Ascending Paradise (Book 1)***Published now on Amazon!!***

19

“Go on Dominic… do you think she is beautiful or not?” Barnie asked looking at him over his glasses as he threaded his needle.

“Barnie leave him alone, leave us both alone. We don’t like each other like that and we barely get along when we aren’t trying to get along.” I shouted trying to stop this. I felt Dominic tense even more behind me after I huffed and walked away from him.

I walked over to see all the outfits and just nodded.

“How much?” I asked taking my mom’s credit card out and just holding it in my hand.

“175.” Barnie mumbled as he got to work again.

My outburst had created a silence and demanding air around Barnie’s place.

I gave my mom’s credit card to Helena as she pouted walking past me and back to the front to ring up the order. “Come with me.” She called and I thought about it before going along with her. I didn’t glance at Dom and I somewhat didn’t know if I cared if he followed or stayed behind.

“You know we are right to want you to have your first boyfriend.” Helena said clicking numbers and then sliding my mom’s card.

“I guess but you know that I get uncomfortable… I have trust issues and I just can’t trust a guy like it’s nothing.” I said struggling to even make that come out. After what my dad did to my mom I had trust issues with everyone, and the only one I trusted to stay was Piper, and we see how that turned out in the long run… she too left for another person.

“Not everyone is the same you know, and it seems that if he is willing to be your dance partner he is attracted to you.” She said and I just felt lost.

“What do you mean?” I asked and she just scoffed and shook her head. “Seriously Helena, what did you mean?” I asked and she looked up.

“Do you still practice with your shirt off and in only a sports bra? How about touching someone and putting them in the right position? Have you bossed him around and made him do all the steps by himself?” She asked and I just thought about how I did all but the first one.

“I don’t always dance in my sports bra, not unless I am doing lifts.” I admitted and she just smiled.

“How many days have you two practiced lifts?” She said slamming her hands on the counter looking interested in every single detail.

“None yet… we start on Monday.” I said and her smile seemed to grow.

“So what is this? I mean today for you too? Are you becoming more comfortable with him so he isn’t squeamish around you with only a bra?” She quirked an eyebrow up and smiled at me.

“No, he wanted to come to make sure he liked the outfits we are going to be dancing in next Saturday.” I shrugged it off and that’s when I heard footsteps coming towards the front of the shop.

“Here you are…” Barnie said and I shifted so I saw him and Dom walking out with Barnie and they both had ten sets of outfits each.

“I got a text from my mom… seems that Maddie got the Chicken Pox and they took her to the doctors… you might need to get a new lead girl dancer.” Dom said with a apologetic expression.

Dammit!

“I’m sorry to hear that! Do you need to be dropped off at your house? Or do you want to just take my car?” I asked knowing how much his family meant to him. Damn the dance part of it there was always Amber and then Jenny.

“No, they told me to ‘have fun’ and come home later since I can’t do anything to help her anyways accept laugh at her and keep her from itching her red spots.” Dom said shaking his head, but I knew he was itching himself to get back and check in on Maddie.

“Well we are almost done here. We just have to get these back to the car and get on the road home.” I told him and he just nodded. He seemed to nod a thank you to me as I took the pile from Barnie and said my goodbye’s quickly.

“Are you sure you want to head out right now?” Dom asked and I just nodded and waited as we got to my car for him to fish out my keys and pop the trunk.

“I know that you want to get home, even if your mom told you not to rush.” I said setting my set of clothes neatly and then taking Dom’s from him.

“Thanks.” Dom said as I turned to look at him. He had that same small smile on his face showing off his dimples which makes me turn to mush. I just smiled back and tried to hide my face as I turned and started closing the trunk only to feel Dom’s hand on mine as he finished closing it.

“Don’t mention it.” I said and soon we were getting into the car and he started it. It was quiet so I decided to ask a question, “You liked the outfits, right?”

“Yeah, they were cool.” He nodded starting the car and pulling the car out of the small tight parking garage and soon we were zooming down each street getting on the highway back to Santa Cruz.

This time he let us listen to the radio and surprisingly I heard him singing along with many songs and I just tapped my foot along with the beat.

I leaned my head against the window and just closed my eyes feeling the small bumps along the way home and eventually falling asleep.