Gun Moll
I'm a repeat first time offender
ONE WEEK LATER
“Great article, Darling!” Brad exclaims as he walks into my office and takes a seat on the edge of my desk; messing up some of my paperwork that’s sitting there. “I say we go out and celebrate tonight; drinks on me.”
“I don’t want to celebrate until the paper is back up and running.” I tell him, not taking my eyes off of my personal laptop; which I had to bring in because the computer they supplied was filled with Trojans.
“Come on, a few drinks isn’t going to hurt Giselle.” He pushes on; is he this desperate for a date?
“Look, you seem like a nice guy but I’m not going out for a few drinks with you,” I bluntly tell him, “I just started working here. I’m not going to move beyond a professional relationship.”
“Whatever.” He mutters before storming out of my office, slamming the door shut behind him; gaining the attention of the people in the cubicles outside my office. I just roll my eyes before continue typing up my next story on the traffic due to recent construction…
When my lunch break comes, I find myself quickly getting out of the building. I need a break from the workload and the whispers from my fellow employees. I walk out of the building and see Dominic’s car parked across the street. He’s leaning up against it with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. From some reason, a smile appears across my lips as I walk over towards him.
“Hey Stranger,” I greet him as I get closer, “what brings you to this side of town?”
“I came by to see if you wanted to go out to lunch with me.” He smiles, “is that a crime?”
I give him a questioning look. I’m pretty damn sure I didn’t tell him where I worked, or when my lunch break is; “how did you know when my lunch break is and more importantly where I worked?”
“I drove passed here the other morning and saw you walk into the building,” he begins to explain, “and most people do have their lunch break around noon.” Suddenly I feel guilty. “Don’t worry, I’m not stalking you; I’d never do that.”
“I’m sorry,” I apologize, “I’m a little wary around new people. Bad experiences in the past.”
“No worries.” He smiles, “so lunch then?”
“I only have an hour.” I tell him, a frown forming on my lips.
“Then I know just the place.” He smiles before getting off the hood of his car and walks over to the passenger side, opening the door for me; “shall we?”
“We shall.” I smile before getting into the car. He closes the door before jogging over to the driver’s side and gets in. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.” He smiles before starting up his Mustang and pulls away from the curb; driving off to this unknown location.
**
“This has to be the best Korean Taco I have ever had!” I exclaim before taking another bite of my street food.
“You don’t peg me as a girl that actually gets food from food trucks.” Dominic chuckles before taking a bite of his cheese steak.
“I was a college student, need I remind you.” I laugh, trying not let bits of food escape, “I lived off of bar food, street food and ramen noodles.”
“I miss the college life, it’s been five years since I graduated.”
“It’s hard to believe you’ve been out of school for five years,” I tell him, “you look no older than I am. I can’t believe you’re 30.”
“Need you remind me?” He smirks, “I feel like a pedophile when I hang around you.”
“I’m legal, that’s all that matters.” I joke, causing a smile to come across his lips. “It’s nice to have an actual friend in this city, one that doesn’t see me as another piece of ass.”
“Who do you hang out with that thinks that?” He asks.
“My boss.” I frown, “he got pissed off at me because I refused to go out for a few drinks with him.”
“He sounds like an asshole, I’d definitely wouldn’t want to hang out with him.”
“I just want to keep our relationship professional, that’s it.” I state, “besides I’m not exactly looking for a relationship. My career is more important.”
“I’m sure some day down the line, a guy will change your mind about that.” He smiles, causing me to smile as well. Smiling is just so contagious, especially when he smiles first.
“Maybe, but until then; it’s career first.” I state, “that was the one reason why I moved here. To make a name for myself in the journalism world…”
Dominic
After dropping Giselle back off at The Gazette, I head to my parents’ house. First stop I make is in my mom’s room. Her nurse looks at me and smiles before excusing herself. “Hey mom.” I greet as I sit down next to her, taking her hand in mine.
