Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
Veronica couldn’t find her bearings.
How had her conversation with Mr. Bayat devolved from getting him a date or a refund into her attending his brother’s wedding with him? And why in the hell had her boss accepted the concept without blinking?
On autopilot, she gave Jasper her cell number when he asked for it. Veronica wasn’t sure how it happened. She’d honestly thought he was joking when he said she would be his date. A joke in poor taste, but a joke, nonetheless.
So, when he said that she agreed to go with him, her mind had gone blank. Then, when Dominique had replied as though it was fine if she agreed, Veronica began to wonder if somewhere between the conference room and her desk, she’d somehow entered an alternate dimension.
After saying that he would be in touch with her later that evening, Jasper left the office, a smile on his face and a spring in his step. His satisfaction was so thick that she could almost see it wafting like a fog in his wake.
Of course, he would be smug and satisfied. He got what he wanted. A date for his brother’s wedding.
But Veronica had no idea how she was going to get through it.
One, because Jasper Bayat was insanely attractive. Insane because she had difficulty keeping her thoughts from scattering when she saw him.
Two, he broadcasted his emotions openly. It was as if he didn’t give a damn if people knew what he was feeling. As an empath, it was difficult to withstand. Her only saving grace was that the more time he spent with her, the calmer he seemed to be.
Third, he was a client . Though Dominique had no formal rules about dating clients, Veronica knew that it wasn’t a good idea. So what if she’d made a comment to Dominique about helping her find some matches because she was so lonely?
That didn’t mean she should be dating clients willy-nilly. Especially if those clients were tall, dark, and handsome djinns that made her heart race every time they looked at her.
By the gods, she wasn’t going to be able to do this.
“You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to, you know,” Dominique said, distracting Veronica from her careening thoughts.
“What?”
Dominique gestured toward the door that had just closed behind Jasper. “You don’t have to go to this wedding. I’ll give him a refund.”
Veronica froze. Jasper had purchased their largest package, upfront, and it was worth over a thousand dollars. And her boss was willing to reimburse him in full.
No. She couldn’t do that. Dominique had given her a chance when no one else would have. Half-fae, half-human empaths were not welcome in most supernatural circles.
To be honest, empaths of any ancestry were unwelcome. The only supernatural more reviled were telepaths because they could read minds rather than just emotions.
The new direction of her thoughts gave her an idea.
“No, don’t give him a refund,” Veronica said. “When he calls me tonight, I’ll explain that I’m an empath. I doubt he’ll want to take me when he finds out. Most males wouldn’t.”
Dominique frowned. “Don’t talk about yourself like that,” she said. “Any male would be lucky to have you as a date.”
Veronica shot her a look because that had not been her experience.
Her boss shook her head. “Don’t look at me like that either. The fact that people are intimidated by your ability to sense emotions is ridiculous to me. Most supernaturals have enough magic to shield if they want to. And you’re not intrusive, nor do you violate boundaries when they’ve been set. Your abilities make you an asset in this business rather than a detriment.”
“Thank you, Dominique,” Veronica said. “I don’t tell you often enough how much I appreciate the opportunities you’ve given me?—”
The taller woman waved her words away. “You don’t need to thank me. You were more than qualified for this job. Let’s get back to the handsome Mr. Bayat.”
Veronica bit back a sigh. “Do we have to?”
Her boss ignored her. “Are you not attracted to him?”
“I’d have to be dead to not be attracted to him,” Veronica murmured.
Laughing, Dominique asked, “Do you not enjoy his company?”
Honestly, Veronica enjoyed talking to him even though his emotions were always loud and sometimes abrasive. He never hid his thoughts or feelings. He was honest in his actions and words. To the point of bluntness.
Veronica appreciated that. Whatever he said to her, his intense emotions always backed up his words.
Subterfuge was always the most difficult thing for her to deal with as an empath because the conflict between a person’s words and emotions gave her a splitting headache.
