house instead of a hotel. Eating a home-cooked meal instead of takeout. Playing Rock Band with a couple of teens instead of partying at the Pussycat.
The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. It wasn’t about me. It was about Jace feeling real for a few hours, nothing more.
“Fool me once, shame on you,” I whispered over the rim of my coffee as a memory of Ian cruelly taunting me pushed its way into my mind. “Fool me twice, shame on me.”
I felt somewhat better after I’d worked that out, but despite the caffeine and the painkillers, the dull ache in my head continued to grow. I grabbed another protein bar from my stash. I was prone to bad headaches and recognized the signs. If I didn’t nip this in the bud, it had the potential to become a full-blown migraine. I couldn’t let that happen. With Ross away, my morning was jammed, and I was unable to take a break.
~ * ~
Jace
I gave a few soft raps on Eva’s office door. I’d been going batshit crazy since my memories decided to return with a vengeance around three in the morning. I needed to see her again, needed to confirm what my memory and heart already knew to be true.
“Come in.” The words were spoken so softly that I wasn’t sure I’d even heard them, but I wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip by.
I was on a mission, convinced that this re-crossing of our paths was no accident. With a sense of excitement, a sense of destiny, I opened the door and entered.
Eva sat behind her desk, her head inclined downward, as if reading. I stood there feeling ... well, I wasn’t quite sure what I was feeling at that moment. Triumph? Relief? Maybe awe.
Her hair was different now than it had been then, no longer a wild mane of glossy black. She wore considerably less makeup too, but that was a decided plus. While the dew of youth had faded from her features, she was even more stunning now than she’d been then.
But there was no mistake. Eva was most definitely the woman I’d seen on that stage so many years ago.
She finally lifted her gaze. “Jace, come in.”
“Hey,” I greeted, delighted that she’d called me Jace and not Mr. Logan. My delight faded, however, when I saw how tired and stressed she looked. “You okay?”
“Yes, of course.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “What’s up? Is the recording going okay?”
My gut told me it wasn’t the best time to take an impromptu stroll down memory lane, so I changed course accordingly.
“Yeah, everything’s going great. We’re just taking a break. I’d like to buy you lunch since you unwittingly fed us last night. It was outstanding, by the way. Best meal I’ve had in ages.”
“I’m glad you liked it. And thanks for the lunch offer, but I have to pass. I’m swamped today.”
“You need to eat, don’t you?”
“I’ll order something,” she said, waving her hand. Even that small gesture looked sluggish. “But hey, the boys had such a great time last night. Thanks for that. I’m sure you’re really busy, but they wanted me to let you know that if you and Kurt want to hang out again sometime—like tonight, for example—they wouldn’t say no.”
“And what would you say?” I asked, extremely interested in her answer. Showing up uninvited once was one thing. Doing so repeatedly, quite another.
Eva appeared to think about it. “I’d be okay with it, I guess.”
There it was, that spark of sass that had been missing.
I brightened considerably. “Maybe you could join us this time.”
Her face flushed, but she laughed. “Believe me when I tell you, I’m much more suited to this side of the stage.”
Not from what I remembered, but I’d save that big reveal for another time. She’d invited me back to her place tonight. That was a W in my book even if she’d included Kurt and implied it was her sons’ idea. It was a start. Anything that put me in close proximity to her was a good thing.
Opting not to push my luck—or give her a chance to change her mind—I left her office. Yes, I was disappointed that she’d turned down my lunch invite, but I was looking at the bigger picture. I’d be spending another evening with her on her home turf, away from the office and the stress of her high-pressure job.
On my way out, I stopped at the admin’s desk.