Superstar-Chapter 20

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Chapter 20: Following

Terry was at his usual post, watching Dom get into Rob’s car for yet another date. He wasn’t entirely sure, but Terry would’ve bet a month’s wages that Dom was growing tired of Rob and actually starting to check for him again. There were times when Terry would look up and catch Dom looking at him with longing in her eyes. The look quickly changed to the usual remote disinterest or she simply looked away. Terry knew if he asked her, she’d deny it, so he never brought it up.

Terry noted that Dominique wore a cranberry colored sweater with a matching skirt that hit mid-thigh, black stockings and a pair of black shoes with a modest heel. He thought she looked good. He didn’t take inventory of what Rob wore.

Rob’s car pulled away from the curb and Terry carefully followed a discreet distance behind them.

Eventually, they pulled into Evergreen Plaza and parked by the movie theatre. Terry parked far enough away to avoid being spotted, but still able to keep an eye on them. He cracked his window, reclined his seat and settled in for a long wait.

A voice that sounded vaguely like Eric said that Terry was out of his mind. He had better things to do than stalk Dom like this. Terry ignored it. He couldn’t help himself. It was a way of keeping her close, staying involved. Granted, she wouldn’t talk to him or give him the slightest hint of what she felt, outside of disinterest, but Terry couldn’t turn away. He had to make sure Dom was safe, that she was okay; if that made him a stalker, so be it.

The movie was roughly an hour and forty-five minutes long and from there, Booty-Bass and Dom drove over to Red Lobster. Terry was suddenly aware that he was hungry. He was also aware that he might be wasting his time. He watched the two of them as they walked out of the movie theatre: Rob had his arm comfortably around Dom’s shoulders and they were laughing at a shared joke. If Dom was faking, and Terry really hoped she was, she was doing one hell of a job.

Terry’s resolve finally broke and he drove over to a restaurant on Cicero Avenue called the Brown Derby. Terry went in and ordered a Patty Melt with extra onions and a Coke.

The room was large, paneled with stained oak and the tasteful lighting a made for a cozy, intimate atmosphere. Waiters and waitresses moved among the patrons taking orders and serving food, the smell of cigarettes and disinfectant from the washrooms mingled with the aroma of baked chicken and sautéed onions. People were at the bar and in various booths in the restaurant, talking softly among themselves. The majority of the patrons were couples. Terry was one of a handful of lonely souls in the place. A light rain started to fall outside. The streets and buildings outside glistened with it. Even the cheap hotel across the street looked prettier than it actually was.

When his food finally arrived, Terry wasn’t hungry. Despair sapped his appetite and tears filled his eyes. He was alone again. Dominique was truly beyond his reach and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.

Stop it! He silently shouted at himself. Just stop it.

Terry dimly realized that Dominique wasn’t the only woman in the world. He knew in his head that there were other women to be had. He knew there would be someone else. His heart, on the other hand, said there wouldn’t anyone else like Dominique. No one else compared to her and no one ever could.

Terry buried his face in his hands, gave in to the inevitable and had a bitter, choking cry. He kept his sobs quiet, but the tears flowed and soaked his cheeks and hands. When he was done, he grabbed a napkin and dried his eyes.

Now, Terry had been staring very intently at the table top while he was moping, so when he looked up and saw Dominique, who looked soaked to the skin and vulnerable standing in front of him, he was more than a little surprised.

(c)2014 Courtney & W.L. Sherrod