Dominick and Maximiliano were walking through the lobby when they saw Jade and Robinson come in…
Dom frowned at the sight of the man, clearly shaken by something. Jade seemed to be comforting him with words, and even though he didn't like it, he told himself he wouldn't get involved—at least not today.
The blonde said goodbye to Robinson, who walked to the elevator, and to Dominick's surprise, Jade looked their way and approached.
"Hi Maximiliano, can I talk to you?" she asked, her eyes pleading. Something had been bothering her since her conversation with Robinson, and she hoped she was wrong—because if what she suspected was true…
"Aren't you going to say hi to me?" Dom cut into her thoughts.
"No. I'm mad at you for what you did today," she growled.
"You loved it…"
"I have no idea what you two are talking about," Maximiliano interrupted when he noticed Jade was just about ready to lunge at Dominick and punch him. "And yes, we can talk. Let's go to my room."
Dominick didn't like that one bit. Sure, he knew they were just friends, but he never trusted that men and women could truly be just friends.
"Perfect. Let's go."
"Yeah, let's go" Dominick announced, walking with them. They both stopped in their tracks.
"No, no, no. This is just Maximiliano and me. You go—find someone who actually needs your presence. Yeah, goodbye."
"I'm coming," he declared, arms crossed.
"Dom…" Maximiliano warned.
"This has nothing to do with you, Dominick. Please leave," Jade asked.
"I'm coming and I won't—"
"Dominick!" a woman called. All three turned to the entrance, where a smiling Delia approached, dragging a suitcase behind her.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Dominick muttered. She wasn't supposed to arrive today.
"You've got your hands full now," Maximiliano muttered with a fake cough to hide his smirk.
Dom shot him a murderous look.
The model reached him and gave him a passionate kiss he couldn't help but return. Delia pulled away.
"Hi, Dom. How are you?" she asked with a sweet smile.
"Fine… What are you doing here, Delia? You were supposed to come tomorrow," he asked, clearly not happy.
"My agent, you know how it is…" she rolled her eyes. "And who are you two?" she asked, looking at Jade and Maximiliano, who seemed a bit uncomfortable.
"Maximiliano Anderson, friend of this guy," he said, pointing at Dom. "This is Jade—friend and my girlfriend. We have something to talk about in the room, if you'll excuse us…"
Dominick gave his friend a deadly glare. His head practically snapped around.
"Oh! Nice to meet you both. You make a lovely couple," the model smiled.
Under Delia's and Dominick's watchful gaze, Jade and Maximiliano headed to the elevator. The blonde stared at her friend like he'd grown a second head.
They entered, and he pressed the button for his floor.
"What the hell just happened?" Jade asked, on the verge of bursting into laughter.
"Sorry," Maximiliano said, and both of them immediately started cracking up, laughing like maniacs. The elevator stopped, and a couple of elderly ladies and a young woman stepped in.
They tried to stay quiet but kept glancing at each other and giggling under their breath.
When they reached their floor, they got off immediately, still laughing.
"I should've taken a picture," Maxi said, pulling out his key. "Did you see Dominick's face?"
"Oh my God," Jade covered her face, still chuckling.
He let her go in first, then followed and shut the door behind him. He smiled when he noticed she'd chosen to sit on the very armchair Dominick always used.
"Want something to drink?" he asked.
"No, thanks."
He nodded and poured himself a drink.
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" he asked.
"Well…"
Jade told him everything that had happened to Ginna. At first, Maximiliano didn't understand why she was telling him this, but he had to admit, the story moved him—and it made him furious at the authorities. He couldn't understand how there were men capable of hurting a woman like that. Jade explained what Ginna had said and the worries that had arisen in her because of it.
"If that's true, that girl was really lucky. I'll look into it, see what I can find out… If it's her, we'll do everything we can to make sure she's not just another victim of those bastards. Okay?"
"Yes. Thank you so much."
Jade stood up and hugged him. He set his glass down and hugged her back. A loud knock at the door startled them. Dominick was pounding like a madman—something was definitely going on inside that room…
"It's probably Dominick," said Maximiliano. "Wanna see him pissed off?"
"Why not," she answered with a mischievous smile.
"Mess up the bed and ruffle your hair." Giggling, she obeyed.
"Maximiliano, open the damn door!" Dom roared, pounding furiously.
Maximiliano laughed, took off his jacket, shoes, belt, and unbuttoned his pants along with all the buttons on his shirt.
"Open up or I'll break the damn door down!" he shouted again.
Jade looked at him, barely containing her laughter. She kicked off her shoes and pulled down the top of her dress, revealing her bra. Normally, she would've been embarrassed by the situation, but she was too entertained to care.
"He's going to break the door down," Jade said, watching it rattle violently.
"Go open it," Maximiliano said. "If I do, he'll punch me."
Jade nodded, but just as she was heading for the door, he called out to her.
He grabbed an ice cube and ran it across his forehead and chest.
"Breathe a little heavy," he suggested. She nodded again.
"I'm opening!" Jade announced. "Stop trying to break the door down or you might hurt me!"
Seconds later, Dominick stopped banging like a madman. Jade opened the door, pretending to be breathless, and Dom stormed in like a raging bull.
"Can someone tell me what the hell took you so long to open the damn door?!" His jaw was clenched, fists tight, eyes bloodshot.
He was truly furious.
He looked at his half-dressed best friend, then at her…
"What were you two doing?" he asked with a calmness that fooled neither of them.
