Chapter 47 - Cat fight
AN: Another long chapter. Woowhoo. Anyways I hope you enjoy it, I hope you feel the cuteness. More serious stuff to come but this, well, I don't know really. It moves the story sorta and just ups the cuteness factor a lot. I hope. Enjoy.
Mia put supper on the table and the guys all pounced on it. Torrie slid off Dom's lap and onto her own chair and started to grab food around the guys. It was eat or be eaten around the dinner table some nights and Torrie fought for her share of the food. She grabbed the potatoes before Dom and the corn before Jesse and helped herself with a look that dared them to try and take the food from her. Dom threw up his hands in mock surrender and waited till she was done. Torrie went for the chicken and when Dom went for the same piece she forked his hand first then the chicken. Dom growled at her but grabbed another piece. Then she grabbed the butter before Brian who just gave her his 1000 watt smile; when it came to food he just got out of Torrie's way. Mia was always smart enough to make a plate for herself before she set out the rest of the food.
Vince started to snarl at Leon over a piece of chicken then noticed that Chris was looking at them all like they were crazy. She hadn't grabbed any food yet. It was clear that she wasn't use to a big family eating together.
"I know it looks savage but it's not really. Just start grabbing." Vince told Chris with a smile.
"Vincent! Get your guest some dinner." Torrie said with a touch of reproach. The girl was afraid of her own shadow; she was never going to fight this bunch over food. She obviously needed Vince to fend for her for the time being. The team looked up in mild shock and Leon made his ooooh face. Torrie was normally such an easy going girl but she just couldn't like Chris much right now when it was clear the other girl disliked her for something that Torrie herself had nothing to do with. However she wasn't going to watch her starve to death either.
"You're so right Victoria; I should make sure my guest gets dinner shouldn't I?" Vince asked. Torrie stuck out her tongue at him.
"Only my daddy ever called me Victoria. And yes, it's not fair to expect a stranger to fight you'n Dominic over food, then throw Leon'n Jesse into that equation and it's a wonder that Letty, Mia and I ever get to eat." She said and stuck a forkful of potatoes in her mouth. She thought that would guilt Vince into apologizing for calling her by her full name. He did look mildly apologetic.
"There's nothing wrong with the name Victoria." Mia said with a giggle. "But I can't imagine Harry calling you that. Torrie suits you so much better."
"Well, ok, he mostly called me that when I pissed him off, which was actually quite often." Torrie said with a fond smile at the memories of her dad. She sniffled and then ate a bite of chicken.
"Well the only one to call me Dominic in that exasperated tone was my dad till I met you Torrie so maybe Vince is just helping me get square." Dom said and winked at Vince. He hated to see Torrie get down.
"Yeah, that's it." Vince said with a grin.
"Ol' Coyote, you couldn't dream up a plan like that if I gave you a week to do it and a hint how." Torrie taunted, she really could talk trash just like a guy when it came to dinner table talk. Dom grinned at the slight on V's intelligence or lack there of.
Chris spoke for the first time. "Coyote? Is that you're nickname?" She asked Vince.
"Yeah." Vince didn't offer any more info.
"Why?" Chris asked and Vince's color turned slightly ruddy.
"No reason really." Vince tried to bull shit and Leon sputtered. Before he could answer Torrie did, ignoring the look Dom shot her. She was taking this chance to get back at Chris for hurting her feelings without a good reason.
"No reason! V, don't lie. The reason he got that name, so the story goes is because he was so wily with the ladies. He'd get the girl he wanted, even if he had to be sly and cunning to do it, then he'd slink off and never talk to her again like the loner coyote he is." Torrie grinned. "He's old Mr. Wile E. Coyote." Dom shot Torrie another one of his shut up looks. She heeded this one and stuck a fork full of corn in her mouth. Leon was laughing and so was Jesse, they were oblivious to the tension in the room. Vince looked like he could have cheerfully strangled Torrie and Chris looked like she didn't know what to think.
"That's not it at all." Vince tried to repair the damage. "It's just cause I'm so smart and cause I'll eat anything." He chucked and proceeded to shovel his mouth full.
"True dat." Leon laughed. They all did and proceeded to finish eating.
Torrie carried dishes out to the kitchen and started to dry while Mia washed.
"What're you doin' helpin' me clean up?" Mia asked, slightly shocked. Torrie and Letty had the same theory that car chicks did not help clean.
"Don'ow. Just wanted to." Torrie mumbled. She had wanted to get away from the nastiness that was the way Vince was looking at her. Plus Mia always knew what to say to make things better. Torrie hoped this would not be the exception to the rule.
"Why'd you go and practically tell this girl Vince was some sort of male slut?" Mia asked. She was just curious because it wasn't like Torrie to try and make anyone think less of her friends.
"I just, well, I heard her crying and Vince was trying to comfort her but you know how good he is at feelings." She rolled her eyes and Mia nodded to show she understood. "So I went into the room to see if everything was ok and she kept shooting me dirty looks. I don't deserve that, I didn't do anything. I guess it pissed me off more then I knew because I just saw that chance to get back at her in some way and took it."
"She's been through a lot Torr, you might want to cut her some slack." Mia was always the fair one, thinking of others.
