Proposal of the Marriage Variety

Dominic waltzed into Romeo's with a mission-- talk to Tia. He was led to his seat, a booth, by a nervous blonde. Dom figured it was her first day. He saw Tia right away, couldn't miss her, pink hair was kind of obvious, he frowned slightly though. She'd braided her hair, and he liked the way it looked loose better. She was with some customers so he watched instead of interrupting.

"Two house specials, an order of mozzarella sticks, one Sprite, and one Dr. Pepper? The specials also come with salad a bread."

"Oh really? Where's it say that?"

"Right here, sir," Tianna pointed to the small print on the house specials menu. She offered a genuine smile and prepared to scribble another note, "Now what kind of dressing would you like with those?"

"The sun-dried tomato vinaigrette, please, for both salads."

"Excellent choice. I'll be right back with your order."

Tia left the pair at table six, and stopped momentarily at table nine for another customer, "Are you ready for your check Magnus?"

"I am, darling."

"I'll bring that right out for you." She walked passed Dominic's table, and didn't notice right away that it was him.

"How you doin' today, hon?"

Dominic looked up and was severely disappointed when he realized he wasn't seated at one of Tia's tables, but at this girl, Mindy's, table. He looked from her to Tia, who had stopped and turned back around. She smiled at him and he turned up the brunette staring at him. "I'm great now, thanks."

The girl smiled, thinking that he meant he was great now that she was there, but before she could ask him for his order, she was distracted by a hand placed firmly on her shoulder.

"Pick another table Mindy, I've got this one."

"But, Tia...," The girl whined and cast a not-so-inconspicuous glance over Dom's body.

Tianna crossed her arms over her breasts, which Dom couldn't help but notice, weren't overly large nor were they too small, but had a delightful little curve to them. Tia straightened, making her stand nearly a foot over the smaller woman, and gave her a look that even Dominic found intimidating. "Mindy, I'll take care of this table."

Mindy huffed angrily, but didn't argue further, only stalked away to another table causing a slight smirk to come to Tia's lips. After watching the girl go Tia leaned on the edge of Dominic's table, "How are you doing, Tianna?"

"I'm doing just peachy now, thanks." She gave him a flirty smile with that comment.

"So I take it you're the dominating waitress around here?"

"It helps to be the boss's little sister, but even if I weren't, yeah, I'm the top dog. What can I get for you today Dom?"

"Just a Corona."

"Sure thing, be right back." Tia then sauntered off and vanished into the kitchen.

When she emerged she had a try of food and drinks. She stopped by table six to deliver the son and mother pair their order, "It's amazing, the cook was ahead of me, so instead of just cheese sticks, you get your whole order. I'm getting ready to get off, but Mindy will be by with your check in a little while." After saying a quick good-bye, she set Dominic's beer on his table on her way to table nine. She set the tray down on the table in front of Dominic's, and hand the check to the elderly man at number nine. "Here you go, Magnus."

"Thanks, Doll," when Tia turned to walk away, Magnus reached and grabbed her arm. When he pulled her back to his table, he gave her a single rose, "Marry me, Tia? I'll take you to Hawaii for our honey moon."

Dom's brows both rose in shock. Then in amusement at Tia laughed and kissed the shiny part of the mans head. He couldn't help after that to listen in on the conversation after that.

"So that's a yes?" Magnus looked hopeful.

"No," Tia shook her head in reply, "I don't like Hawaii. There too many spiders there for my liking. You know, the really, big ones. Yick." She shivered in disgust for effect.

"Oh well then," The man stood and placed his felt fedora on his head, "I'll see you next Monday, Doll."

"Bye, Magnus." Tia then picked up the tray she'd left on the table in front of Dom's and moved to sit by the window. She set the plate of pasta on the table, and removed her apron. She pocketed the tips, but before she could sit she turned when Dom called to her.

"Hey, Princess. Come sit down. I could use the company."

"Can't." Tia shook her head no, and moved to sit again.

"Why not?" Dominic was crushed, "Got other things to do."

"Nope. Table seven, that's you're table, is cursed."

"Cursed."

"Yes, cursed. At least for me it is. Every time I wait, or stay for prolonged periods at, that table, something bad happens."

"I'll protect you, Princess, I promise," Dominic said motioning for Tia to sit across from him.

Tianna rolled her eyes, grabbed her plate, then moved to Dom's table. Almost immediately after sitting she blew out the candle. "Fine, I'll stay, but if something bad happens, it's all your fault."

"I swear, I'll take full responsibility." Taking a sip of his beer, Dominic moved on, "What are you doing Saturday?"

"Don't know yet. All I know about the future is that tomorrow there's going to be race, and next Monday Magnus is going to ask me to marry him again." Tia took a bite of her pasta.

"Again? How do you know?"

"How do I know?" Tianna laughed, "because he's only been asking me every Monday for the last three months."

Dominic laughed and took a sip of his beer, but it was obvious there was something still on his mind. When he didn't ask the question lingering on his tongue, Tia kicked him under the table. "Hey!"

"What's on your mind, Toretto? What's going on Saturday?"

"I was going to ask you to dinner?"

"Was? So you're not now?" Tia took a sip of his beer.

"Well," the smile on Tia's mouth offered him courage, "would you like to go to dinner with me?"

"Dinner?"

"Yes." Dominic took Tia's fork, and tried her pasta, it was exceptional.

"Like a date?" Tia grinned broadly.

Dominic chuckled, "Yeah, like a date."

Tia went all bright-eyed and surprised, "Wow. I've never been on a date before."

Dom's jaw dropped, "Never?"

"Never-ever," Tia shook her head and took her fork back.

"Why not, Princess?"

"My childhood never allowed it."

"Oh..." Dominic grew broodingly silent, but it lasted for just a minute until he laughed at Tia's next comment.

