“Did you just say you loved the woman?”
I cocked my head. “What the hell did you think I was going to say?”
“That you wanted to sleep with her!”
I waved my hand in the air. “Oh, that ship has already sailed.”
He balked. “Oh, you’ve been fucking holding out on me, man. I’m hurt, Gavin. Genuinely hurt.”
“Do you talk about you and your woman’s sex life to me?”
“Oh, hell no. That shit’s sacred.”
“Well, that’s how I feel about Eva.”
He licked his lips. “Shit, you really do love her, don’t you?”
I set my empty can on the coffee table. “Yeah, I do. But I don’t know what to do about it. I don’t want another Marissa situation on my hands. I don’t want another broken heart, and I certainly don’t want another woman that Asia already loves as well to up and leave because of bullshit I pull. I didn’t think this through, Jorge. I figured we’d fuck around a bit, get it out of our systems, and go on with our lives.”
“But, that’s not what happened?”
I shook my head. “Not in the slightest. It grew into something that I almost can’t manage, and I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize the little bit of stability I have managed to get into Asia’s life in the first place. I can’t bear the idea of rocking her world again, and for the worst.”
Jorge leaned back and sighed. “All right, I see why you wanted to talk.”
I folded my arms across my chest. “I’ve got this job and my feelings for Eva. I know this job is going to take me away for a few months. Asia will be in school, and she’ll be here without me. What if Marissa tries to swoop in and do shit while I’m gone? Will I even be able to get Eva the power of attorney she needs to deal with my ex’s bullshit?”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down. You’re going a bit too quickly. Let’s take this one step at a time. Okay? Have you thought about just taking Eva and Asia with you while you film? I’m sure Eva could homeschool your daughter while you’re working.”
I shrugged. “I mean, I thought about asking her, but I’m not sure how it would go over. Plus, she’d have to get certified to homeschool Asia. That certification would have to happen in California. I think you have to be a resident, and I’m just not sure if that’s feasible in this kind of time span.”
“All right, but you also won’t know shit until you involve Eva in this conversation and just ask. Does she know about this job?”
“I haven’t told her or Asia yet, no.”
He snickered. “Then, I’d start there and see what happens. You’re torturing yourself over what if’s when you’ve got someone who can answer those questions living under your damn roof now. See what I’m saying?”
I checked my watch. “If she’d ever get home from this doctor’s appointment.”
He paused. “How long has she been gone now?”
“Almost three hours.”
“That’s a pretty long appointment.”
I sighed. “I know, but I also gave her the day off to unpack and get settled in. Maybe she’s just running errands.”
“You sure about that?”
My eyes locked with his. “What does that mean?”
Jorge leaned forward. “For a guy who needs all the pieces in play before he makes a move, you’re doing a lot of assuming lately. If you’re worried about her, just call and make sure she’s okay. I’m sure she’ll appreciate the concern.”
Then, I spat out the big thing hovering around in my mind. “But, why go through all of this in the first place if I’m just going to up and move to California and leave all of this behind?”
Silence fell between us for a while before Jorge cleared his throat. He stood to his feet and backtracked into the kitchen to get us another set of beers, and even after he cracked his open, he didn’t speak.
It wasn’t until after he took a long pull from his can that he spoke. “I actually think that’s a good idea.”