“Hey Dommy.” She weakly smiles, “it’s our weekly visit already?”
“Yea, it is.” I force a smile as I look into her dulling eyes, “how have you been?”
“Same old, same old; nothing’s changing.” She replies, a frown tugging on her lips. “How are you and your father? He’s doing good right?” Despite all the years of him cheating on her, she still cares for him.
“He’s fine, mom.” I assure her, “he’s keeping himself busy with work.” And a few hookers as well, I bitterly think to myself.
“When I’m gone---”
“You’re not leaving us,” I cut her off, “doctors are wrong; you’re going to be fine.”
“Dominic, I’m dying.” She raises her voice, coughing a bit afterwards. “This has been coming for a while now. When I do leave this world, your father is going to need you. He may not think he will, but he’s going to. You’re father isn’t as strong as he looks.”
“We’re going to be fine, mom; you’re not leaving us.” I sternly tell her, squeezing her hand as I do so. She weakly smiles at me as she puts her hand on my cheek.
“You look so much like your father,” she blissfully sighs, “but thankfully you got my heart instead of his…” I just smile before nuzzling against her hand. “Tell me what you’ve been up to this week.”
“I’ve met a girl…” I beginning earning a smile from my mother.
“That’s how all the best stories start,” she softly laughs, “what’s she like?”
“She’s a lot like you,” I begin, “she’s smart, sweet and doesn’t need anyone to help her out. But like you, she finds herself digging for something that’ll land her in a lot of trouble.”
“So she’s a journalist then?” She chuckles, “you certainly have a type son.”
“She’s not like Lacey, no she doesn’t seem to have a bad bone in her body.” I defend myself, “but she’s definitely got the urge to make a name for herself; no matter what the cost.”
“You’re worried about her, aren’t you?”
“Is it that obvious?” I let out a humorless chuckle.
“If she means anything to you, you’ll protect her from anything; you understand that?”
“I understand.” I quietly say. I’m just not sure how I’m going to protect her from me…
“Great article, Darling!” Brad exclaims as he walks into my office and takes a seat on the edge of my desk; messing up some of my paperwork that’s sitting there. “I say we go out and celebrate tonight; drinks on me.”
“I don’t want to celebrate until the paper is back up and running.” I tell him, not taking my eyes off of my personal laptop; which I had to bring in because the computer they supplied was filled with Trojans.
“Come on, a few drinks isn’t going to hurt Giselle.” He pushes on; is he this desperate for a date?
“Look, you seem like a nice guy but I’m not going out for a few drinks with you,” I bluntly tell him, “I just started working here. I’m not going to move beyond a professional relationship.”
“Whatever.” He mutters before storming out of my office, slamming the door shut behind him; gaining the attention of the people in the cubicles outside my office. I just roll my eyes before continue typing up my next story on the traffic due to recent construction…
When my lunch break comes, I find myself quickly getting out of the building. I need a break from the workload and the whispers from my fellow employees. I walk out of the building and see Dominic’s car parked across the street. He’s leaning up against it with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. From some reason, a smile appears across my lips as I walk over towards him.
“Hey Stranger,” I greet him as I get closer, “what brings you to this side of town?”
“I came by to see if you wanted to go out to lunch with me.” He smiles, “is that a crime?”
I give him a questioning look. I’m pretty damn sure I didn’t tell him where I worked, or when my lunch break is; “how did you know when my lunch break is and more importantly where I worked?”
“I drove passed here the other morning and saw you walk into the building,” he begins to explain, “and most people do have their lunch break around noon.” Suddenly I feel guilty. “Don’t worry, I’m not stalking you; I’d never do that.”
“I’m sorry,” I apologize, “I’m a little wary around new people. Bad experiences in the past.”
“No worries.” He smiles, “so lunch then?”
“I only have an hour.” I tell him, a frown forming on my lips.
