Does she love me?
No, Eva doesn’t love me. After our kiss, though, I hope that she’s feeling the same giddy, fuzzy warmth about me that I feel about her. My task today is to convince Eva to do what I’m determined not to do for myself. To give her blossoming devotion the label that Murphy expects to hear.
But a label doesn’t turn a feeling into something deeper, so I should be safe with regard to Eva’s heartache after our break up—as long as she doesn’t find out I lied to her about the bet. I can’t, however, confess this to Murphy, unless I want to ruin everything.
I wave dismissively. “I think that’s an aspect we won’t have to worry about.”
“I’m glad, Nathan.” Murphy grins at me. “Keep up the good efforts till the ball then. It will be worth it. After all, what could be more important than you becoming the CEO, right?” His voice is filled with some hidden meaning, but it’s impossible to decipher what it might be. He glances at his watch. “Okay, brother, I’ll go so you can get to your meeting and lunch.” He walks to the door, but before he disappears, he points at Eva’s black box. “By the way, I want some of that luxury stationary for my study too.”
I saunter to my desk, still turning Murphy’s question back and forth in my head. It should be like tossing a trick coin. However I flip it, the same answer should stare at me.
Except it doesn’t. How is that possible?
Stop, Nathan. Certain wishes are fleeting, while others are well-anchored in one’s personality. My wish to stay with Eva is likely to be in the first category, no matter how strong it feels right now. While my ambition to lead our company? It’s the dream I nurtured growing up and that has governed every action I’ve taken since I quit university.
But if that’s the case…then why do I feel like a hesitant poker player who is about to regret his all-in move?
A loud Spanish tune jars me out of my thoughts. It takes me a second to realize it’s coming from my cell phone. Eva downloaded some music for me to use in my morning workouts. Last night, before going to bed, I switched the ringtone signaling her incoming calls and messages to the song she said was her favorite.
I pick up my phone and open her message, my lips curling up. But the smile freezes on my face as I read her words.
“Nathan, I need to cancel our date. Something came up after meeting my ex-boyfriend last night. I’m sorry. When we meet, I’ll explain it better. I have something important to confess to you. Eva”
I blink twice rapidly, not trusting what I’m seeing.
Eva met her ex last night…when, please? After I dropped her off? At her work? Where?? I didn’t even know she had an ex. I mean, of course, I should have assumed she had—perhaps even several, considering her beauty. But somehow I didn’t think it was necessary for us to inquire about each other’s past relationships. I based this decision on the fact that I didn’t have any special women. Eva, nonetheless, must’ve had at least one special man. A man she met last night…after seeing me!
I can’t believe her words. I read them again. And then again. Wondering each time if I’ve missed something. A small word that could put sense into this. But no. Her message is as short and formal as the first time. Hinting at something big that she needs to confess to me. I can guess what it is.
And here I was, just before her message arrived, pondering what I truly wanted from my future, when in reality, I might not have a say in it at all. If Eva is back with her ex then all my self-assurance toward Murphy was in vain. I won’t get my promotion—at least not in the foreseeable future.
I suddenly have difficulty breathing, as if the air around me has condensed into a thick oil, and as I inhale, it wraps itself around my lungs from inside like a medieval corset. I need to get out. Some fresh oxygen, yes, that will do me good.
I shuffle to the door, leaving the black box with the pink ribbon on the chair. It’s unlikely now that Eva would attend the ball with me anyway—her ex might not be her ex by then.
I bump into Rachel as I reach the elevator.
She eyes me with surprise when she sees me heading downstairs. “Sir, your eleven-thirty is on this floor. I booked you into meeting room nine.”
“I’m going out, Rachel. Cancel my appointment, please,” I bark and step into the elevator. I choose the button for the garage.
Maybe I’ll drive home and do a climb? Or I could head over to Marjorie’s? Even if I don’t know yet where I’m going, I certainly can’t stay at AMEA building, so long as I’m this confused jumble of nerves.
I bend my head to the mirrored wall.
But didn’t Eva say in the car that I made her feel out of her element? I hoped that it could only mean one thing. It had to mean that one thing, no? Wrong. I have to be wrong. Otherwise why would Eva ditch me while mentioning a meeting with her ex?
I stare at my reflection and the realization appears. I’ve made a mistake with this entire bet thing. A giant mistake.
Chapter 26
(Nathan)
I feel the urge to bolt to my car and slam the door behind me. But instead, I march with my chin up and pretend to be having a gloriously calm moment.
We have surveillance cameras all over the building’s garage. If the guards see me sprinting, they might assume someone is chasing me and either come to fetch me or call the police. Neither option is something I’d be able to
