Domination

Chapter 7

 Lorelei had fallen asleep shortly after Jesse removed the butt plug. She woke in the middle of the night to look at the alarm clock to see that it was past two a.m. She groaned and rolled over. She jumped when a hand touched her cheek. Jesse's rough palm cupped the side of her face. She reached out and touched his bare chest.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Mhm." Lorelei nodded. "I don't know why I'm awake."

Jesse pulled Lorelei closer to his chest. He pressed his lips against her forehead.

"You can't sleep?" she asked.

"No," he said. "I keep thinking about seeing my Mom."

Lorelei sighed. Her eyes were heavy, but she forced them to stay open. Jesse needed her and she could not drift back to sleep yet.

"What's the worst that could happen?" she asked.

Jesse laughed, but it came out more like a snort. The sound brought a smile to Lorelei's lips.

"The worst that can happen? I am already preparing for it," he said. "It will be a miracle if she's sober when we show up."

"Aren't we going early in the morning?" Lorelei asked.

"Doesn't matter."

Lorelei chewed on her lip. She did not know much about alcoholism. No one in her life had suffered from it. She had only been around drunk people at night and at parties. Jesse not liking her drinking alcohol was starting to make more sense.

"What can I do to help?" she asked.

"Don't judge me for it," he said.

Lorelei raised a brow, but Jesse could barely see her face in the darkness.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"My family is messed up," he said. "I don't want you to think less of me."

"Jesse, I would never look at you as less. You know that my family has its own problems too."

Please don't ask about my Mom, she repeated in her head.

Jesse ran his thumb along Lorelei's bottom lip. She dragged her fingers across his chest, imagining where his tattoos were on his skin. The silence was heavy between the two of them.

"I love you so much, Lorelei," he said softly.

She smiled and pulled his hand away from her mouth. She leaned forward to kiss Jesse but caught the corner of his lips. He grabbed her chin and kissed her.

"I love you too," she said.

"Now, go back to sleep," he said.

A smile stayed on Lorelei's lips as she nuzzled into Jesse's chest. She closed her eyes and soon fell back asleep.

--

Jesse's knee was bouncing under the table in the coffee shop. He barely spoke and avoided eye contact with Lorelei all morning. She was finishing her muffin, but Jesse refused to eat breakfast. His hands shook as he finished his coffee, and he was pushing the empty cup across the table from hand to hand. Lorelei reached out and put her hand on his arm. He chewed on his lip as he looked up at her.

"It's going to be okay," she said.

Jesse sighed. He closed his eyes for a moment. Lorelei tried her best to keep a reassuring smile on her lips.

"Are you sure you want to go?" he asked. "I can bring you back to the hotel."

"I want to be there for you," she said.

Jesse nodded. He flipped over his wrist so that he could look at his watch.

"We should get going," he said.

Lorelei drained the remaining bit of coffee from her cup before standing. She laced her fingers with Jesse's and noticed the sweat that had build up on his palm. He was silent on the short walk over to his mother's apartment. He pulled her closer when the neighbourhood got rougher.

They stood outside of a building where cardboard covered almost half of the windows. The glass to the front door was cracked. There was graffiti scattered across the building.

Is this where Jesse grew up? He never really mentioned his childhood. She wondered what it was really like, but she did not know how to ask. It was starting to make more sense to her why Jesse was adnament that she did join him.

Jesse pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and held it up to his ear.

"We're here," he said, without a hello.

He shoved his phone back into his pocket. His jaw was hard as he gritted his teeth while waiting for his mother.

A woman came down the stairs. She had on a faded flannel bathrobe on over a pair of jeans and a dirty white T-shirt. Her greying hair was tied on top of her head. A pair of glasses were stuck on top of her head. She smiled and ran toward the door.

"Jesse!" she shouted. "I am so happy to see you!"

She wrapped her arms around Jesse's neck. Jesse was rigid, but wrapped his arms around his Mom. She pulled back and pinched his cheeks. He pulled her hands away. She turned and clasped her hands in front of her chest when she looked at Lorelei.

"You must be Laura," she said.

"Lorelei," Jesse corrected.

"Oh yes, Lorelei." Her smile grew wider. "I am so happy to meet you. I'm Christina."

She threw her arms around Lorelei. The strong smell of alcohol wafted into Lorelei's nose. The hug was lingering on too long, so Jesse put his hand on Christina's shoulder and pulled her back.

"I got everything we need," Christina said. "I promise that I did not let it get too bad this time."

"Then why may you lose the place?" Jesse asked.

"The landlord has it out for me."

Jesse rolled his eyes. "Let's just go inside."

Christina nodded and fished for her keys in the pocket of her bathrobe. Her hands shook so much that she could barely get the key into the door. Jesse put his hand on Lorelei's lower back and guided her in behind Christina. They walked single file up the narrow musty-smelling staircase.

They walked down the hallway to the unit at the end. Lorelei couldn't help but look at the stains and pencil markings on the walls. Christina pushed her shoulder into the door so that she could get it open enough so that she could slip in.

"Come in," she called out from inside the apartment.

Jesse stepped in front of Lorelei. She bumped into his chest. He looked over his shoulder before looking back at her and cupping the side of her face.

"You don't have to go in there," he said.

Lorelei grabbed Jesse's wrist and pulled his hand away. She shook her head.

"I'm here with you," she said.

"You don't have to be," he said. "I'll understand."

"I'll be with you no matter what."

Jesse smiled and leaned in to kiss Lorelei. His lips were tender against hers. Lorelei struggled to get lost in the moment because of the smell of the apartment building.

"Let's go," he said.

Jesse struggled to push the door open wide enough for him to slip in. He held the door open for Lorelei.

She stepped in and struggled not to look shocked as she took in the apartment.

What did she get herself into?