Chapter 74 A New Friend
Eden's POV:
I'm asleep by the time my grandma arrives home and she's not home when I wake up either. I'd decided to stay the night so that I could at least have breakfast with her but apparently that isn't on the agenda.
Something must be going on. It's not like Grandma to miss her birthday dinner.
Then again, obviously something is going on. I've seen the company accounts. I know just how messed up everything is but I also know that it's hardly new. Someone has been siphoning money out of the company for over ten years, since before my parents died. And there's no way, my grandma didn't know. She'd have to be completely oblivious not to know.
I don't understand why she hasn't said something, shared her concerns. We're family after all.
I'm not sure what to do with myself today. My plans have been cancelled and my back up option is clearly to busy to even have breakfast with me. Scrolling through my phone, I consider my options. I could just continue on with the work I have waiting at home but without Noah, I feel overwhelmed even thinking about it.
My phone buzzes to alert me to a text message. Immediately, my mood lightens as I imagine that Noah might have changed his mind but the message isn't from him and so my mood quickly sours again. My disappointment is eased slightly when I read the text. Stacey from work wants to know if I'll grab a spot of lunch with her.
I don't hesitate to accept her invitation. I like Stacey and more than that I'd like to be her friend. She's not like the people I'm usually friends with and that is definitely a good thing.
***
Stacey is waiting for me when I arrive at the restaurant. That's unusual for me. I'm not used to being the person people wait for. Normally, it's me that has to wait.
"Hey!" I greet her as I take a seat opposite her. "Sorry. The tube was delayed."
"Don't worry. I've not been waiting long."
She's being polite. She's had enough time to order herself a drink.
"Thank you for this," I say. "This is just what I need."
"Really?" she asks, surprised. "I thought you would have had plans. I was just reaching out in case."
"No plans..." I say with a sigh. "Or no plans that hadn't already been canceled."
I try not to sound completely bitter about it but I definitely fail.
"I was actually hoping for some advice."
"You were?" She wants advice from me? I'm probably not the best person to come to, depending upon what it's about. If it's about work, I can help. If it's about relationships, not so much.
"Yeah... Rob asked me out."
Relationships, it is. Definitely not my strength.
"Oh, wow. That's cool."
"Is it?" Stacey plays with the straw in her drink. "I'm not so sure."
"What are you not sure about?"
"Everything. We work together for one thing. That doesn't seem like such a great idea."
"Maybe," I say with a shrug. I can hardly discourage her on those grounds when I'm dating our boss.
"Plus, it's Rob!"
I know what she means. He's a great guy, but he's not the sort of man you take seriously. In fact, if I was Stacey my first question would have probably been to ask if he was messing with me. Everything is a joke for Rob.
"Do you like him?" I ask her.
She looks up from her straw to meet my eye.
"Yeah," she nods her head, "I think I do."
"Then what else matters?" I tell her with a shrug of my shoulders.
She doesn't answer immediately and I decide to take pity on her, "at least he's better than that guy who took you to the pet cemetery."
"Oh my god! Yes! So much better," she says with a giggle just as our food arrives. "So, what about you? Are you seeing someone?"
I want to tell her the truth but I can't. At least not right now. That's one decision I really can't make alone. It wouldn't be fair to Noah to expose our relationship - if that's what it is - without his consent.
"Maybe," I tell her. "Sort of. It's early days though." Then I try to distract her by asking more about Rob and her.
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