Evelyn's attention snapped to the noise of a door slamming, and her heart raced momentarily as she observed the tall, slender figure approaching her. Simultaneously, a weight on her shoulders felt a touch heavier. She knew he would never reciprocate her feelings.

Their first encounter had been from a distance, yet her heart had leapt with recognition. Despite barely discerning his features, her heart felt drawn to him. A week later, they formally met when Andrea, with his charming grin, introduced himself. He flirted intermittently, fueling her hopes, only for them to fade as she realized his flirtations extended to all women.

Andrea was adored by women and reciprocated their affections but shied away from commitment. To Evelyn, she was relegated to the role of his best friend, yearning for more. She struggled with her desire for him, wishing she could be more than just his friend.

Despite five years passing, the sight of him still stirred her emotions. Andrea embodied irresistible masculinity with his athletic physique and charming demeanor. His eyes, captivating and expressive, revealed various emotions, yet always held deep affection for Evelyn.

Though aware of his numerous dalliances, Evelyn knew women frequented his bed, only to be replaced by new faces shortly after. Andrea's complex persona combined arrogance with sweetness, demonstrated by his thoughtful gestures towards Evelyn during times of need.

Despite her unrequited love, Evelyn couldn't help but feel drawn to Andrea, convinced he was the one she had been waiting for. However, Andrea remained oblivious to her affections, focused on his own pursuits.

"Andrea drawled a greeting as he opened the waist-high picket fence dividing their yards. His eyes seemed more droopy than usual, his hair still damp from the shower, and a satisfied grin played on his lips.

Evelyn barely lifted her gaze from her beloved roses as she inquired, "Did you enjoy yourself last night?"

"Oh, yeah," Andrea murmured. "She's... incredible." The actress he had spent the night with had some remarkable skills. That woman could perform wonders with her mouth...

Rolling her eyes, Evelyn muttered, "Oh, spare me." Standing up, she wiped her hands on a towel tucked into her back pocket. "I doubt you're referring to her acting abilities."

Andrea grinned mischievously. "Not exactly. I was talking about—"

Cutting him off with a stern look, Evelyn said, "I don't need the details."

"And let me guess, you spent the night alone at home. Again."

"No. I had a wild orgy with five different men."

"Impossible. You don't even know five men."

"Sure, I do. I just don't know any worth inviting into my life, or my home. Let alone my bed."

Sighing, Andrea followed her into the kitchen. "If you're not careful, you'll end up alone, Evelyn. What are you searching for? Why are you so selective?"

Because the man I love doesn't love me. Because the man I love is in love with another woman, a woman he can't have.

After a moment of silence, Andrea repeated, "What is it you want?"

Pausing in the doorway, Evelyn looked back at him, her hand resting on the wall. "What do I want?" she echoed. After a moment's silence, a rare expression flickered in her eyes and she gave a sad, bittersweet smile. "A fairy tale," she replied softly, shaking her head.

"A fairy tale? I didn't peg you for a knight-in-shining-armor kind of woman, Evelyn," Andrea remarked.

"I want something I can't have, Andrea. Just like you. The difference is, I don't see the point in settling."

He scowled at her, his expression sullen. Evelyn chuckled at his reaction. "Andrea, you're free to see whoever you please. As many as you please."

"And likewise, I'm entitled to see as few men as I please." With these words, Evelyn made her way down the hall, past the recessed living room, her steps soundless on the pristine white carpet.

Pausing at the open doorway at the end of the hall, Evelyn glanced back over her shoulder. Meeting Andrea`s gaze calmly, she stated, "I don't settle, Andrea. You know that." Placing her hand squarely in the middle of his chest, she gently pushed him back. "I need a shower, Andrea, if you don't mind."

Andrea lounged on the deep blue sofa, holding a can of coke in one hand and the remote in the other. Upstairs, the sound of the shower running could be heard. He flipped through channels, feeling frustrated with Evelyn but unsure why.

Her quiet gray eyes always seemed to see too much.

It felt like she could see right through him, down to his soul, yet Andrea could never quite understand what was going on inside her mind. Every emotion she experienced was masked behind a serene face and the smile of a Madonna.