"What do you think?" replied Maximiliano, crossing his arms. He'd stuffed a handkerchief into his pants to fake an erection… He knew he was risking getting punched. But at that moment, he wanted to test his friend, and discovered how right he was with his suppositions.
Jade looked at Dominick and got scared. His face was red with fury… he looked like he was about to explode.
"You're a—" He lunged at Maximiliano, but the blonde stopped him.
"What do you think you're doing? Interrupting us like that?" she asked, crossing her arms.
"What? You… you and him?" Dominick looked between them. His rage gave way to disappointment. He couldn't help but feel betrayed again, even if that wasn't really the case. "Well then, enjoy yourselves…"
He left the room, a bitter sensation spreading through him. He couldn't explain it, and he didn't want to name what he felt. He just wanted to go back to his room and drink…
"Do you think we went too far…?" Jade asked as she adjusted her dress. "I mean, the way he looked at you… I know he has no right to say anything because, obviously, he and I… well, anyway, I don't want you to have problems with him because of me."
"Don't worry," Maxi said, pulling the handkerchief out of his pants, making her burst out laughing. "I'll go talk to him, explain it was just a joke."
"I hope he understands. He's a grown man. Though… his attitude is kind of over the top."
"Well, just don't be surprised if tomorrow you see me—"
A phone ringing cut Maximiliano off. He looked over at his nightstand.
"I'm heading out. Today has been exhausting," she said. "Good night."
"You too," he replied, grabbing his phone.
Jade left the room smiling, still processing what had just happened. Dominick's reaction had really surprised her, though there had been something in his eyes… Something she couldn't quite put her finger on. It made her feel—just for a few seconds—guilty? No. She couldn't. She hadn't done anything wrong. There was absolutely nothing between them.
«Aside from those two amazing orgasms he gave you» whispered a voice in her head.
She shook her head and headed for the stairs. She wanted to walk a bit…
Maximiliano changed into a t-shirt and some sweatpants. He slipped on some gray slippers and grabbed his phone. He mentally prepared himself for peace and calm, knowing well the storm that awaited him.
Dominick was a hothead and possessive when it came to what he thought was his, and no one knew better than Maximiliano how he reacted when something didn't sit right with him. He'd seen it in his eyes—his gaze had said more than a thousand words—and what was coming next wasn't going to be pretty.
He left his room, thinking of what to say before Dom swung a fist at him. He didn't want to fight his friend… but he knew it might be inevitable.
He stepped into the elevator, which took him to the floor below his own. Once there, he walked to his friend's room and knocked. From inside, he heard a shout:
"Get lost, whoever you are!"
He kept knocking for a few more minutes until the door opened to reveal a disheveled, angry, and clearly drunk Dominick.
Before he could say or do anything, Maximiliano walked right in.
"Get out," Dom growled, clenching his fists. "Go fuck her. Isn't that what you were about to do when I interrupted?"
"I just came to tell you a few things—"
"You're not telling me shit," Dominick snapped, stepping closer.
"Act like an adult and listen to me," Maximiliano ordered, tired of his childish attitude.
"I don't have to listen to you. Go ahead, sleep with her every night if you want. That just proves I was right, that she's just a—"
"Watch your mouth when you talk about her, Dominick!" Maximiliano snapped, now visibly angry. "She's my friend, and I won't let you—"
"You won't let me do anything!" Dominick roared, matching his tone.
"Stop being a fucking idiot and listen! Acting like this gets you nowhere!" In an uncharacteristic outburst, Maximiliano grabbed him by the shirt. "When are you going to understand you're just destroying yourself? If you really like Jade, then damn it, say it! Stop being such a coward!"
Dominick lost it and threw a punch. Maximiliano didn't hesitate to throw one back…
Both ended up with busted lips, glaring at each other for a second before launching into a full-on fight, like a couple of angry teenagers.
They tumbled to the ground, fists flying, knocking over a chair or two. They kept swinging until neither had any strength left, lying on the floor, groaning in pain.
"You're an idiot," Maximiliano said first, grabbing a nearby pillow and throwing it at him.
Dominick groaned.
"And what about you?" he retorted, tossing the pillow back. "You told me she was just your friend, but clearly you were ready to get between her legs. You didn't care I was after her too. And Jade's even worse, going to sleep with you after I had my mouth between—"
"It was a joke," Maximiliano cut him off quickly, not wanting to hear another word of that.
"What?" Dom asked, not quite grasping it, turning toward his friend who was trying to sit up. "What did you say?"
"You heard me. Jade and I made you think we were going to have sex. My idea, by the way," he added, seeing the irritation on Dominick's face. "I knew you'd get mad… but not that mad."
Maximiliano's laughter only made things worse. Dom tried to get up again to punch him.
"You're such a son of a bitch, Maximiliano," he muttered with a glare, then suddenly burst into loud laughter, confusing his friend, who stared at him like he'd gone mad. "But I'm glad there's nothing going on between you two."
"When are you going to admit you like her?" Maxi asked, crawling over to where Dominick had leaned against the wall, holding a bottle of whiskey.
"I've never denied it. I like her," he said, taking a swig.
"I mean romantically," Maximiliano clarified, snatching the bottle for a sip of his own. Dom gave him a dirty look. "And don't deny it. You know it's true."
"Quit talking nonsense. I like her, yeah. But just to have her naked in my bed, unleashing that wildcat she hides inside. Nothing more," he stated, taking the bottle back.
"Keep saying it until you believe it…"