The next few days were like a fantasy, it felt like his mind had made Evelyn up to guide him through a difficult time. She made him laugh and entertained him with her stories. She also told him about her dreams and ambitions and he wanted everything for her to go right. She was passionate about her photography and cinematography, her hazel eyes always gleaming with happiness whenever she talked about it.
While she worked her shifts at the café he took care of work related things like meetings and video conferences. Also reading through Adam's reports about the main office. Things were going good without him, he didn't think it would, but once he got back he'd give his assistant a raise. He well deserved it. Adam mentioned that Zara had been over a few times, questioning him about the missed phone calls. It was unlike her. Something was going on with Zara, but he couldn't deal with her right now. He was leaving tomorrow and he dreaded it. He liked spending time with Evelyn a lot and the thought of things ending was actually painful. If he could, he'd take her with him.
"Do you want to eat out tonight?" Evelyn asked him.
He flickered his eyes to her, her eyes not as bright as usual. She dreaded his departure as well. They both knew things were not going to be long term when they started their little affair, but knowing was only something you could picture mentally. Experiencing it was physically painful.
"I rather spend the night in together with you."
She sipped from her tea, "Sounds even better."
His lips twitched when he noticed the intense look in her eyes, "I was talking about actually eating in. You know, dinner and maybe a horror movie."
She feigned surprise, "I was also thinking that."
He shook his head at her, "Right. I think I know your look by now."
She smiled, "What look?"
"The 'I want you now hard and fast' look."
She burst out in laughter, the sound very musical and pleasant to listen to. It also made a few people's head turn and glance at her. She didn't notice, but she always had people's attention. It was her confidence he figured. He always thought Zara was a very confident woman, but she proved him wrong after their phone call. She sounded desperate and manipulative. It was odd how she brushed him off when he told her he met someone else. Like it didn't matter to her at all. He knew that if he told Evelyn he wanted to bang the waitress in the bathroom stall because he liked how her tits bounced in her tight white shirt and how nice her ass looked in her tight black pants, she'd freak. Because the woman who cared about you was bound to feel something when he mentioned his attraction to other women. Just a hint of jealousy confirmed that she genuinely gave a fuck.
"I always want you hard and fast."
It was his turn to laugh, "Seriously Evelyn, do you know you have a dirty sense of humor?"
"Oh, you're talking about the muffins."
Her Cheshire cat grin told him she knew he meant that. She was playing around, keeping the mood light between them. He appreciated it. It was better than the dark cloud of doom hovering above their heads.
"Yeah."
"Don't worry." She reached for his hand, gently placing her hand on top of his, "I'll bring my delicious cupcake tonight."
He cursed beneath his breath, a small smile playing on his lips, "Fuck, Evelyn. You're something else."
"But you like it."
His eyes darkened as she mentioned that, she was definitely something else and he definitely liked it a lot. Lacing their fingers together, he raised their hands off the table and gently kissed her wrist. That gentle gesture caused a nice hint of pink to spread across her cheeks.
"I like it a lot." He told her quietly.
They finished their breakfast and parted ways. Evelyn was going to work a shift at the café while he got his suitcase ready for tomorrow morning.
...
After lunch with Robin and his girlfriend Laura, Michael headed to the café Evelyn was working at. When he entered she spotted him immediately, greeting him with a bright smile. The café was crowded, a lot of tourists were enjoying their lunch along with some Dutch folk, he now recognized the language and Evelyn did teach him a few words. The language sounded harsh to him, but she had been patient with him. Having fun, her musical laughter still imprinted in his mind. He spotted an empty table and nodded toward it, letting her know he was taking a seat while she finished up her order. He already had a filling meal with Robin so he wasn't in the mood for anything to eat. He could sip a coffee while keeping Evelyn company. Once she finished up her order Evelyn walked toward his table and smiled down at him.
"An espresso or a cappuccino?" She asked.
"I'd like the fresh mint tea."
Her eyes danced with amusement, "I like that you mix things up. I'll get you one of my cupcakes."
"Thought you'd give me your cupcake later."
She laughed, shaking her head at him, "And you say I have a dirty sense of humor."
"I'm only humoring you."
"It's working." She glanced at the counter, "I'll get you your order."
She brought him a tall glass of mint tea and a small plate with a red velvet cupcake.
"Enjoy."
He held her gaze as he reached for the fork, "I will."
Her hazel eyes darkened, sinking her teeth in her lips. She reached for him, letting her fingers run over his arm before she walked away. She wanted him, but this wasn't the right time or place. He'd make it special tonight. It would be the last time they'd be together. He wanted it to be memorable.