"Yeah, I guess she has but you know, things haven't exactly been smooth wit me'n Dom lately and I'm dealin' with that."
"I know. But this girl's lookin' at Vince like her hero right now and you tried to make it look like he was just tryin' to get in her pants."
"Mia! That wasn't what I was tryin' to do at all." Torrie herself saw the distinction between trying to make the girl see that Vince had been popular and was therefore not interested in her and trying to make the girl think Vince was just using her for sex.
"No?"
"No, hurt her feelings that a guy like Vince wouldn't like a girl like her maybe, that he was just taken' care'o her because he felt bad for her, but not make her think he was using her for sex."
"Well, that's something at least. It's still not like you to want to hurt people." Mia and Torrie did have a lot in common. "You're not jealous of Vince getting a girlfriend and not being free to pal around with you and comfort you and take your side when you fight with Dom are you?"
Ah, the ever perceptive Mia. Torrie sighed. There may have been some elements of truth in that Torrie had never thought of consciously in what Mia said. Torrie was sure as hell not admitting it. "Of course not. I doubt very much if Vince got mad at Dom for saying we couldn't pal around anymore that he would stop acting like he does with me over some girl. And I was just upset by how she acted is all." Torrie looked out the window. Sometimes she missed Letty. She checked herself for honesty on that one but it was true. Mia was all fine and good but Letty saw things in a whole different light. Letty might have told her to tell the girl off outright where as Mia was telling her to go easy. Sometimes Torrie just wanted to be a bitch. It wasn't really like her but sometimes she just felt that way. She wondered just how pissed Vince was at her. She heard the heavy footsteps of one of the male members of the team enter the kitchen. Please be Dom or Leon, she prayed.
Someone grabbed her around the waist and before she could react bit her neck. She looked down and saw the huge, dark arms around her waist and sighed. Dom.
"Hey baby." She cooed. "Wanna go to that movie?" He nipped the side of her neck again and Mia looked on with an indulgent smile. They did look like the cutest couple when things were good between them. Then she reminded herself that was her brother. Ew.
"Sure. Drive in or real theatre?" Dom thought maybe an evening of just the two of them was a good idea.
"Oooh, drive in. Let's take the Charger." It had a bench seat. She already had evil thoughts.
It was like Dom read her mind. "Sounds good. That what you're wearing?" Dom eyed her in his shirt and baggy sweats.
"Yeah, why is there something wrong with what I'm wearing." She was comfortable and kickin' around the drive-in did not require her to be dressed up.
"No nothing wrong with how you're dressed." Dom said and leaned in close so Mia wouldn't hear. "But you in a skirt has certain appeal too." She turned her head to look at him in her confusion then why donned on her. She blushed.
"Oh Dom. You are evil." But she smiled. She was happy when Dom was dancing attendance on her like this, taking care of her and acting oh so in love. She turned around in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'll go get ready then."
"I'll come with you." Dom locked his arms under her butt and picked her up. She squealed then giggled when she figured what he was going to do. He did just what she thought and carried her up the stairs. When he had the door to the room closed he slowly set her on her feet. "We could just stay in." He said, raising one eyebrow, leaving it up to her.
"Oh no, let's go. It sounds like such fun." She flashed him a soft smile and went to her drawer. She changed and took her hair down. While she was brushing it out Dom went and pulled the car around out of the shed. She waited for him to come back to the room to get her but he didn't. She didn't want to walk out of the house on her own in case she ran into Vince. She didn't want to answer for what'd she'd done yet. She just wanted to enjoy her night with Dom with out it hanging over her head. She heard Dom honking from out front. Well, if Dom was acting impatient surely no one would stop her on her way out of the house.
She ran lightly down the stairs. Vince was alone in the living room but she pretended not to see him and hauled ass out the front door, yanking it open. She ran onto the step and pulled the door closed. She ran down the walk, hair streaming behind her and then climbed into the black beast.
By the time Vince realized that Torrie was out of the house there was no way for him to catch her. She was going to catch hell when he did catch up with her. He couldn't believe she'd said those things in front of Chris. She was the one who told him not to mess this up if he thought he wanted it then she said something that could very well mess it up on him.
It didn't seem like Chris was mad. She'd laughed along with the team and seemed to buy that his explanation about eating everything in sight was the real reason. Vince still didn't know if he really liked Chris or not but he didn't want Torrie to give her the idea that he was just helping her to get her in bed. He knew that Torrie was likely mad about how Chris had treated her earlier but it wasn't like Torrie to be catty. Unless it was over some skank trying to get on Dominic.
Mia walked into the living room. She turned on the lamp, planning on reading while she waited for Brian to get home off the shift he'd had to work. She thought the room was empty so when the light illuminated Vince she jumped a mile. "Damn it Vince, why are you sitting in the dark?"
"Just thinkin' Mia. What're you up to?"
"Just waiting up for Bri." She said with a smile when she thought of Brian. She loved that boy so much. "What're you thinking about in the dark?"
"Things. What made Torrie act like such a catty bitch for one thing."
"I don't think I'd take it that far Vince. She's never a bitch. You know how she gets when people act like they don't like her plus there's all this shit with Dom goin' down right now." Mia sat and picked up her book.
