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

38

I got out of my car and walked across the street to an awaiting Dominic. I was nervous, this was the first time I would meet his family as his girlfriend. I would wait for him to introduce me to his father again before saying anything at all.

I took his hand as we got closer and he smiled over at me while pushing open the front door.

"Mom, Dad... I'm here, and we have a guest." He called out walking forward and turning back to close and lock the door behind me.

"Who is it?" I heard his mom's voice as dishes started being moved.

"My girlfriend. Jesy." He said pulling me by the hand towards the kitchen.

"Jesy? Since when is she your girlfriend?" Stacey came out of the kitchen wiping her hands on a towel and a huge smile on her face.

"Since a couple days ago." He shrugged it off but I just smiled.

"Hello." His dad came into view and I just smiled.

"Dad this is Jesy. Jesy, my dad." Dom said placing his hand on the small of my back.

"Nice to meet you." I said not knowing what else to say. I pushed my lips together and glanced at Stacey to see if that was the right thing to say and she nodded slightly.

"Call me Rudy. Are you staying for dinner? We are having make your own pizza night." Rudy said and pointed behind him for emphasis.

"I would love to." I said and felt Dom's hand rub up and down slowly before adding a bit of pressure to make me walk behind his parents and back into the kitchen.

"Where is Maddie?" Dom asked looking around for her.

"She ate early, had some soup and I sent her to bed." Stacey said and I just watched as Dom made a small sad face before brushing it off.

"At least you wont get the chicken pox now." He said looking at me.

"But Maddie is so fun." I fake whined and then pouted getting a laugh from him and his mom.

"How do you know Maddie? Nicky already introduce you two?" Rudy asked sprinkling cheese on a slice of French bread.

"No, I am dance teacher. That's sort of how Dom and I met and talked." I said filling him on information I sort of forgot he didn't know.

"So you are a dance teacher... and a full time student?" He asked looking impressed.

"I only teach the little kids, and it's on Monday's, Wednesday's and Friday's." I said knowing he might have at least known the days Maddie dances.

"Neat, and your grades are good?" He asked and I just nodded. "Great. Come on, don't be shy come over and make your personal pizza." He said nodding at the other half of the French bread that hasn't been cut yet.

"I'll get it." Dom said walking over and taking it and then getting a knife and cutting it open.

"So, what did Nicky say to you to make you his girlfriend?" Rudy asked and I saw Dom sigh heavily out of the corner of my eye.

"He sort of stopped by and I was having a bad day. I have this spot near the lumber yard and he said that he wouldn't let me go there to vent alone so he came along and for a moment I was irritated because not even my mom knows where it is." I said and he laughed nodding along. "But I started crying and he comforted me and the next thing I know he was kissing me and later on I asked him what he meant and he said-"

"I said that it meant that we both liked each other enough to try a relationship." Dom cut in handing me the bread.

"Not very romantic Nicky." This time it was Stacey who called him that and I suddenly felt like calling him that when I wanted to annoy him.