Chapter Twenty-Two

"You gonna stick by me?"

"Maybe..."

**

It�s funny, isn�t it, that you can know someone for years, think you know every single thing about them, and they can still do things that just surprise the hell out of you. That�s how Dom is�

When I was younger, I never would have thought of Dom as a romantic guy. He�s got this tough, macho image and all the girls love him� But it�s not like he tries to get attention from girls, and it�s not even like he ever paid special attention to any one girl. What I realized when I turned sixteen was, when you have Dom�s attention, when he decides that he loves you�it�s like you�re the only thing he sees. He doesn�t usually show his feelings to the world, but he definitely lets you know how special you are to him.

I walked out of the bathroom that night in the club feeling more uncomfortable than I ever have in my entire life. I didn�t fit in at that place, not at all. There weren�t all that many people there, but I still felt like everyone was staring at me. I didn�t like that. And I definitely didn�t like it when some random guy grabbed my ass when I walked past him. �Dom�d better have a damn good reason for bringing me here,� I remember thinking to myself as I looked around the club, trying to find him.

I finally spotted him over in a corner by the DJ booth, still talking to Frankie. Neither one of them seemed to notice me when I walked up, but Dom reached out and grabbed my hand.

�Are we ready to go yet?� I asked Dom when Frankie finally walked away.

�What�you�re not having a good time?� Dom asked, smiling at me.

�Uhm�not exactly,� I muttered.

�Oh,� he said, sounding a little disappointed. �Well�maybe I can fix that,� he continued, pulling me towards the dance floor.

Just then, the music in the club changed. I cocked my head at Dom as Nat King Cole�s �The Very Thought of You� started playing. �What�s going on, Dom?� I asked as he pulled me close, wrapped his arms around my waist and started swaying back and forth to the music.

�Well,� he answered slowly, �the other day I heard you and Mia talking in the office at the garage. And you said you wanted to know what it would be like to dance with me�but you couldn�t imagine me going to prom or anywhere else where we might get a chance to dance��

�So you planned this?�

�Not exactly,� Dom laughed. �I was thinking that I�d clean up a corner at the garage�maybe for Valentine�s Day or something. Lay out a nice dinner�candlelight, flowers, all of that� And I�d dance with you all night then, if you wanted��

�Mmm,� I murmured, �sounds nice� So�what happened to change your mind?�

�You happened,� he replied, smiling at me. �You walked into the garage tonight, and I couldn�t wait till Valentine�s Day to dance with you. Frankie owes me a few favors, so I figured I�d cash one in tonight.�

�You�re just�wow,� was all I could say as I leaned against Dom, my head on his shoulder. �When the hell did you get so romantic?