Resolutions

by Lucy Eden

"Every day, but I never get tired of hearing it," I called over my shoulder. I sat at my desk, or a fancy version of a cubicle, and started working.

  In the years I spent daydreaming about being an attorney, I thought it would be closer to Law and Order and not hours sorting through discovery requests, filing motions, and reading depositions for hours. It would be worth it if the work were fulfilling. I wanted to become a lawyer to help people like Crystal and me. Most of what we did at Hollander and Cameron involved helping rich people get richer.

  Discovery requests in the movies usually depicted someone running into a conference room carrying a file that held the one piece of paper that was the key to winning the "big case." In reality, discovery requests could be four boxes of documents that need to be combed through carefully to find a specific piece of information that may or may not be there. This was a task for first-years. Most of my morning was spent sifting through three years of email conversations from a real estate company looking for any mention of steel beams.

  “There he is,” Beck Cameron called behind me. He was the son of Bryce Cameron, one of the managing partners. He’d have a good shot at following in his father’s footsteps if he wasn’t such a fuckup. Beck’s voice was still raspy from last night. “How the fuck do you do it?”

  I turned to face him. He was in the same suit he wore to work yesterday, a pair of sunglasses, and sipped something green out of a giant clear Starbucks cup.

  “You look like shit.”

  “I feel like shit.” He dropped into his chair.

  “Are those the clothes you had on yesterday, man?” They smelled like last night too.

  “Well, I didn’t exactly make it home yesterday.” He dropped his sunglasses and raised his eyebrows. “If you know what I mean…”

  “You mean, you met someone at the bar last night and went to their house to have sex,” I deadpanned.

  His expression soured. “Maybe if you tried it once in a while, you’d be in a better mood.”

  “I’ll think about it.” I turned back to my computer.

  I ignored Beck and tried to focus on work, but the only thing I could think about was my bat-wielding neighbor.

  It was a quarter to nine when I finally stepped off of the subway to make the five-minute walk to my house. My parents lived in the brownstone on the corner. I saw that the front parlor light was on, and my stomach had the Pavlovian response it usually did whenever I got in proximity to my mom's kitchen. The growling also reminded me that I worked straight through lunch and skipped dinner.

  Walking into my parents’ house was a crapshoot. Mom and Dad were always affectionate growing up, but since the three of us moved out… Well, it was always a good idea to announce yourself when you came in.

  “Mom? Dad?” I yelled after taking off my shoes and walking into the empty sitting room.

  “We’re in here, baby,” Mom called. It sounded like she was in the dining room.

  The faint melody of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" played as I found my parents sitting on opposite sides of the table wearing their reading glasses and hunched over laptops, probably working on real estate stuff. Dad was a judge, and Mom was a psychiatrist, but together, they had invested in real estate around New York since the early nineties, and most of their money came from those properties. It was how their three kids were able to afford their own brownstones on the same street.

  “Are you just getting home from work?” Mom asked as I kissed her on the cheek. I nodded and loosened my tie. “That’s ridiculous.” She wrapped one of her deep brown hands around my chin and tipped my head to the side as if she were inspecting me for damage. “Look at this luggage under your eyes. Are you getting enough sleep?”

  "Beverly, leave that boy alone." Dad closed his laptop, removed his glasses, and pinched the bridge of his nose, squinting.

  "They are working him too hard. Look at his face." She was still gripping my chin. She forced me to look at my dad.

  “Please. My easiest day as a public defender was worse than my hardest day at HC, and I had lives depending on me. He’ll be fine.” Then he narrowed his dark eyes at me and muttered, “He’d be better if he stopped staying out late after work and took his butt home at a decent hour.”

  It was time for me to make my exit.

  “Where was all this sympathy when I was working all those late hours?” he asked.

  "You are not my child, and if memory serves me correctly, and it always does, I took care of you plenty…" She released me and eyed my father suggestively.

  “You still do,” he replied in a voice too deep for my comfort.

  It was really time for me to make my exit.

  I cleared my throat to remind them I was still in the room. Mom laughed and patted my face.

  "Go in the kitchen and fix yourself a plate. Kimmy is in there, so you better hurry if you want some corn."

  I swung the kitchen door open to find my sister scooping the last of the corn out of a large bowl and dividing it between two plates. She was a younger version of my mom with chestnut colored skin and long dark tightly coiled hair which she’d pulled up in a bun. She was wearing sleeveless blouse and yellow pencil skirt so I guessed she came here straight from work too.

  “Hey, Stringbean.” I took the bowl from her and managed to salvage some of the corn. The salty, buttery smell made my stomach growl again. “You opening a soup kitchen?”

  "No," she said and tried to snatch the bowl back before I held it out of her reach. "Adam's working late, and I'm making him a plate."

  Adam was Kimberly's fiancé. They'd only been together for a few months, but he was a good guy and made her happy.

  “I thought he was in Barbados.” I clutched the bowl while I reached for a plate.

