Roger came round almost daily for two weeks, and Evelyn felt somewhat ashamed to realize that maybe her parents had known something that she hadn’t—that Roger White was a perfect match for her. He was strong and handsome, sexy and smooth. He fit perfectly into her mother’s mold of what a proper husband should be, while simultaneously matching Evelyn’s need for danger and fun. He understood that she wasn’t just another debutante, and was willing to let her be.
And Roger’s belief that she should be whatever she needed or wanted to be might have been the end of them, except that his trust alone had Evelyn deciding that she didn’t need to see Jack Taylor again. When held up next to Roger’s careful attention, Evelyn realized that Jack’s predatory advances were no more than sexual attraction. He held no future for her, promised no long-term happiness. He had magical fingers, a debonair wardrobe, and a dangerous personality. And Evelyn was ready to let him go until he showed up at her door.
“My daughter, sir?” Evelyn heard her father’s voice booming after he’d answered the door at a rather late hour one evening.
“We’ve been courting,” came the distinct low, smooth voice. Jack. Jack was at her door.
Evelyn smoothed her hair and flew down the steps. The familiar icy blue eyes caught her at the bottom.
“Jack,” she breathed. “Daddy, it’s okay.”
“I’ll decide whether it’s okay,” her father told her, stepping back at the same time to let Jack enter the foyer.
“These are for you,” Jack said, presenting Evelyn with a bouquet.
Shock flooded her at the gesture, and while her body began to hum at his virile proximity, Evelyn found herself looking for a way to end Jack’s visit quickly. She hadn’t been back to Maison since the dinner with Roger, and she had figured that Jack had moved on. Until he’d shown up here.
“I missed you,” Jack said, his voice low and sultry. One hand went around Evelyn’s waist, pulling her closer. Jack was pretending that Evelyn’s father didn’t lurk in the shadows just beyond the parlor.
“Jack, don’t,” Evelyn said, pulling out of his grasp despite her trilling nerves.
“I haven’t seen you lately,” Jack said, a question in his voice.
“I’ve been busy.”
“With the steady parade of suitors?”
It was too close to the truth. But Evelyn realized that she needed to cut Jack loose. Her heart was certainly with Roger. “Something like that,” she said. His eyes still had a pull on her, and she couldn’t help flashing back to the knowledge of what those fingers could do.
“And you’ve chosen one? White?”
“No…I mean…” How did he know?
“He not the squeaky clean kid you think he is.”
“I know that.”
“You do?” Jack looked genuinely surprised. “So you know he has a club?”
“Yes.” Evelyn had no idea where this might be leading.
“Then I guess you’ve made your choice.” Jack looked disappointed, surprisingly hurt. Evelyn’s heart twisted at the disappointment in his eyes.
“But Jack, I thought…” She pulled him to a corner of the parlor where her father wouldn’t hear them. “I thought I was just a number to you. There are always women there, hanging around…”
“None like you.”
“I thought it was some kind of game.”
“Maybe to you. But to me, you were the bright light in the darkness. A chance to be real. To find something to hold on to.”
Evelyn took a deep breath. “You could have told me before.”
“We never had a real chance. It was always too late for us.” The icy blue eyes slid shut for a moment. When they reopened, they were cold, distant. “So long, baby. Enjoy your man. I hear he named his club after some girl. ‘Evie’s,’ they’re calling it.”
“No,” Evelyn said. “The White House.”
“Not any more.” Jack pushed past her to the front door. “Take care.”
“You too,” Evelyn said, her voice shaking. Her father stood there to make sure Jack was gone as Evelyn’s head spun. She spent the rest of the afternoon in her bedroom, wondering why she felt so sad at Jack’s departure. Part of her had always known that he wasn’t the right man for her. But she’d certainly never imagined that he’d show up at her house, either. Maybe there was more to Jack than she’d ever realized.
* * * *
When Roger came to the door later, Evelyn had almost recovered from the confusion caused by Jack’s visit. And the light dancing in Roger’s eyes helped expel any lingering doubts.
“Ready?” he asked, a laugh in his voice.
“I am,” she said.
“I have a surprise for you,” Roger told her, pulling up outside his club. They went inside and settled themselves in a booth. Roger presented Evelyn with a small printed menu. Drinks were called by innocuous names that could have been non-alcoholic or laden with spirits, but what got Evelyn’s attention was the print along the top. “Evie’s,” it said.
“You changed the name of the club?” she asked, surprised that Jack had been right.
“For you.”
“But why?”
“I didn’t want you to doubt how important you are,” Roger told her.
“I don’t know what to say…” Evelyn felt honored, but part of her was uncomfortable. What did this mean? She adored Roger—he was handsome and sure, daring and even dangerous…But she was still young, and she wasn’t sure if having a man name his club after her signaled a greater commitment than she was ready for. Before she’d wrapped her head around it, Roger continued.
“I even hired a manager that I think you’ll approve of.” Roger pointed to the bar, where Tug stood, giving Charlie a browbeating about something.
“Tug?”
“She’s got a head for it.” Roger smiled.
Evie was glad to see Tug looking happy and at home, and, as she settled into the booth and sipped at her drink, she realized that she felt at home, too. She might not be ready to settle down, but she could do this. It wasn’t as if Roger had proposed, after all. He put an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him, vowing to do a little less thinking and a bit more living. Evelyn decided to keep in mind that her days of freedom were near an end. Soon she’d have classes and studying and grades to worry about. For now, she only had to worry about having fun.
The rest of the night slid by, and it was one of the happiest Evelyn could recall. She drank with off-duty policemen, watched her best friend order Charlie around behind the bar, and let herself enjoy the company of her gorgeous and successful boyfriend. She vowed to do her best to just enjoy the moment. After all, who knew what the future would hold?