I freeze. “This is an angle I hadn’t really contemplated,” I mumble.
And it’s true. I get a thrill when I close a deal. I feel proud when the numbers confirm a strategical direction I initiated. Satisfied when the board members compliment me. But, somehow, I never focused on the good AMEA is doing to the world. Am I really leader-material if I only focus on my personal gains?
Eva reaches out and pats my hand. “You surely will, once you become CEO. You just need to be ready to do everything to prove to your mother that she has no better choice than you. I know you can do it.” She gives my fingers a small squeeze then moves back.
My palm is left with a warm tingling and my vision blurs. Eva doesn’t know what she’s really saying to me. She’s granting me permission to not feel guilty about what I’m doing with her. She’s telling me that she believes that I can achieve my goal. And from the gentle glint in her eyes that accompanied her words, I’m once again convinced that I can. If everything continues on this course, I’ll win this bet.
But what about this hollow feeling in my chest?
Two hours later, I park in front of Eva’s house.
For the rest of our time in the teahouse, the odd emptiness doesn’t leave me. In the end, I just decide to ignore it and give up on trying to discern its meaning. I have the impression that if I insist on cracking it, I’ll just make my already demanding situation more stressful.
Eva turns to me. “It was nice today, Nathan. I really enjoyed our meeting. Thank you.” She unbuckles her seatbelt and her hand moves to the handle of the car door.
That’s it? Is she just leaving me without agreeing on a new date?
Though my original intention was to wait for Eva and see whether she proposes something to me, on second thought, why should I let her go like this? It’s not late. These past few hours have been fun. And aside from the need to hurry things for the sake of the bet, I just really don’t feel like saying good-bye to her.
“Eva, what would you say if I invited you to dinner?”
“Dinner? You mean tonight?”
“Yes.” Why not? She told me she isn’t working at the bar this evening. A dinner together is just extending my previous invitation. It surely can’t come across as too pushy.
Eva keeps her gaze on her hands. “Tonight isn’t possible.”
“Why not?” I fail at hiding my disappointment. And to make things worse, I even add, “You’ve got a date or what?”
She nods. “Sort of.”
What? If my eyes could, they would fall out of their sockets and roll below the soles of my Tom Ford custom shoes. Eva is seeing someone after I drop her off? And she’s calling it a date, after she tucked me into the friend box and referred to our time together as a meeting?
She glances up and her serious expression crumbles. She bursts into a giggle, while pointing at my face. “Oh goodness, you should see yourself. You look like Wile E. Coyote when the Roadrunner drops a heavy stone on his head.”
“I’m not sure what that might look like.” My voice is throaty, and I hate myself for it.
As much as I try to explain the anger flaring up in my chest with the realization that Eva’s mystery date is an unexpected setback in my success, I feel it’s not only that. There is a little green-eyed monster shaking himself awake inside me at the thought of Eva going out with a man other than me.
Eva claps her hands. “You don’t know this cartoon? Ah, I’ll tell Juan to show you an episode sometime. The Roadrunner is one of his favorite characters.”
The ease with which she mentions that I might meet her brother again lifts my spirit a bit. At least she’s planning on seeing me again. “Wouldn’t your date disapprove of me coming to your place to watch a cartoon?”
Eva shakes her head. “I don’t think she would mind it.”
“Sheeee?”
Eva winks. “Yes. I promised my friend Judy that I’ll go out with her tonight. Remember the blond belly dancer?”
Ah, a night-out with a girlfriend.
Relief floods me. As my neck muscles relax, I wonder if it’s normal that I’m feeling this jealous of Eva. “Don’t you girls want some company?” I point at her grandmother’s car through my Jaguar’s windshield. “The less that rusty thing drives, the better it is. I could bring you to wherever you need to be.”
Eva stares at me as if she’s thinking about my words. “Well…there could be a scenario where…but I’m not sure…”
“Please tell me. I’d love to see you tonight.” I brush her hand quickly to ensure her of my determination.
Her eyes move to where I’ve touched her and she sighs. “Oh, well. Judy loves to meet new people, especially guys. And she did tell me that your brother, Murphy, looked nice.” She moves her gaze to mine. “So… if you could invite him too, then I think she would be fine with you joining.”
Murphy?
The last person I want around when I spend time with Eva is my brother. I don’t need him to monitor me. Nor to make cheeky comments at home about how I’ve behaved. But maybe he would be distracted with that blonde? It could be an opportunity instead of a constraint. He could keep Eva’s friends occupied so that I’ll have some alone time with Eva.
I nod. “Consider it done. You can tell your friend that Murphy will be joining us tonight. I’ll pick you up at…what time?”
“Aren’t you coming with Murphy?” Eva asks.
“Nah.” I shake my head. “I don’t like his Lamborghini. Also, I just said that your sedan should rest as