...
Meeting up at his room they ordered room service so they could eat in and have some privacy. They sat at the table near the window, the lights of the city glowing up the candle lit room. It was gorgeous, only the best for Evelyn.
"This is pretty good." She told him and held out a bite for him.
He took it, his eyes never leaving hers, "I think I prefer the Japanese grill restaurant."
She smiled, "Me too, maybe next time you come around we can go there more often. Try different things on the menu."
It was painful hearing her talk about the next time he was coming over. Even if he did come over a few weeks later he wasn't sure if things would be the same. Would they still be into each other? He doubted it. Evelyn was a great girl and she wouldn't have any trouble meeting someone who could give her more than a few nights of fun. He wanted to give her more than that, but he didn't know how.
"Maybe."
She didn't react to his aloof answer, instead she smiled at him and talked about her day. He listened to her, watching her soft features. Her eyes always so bright with cheerfulness. He didn't want to say goodbye to that. It was something he didn't have in his life for a very long time. What he said next was purely a spontaneous act, something he never did either.
"Come with me to New York."
She paused for a while, her eyes searching his. Placing her fork down she reached for her napkin and wiped her mouth before she reached for her wine glass and took a large gulp. He feared he ruined things by opening his mouth, but she proved him wrong.
"I'd love to, but I have my documentary which I need to hand in. A hard and soft copy."
He could work with that.
"So you come meet me after that."
She narrowed her eyes on him, "Are you sure about that?"
"If I wasn't I wouldn't ask."
That was a lie, but she didn't need to know that. The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea of her staying with him in his apartment for a while.
"I can't stay that long." She continued.
"That's okay, we'll figure things out."
She polished off her wine, "Okay, then I'll come visit you in two weeks?" She sounded unsure.
"Yes." He told her firmly, "I'll arrange the ticket, it's me who asked of you to come visit me."
"No!" She looked alarmed, "I can't let you pay for my ticket."
"Trust me, Evelyn, I can miss the money more than you do right now." He didn't want to offend her, but she was working a lot of shifts to pay for her classes, rent and other bills, he couldn't let her pay an expensive ticket to New York when money wasn't an issue to him, "You can use that money to wander around New York and get some cool shots."
"Michael, I don't know how to feel about that."
He reached for her hand, "Don't think too much about it. I don't want you to spend your hard earned money on a ticket. Save it for more important things."
She was still unsure, he could see it in her eyes but she nodded, "Okay then." She told him quietly, her eyes flickering to her hands, "Then I'll come visit you in two weeks."
"I'll clear my schedule so I can spend more than half an hour a day with you." He joked.
It made a smile spread across her face, "Glad to hear that."
They exchanged email addresses and planned her trip. She was against staying at his apartment, thinking it was odd, so against his wishes she booked a hotel instead. It was quite far away from his apartment building, but he could make it work. It took them a while and when they checked the time it was near midnight. He had an early flight to catch and he didn't want to stay up too late.
"How about we just go to sleep?" She suggested, "Then I'll go with you to the airport tomorrow."
"I wanted this to be memorable." He brushed her locks behind her ear, leaning in to kiss her.
She gave him a quick kiss and pulled away, "It already is. This thing between us, you've given me so much more than you can imagine."
"I want to explore things." He told her honestly.
"Me too."
Putting away the laptop, Michael set his alarm for six thirty. He took a shower first while Evelyn was hanging out in the bedroom, going through her savings and making plans for her visit in two weeks. Once he entered the bedroom she went to the bathroom to freshen up. He went through his messages, very grateful to Adam for taking care of things. Adam would meet him at the airport when his plane landed tomorrow. His assistant also let him know that Zara was on a war path. She wasn't taking the break-up very well and he was sure she'd probably wait for him at the airport as well. He wasn't looking forward to be greeted by her, but there was nothing he could do about it. For now he'd push the thought of Zara to the back of his mind and crawled into bed, waiting for Evelyn to join him. Evelyn joined him in bed a few minutes later. They were spooning, his arm wrapped around her waist while he leaned in and kissed her hair.
"Night."
"Night." He heard the smile in her voice which settled his worries.
Whatever awaited him back in New York, he'd be able to handle it. Evelyn taught him life wasn't that hard if you gave a crap about the things you were doing. He'd deal with Zara and make sure she stayed in his past. He made the decision to explore things with Evelyn, so now she was his future.