Redemption (The Bet) (50 page)

Before she succumbed to sleep, Sophie silently found a new appreciation for birthday wishes and with a smile on her lips, she turned on her side and drifted away.

~*~*~*~

Samantha Harris lived approximately fifteen minutes from downtown, over the bridge, just before taking that scenic route into suburbia town, were the single-family homes of newlyweds. Rent or owned the quaint little houses, with their daily manicured lawns, and whitewashed exteriors, painted a nostalgic picture, reminding Dom of Rockwell painting he had seen once, a very long time ago. He parked his pick-up next to Samantha's Lexus in the driveway and grabbed the Chinese food in the passenger seat, before exiting. On his way to the door, he had to alternate the bag from one hand to the other, to rub his clammy hands against his Levi's, his nerves getting the better to him.

Unfortunately, he'd had to cancel on her last evening. Brandon had fallen ill and as per usual, Evey had been nowhere to be found. Therefore, it had fallen on Dom to care for the ailing child. After a teaspoon of children's Tylenol and a bedtime story, Brandon had fallen asleep, allowing Dom the chance to phone Samantha and deliver the news.

She had sounded disappointed and somewhere deep down Dom had wishfully hoped that it was because of their canceled date. Again, she'd wanted to call everything off and it had taken him close to forty five minutes to convince her that a second date would undoubtedly be worth her troubles. Dom had hung up the phone, once he'd wheedled a 'yes' from her, afraid that she would change her mind, he'd gone even further and turned off his phone for the rest of that evening.

It was foolish, he realized, mooning over a woman he barely knew, had only slept with once and had close to nothing in common with except their love of greasy, MSG ridden fast food and a bottle of cold Heineken to wash it down. They were so different, she was the personal assistant to a man who ran a billion dollar corporation, and he was a down on his luck associate of a company that barely acknowledged his presence. She was vibrant, intelligent, beguilingly beautiful and had legs that went on for days. Around her, Dom found himself at ease, freely flirting and content to bask in her laughter when he made a stupid joke and that in itself was a marvel, she 
actually
 got his jokes, found him amusing!

Despite what he'd told her yesterday, he wasn't just interested in sex-he wasn't the sort of guy to casually screw and leave. If he had been he would've cheated on Evey ages ago. Sam was different...special. Odd as it was, since he barely knew her, but there was a strong attraction there, something that impelled him to pursue her.

It was refreshing being with Sam; sort of like seeing the bright cerulean blue skies after a storm. Finding, hope where there was once none, understanding that life could be much more than what it is now. Dom wanted better...he deserved better. He had suffered far too much in his nine-year marriage to Evey; he would no longer genuflect at her manicured feet and salivate for crumbs of her affection. The divorce papers he had his lawyers draw up sat on her vanity table, if she had any decency left Dom hoped that she would quietly grant him a divorce and leave, before things spiraled further out of control.

As he waited for Sam to answer the door, Dom silently hoped that he received custody of Brandon when all was said and done; Evey was far too self-absorbed to properly care for him, once Dom was gone. Brandon would undoubtedly be the one to suffer and that was the last thing Dom wanted for his son. Before he could further ponder the issue, the door flew open and Sam stood before him, in nothing but a pair of shorts that displayed her gloriously long legs, and a black NYU long-sleeved shirt. Her sun kissed mane, swept up in a messy chignon, with her bangs held back by a hello kitty clip. Gone, was the astute PA of Grayson Corp with her dreary, shapeless business ensembles and in her stead stood a golden nymph with
curves smooth enough to tempt any man.

She smiled and Dom almost forgot to breathe.

"Hi, Dom, I didn't know whether we were going for casual or not…" she gave him the once over, "I hope you don't mind?" it took Dom a few seconds to recuperate from the unexpected brain freeze and another half a second more to remember how to speak.

"Y
eah, it's fine." He stepped inside and closed the door behind him; keeping Sam and her shapely ass in full view.