Damn it, she had managed to ruin his good mood in less than a minute.

He could spend the entire night enjoying a woman's company, feeling satisfied with himself, only to be met with that evaluating, slightly disappointed look in Evelyn's eyes the next day.

Turning off the television, Andrea mentally worked on his current project, a story about a magician who accidentally transformed himself into a mouse and struggled to change back. It was a twist on the old Beauty and the Beast tale. Evelyn loved it, even though it was far from finished and he hadn't figured out the ending yet.

Absently, his eyes roamed the familiar room, taking in the deep jewel-toned furniture on the pristine white carpet and the paintings and photographs adorning the walls without really seeing anything.

He glanced at the canvas by the backdoor and was drawn back to reality. It was a new piece.

A landscape of the ocean, but not as he saw it. The sand, the foliage, the seashells, and the sea itself seemed to pulsate with life. On the shore, a woman stood with her back to the viewer, hands raised high overhead, staring up at the sky. A faint hint of wings surrounded her.

Evelyn's paintings always seemed otherworldly, almost ethereal, as if she saw the world through the eyes of the fairies he wrote about. How someone as grounded and logical as Evelyn managed to paint like that was a mystery to him.

Evelyn had sold her first painting to an art professor when she was eighteen and had exhibits in Chicago, New York, and San Francisco by the time she was twenty. At twenty-three, she turned down an offer from a master to study in France. By twenty-five, she was living what most people would consider a dream.

One of her pieces hung over his bed, a Christmas gift from two years ago. It was based on his first story, "A Prince's Wish," but transformed into a breathtaking painting that seemed too beautiful to be real.

As she towel-dried her hair, scowling at her reflection in the mirror, Evelyn contemplated the upcoming double date with Andrea, his golf buddy, and Angela, his latest actress, to see "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" downtown Louisville. She couldn't help but think it might be less painful to accidentally crack her head open than to endure the evening ahead.

"Great," Evelyn muttered to herself. Why couldn't she just say no to him? She'd have to practice that skill for another hour and a half, she thought gloomily. The golf buddy was another one of those handsy types. Towering over her by four inches, he couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from her chest.

It was a problem she'd been dealing with since eighth grade when she started wearing a 36 DD. Her dress, a long, sleeveless, pale green column with a high collar, was elegant and modest, yet his gaze insultingly lingered on her breasts as he introduced himself. Later, as Daren's hand inched southward from her shoulder, she vowed that if it happened again, she'd lose her cool demeanor and do something drastic.

Meanwhile, Andrea sat next to her, his body heat palpable, his sandalwood scent wafting over her, whispering into Angela's ear while casually stroking her thigh. Evelyn sat stiffly, periodically excusing herself to the restroom just to avoid Daren.

Finally, the play ended, and Evelyn fled to the lobby, feigning interest in the artwork to avoid Andrea's cheerful chatter. Fool, she thought bitterly, catching a glimpse of her reflection in the glass wall of the Kentucky Center for the Arts. Despite her attractiveness, she felt invisible to Andrea, who only saw her as a friend.

It was pathetic, she reflected sadly. A twenty-five-year-old virgin, all because her neighbor was oblivious to her charms. "Maybe you just need to get laid," she muttered to herself. "Maybe if you lose your virginity to someone else, it won't seem so appealing with him."

With a sigh, she followed the group to the parking garage, dreading the upcoming dinner. As the Explorer pulled up to Andrea's house, she calculated her escape plan. When Daren's hand wandered too far, she swatted it away and announced her departure.

Ignoring Andrea's protests, she fled, only to find herself cornered on her porch by a leering advertising executive who refused to take no for an answer.

"I seriously doubt you want yourself to disappear off the face of the earth," Evelyn retorted sharply, pushing against his chest with all her strength.

The ad exec lay on his back, somewhat stunned, as Evelyn backed away, ensuring he couldn't corner her against the wall. "Gonna play hard to get?" he chuckled from his sprawled position.

Arching a brow, Evelyn coolly informed him, "In your case? Not hard, try impossible. I’d rather bounce on the sheets with a leper."