The Brunch
Sunday morning, I woke up to the smell of bacon and the sound of Dominic singing in my kitchen.
Singing.
Dominic Russo, corporate shark lawyer, was in my kitchen at 8am on a Sunday, shirtless, cooking breakfast and singing along to some old R&B song playing from his phone.
I stood in the doorway watching him, wearing nothing but his dress shirt from last night, and felt my heart do something painful in my chest.
This. This is what I wanted. This domestic, easy morning-after bullshit. Waking up together. Making breakfast. Being normal.
But we weren't normal. We were a lie wrapped in truth wrapped in more lies.
"You're staring," he said without turning around.
"You're singing."
"I'm happy." He plated the bacon and turned to face me, his eyes going dark when he saw what I was wearing. "Fuck, you look good in my shirt."
"It's comfortable."
"It's mine. Which makes it even hotter." He crossed to me, backing me against the doorframe. "Morning, baby."
"Morning."
He kissed me slow and deep, his hands sliding under the shirt to find bare skin. When he pulled back, we were both breathing hard.
"We have brunch in two hours," I reminded him.
"I know." His hand slid between my legs, finding me already wet. "Plenty of time."
"Dominic..."
"Kitchen counter or bedroom? Your choice."
"We literally just had sex four hours ago."
"And? I'm not done with you yet." He lifted me onto the counter, spreading my legs. "Not even close to done."
He ate me out right there in my kitchen, my hands in his hair, my head thrown back against the cabinet. Made me come twice before he even got his cock out.
"Please," I begged. "Need you inside me."
"Yeah?" He unbuttoned his jeans, pulled out his cock. "Need this?"
"Yes, fuck, yes."
He slammed into me and I cried out. So full. So perfect. So right.
"This is what I need," he groaned, fucking me hard. "You. This pussy. Every fucking morning for the rest of my life."
"Don't say things like that."
"Why not? It's true." He thrust deeper. "I'm in love with you, Scarlett. Completely fucking gone for you. And I don't care who knows it."
"But they can't know. Not the truth. Not how long..."
"I know." He kissed me hard. "But someday, baby. Someday we won't have to hide."
I wanted to believe him. Wanted to think there was a future where this wasn't built on lies.
When we came, it was together, both of us gasping each other's names, both of us holding on like we were drowning.
After, in the shower, washing each other, he said quietly, "We need to get our story straight for brunch."
"What do you mean?"
"Mara's going to ask questions. Details. We need to make sure we're saying the same things."
Right. Back to the performance.
"What did we talk about at dinner?" I asked.
"You. Your work. Your dreams. I asked about your favorite things. What makes you happy. What scares you." He tilted my face up to look at him. "All things I actually want to know even though I already know most of them."
"And what did you tell me?"
"About my mom. How she died when I was sixteen. How James and I raised each other after that." His jaw clenched. "Things I haven't told anyone in years. Things I wanted to tell you for real."
My chest tightened. "Dominic..."
"I know it's fucked up. Using real emotions to sell a fake timeline. But it's the only way to make it believable." He kissed my forehead. "Just follow my lead, okay? If I say something, go with it."
"Okay."
We got dressed. I chose a sundress that was cute but not too sexy. Dominic wore jeans and a t-shirt, looking casual and perfect.
Like a real couple going to brunch with friends.
"Ready?" he asked.
"No. But let's go anyway."
The restaurant Mara picked was trendy and packed. She was already there when we arrived, waving frantically from a corner booth.
"You're here! Together!" She practically squealed as we approached. "Did you spend the night together? Oh my god, you totally did!"
My face burned. "Mara..."
"Don't be embarrassed! It's romantic!" She looked at Dominic. "You stayed over? On the first date?"
"Actually, I cooked her breakfast this morning," he said smoothly, sliding into the booth next to me. His hand immediately found my thigh under the table. "Couldn't help myself. Didn't want the night to end."
Mara clutched her chest dramatically. "That is the CUTEST thing I've ever heard! James, why don't you cook me breakfast?"
"I cook you breakfast all the time," James protested, sitting down across from us.
"Frozen waffles don't count."
Dominic's hand was creeping higher up my thigh. I shot him a warning look but he just smirked.
"So tell us EVERYTHING," Mara demanded. "Where did he take you? What did you talk about? Did he kiss you goodnight?"