"Did you have a hard time finding the place?"

Her home was small, decorated in pastels, with the occasional painting hanging on the walls to draw the eyes; it was simple and sweetly warm, just like the woman who inhabited it. Seated in her living room, waiting for her to come back with the plates, Dom glanced around and absentmindedly answered her, "No, it was pretty easy." He stood and headed to the mantle, grabbed a frame and grinned at the image there. The little girl staring back at him through the picture couldn't have been more than six, with her pale blond hair and laughing eyes, she sat on a man's shoulders, who Dom suspected to be her father; he wore his daughter's joyful smile.

"So," Dom almost dropped the frame, he whipped around and abashedly stared at her.

"Cute picture."

Sam smiled and grabbed the frame from his nerveless hands; she stared down fondly, before turning to look at him. "We were on our way to my very first Carnival, my mom took this picture." She put the picture back on the mantle and headed to the large brown paper bag eliciting mouthwatering aromas. "Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to join me?"

Her words prompted Dom to move and soon, laughter rang. Chopsticks and an assortment of Chinese food littered the floor while they animatedly conversed, recounting tales from their childhood and learning odd little things about the other. Like Sam's compulsive need to arrange her daily wear with her undergarments and her closeted love for Disco music. Dom had a few chortles at her expense after hearing that.

"And how about you, 'Mr. never been maced.' What are your quirks?"

Dom grabbed some noodles with his chopsticks, shoved them in his mouth before speaking. "I don't have any, sorry to disappoint you, Sammy, but I'm perfect." He guzzled down his beer and involuntarily burped.

Samantha laughed. "Perfect my ass, you're no better than a pig! So did you play any sports?"

"Lacrosse."

"Were you any good?"

"Made varsity my freshman year, became captain my junior year and took our team to states two years in a row. Yeah, I think I was good."

"Wow, perfect
 and modest, how did I get so lucky?"

"I don't know, but I'd advise you not to let me go, it doesn't get any better than this."

They shared a look, before bursting into laughter; a little drunk and definitely full, they basked in the moment.

"Is that how you know, Nicholas? Did he also play lacrosse?" somehow imagining Nicholas in lacrosse gear caused her to wrinkle her nose. Nicholas, was meant for business suits and designer clothes, anything else was just foul and inappropriate.

"Hell no! Richie Rich, preferred playing his games in bed and from what I heard, he was pretty good. I think he even fucked my wife…ex-wife." He didn't sound bitter, just oddly amused.

"So what's the deal?" food abandoned, they lounged on the plush carpet, twilight gleamed brilliantly outside her French doors.

Dom didn't feign ignorance, understanding that it was either now or never, he wanted to get his and Evey relationship out in the open.

"I really loved her." he began, "Back at J.E
.H I knew from the first time I saw her that I wanted to marry her, unfortunately she was more into mindless sex than love."

In a span of a few hours, Samantha had Dom's life story out in the open, including his whirlwind of a marriage and the utter shit his self-serving twat of a wife had put him through. She didn't doubt for a second whether he spoke the truth, because no man could possibly fake the angst that had come and gone on Dom's face, and Samantha felt for him.

Dom, from what she now knew of him, seemed like a good person, goofy and sweet; he didn't deserve an adulterous wife.

"So, you're getting a divorce?"

"It's always been inevitable."

"Are you going to miss her?"

Dom shrugged, "It's hard to miss something you never had."

"Well, if it helps any, you have me now," her heart thumped against her chest, unflinchingly meeting Dom's dark blue gaze. She didn't know why she'd said it, maybe the alcohol loosened her tongue a little, but she didn't feel the need to take it back.

"It actually helps a lot." His voice dropped an octave, his eyes smoldering.

Samantha reached over and took hold of his hand, before standing. "I can help in other ways." She pulled him towards her bedroom and coyly smiled, when Dom closed and locked the door.