“I do like talking to him. He’s funny in a sneaky, biting way.”
Dominique shrugged. “Then, what’s the problem?”
“Well, he doesn’t know I’m an empath for one.”
“And?” Dominique asked.
“You don’t think that will be enough to make him run away?”
Her boss shook her head. “Any other male, maybe. Jasper Bayat, I doubt it. That man is a bulldozer in a suit. Plus, I’m asking you how you feel about possibly dating him. Not how you think he’ll feel about you. You can’t control any of that, so it’s best for you to focus on what you want out of a potential relationship.”
“Okay,” Veronica countered. “Then, I don’t want to date a man who’s going out with me because I’m the only one available. I want a man who wants me for me, not someone desperate for a warm body to prop up beside him at a wedding.”
Dominique arched her brows. “Oh, so that’s why he didn’t take his eyes off you when he came in? Because he’s so desperate for a warm body to prop up beside him?”
“He was upset when he came in. I’m sure even you felt that.”
“Oh, yes, he was upset, but I don’t think it was because he didn’t have a date for the wedding. I think it was because the only woman he wants to take to said wedding was laughing and blushing with another man while he watched from the front window.”
Veronica gaped at her. “What on earth are you talking about?”
“You blushed when Torin winked at you. I didn’t realize it was Jasper at the time, but I saw someone standing at the front window, looking in. Now that I’m looking back at the situation, I’m almost positive that was him. And that the sight of you flirting with another man upset him more than his lack of date for his brother’s wedding.”
A short bark of laughter escaped Veronica. “I wasn’t flirting with Torin! He’s living with someone. I was just happy for him!”
“I know, but he’s also extremely hot. Even my temperature rose a couple of degrees when he winked at you, and I have no romantic interest in him in the least.”
Veronica’s mouth open and closed several times. She had no idea how to respond to that.
“All I’m saying is that I think Jasper Bayat likes you. And that he wanted you to be his date rather than just viewing you as a faceless woman to drag around what’s surely to be a stressful family event.” With a smile, Dominique patted her arm. “Just try to be open to the idea that Jasper likes you. You might be surprised.”
With that, her boss disappeared into her office.
Veronica went back to her desk and sat down, but she had no idea what to do next.
Less than an hour later, Veronica got a text from Jasper, asking her to meet him for dinner at an Italian restaurant not far from her office.
Her first instinct was to say no, but she decided it was best to rip the band-aid off and tell him tonight that she was an empath. Plus, she really liked the restaurant he named, and she rarely went there because it was a little expensive and didn’t fit well into her budget.
Delicious pasta and limoncello cake would ease the sting of rejection after she explained what she was, so she would make an exception tonight.
After staring at the text for five minutes, Veronica finally texted him back.
Veronica: I’ll be there at six.
Jasper didn’t make her wait for his reply.
Jasper: I’ll be waiting.
Oh, how those words made her feel. To know that a man like Jasper would be waiting for her. To know that when she left work that night, she had somewhere to go and someone who wanted to see her.
It was what she’d dreamed of since she realized that her abilities meant she would never have a normal life or a normal relationship.
A short time later, she walked into Intermezzo . The ma?tre d’ greeted her with a smile.
“I’m meeting a friend,” Veronica said. “Jasper Bayat.”
“Of course. Mr. Bayat has arranged a private room. Please follow me.”
A private room? She didn’t even realize Intermezzo had private rooms.
Veronica followed the ma?tre d’ around the side of the dining area to a hallway. He turned into the second door on his left, holding it open for her.
She nodded to him as she walked through and almost tripped over her own feet when she saw Jasper seated at a table set with lit candles and delicate stemware.
He looked like her every romantic fantasy come to life.
Not because he was beautiful, though he certainly was. No, it was because he’d obviously gone to some effort for tonight. Reserving a private room. Candles. A bottle of white wine chilling in a bucket beside the table. The way he stood when she entered the room.
