I knew there wasn't an option to say no, not with the Don skipping his obligations for the day. When Dominic Sloane decided to give you his time, refusing it was its own kind of insult, and I didn't need the complication. So I just nodded.
Sitting in the quiet, almost empty theater, the image I'd once dreamed of played out before me. The two of us, snuggled close, sharing popcorn while watching a rom-com. A normal couple doing a normal thing. The kind of afternoon that civilians took for granted and women like me spent years begging for.
It was a scene that had once felt so romantic to me.
But when it was already happening for real, I was struggling to stay awake, yawning every few minutes. The romance had arrived seven years too late, and my body knew it even if my mind was still processing the paperwork.
Dominic must've noticed. "This is the movie you picked," he said. "You don't like it?"
"It's fine. It's good," I said, not even bothering to fake enthusiasm.
He pressed his lips into a thin line, clearly not convinced. Just as he was about to say something, his phone buzzed.
Without a word to me, he stood up and walked out of the theater.
The movie ended, and Dominic still hadn't returned.
Annoyed, I was about to call him when I heard a familiar, sickly sweet voice from a distance.
"Oh, Dominic! You're so amazing!" Penelope squealed.
I turned and saw her practically bouncing up and down, clutching a massive stuffed toy as she leaped into Dominic's arms, planting a kiss on his cheek. He held her by the legs, laughing softly, and the sound of that laugh was something I hadn't heard directed at me in years. Maybe ever. But the moment his eyes landed on me, his smile vanished.
The laugh died like a switch had been thrown.
"Olivia! I didn't know you were here too," Penelope exclaimed, wide-eyed and pretending to be innocent. A few seconds later, she gasped dramatically, covering her mouth. "Oh no! Don't get the wrong idea! I just got a little excited, that's all…"
Dominic lightly tapped her on the nose, his tone playful. "What are you apologizing for?" he said, then turned to me, acting as if nothing was wrong. "The movie's already over?"
Before I could respond, the shrill sound of a fire alarm rang through the building.