Page 43 of Just for Tonight

“Like?”

“There’s a big promotion in the wind and we’re both being considered for it. I’ll bet you that I get it, not because I’m better, but because I don’t have other obligations. If Nadine was single, she’d probably kick my butt out of contention.”

“Does that bother you?”

He meets my gaze. “I don’t like injustice, but I didn’t shape expectations either. I didn’t make her choice to marry and have those three kids.”

“Do you want the promotion?”

“Corner office, juicy pay raise? Sure, I want it. Everyone wants that. Everyone wants to win. I wish Nadine well, along with all the other contenders. May the most qualified individual triumph.”

I feel mixy-mixy about this. I like that Jake is aware of the issue. I don’t love that he’s not doing anything to resolve the injustice to this co-worker – but on the other hand, why would he? Of course, he wants the job. And he’s right - she did decide to get married and have kids. If she wanted to focus solely on her career, she could have done as Jake is doing, and resolved to stay single.

She could have made the same choice I’ve made.

For the first time, though, I wonder about that. Why is it that a man doesn’t have to choose? Why can men have it all?

“What are you thinking?” he asks.

“That if you were married and had three kids, it wouldn’t be a variable.”

“No, it wouldn’t. But I wouldn’t be taking days off when any of them were sick either.” He raises a hand. “And while I can’t fix the shape of the world, I can decide against seeking a permanent partner. The thing is that if I was ever crazy in love with a woman, the last thing I’d want to do is compromise her career. I’d want her to have every one of her ambitions. I’d want to help her reach the highest star.”

“But that would mean that you’d be the wife.”

“Maybe.” He grins. “Better to just forgo the whole thing, to my thinking.”

“Yes,” I agree and he studies me, a little surprised.

“Lots of babies in the world already,” he says.

“But there’s more than babies to marriage.”

“True,” Jake cedes. “Tell you what. If you get lonely and want to talk, give me a call, even about how it sometimes bites to be single.”

It is a surprisingly enticing offer, but I tease him instead of responding seriously. “Right. You’ll just fall asleep on me.”

He laughs, surprised into it. “I promise not to do that again.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“And there’s a perfect segue,” he says as the bill is brought to the table. “Thank you, Ms. Rhodes, for such an informative day and a wonderful meal. It’s always so satisfying to end the day with agreement.”

“It is, Mr. Wickham. May I give you a ride back to your hotel?”

“That would be great. Thank you.” He pauses to compliment the hostess and speaks briefly to the chef, then steps outside and opens the umbrella with perfect timing. We’re halfway to the car when he speaks. “I may have fallen asleep twice, but you’ve left twice while I was sleeping.”

“Did you expect me to stay and watch you sleep?”

“No, but I’d like to wake up together once.”

So would I.

“There’s incentive for you,” I say. “If you fall asleep tonight, you’ll have to figure out how to get back to your car in Empire without me.”

“I don’t need incentive to stay awake tonight.”

“Promises, promises,” I tease and he grins as I start the engine.