Mike was a jerk. A lowlife, slimy jerk —he hissed, emptying the trash into the garbage bin. He was a jerk who needed to retire from his foolish ways and shut his mouth once in a while. But most of all, he was a jerk that needed to apologize to the woman who made him finally admit to himself that he was indeed a jerk.

Still, he didn't know if Eden would want to see him. She hadn't spoken to him since she walked out on him yesterday. He had seen her once in the cafeteria with Judie, but the second she sighted him, she turned away sharply. Certainly, she was upset and she had every reason to be.

Me and my big mouth, he groaned and began pushing his cart down the hall. If he hadn't gone ahead to make known his feelings for Philip —he made a sour face at the very thought of the highly annoying man— she wouldn't be so upset.

No —he shook his head— she was most likely upset because he told her not to marry Philip. What was wrong with him, why did he suddenly feel the need to take her by both her shoulders and shake some darn sense into her?! Why did he care who she ended up marrying?! For all he knew, his dead body would be floating in a river before she even exchanged her vows. Besides, Eden knew what she was doing, right? She was a smart girl.

Still, Mike couldn't get his mind off of her, neither could he shake off the desire to get rid of Philip. Sure he was going to be dead before their wedding, but his conscience demanded that he helped Eden see the truth about the man she was about to marry.

Glancing at his wristwatch, he was quickly reminded of the meeting on the third floor he promised Grace he would attend. While he desired greatly to go in search of Eden instead, he owed it to Grace to honor her invitation.

He walked into the familiar room, a cold shiver racing down his spine at the sight of the chairs turned to form a circle, and the women who occupied them. Late, he silently made his way to the back and hoped to blend in.

“In the end, it was a pretty good date,” A red head woman was saying.

“Thanks for sharing Jeannette.” Grace who sat in the front row, smiled in encouragement as Jeanette settled on her seat. “Mike?” She turned her attention to him, a bright smile on her face. “Do you want to introduce yourself to the ladies?”

Mike wanted to point out the fact that he didn't exactly want to be here, but deciding to be polite, he rose to his feet and forced a smile to his lips.

Clearing his throat, he offered a polite smile. “I'm Mike Stacks.”

“Nice to meet you, Mike,” the women said in unison as Mike made to sit down once more.

“Mike?!” He paused halfway, his butt almost on the metal seat. He raised a brow at Grace. “We usually state why we're here, and whose death, impending death, or illness we mourn.”

“Well, I'm here as a favor to a friend. It's really not that deep.”

If Grace thought she could bait him into speaking about his loss, he wasn't going to take the bait.

“Okay.” She nodded as he settled on his seat. “Well, I guess it's my turn.” She rose to her feet and clasped her hands before her. “Yesterday, I was told by the doctor that my son needs a kidney urgently, more urgently than we thought. I...um...” She glanced down, and he caught sight of the slight trembling of her fingers. “I cannot hold down a job, I got evicted from my apartment today, and now I'm looking into homeless shelters. But I can't cry, I feel like I don't even have the time to cry. I don't have the time to do anything but ensure my son doesn't die.” She released a breath and offered the room a smile he knew very well was insincere. “That about sums it up. Would anyone else like to share?”

Mike didn't pay much attention to the rest of the conversation in the room, which was a good thing because he didn't think he could bear to see this much pain. He had spent the past year evading pain, because he was too much of a coward to face it. It was the same reason he was going to kill himself in a few more days.

“Hey.”

His head jerked up just as Grace settled on the seat beside him.

“Thanks for showing up.”

“What, and miss this pretty face?” He smiled, playfully touching her cheek.

She laughed. “Oh, the world would be a dark, gloomy place without this pretty face in it.” She batted her eyelashes, apparently enjoying the attention.

The smile on his face faded. “Are you alright?”

“I'm doing as well as a mother with a sick child could possibly do.”

“Not too well then.”

She shrugged. “We take it one day at a time. You know, you still haven't told me what you want for Christmas.”

