His friends looked him over from head to toe, incredulous at his appearance. Though he was still thinner and had dark circles under his eyes, the fact that he had cleaned himself up like this was almost a radical transformation.
"Hello," he greeted cautiously, walking to sit next to Marcus and across from Maximiliano. "I want to…"he sighed "I…"
"Don't say anything," Maximiliano interrupted, looking at him seriously. Marcus and Dom turned to him, expecting a harsh reaction. "I'm glad to see you like this, Dominick," he said with a smile, and Dom exhaled the breath he'd been holding.
"I thought that after everything that happened, everything I said…"
"I know, you don't deserve my friendship," Maxi said with a gesture that made all three of them smile. "You're a huge idiot, you don't think about others, and you're very stupid in many things, but" he adjusted himself
"after all, you're my friend, and we have to put up with you. What can you do?"
"I don't deserve you," Dom smiled.
"I completely agree," Maxi nodded repeatedly.
"Alright," Marcus raised his hand, his serious expression causing his companions to frown. "Don't attack him too much. Dominick knows all his flaws, many, endless ones…" he laughed.
Dominick looked at his friends laughing at his expense, and he smiled too. It had been a long time since he felt this comfortable with them. Bit by bit, he would reclaim everything he had lost.
"Have you thought about my proposal?" Marcus asked.
"Oh," Maximiliano whistled, playing with a pen.
"You know I won't give you anything unless I see a real change in you," he assured. "Taking a shower and doing something about that wild hair doesn't mean much. It's a step, but a small one."
"That's true," Maximiliano agreed repeatedly.
"I know," Dom sighed. "I'm willing to do whatever you say to earn the information."
"Whatever?" Marcus narrowed his eyes.
"Whatever," he confirmed to his friend, resolute.
"And it gets better!" Maximiliano applauded, spinning around in his rolling chair.
"Am I missing something?" Dominick asked, furrowing his brows.
"No matter, you've accepted," Marcus slumped in his chair. "Maximiliano, do you have them?"
"Of course," he smiled, rifling through some papers. "Here they are!" —he chuckled, dropping the pamphlets on the desk— "Here you go, Dominick."
Maxi put his arms behind his head, fingers interlaced.
"What's this?" Dom asked, taking the pamphlets. "It's not necessary. I can stop drinking on my own… the AA ones?"
"I told you I wouldn't accept that," Maxi spun in his chair again, nearly falling. He steadied himself. "Marcus, pay me."
"You bet on my decision?" Dominick narrowed his eyes.
"What kind of friends would we be if we didn't?" Maximiliano raised his eyebrows. "By the way, you owe me five thousand dollars."
Marcus glanced at Maximiliano, eyebrows furrowed, not understanding.
"Me? Why?" Dom asked.
"In case you don't remember, a few years ago we made a bet on Lennon, and how long he'd last working with Gideon. Since we didn't set a payment deadline, you owe me five thousand dollars," he reminded him.
"So the girl managed to survive Gideon's temper."
"And not only that, she thrived," Maxi smiled.
"I'm the worst friend in the world. I never got to talk to Gideon, ask how he was, what happened," he lamented.
"You were blind," Marcus said, trying to cheer him up. "I trust you'll take the time to reflect."
"Dominick, do you remember Agnes Saldívar?" Maximiliano asked.
"Agnes? My former secretary at the company?"
"Yes. After you left, and Gideon took over the presidency, they started a kind of 'relationship'" —he made quotation marks with his fingers— "and in the end, he ended up in love and married." Dom's eyes widened; Maxi took a deep breath, closed and opened his eyes. "Everything was happy for a while. Two years after getting married, she became pregnant. There were some complications, but nothing serious if she took care of herself."
"Gideon rescheduled a trip to be fully available for his wife. The problem was that the birth came early. Agnes wanted to get to the hospital on her own, but a drunk driver hit her car." Dominick slammed his fist against the arm of the chair, unable to believe what he was hearing, "She died on arrival at the hospital, and the baby a month later. Gideon blamed himself for the deaths of his wife and child, tracked down the man responsible and nearly beat him to death. He spent a few months in prison and nearly went back when the man's family blamed him for the disappearance of the culprit."
"My God, poor Gideon," Dominick murmured. "I can't imagine all the pain he's lived through."
"I would have killed him, no doubt about it. I wouldn't care if I went to prison for life," Marcus exclaimed, unable to imagine a world without the woman he loved.
"I would have done the same," Dominick roared. "I hope Gideon dealt with that man personally."
"Gideon assures us he did nothing to him," Maxi smiled.
"Changing the subject, Dominick, I have a question for you," Marcus said, drawing everyone's attention.
"Go ahead," he allowed.
"What made you decide to fix things? I won't deny I'm happy for you, but knowing how stubborn you are, it seems crazy that one night achieved what almost three years couldn't," Marcus added, trying not to believe Dominick was just playing a trick to get the information.
"Excellent question," Maximiliano said, leaning on the desk. Like Marcus, he was eager for his friend's answer.
Dominick recalled the reason and still couldn't believe it. He never imagined talking to her again, having a decent conversation, and, even more incredible, leaving all the hatred behind and forgiving her. They owed themselves that conversation, and knowing that she could continue on, that despite everything she could be happy… it was the catalyst he needed to realize he had been wrong.
He stared at a fixed point and then at his friends.
"She…" he murmured.
