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28|A One Time Thing
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2021-06-19 17:19:17Eden watched the older woman dash down the hall and vanish from view, painfully aware of the thick tension swirling in the room, occasionally drowned out by the sounds of office chatter, phones going off and the keyboards rattling away.
She figured she should leave as well while things were still a bit civil between Liam and her, especially if she wanted their future chat about Aiden to happen.
But, one glance from him, as if he could read her thoughts and see deep into her soul, fixed her in her chair.
He reached for the tray of refreshments Eden had forgotten until now and took one of the brightly decorated styrofoam cups, with a Rise Coffee Shop logo stamped to its side, and the word 'macchiato' scrolled in pretty, feminine-like handwriting on the white lid.
They had outlets nationwide, mostly in shopping malls, but Eden remembered seeing one in the food court, on the first floor, when she played with the interactive map.
She's a sucker for
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Liam was home for hours, but his mind was still in the meeting room, reliving his encounter with Eden. He sat on the edge of the bed and absently twirled the glass of cognac in his hands. To say his plan had unravelled as soon as he saw the shrew was an understatement. He'd acted like an inexperienced schoolboy, jumped her the first chance he got. Not his fucking proudest moment that's for sure. The ring on her finger too had pissed him off greatly, more than he cared to admit, and he couldn't understand why. He loathed her, and the only reason he'd gone through such lengths to get her to sign with Anderson Logistics was so she could fix him and make him whole again. He really shouldn't care that she's married, that she's wearing some other guy's ring. But he did. And it pissed him off— "Aren't you coming to bed?" Laura purred in his neck as she tried once more to take off his shirt. Liam shrugged off her hands, and pushed her away again, wish
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Franco's was everything Eden would never have imagined—well, the exterior at least. As she gaped at the concrete structure, located on the east side of Forrest Creek, the industrial part of the neighbourhood, she thought she might have taken a wrong turn somewhere, but her trusty GPS— with Siri's help, of course—had followed the directions to the T. There's no way she was lost, no way she's at the wrong place. But the flat-roofed, single-story building, with its murky windows and rusty steel door, was—Underwhelming. Disappointing. Not at all what Eden expected from a revered hairstylist. The inside though was a different story, Eden could swear she'd stepped into the grandest hotel in town. The decor was exquisite, the furniture lush, and the service top-notch. As a smiling hostess placed a complimentary mimosa in her hand and showed her to one of the few empty armchairs lining the room, Eden understood why the man charged so much even for a h
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Eden and Cassandra spent a few minutes outside the hair salon, making plans for the weekend. They parted ways soon after her friend got a call from her assistant. Something about a burst pipe. "God, I'm not cut out for this business crap!" Cassandra grumbled as she snapped on her helmet and jumped on her bike. "Thanks again for doing this," Eden called after her as she watched her pull away from the curb and race down the street, towards her studio not too far from the Civic Theatre. Eden turned to her car and sighed as she touched her hair, wishing it was all a dream, and Franco hadn't gone crazy with the scissors. At least it's soft; she consoled herself as she unlocked her door. It smelled amazing too, so there's that. She was about to slip in behind the wheel when her phone rang. It was a private number, and despite common sense telling her not to—because whoever was on the other end was only calling to sell her insurance or other such services she couldn't possibly afford—she
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"You look amazing! Love the hair!" Gibby gushed when Eden sat down. "Thank you," she smiled demurely. She was still unsure about the angled lob, but Franco and Cassandra had assured her she looks great. She would have preferred to have had some say when it comes to the length though. But, she liked what the hairstylist had done with the colour. Franco had decided to go with warm hues but kept her roots dark for an ombre effect, and layered the blunt chop with soft medium curls. Admittedly, the new style was the most daring Eden had ever gone. She just hoped she wouldn't regret ever meeting Franco when the maintenance became too much. "If we can please get started, I need to return to Aiden," Eden said, feeling self-conscious under the other woman's scrutiny. "Of course, but would you like something to drink or to eat perhaps?" Gibby asked. Eden looked through the menu card and settled for a slice of tiramisu and a chai latte. "
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Eden opened the folder, took one look at the offer and pushed it back. "I'm afraid I'll have to decline. If I'm so important to Mr Anderson's recovery, he can do better than that."Gibby stared at her, mouth agape, almost as if she's seeing her for the first time."You said so yourself I'll be performing two roles." Eden carried on, not caring at all that the other woman thought her shameless.One thing she learned from sitting in in too many of her father's Economics lectures—through no choice of her own—was the art of negotiation and bargaining. She was in a much better position to negotiate because Liam needed her more than she needed him.He really should have taken her when she was still okay with just the R325K, Eden thought as she picked up her cup with a much steadier hand."Let me chat with him," Gibby said as she called her boss. She kept him on the phone while she scribbled another figure and passed the contract back.
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A waiter, dressed in nothing but a glittery thong showed Eden and her friends to their VIP booth. His butt cheeks flashed different shades of neon from the strobe lights above as he leaned over to take their cocktail orders. Lydia, always the naughty one and never able to resist temptation, smacked his ass cheekily. He turned to her, flashed her a megawatt smile as he said something in Spanish. The only Spanish Eden knew is 'mojitos' and 'tapas', so whatever the waiter said to Lydia, flew right over her head. From the way her friend blushed though, she figured it was something filthy or hot or both. Still, as she watched José jot down their orders, Eden couldn't help but feel bad for him, there was nothing cute or nice about being groped and fondled. "Lydia!" She frowned at her friend still ogling José like he's a piece of luxurious wagyu beef or something just as exotic. "What? If they offer the service, we should use the service," Ly
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[Six Months Later]... After months of preparations, Eden's weeklong exhibition at Fugue was a smashing success. She even managed to sell two of her paintings. But with all the smiling and pandering she had done to Rock Castle's uber-rich, she would not have expected anything less. So when Saturday rolled around, the only thing she wanted to do was to crash on the couch and put up her feet. Not a lot for a girl to ask. But she wasn't destined to enjoy the little things in life. Having tried every trick in the book to get her to give up her spot on the couch and leave the house with him, Liam finally let the cat out of the bag. Her friends had tasked him with the sacred job of dropping her off at Heat for a surprise baby shower. Eden didn't want to go anywhere, but she would never hear the end of it if she didn't show up. So she threw on a pair of black leggings—the only thing in her closet that still fit her— and Liam's denim
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Eden looked up, startled out of her mind to see his eyes were open. "Liam!" She was instantly on her feet and kissing him on the lips as she sobbed so loud she thought she'd wake the patients in the neighbouring rooms. "Oh my God, it's true. You're awake! I was starting to think they lied." "If you keep crying, I might just pass out again!" He growled and patted the empty spot on the bed. "Come here!" She sank beside him, and he drew her closer and placed his hand on her tummy. "How's my little warrior?" Eden burst into tears again at his words. "You heard everything I said that night?" "Of course I did," he smiled tearfully as well. "I may have been dying, but I'm not deaf, you know." "And you're not angry?" "Why would I be angry?" Liam asked. "Because you just found out about Aiden and now—" "Now our family will be complete," he pulled her down, and she nestled in his arms, careful not to touch his wound. "I l