“I really don't care.” He rose to his feet and held out his hand to her. She took it and rose to her feet as well.

“Grab a snack?” She motioned to the snack table.

He shook his head, thinking of Eden and the fact that he needed to apologize. “I need to be somewhere.”

When she nodded, he made his way out of the room.

He didn't see Eden until about an hour later. She was leaning over the counter with Judie on the other side of the counter, having a conversation. Mike walked over to them, Judie raising her eyes to him as he approached.

“Hey handsome. Oh, you're one fine man, Mike. You best be thankful I'm in love with Henry or I sure would not-so-subtly be all up in your face flirting.” She winked.

Mike grinned, just as Eden turned around.

“Hey Judie.”

“I guess I'll leave you two alone,” Eden said and began making her way past Mike.

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to himself, just as she was about to walk past him. She bumped into his chest, gasping softly as her body made contact with his.

Mike scanned her face, once again enjoying her closeness, once again wanting to kiss her, and once again, wanting the moment to never end.“Hey Eden,” he choked out, the words barely forming on his lips.

“Hey,” she breathed.

Mike scrambled for his mind to move past its infatuation with the woman before him long enough for him to apologize to her. Forcing his lips apart, he said, “I'm sorry for yesterday. I'm a jerk, and I'm sorry.”

A breathtaking smile settled on her face. “You are a jerk.”

Mike knew if he didn't release his hold on her and put distance between them in the next second, he would absolutely kiss her.

“Eh-hem!” Someone cleared their throat.

Thankfully, Eden pulled away, because he was too weak to do so.

Turning around, he found Judie standing there with a brow raised.

“Mi-ke,” she said, putting emphasis on the last part of his name. “E-den,” she put emphasis on the last part of Eden's name as well, “why don't you two go shopping together. I'm sure Mike has great taste in fashion. Don't you, Mike?” She raised a brow.

“Um, sure, if that's okay with you Eden.” He turned back to Eden whose face was completely red. She turned wide eyes to him, her lips slightly parted.

Swallowing, she nodded, before turning sharply around and making her way to the exit.

The drive to the mall was a silent one. Eden looked almost too embarrassed to look at him, and for a few minutes, he wondered if she was embarrassed because she didn't like him, or because she did in fact like him.

Did he like her? It wouldn't matter, he scolded. He was going to kill himself; he didn't have time to start liking women.

“Did I do something wrong?” he finally asked, breaking the silence.

She shook her head. “I'm just nervous.”

“About what, exactly?”

“I am meeting Philip's parents today.”

“Rich snobs?” He turned to her just in time to see a small smile settle on her face.

“High class, rich snobs.”

He chuckled. “I'm sure they're going to like you.”

“Yeah? Why?”

“Because you're perfect. You're beautiful inside and out. You're the most amazing person I know, and I enjoy every second I spend with you.” He didn’t need to think about his response, she was beyond perfect and Phil was a lucky bastard.

Silence followed his words.

He turned from her and looked out of the window. “I'm messed up and I feel this way. Imagine what the perfect, rich snobs will feel, right? They'll adore you.”

“Thank you.” It was a small whisper. Not bothering to turn to her, he simply nodded.

Mike barely glanced at Eden until they were in the store and he was ushered to a comfortable sofa. Eden was taken to a changing room by a consultant of the store.

Turning his attention to a fashion magazine, he flipped through the pages, uninterested.

“What do you think?”

He glanced up when he heard Eden's voice.

“Too short?” She quirked a brow.

Her legs were incredibly gorgeous, he thought, smiling. The dress clung to her body, the shiny gold fabric stopping short above her knees. She was right, it was short, and he wasn't sure he wanted Philip seeing her gorgeous legs.

Idiot! He mentally kicked himself. Philip was her Fiance for goodness sake, what was he going to do, gorge out the man's eyes? Castrate the man?

