Home for the Holidays
Chapter 7

Dominick

Clue, Apples to Apples, and now Yahtzee. Three hours of games and I have yet to win any of them. Groaning as I cross off my last box, I listen to Ally’s niece, Emma, laugh with zealous joy. Little poop has every right to laugh. She has every box filled, two Yahtzees, and is kicking everyone’s butts for the third time. Her father, Jonathan, winks at me as he takes the shaker and attempts his own Yahtzee.

Outside of the cranberry episode and avoiding Aunt Sophie, I’ve had a good time. I could hang out with Ally’s family any time and be comfortable doing it, except for the overeating. My eyes drift over to the plate of appetizers I’m sharing with Ally. Full of meat, cheese, crackers, fruit, and vegetables, thanks to Ally’s mother, we have barely made a dent in it. We each take a turn eating something every five minutes, but the thing is still full.

I would rather have had more pie.

I pick up a strawberry and pop it in my mouth. Ally leans into me and groans, “I can’t believe we’re losing this bad to a ten-year-old.”

“I can. But it would be worse to lose to your brother.”

“Just you wait. I’ll get you next game,” Jonathan retorts before crossing off the Yahtzee box on his paper.

Hearing a burst of giggling behind us, I look over my shoulder to find Ally’s other niece holding a fishing pole. I look up to find a sprig of mistletoe being held over Ally’s head. “Oh, boy.”

Ally turns around to glare at her niece, “That’s cheating, Amy.”

More giggling ensues as Amy waves the mistletoe over both of our heads. Across from us, Ed says, “You know the rules, Ally.”

“I didn’t walk under it. Amy is holding it over my head.”

His eyes twinkle with laughter, “Rules are rules.”

Ally grabs me before I can move away, “You’re closest.”

I can’t help teasing her with a raised eyebrow, “Am I really or don’t you want to kiss your brother?”

She smiles wryly at me before pulling me down for a kiss. And oh, what a kiss. I can feel myself reacting to the sweet softness of her lips pressing against mine. The hand that flattens against my chest has me wishing we were alone together.

“Hey, you two, get a room!”

As she pulls away, Ally’s warm smile causes my blood to heat more. Thank God I’m sitting down, otherwise I’d be even more embarrassed wearing these pants. How the hell are we supposed to stay just friends when Ally kisses me like that? Before Amy can pull it away, I grab the mistletoe and give the pole a yank.

Jonathan laughs as I set the pole on the floor and step on it and asks, “What? Afraid you’ll have to kiss her again?”

“More worried about having to kiss you.”

He arches an eyebrow at me, “Good choice.”

“Who thought that was a good rule?” I ask as the game ends, and I finish tallying my score.

“Sophie, who else?”

“Someone say my name?” she asks while approaching the table.

“Dominick was asking who came up with the mistletoe kissing rule,” Jonathan fills in.

Pity I can’t kick him in the shins under the table, not with Ally in the way. Sophie turns towards me and says, “Isn’t it great fun?”

Across from me, Jonathan is trying hard, but failing, to keep the laughter off his face. I glare at him as I answer Sophie, “Lots.”

I feel the fishing pole being pulled on and look down to find Amy by my feet.

“What’s this?”

Before I can stop her, Sophie yanks the mistletoe fishing pole from under my foot. Amy leaves my feet to stand in front of her great aunt, hand out. Sophie holds the mistletoe over Amy’s head instead, then chases her giggling great-niece out of the room while calling out, “It’s just a little kiss!”

I shake my head at them as Ally leans into me again and says, “Be happy she didn’t hold it over you.”

No kidding.

Janet enters the room and announces in a joyous tone, “Dinner time!”

“Yeah!”

Emma abandons the game and runs for the dining room.

“Oh, Dominick, I just took your pants out of the dryer if you would like to change before we eat.” Her eyes twinkle with merriment as she adds, “Unless you would rather wait until after dinner in case something lands in your lap again?”

Does everyone have to rub it in? I smile and murmur, “After will be fine.”

She smiles back at me and walks away. My stomach gurgles and I hold a hand to it while mumbling, “Dinner?”