"I guess, but she knows I'm pissed at her. She ran by me sitting here waiting for her and she pretended not to see me and ran out to the car really fast."
"Well, Dom was waiting for her in the car. They went to see a movie."
"In the charger?" Dom really didn't like to drive it still.
"They went to the drive in theatre." Mia said with a grin and then a shudder because it was obvious what they were doing at the drive in and Dom was still her brother. Vince smiled.
"Those two have been at it all day."
"Well, they fought. It's like Dom's way of apologizing." Mia looked at her book. "And I don't want to think about it any more." Vince roared with laughter at that. Poor Mia already knew so much more then she really wanted to.
"How do you think he feels knowing that you and O'Connor live together upstairs huh?" Vince asked.
"I imagine he doesn't wanna think about it, like I don't wanna think about what he does with her in his room." Mia gave Vince a look that clearly said it was time to drop the subject. "So how is Chris?"
"Tired. I think the lot of us was hard to take. She went to take a bath."
"Good. She'll feel better when she's done." Mia curled up in the chair. "What's she going to do now?"
"I don't know. I don't think she does either. But I don't know if her and Torrie are gonna get along."
"Well, didn't Chris start it? From what I heard she kinda started it." Mia tried to be diplomatic. "I know she's been through a lot but you know about how long Dom's gonna put up with anyone being mean to Torrie, plus she didn't understand what was up."
Vince sighed. He did know that Dom would put an end to Chris staying with them if she continued to fight with Torrie, or just make Torrie uncomfortable. But now that Torrie acted so catty and basically reinforced Chris's opinion of her he didn't know if the two girls could get along. "I gather that Chris got picked on in school by the popular crowd and she figures that Torrie was one of the type of girls who did that to people in school. She as much as called Torrie an airhead who picked on the smart kids unless she needed help with her studies. I set her straight but I just don't know. Chris has this picture in her head that Torrie's perfect in every way and that she knows it. You and I both know that Torrie is gorgeous but she's not stuck up about it. I don't think she thinks of herself that way either."
"Torrie and stuck up are two words that do not belong in the same sentence." Mia said with a small frown.
"I know that, and you know that, but Chris doesn't know that. If Torrie lays off the cat fight material and Chris just gives her a chance it should all work out."
"I hope so because it's clear that Chris needs someone, but on the other hand we're Torrie's family now, she's been here longer and Dom loves her. This is Torrie's home and I just don't want to see her having someone be mean to her here."
"I know. I know. I want to see if Dom'll let Chris have the job at the Café if she wants it and you still need the help."
"That's a great idea Vince. Yep, I still need someone if she wants the job. Why don't you ask her?"
"I'll do that tomorrow. I might see if she wants to go to a movie when she's done. I don't think the punk ever took her out."
"Good idea." Mia buried her face in her book.
Chris was soaking in a hot bath. It felt so nice to have the time to just lay back, relax and do nothing. She knew that Torrie had said the stuff at dinner just to be catty but she figured she'd brought that on herself by being mean to the other girl in the first place. Plus she'd seen the look that Vince had given her and she figured that Torrie had it in with Vince when next he saw her. She both couldn't wait for that to happen and hoped she got to hear Vince put her in her place and figured it wasn't fair for the girl to get told off over something that Chris had helped bring on.
She climbed out of the bath and wondered what she could do with her ugly clothes to make them look more presentable. There was a knock on the door. Chris wrapped the towel around her closer and cracked the door. It was Mia. Chris didn't want the girl to see her scars and bruises.
"Hi. I thought this stuff would fit you and you can borrow it till you get to go shopping or get your stuff back if you want." Mia said softly. Chris took the bundle of clothes.
"Thanks."
"Sure." Mia pulled the door closed and walked away. She hoped that the clothes did fit the other girl.
Chris looked through the clothes and picked out a pair of jeans and a top that would fit her and hide most of her wounds. After all the whole lot of them knew what kind of ass her ex was so they wouldn't be overly shocked to see the marks he'd left her with. But that didn't mean that Chris would be running around in belly tops and two piece swim suits any time soon. She wondered who's clothes these were. They weren't tiny enough to belong to Mia or Torrie. The two girls were about the same size. They were Letty's. They were still a bit tight on Chris but they did fit. Although she couldn't remember the last time she wore clothes this tight. They fit her the same way they fit Letty, they were about the same size. Chris just thought of herself as big because her ex had always been telling her she was, plus he'd made her dress in baggie clothes that made it look like she was a bit over weight. She walked downstairs in the borrowed cloths.
Vince couldn't believe it was the same girl. With her hair all washed and looking better around her shoulders and in the clothes Mia lent her that fit her figure she looked like a whole 'nother person. He stood up. "You're lookin' better." He said with a smile.
"I feel better." She smiled back.
"You wanna go to a movie?" Vince asked, almost shyly.
"I'd like that." Off they went.
The movies playing at the drive in were 'the bosses daughter' and 'Freddy vs. Jason." The first movie was funny, not that they saw much of it. As soon as the windows had fogged up from their breath Dom had been all over Torrie. He started with the little kisses on her neck and shoulders that he knew drove her nuts. Then when he had her good and interested in what he was doing he moved on to bigger and better things.