  "He is, but he had some meetings in New York, and Vittoria can't fly anymore. So, we're both in the same place at the same time for a few days." Her face spread in a wistful grin and she started scooping baked mac and cheese onto the plates.

  My sister was the executive assistant to the head of the real estate and hospitality division of Wolfe Industries, a Fortune 50 company. Usually, she was jet-setting around the world, but her boss was in the latter part of her pregnancy and couldn't fly, so she was home more often. Adam was an architect and was building a luxury resort in Barbados for Wolfe. He flew back and forth a lot and was preparing to move there for the foreseeable future. Long-distance relationships were supposed to be hard, but these two seemed to make it work. I wasn't a fan of long relationships, much less long-distance ones.

  My sister and I managed to divide the leftover meatloaf and cornbread without coming to blows, though she took all four corner pieces. We were wrapping our plates in foil when I remembered last night's encounter.

  “Hey, do you have a tenant?”

  She froze. “Yeah,” she answered in a slow, cautious tone. “Why?” She turned to face me, eyeing me with suspicion.

  “How long has she lived there?”

  “She moved in about eight months ago. Again, why?”

  "She's lived there for eight months, and I've never seen her?"

  “No.” She shook her head and went back to covering her plates.

  "No, what?" I asked, knowing exactly what she was protesting and trying to stifle a grin.

  "Stay away from her. She's sweet. She minds her own business, and she always pays her rent on time."

  “Excuse me? Your sweet tenant who minds her own business tried to attack me with a baseball bat last night.”

  She whipped around to face me.

  “What? That doesn’t sound like—” She almost said her name, then stopped herself. “Why did she try to attack you with a bat?”

  “I might have accidentally tried to get into the wrong house last night.” I shrugged and reached for the cake dish.

  “Again, Cole?” She glared at me and dug her fist into her hip.

  “Yes, Kimberly,” I mimicked her. “You know all of the houses look the same at night.”

  �
�And when you’re drunk?” She tilted her head and raised her eyebrows.

  "I am a social drinker. I work ten-hour, high-stress days, then I have a few drinks with some of the other associates after work. It's networking. It's an important part of my job."

  She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips, mimicking Mom’s you’re so full of shit face. “You really need to get your shit together, Cole.” She turned and started slicing into the yellow cake with chocolate frosting.

  “You know what, Kimmy? You’re the last one who should be lecturing me about facing hard truths.”

  "And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" She turned to face me, but she was still holding the knife.

  "Put the knife down, and I'll tell you."

  She looked down at her hand, snorted, and dropped the knife on the counter.

  “Where are you taking those plates?”

  Her smile dissolved, and she hesitated before answering me, not meeting my eye. "To Adam's apartment. So…"

  “When’s the last time he stayed at your place?”

  “We’re not in court, Cole. Could you get to the point?”

  "He's still acting weird about the brownstone and the fact that you have more money than he does."

  "You're ridiculous. It's none of your business, and Adam is just more comfortable at his place. I love his apartment, and I love him, and we're hardly in the same place long enough for it to become an issue. And now that's settled. But let me reiterate that I want you to leave my tenant alone. She's been through a lot, and she's not your type."

  “What do you mean she’s been through a lot?”

  “Again, none of your business.” She’d finished piling and packing her plates and was sliding them into one of the five hundred plastic shopping bags Mom kept in the cabinet under the sink.

  “And what do you mean she’s not my type? What the hell is my type?”

  “The type of woman who steals your sister’s jewelry when you invite her over for family dinner…”

  “That happened once.”

  “Or the type of woman that proclaims at a family barbecue that she didn’t know Black families could adopt white children.”

  "That was a different chick, and in my defense, she seemed a lot smarter when I met her."

  “Bye, Cole.” She was already leaving the kitchen. “Leave my tenant alone and fix your life.”

  "Love you too, sis!" I yelled at her retreating form.

  She stopped, sighed, and turned to me.

  "I'm sorry for all the shit I just said. You're amazing, Fruity Pebbles, but you have horrible taste in women, and your current life choices are questionable."

  "You really suck at apologizing. You know that?" I cracked a smile, and she chuckled. "So, I'm amazing but still not good enough for your sweet, bat-wielding tenant?"

  She heaved a sigh. "Look, I'm not at liberty to share her personal business, but I don't think it's a good idea."

  “For her or for me?”

  “For either one of you.”

  Thank you for reading this bonus chapter of Everything’s Better with Lisa. Visit lucyeden.com

  Everything’s Better With Kimberly

  A Sweet & Steamy Novel

  Kimberly Simmons is gorgeous, brilliant, and way out of my league. She’s definitely not the type to fall for a guy who walked away from his family's fortune to become an architect. Good thing, too, because she works for Wolfe Industries, making her completely off-limits. Nailing this pitch to Wolfe’s CEO is exactly what I need to make my bosses forget about the last time I mixed business with pleasure. Too bad she has the most beautiful brown eyes and dazzling smile I’ve ever seen. Too bad I can’t stop staring.