Ed pats my shoulder as he ambles past and heads for the dining room. I reluctantly rise, place an arm around Ally’s waist as we follow, and whisper, “Has anyone ever thrown up during dinner?”

“Not so far, and I wouldn’t recommend starting that tradition. Not if you would like to be invited back next year.”

“It may not matter if I don’t survive this year.”

She laughs at me as she directs me toward the dining room. I notice we all look like a group of prisoners heading for the firing squad.

Entering the room, I find the table nowhere near as full of food as the original meal. Sliced ham and turkey, cheeses, buns, and various salads. As well as the hors d’oeuvres from earlier, fruit, vegetables and crackers. This is a light meal compared to lunch. Thank God.

I may actually survive this. Maybe.

Alison

Poor Dom. My mother kept adding to his plate during dinner. She did it to all the men, but still. Dom seems to be the one in the worst shape. I lead him to the closet, holding our coats. Taking them out, I turn to hand him his, only for him to hold out my cooler bag.

“I don’t dare bend over to set it down.”

Trying really hard not to laugh, I accept the bag as he takes his coat. A groan escapes him as he works to get his arms into the sleeves. He leaves it unzipped and takes back my bag. I slip my own coat on, zip it up, then wrap my scarf around my neck. Picking up my purse, my gaze drifts over Dom and his unzipped coat, “Aren’t you going to zip up?”

“No.”

I pull out my finger gloves and slip them on, “It’s gotten pretty cold. You going to be okay?”

He arches an eyebrow at me, “I don’t think I can zip my coat even if I wanted to.”

“The bending or too much pressure on the stomach?”

“Possibly both. I’d rather not find out. The results might be disgusting.”

This time I do laugh.

“Dominick, thank you again for coming. I hope you enjoyed yourself.”

We turn to face my mother. I glance at the smile pasted on his face as he replies, “I did. Thank you for letting me come. The food was fantastic.”

“Are you sure you wouldn’t like some leftovers to bring with?”

I interrupt, “Mom, you gave me plenty. I’ll be sharing with Dom, don’t worry.”

“Well, I’m glad you came.” She gestures towards me, “And hopefully we’ll be seeing more of you two together in the future.”

I thought I was past the age where my mother could embarrass me. Nice to know it doesn’t end with your teenage years. Feeling the heat staining my cheeks, I glare at my mother, “Thanks Mom.”

My dad places a hand on my mother’s shoulder as he approaches. He always did know when he needed to interrupt. He smiles at me, “See you soon, Ally.”

Stepping forward, I hug my mother and kiss my father on the cheek. I glance at Dom again and ask, “Mom, do you have a scarf Dom can borrow?”

“Sure,” she moves past us into the closet and rummages around. She brings out a navy blue knit on that is big enough to use as a shawl and holds it out, “Did his zipper break?”

Trying to cover for him, I take the scarf and say, “Yes, and as it is a bit colder than expected, I don’t want him to get sick.”

“Yes, that will help keep him warm,” my mother replies. Behind her, my dad winks at me. Of course, he knows there is nothing wrong with Dom’s jacket except an extremely full stomach.

I hand Dom the scarf. He dutifully wraps it around his neck without comment. Taking his elbow, I lead Dom out the door while waving at my parents. Once the door closes behind us, Dom groans, “Please tell me you carry some antacids in your purse.”

“Yes, I come prepared every year.”

I fish some out for him as we walk toward the bus stop. He pops them in his mouth, and we walk silently the rest of the way. Our timing is perfect for once as the bus pulls up shortly after our arrival. Climbing onboard, I take the first available seat, then look up at Dom as he places my cooler bag next to me.

“Aren’t you going to sit down?”

He shakes his head, his hand gripping the bar next to him as the bus takes off.

Deciding to tease him, I ask, “How did you get your pants back on?”

“Very carefully.”

I smile up at him, “At least you succeeded.”

“Only by not buttoning them.”

“What?”

He places a hand over the sweater covering his waistline, “The belt is the only thing holding them up. I was tempted to say to hell with embarrassment and keep the yoga pants on.”

I crack up laughing then say, “I’m sorry you’re so miserable.”

“How does your dad survive eating like this every day?”