“Then I know just the place.” He smiles before getting off the hood of his car and walks over to the passenger side, opening the door for me; “shall we?”
“We shall.” I smile before getting into the car. He closes the door before jogging over to the driver’s side and gets in. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.” He smiles before starting up his Mustang and pulls away from the curb; driving off to this unknown location.
**
“This has to be the best Korean Taco I have ever had!” I exclaim before taking another bite of my street food.
“You don’t peg me as a girl that actually gets food from food trucks.” Dominic chuckles before taking a bite of his cheese steak.
“I was a college student, need I remind you.” I laugh, trying not let bits of food escape, “I lived off of bar food, street food and ramen noodles.”
“I miss the college life, it’s been five years since I graduated.”
“It’s hard to believe you’ve been out of school for five years,” I tell him, “you look no older than I am. I can’t believe you’re 30.”
“Need you remind me?” He smirks, “I feel like a pedophile when I hang around you.”
“I’m legal, that’s all that matters.” I joke, causing a smile to come across his lips. “It’s nice to have an actual friend in this city, one that doesn’t see me as another piece of ass.”
“Who do you hang out with that thinks that?” He asks.
“My boss.” I frown, “he got pissed off at me because I refused to go out for a few drinks with him.”
“He sounds like an asshole, I’d definitely wouldn’t want to hang out with him.”
“I just want to keep our relationship professional, that’s it.” I state, “besides I’m not exactly looking for a relationship. My career is more important.”
“I’m sure some day down the line, a guy will change your mind about that.” He smiles, causing me to smile as well. Smiling is just so contagious, especially when he smiles first.
“Maybe, but until then; it’s career first.” I state, “that was the one reason why I moved here. To make a name for myself in the journalism world…”
Dominic
After dropping Giselle back off at The Gazette, I head to my parents’ house. First stop I make is in my mom’s room. Her nurse looks at me and smiles before excusing herself. “Hey mom.” I greet as I sit down next to her, taking her hand in mine.
“Hey Dommy.” She weakly smiles, “it’s our weekly visit already?”
“Yea, it is.” I force a smile as I look into her dulling eyes, “how have you been?”
“Same old, same old; nothing’s changing.” She replies, a frown tugging on her lips. “How are you and your father? He’s doing good right?” Despite all the years of him cheating on her, she still cares for him.
“He’s fine, mom.” I assure her, “he’s keeping himself busy with work.” And a few hookers as well, I bitterly think to myself.
“When I’m gone---”
“You’re not leaving us,” I cut her off, “doctors are wrong; you’re going to be fine.”
“Dominic, I’m dying.” She raises her voice, coughing a bit afterwards. “This has been coming for a while now. When I do leave this world, your father is going to need you. He may not think he will, but he’s going to. You’re father isn’t as strong as he looks.”
“We’re going to be fine, mom; you’re not leaving us.” I sternly tell her, squeezing her hand as I do so. She weakly smiles at me as she puts her hand on my cheek.
“You look so much like your father,” she blissfully sighs, “but thankfully you got my heart instead of his…” I just smile before nuzzling against her hand. “Tell me what you’ve been up to this week.”
“I’ve met a girl…” I beginning earning a smile from my mother.
“That’s how all the best stories start,” she softly laughs, “what’s she like?”
“She’s a lot like you,” I begin, “she’s smart, sweet and doesn’t need anyone to help her out. But like you, she finds herself digging for something that’ll land her in a lot of trouble.”
“So she’s a journalist then?” She chuckles, “you certainly have a type son.”
“She’s not like Lacey, no she doesn’t seem to have a bad bone in her body.” I defend myself, “but she’s definitely got the urge to make a name for herself; no matter what the cost.”
“You’re worried about her, aren’t you?”
“Is it that obvious?” I let out a humorless chuckle.
“If she means anything to you, you’ll protect her from anything; you understand that?”
“I understand.” I quietly say. I’m just not sure how I’m going to protect her from me…