  * * *

  Adam Price is a talented rising star architect at Will and Peking Designs. His newest design submission for The Wolfe Industries Caribbean Expansion is set to dazzle my CEO. If Adam's design wins, with my help, I could get promoted, which means his big strong arms and gorgeous lips are strictly forbidden. It’s a good thing, too, because he has a reputation for leaving a trail of broken hearts all over Manhattan and I’m pretty sure I couldn't survive a second heartbreak. Too bad every word he says makes me smile. Too bad he gives me a sense of calm I haven't felt in a long time.

  * * *

  Keeping their relationship strictly professional for the sake of their jobs was the perfect excuse to stay away from each other. Too bad fate and undeniable chemistry have other plans…

  * * *

  This standalone, workplace/forced proximity romance features characters from the previous novellas Everything’s Better With You and Cherishing the Goddess, is full of alphas and steam and has NO cheating.

  Everything’s Better With You

  A Short, Sweet & Steamy Novella

  Abigail Moore is an aspiring jewelry designer by day and bartender at a popular upscale gentleman's club by night. She has her job, her jewelry, her best friend, Janie and not much else until she's swept off her feet by a sexy stranger with a secret.

  Nathan Price is the heir apparent of NYC's powerful Price family empire. Determined to set himself apart from his powerful father, he becomes his own man but his father's influence cast a long shadow that he may not be able to escape until a sassy beautiful stranger shows him the light.

  * * *

  This stand-alone novella has an alpha, virgin, love at first sight, safe, no cheating with a guaranteed happily ever after & lots of steam.

  * * *

  Enjoy this with a steaming cup of coffee and a toasted everything bagel.

  An Angel for Daddy

  A Funny Dramatic & Steamy Novella

  Ruby Hayes is intelligent, beautiful, great at her job and loves her students. She's not too fond of me because despite moving to this small coastal California town only a month ago, I've managed to get on her bad side by consistently arriving late to pick up my daughter, Nina. It's probably for the best. Between my job and adjusting to raising a little girl by myself, adding romance to the equation isn't something I have time for.

  Spencer Jones is successful, handsome, a doting father and terrible at reading a clock. His daughter, Nina also happens to my favorite student. Getting involved with the parent of a student is bad idea, no matter how witty and charming they might be. It's probably for the best. Between my job, taking care of my dad and climbing out debt, a new relationship is the last thing I need.

  Spencer and Ruby have plenty of reasons to stay apart, but can a little divine intervention and an assist from a pint-sized cupid teach them a lesson that will last a lifetime?

  Cherishing the Goddess

  A Funny Dramatic & Steamy Novel

  Billionaire CEO Alexander Wolfe has spent years putting in 120-hour weeks in the office and adding zeroes to his net worth. But lately, work has left him feeling burnt out and uninspired. Then he is given the chance to go head-to-head with a legendary corporate raider and the man he’d idolized his entire career. He seizes the opportunity, immediately jumping on a plane for Barbados to close the deal in person. If he’s successful, it’ll be the biggest win of his career.

  He had no way of knowing that meeting a mesmerizing beauty would have the power to derail everything...

  Calypso Sterling has no time for men who value her beauty over her intellect. Instead, she focuses all her energy on her studies and career aspirations. But when her home—and a closely guarded family secret—is threatened, she’s ready to defend all she holds dear.

  She had no way of knowing a handsome stranger had the power to take away everything she’d ever loved...

  This standalone, workplace/ enemies to lovers romance features characters from Everything’s Better With Kimberly, is full of alphas and steam and has NO cheating.

  This is the novelized, extended version of the previously published novella of the same name.

  Bear With Me

  A Funny Dramatic & Steamy Novella

  Hi, I’m Celestine Woods, most people call me Chellie. If you are one of my 850K fo
llowers, you might know me as the super successful Instagram influencer, but more than likely you probably know me as the woman who got dumped by her former rockstar boyfriend, who then publicly professed his love for his new girlfriend in a song on Spotify before getting engaged a week later.

  * * *

  While I think I had a perfectly rational response to this news, my sponsors didn’t agree. Apparently no one wants to buy expensive skin cream from the woman who had an alcohol-fueled meltdown at the biggest New Year’s Eve party in the world.

  * * *

  Now, I’m at Black Bear Mountain Lodges, a cabin resort in the Catskill Mountains, to relax, recharge, and rehab my image... and toss in a couple of sponsored posts, 'cause a girls gotta eat. The only hitch in my plan for R&R is the sexy, yet grumpy, lumberjack who runs the resort. His people skills leave a lot to be desired and it’s no wonder that I’m the only guest at this place.

  I know nothing about living in the mountains and he knows nothing about marketing and publicity. His resort and my image could both use a little TLC, so we formed a truce and teamed up to help each other.

  Between my social media know-how, my smartphone, a gorgeous grumpy mountain man and a strangely friendly bear that keeps coming to my window every night, we can get this all turned around... right?

  Who’s ready for project #ChellieInTheWoods?

  A disgraced Instagram influencer uses a mountain retreat in an attempt to rehab her image with the help of a grumpy lumberjack, who is more than he appears to be.