Ellie picked up
the cell phone and glanced down. The name N. Grayson flashed across the screen, as it had on various occasions in the last two months. And just like she'd done in that timeframe she waited for it to ring for the 'beep' indicating she had a voicemail to sound, before putting it out of sight. She would check the message later, but she knew it would be the same. Nicholas had become predictable in that way and the thought brought a smile to Ellie's lips.

It’d been two months
since she'd last seen or spoken to him. Ellie did not regret her choice because she had needed the space and the time to gain a new perspective and sort out the jumble her life had become, without Nicholas's searing eyes tracking her every move.

There had been things that needed to be resolved before she could take the next step and move on with her life. For one, she'd needed to give Devlin his closure.
It hadn’t been easy, but she’d accomplished it.

Aside from Miranda accosting her, a week after, with a few choice words, Ellie closed the door on that part of her life, ready to attack the next challenge. Subsequently avoiding Nicholas had not been without some effort, what with the children constantly pleading with her to drive them to their father's home every weekend and Nicholas's inescapable presence in Ellie's own home when business permitted him time. It became virtually impossible to avoid him, but Ellie had managed.

Taking what he said was a much-needed sabbatical from work, Nicholas had taken Dylan fishing a week ago and Bella and Sophie had spent time with their father the following weekend on a two day camping trip. They'd returned Sunday evening with stories to regale their mother and brother. Every ensuing weekend after was filled with activities the children wanted to do with, but never had the opportunity until now. On many of those outings, Ellie was implored to come along, come and have fun with them, but each time, she'd refused, producing some excuse. Nicholas would always give her a look, something akin to longing, as though he suffered a horrible plight, every minute Ellie kept her distance. As much as Ellie tried to ignore it, that look always left her distressed.

Nevertheless, true to his word, Nicholas gave Ellie all the space and time she needed. He called, yes, but he never approached her, never pushed. He was a constant presence in the lives of their children, but always kept a distance when it came to Ellie. He was
kind, courteous, loving and fun. His easy smiles were as glorious as the man himself. His laughter, tender and joyful, making him that much more irresistible, making it that much more difficult for Ellie to ignore him.

One night, lying in bed, with nothing on her mind but Nicholas, Ellie had silently wondere
d why he even bothered to call when she never answered. Seconds later, at exactly midnight, her phone had rung, four rings later and voicemail picked up. Anxious to listen to her message, Ellie had put the phone to her ear and waited.

"Hey Elle, this is the thirtieth message I've left so far," curled in on herself Ellie had pressed the phone to her ear, needing to hear every word. "You must be tired of hearing my voice." his throat
y chuckle forced Ellie to smile. "But I don't think I'll never tire of hearing yours. Even if it is ordering me to leave my name, number and a brief message, I can't seem to get enough. I've developed a fetish for your voice Elle… among other things, right?" his quiet laughter had been warm, sweet, as though he had been making fun of himself. Ellie had never found him more endearing. "I don't even know if you listen to these, but if you do, I need you to know that I miss you. I miss you and I love you." There was always a soft sigh, before he hung up. Ellie had fallen in love with Nicholas's little sighs.

Ellie had fallen in love with Nicholas sighs, Nicholas's tender little messages, Nicholas's understanding and patience and his innate ability to comfort her without even trying. Ellie had fallen in love with Nicholas the man, so different from the boy he had once been, but so achingly similar. The differences emboldened him, while the similarities made him vulnerable, made him human. It was hard not to love a man, who, despite his many failings, was the epitome of tenderness when it came to their children. He put all else aside to please every one of them, unbiased, patient and fair, he loved them equally.

Ellie had her answer. Had it the very moment Nicholas waltzed back in her life all those months ago, audaciously staking claim on what he knew he had no right to claim, but did so anyways, because he and Ellie knew the truth, understood that there would be no one else, but each other. They had fought, lost and gone away to lick their wounds. Now, it was time to go home, and home, to Ellie was anywhere Nicholas Grayson was. Whatever happened now, she and Nicholas would see it to the end together.