Chapter Eight
Colton
It’s been a few days since I saw Evie. I sent her a few text messages, but I figured some space was good to see where my head was at. I’ve never felt this way before after spending such little time with a woman or after a few kisses. Scratch that, I’m in no man’s land, unfamiliar territory. That’s why I couldn’t bring myself to see her again. I needed to get my head on straight. Only I can’t do that because I can’t stop thinking of her; the way she smiles, the conversations we have, or her scent. Everything about her gets me fired up. I realize I don’t even know her last name. She’s just so different and refreshing from the women I see. I’m still seething with my father though. I can’t believe he dared to get one of his investigator friends to check her out. Beneath the picture of Evie, he left on my desk was a file on her filled with details about her life.
The door to my office is open, and a light knock disturbs my thoughts. Susan stands there waiting. “May I come in, Sir?”
I nod and wave her in.
She looks down at the file on my desk, and she takes a breath. “Sir, may I speak candidly?” she asks, and this time she takes a seat without asking permission first. It tells me she is here for a personal reason.
“Yes,” I smile and look down at the picture of Evie. I can’t help the natural response. When I look back up at Susan, she gazes at the image in a loving way.
“She’s beautiful…” she pauses. “I couldn’t help but overhear your father yesterday…” she pauses again. I can see that she feels like she’s treading in deep waters with possibly dangerous fish in the sea.
“Please, Susan. This is between you and me,” I urge her hoping to ease her nerves. I can tell she’s here out of concern. She may be the only voice of reason in my life.
She nods her head repeatedly. “If you were my son, I would tell you that you shouldn’t be afraid to fall in love. If you were my son, I would tell you not to listen to your father just this once…” she takes a breath. “I’ve known you a long while now, and I’ve never seen you look so carefree and happy as you do now. Embrace it. Enjoy it. See where it will lead you and for goodness sake, Sir, do not open that folder.” She tilts her chin down to the folder with Evie’s picture on it. I realize that the palm of my hand lays flat on top of the folder. I pull it away like the folder’s on fire. “That’s all, Sir.” She gives me one of her motherly smiles and blinks once before leaving.
I can’t say that I wasn’t tempted to open the folder. My curiosity was skyrocketing. I stopped myself for the sole reason that the information the file contained were things I’d want to learn on my own. Susan is right. I can’t give my father any satisfaction, not after he spoke about Evie being deaf like it was treason. I mean I knew he wasn’t the most accepting man in the world, but he thoroughly disgusted me the way he responded to her deafness, almost like comparing her to an enemy of the state. I swear I think the old guy is finally losing it. I slip the file into a drawer in my desk, making a mental note to have it shredded the first chance I get.
A light knock pulls my thoughts from Susan’s words of wisdom. Don’t be afraid to fall in love. Easier said than done. Al stands at my door observing me.
“What are you up to?” he asks. “My sister is flying in tonight. I have to entertain her… if you want to join us for drinks at the Continental?” Isabella is his only other family member who still talks to him besides his mother. She’s young and gorgeous. She attempted to seduce me a few times even though she’s ten years younger than me but I couldn’t, no wouldn’t do that to Al.
“I love Issy. You know I do, but I have a redhead on my mind,” I wink.
“You’re going that route, huh?” He chortles. “Trying to give your father a coronary as opposed to manning up and just telling him you don’t want to run.” He guffaws. He has the situation all wrong.
I’m genuinely intrigued by Evie. I just want to see where the wind blows us. Besides, I’m old enough to make my own decisions about who I date. “It’s not like that. I don’t fucking know what I want regarding my life, that’s true. What I do know is that I felt something for her that I never felt before.” I lean forward and look to Al with sincerity. We’ve had serious talks before. Al grew up with parents that were married but didn’t love each other. Things were done for appearance’s sake. I grew up with an abandoned father. There have been many a time that we dissected our past. Especially when our good friends from college began to get married in their late twenties, and Al and I weren’t even close to the thought of settling down.
“Ah, and that is how great men fall,” Al replies sarcastically. It isn’t the first time in the last couple of days that he’s said that. The first time I thought to myself. Nah. Now I think that maybe even a serial bachelor like me can settle down if the right woman was involved.
“Don’t be a dick,” I snap.
“Sorry, but it’s true,” he scoffs. “Don’t you think? I mean powerful man meets that special woman and gets swept off his feet. It’s the modern fairytale.” He shrugs his shoulders, yet the sarcasm drips from his tone. I give him a ‘be serious’ look, and his face turns somber. “Colt let’s be honest here. You have trust issues. Are you willing to take the plunge with this one and give it your all? Because honestly, and you know I dislike Cassy, but I don’t know how she puts up with your commitment-phobe issues. I don’t know if this chick will be so understanding,” he says and as much as I hate to hear every word that has fallen from his mouth I know they’re coming from a place of concern.
“I never strung Cassandra along.” I give him a knowing look because he knows that I’ve had one of Cassandra’s friends in my bed at the same time I was with her. His lip quirks at the side showing me that his argument has leaks in it. “I’ve always been upfront with Cassy. What can I do if she chooses to stay despite my inadequacies…” my voice trails off as I think of Evie. She’d call me on everything. She wouldn’t shovel my shit, she would throw it back in my face, and for some reason, I want to step out of my safety zone and see what it’s like to really be with a woman, with her. Put my heart on the line and take that plunge Al seems to think I’m scared to take.
“Earth to Colton.” Al’s voice rings in my ears.
“Sorry, man. Just considering your words…”
“And?”
“And I need to see where this’ll lead. I need this for some reason. I feel like my whole life I’m trying to please my old man but it’s time I focus on me and what I want for a change. I look at you, and one of the things I admire most about you is that you live your life by your terms. You don’t let your parents dictate and you sure as hell don’t let women dictate to you either, but here’s the thing… I look at my dad, and he’s the ultimate ladies man,” I say with a knowing look because my father doesn’t hide his sexcapades and Al is very aware of his affinity for the younger ladies. “I mean even at his age, he has twentysomethings hanging off his arm but what does he truly have when his bed empties at night? Not one of those women gives a shit about him.”
“Man, you’ve gone real deep now,” Al snickers with a mocking tone. “Colt, I don’t know what kind of voodoo this Evie practiced on you, but if you think she’s worth it then get on the love boat baby and see where the tide takes you. I sure as hell am not ready to settle down. I’m content, but you aren’t, my friend. You need to do what’s good for you, and if dating her is what you want then I say your father be damned.” Al hits the top of my desk for extra dramatic effect. Then stands from his chair. “Looks like I’m entertaining Issy for the night on my own.” He sighs as if it’s torture to spend time with his younger sister even though he adores her.
I laugh then wave him off. “Get out of here.”
He nods. “Have yourself a good night.” He winks, probably knowing who I’ll contact the minute he walks through the scaffold of my office.
“You too, man,” I say to his back. The second my office is quiet I pick up my cell and text Evie. I know it’s going to be a challenge dating this woman and not only because we will have a hard time communicating but because she’s a real spitfire and yet I can’t wait to see what happens next.
You free tonight? How about we do Mexican take-out?
I know it’s presumptuous of me to insinuate she’s free by suggesting the food we eat, but I feel like she’s on the fence about me so I need to push as hard as I can. I only hope that my efforts work.