“Mom isn’t as demanding during regular meals.”

I watch his throat work, like he is trying to suppress something. I really hope he doesn’t get sick. I decide to keep talking, “My grandmother was worse if you can believe it. Every Sunday, we would go to her house, and she would make these huge meals.”

“How are you not six hundred pounds?”

I laugh at him, “My grandmother was a bit sexist. The women were expected to eat carefully so we would keep our figures, but men are supposed to look like Santa Claus, apparently. She liked a big belly on men.”

“She must have loved your father.”

I crack up laughing then add, “He was slim when my mother met him. I’ve seen the pictures. Between my grandmother and mother, they’ve fattened him up over the years.”

“Poor guy.” His eyes drift over me, “Your mother is a good cook. I can see how it happened.”

I reach forward and take his free hand, “Thank you for coming with me today.”

“Saved you from the fart jokes.”

I crack up laughing again, “Yes, you did. Sorry I couldn’t save you from the cranberries.”

He squeezes my hand then reaches over to move the cooler bag over. He settles into the seat next to me with a groan and takes my hand again, “Despite the cranberry episode and your crazy Aunt Sophie, I had a good time.”

“What’s your family like?”

“Not nearly as fun as yours.”

I sit up and face him, “Come on.”

“No, no worries about cranberries, fart jokes, or kissing your brother at my family’s home.”

Our game of twenty questions this morning didn’t really cover family. I smile as I ask, “No crazy relatives?”

He laughs and shakes his head, “No, my family is scarily normal. Just my parents, sister, brother-in-law, and my two nieces.”

“Maybe we should invite Sophie along for tomorrow to liven things up?”

He laughs again and puts a hand against his belly, “Stop it, it hurts to laugh.”

“Do I need to wear something with an elastic waistband?”

“Do you mean, will my mother make you eat until you want to die? No.”

Laughing, I sit back and lean into Dominick, laying my head on his shoulder. I inhale the scent of his cologne and close my eyes as I consider how much I really like this man. Way more than I probably should, considering I’ve only known him a couple of days, but that’s okay. As his arm comes around my waist and I feel his head settling against mine, I contemplate what a life with Dom could be like.

Dominick

As we walk silently down the block to our apartment building, I contemplate the woman beside me. The silence is comfortable, like I’ve known her for years and there isn’t a need to fill the void. Just being beside her is enough. Something I never felt with Jamie. That thought startles me. How could I be with someone for almost three years and never feel this comfortable?

Reaching our building, I hold the door open for Ally and follow her in. The walk from the bus stop has helped some, but I’m still so full I want to die. The steps do not help that situation. I make it to our floor with a groan. Ally smiles back at me, then leads the way down the hall and stops in front of her door.

I lean into the wall as she pulls out her keys and opens the door. When she turns to face me, I notice her nervous habit of pushing her hair behind her ear. She takes the cooler bag while saying, “In all seriousness, Dom, thank you for coming with me today.”

Her eyes appear more green than brown in the light, and I smile at her as my gaze drifts down to her lips. I really liked kissing her earlier. Would love to kiss her again, just not at this moment when the thought of bending over is painful. Meeting her gaze, I decide to go for it, “I really want to kiss you again, but don’t think I dare to bend over to do it.”

Her eyes crinkle with humor as she lifts on her tiptoes to reach me and presses her lips against mine. A simple kiss, one not meant to inspire the thoughts currently going through my head, but I went there anyway. If only the movement wouldn’t kill me.

Ally pulls away and gives me a shy smile, “See you in the morning. What time?”

Forcing my brain away from its errant thoughts, I reply, “Ten.”

“Oh, before I forget.”

I watch her open the cooler bag and she pulls out a container. As she hands it to me, I ask, “What’s this?”

“Pie.”

“Oh, hot damn.”

She laughs, then turns away to enter her apartment. I receive another shy smile before the door closes. Forcing myself to move, I reach my door, open it, and find Oscar waiting. He meows at me and lifts his paw. Taking my jacket off, I say, “Yeah, I know. You want your dinner,” before heading for the kitchen. My lonely plan for the evening is set. Put the pie away, feed Oscar, maybe take a shower, and head for bed.

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