Page 116 of Are You Going to Love Me

Hair and make-up were finished, and Eden was roaming from the dressing room in soft glam and a flowy white dress to the set. The set was comprised of a queen-sized canopy bed staged against a soft pink backdrop, flowers and sheer drapery surrounding the bed. It seemed that she stepped into tranquility, but her spirit was anything but.

“Eden,” the lead content director of Heavenly Linen gushed, as she approached. “You are glowing.”

Eden smiled, praying that the nonsense she consumed would fall off her shoulders. “Thank you. Your team is amazing. Where do you want me?”

“Uhh, let’s start with some shots with you leaned up on the post wrapped in a sheet, and then we’ll work our way to the bed.”

“Alright,” Eden hummed, promptly moving to take her position. She was grateful for the work. The bills were being paid, and there was a burden lifted off her shoulders, but she was starting to get over the brand ambassador role. The performing arts bug bit her again and she was eager to focus her attention back in front of the camera and scoring actual deals behind it.

Eden posed for the first few test shoots, silently beating herself into submission. It was mind over matter, simple to shake off all the negativity she had spent days ingesting. Or so she assumed.

“Girl, what is going on with you?” the photographer looked at the shots and back at Eden, who had a habit of wearing her frustration on her face. “Is it your man? Do we need to play some ‘fuck him’ music to get you in the mood?”

Eden looked at Ria, a photographer she’d worked with in the past several times, and huffed. “No, it’s not anyone’s fault but mine. I’m going to shake it off.”

Ria gave her a look. “Alright, shake it off, you’re going to kill it. Get out of your head.”

With that, Ria walked away, allowing Eden a moment to collect herself. Once she’d channeled the energy she needed to, it was lights, camera, action. Flashes of the camera were almost blinding, obstructing her view of the entryway of the building. Eden posed as the music changed to Poppi’s Girl.

She chuckled to herself as she slowly walked to the camera.

“Oh, that’s all I had to do to get you in your zone?” Ria asked with laughter.

Before Eden could thank her for offering her some comfort, a pair of arms she was familiar with wrapped around her waist. Maximus’ tattooed hands held a bouquet of flowers, and his lips graced her cheek. A smile spread across Eden’s face, and Ria made sure to capture the moment.

“I felt you this morning. Heavy as fuck. Left your iPad on the counter. You know better than to let them birds get to your head, E,” Maximus muttered against her ear. He swayed with her. “In here frowning because some bitch on the internet, with nothing going for herself, hiding behind a fuckin’ keyboard saying some shit about you. They’ve been saying shit, they gon’ keep sayin’shit. But you know who the fuck you are. And Whose you are. Stand in and on your shit, baby. Don’t let no water in this boat.”

Eden stepped out of his hold and turned around to peer up at him, tears dancing at the brim of her eyes. “You love me for real?”

“I love you for life. When you’re not good, I’m not good. I need you to be good,” he hummed, swiping a tear from her cheek. “I need you to tap into the shit that made you and you remember who you are. Heard me?”

She nodded. “I heard you.”

“Aight, I’ll be over there. Do your shit, baby,” Maximus encouraged, gently tapping her rounding ass before pressing his lips to hers.

Eden hummed, stepped away to sneeze, and went back to work. Ria took a moment to have her assistant rearrange the set.

“Eden, are you okay shootin’ with him?” Ria quizzed.

Eden looked over at Maximus and waved him over. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”

Maximus, in his normal attire of a white tee and sweatpants, strolled over.

“Can I suggest something?” Eden asked.

“Yeah, go ahead,” Ria encouraged.

“Gimme your shirt,” Eden softly requested, taking off her dress.

Maximus raised a brow and gave her that look, earning him a playful slap to his chest. “What? You keep surprising me with shit.”

Eden giggled, standing before him in a sports bra and boy shorts. “And that ain’t for no one else to know about. Give me your shirt and calm yourself down in those sweats. My God.”

“Always ready to go,” he mumbled, taking his shirt off and dressing Eden in it. “Where you want me?”

“On the bed, looking up at me. And behave, please.”

“Might need to kick her ass out of here.”

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