Dominic Amato

Smiling, Narain put his hands in his pockets and walked down the alley leaving his friend to clean up. He would be forever grateful for Dominic’s willingness to clean up.

Years ago, a young man from Melrose Park met a vampire. Not exactly something someone tells relatives or even trusted friends. Their partnership was beneficial to both. Dominic Amato was never going to set the world ablaze with his culinary skills so he wisely switched his studies from cooking to the business of cooking. He needed someone to take a chance on him.

Narain Khan needed a liaison with the daylight hours. He had the culinary skill and through the decades, thanks in large part to had acquired more than enough money to bankroll a restaurant. How did a prisoner of the dark do business during the day though? It had been Sophie who matched them up, meeting Dominic through a friend of a friend. After their travelling had slowed, she had convinced Narain to live his dream and open a restaurant and he did with the stipulation that she be his manager. As age crept up on her though she no longer had the strength for the demanding job of an increasingly successful restaurant. Sophie had sharp instincts when it came to people and Dominic had an unflappable nature that she knew would come in handy with some of the things he was bound to see and would need to do.

I love the friendship between Dom and Narain. It's an easy friendship both holding the other in high esteem. Their acquaintance started out as a necessity for Narain but the friendship has deepened over the years.

Hiring Dom was a matter of convenience. When Sophie and Narain arrived in Chicago they opened up a restaurant and Sophie was the manager. More importantly, she was able to be Narain's liason with the daylight hours, performing business tasks that he couldn't do because of his vampirism. But Sophie was already older at this point and as the years went by, and the restaurant became a success, she knew she'd need to bring someone else into the job (unlike Narain, she wouldn't live forever). She needed someone who could be trusted to make sure Narain's dream wouldn't die as she would eventually. That person would also have to keep the couple's little secret. Initially Narain was against this. He insisted they could retire. Travel. He didn't need to cook. But she knew he did. So she convinced him to agree.

She met Dom through a friend and hired him as a waiter for the restaurant, carefully studying him before she went further. Dom had tried his hand at cooking school but it became obvious he was more adept at the business side of restaurants. He was bright, personable, had a wonderful sense of humor. Most importantly, he was not the excitable type. Problems arose and were quickly attended to with little drama. 

That would prove extremely helpful.

And even before Dom was officially chosen by the couple there did seem to be a bond growing between the young man and Narain. No matter what came next in regards to romance for Narain (Sophie was not foolish enough to think she'd be the only woman he'd even fall in love with) she was certain that Dom's friendship meant Narain wouldn't have to be alone. At least for however long Dom had on Earth.

After the initial shock (and Narian needing to prove their story) their explanation went down easily with Dom whose philosophy was pretty basic: As long as no one got hurt he didn't care what either of them was. And as he did with most people in his life to varying degrees, Narain tried to keep his reality from affecting Dom as much as possible.

That's not to say that he's completely successful at this. As the series goes on and the trials arise, Dom is pulled in more and more. And that's not to say that Dom never let's his frustration get the better of him.

But because of his acceptance and eventual loyalty, Narain is able to transition easier into the situation after Sophie leaves the restaurant management to Dom. And it isn't long before Dom rises from manager to partner in the business.

Dom is one of the characters that grew in my mind the more dialogue I wrote for him and Narain. Like Cassie, he helps keep Narain grounded no matter how odd the circumstances that arise in the vampire's life. In fact it was the discussion they had about Cassie after the benefit where Narain met her that really started bringing him to life for me. By the time of this novel, this has become so normal that he feels no compunction about giving romantic advice to a vampire over a century old. Something that Narain points out.  If you've gained Dom's respect, he'll put up with any inconvenience or strangeness to continue as a part of your life. He's not a push over, but he realizes friendship is about give and take. he's willing to extend the patience if he feels you're worth it. 

In Narain, he's found a friend whose very worth it.