Page 40 of Kingpin
Alannah
I’m still in awe of everything, even as I stand in the lobby waiting for Dominic. It’s not only the room I just changed in, with its king-sized bed, refrigerator, big-screen TV, and massive Jacuzzi and bathtub. It’s the fact that I’m here at all. I was in Alaska earlier this morning, and now I’m St. Louis, standing in River City, waiting for Dominic to meet me so we can go to dinner. I mean, how is it possible that this is happening already?
I can’t believe I’ve already seen him, and he’s doing so well. He looks better than I imagined he would, too: big, round shoulders, apparent even through the suit he was wearing, and a strong, chiseled face with sexy plump lips. He’s morphed from being an awkward kid who everyone called Ugly Dominic, and turned into a sex god who owns a casino. All of it’s unbelievable.
But as excited as I am about all of this, I’m anxious to get this dinner started so I can find out about the things I’m most curious about. Like, is he still doing the mafia type stuff he was doing when we were kids? I think I’d be dumb to assume he’s not. He was into that when we were in the fifth grade. It’s all he knows. But just how deep does the rabbit hole go? Is he a ruthless killer? Does he extort money from people by threatening to kill their mothers? I mean, just how bad is it, and how far is too far for me?
When we were kids, I knew Dominic was into some sketchy stuff and I still loved him. So, how much is too much now? Is there such a thing as too much? I guess we’re about to find out, because he’s strutting his way into the lobby like he owns the place . . . because he does.
I have to remind myself to breathe as he approaches with his hands in the pockets of the black slacks he changed into. He’s wearing a dark gray button-up with the top button undone, teasing a sneak peak of his muscular chest. Every girl in the lobby is staring, but he’s fixated on me. He smiles and chuckles as he stops in front of me.
“Are you okay?” he asks, still grinning. “You look like you just saw a ghost or two.”
“Oh, yeah, I’m fine,” I reply. I have to snap myself out of it. “I just can’t believe I’m here. With you.”
“Neither can I. You look phenomenal. What do you say we go sit down so we can catch up?” he says, still admiring the tight black dress I decided to wear.
“Perfect.”
Dominic leads me through the lobby and into an elevator. We don’t talk as we head up to nearly the top of the building. As soon as the door opens, we’re greeted by an amazing view of St. Louis. The windows to the VIP Lounge are as tall as the walls themselves, and it’s stunning. Alaska is a beautiful, outdoorsy place, but there’s nothing there that gives you a city view like this.
The lounge is mostly dark red, with beautiful gold fixtures and chandeliers. Dominic walks right past the redheaded hostess and leads me to a gold table with red and gold seats. We sit down and are immediately asked for our drink order by the same redheaded hostess we passed. Dominic orders a Sprite and Apple Crown Royal, and I decide to ease into a cranberry vodka. Once the hostess is gone, Dominic eyeballs me with a smirk teasing his lips.
Just breathe, I remind myself.
“Wow,” Dominic begins. “I didn’t think I was ever gonna see you again, Alannah. It’s pretty incredible that you’re sitting across from me right now. What made you decide to come back?”
“I told you, I got a job at Mercy Hospital,” I answer, trying to play it cool.
“I know, but you could’ve gotten a job in a hospital in Alaska. You wouldn’t have gotten a job here without applying for it. So, what made you decide to come back?”
“Umm,” I start playing with the gold silverware on the table because I’m nervous. “Honestly, I came back here because I always wanted to. I never wanted to leave, so when I got my degree, I decided to apply for a job in the place I always wanted to live. It was a longshot, but it worked out.”
He smiles like he already knows there’s more to it than that.
“That’s awesome. So, what have you been up to the past decade? I mean, I figured you would’ve been married with kids by now.”
“Me? No way.”
“Not even a long-term boyfriend after all this time?”
“I mean, I’ve dated, but nothing too serious. What about you? Girls must be flocking to you, Mr. Casino Owner.”
Dominic smiles humbly.
“I haven’t been interested, and I haven’t had the time to really care about anybody else. I’ve been busy with work.”
The mention of “work” sends a sharp tingle down my spine.
“Busy with work. You talking about the casino business, or the other kind of work?” I ask, doing my best to tread lightly but failing. I’m thinking about it too much to just let it go, so I go for it. “Like the kind ofworkyou used to do with your dad when we were kids?”
He doesn’t look pissed, but he doesn’t look happy either. He shifts in his seat a little and clears his throat like he’s uncomfortable, which isn’t something he used to do when I knew him all those years ago.
“Getting right down to it, huh?” he says. “You seem genuinely curious, but I’m not sure you actually want to know what you think you want to know.”
“Idowant to know,” I reply. “What do you have to hide?”
“I have no need to hide,” he snips, frowning a little. “You only hide when you’re afraid, and I’m not afraid of anything or anybody, so I don’t hide or lie. I just don’t know what you actually want to know.”
