Chapter 281: Can You Stay?
Dom hand dried the dishes Mina handed to him and carefully put them into the open cupboard. He enjoyed listening to her stories. She was good with words and knew how to perfectly describe a scene, making Dom feel like he had lived the memories with her.
"What about university? Did anyone try to date you there?" Mina shrugged again.
"I was fifteen when I moved to Scal, I was barely sixteen when I attended. The only people who paid any attention to me were my professors."
"No way. When did you start growing?" Dom asked and Mina looked at him like he was an idiot.
"I've been the same height since I was fourteen," she replied.
"No, I don't mean height. I mean…" Dom moved his hand around his chest and then made an hourglass in the air, causing Mina to splash him with water. "Sh*t Mina! It's cold outside and I don't have my jacket with me."
"Why would you ask me that question? It's rude," Mina said.
"I'm just trying to picture you as a teen, that's all," He said while chuckling. His response seemed innocent enough, and at least he had the decency to not directly ask her bra size.
"I was thirteen when things started to grow and fifteen when they became an issue," she said.
"What do you mean, an issue?"
"Girls would accuse me of attention seeking. No matter how hard I tried to hide-"
"They always found a way to point you out," Dom continued as Mina nodded.
"That's part of the reason I decided to graduate early. I thought that Wayvair would be different. I thought the people would be more mature."
"Were they?"
"Not even a little." Mina dried her hands and thanked Dom for his help, but she did not give him any indication that she wanted him to leave.
"Should I go?" Dom asked. Afraid of any answer she could give.
"Can you stay? Just for tonight. I'm really afraid to sleep here alone." Mina admitted. "The guest room is fully furnished," she offered.
"Okay but I'm inviting a woman over," Dom said and Mina turned red.
"Will I hear you?" She asked in a whisper.
"If I'm doing it right, yes." Mina pushed Dom in annoyance.
"Do you really have to?" Mina asked.
"No, but I also can't stay the night. If you want, I can wait until you fall asleep." Mina nodded vigorously. She would take whatever she could get.
----
Dom sat on Mina's couch for hours. He was not sure if the woman had fallen asleep or not, but he did not want to peek into her bedroom. Convincing himself that enough time had passed, he left the apartment; locking the door with the spare key he was given.
Outside of the apartment complex, Dom spotted a car that was too noticeable not to notice. President Lee exited the vehicle and Dom walked up to his boss.
"Do you think she bought it?" President Lee asked.
"She did sir," Dom replied. "But why lie sir?"
"If you hadn't assured me that you could find her, I would have torn apart the city," President Lee stated and Dom knew it was the truth. "If she thinks she was caught by accident, and that I gave you all a second chance without a penalty, she will be more likely to trust me in the future."
"What if she finds out sir?" President Lee shrugged.
"Only three of us know the truth. If she does not find out from me, then she would have found out from you or Zane."
"If she finds out she will never trust me again sir," Dom said.
"That's exactly why I know you won't tell her. By the way, what took you so long to leave?"
"I think Mina needs a roommate. She seems afraid to be left alone sir." Dom also did not know the issue Mina had with locked doors.
"Bring it to her attention. Help her find someone, make sure it is a woman. Preferably one who likes men," President Lee added.
"Sir." Dom replied.
----
When Mina opened her eyes, she felt less heaviness than before, but as soon as she remembered that her apartment door was likely locked, she panicked. She ran toward the front door only to be greeted by James who was seated at the kitchen island.
"Heard you almost got away yesterday," he said.
"Almost," Mina replied. Her eyes kept darting to the door. She went to unlock it, but James stopped her.
"Oh no, pull that with Dom, not me," James said.
"I won't run," Mina promised. "I just want to check in on my neighbor," she lied.
"We will go together," James replied with a smile. Mina was quick to agree.
After knocking at her neighbor's door for a few minutes, the old man finally came to answer.
"Do you know what time it is?" The man shouted while pulling his door open. Mina had not considered that it was too early to make a visit. "You're the one who convinced my son to leave me," the man said bitterly before slamming his door shut.
"You met with your neighbor, now let's go back," James said without waiting for Mina to process what had just happened. Being that she had only used her neighbor as a cover, Mina simply walked away. She did not lock the door behind James as he entered, and her heart finally stopped racing.
"What time do you have to be at work?" James asked.
----
Mina arrived at Director Porter's office and immediately told the man that she would not be able to renew her contract with him no matter if she liked the position. Because Director Porter assumed Mina was battling some sort of sickness, he did not protest or pry. He respected Mina's decision and immediately dropped the conversation, which Mina appreciated.
When Peter arrived, he did so with a woman who he introduced as his fiancé. The woman looked Mina up and down with a slight frown, but she quickly replaced it with a smile when Mina outstretched her hand in greeting.
Peter's fiancé was not gorgeous, but she was pretty in a classical way. She quietly surveyed her surroundings and spoke only when spoken to. It was obvious to Mina that the woman had been raised in an upper middle-class family or had taken etiquette courses.
After some time, Peter and his fiancé left, apparently to handle casting for yet another film that director Porter was taking on. When the couple was out of sight, director Porter spoke.
"That woman is one of the best casting agents in the industry," he said.
"I don't think she likes me," Mina replied.
"She can't stand you. She even asked Peter to quit."
"Why?" Mina asked, but she already knew. "Never mind, I won't be here much longer anyway." Mina did not know that her boss had gotten the wrong impression.
"Okay, let's not think about it. Let's get to work, shall we?"
----
Back on set, Mina was surprised to find Jay. She would have asked the woman why she had returned, but she could see her carefully adjusting and readjusting Karen's clothing while a photographer snapped images of the young actress. Mina was happy that she had helped someone get a foot in and she hoped that her departure would not negatively impact the girl.