"She?" Maximiliano frowned.
"Who is she?" Marcus asked.
"Jazmín," he said, leaving his friends silent. "Last night I went drinking at a park" —he tucked himself away— "and this morning her daughter's little dog woke me up."
"Dominick, that girl… is she yours?" Maximiliano asked.
He shook his head.
The brunette exhaled in relief.
"I don't think it would have been good for her to have a child with you. You don't get along, and…"
"I forgave her," he interrupted. "I followed your advice and let go of my hatred. I forgave her. I told her everything I couldn't say back then and freed myself." Marcus patted his shoulder proudly "And honestly, I feel better."
"That's what I meant, Dom. I'm glad you took that step. This is step by step. We'll be here to help you and not let you fall," he smiled, his blue eyes warm.
"I agree. I'll talk to the AA people so you can start tomorrow…"
"Oh, no, I don't want to go, I think it's unnecessary," Dominick complained.
"You already agreed!" Marcus laughed.
They began a lively conversation full of jokes and laughter, reconnecting like they hadn't in a long time. Marcus updated them on his situation and the good news, and instantly they congratulated him and wished him well in this new chapter.
Maximiliano shared his unfortunate situation and everything he'd done to save the contract for the new hotel in Russia.
They kept talking for hours until none of them could speak of the dream anymore and ended up sleeping right there in the office.
[...]
Marcus was the first to wake up, his whole body sore from the position. He saw Dominick sitting in a chair with his injured foot on another, and Maximiliano asleep with his head on the desk.
"Hey, wake up," he yawned, rubbing his eyes. "It's… he looked at his watch "nine in the morning." His eyes widened "Damn."
Dominick's pitiful groan alerted Marcus to his friend waking, followed by Maximiliano.
"Did we sleep here?" Maxi asked, yawning.
"Looks like it," Dom replied, trying to stand. "Shit." he grimaced as a cramp spread through his leg.
"What's wrong, Dominick?" Marcus asked, getting up.
"A damn cramp, and it has to be in the leg I have injured. Damn it," he grunted.
"Come on, I'll help you to your room."
Marcus helped him up, and Dom leaned on his shoulder.
"Let's go, time to shower," Maximiliano teased, chuckling.
Each headed to their respective rooms, agreeing to have breakfast together in half an hour.
[...]
4:55 pm.
They had spent the day working. Dominick wanted to reintegrate, to immerse himself in the work he had left pending.
The three got out of Maximiliano's car laughing at Dominick's poor excuses for not staying.
"Don't be stubborn. Come on, without Miss McGregor's signature on that paper, at the end of the six months…"
"Six months?" Dom stopped before reaching the building's door. "Are you kidding me?"
"No," Marcus crossed his arms, and Maximiliano just grinned from ear to ear. "You have six months to show me that you can quit drinking, fix all your problems, and make us proud of you, little princess." He tugged on Dom's cheek, and Dominick swatted his hand away.
"You're a bastard, Marcus. How can you do this to me?" he scowled. "And if you say it's for my own good again, I'll hit you."
"It is for your own good," Maximiliano said, earning a snort from his friend. "Now go in, you lovely drunk, we'll be here when you come out."
Dominick gave them a dirty look but reminded himself that he had to do this because it would help him. Fighting the strong urge to turn around and leave, he entered the building.
"Now… what do we do? I said we'd wait for him to come out, but an hour out here?" Maximiliano shook his head.
"Let's get something to eat. I'm hungry, and we can figure out a solution for the Inker problem," Marcus suggested.
"There's nothing to be done," Maxi said calmly. "He was very clear: he won't continue business with someone who made his daughter cry…"
~•~
Dominick was guided by a woman to a room and saw people beginning to sit in a circle.
"I have to do this, it's for my own good," he repeated to himself as he walked to a chair. "Relax, they're just a group of drunks like you, no need to be nervous." He scanned the room. "Who am I kidding? I'm out of here."
He stood to leave quietly, but before he could reach the door, a woman's voice stopped him.
"Are you Mr. Jackson? Are you going somewhere?"
Dominick muttered a few curse words under his breath as he turned. He looked at the woman, around thirty, adjusting her glasses and raising an eyebrow. Her blonde hair was tied in a high ponytail. She wore a beige blouse with tiny gray flowers matching her skirt.
"The bathroom," he said tensely, cursing inwardly for the stupid excuse.
"The bathroom is here," she pointed to a door behind her.
Dominick rolled his eyes and walked back to his chair, sitting down.
The woman nodded approvingly.
"I'm Rosaura McGregor. Most people know me, and I hope during this time we get along and learn from each other," she smiled. "Come on, Lucia, you start."
The session began, and Dominick thought his problem was minor compared to some of the stories he heard. He was so lost in thought that he jumped slightly when Rosaura McGregor called on him, but he managed to hide it. Everyone in the circle had their eyes fixed on him.
"Excuse me, I didn't hear you. Can you repeat that?"
"Of course. Do you want to speak, Dominick?"
"No, no, let someone else," he declined.
"Go ahead. No one here will judge you. You must understand that staying silent is not the solution," she said, looking at him.
Dominick sighed in surrender, knowing there was no other way.
"Hello, my name is Dominick Jackson, and I…" he looked at his hands, then at the people around him "…I'm an alcoholic," he admitted.
"Hello, Dominick," they greeted him in unison.