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“That's alright,” he says. Something comes over his face then, a flicker of something that I would have called doubt if it wasn't for the fact that he always seems to be so confident. “It's not like it's a problem for me. Buying you a meal, I mean.”
“I suppose you must make a lot of money, working here in Vegas,” I say. It probably isn't polite to talk about money, but then again, he is the one that brought it up. I feel like that was the implication he was making, anyway.
“It's not just that,” he says. “We're at different points in our lives. You're young, you’ve just graduated college. Probably more in debt now then you will ever be for the rest of your life, even if you end up taking on a mortgage. Meanwhile, I've got twenty years on you to build up my bank account.”
Twenty years, I think, registering it with a little surprise. Of course, I knew that he had to be around my father's age. In fact, if he really is only forty-one, that actually makes him younger than my father. It's almost a bonus. The thing is, I don't think it really means anything to me. They say age is just a number, and I think I'm beginning to understand why. The way he acts, it's so refreshing. I’ve never connected with anyone my own age the way that I'm connecting with him right now.
“That much is true,” I say, flashing him a small smile. I want to try to let him know that I don't care at all about his age, but then again, maybe he doesn't care whether I care. It's extremely likely that this attraction is all one-sided, of course. He probably only helped me out because he knows that my father would have wanted him to. It has nothing to do with me as a person, just their old friendship, which goes back so long ago.
“What are you planning to do with yourself now that you've graduated, anyway?” Jonas asks.
I make a face. “I'm not sure. I majored in business studies, just to get something under my belt which might come in handy. But I haven't found the thing that makes me passionate yet. In fact, I don't really know if work is going to be where I find my calling anyway.”
He tilts his head at me. “What do you mean?” he asks.
“Well,” I say. I hesitate and shift in my seat. Should I really tell him this? “The thing is, I've always thought that raising a family would be the best achievement of my life. Not something I would achieve in the workplace.”
“Wow, that's reasonable,” he says.
“You really think so?” I ask, surprised to hear him say that.
“Of course,” he says. “I know I might have spent my whole life on business, but that doesn't mean I don't recognize that there are other things in life. I can see why you might want to dedicate your life to raising a family, being in love, having children - those kinds of things can be so very fulfilling.”
I stare at him with wide eyes and an open mouth, almost ready to pinch myself to see if this can be real. I would never have expected Jonas to say something like that. I remember vaguely that he was always single when he lived in Texas, but I didn't think it would still be the same way. To find out that he does care about that kind of thing, and yet has not settled down, fills me with so many questions.
“Well, so my friends tell me, anyway,” Jonas says, with a sheepish smile. “It's not like I have any personal experience.”
That breaks the tension a little, and I remember to stop staring at him. I look at my empty plate and realize there's not really any reason for me to stick around any longer. Part of me wants to find out if he will take me back to my hotel, to my room, and maybe come inside, but I know that that's all stupid. Just a childish dream.
I shrug my shoulders, pushing my plate away slightly. “I suppose I'd better call it a night,” I say. “It's getting late, and I don't really feel like getting any dessert.”
“If you're sure,” he says, raising an eyebrow. “It's on me, after all.”
“Thank you for the offer,” I say. “It is tempting, honestly it is, but I'm so full. The food was delicious. And you've really done enough to help me already.”
“Well, I'd like to do more if I can,” he says, making my heart jump. “You're here for the week, isn’t that what you said?”
“Yes,” I say finding my throat suddenly quite dry. I can't seem to add anything else, as my wit appears to have failed me.