The ma?tre d’ left them alone, but Veronica didn’t even notice.
Jasper stood next to the table, unmoving. She realized with a jolt that he was waiting for her to sit down before he did. Someone in his life had taught him old-fashioned manners.
Veronica moved to the table, hooking her bag over the back of the other chair. “Hi.”
“Hi, Veronica,” he replied.
She swallowed when he said her name. His voice was warm. So were his eyes. And his emotions were calm. Much calmer than they had been when he came into the office earlier.
He moved around the table to pull out her chair. “I thought this would be best. It will give us a chance to talk and get to know each other.”
“Okay,” she agreed.
He scooted her chair beneath the table when she sat down and picked up the wine from the bucket.
“Do you like white wine?” he asked.
Veronica nodded, watching as he poured them each a glass. Once he tucked the bottle back into the ice bucket, Veronica took a sip. It was delicious. Light, crisp, slightly sweet.
“Do you like it?” he asked as he settled back into his chair.
“Yes. It’s very good.”
He smiled at her, which made him even more handsome. And approachable.
Veronica took another sip of wine, this one much bigger. More of a gulp, really.
Then, he shocked her further by saying, “I had to answer so many questions about myself when I joined Mystical Matchmakers that I feel like you probably know me pretty well now. Especially since we’ve been talking every week. Tell me a little more about yourself.”
“What do you want to know?” she asked, caught off guard.
She thought they would be getting together to discuss the logistics of going to his brother’s wedding. Not talking to each other like this was a real…date.
But it wasn’t a real date. He wanted them to appear as though they’d been dating for a little while, this was just setting up the foundation. Right?
“What do you do for fun?” he asked.
Veronica cleared her throat. Normally, she wouldn’t talk as much about her hobbies on a first date since they were nothing exciting, but, since this wasn’t technically a date, she decided to be one hundred percent honest.
“I like to read. And I like to cook.”
“What’s your favorite thing to cook?” he asked.
“Thai yellow curry.”
Another smile tugged at his mouth. “Spicy. I like that.”
A blush rushed into her cheeks.
“What’s your favorite book?”
Veronica shrugged, feeling a little more comfortable with this subject. “I don’t really have one. It’s usually whatever I’m reading at the time.”
“Okay, what are you reading right now?”
Her blush intensified until her face felt like it was about to melt from the heat.
“Now, I’m really intrigued,” he said, picking up his wineglass.
Hoping to fortify herself, Veronica copied his movement, drinking her own wine.
“Ready to tell me now?” he asked when she lowered her glass.
She decided to continue to be completely honest. “It’s a romance novel by an author I really like, Brynne Asher.”
“What’s it called?” he asked.
She studied him but could only feel sincerity and curiosity radiating from him. He wasn’t judging her or humoring her. He genuinely wanted to know.
“It’s called Illicit . I’ve been waiting for it to release for a while.” She toyed with the stem of her wineglass. “What do you usually read?”
During his intake interview, he said he enjoyed reading books, but didn’t go into detail.
Jasper shrugged. “I mostly read thrillers and horror. Sometimes, I’ll pick up a biography or some other non-fiction title that’s getting a lot of attention because I feel like I should try to enrich my mind.”
Veronica smiled at his words. “I think reading enriches your mind, no matter the genre.”
He tapped his wineglass against hers. “I like the way you think.”
Her shoulders relaxed at his words.
A woman came in carrying a charcuterie board. She smiled at both of them as she set it in the center of the table. “Is there anything else I can bring you at the moment?”
Jasper looked at Veronica, waiting for her to speak. When she shook her head, he answered, “No, thank you.”
She moved to a table by the door and brought back two menus. “I’ll return shortly to take your order for dinner.”
Still smiling, she left the room.
Veronica knew she was in over her head. He wanted her to convince his family they were dating, and she was ready to believe they were, too. They weren’t even halfway through this date. Meeting. Whatever this was.
