I sipped my wine and tried to come up with a succinct answer. Until twenty-four hours ago, I would have been able to tell him my entire life plan. Now, it was all up in the air. I smiled. "I'm going to get off the road, find a base, and see where it goes from there."
He nodded. "I can see you settled down. I imagine you'll do well. Then, you'll join a good country club and some lucky man will snap you up right away."
"Is that what you see for yourself?" I asked. "Retiring to hold court at your favorite country club and find yourself a lovely queen?"
"Then, a big white house with a yard, a vacation home, and a few good years of enjoying it all before the kids come along," Jackson said. "Sounds perfect, doesn't it? I told you that great minds think alike."
He plucked my hand from the white linen tablecloth and brushed his thumb gently across the back of my knuckles. I had to admit that Jackson McRay was very attractive. A few women around the restaurant were watching us with barely contained jealousy. I did feel a thrill at the easy and comfortable life he had outlined.
The only problem was he was not Fenton. I pulled my hand back. "It's a bit expected," I said. "I wouldn't want you to think I was boring."
Jackson's lips curled in an appreciative smile. "You're right. I do like a girl who needs to be chased. So tell me, Kya, what kind of wild future do you see for yourself?"
I sipped my wine. "I'm going to try Las Vegas for a while. It makes the most sense for my business. So, there goes my country club plans. I might have to take up gambling," I said.
"Or martial arts?" he asked. His smile disappeared and he reached for his wine.
"Who knows," I said. "There are lots of hobbies I haven't tried yet. I think it’s kind of fun to takes things as they come. I mean, don't get me wrong. I had outlined the exact life you described, but now I think I should see what happens instead of trying to make it happen. Does that make sense?"
"No," he said. He took my hand again. "It makes sense that you want to cut loose and try on the world for size. But only for a little while, Kya. You're smart, you're practical, and you know the best course for your life to take. Once you're on that course and your momentum really gets going, it can feel a little scary. That's why you should find someone with your same tastes to guide you back when the time comes."
"You don't think I can take care of myself?" I asked. The words echoed what Dana Maria had said earlier.
"It’s not that. I just don't want you to wake up one morning lost. Having a goal keeps you on track."
I had to agree. Having solid goals was the only thing that kept me from falling apart when my parents passed away. "I know. I agree. I'm just not sure my end goal is a big white house. Lots of people work towards the goal of being happy and securing their future without mapping out every step."
"Like your fighter?"
"You can't possibly think of Fenton Morris as unfocused," I said.
"Then how about impetus?" Jackson asked. "He can certainly be all over the map with what he does and what he wants."
"I don't know if I agree," I said. "Both he and his sister are very driven. They might not have the house picked out, but I bet they are both working towards the same kind of security that you are describing."
Jackson snorted. "What I'm describing is worlds away from what a stripper saves her money for. You think she's going to earn enough to appear in polite society?"
"I don't think Dana Maria is interested in polite society. She knows exactly who she is and doesn't care what other people say."
"But you do," he said. "Otherwise, you wouldn't be testing out this idea of staying in Vegas on every person you meet."
"I might not have Dana Maria's confidence, but I'm getting there," I said. "That's why I'm not narrowing my options down to the safe path."
"That's not confidence," he disagreed. "That's the long term affect of being stared at by men. She thinks she's in control, she thinks she confident, but she's really just begging for attention."
"You were paying attention to her when I arrived," I said. I swallowed and wished I had the words back.
Jackson laughed and poured himself more wine. "Like I pay attention to the label on a wine bottle. Then, I drink what I want and toss it away. And, trust me, there are better vintages than her."
He smiled and I knew it was supposed to be a compliment. I smiled back and sipped my wine while my skin crawled. Jackson was perfect on the outside– a handsome gentleman, a professional golfer known for his grace under pressure, and a widely coveted and charming date.
He just was not the man for me.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Fenton
As soon as we stepped out of the elevator, I noticed people looking at my sister. The looks on their faces said they had the exact same thoughts as Jackson just had up in the suite.
"You could have changed clothes up in the suite, Dee," I said. "I didn't mean to rush you out of there."
"I'm perfectly comfortable," Dana Maria said. "Plus, it’s gotta be good for your reputation. Fenton Morris seen in broad daylight with an exotic dancer. Fits right into the image of the party boy fighter, doesn't it?"
"Except for the part where you're my sister," I said.
"Since when do you care what people think?" she asked. "Besides your buttoned-up roommate."
"Her name is Kya." I grabbed Dana Maria's arm and steered her through the gathering sea of interested faces. "Why can't you call her by her name?"
"For the same reason I'm not going to put on a conservative dress to have lunch with you. That's not me. This is what I like to wear and I don't call people by their given names unless they are actually my friends," Dana Maria said.
I yanked open the door of the waiting cab and tucked my sister inside. "You're telling me you wouldn't be more comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt? Or a dress with less lace and tight straps?"
My sister shrugged. "Maybe, but I've got a gig right after lunch."
My shoulders tensed. "You need a chaperone?" I asked.
Dana Maria laughed. "No thanks, baby bro. I've got my own muscle. There's nothing for you to worry about."
She changed the subject, and I ended up telling her all about the fight and the after party. I stopped before I confessed anything about Kya, but somehow my sister guessed it.
"You know she'll just drop you as soon as she finds someone better," Dana Maria said. She twisted the wrapper to her straw around her finger and pretended it was an engagement ring. "Oh, you shouldn't have gotten such a big diamond! No, I don't mind that you're a balding lawyer because you are so rich and your family is so well known. We'll get married on the 13th green, and our lives will be just like a cardigan catalog."
I wadded up a paper napkin and threw it at her. "Very funny. But you don't know the first thing about Kya. She's different than she looks."
"I'm sure she is," Dana Maria said. "The only problem is that in the end, she's going to think she should marry someone that looks just as catalog perfect as her. And, when she realizes his surface doesn't match what he's really like underneath, she’ll find out she was dead wrong."