Dawn of Eve by MJ Howson (best ereader for students .txt) 📕

champagne clinging to the scar on Jacob’s lip. She wiped it away with her finger and asked, “Why haven’t you told me how you got this?”

“The scar?” Jacob tensed up and stared out the window. “I don’t like talking about it. Another time, maybe. Tonight’s all about you.”

Dawn and Jacob spent the next twenty minutes enjoying their drinks and catching up on things. The weather was gorgeous, and every so often, they’d lower the windows to take in the fresh air. Jacob tried to get Dawn to open the sunroof and stick her head out, but she refused. Traffic proved to be bumper to bumper, making their cruise through the park rather brief.

The car soon glided to a halt outside of Daniel on East 65th Street. Specializing in French cuisine, the highly regarded restaurant was a popular place for celebrating special events such as this evening’s.

Dawn felt a bit tipsy from the champagne as Jacob helped her exit their limo. She followed him inside. The room’s ivory-colored columns, arches, and coffered ceiling made Dawn instantly feel comfortable. Waiters passed by, carrying dishes filled with exquisite mouth-watering meals. Dawn’s stomach rumbled from the avalanche of scents surrounding her. The hostess brought them to a table for two abutting a half wall between two soaring columns.

“Are you up for another drink?” Jacob asked as they sat down. “Or have you had too much? Doesn’t your doc have you on something? Maybe you should switch to water.”

“I can take one night off,” Dawn said.

Jacob took the liberty of ordering them a pair of dirty martinis with olives stuffed with blue cheese. From there, they proceeded to do a wine sampling paired with a three-course prix-fixe menu.

The next two hours were truly decadent. Dawn surprised herself by how much food she consumed. When making the reservation, Jacob had notified the restaurant that it was Dawn’s birthday, and they received a special dessert to end their evening.

The conversation all night had been light-hearted and upbeat. Jacob did most of the talking, entertaining Dawn with stories from his modeling days, as well as the latest drama from a recent private event held at the Harbor View lounge. Rose Garden had attempted to crash the event and had to be removed by the police.

As the waiter placed a second cup of coffee in front of Dawn, all she could think was it had been one of the best nights of her life. Dawn took a sip of coffee and smiled. She looked across the table at Jacob and said, “Thank you. Your generosity is endless.”

“It’s your birthday,” Jacob said. “And you’ve had a rough year.”

“We . . . we both have.” Dawn reached across the table and took hold of Jacob’s hand. “Hopefully, we can get back to where we were earlier this year.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.” Jacob smiled. “Things were so much better before the pregnancy.”

“The pregnancy?” Dawn withdrew her hand. “I was talking about before the miscarriage. We . . . we need to try again.”

“What?” Jacob asked, his voice almost booming with surprise. He ignored the stares aimed at him. In a softer tone, he said, “Dawn, that was your fifth miscarriage.”

“How many times have I told you this time was different? I know if we just tried again, we’d–”

“We were never trying.” Jacob sighed and looked around the dining room, seemingly lost in his thoughts. “Where’s all this coming from?”

“Don’t you want kids?”

The waiter walked over and placed the bill beside Jacob and said, “No rush.”

Jacob ignored him. Instead, he stared long and hard at Dawn. He asked, “And you do?”

“Of course.”

“Since when?” Jacob shook his head and glanced at the bill. He groaned as he retrieved his wallet. “When we met, you told me you couldn’t get pregnant.”

“But I never said I didn’t want kids.”

Jacob placed his credit card with the bill and then leaned across the table. The smile he’d displayed for most of the evening was long gone. He glared at Dawn, and in a hushed tone, asked, “And the difference is?”

Dawn’s beautiful chocolate flourless birthday cake suddenly looked unappetizing. She took another sip of coffee as she pushed the plate away. Dawn found it difficult to look at Jacob. She stared into her coffee and said, “Well, I’d given up on having kids long ago. I’ve told you that before. But . . . when we got pregnant, I assumed it was a sign.”

“A sign?”

“That we were meant to raise a family.”

“Dawn, you told me we didn’t need to use protection because you couldn’t conceive.”

“That’s what the doctors told me.” Dawn bit her upper lip as she looked around the restaurant, trying to avoid Jacob’s judgmental glare. “Honestly, Jacob. Eve was just as much a shock to me as she was to you.”

“Eve.” Jacob leaned back in his chair. He still had half a glass of Chateau Bellisle Mondotte in front of him. Jacob held the goblet to his nose and briefly enjoyed the scent before chugging some of it back. The deep red liquid clung to the scar on his lip. Jacob asked, “Why are you in therapy?”

“What?” Dawn found herself taken aback by the question. “You’re the one who insisted I go.”

“Right. To get over the loss. But what are you getting out of it?”

“Honestly, Jacob, not much.” Dawn stole another bite of chocolate cake. The sweet frosting did little to lift her spirits. “The doctor said I’m making progress, but I don’t see it.”

“Where do you hope to be when therapy ends? What’s your goal?”

“Goal? I . . . I don’t know.” Dawn sighed and tossed her fork on her plate. “I just want to be happy again.”

“Is your doctor telling you that your goal is to get pregnant?”

“What? No. No, he’s . . . .”

“If you ask me, getting pregnant again and raising a family should be the last thing on your mind,” Jacob said. “But I’m no doctor. He’s the expert. Follow his advice, Dawn.”

Dawn stared at Jacob, her mind a flurry