"Dooommm." She moaned, yet again. This boy was going to kill her, she thought. She'd known that if they came to the drive in, in the charger he was going to want to fool around with her but he was driving her slowly crazy and he hadn't even really done much to her yet. He'd lifted her up, slid onto the passenger seat and set her down in his lap facing him but then he just kissed her. She was kissing him back, she had no desire to fight it anyway. Dom continued on his path toward what they both knew was going to happen.
She just screamed out his name for the final time and collapsed on his bare chest when the knock came at the window.
"Oh shit." Dom said with a laugh. Who could that be? What was he gonna do? Torrie was wearing nothing but his shirt, and was hastily pulling that down to cover her chest. His shirt was long gone into the back seat and his draws were around his ankles.
He looked at the shocked look on Torrie's face. She looked like a deer in the headlights of a big rig. The knock came again, louder this time. "Hello in there."
"Slide over to the drivers seat baby." He whispered. As she slid he added, "pretend to be asleep." She nodded. He pulled the blanket off the floor and wrapped it around her. Then he pulled up his pants and looked at her quickly. She looked asleep. He rolled down the window, trying to look sleepy himself.
"Hello." He thought he sounded convincingly sleepy, like he just woke up.
"Hello there." Stated the security guard. "Everything ok?"
"Yeah, everything's great. Why?"
"Car's all steamed up. Normally people who are watching the movie clear the windshield." The security guard obviously knew what had been going on.
"Yeah, we fell asleep. It's been a long week and we likely should have gone after the first movie." Dom said with his most charming smile.
"Yeah, you likely should have." The guard wasn't buying it. He knew why kids sat in the back row and let their car steam up. Plus he'd heard the girl making noises on his way up to the car. "You might want to head out now."
"You're right, we'll go home now. Thanks again." With that Dom rolled up the window, threw back his head and roared with laughter. He'd just been caught having sex in his car at the drive-in for the first time in his life. Torrie 'woke up' and turned bright red.
"I don't think this is so funny. This is a very recognizable car you know. The whole place knows what we were doin' now and every time they see this car they're gonna think of that." She then started to giggle. It was kinda funny.
"Baby, all they'd need is one look at you and they'd know why I can't keep my hands off you when we get in small, closed spaces."
"No, you're the one who's so damn fine I can't keep my hands off you."
"Well, that's why we get carried away like this so often then, neither of us can keep our hands to ourselves." They laughed.
"Um, Dominic?"
"Yes baby?"
"Where's my skirt? I thought the whole point of me changing was so I could keep it on and not lose it."
"Um, I think I threw it back here." Dom said as he got on his knees to check the back seat. He'd forgotten to do up his pants and they fell down. Torrie laughed till tears ran down her cheeks at the sight of Dom bent over the bench seat of the car with his bare ass hanging out fishing in the back seat for her clothes. Since there was no back seat per say, just the cavernous space where it shoulda been, it was taking him a while to locate anything in the dark.
Dom felt the draft and then he realized why Torrie was laughing. "You are so dead after I find your stuff. You think my ass is that funny of a site huh?" Dom growled.
"No, I think the security guard staring at your bare ass is that funny." Torrie stammered out between the gasps and laughter. Dom groaned just as his hand closed over her stuff. He turned around and handed it to her. He pulled up his pants again, did them up this time and looked at Torrie.
"Switch seats quick, before he gets up here." They did and as they drove away, keeping the lights off so the security guard couldn't get the plates Torrie pulled her clothes on.
"I've never done anything like that before." Torrie still couldn't believe she'd done that. Dom made her do crazy stuff she'd never have done before she met him.
"Me neither." Dom smiled at her. "Life is never boring when we're together at least."
"I guess not." Torrie said and slid into the middle of the seat, put her head down on Dom's shoulder as his arm wrapped around her and fell asleep.
They got home and Dom parked the car. He didn't have the heart to wake Torrie so he pulled her into his lap and stood up with her in his arms. He carried her up to the front door, got it open somehow without dropping her and then kicked it closed. He'd never bothered with his shirt, he hadn't been able to find it. He expected everyone else to be in bed already. He was therefore very surprised to find Vince in the living room. "What're you doin' up V?" Dom asked, trying to be quiet so that Torrie didn't wake up.
"I was waiting to talk to Torrie but I guess that ain't happening." Vince said with a frown.
"Nope, she's out like a light. It's been a long day." Dom looked down at his girl, she looked far too young for him when she was asleep with her hair streaming down over his arm and he noticed that all she'd gotten for her trouble of spending so much time in the sun was a smattering of light freckles across her nose. All she'd gotten for the trouble of spending the day with him was a series of little love marks all over her neck. She was either gonna be irate or embarrassed over that. He still thought she looked far too young for him. However when he thought of what they'd basically spent the day doing he knew she wasn't too young at all.
"Yeah, it has."
"Don't go too hard on her for what she said V. It's not like she made it up, she just shouldn'ta said it then." Dom smiled, Torrie's take on how he got the nickname wasn't far off base.
"I know. Do I want to know where the hell your shirt is or what you two were doin?"
"You might wanna know, but I'm not tellin'." Dom said with a telling smile and then started up the stairs.
