Page 29 of Endgame

‘As my boss or as my friend?’

Dominic looks so hurt, I feel terrible.

‘Really? Of course as your friend, Aari.’

‘I don’t know. Can’t we just let things unfold naturally, the way they have done up to this point?’

‘Here’s a question. If we had twenty-four hours together and no commitments, how would you spend it?’

I understand his frustration. I like Dominic, I really do. He has been nothing but kind, supportive and sweet to me, but the energy that continues to develop between us seems to be forcing me into my shell rather than coaxing me out of it. Christopher’s warning hasn’t helped. The harder he tries, the more Iwantto open up to him, but I just seem incapable of doing so. I goagainst my natural feelings and force myself to share something meaningful.

‘I might walk around whatever city we’re in to discover something new, and perhaps figure out how to cook something local that we’ve never tried before?’

‘That’s it?’

‘That’s it.’

‘Maybe we can do that one day when we get back? We could skip to Borneo for the day.’ Dominic raises an eyebrow.

‘Can we just clarify?—’

‘It’s not a date. I know. We’re just hanging out as friends, right?’ Dominic smirks.

‘Dom—’

‘I hear you loud and clear. I have my own baggage to deal with too, but I need to check. You’re not holding me at a distance because of what Maximilian said, are you? Because?—’

‘No, of course not. I know who you are, Dom.’ I instinctively reach out and cover his hands with mine. ‘I’m not sure you’re over Mackenzie yet – I saw the way you looked at her. And I’m still in love with Caleb.’

‘But you’re attracted to me.’ It’s not a question and there is no point denying it.

‘I am, which I know makes things awkward, but I really want to work things out with him. I’m still hurt and angry with him, but I want to try.’

‘I think you’re making a mistake. He’s with Honey, Aari, and he’s kinda cheating on her with you.’

‘They are genuinely just friends.’

‘I’ll back off. But I’ll be here if you need me,’ Dominic acquiesces.

‘Thank you for understanding.’

‘Oh, no, I don’t understand at all, but if working things out with Caleb is what you feel you have to do then I won’t interfere.My parents adore you, so they’ll definitely give me a hard time, and MrsThompson will be positively heartbroken. She may have started knitting little booties for our babies with the number seven on them.’ He laughs that laugh that makes me want to join in.

‘I was going to ask – what did you mean when you said Mackenzie had lost the privilege to call you Six?’

‘It’s a weird tradition. As a “Dominic Miller” in my family, from the moment you’re born you’re representing all the Dominics that came before you, all the time. The only time you get to be an individual is when you’re married, and only with your partner. They get the sole privilege to individualise you and call you by your actual name, which just happens to be a number.’

‘So calling you by your number…’

‘Was a massive overstep by Mackenzie, because it’s the same as saying we still belong to each other. Which we certainly do not.’

‘How does your family decide who gets called Dominic?’

‘It’s usually the first male child from the previous Dominic that doesn’t cry when they’re born.’

‘That’s a lot of pressure to carry, Dom. For you and the woman who merely gets the privilege to call you Six.’

‘I like the way you say Six,’ Dominic says, smiling, then continues, ‘It is a lot, especially from a bunch of dead Dominics, but there are perks.’ He laughs softly. ‘Like having the ability to make your friends happy no matter how difficult they make it.’

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