Begin Again novel Chapter 87

Sometime before lunch, the phone on Eden's desk rang. She knew it's Liam; no one else called her office line.

She ignored it and stared listlessly at Isaac's place of employment, at his colleagues puffing away on Marlboros or maybe Stuyvesant's on the rooftop.

Tormented beyond her limits by memories of her dinner with Liam last night, Eden finally gave in to the urge.

She rifled through her purse, pulled out some notes and dashed to the breakroom, ignoring Liam's frantic calls behind her.

She spent a good two minutes in front of the vending machine, unable to decide between her very limited options. The cigarette brand was important; she knew that much; it said something about one's social standing. She may not be the prettiest or smartest candle in the room, but she had class and grace and poise, and her cigarette choice should reflect all her shining qualities.

She shoved the notes in the slot and pressed the corresponding numbers of her brand of choice on the keypad.

In two seconds, her classy-looking black box of Dunhills plopped softly to the bottom of the vending machine, and she yanked it out, her heart skipping out of control from the sheer exhilaration of trying something so out of character for her.

Her excitement was short-lived, though.

She turned and paused when she found Liam leaning on the door frame, watching her with an unreadable look in his eyes.

"Do you need a lighter to go with that?" He asked, jerking his head at the box in her hands.

Eden ignored him as she brushed past him out of the break room and into the smoker's balcony overlooking the business district.

"I don't like women who smoke," Liam said as he crashed in the chair beside hers, his voice as hard as the look in his eyes.

"Lucky me then, I suppose!" She sighed and ripped through the plastic film around the box before waving down one of the smokers, a Jerry Something or other. She couldn't remember, but she knew he's from the finance area.

Jerry took one look at Liam, shook his head quickly when she asked him for a lighter and vanished before she could stop him.

"What's wrong?" Liam asked.

"Why would anything be wrong?" Eden shrugged and did her best to ignore the curious stares thrown in their direction. He was the main attraction because no one would have paid her any mind if she was alone.

"Well, other than the fact that you look like you've barely slept, you've suddenly decided to take up smoking as a hobby when I'm right here," he replied. "I can be your hobby, you know. Just say the word."

Eden rolled her eyes heavenward. "Is there a point to this conversation?"

"I called you, and you didn't answer my calls."

"So?"

"You've wasted my time. I have a lunch engagement, and you're coming with me."

"What happened to Clara and Gibby?"

"Eden!" He gritted his teeth. "You keep forgetting I don't report to you. Now, throw that shit in the bin, and run to your office to get your stuff and meet me by the elevator in five minutes."

"And if I refuse?" Eden asked.

Eden felt like they were playing broken telephones and nothing about the past seven minutes made any sense. Bewildered out of her mind, she asked, "what is this? Why the hell am I here, and where is the lunch engagement you mentioned?"

On cue, two housekeepers bustled in and began setting the table on the balcony overlooking Green Point's hiking trail and surrounding hills. One of them looked familiar, and it took Eden a few seconds to figure out why. She met her two years ago at Liam's house just before she took her walk of shame.

"That's Mrs Stone," Liam said, following her line of sight. "I believe you met her two years ago at my place? She's here to help with lunch. And to answer your question, you are my lunch engagement."

"Unbelievable!" Eden fumed, slapping her forehead with her palm. "You tricked me!"

"Would you have come with me if I told you the truth?" He smiled and shrugged.

As angry as she was with him, Eden was tempted to reach up and kiss the cleft on his chin, but she miraculously found the strength to resist the temptation.

"That's not the point!" She groaned in her hands. "I have work to do, you know?"

"But you also have to eat," Liam pointed out. "Our meal will be served in a few minutes. You're welcome to take a tour and decide how you want to do up the place. I have to make a few phone calls."

With that, he gave her a quick kiss on the lips and backed out of the room.

Eden glared at him as he vanished upstairs before she plopped on the couch, refusing to look around even though she was dying to see the rest of the main floor and the upstairs rooms.

Surprised at how soft and comfortable the couch was despite looking very modern, she leaned back and closed her eyes, promising herself she'll only rest them for a bit.