My shoulders sank. I wasn't sure what I was expecting from Jasmine. She'd encouraged me to meet Evan. I thought she might give me the thumbs up about the whole thing, but she looked skeptical. I had to admit my skepticism was at an all-time high, too. I was no slouch, but I certainly wasn't worthy of the kind of blind worship this man seemed to have for me.
Jasmine picked up a pretzel and bit off half. "I don't know, Ray. If this guy is legit and all he wants is some occasional companionship. I guess his set uses the term mistress. I mean, shit, a house. You've been dreaming about a house forever. Are you any closer to that dream without this generous offer?"
I blew a frustrated raspberry. "Farther than ever."
"You haven't mentioned it to me, but the girls were talking the other night. They said you were dating someone, someone you really like."
"I am." I dropped my face with guilt. I hadn't called Ronan all day, and I'd left our conversation quickly this morning. I'd had too much on my mind. I knew that I wasn't in any place to start a relationship at the moment, and I should have listened to my more reasonable self. It was hard because Ronan turned my reasonable self into a puddle of passion. Thinking straight when I was around him was close to impossible.
"Well? I assume he's not driving a Maserati but maybe he can be a partner for the future?" Jasmine suggested tentatively.
Ronan had been driving his brother's car. His financial future was as unsteady as mine. But he only had to take care of himself. I had two other people counting on me.
"He's not on real stable footing either," I said, and just saying it aloud weighed heavily on me. I'd fallen for a man who I had no business falling for.
"You said Evan is married. Kids too?" Jasmine asked.
I sighed dejectedly. "Yep two. Wife, kids and the whole shebang."
"I didn't mean it like that. I just figured that meant Evan would be good with Jack. He's got Dad experience. I assume the other guy doesn't?" Her forehead bunched in question.
"Ronan doesn't have a kid." As I said it, I thought about Jack's reaction today at the park. He didn't warm up to Evan at all, and Evan certainly made no effort to win him over. "Actually, Jack adores Ronan. Their chemistry was instant, and if I didn't know anything about the two men, other than how they interacted with Jack, I would think Ronan is far more dad material than Evan."
Jasmine patted my hand. "But a house. Your own house. I've got to stock the bar. You'll figure out what's right. If there is one level-headed dancer in this club, it's you."
Irene walked in. "Looks like Mr. Maserati is already here. You sure have that man tangled up in a knot."
I got up from the stool. "I have no earthly idea why."
Jasmine smiled sweetly. "Seriously? Sometimes you need to take a good look at yourself in the mirror, Ray. You're a catch for any man lucky enough to win you over. And it sounds like one has. Only he came without the right tools—like a fat bank account. Just remember not to leave your heart out of the equation."
"Jack has to come first."
Jasmine squeezed my hand and slipped behind the bar and into the stockroom.
I stepped outside. Evan was sitting in his car looking at his phone. I took a deep breath and walked over to see him.
His face shot up. It had rained earlier, but the sky was a deep black now, and the smell of wet asphalt and earth permeated the air. Evan had a nice smile. It didn't make my stomach flutter like Ronan's, but it was genuine.
I walked around to the passenger side and climbed inside. "You're here so early," I said.
"Yeah, I know. I had dinner at the country club, and my house was the other direction." He looked at me. "You look beautiful without makeup."
I turned my face and lowered it. "Don't think the fresh-faced look would go over well on stage."
"Have you thought about my offer?"
I took a deep breath and realized it sounded sadder than it should have considering what the offer was. "It's a beautiful house, Evan, but I'm not sure about any of this."
"It's all right. I bought the house anyway. I've been meaning to invest in real estate, and that house seemed too good to pass up. No pressure though."
A laugh shot out. "Right. No pressure. You always get what you want, don't you?"
"Not always. As you can see, I'm having to work very hard right now for something I really want." We gazed at each other for a long moment, and it seemed a kiss was inevitable. If I was being honest with myself, I was curious to see how a real kiss would feel. He hadn't stirred me physically yet. I probably wouldn't have noticed that if I hadn't just spent a few weeks with a man who'd stirred every inch of me by merely brushing his callused fingertips down my arm.
Evan's cologne floated around me as he leaned in for the kiss. His phone rang, breaking the moment cleanly in two. I sat back. He did too, reluctantly. He grabbed his phone roughly out of the holder, then his angry brow smoothed.
"Hey, Noah, what's up? Everything OK?"