"You really want to go on a date with me?" When Dominic just laughed more, Tia continued, "Why?"

Dominic hadn't expected that question, but tried to answer it anyway, "Well, your are incredibly gorgeous, you're fun, and," to steal her earlier comments to him, "there's just something about you."

Tianna finished the last of her pasta then looked back up at Dominic, "It's because I like cars isn't it?"

"That's a plus, but no, that's not the main reason."

"Well it's not because I'm pretty, so, hmm...is it my outrageously pink hair?"

Dominic laughed, "You really don't know how beautiful you are, do you?"

Tianna's expression was blank, and entirely innocent. She just shook her head slowly in a no reply. She didn't think she was beautiful at all. She couldn't see where there was any reason to.

Dom shook his head grinning slightly, then suddenly turned a serious gaze to the woman. "Listen to me, Princess, anything that piss-poor excuse of a man said to you, is wrong. Anything he ever did to you, doesn't make you any less beautiful. The sheer fact that you survived it makes you that much more extraordinary." He reached up and brushed his fingers along her jaw, turning her head back towards him when she looked away. "You are absolutely, positively, with out a doubt," he grinned and pulled her forward a little, and leaned across the table until they were practically nose to nose, "beautiful. I don't think I can get enough of you."

"Yeah?" Tia's voice was quiet, kind of breathy, and that crystal blue gaze dropped to the mouth inches from hers.

"Yeah," Dom pulled just a little more on her chin, tilting her head ever-so-slightly upward, and brushed his thumb across her mouth. He leaned in to kiss her, but fate would have it they were to be interrupted.

"If you even think about continuing on like that, Romeo will so beat your ass into the ground." The voice was Leon's but Vince and Jesse were standing with him. The two that hadn't spoken were trying not to laugh.

Dominic growled slightly in frustration, and Tia huffed angrily and let her head fall forward, with her head resting against the cool tabletop. Silently she counted on her fingers-- four. Four times she'd been given the opportunity to kiss this man, and all the times fate had been so cruel as to refuse the affection.

"Seriously, man. He's the over-protective brother type. He'd kick you ass for making moves on his sister."

"What the hell are you going on about, no he wouldn't. He's been a friend since, well, a long damn time." He looked over to the woman when she snickered. He could probably take that as a yes, Ro would actually beat him.

"Think about it Dom, what would you do if some big, intimidating street-racer type, tried to make moves on Mia?" Jesse asked.

"All right fine. Good point."

"So the date's off then?" Vince asked, but he seemed absent, his eyes had focused on a small man in a business suit a few tables away. He had a camera on his table, the lens pointed directly at Tia and Dominic.

"Fuck no. Romeo's just not going to find out about it." Dominic said, turning to see what Vince was looking at. He was immediately suspicious. "Hey, Tia? What do these cooperate spies usually look like?"

"They typically aren't very big, they look just like business men, only greasy sleazy types. Why?"

"How long has that guy been coming in here?" He pointed to the man with the camera. The other man was visibly unnerved at having all these people staring at him.

"Hmm? Which one?" She sat up and leaned on the table to peer at the business man. "Him? Oh, hmm...two and half, maybe three weeks. Why? You don't think...Oh shit..." Tia slid back down in her seat, sliding a good portion of the way under the table, so that she could only look up over the edge. "Did he see me?" Leon sat down beside Tia, and when Dominic stood Jesse sat across from her.

"Probably," Dominic said standing and moving over to the guy, Vince went with him. "Hi, how's it going?"

"F-fine," the guy was sleazy. Looked like a rat, pointed nose and ears and everything.

"Great, can we see you're camera?" Vince picked up the camera as Dominic spoke, and examined it quickly.

"Really I'd like you to put that down. No! Don't open-- that." But the man's plea was too late as Vince had already popped open the back and pulled all the film out of it.

"Give me your wallet man." Dominic demanded with an out stretched hand. The man, was both pissed and terrified by the intimidating men at the same time. Silently though he handed over the wallet. Dominic began sifting through it's contents and finally came upon what he needed-- proof. "This is an O'Brien Company business card?" He held it up. The man nodded. "O'Brien your boss?" Again the man nodded. "Your after Tia aren't you?"

When he didn't answer Vince grabbed the man by his lapels, "Answer!"

"Yes! No! He is! I'm just supposed to find her!" Vince through the man back against his seat.

"Well you tell you're boss, that he wont be getting his hands on Tia, and that if he keeps trying, I'll shoot him in the head." Dominic tore up the business card, and threw the pieces over the man, "Have a nice day now." Turning on his heel he moved back to the table where Tia was white. "It's okay, Princess. He doesn't have anymore pictures."

"What's going on?" Vince asked, he didn't have a clue what was taking place, just that something was wrong, and he felt obligated to help protect Tia. If Dominic thought she was worth protecting she probably was, even if Vince himself, didn't know what they were protecting her from.

"Long story, I don't want to talk about it, but thank you. Both of you." She watched has the man ran out of the restaurant. She sighed, "However, that sleaze-ball is running off to his boss with his tail between his legs. He knows where I am Dominic...."

"Don't worry about it. I told you, you didn't have to remember? I did, now I'm telling you all you have to do is worry about the race tomorrow night when I plan on handing your ass to you, and what you'll be wearing Saturday night when I pick you up at eight for dinner."

"Nine." Tianna haggled.

"Eight-thirty."

"Fine. Eight-thirty then." She smiled, almost shyly, a faint blush coming to her cheeks. Then she pointed aggressively at Toretto, "But in order to hand me my ass you'd have to have it, and honey, you don't have it yet. I won the last one remember? What makes you think you'll win this time?" The other guys, and Tia laughed, when Dominic didn't have an answer. Soon though, he was laughing right along with the rest of them.