AN: Another long chapter. Woowhoo. Anyways I hope you enjoy it, I hope you feel the cuteness. More serious stuff to come but this, well, I don't know really. It moves the story sorta and just ups the cuteness factor a lot. I hope. Enjoy.
Mia put supper on the table and the guys all pounced on it. Torrie slid off Dom's lap and onto her own chair and started to grab food around the guys. It was eat or be eaten around the dinner table some nights and Torrie fought for her share of the food. She grabbed the potatoes before Dom and the corn before Jesse and helped herself with a look that dared them to try and take the food from her. Dom threw up his hands in mock surrender and waited till she was done. Torrie went for the chicken and when Dom went for the same piece she forked his hand first then the chicken. Dom growled at her but grabbed another piece. Then she grabbed the butter before Brian who just gave her his 1000 watt smile; when it came to food he just got out of Torrie's way. Mia was always smart enough to make a plate for herself before she set out the rest of the food.
Vince started to snarl at Leon over a piece of chicken then noticed that Chris was looking at them all like they were crazy. She hadn't grabbed any food yet. It was clear that she wasn't use to a big family eating together.
"I know it looks savage but it's not really. Just start grabbing." Vince told Chris with a smile.
"Vincent! Get your guest some dinner." Torrie said with a touch of reproach. The girl was afraid of her own shadow; she was never going to fight this bunch over food. She obviously needed Vince to fend for her for the time being. The team looked up in mild shock and Leon made his ooooh face. Torrie was normally such an easy going girl but she just couldn't like Chris much right now when it was clear the other girl disliked her for something that Torrie herself had nothing to do with. However she wasn't going to watch her starve to death either.
"You're so right Victoria; I should make sure my guest gets dinner shouldn't I?" Vince asked. Torrie stuck out her tongue at him.
"Only my daddy ever called me Victoria. And yes, it's not fair to expect a stranger to fight you'n Dominic over food, then throw Leon'n Jesse into that equation and it's a wonder that Letty, Mia and I ever get to eat." She said and stuck a forkful of potatoes in her mouth. She thought that would guilt Vince into apologizing for calling her by her full name. He did look mildly apologetic.
"There's nothing wrong with the name Victoria." Mia said with a giggle. "But I can't imagine Harry calling you that. Torrie suits you so much better."
"Well, ok, he mostly called me that when I pissed him off, which was actually quite often." Torrie said with a fond smile at the memories of her dad. She sniffled and then ate a bite of chicken.
"Well the only one to call me Dominic in that exasperated tone was my dad till I met you Torrie so maybe Vince is just helping me get square." Dom said and winked at Vince. He hated to see Torrie get down.
"Yeah, that's it." Vince said with a grin.
"Ol' Coyote, you couldn't dream up a plan like that if I gave you a week to do it and a hint how." Torrie taunted, she really could talk trash just like a guy when it came to dinner table talk. Dom grinned at the slight on V's intelligence or lack there of.
Chris spoke for the first time. "Coyote? Is that you're nickname?" She asked Vince.
"Yeah." Vince didn't offer any more info.
"Why?" Chris asked and Vince's color turned slightly ruddy.
"No reason really." Vince tried to bull shit and Leon sputtered. Before he could answer Torrie did, ignoring the look Dom shot her. She was taking this chance to get back at Chris for hurting her feelings without a good reason.
"No reason! V, don't lie. The reason he got that name, so the story goes is because he was so wily with the ladies. He'd get the girl he wanted, even if he had to be sly and cunning to do it, then he'd slink off and never talk to her again like the loner coyote he is." Torrie grinned. "He's old Mr. Wile E. Coyote." Dom shot Torrie another one of his shut up looks. She heeded this one and stuck a fork full of corn in her mouth. Leon was laughing and so was Jesse, they were oblivious to the tension in the room. Vince looked like he could have cheerfully strangled Torrie and Chris looked like she didn't know what to think.
"That's not it at all." Vince tried to repair the damage. "It's just cause I'm so smart and cause I'll eat anything." He chucked and proceeded to shovel his mouth full.
"True dat." Leon laughed. They all did and proceeded to finish eating.
Torrie carried dishes out to the kitchen and started to dry while Mia washed.
"What're you doin' helpin' me clean up?" Mia asked, slightly shocked. Torrie and Letty had the same theory that car chicks did not help clean.
"Don'ow. Just wanted to." Torrie mumbled. She had wanted to get away from the nastiness that was the way Vince was looking at her. Plus Mia always knew what to say to make things better. Torrie hoped this would not be the exception to the rule.
"Why'd you go and practically tell this girl Vince was some sort of male slut?" Mia asked. She was just curious because it wasn't like Torrie to try and make anyone think less of her friends.
"I just, well, I heard her crying and Vince was trying to comfort her but you know how good he is at feelings." She rolled her eyes and Mia nodded to show she understood. "So I went into the room to see if everything was ok and she kept shooting me dirty looks. I don't deserve that, I didn't do anything. I guess it pissed me off more then I knew because I just saw that chance to get back at her in some way and took it."
"She's been through a lot Torr, you might want to cut her some slack." Mia was always the fair one, thinking of others.
