not pertain to any personal matters on either side. Wes did not want to part so soon, so Eden agreed to continue their evening at a bar a few blocks away from where they’d eaten. Far too absorbed in her companion, Eden failed to notice the man covertly trailing behind them as she and Wes entered the bar.
Just as he’d done throughout the night, he remained inconspicuous, but close enough that he could see his intended target. James was given very specific instructions, and he carried them out with the expertise attributed to his name. He remained ever vigilant, cataloging every minute detail for his report.
The man she was with touched her like he owned her and hung onto her with appalling familiarity. James took out his camera to take pictures. They stayed for a time, lost in the cigarette smoke that hung over the crowd like a cloud. They sat close, side by side, his arm slung over the threadbare couch they’d claimed as their own. He drew her to his side, and she remained there for the duration, lulled by the gentle strains of jazz filtering through the speakers. To anyone else, they appeared the perfect couple out on a date. To James it was proof of his employer’s wife’s infidelity. Heads were surely going to roll and James was happy to know he wouldn’t be on the end of that falling axe.
* * *
Eden’s mind was reeling. She sat immobile inside her desert hot car in a complete state of shock, wondering when she would wake up from this nightmare. She tried swallowing around the lump in her throat but found bile crawling its way up, threatening to make her sick. She drew in deep steadying breaths in an attempt to calm herself, and even though the tears pricking her eyes were just shy of falling, she refused to give into them. At least not yet. With tremulous fingers she started the car, shifted into gear, and wrapped her fingers around the steering wheel. She needed to get home. Home to Liam. Home to stability because she feared the world was crumbling beneath her feet. In a daze, her mind revisited the scene from earlier, still unable to grasp that she’d been released from her contract at the brokerage.
Eden parked her car in her designated parking space. She caught a quick glance at the clock on the dashboard and cursed softly. Annie had asked her to come in early today because they needed to discuss a few things, and after the incident of a few weeks ago, the last thing Eden wanted was to further infuriate her boss. She grabbed her coffee cup and her overlarge purse before jumping out of the car and hastening to the office. There wasn’t anyone at the front desk. Courtney, their receptionist, was scheduled to come in at ten, and the five other agents working here followed their own personal schedules, so the office was relatively empty when Eden walked in. Her heels clicked and clacked against the linoleum floor stifled only when she reached the carpeted floor next to her desk.
She set her purse down and although she wanted to check her messages, she knew now wasn’t the time. Eden found Annie in her office but was taken aback when she saw Sarah Ronald seated across from her. Although partners, Annie was the face of the brokerage, she was the one who spoke to the clients and designated the listings to the agents. It was quite rare for Sarah to be in the office. She was the silent partner who dealt more with the financing part of the business. Eden instantly knew something was up. Apprehension made her palms sweat and her heart race as she desperately tried to think whether she did anything wrong. She’d been on her best behavior since she’d failed to close on the multi-million dollar property a few weeks back. And regardless of being reassured that she’d done nothing wrong and that her job wasn’t in jeopardy, Eden had worked doubly hard to prove herself again, doing all she could to sell as many properties as she could. In the following weeks, things had looked, for all intents and purposes, as if
Just as he’d done throughout the night, he remained inconspicuous, but close enough that he could see his intended target. James was given very specific instructions, and he carried them out with the expertise attributed to his name. He remained ever vigilant, cataloging every minute detail for his report.
The man she was with touched her like he owned her and hung onto her with appalling familiarity. James took out his camera to take pictures. They stayed for a time, lost in the cigarette smoke that hung over the crowd like a cloud. They sat close, side by side, his arm slung over the threadbare couch they’d claimed as their own. He drew her to his side, and she remained there for the duration, lulled by the gentle strains of jazz filtering through the speakers. To anyone else, they appeared the perfect couple out on a date. To James it was proof of his employer’s wife’s infidelity. Heads were surely going to roll and James was happy to know he wouldn’t be on the end of that falling axe.
* * *
Eden’s mind was reeling. She sat immobile inside her desert hot car in a complete state of shock, wondering when she would wake up from this nightmare. She tried swallowing around the lump in her throat but found bile crawling its way up, threatening to make her sick. She drew in deep steadying breaths in an attempt to calm herself, and even though the tears pricking her eyes were just shy of falling, she refused to give into them. At least not yet. With tremulous fingers she started the car, shifted into gear, and wrapped her fingers around the steering wheel. She needed to get home. Home to Liam. Home to stability because she feared the world was crumbling beneath her feet. In a daze, her mind revisited the scene from earlier, still unable to grasp that she’d been released from her contract at the brokerage.
Eden parked her car in her designated parking space. She caught a quick glance at the clock on the dashboard and cursed softly. Annie had asked her to come in early today because they needed to discuss a few things, and after the incident of a few weeks ago, the last thing Eden wanted was to further infuriate her boss. She grabbed her coffee cup and her overlarge purse before jumping out of the car and hastening to the office. There wasn’t anyone at the front desk. Courtney, their receptionist, was scheduled to come in at ten, and the five other agents working here followed their own personal schedules, so the office was relatively empty when Eden walked in. Her heels clicked and clacked against the linoleum floor stifled only when she reached the carpeted floor next to her desk.
She set her purse down and although she wanted to check her messages, she knew now wasn’t the time. Eden found Annie in her office but was taken aback when she saw Sarah Ronald seated across from her. Although partners, Annie was the face of the brokerage, she was the one who spoke to the clients and designated the listings to the agents. It was quite rare for Sarah to be in the office. She was the silent partner who dealt more with the financing part of the business. Eden instantly knew something was up. Apprehension made her palms sweat and her heart race as she desperately tried to think whether she did anything wrong. She’d been on her best behavior since she’d failed to close on the multi-million dollar property a few weeks back. And regardless of being reassured that she’d done nothing wrong and that her job wasn’t in jeopardy, Eden had worked doubly hard to prove herself again, doing all she could to sell as many properties as she could. In the following weeks, things had looked, for all intents and purposes, as if
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