“Too short,” he blurted before he could stop himself. He didn't want to stay up all night thinking of Philip's hand running up the length of her legs. Even the alcohol would be unable to gorge the image out of his mind. “Maybe something below the knees? Or on your toes? Maybe something that sweeps the floor?” Shut up idiot! “And covers the arms and neck?” Seriously, shut up!

“I could find a knee length?” The blonde head consultant answered, running her gaze down the length of Eden in examination.

“Certainly an ankle length. She's meeting the in-laws and who in their right senses would meet the in-laws in a knee length? Do your job lady, because I certainly can't do it for you.” Mike scolded.

“I think I have something you'd like in the back. Come with me miss,” she said, pulling Eden along.

They reappeared a few minutes later with a dress he thought was too girly for a grown woman. Then, there was the one he thought was stolen from a stripper's wardrobe, and the one he thought was ripped off of the back of an old lady.

Completely exhausted and in awe of women who found pleasure in shopping, he leaned heavily against the sofa and closed his eyes.

“How about this one?”

He opened his eyes. This time, Eden was clad in a black cropped beige silk blouse, worn over a nude, tea length pencil skirt. Her feet were covered in lemon colored shoes, and while the outfits made her look extremely beautiful, it didn't show off her legs.

Rising to his feet, he smiled and nodded. “We have a winner, people!”

The consultant yelled in a mixture of exhaustion and excitement, and hurriedly put their purchase in a bag.

It was another three hours before Eden had her hair and nails done, and was fully dressed for the dinner with Philip and his parents. But Mike didn't care, he enjoyed every second by her side, just listening and watching her talk.

She dropped him off at his apartment that evening. Disappointed, he made his way into the building and up the stairs to his apartment, wishing the evening with her never had to come to an end.

~*~

Eden stepped out of the Limo alone because Philip couldn't ride along with the Limo to pick her up.

Nervous, she entered the five star restaurant. She breathed in relief when she was Philip on the table, two elderly couple on it with him. He lifted his eyes up as the waiter escorted her t where they sat. Seeing her, he smiled.

“Mum, Dad, the woman of the hour.”

Eden smiled at his parents before taking the seat next to him that the waiter held out to her.

“Eden, these are my parents.”

“Hello ma'am, and sir.”

“Hello.” His mother offered what Eden thought was a smile. Her face was injected with so much Botox, she could barely smile. Her hair, completely black and devoid of grey, was styled into a very complicated hairstyle behind her head.

“Nice to meet you, Eden.” His father smiled warmly at her. He was certainly the older version of his son.

Eden was distracted throughout dinner with Mike on her mind. She had thoroughly enjoyed her day with him that she longed for it again.

Philip's parents, while they weren't unkind or nasty to her, were certainly not the kind of people she was used to hanging around. They were formal and perfect, and she was... Well, imperfect. She didn't feel comfortable in these fancy clothes, she felt comfortable in denim pants, and in scrubs. She didn't usually dine in fancy restaurants with cutleries she could barely use, she picked her meat with her hands and could barely eat properly with a fork and a knife.

“What did you think of my parents?” Philip asked when he dropped her off that evening. Their dinner had to be cut short because Philip suddenly had to attend an important meeting.

“They were... Perfect.” They were too perfect, she thought, nestling against him. Something about being around them made her feel inadequate. “Do you think they liked me?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Why would they like me?” she asked, immediately thinking of Mike. She remembered every word he said to her earlier, and she especially remembered how she felt when he spoke them.

“Because you're perfect. You're beautiful inside and out. You're the most amazing person I know, and I enjoy every second I spend with you.”

She wanted to feel perfect, beautiful, and amazing. She especially wanted to be made to feel that way by the man she was to be married to.

“Of course they liked you, there really doesn't even have to be a reason.” He pulled away and kissed the top of her head. “I have got to go now. Give this to Lynette?” he asked, handing her a wrap of food he had gotten from the restaurant for her grandmother.

She nodded, and pushed the door wide open. Closing it behind her, Eden went to bed that evening with Mike’s words ringing in her ears; she was perfect, beautiful and amazing.