I looked like, but I felt like I’d been steamrollered.
“Do I have to decide now?” I asked.
“I think the decision’s made,” Neil said, pulling me into a hug. “Come on, I’ll get us a drink.”
Neil led me to his sofa, and left me there while he made two cups of tea which he placed on the coffee table in front of us.
“What’s going on, then?” he asked. “Am I losing my charm? You’ve turned me down two weeks in a row, I’m
Smiling, I typed back: No need for romance, just open a bottle of wine and I’m all yours. And this time, I won’t change my mind.
I put my phone down on my bed, and threw some things into a bag with a weird sense of déjà vu.
“You know what, you’re right,” Dominic said, following me into my room. “It’s none of your business, but it’s obviously pissed you off, so before things get any more uncomfortable between us, I’d like to get it out in the open.”
“Dom, why do you always want to talk everything out?” I sighed. “It’s been a rough week. And you knew that. Hearing Tilly crying in her room, having her crawl into my bed in the middle of the night – it hurts. You could have been here, you should have been here. Instead, you lied to me and you lied to Tilly and that’s not okay.”
“I didn’t lie. I was called to New York. But Serena … she’s … we were-” he trailed off again, and I wondered what the hell was so difficult for him to say. Was she just a friend? Was she important?
Do I care?
“I was seeing her,” he said, eventually, sitting down on my bed. “Not seriously, we were … like you and Neil. We work together, we were attracted to each other and it was just … easy. But she started wanting more from me than I was willing to give.”
“Why weren’t you willing?”
“Because she’s a self-involved, shallow bitch. Makes me sound like a dick for sleeping with her for so long, but she wasn’t so bad at first. But the more I got to know her, the less I liked her.”
It sounded nothing like what I had with Neil. We both knew where we stood, we didn’t want a relationship, but we still had respect for each other.
“I broke things off with her last week,” he went on. “But when she found out I was in New York this week, she wanted to see me. She invited me over to her flat last night, tried to get me to change my mind. The only reason I left my work there was because I was in such a rush to get away from her. I thought I’d made my feelings clear, but if she called here-”
“Hold on,” I interrupted. “When did you say you broke things off with her?”
Dominic averted his eyes.
“Oh God,” I said, wearily rubbing my eyes.
I’d never once thought that having sex with Dominic was anything more than two people venting their frustration, but the idea that he might have been thinking about someone else at the time didn’t exactly fill me with joy.
“We need some time out,” I said. “Because at the moment, when we’re together, everything just gets messier. I’ll stay at Neil’s tonight, and I’ll come back late on Saturday.”
Then all we have to do is survive a four hour car journey together on Sunday morning. Yay.
I’d have much preferred to spend the weekend at home, near Tilly. My time with her was rapidly running out, but the idea of clashing with Dominic over and over didn’t appeal at all. I still hadn’t said half of the things that had been circling in a constant loop around my head for the past week, and letting them out would only cause another fight I didn’t have the energy for.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I don’t want to argue.”
“Me neither. But if I stay, that’s what will happen.”
He nodded. “Okay. Okay.”
***
Neil took one look at my face and said, “We’re not going to have sex tonight, are we?”
I’d arrived on his doorstep, carrying my overnight bag and wearing a look of … well, I’m not sure what I looked like, but I felt like I’d been steamrollered.
“Do I have to decide now?” I asked.
“I think the decision’s made,” Neil said, pulling me into a hug. “Come on, I’ll get us a drink.”
Neil led me to his sofa, and left me there while he made two cups of tea which he placed on the coffee table in front of us.
“What’s going on, then?” he asked. “Am I losing my charm? You’ve turned me down two weeks in a row, I’m
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