CHAPTER 14
While Logan's team was searching the internet, trying to dig up dirt on Jason, the man was having dinner with Evangeline in a posh restaurant. The way the waiters attended to them with courtesy and extra care gave him away. He either had been here earlier with a threat that they behave or this was his.
"So which is it?" Evan asked the man, looking at him intently. He had insisted she try their seafood and she was savouring every bit. The oysters had been well salted and Jason had taught her to suck the meat out of the shell to get the best taste. She closed her eyes and sucked the last one. This was so good she let the meat roll in her mouth a while. When she eventually opened her eyes, Jason was looking at her with interest.
"Enjoying the meal, I see." He smiled.
He hardly smiles. She resisted the urge to ask him to smile more. The poor man had just lost his wife. Saying something like that would be unethical. Instead she asked him again, "Which is it?"
"What now?" He sighed and waved over a waiter.
"Either you own this place or you've been here to warn the staff to be on their best behaviour." She went for the shrimps this time. The waiter came and he requested for white wine. The man nodded and cleared the empty plates. He smiled at her brightly. She didn't understand.
"He appreciates how well you eat," he said. "He isn't the only one though. I like a woman that eats. Makes me want to buy more. Should we order more?"
Evangeline laughed heartily, "Unless you want to carry me out of here." She teased, "I'm literally full to the brim."
"Good." He smiled as the waiter brought their wine and proceeded to open it and fill their glasses. When he left, he told Evan casually that this was one of his clubs.
She had just stuffed her mouth with a peppery crawfish. "I knew it" Her eyes glistened.
"This will help." He offered her the wine and she drank.
"Wow... the cook here deserves a raise. "Mexican?"
"World best." He confirmed.
They ate and then stood to leave. "I suppose we can discuss the contract on our way? This place isn't the place to talk about it." He said as they stood outside the club waiting for his driver to bring the car over.
"I suppose we can. Do you seriously mean we should review this together?" She asked eyeing the big folder.
"Trust me, we should." He said. The driver stopped in their front and opened the door remotely. He let her go in first and shut the door after him. The car started before he opened the file.
"So, before we do this, I wanted us to trash some petty issues. One that concerns me is your place."
"My place being?"
"I mean you stay in L.A, I live in Miami... that's too far apart. What happens when you need a help with something? I don't know" He ruffled his hair trying to come up with a good reason, "I was hoping you will move over to Miami till it's done. Plus, your family stays there."
"I'm not moving to Miami" She replied stubbornly. "I have a business here. Are you saying that I should close up?"
"No. I don't mean that. I could pay you. Buy it over and pay you monthly if that's what's keeping you here" He offered.
"I assume you know how many offers I'll get in that one year. A single deal can land me billions." She pressed him wanting to pump him for more information to be sure he really meant it. She wasn't about to give up her business or livelihood for anything
"I can afford it." He said, oblivious he was being played.
"I won't change my livelihood. Next?"
Jason sat up straighter. He had expected this but not so conclusively, "Can't we compromise in any way?"
"Not on my part." She replied, stubbornly. "I will be here. If I need help, I'm sure someone will be more than willing to do that."
"Okay. Let's both sleep on it and come up with a workable solution then."
"Good." She replied. "What's the next issue?"
"I'll prefer to pay for this. I know you don't want or need the money. But you're doing us a favour and..."
She held her hand up, "Hold it right there. First, I'm doing no one any favour. You're in this as well as me. The child is yours as well as mine. This isn't for you or..." She couldn't say his late wife, so she instead let it hang. The tension in the car was high. He suddenly sat up straight.
"I'm sorry. This is going to be our child. Still, I want to pay. It's the only way I can be comfortable with it."
"I don't think so. How do I explain it? That I got paid to birth my child?" She replied amused at the way he was seeing whatever they had going. He had just ruined every good moment they had shared earlier.
It was becoming obvious they wouldn't ever be on the same page. The way he sees things were completely different from hers. She wondered if things would change. And to think she wanted some sort of relationship with the father of the baby.
The car stopped and she peered out the window. They were at her place. "I think you should let me have the file and we both go through it separately then meet later to compromise where it needs be." She said flatly.
He agreed easily and passed her the file, keeping the other one for himself. He was probably as tired as she was about everything. She got down from the car and walked the short distance to her apartment without a backward glance.
Had she looked, she would have seen him try to reach out for her. Once inside her home, she dumped the file on her dresser and started to undress. Her ringing phone did nothing to speed up the moment.
Done and safely tucked in bed, she brought out the file and began to read. Aside the two they had discussed in the car, other conditions seemed okay. He wanted both of them in the child's life. That she wanted too. He had plans for visiting drafted already too. The man was freaking detailed. Everything was dotted and crossed to the last minute. Satisfied, she dropped the file. Her phone rang again.
