Dominic cues Jason to play a buzzer sound effect.
“Submarining.”
“When you and your partner watch Yellow Submarine to get in the mood. Also known as ‘Beatles and chill.’”
“Cushioning.”
“Oh, that’s when you bring a cushion with you on every date so your partner doesn’t have to sit on any hard surfaces.”
Dominic is laughing now, a hand clasped over his mouth. I’m trying very hard not to look at his hands, though, since I can’t seem to do it without thinking about what they did in my imagination last night. Which is something I’ve shoved firmly to the back of my mind, along with Ameena’s final interview. Gotta love compartmentalization.
“Let’s try something new,” I say, moving on to the next bullet point on our rundown. Maybe one day, I’ll barely glance at it, like Paloma used to do, but five episodes in, and while I’m okay going off script sometimes, it’s still the best kind of security blanket. “If you think you can come up with the best definition of one of the slang words we tweeted out before the show, call us at 1-888-883-KPPR. We’ll pick our favorites at the end of the show. You can also tweet them out using the hashtag ExTalkSlang.”
Our first caller is Mindy in Pioneer Square. “Okay, so, roaching,” she says. “It’s when someone tries to create a relationship out of the situation where they’re sleeping on your couch that you graciously offered to them when their apartment became infested with cockroaches.”
“That sounds like maybe something you’ve had firsthand experience with?” I say.
Mindy groans. “It was the worst. I didn’t want to send him back to his disgusting apartment, and I thought he might have feelings for me, but I figured, I’ll just do this nice thing, I work long hours, we’ll barely see each other. Well, imagine my surprise when I got home from work to find him in the bathtub surrounded by very strategically placed rose petals.”
“Roaching at its finest,” I say with a shudder.
“Dominic, reassure me,” Mindy says. “You wouldn’t do that, would you?”
“Definitely not. I’d use lavender.”
My mouth goes dry. I chance a look over at him, but he’s staring straight ahead, stoic as usual. The bath I told him about. You smell good. Is he messing with me?
“Stop,” Mindy says with a laugh. “I love you both so much. I would not be able to do this with any of my exes. And Dominic . . . you seem like one of the good ones. I don’t know if you’re single . . .” She says it suggestively, and I really don’t like what happens in my chest as a result.
“Sorry, Mindy,” he says, “I’m interested in
someone.”
That hits me in a weird place. He didn’t mention it Monday when there was clearly an opportunity for it. Or maybe it’s new. I should be happy for him, but instead I feel strangely hollow. Maybe that’s why he wanted to forget the kiss: because he was trying to start something with someone else.
The lavender had to be coincidental. Now I’m sure of it.
“I can’t say I’m not secretly hoping you’ll find a way to make it work with Shay,” Mindy says, “but whatever happens, I’m happy for both of you.”
“Thanks for calling, Mindy,” I say, aware I sound a little brusque, but she doesn’t seem to notice.
Dominic hits the button for the next caller. “Now we have John calling from South Lake Union,” he says.
“Yeah, hi,” says a curt male voice. Midthirties or forties, if I had to guess. “I was listening to you in the car and had to pull over and call.”
“Glad to hear the show made an impact,” Dominic says, but I lift my eyebrows at him, unsure the caller meant this in a positive way.
A sharp laugh. “Not exactly. My girlfriend, she’s been really into it, but I don’t see it.”
“Oh?” Dominic says.
“Seems pretty convenient to me that you two, on the heels of your breakup, just happened to be qualified to host this show,” says John in South Lake Union. “And I use the word ‘qualified’ loosely. But I guess they’ll put anyone on the radio these days if it means getting more clicks.”
“Say what you will about me,” Dominic says, sitting up straighter in his chair, his brows in a hard line, “but Shay’s been at this station for ten years. I’ve never met someone more devoted to public radio or more knowledgeable about it. Puget Sounds wouldn’t have lasted as long as it did without her. She’s earned this, one hundred percent.”
His words pin me to my chair. They’re too forceful not to be genuine. He’s staring straight into the other studio, which is probably a good thing. I’m not sure my heart would be able to handle the eye contact.
It’s the nicest thing someone’s said about me in a long time.