“Tell me more about your family,” she said, picking up a piece of cheese from the board. “If you want them to believe we’re actually dating, I probably need to know something about them.”
He seemed surprised by her words. “If I want them to believe we’re actually dating?” he repeated.
She forced herself to pop the cheese into her mouth and chew as she nodded.
He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “I thought this was a date.”
Veronica blinked at him, feeling utterly pinned by those dark brown eyes. And the sensation of…hurt that seemed to be coming from him. It wasn’t intense, but it was there.
Before she could grasp onto the emotion, Jasper began speaking.
“My brother is two years younger than me. And since he met Prema and they started dating, it was clear he was serious about her. My mother’s been on my back ever since to find a nice woman and settle down. In her mind, as the oldest, I should be the first one to get married. The fact that I haven’t is driving her nuts, so she’s determined to take me along for the ride on the insanity bus.”
Veronica laughed at his words and the dry delivery.
“Do your parents give you a hard time about being single?” he asked.
Her humor vanished immediately. His question reminded her of her plan. The plan to get him to drop this fake dating nonsense. But now, she didn’t want to say it. Not when the evening had been lovely so far and he’d gone to so much trouble.
“Did I say something wrong?” he asked.
Veronica shook her head. “No, no. You didn’t.” She drained the rest of her wine, setting the empty glass back on the table. “My parents don’t expect me to form relationships or eventually get married. They know it will be very difficult for me to find a man who could accept me.”
He scowled at her. “Why in the hell would they think that? You’re perfect.”
Though he looked angry, Veronica could sense that it wasn’t directed toward her, but rather her parents. And his words…they made her entire body feel warm. He thought she was perfect? If he did, he was the only one.
Her face flushed again, something she hated. Her fair skin meant that she blushed easily.
“I’m an empath. I sense the emotions of others and, sometimes, their thoughts come through as well. I can’t read your mind, but, if you project your thoughts with enough strength, I can hear them.”
She fidgeted with her empty wineglass, looking down at her fingers as she explained. She didn’t want to see the change in his expression as she continued to speak.
“Almost every man I’ve dated has ghosted me when I tell him that I’m an empath. The few that didn’t eventually broke up with me because they felt like they didn’t have true privacy.”
Veronica left out the part about how exhausted she was by the end of the day, and how difficult it was to block out her partner’s emotions because she needed to rest and relax her mental shields. How she couldn’t protect herself from her boyfriends’ negative emotions, whether they were directed toward her or not.
Jasper’s mouth pressed into a firm line as he listened, the tiny muscles in his jaw flickering when he clenched his teeth together. She squirmed in her seat, waiting for the onslaught of anger to burst out of him now that he knew the truth.
Once again, he surprised her. He was angry, definitely, but once again, it wasn’t directed toward her. The emotion shimmered around him, but somehow never touched her. It was just…there.
“You can’t help who you are,” he stated, his voice rumbling from his chest. “And it sounds like you try to block out as much as you can around others because you want to protect their privacy.”
He paused when she nodded before continuing, “And it makes me wonder why a man would need that kind of privacy unless he had things to hide.”
Veronica shook her head at his words. “No, no. I understood. No one wants their partner to be privy to every little thought or burst of emotions they’re dealing with. To feel like they’re being spied on in their own home.”
She shrugged at the deeper scowl that crossed his face. “Everyone has bad days, Jasper. Or bad thoughts from time to time. The knowledge that the person you’re closest to can see or feel all that can be intimidating. Especially if you know she’s too exhausted at the end of the day to block you out.”
It was Jasper’s turn to shake his head. “No, Veronica. Anyone who is honest about what they’re thinking and feeling wouldn’t be intimidated by a woman who can sense them. They would work on their own mental shields so they could give her a break when she got home. They would talk to her about what they’re feeling or thinking, share it with her, rather than bombarding her with it all and pretending it wasn’t happening.”