"Yeah, I guess she has but you know, things haven't exactly been smooth wit me'n Dom lately and I'm dealin' with that."
"I know. But this girl's lookin' at Vince like her hero right now and you tried to make it look like he was just tryin' to get in her pants."
"Mia! That wasn't what I was tryin' to do at all." Torrie herself saw the distinction between trying to make the girl see that Vince had been popular and was therefore not interested in her and trying to make the girl think Vince was just using her for sex.
"No?"
"No, hurt her feelings that a guy like Vince wouldn't like a girl like her maybe, that he was just taken' care'o her because he felt bad for her, but not make her think he was using her for sex."
"Well, that's something at least. It's still not like you to want to hurt people." Mia and Torrie did have a lot in common. "You're not jealous of Vince getting a girlfriend and not being free to pal around with you and comfort you and take your side when you fight with Dom are you?"
Ah, the ever perceptive Mia. Torrie sighed. There may have been some elements of truth in that Torrie had never thought of consciously in what Mia said. Torrie was sure as hell not admitting it. "Of course not. I doubt very much if Vince got mad at Dom for saying we couldn't pal around anymore that he would stop acting like he does with me over some girl. And I was just upset by how she acted is all." Torrie looked out the window. Sometimes she missed Letty. She checked herself for honesty on that one but it was true. Mia was all fine and good but Letty saw things in a whole different light. Letty might have told her to tell the girl off outright where as Mia was telling her to go easy. Sometimes Torrie just wanted to be a bitch. It wasn't really like her but sometimes she just felt that way. She wondered just how pissed Vince was at her. She heard the heavy footsteps of one of the male members of the team enter the kitchen. Please be Dom or Leon, she prayed.
Someone grabbed her around the waist and before she could react bit her neck. She looked down and saw the huge, dark arms around her waist and sighed. Dom.
"Hey baby." She cooed. "Wanna go to that movie?" He nipped the side of her neck again and Mia looked on with an indulgent smile. They did look like the cutest couple when things were good between them. Then she reminded herself that was her brother. Ew.
"Sure. Drive in or real theatre?" Dom thought maybe an evening of just the two of them was a good idea.
"Oooh, drive in. Let's take the Charger." It had a bench seat. She already had evil thoughts.
It was like Dom read her mind. "Sounds good. That what you're wearing?" Dom eyed her in his shirt and baggy sweats.
"Yeah, why is there something wrong with what I'm wearing." She was comfortable and kickin' around the drive-in did not require her to be dressed up.
"No nothing wrong with how you're dressed." Dom said and leaned in close so Mia wouldn't hear. "But you in a skirt has certain appeal too." She turned her head to look at him in her confusion then why donned on her. She blushed.
"Oh Dom. You are evil." But she smiled. She was happy when Dom was dancing attendance on her like this, taking care of her and acting oh so in love. She turned around in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'll go get ready then."
"I'll come with you." Dom locked his arms under her butt and picked her up. She squealed then giggled when she figured what he was going to do. He did just what she thought and carried her up the stairs. When he had the door to the room closed he slowly set her on her feet. "We could just stay in." He said, raising one eyebrow, leaving it up to her.
"Oh no, let's go. It sounds like such fun." She flashed him a soft smile and went to her drawer. She changed and took her hair down. While she was brushing it out Dom went and pulled the car around out of the shed. She waited for him to come back to the room to get her but he didn't. She didn't want to walk out of the house on her own in case she ran into Vince. She didn't want to answer for what'd she'd done yet. She just wanted to enjoy her night with Dom with out it hanging over her head. She heard Dom honking from out front. Well, if Dom was acting impatient surely no one would stop her on her way out of the house.
She ran lightly down the stairs. Vince was alone in the living room but she pretended not to see him and hauled ass out the front door, yanking it open. She ran onto the step and pulled the door closed. She ran down the walk, hair streaming behind her and then climbed into the black beast.
By the time Vince realized that Torrie was out of the house there was no way for him to catch her. She was going to catch hell when he did catch up with her. He couldn't believe she'd said those things in front of Chris. She was the one who told him not to mess this up if he thought he wanted it then she said something that could very well mess it up on him.
It didn't seem like Chris was mad. She'd laughed along with the team and seemed to buy that his explanation about eating everything in sight was the real reason. Vince still didn't know if he really liked Chris or not but he didn't want Torrie to give her the idea that he was just helping her to get her in bed. He knew that Torrie was likely mad about how Chris had treated her earlier but it wasn't like Torrie to be catty. Unless it was over some skank trying to get on Dominic.
Mia walked into the living room. She turned on the lamp, planning on reading while she waited for Brian to get home off the shift he'd had to work. She thought the room was empty so when the light illuminated Vince she jumped a mile. "Damn it Vince, why are you sitting in the dark?"
"Just thinkin' Mia. What're you up to?"
"Just waiting up for Bri." She said with a smile when she thought of Brian. She loved that boy so much. "What're you thinking about in the dark?"
"Things. What made Torrie act like such a catty bitch for one thing."
"I don't think I'd take it that far Vince. She's never a bitch. You know how she gets when people act like they don't like her plus there's all this shit with Dom goin' down right now." Mia sat and picked up her book.
