MAYI wanted to move. I really did. My brain exploded with thoughts I couldn't even comprehend. He was naked. Things could go south. The easy way out would be to shrug his hands off or jump off the bed but there was also a massive possibility that Edmond would rouse. I didn't want to have to deal with the conversation that was sure to arise from such an awkward encounter. So I stayed still. I told myself it was just an embrace. It did not have to be termed as something sexual. Plus, the duvet still shielded any real body-to-body contact. I carefully retrieved my phone and clicked the lowest button. The screen sprouted to life and my eyes were greeted by a notification from Snuggle just like I had expected. Congratulations, It said. Two hundred dollars have been credited to your account. Below Snuggle's notification was a statement from my bank convincing me that Snuggle had indeed been true to their word. Perhaps, I thought to myself. Perhaps this didn't such a terrible arrangement af
MAY"Good morning." I returned, as I sauntered over to the counter, and sat. "I didn't know you could cook.""I am not surprised," Edmond chuckled, proceeding to crack an egg into the sizzling pan. "You know, rich people aren't stuck-up snobs whose only talent happens to ensure that people around them are miserable. I am actually a good cook if I dare say."I wouldn't dispute the good cook part. Edmond looked like he knew what he was doing and he seemed to truly enjoy it. The stuck-up snob part was a different story altogether. He had been a snob all through my first night here. There was no way he was suddenly a jolly person overnight. "Are you sure about the snob part though?" I asked as he strolled over to the coffee maker and turned it on. "You did fire me because you were bummed a girl dumped you."Edmond remained quiet. The machine poured a stream of hot liquid into two mugs, and Edmond added two packs of sugar and two fiddly little containers of cream before facing me again. “
EDMOND “Mr. Walters, would you like me to order you some lunch? Your three o’clock just called and is running a half-hour late, so you have a small break.”Usually, I was one to grumble, but I had a lot on my plate. And by "a lot," I meant the girl I had to share my house with for the next twenty-eight days and that God-forsaken app. Not to mention, I truly appreciated that my meeting for three had been delayed. I was expecting the CEO of another agency. We were to talk about the future of the Ivy estate, which we both ran jointly. It wasn't like I could tell someone I barely knew that I had lost the deed to the property due to something as impulsive as a heartbreak. Regardless of how relieved I was, I had to put on a show.“Why can’t people ever be on damn time?” I grumbled and pushed the button to the intercom to speak to my assistant. “Can you please order me linguine with bacon, peaches, and gorgonzola? And I am begging you, tell them to give it a rest with the peaches. Three sli
EDMOND"Hello, Mr. Davidson." I tried my best to smile. It was the only way I could hide how mortified I was. But my reaction was valid. Lucille's mystery man was Tyrone. The snobbish heir of the Davidson enterprise. The same man I caused her to meet. It was just scary considering it. All this while... "What brings you here?"The door shut behind him and he waltzed towards the chair before me. Lucille had her hands wrapped around his burly arms. The smile on her face was an instigating one. Petty revenge when I was the one left to eat dust. They both sat and Tyrone got right to it. "I assume there is a storm brewing with the Ivy Estates. Word got to me that you forced an indefinite pause on the project. I'm just here to know why a businessman such as yourself would make such a rash decision?"By rash, he meant stupid. Typical of someone who never had to struggle to reach the top. "I see a bigger picture, Mr. Davidson." I lied. Not that I needed to. Tyrone might hold a significant plac
MAYI was about to make a reservation at the salon. Who was I kidding? I had the opportunity for a really long time since Edmond left but as the minutes ticked by, I realized that even the easiest task on the list seemed impossible to me. It was just color, I told myself. Why was it so difficult to just follow through? Did I hate change? No. Yes. I wasn't sure. All I knew was that my head hurt and there was no way in hell I was going anywhere until the pain went away. A pain I was inflicting myself. I picked up my phone again. There was a nice salon around the corner. It had tons of great ratings so there was really nothing to fear. The woman I would be meeting up with was a professional. Suddenly, my phone rang. I looked at the screen and noticed it came from Edmond. I was still mad at him. The reasonable voice in my head told me it had to be another task. Edmond didn't really care. Not that it hurt but I would prefer that he be honest with me rather than leading me on. But who said
EDMOND"Why did I lie?" I asked myself the moment the call ended. May and I were practically stuck in this together. Whatever benefitted me profited her. Yet I found it so difficult to ask for her help. Maybe it was a good thing I had lied. She had been mad about the task Snuggle gave me in the morning. Sure, I hadn't told her but I had my reasons. It was not like Snuggle was the only reason I decided to offer her back her job. I needed custody of the Ivy Estates as soon as possible before Tyrone figured out something was up. The notification from Snuggle was godsent. Who was I kidding? They had probably been listening and utilized the fact that I now had a kryptonite they could weaponize to get me to do exactly what they needed me to do. The date was overkill but it was the perfect ruse to take a photo without May suspecting. Her Instagram and Facebook feed was enough testament to it. I dropped my phone and reclined into my chair. The wheels caused it to push backward and I crossed m
MAYRight when I had decided maybe I was wrong. Maybe I was overthinking it and got no reason, his phone chimed. Edmond took one look at it and the smile on his mouth vanished. Only one app could do magic like that. Snuggle. He ignored it. His smile returned and to get over whatever hell Snuggle just gave him, he tried to strike small talk."How is the bucket list?""I unwittingly struck out one," I answered sincerely. "Apparently rejecting your offer was a brave choice and Snuggle regards that as leaving my comfort zone.""Good." He was trying to listen. He was. But it was crystal clear that his mind was elsewhere. Just before I could muster the courage to ask him what the issue was, his phone vibrated again. He picked it up and I could swear that I heard him curse under his breath. I took the opportunity."Is everything okay?""Yes." He lied through his teeth. "I just didn't realize the service here was so slow."He didn't have to speak much more because soon after his statement, a
MAY"Why are they sending you this?" I demanded, reading through it again. So I had been right to doubt him. "What truth about this dinner?" I paused for a moment, gathering what I could. "Wait, was this dinner some task given to you by Snuggle to get something?" It probably was but I wanted to hear it from his mouth."I can explain." He said, sounding defeated. I turned around and gave him my best glare."No, you can't!" I snapped. He hung his head but said nothing. The room went silent as I stood glaring at him. "I asked you. More than once and you lied to my face. You would have continued to do so if this stupid app didn't call you out on it. I just want to know what it was. Tell me what the task was."Edmond was reluctant. Finally, he sighed and looked at me. "I didn't mean to lie to you May. But you already didn't trust me and that is understandable. I just didn't have the time to build back that trust. If I had been honest with you in the first instance. There was a high possibi