Before she could argue or say any of the things she’d said before, the server came back, her wide smile still firmly planted across her face.
Without looking at the menu, Veronica ordered her favorite orzo with shrimp and asparagus. The light, lemony sauce that accompanied it would pair well with the white wine that Jasper had selected.
Jasper ordered chicken under a brick and nodded when the woman offered to top off their wineglasses.
As soon as they were alone again, Veronica said, “Sharing thoughts and feelings is a choice. Some people don’t like it when that choice is no longer offered to them. I can’t blame them. I wouldn’t like it either if the shoe was on the other foot.”
Jasper leaned forward. “Then, they shouldn’t date an empath. If you were as honest with your past boyfriends as you’ve been with me, they knew what they were getting into and decided to date you anyway. It seems to me like they used your abilities as a shitty excuse when things weren’t working out rather than talking to you about it like adults.”
Veronica rubbed her forehead. This conversation was moving in circles.
As though he were the empath, Jasper changed the subject.
Through the rest of their meal, he told her more about his brother, his parents, and his soon-to-be-sister-in-law, Prema.
He also asked her more questions about herself, like where she went to college, if she liked to watch television or movies, and her favorite restaurants. The conversation remained light and easy.
And his emotions seemed dampened, as though he were actively trying to control them. That alone made Veronica feel lightheaded. Before he knew what she could do, his emotions had swirled around him, charging the very air. Now, it was clear that he was aware of his ability to broadcast and that he was actively trying to hold his emotions in check.
He even insisted on getting dessert, asking her to order her favorite. In turn, she insisted that they share it because there was no way she could eat it all by herself. The limoncello cake was three layers and the kitchen always sent out huge slices.
They were still chatting about the wedding the following weekend when Veronica glanced at her watch and saw that it was nearly nine p.m.
When he saw her face, Jasper asked, “What’s wrong?”
“It’s nearly nine,” she said. “I need to get home soon. I have some things to take care of first thing in the morning before work.”
Though she tried to argue, Jasper insisted on paying the bill. His hand rested lightly on her lower back as they walked through the nearly empty restaurant and out the door. His fingertips were hot enough that she felt them through the fabric of her silk blouse.
He was a djinn. She remembered that from his intake interview. Some were associated with water. Others with fire. There were others that utilized the elements of earth and air, but they tended to be friendlier and less aggressive than water or fire djinn.
Considering the heat emanating from his hand and his body, Veronica assumed his element was fire. Which would explain why he smelled a little smoky. The undertone of smoke accented whatever cologne he wore, making her imagine curling up in front of a fireplace with him.
No, she couldn’t think like that.
She stopped next to her car, reaching for the door handle, too lost in her thoughts to notice the way Jasper watched her. He nudged her to one side and opened the door. The car unlocked automatically since she carried her key fob in her purse.
“Let me know when you’ve made it home safely,” he murmured. “And we’ll talk tomorrow.”
Veronica blinked, breaking out of her thoughts, and looked up at him. “I will.”
He leaned forward and she froze, unable to process what was happening. The scent of smoke, sandalwood, and amber assailed her as his lips brushed her cheek. His skin was so much warmer than hers that it almost felt as though she were standing in front of a fire.
“Goodnight, Veronica,” he whispered next to her ear.
She couldn’t help it. She shivered as the words seemed to vibrate on her skin.
Somehow, she managed to get into her car, start it, and pull away without embarrassing herself or hitting any stationary objects. She glanced in the rearview mirror as she drove and saw that Jasper was watching her.
Veronica tore her eyes away from him. Tonight was probably the best first date she’d ever been on. No, the best date all together.
She gave herself a mental shake. No. No. It wasn’t a date. She couldn’t afford to let herself believe this was real. He only needed a date for his brother’s wedding. That was it.
She was a means to an end for him. She couldn’t let herself forget that. Otherwise, she would end up hurt.