I looked at my naked wrist. "Not sure if emeralds and playgrounds are a good match. I really should give it back to you. It doesn't fit into my lifestyle at all."
He stepped closer, but he was always cautious as if he worried I would dart off like a scared deer. His nice cologne drifted around us. "Wear it tonight. When you dance. Then decide if you want to keep it. If you don't, then I'll take it back."
"Not sure if emeralds go with a stripper pole and pasties but I'll see. Guess that means you'll be there."
"Linda and the kids are out of town at a violin recital."
I stared at him. "See, doesn't that seem strange? You're standing here talking to a woman you gave an expensive bracelet to and letting her know that your wife and kids are out of town at a recital. Why didn't you go with them?"
"I had work to do, and besides, the tension between Linda and me upsets the kids. We're better apart." He moved even closer. I didn't step back. "God, you are something in daylight. I only get to see you under stage and bar lights. You take my breath away, Rachel."
"Mommy! Watch me." Jack climbed across the bars and dropped down to his feet with all the drama and courage of a paratrooper.
I clapped and cheered, and he ran toward me. He stopped a few feet back and pointed. "Mommy, who is that man? Is Ronan coming?"
"Ronan isn't coming. This is my friend, Evan. Evan, this is Jack."
Evan stuck out his hand. "Nice to meet you, Jack."
Instead of shaking his hand, Jack scooted behind me and took hold of my legs. "Where's Ronan?" he peeped in a squeaky little voice.
I pried him off my legs, turned around and crouched until we were face-to-face. "Would you like to have your snacks now? Or do you still want to play?"
His new choices helped him forget about the strange man standing with me. "I want to swing. Can you push me?"
"I sure can."
We walked over to the swings. Evan looked posh and entirely out of place at the shabby playground. His shiny watch glistened on his wrist as he stuck his hands in his trouser pockets.
"Ronan?" he asked quietly. Jack was too busy on the swing to hear him ask.
I shook my head to let him know that we weren't close enough for me to share personal life details.
Evan understood. He didn't prod further. "Can I show you something?" He pulled out his phone. I still didn't know the man well enough. What could he possibly have to show me? Had he been taking pictures of me on stage? It was strictly forbidden in the club. I'd seen Oscar grab a phone and stomp it into a million pieces when he caught a customer filming a dance.
I gave Jack a gentle push and then straightened to look at Evan's phone. It was a picture of a cute, midcentury house with big front windows, a shiny teal door and a wood fence around it.
I laughed. "I was sure you lived in something bigger and grander. Though, that house is far more my style. Very cute. Lucky you."
"This house is on the market. It's just a few blocks from here. I paid the real estate agent to not accept any offer before he heard from me."
I nodded. "Very nice. A second home?" I asked. Jack giggled as I pushed him a little higher. His short legs kicked out futilely, but he was sure he was the one propelling himself through the air.
"I want to buy it for you."
I looked his direction. "You have got to be kidding."
"Nope. It would be a home for you and Jack. And there's a small back house, a mother-in-law unit as they call it, for your mom. I'm sure she'd like some independence again, and Jack could stay there whenever—" He stopped.
"Whenever you come over for yourpayment," I said harshly.
"No, Rachel, I promise. It won't be like that."
"It will feel that way to me, Evan. I'd be your paid mistress, a kept woman as they used to call it."
Jack bored of the swing. He hopped off, fell right down on his knees and hands and then hopped up to return to the slide. We followed him.
"First of all, my friends treat their mistresses far better than their wives."