"I guess, but she knows I'm pissed at her. She ran by me sitting here waiting for her and she pretended not to see me and ran out to the car really fast."
"Well, Dom was waiting for her in the car. They went to see a movie."
"In the charger?" Dom really didn't like to drive it still.
"They went to the drive in theatre." Mia said with a grin and then a shudder because it was obvious what they were doing at the drive in and Dom was still her brother. Vince smiled.
"Those two have been at it all day."
"Well, they fought. It's like Dom's way of apologizing." Mia looked at her book. "And I don't want to think about it any more." Vince roared with laughter at that. Poor Mia already knew so much more then she really wanted to.
"How do you think he feels knowing that you and O'Connor live together upstairs huh?" Vince asked.
"I imagine he doesn't wanna think about it, like I don't wanna think about what he does with her in his room." Mia gave Vince a look that clearly said it was time to drop the subject. "So how is Chris?"
"Tired. I think the lot of us was hard to take. She went to take a bath."
"Good. She'll feel better when she's done." Mia curled up in the chair. "What's she going to do now?"
"I don't know. I don't think she does either. But I don't know if her and Torrie are gonna get along."
"Well, didn't Chris start it? From what I heard she kinda started it." Mia tried to be diplomatic. "I know she's been through a lot but you know about how long Dom's gonna put up with anyone being mean to Torrie, plus she didn't understand what was up."
Vince sighed. He did know that Dom would put an end to Chris staying with them if she continued to fight with Torrie, or just make Torrie uncomfortable. But now that Torrie acted so catty and basically reinforced Chris's opinion of her he didn't know if the two girls could get along. "I gather that Chris got picked on in school by the popular crowd and she figures that Torrie was one of the type of girls who did that to people in school. She as much as called Torrie an airhead who picked on the smart kids unless she needed help with her studies. I set her straight but I just don't know. Chris has this picture in her head that Torrie's perfect in every way and that she knows it. You and I both know that Torrie is gorgeous but she's not stuck up about it. I don't think she thinks of herself that way either."
"Torrie and stuck up are two words that do not belong in the same sentence." Mia said with a small frown.
"I know that, and you know that, but Chris doesn't know that. If Torrie lays off the cat fight material and Chris just gives her a chance it should all work out."
"I hope so because it's clear that Chris needs someone, but on the other hand we're Torrie's family now, she's been here longer and Dom loves her. This is Torrie's home and I just don't want to see her having someone be mean to her here."
"I know. I know. I want to see if Dom'll let Chris have the job at the Café if she wants it and you still need the help."
"That's a great idea Vince. Yep, I still need someone if she wants the job. Why don't you ask her?"
"I'll do that tomorrow. I might see if she wants to go to a movie when she's done. I don't think the punk ever took her out."
"Good idea." Mia buried her face in her book.
Chris was soaking in a hot bath. It felt so nice to have the time to just lay back, relax and do nothing. She knew that Torrie had said the stuff at dinner just to be catty but she figured she'd brought that on herself by being mean to the other girl in the first place. Plus she'd seen the look that Vince had given her and she figured that Torrie had it in with Vince when next he saw her. She both couldn't wait for that to happen and hoped she got to hear Vince put her in her place and figured it wasn't fair for the girl to get told off over something that Chris had helped bring on.
She climbed out of the bath and wondered what she could do with her ugly clothes to make them look more presentable. There was a knock on the door. Chris wrapped the towel around her closer and cracked the door. It was Mia. Chris didn't want the girl to see her scars and bruises.
"Hi. I thought this stuff would fit you and you can borrow it till you get to go shopping or get your stuff back if you want." Mia said softly. Chris took the bundle of clothes.
"Thanks."
"Sure." Mia pulled the door closed and walked away. She hoped that the clothes did fit the other girl.
Chris looked through the clothes and picked out a pair of jeans and a top that would fit her and hide most of her wounds. After all the whole lot of them knew what kind of ass her ex was so they wouldn't be overly shocked to see the marks he'd left her with. But that didn't mean that Chris would be running around in belly tops and two piece swim suits any time soon. She wondered who's clothes these were. They weren't tiny enough to belong to Mia or Torrie. The two girls were about the same size. They were Letty's. They were still a bit tight on Chris but they did fit. Although she couldn't remember the last time she wore clothes this tight. They fit her the same way they fit Letty, they were about the same size. Chris just thought of herself as big because her ex had always been telling her she was, plus he'd made her dress in baggie clothes that made it look like she was a bit over weight. She walked downstairs in the borrowed cloths.
Vince couldn't believe it was the same girl. With her hair all washed and looking better around her shoulders and in the clothes Mia lent her that fit her figure she looked like a whole 'nother person. He stood up. "You're lookin' better." He said with a smile.
"I feel better." She smiled back.
"You wanna go to a movie?" Vince asked, almost shyly.
"I'd like that." Off they went.
The movies playing at the drive in were 'the bosses daughter' and 'Freddy vs. Jason." The first movie was funny, not that they saw much of it. As soon as the windows had fogged up from their breath Dom had been all over Torrie. He started with the little kisses on her neck and shoulders that he knew drove her nuts. Then when he had her good and interested in what he was doing he moved on to bigger and better things.