"He took me to Altezza. The rooftop place downtown." All true. "It was beautiful."
"And what did you talk about?" Mara leaned forward eagerly.
Dominic's fingers found the edge of my panties. Started tracing the lace.
"We talked about her work," he said. "About art and passion and what drives us. About family. Loss. What shaped us." His fingers slipped under the lace. "About what we want out of life."
I tried to keep my face neutral as he slid one finger inside me.
"And?" Mara prompted. "What do you want?"
"Something real," Dominic said, adding another finger. His eyes never left mine. "Someone who gets me. Who I can be myself with. Who makes me want to be better."
He was finger fucking me at brunch. In a crowded restaurant. While my best friend sat three feet away asking about our fake first date.
I was going to kill him.
Or come. Maybe both.
"And the kiss?" Mara asked. "How was the goodnight kiss?"
"There wasn't one," I managed to say.
"WHAT?" Mara looked betrayed. "Why not?"
"Because I didn't want to rush things," Dominic said, his fingers curling inside me. "When I kiss Scarlett for the first time, I want it to be perfect. Not some quick peck on the doorstep."
"That's so romantic!" Mara gushed.
James was looking at Dominic suspiciously. "You okay, man? You look... tense."
"Fine," Dominic said. "Just hungry."
The waiter arrived to take our orders. Dominic ordered for both of us, his fingers still working inside me, his thumb finding my clit under the table.
I was going to come. Right here. In this booth. In front of everyone.
"Excuse me," I said abruptly, standing up. "Bathroom."
I practically ran to the ladies room, my legs shaking. Inside a stall, I leaned against the wall and tried to catch my breath.
My phone buzzed.
Dominic: Running away?
Me: You're INSANE. What the fuck was that?
Dominic: Couldn't help myself. You look too good. Smell too good. Kept thinking about this morning in your kitchen.
Me: We're in PUBLIC. With MARA.
Dominic: I know. Makes it hotter.
Me: You're going to get us caught.
Dominic: So? Let them catch us. I'm tired of hiding.
My heart stopped.
Me: You don't mean that.
Dominic: Don't I? Maybe I want them to know. Maybe I'm sick of pretending we just met when I've been in love with you for months.
Me: Dominic, stop.
Dominic: Come back to the table. Let me finish what I started.
Me: Absolutely not.
Dominic: Then I'm coming to find you.
The bathroom door opened. I heard footsteps. Then a knock on my stall.
"Scarlett? You okay?" Mara's voice.
Fuck.
"Fine! Just needed a minute."
"You sure? You looked weird when you left."
I opened the stall door. Mara was standing there looking concerned.
"I'm fine. Really. Just... overwhelmed."
"Good overwhelmed or bad overwhelmed?"
"Good. I think. He's just so..." I searched for words. "Intense."
Mara grinned. "I knew you'd like him! I could see it at the wedding. The way you two looked at each other." She grabbed my hands. "Scarlett, I think this could be it for you. Like, the real thing."
The guilt was suffocating.
"Don't get ahead of yourself. It's only been one date."
"I know, but I have a good feeling. A really good feeling." She hugged me tight. "I'm so happy for you, Scar. You deserve this."
I wanted to scream. Wanted to tell her everything. Wanted to confess that her "good feeling" was based on months of sneaking around and lies.
But I didn't. I just hugged her back and let her believe the fairy tale.
When we got back to the table, Dominic's eyes were dark with something I couldn't quite read. Hunger. Frustration. Maybe anger.
"Everything okay?" James asked.
"Perfect," I said, sliding back into the booth.
Dominic's hand immediately found my thigh again but this time he didn't try anything. Just held it. Possessive. Claiming.
Brunch continued. We ordered food. Made small talk. Laughed at James's terrible jokes. And the whole time, I felt Dominic's tension radiating next to me.
Something had shifted. Something was wrong.
"So when's date number two?" Mara asked as we finished eating.
"Tonight," Dominic said without hesitation. "If she'll have me."
"Tonight?" I looked at him. "Don't you think that's too soon?"
"No." His eyes locked on mine. "I don't want to wait. I've waited long enough."
The double meaning wasn't lost on me.
"That's so romantic!" Mara clapped her hands. "What are you guys