“Darryl is the manager on duty if you want to talk to him.” She pointed and then ignored Dominick as she greeted a person pushing a cart. Dismissed.
He took it less as an insult and more as the fact that she wanted to do her job.
Dominick headed in the direction she’d pointed to find the same twerp as the day before. The guy didn’t look happy at his approach.
“You Darryl, the manager?”
“Yeah. Can I help you?” The kid’s gaze narrowed suspiciously.
“I need a job.”
Incredulity raised the pitch of the queried, “You want to work here?”
“Is that a problem?” Dominick asked.
“After what I saw yesterday, you don’t seem like you’d be the right fit.”
Don’t hit the kid. Don’t hit the kid. “Why is that, Darryl? Because I’m a veteran? You got a problem with the folks who protect this country? I’m sorry if my uncouth behavior annoys you. I learned it when I was serving in the military.” He dropped his voice. “Saving you, Darryl.”
“Thank you?” Squeaked out.
“Yes, you can thank me by doing one simple thing, Darryl. I hear you have a job opening to stock shelves, correct?”
A nod.
“Good. I’ll start now, but I am not wearing a smock.” Dominick did have a shred of dignity left.
“Stock boys wear T-shirts with the store logo.”
“Fine.”
Of course the store didn’t have any in stock for someone Dominick’s size. The large shirt hugged his upper body in a way that had some of the shoppers ogling and whispering. He heard giggles, too.
He ignored them. The one woman he wanted interested in him continued to ignore him. And it wasn’t for lack of trying to grab her attention. He chose to stock the shelves closest to the registers, baring his teeth at the boys in the back who thought to protest. They didn’t argue long when he slung heavy boxes onto their carts and sent them to the more obscure aisles.
Dominick was a man on a mission.
One of seduction. Though he might need help. Only he couldn’t bear to ask Stefan. Pompous prick. Surely, he could figure out how not to be an asshole when he talked to Anika.
Don’t treat her like a sex object, even if he wanted to bury his face between her thighs.
No saying things that would make her hit him.
Compliment her on something other than the way her full hips made him want to grind against her.
The manager left around eight p.m., leaving only a few employees in the store and a handful of browsing customers.
Mission clock? Less than an hour to set his plot in motion.
At nine, the store would close, and that was when he’d suggest they go for a coffee at the Tim Horton’s in the plaza. He’d show Anika that he could talk without making her angry, and she’d agree to a second date. And then a third.
Never mind why he wanted to date her. He had to do something. She’d been on his mind non-stop since their first encounter.
What if the coffee went poorly and she made an excuse to ditch him and she never agreed to see him again?
Maybe he wasn’t ready. Should he wait?
Ding.
Every time the door slid open to the store, it chimed, letting the cashiers know that someone had entered.
Given it was close to closing time, he wondered what asshole decided they needed groceries last-minute.
As Dominick put the last case of tomato cans on the shelf, he heard it—faint arguing. He ambled up the aisle to the front of the store.
“—go away, Thomas.”
“You can’t tell me to leave. I’ve got a right to shop wherever I like.”
“Not according to the restraining order. You’re supposed to keep away.”
“You going to call the cops? Go ahead. I’ll tell them I didn’t know you worked here. Honest mistake.”
“We both know that’s a lie.”
“Is it? What you gonna do? Hit me. You know you want to.”
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? Because then you could run to the cops and file another false report.”
“You want it to stop? Then you know what to do.”
“You are such an asshole.” Her tone was low and angry, much more controlled than Dominick, who felt rage flaring within.
He strode from the aisle and growled, “Is there a problem?”
“Mind your fucking business.” The guy, tall but reed-thin, didn’t even turn around.
“It is my business, twatwaffle, when you’re being a dickhead to someone I work with.” He noticed relief in Anika’s eyes as he neared.
The guy whirled, showing a thin face, a mean curve to his lips, and the kind of attitude that would have gotten his teeth knocked out if he were in the military. Dominick would be more than happy to show him how they did things in the ranks.
“I said fuck off. Anika and I go way back. Used to be married until the ungrateful cunt kicked me to the curb.”
Married to this douchebag? “Sounds more like she finally got smart and threw out the trash,” Dominick mocked.
The twerp didn’t like it and drew himself up to his full height, a hint taller than Dominick, but he’d wager not as mean. “I’m having a private conversation, so butt the fuck out.”
Rather than reply to the guy, Dominick looked at Anika. “You want to talk to him?”
She pressed her lips tight.
He frowned, whereas Thomas chuckled. “She knows better than to piss me off.”
“Just go away, Thomas.” Spoken without the fire Dominick had already gotten used to.
What kind of shit had this douchebag put her through that she wouldn’t fight?
“Would you look at that? Nine o’clock, which means store-closing time. Let’s go, you knuckle-dragging twat.” Dominick didn’t wait for the idiot to argue. He reached for Thomas’s arm and twisted it behind his back.
“Ow. Let me go, asshole. This is assault.”
Dominick frog-marched him and whispered softly, “Assault would be me rearranging your face permanently.” As they reached the door, he shoved the guy out and watched him stumble. “Stay away from Anika.”
“I’m going to have you charged,” blustered Thomas.
“Go ahead. File charges. I guarantee it never goes to trial because they’ll never find your body.” He hoped his smile conveyed his seriousness.
The asshole gave him the finger. “You want the whore, keep her. She was a dud in the sack.”
“More like your dick was probably too small to satisfy. Maybe you should stick to inflatable girlfriends. They might not be as disappointed.”
The barb had the guy snarling as he stalked off. Pity. Had he stuck around, maybe Dominick could have goaded him into throwing the first punch. Then he could have legitimately knocked him out.
As Dominick returned to Anika, he caught her chewing her lower lip. He’d be more than willing to save her the trouble and bite it for her—along with other parts.
“Thanks.” Grudgingly said.
“I’m surprised you didn’t knock him out.”
“I can’t. Last time I did, it cost me.”
“Fucker sued you?”
She nodded. “He does shit on purpose to taunt me into losing my temper so he can milk me for more money.”