She looks at me with wide eyes, stepping out of the shower and grabbing a towel. “I don’t know if I should be happy or concerned.”
“Why would you be concerned?” I rinse the soap from my hair before stepping out with her, eyeing the curves of her body.
We could get back in the shower, or I could take her home and fuck her until we’re both too tired to move.
Jade shrugs and gets dressed in some clean clothing from her gym bag. “I don’t think I ever know what to expect with you. Youleave me guessing more often than not, and the second I start to think I know how you are, you go and change things again.”
“I’m not trying to change things if that makes you feel better.”
She shrugs and wrings out the wet clothing before tossing it in the bag. “Should it? Don’t you ever feel like you don’t know who you are?”
“Does anyone really ever know who they are?” I press a hand to the small of her back, guiding her out of the gym and into the busy New York streets.
Horns honk, and the scent of hot dog water carries on the wind down the street.
I turn toward the direction of her surprise, wondering if she’s going to lose her shit or be excited. It’s more likely she’s going to give me hell, but I think it’s going to be worth it.
Jade considers what I said for a moment before shrugging. “I guess some people do.”
My hand drops from the small of her back, but her hand finds mine, her fingers slotting into mine like they belong there. “I don’t think they do. I think most people think they know who they are, but how could you know every single day that you’re the person you were the day before?”
“Well, for what it’s worth, I think you’re getting too deep here. I think you need to look at it from the point of view of who you are at your core. Do you know that person?”
I tug her gently down another street, heading to a busier section near Central Park. “I don’t know who that person is a lot of the time either. There are some days I look in the mirror, and I don’t know who is looking back at me.”
She looks at me like she’s trying to figure me out.
I want to wish her luck. I don’t know if it’s going to be possible, but if she wants to spend the rest of her life trying, I would happily have her standing there and analyzing me with that interested look in her eyes.
We stop in front of a black brick building with paned windows and a weathered door.
I key in the code to the lockbox, getting out the key and unlocking the building.
“What’re you doing?” Jade asks as I step inside, holding the door open for her to follow me.
“I told you, I have a surprise for you, and I want you to see it now.”
She says nothing, following me inside, the worn floorboards creaking beneath her feet.
The windows overlook Central Park, and there’s a staircase to the right that leads up to the second floor.
“What’s this?” She is already climbing the stairs.
“Well, this building used to be a restaurant about ten years ago. It’s been sitting empty for the last five, and I have a realtor friend who happens to think this place could be turned into something pretty special if the right person comes along and wants to fix it up.”
Jade strides over to the towering windows and looks down at the park before turning to look back at me. “You’re going to run a restaurant?”
“No.” I tuck my hands in my pockets, looking at her. “I was thinking you might want to, one day, and I have a realtor who’s willing to work with you. And a talented chef who would be willing to give you a crash course on renovating and running it.”
Her eyes are glassy as she looks between me and the view, taking in the spray-painted brick and all the graffiti and broken glass that would have to be dealt with before she could even think about turning this place into something special.
But it could be.
I see the potential here just like I saw the potential when I looked at her for the first time.
Jade shakes her head. “This is too much. You didn’t have to arrange that for me.”
“Contrary to what you might think sometimes, I want you to be happy, and I don’t want to be the one standing in the way of your dreams.” I nod to the building. “You once told me that doing something like this was your dream.”
