Page 92 of Begin Again, Part 1

A lot. However, the source of all his problems was his tantrum over his dietary requirements. If he hadn't lost his shit and gave Eden away to Matthew in a fit of rage, they'd be at a good place right now. All this hostility and tension between them wouldn't exist. He had to fix that before he could even think about getting into Eden's pants.

Lois tried again to get him to open up. "You know your father and I are here to help. If it's the company—"

"Christ, Mom, I don't want to talk about it!" He snapped, startling everyone with his sharp tone.

"Okay," Lois said. "I hate seeing you so stressed, that's all."

Liam felt awful for losing his temper with her. He took her hand and kissed it. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lost my cool with you."

To make up for his rudeness, even though he didn't want to, he told her all about his problems and his biggest fuckup yet—the cookie incident. He was smart enough to leave out the stuff with Linda, the silent treatment he'd endured from Eden over the past month, and their heavy make-out session in the printing room. He doubted his parents would approve of his dalliance with an employee. By the time he paused for breath and gulped down his second drink, a bottle of whiskey didn't seem like a bad decision waiting to happen.

"Don't be an oaf, and apologise! There's nothing worse than pissing off hired help. You don't know how vindictive they can be." Holly offered her pearls of wisdom.

Willow chimed in with her own warning. "Since she's your assistant, she might spit in your coffee or food. You don't want that, trust me!"

Liam shuddered in disgust at his sister's words. He didn't think Eden had it in her to do something as vile as spitting in his food. But, if she took down her ex in a public forum like Crush, the same man she once loved and was ready to spend the rest of her life with, there was no telling what Eden would do to him, especially when she was so furious with him.

"I don't know how to apologise to her," he admitted. The speech he'd written wasn't going to cut it anymore. Not after Eden shut down whatever he was trying to start with her.

"Buy her flowers and chocolates," Holly suggested. "Poor people get excited over small things like that!"

"That's so basic!" Willow tossed in her two cents' worth. "Liam, you can do better than that. How about a painting? Or an imperial Ming dynasty vase?"

Liam smirked, thoughts of making nice with Eden shoved aside for the moment. He couldn't pass up the chance to rile his sister up. "Why? Your little gallery's not doing well? The ship's about to sink, and you need my donation to save the day? How much do you need? Name your price!"

"I'm helping you out, that's all!" Willow shrugged and flicked her hair over her shoulder. "Women love art. You won't go wrong with my suggestions."

A painting or a vase didn't sound bad at all. Liam was seriously considering both when Holly threw him another sure-fire way to impress his assistant.

"Take her to Fashion Week. Show me one woman who can say no to clothes, shoes, and bags. No way she'll hate you after this."

"Why not all three?" Liam mused, and four pairs of eyes turned to him. They were all intrigued by his grand plan, his sisters more than his parents.

"Going big, I see!" Willow whistled. "I like that!"

Holly was on to him. She went in for the kill. "Something tells me she's more than an assistant. There's no way a tight-fisted person like you would shell out so much money. Not unless you're sleeping with her."

"Shut up!" Liam barked, praying he wouldn't start blushing.

"You are!" Holly screeched with excitement. "You're blushing. Mom, look at him; his face is as red as his hair! He's sleeping with the help!"

"I am not!" Liam sighed. Not yet, anyway. But he and Eden were a night of wild sex waiting to happen. It was only a matter of time. He just wished they could fast forward to the good parts and skip all the fights and arguments. They'd be so magical—

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time," Willow reminded him, cutting through his thoughts. "I mean, that's how you and Laura started."

"Laura isn't 'help'," Liam mumbled, flipping his phone to check the time. Two more hours of his sisters' tattling and nagging.

"Her mother is your housekeeper, so technically she is!" Holly pointed out.

"Clarke, isn't that Professor McBride?" Lois said, interrupting another fight in the works. They all zoned in on the entrance, where a balding, portly man flirted up a storm with the hostess.

"His wife's here as well. We should say hello," added Clarke when a stunning petite woman with a chic bob appeared at his side.

Having seen enough of his parents' acquaintances, Liam returned his attention to his drink and his new plan to win Eden over.

"And who's that sorry-looking girl with them?" Holly asked.

Liam was too preoccupied to care as he browsed Fugue's photo gallery on his phone. There was nothing remotely interesting about the professor, besides a shared last name with the woman he was bending over backwards to please.

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