Page 49 of Are You Going to Love Me

Unknown number: how’s this? [view attachment]

“What the fuck?” she muttered as she texted back and prepared to block the number.

Eden: Who is this?

Unknown Number: Incoming FaceTime.

Against her better judgment, she answered. If she weren’t bored out of her mind and needed something else to do other than watch TV. It took the call two seconds to connect, and Maximus’ smirk graced her screen.

“I interrupted something?” he questioned.

Eden tried to make a scowl with her tight face. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You got a little something on your face,” he said with a chuckle.

Eden dropped the phone and covered her face with a nearby blanket. “Oh my God! Get off my phone.”

“What Poppi tell you about answering the phone for strangers?” Maximus continued to joke as Eden unwrapped herself from the couch and whisked into the bathroom. Hearing the rush of water, he said, “You didn’t have to. You a cute alien.”

Eden held her middle finger over the camera, earning a chuckle. “What do you want? It’s like midnight. Don’t you have albums to record, clubs to be in, women to be with? I don’t know, something other than bothering me?”

“Don’t you got something else to do than sit on the couch like a granny?” he toyed. “What kind of tea were you drinking?”

“I’m not telling you,” she huffed, snatching the phone from its place on the counter. Free of the mud mask. “What do you want?”

“You to listen to that track and tell me what you think,” he shared.

“Do you say please? Like ever?” Eden pushed back. Her smart mouth wasn’t doing anything but intriguing him more. The more she tried to act like he didn’t stir up things inside of her, the more he’d poke and prod until he found the evidence that the feeling was mutual.

“Nah. Listen to it,” he softly directed.

Eden reclaimed her spot on the couch, wrapped herself back up in the blanket, and hit the audio file. While she listened intently, Maximus watched her with the same attention she was paying his music. He trusted her ear, trusted her opinion,trusted her. Eden listened for two full minutes before looking at him.

“That ain’t it. It’s good, don’t get me wrong, but it’s just not you. It's very mainstream.”

“Heard you, pull up. I got something I'm in the middle of, I need you to help with.”

“No. Two things. Ain’t nothing open but legs, asses and gas stations right now. And you didn’t say please.”

“What you got to do?” Maximus asked in laughter.

Eden rolled her eyes. “Drink my hibiscus tea and mind my damn business.”

He licked his lips. “Thing is, I’m trying to be your business, and in order for that to happen, I need you here. Your ride is already on the way.”

“Cancel it, I’m not coming,” she sassed, knowing good and well she was going to go, pass the time and enjoy being in his space again.

“Eden.” Maximus’s baritone made her core quake and tighten. Her name had no business coming off his lips sounding like that.

“What Trae Way?” she snipped, hoping to mask the want.

“Please.”

“Uh uh. Nope. Good luck, have a good night,” she hummed, before hanging up. She stood up from her reclined position on the couch and pranced back down the hall to her room. “Calling me, looking like that, and thinking I’m about to just get dressed and go because he ordered a JoyRide.”

She fussed as she was pulling a pair of new sweats off a hanger, put on sneakers, moisturized her face, pulled her curls out of the bonnet, and into a big bun. Down the elevator, she texted Staysha, still fussing.

Eden: Why did you give that man my number? I was texting from my email on purpose.

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