Trusting Stone by Alexa Sinclaire Page B

your jeans and t-shirt crap.” She flung a sundress at Eden before scowling at her and stomping out of the room. The dress was one of Eden’s old favorites —dark yellow with a faint daisy print that was barely noticeable, it had a vintage 1950s feel to it. It had a halter neck and gently flared out at her waist. The hem landed just below her knees. She quickly put it on, skipping a bra, before brushing her hair and slipping on some dark blue ballet flats. She walked out of her room, feeling pleased with her outfit. Mara was sitting on the couch, looking at her phone. She didn’t even glance at Eden, simply pointed to the bathroom.
    “Makeup, now.”
    Eden groaned in annoyance, but obeyed.
    Twenty minutes later, Mara perused her outfit and makeup with a grim expression. She nodded and reached out to hug her. “Now we can go out. You can’t keep hiding yourself, Eden. You’re too fabulous. Let’s get some breakfast and tell me all about what went wrong.” They hooked arms together, and by the time the elevator opened up into the lobby, Eden was already feeling better. Mara’s good mood was infectious and she seemed completely unimpressed by the brief rundown Eden quickly had given her during the ride.
    “Trust me, Eden, if walking out on a dinner is what you call the worst date you’ve ever been on, you should count yourself lucky. On my third date with Enzo, I threw up on him.”
    “What?”
    “Yup, I was so smitten with him and nervous that I pounded back three tequila shots on an empty stomach. The poor guy had arranged to have fresh oysters and champagne catered for our little romantic evening. I took one look at the oysters and promptly was sick all over this lap. That, my friend, is how you embarrass yourself on a date.”
    Eden stared at her friend. She couldn’t imagine Mara being nervous around a man, and she certainly couldn’t imagine her throwing up on anyone. She started to giggle as Rick held open the door for them.
    “Now, why don’t you try this again and let me know how badly it goes this time.”
    Eden gave Mara a funny look. “What does that mean…”
    Mara gave her a little shove as Eden came to a standstill. Parked outside her building was the town car she now knew so well, and Sebastian was leaning against it, his hand pushed casually in his pockets, as if he had all the time in the world. He took Eden in, starting with her demure flats and slowly moving up her body before meeting her eyes and giving her a huge smile.
    “Breakfast, love?”
    Before Eden had a chance to speak, Mara jumped in.
    “Oh my God, Enzo just texted me and he’s having a disaster at with a personal shopper. Some poor girl is trying to convince him that teal suits his skin tone! I’ve got to save him.” She kissed Eden on the cheek, ignoring looking her in the eye before jumping into a cab that Rick had already hailed for her. Eden was going to kill her.
    “What are you doing here, Sebastian?”
    “I came to take you to breakfast. Mara happened to recognize me when I got out of the car and she introduced herself. That woman is incredibly confident.”
    “Yes, she is, but I’m sorry, Sebastian. As I said last night, I don’t think this is going to work.” Eden wished she could take it back, but she knew it was the right thing to do.
    “I thought we could walk in the park.” Sebastian ignored her and reached into the car to pull out a picnic basket. He approached her now, taking her hand in his. “It’s breakfast, Eden. In a public place. Nothing to panic about.”
    Eden looked down at her feet. She had hoped he would text her and now here he was, standing in front of her apartment , wanting to have another date, even after she walked out of the first one.
    Sebastian guided her across the street , toward the small park opposite her building. Eden hadn’t had a chance to explore it yet and she was pleasantly surprised how quiet it was—a little haven from the busy city streets. The late morning sun