Page 57 of A Bond with the Dark

Peals of laughter echo, and I find myself smiling and giggling harder than I have in a long time.

Little black dresses have nothing on us; we each have one on, Claire with a tightly clung black, floor-length dress that hugs her curves and accentuates her breasts, and Anna has a flowing black dress with lace peek-a-boos all over, from neckline to knee. My dress hangs off my shoulders and plunges down the front, is lower in the back to the floor but comes to a halt pick-up above my knees.

The mixture of our floral perfumes lingers in the elevator with us. Pressing the button for the lobby, we each take turns checking our makeup in the mirror-laden walls of the lift. Soft melodic music serenades us as we descend from the top floor, finally dinging to alert our arrival at the lobby where the restaurant we’re meeting Dominic is located.

Dominic is already at the table that the host leads us to.

Dressed in a suit and tie, he looks as stunning as ever as he stands to greet us. The white shirt is unbuttoned, revealing those tattoos and his tie hangs loosely around his neck.

“Well, hello there, sexy,” he says, sweeping me up into a hug and a luscious kiss. That earthy smell of cologne is still clinging to him; however, it has dissipated throughout the long day of meetings.

Before the other two girls can sit down, he speeds over to their chairs and pulls them out, scooting them in as they sit.

I’m last.

“Enjoying your time so far?” Dominic asks as he sits down himself.

“Oh my god, yes,” answers Claire. “Thank you for this, all of it. The penthouse suite is amazing. I’ve never seen anything like this.”

“I could get used to this life,” Anna states.

“So, you are just here for meetings?” Claire asks as the waiter comes over and hands us menus.

“Drinks for the ladies?” he asks.

Claire’s eyes light up with a captivating sparkle upon spotting the waiter, and this luminosity dances across her expression. Her face's sultry softness and flirty transformation reveal themselves, a telltale sign that she has spotted something she desires.

“I’ll take a tequila sunrise, please,” she says seductively.

“Make that two,” Anna seconds, lighter.

“I’ll just have iced tea, please,” I put in.

“I’ll get those going,” replies the waiter, gliding his smile toward Claire. “Any appetizers while you decide on supper?”

“I’ll have to look,” answers Claire, showing off her perfect teeth in a smile, her Marilyn Monroe piercing glinting in the light. “Thanks, though.”

“Sure thing,” the waiter replies and saunters off.

“So,” Dominic continues, “my company attends a trade show here twice or thrice a year to gain clients. They send some of us to come and spread our name as much as possible. They always assign me because the first time I came, I garnered a couple million-dollar clients for them.”

“A couple?” Claire inquires a look of shock in her eyes. “Wow, that’s a lot of money.”

“Yeah. My company is recognized worldwide because of the merger. So, I get to come every time. It’s a free trip for me.” His smile is smug but not arrogant. He never seems to boast about his wealth, but it’s clear he’s very wealthy.

“That’s so cool,” Anna responds. “Where else do you get to go?”

“I’ve been all over,” Dominic answers as the waiter drops off our drinks. “I’ve been to Tokyo, Cork, England, Italy, Spain. All over the states. I haven’t worked for this branch for very long, so this is my first time out here for them, but I know that’ll soon change when I work my magick here this weekend.”

Hopefully, he works his magic on me, too.

“That’s all I want from this life,” Claire says, fixing the strap of her dress. “To travel the world.”

“You haven’t lived until you’ve seen it,” Dominic answers, taking a drink of his bourbon.

“Where have you been so far?” Dominic asks Claire.

“Oh, just to Mexico—” she stirs her drink, mixing all the sunrise colors. “But I love that place so much. Other than that, just the states.”

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