Because of various logistics including the placement of airports, Jack decides that he'll take Eve back home after the weekend and Ted and Lucie can drive themselves. Of course, Jack and Lucie leave on Saturday to beat the weekend traffic and Jack and Eve are going to leave the following morning at four. Egads. Eve could find no objection to this plan, but I can.
Anyway, Eve and Jack spend a pleasant evening together, shooting the breeze and such. Then, after dinner, Jack asks if Eve wants to know why he had her stay. Well, because she's dying of curiosity, of course. Eve says she decided not to ask why Jack wasn't an overwhelming pissant about Ted and Lucie. So there. Then Eve notices, “Their isolation in this part of the house, coupled with dim light, soft music and the warmth of the fire was creating an uncomfortable sense of intimacy.” He's not doing it right if she feels uncomfortable.
Jack kind of apologizes for his actions and says he rarely does what people expect. Then he explains why he wasn't an overwhelming pissant about Ted and Lucie. Jack figures that if Ted isn't “forbidden fruit”, then Lucie will stop liking him and won't want to marry him. They've got about a year. I'm not sure why Jack doesn't think they'll get married sooner than right before Ted starts his fieldwork, but whateves.
Jack says that he thinks Eve thinks he's a terrible person and that Eve wants Lucie to hate him. Interesting. Do they both find each other infuriating? Anyway, Jack admits that Lucie matters a lot to him and that he'll spend the year getting to know Ted instead of hiring detectives to learn Ted's habits. Jack says he likes it when Eve is “blunt and outspoken”, blah blah. Then Jack says it's time for bed and Eve is glad to get there. No, to her own bed without him in it. This is only the third chapter, silly.
Anyway, they pause at the base of the stairs and Jack asks if he's forgiven. Eve says she's unsure if there's anything to forgive, and then he kisses her. This kiss is so passionate and full of current, it's just too much for me to describe here. Jack's response? “You didn't even try to make that happen. Remarkable. Goodnight, Eve.”
The next morning, Eve thinks about how maybe she dreamed that kiss. Jack coldly asks if it's okay if he works as they drive. Eve says it's fine and she sits there and thinks, mostly about how she's never responded to a man's kiss before. She's twenty-eight and she's never responded to a kiss? Geeze. I'm sorry, Eve.
Jack wakes her up and for a moment, I think the car ride was a dream and they'll get down to some serious smooching. Nope. She fell asleep on the car ride and now they're getting on the plane. By “the plane”, I mean a fancy private jet with all the trimmings. Jack sits at his desk to work, and now Eve pulls out a book. Why didn't she do that before?
Jack asks what she's reading and she replies that it's about paleoanthropology and Ted passed it on to her. Geeze. Apparently, she likes it, and because of this the people she works with think she's odd. You see, she always has a book with her at work so she has something to do while they're changing the lights. I mean, I can understand that but it's kind of strange that she doesn't talk to people or something. She is supposed to be working.
Then Jack confesses that he doesn't worry, he acts. If he can't act, then he just leaves the situation. He sounds like the perfect man, Eve. I'm pushing my sarcasm button, just wanted to be clear. Then we get the first mention of the debate about Jack being human that Eve has.
Back at the ranch, AKA Eve's apartment, Eve is cleaning up a weekend's worth of crap that her apartment mate, Jane, left lying around. You see, they have the perfect relationship. Jane throws wild parties and brings home knickknacks for the apartment, and Eve cleans up after her. Sarcasm button. Also, Jane is so unrepentant about her mess that Eve just has to smile. Aw, that darn Jane, leaving her dirty dishes all over the place again. You know how she is.
Then Jane squeals about how Eve and Jackson Sinclair are totes gonna be an item or something. Jane is a romantic at heart. Eve firmly says that she only calls him Jack because he's going to be her brother-in-law and that's all. The only romance happening here is Ted's and Lucie's. Too bad Eve doesn't realize she's the main character in a romance novel.
Oh, Jane knew about all of this because Tony called the apartment and told her about it. After Eve's done telling Jane what happened, Tony shows up to take Eve out to dinner. She won't need to change for this meal, though. That's a relief, I was starting to feel like I needed to read with both pinkies out. Also, I'm not saying this just because Tony works with models but, I wouldn't be too surprised if he and Jack ended up together. I mean, if it weren't for the conventions of a romantic novel.
The next few weeks show a lack of Jack, so we don't hear about them. Lucie, Ted and Jack spend a nice evening together at Stonegate but that's about it.
So, Eve has been working for a week modeling in California. She just had to take the next flight home and sleep in her apartment, even if she gets there right before the butt crack of dawn! All right, who's surprised that Jane left a huge mess from a party because she had to jet off to another one? Anyone? Oh, and there's no coffee left so Eve will have to go buy some.
All right, that's the last straw, damn it! Screw your note, Jane! Eve isn't picking up your stupid mess! She's gonna take a shower, and then go to bed! At about two, the door buzzer goes off and Eve is pissed at Jane further for forgetting her key. Eve didn't think she'd be disturbed until five or six. Wait just a moment here. Five or six AM? Really? People go knock on other people's doors at five or six? All right, whatever. It isn't Jane at the door, it's Robocop. Sorry, I mean Jack. Much less interesting. It's because he's so inhuman, all right? Don't worry, that nickname won't stick.
So, Eve answers the door pissed off, with her hair a mess and in a nightgown. Then she sees it's Jack and she stops. He takes in her appearance and the mess of the room beyond. I can hear it now... “No indiscretions, huh? It looks like a party vomited all over your apartment and left, except perhaps for whoever stayed behind in your bed.” Either that, or he'll simply smile and ask, “Room for one more?”
I can only hope he'll say that, but I know he won't. He'll just look at her with those knowing eyes, eyes that have a serial number around the iris, and she'll squirm...because he's hitting her with laser vision!
That was the last one, I promise.
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