"Dooommm." She moaned, yet again. This boy was going to kill her, she thought. She'd known that if they came to the drive in, in the charger he was going to want to fool around with her but he was driving her slowly crazy and he hadn't even really done much to her yet. He'd lifted her up, slid onto the passenger seat and set her down in his lap facing him but then he just kissed her. She was kissing him back, she had no desire to fight it anyway. Dom continued on his path toward what they both knew was going to happen.
She just screamed out his name for the final time and collapsed on his bare chest when the knock came at the window.
"Oh shit." Dom said with a laugh. Who could that be? What was he gonna do? Torrie was wearing nothing but his shirt, and was hastily pulling that down to cover her chest. His shirt was long gone into the back seat and his draws were around his ankles.
He looked at the shocked look on Torrie's face. She looked like a deer in the headlights of a big rig. The knock came again, louder this time. "Hello in there."
"Slide over to the drivers seat baby." He whispered. As she slid he added, "pretend to be asleep." She nodded. He pulled the blanket off the floor and wrapped it around her. Then he pulled up his pants and looked at her quickly. She looked asleep. He rolled down the window, trying to look sleepy himself.
"Hello." He thought he sounded convincingly sleepy, like he just woke up.
"Hello there." Stated the security guard. "Everything ok?"
"Yeah, everything's great. Why?"
"Car's all steamed up. Normally people who are watching the movie clear the windshield." The security guard obviously knew what had been going on.
"Yeah, we fell asleep. It's been a long week and we likely should have gone after the first movie." Dom said with his most charming smile.
"Yeah, you likely should have." The guard wasn't buying it. He knew why kids sat in the back row and let their car steam up. Plus he'd heard the girl making noises on his way up to the car. "You might want to head out now."
"You're right, we'll go home now. Thanks again." With that Dom rolled up the window, threw back his head and roared with laughter. He'd just been caught having sex in his car at the drive-in for the first time in his life. Torrie 'woke up' and turned bright red.
"I don't think this is so funny. This is a very recognizable car you know. The whole place knows what we were doin' now and every time they see this car they're gonna think of that." She then started to giggle. It was kinda funny.
"Baby, all they'd need is one look at you and they'd know why I can't keep my hands off you when we get in small, closed spaces."
"No, you're the one who's so damn fine I can't keep my hands off you."
"Well, that's why we get carried away like this so often then, neither of us can keep our hands to ourselves." They laughed.
"Um, Dominic?"
"Yes baby?"
"Where's my skirt? I thought the whole point of me changing was so I could keep it on and not lose it."
"Um, I think I threw it back here." Dom said as he got on his knees to check the back seat. He'd forgotten to do up his pants and they fell down. Torrie laughed till tears ran down her cheeks at the sight of Dom bent over the bench seat of the car with his bare ass hanging out fishing in the back seat for her clothes. Since there was no back seat per say, just the cavernous space where it shoulda been, it was taking him a while to locate anything in the dark.
Dom felt the draft and then he realized why Torrie was laughing. "You are so dead after I find your stuff. You think my ass is that funny of a site huh?" Dom growled.
"No, I think the security guard staring at your bare ass is that funny." Torrie stammered out between the gasps and laughter. Dom groaned just as his hand closed over her stuff. He turned around and handed it to her. He pulled up his pants again, did them up this time and looked at Torrie.
"Switch seats quick, before he gets up here." They did and as they drove away, keeping the lights off so the security guard couldn't get the plates Torrie pulled her clothes on.
"I've never done anything like that before." Torrie still couldn't believe she'd done that. Dom made her do crazy stuff she'd never have done before she met him.
"Me neither." Dom smiled at her. "Life is never boring when we're together at least."
"I guess not." Torrie said and slid into the middle of the seat, put her head down on Dom's shoulder as his arm wrapped around her and fell asleep.
They got home and Dom parked the car. He didn't have the heart to wake Torrie so he pulled her into his lap and stood up with her in his arms. He carried her up to the front door, got it open somehow without dropping her and then kicked it closed. He'd never bothered with his shirt, he hadn't been able to find it. He expected everyone else to be in bed already. He was therefore very surprised to find Vince in the living room. "What're you doin' up V?" Dom asked, trying to be quiet so that Torrie didn't wake up.
"I was waiting to talk to Torrie but I guess that ain't happening." Vince said with a frown.
"Nope, she's out like a light. It's been a long day." Dom looked down at his girl, she looked far too young for him when she was asleep with her hair streaming down over his arm and he noticed that all she'd gotten for her trouble of spending so much time in the sun was a smattering of light freckles across her nose. All she'd gotten for the trouble of spending the day with him was a series of little love marks all over her neck. She was either gonna be irate or embarrassed over that. He still thought she looked far too young for him. However when he thought of what they'd basically spent the day doing he knew she wasn't too young at all.
"Yeah, it has."
"Don't go too hard on her for what she said V. It's not like she made it up, she just shouldn'ta said it then." Dom smiled, Torrie's take on how he got the nickname wasn't far off base.
"I know. Do I want to know where the hell your shirt is or what you two were doin?"
"You might wanna know, but I'm not tellin'." Dom said with a telling smile and then started up the stairs.