Chapter One:
An icy pale New York morning clung to the air as the lemony sunlight flittered through the windows of Eddie Alden's loft. Said man rolled over and groaned uncomfortably as the same sunlight pierced his eyelids and ultimately his brain. There was still a full ten minutes before when the alarm would ring, but it was Sunday morning, and he decided that the stubborn sunlight was an omen to his day.
His girlfriend, Jane Goodale, stirred at his side and he carefully rose from the bed so not to bother her too much. He rubbed his brown eyes in dead submission and went to the wide window that spanned halfway across the wall and gave Eddie a clear view of the world below him. He had always enjoyed Manhattan almost in the same sense that he enjoyed woman, he got thrills from its emotional vicissitudes, but was always there when he needed it.
'Speaking of women,' He thought as he looked over at Jane sleeping in his bed. Jane Goodale was the opposite of every other woman he had dated; she was opinionated, he had never realized how much he appreciated that in a woman, most other women were sweet of face, slow of brain, yet quick to get out of their clothes, Jane was different then all of them. She had fine dark brown hair that was cut just under her chin and wide dark eyes that looked like they belonged to a goddess in a painting. He decided that he was going to let her sleep for a while more; she looked so lovely when she was sleeping.
He waved frantically to the passing people below them and laughed to himself. Many ignored him completely or simply marked him off as crazy; both were fine for him. He laughed to himself quietly and moved from the bedroom into the kitchen, that was really no more then an open bar and a small 'fridge. However, Jane had added little touches that made it seem more like a kitchen should.
He lazily began to fry two eggs in a pan and popped pieces of toast into the toaster as he watched the coffee maker drip idly into the glass bowl, many of the instruments he cared nothing for the inner workings of.
"There's just something so appealing about watching your boyfriend cook breakfast naked," Jane said lazily from the doorway. Eddie grinned and placed a smooth kiss on her lips. "Good morning," He said and ran a hand through her soft near black hair and placed a quick last kiss on her lips. "Go shower and I'll finish this off" He slapped her butt playfully as she walked off and she glanced over her shoulder and gave him a look that made his heart skip a couple beats. The coffee finished dripping and he poured it into two mugs, but when he heard the sound of running water, the left the food as it was and went to surprise Jane.
She was singing when he quietly opened the door, he knew the song was 'Crazy Love' by Aaron Neville and he grinned to himself. The white shower curtain was slick with condensation between his fingers and with one swift movement, he pulled it back and Jane gave a little yelp and tried to cover herself. "God why don't you just play the squeaky violin music and get it over with?" She asked with a relived sigh as she pushed her hand through her wet hair. "I believe fully in the water conservation laws, so move over"
To the both of them, there was no better way to start off a idle Saturday morning then to have steamy sex in the shower. Although the food had gone cold, they ate in comfortable silence while music played over the hidden stereos. It was classical this morning; Eddie recognized the complicated tangle of notes to be that of Vladimir Horowitz, for Jane was practically fond of his Etude in C Minor Op. 25 No. 12. He was a little shocked that he knew that precisely, but since he had asked her to move in a few months ago, she had played it.
There was a knock at the door and Jane rose to answer it. There was a young boy probably no older then 15 years a faded Yankee's cap slightly askew with spikes of sandy blonde sticking out and carrying a pouch at his side. It would have almost looked comical if it weren't for the thick envelope he had in his hand. "I'm looking for an Edward Alden"
Eddie rose and looked at the envelope in Jane's pretty manicured hand. "It's from a hospital in Louisiana," Jane said oblivious to the fact that Eddie was just behind her and was very well aware of where the letter was from. "Well this can't be right," Jane began to say but the boy had vanished as into thin air and Eddie took the letter from her. "Yes it can," He said grimly and began to open the letter.
"Who's it from?" Jane asked a little nervously at the open letter in his hands. "It's from my mother," He read a little further down. "She's dying and she wants to see me" Jane's hand flew to her lips and gasped a little. "Are you going to go see her?" Eddie's wide dark eyes looked through her as if she was insane. "You've got to be kidding me. Louise Alden hated me before I was born, I'm not going"
"Eddie she's your mother, you have to go" He just raised a perfect dark eyebrow and watched her blandly. "I'm not going to drop everything here to run to a place I don't even want to be to meet a woman who never wanted me to exist anyway" Jane took Eddie's palm and pressed it to her lips. "Look Eddie, I know that you and your mother haven't always gotten along, I know that you left as soon as you could, but that woman is the only family you have left, so I'm telling you to go. I'll take care of work; I'll.take care of everything"
Eddie gripped a handful of the sweatshirt Jane had slipped on and pulled her close for a fierce kiss. "I love you Jane," He said as he rested his forehead on hers and she winked at him as she went off to pack his bags.
An icy pale New York morning clung to the air as the lemony sunlight flittered through the windows of Eddie Alden's loft. Said man rolled over and groaned uncomfortably as the same sunlight pierced his eyelids and ultimately his brain. There was still a full ten minutes before when the alarm would ring, but it was Sunday morning, and he decided that the stubborn sunlight was an omen to his day.
His girlfriend, Jane Goodale, stirred at his side and he carefully rose from the bed so not to bother her too much. He rubbed his brown eyes in dead submission and went to the wide window that spanned halfway across the wall and gave Eddie a clear view of the world below him. He had always enjoyed Manhattan almost in the same sense that he enjoyed woman, he got thrills from its emotional vicissitudes, but was always there when he needed it.
'Speaking of women,' He thought as he looked over at Jane sleeping in his bed. Jane Goodale was the opposite of every other woman he had dated; she was opinionated, he had never realized how much he appreciated that in a woman, most other women were sweet of face, slow of brain, yet quick to get out of their clothes, Jane was different then all of them. She had fine dark brown hair that was cut just under her chin and wide dark eyes that looked like they belonged to a goddess in a painting. He decided that he was going to let her sleep for a while more; she looked so lovely when she was sleeping.
He waved frantically to the passing people below them and laughed to himself. Many ignored him completely or simply marked him off as crazy; both were fine for him. He laughed to himself quietly and moved from the bedroom into the kitchen, that was really no more then an open bar and a small 'fridge. However, Jane had added little touches that made it seem more like a kitchen should.
He lazily began to fry two eggs in a pan and popped pieces of toast into the toaster as he watched the coffee maker drip idly into the glass bowl, many of the instruments he cared nothing for the inner workings of.
"There's just something so appealing about watching your boyfriend cook breakfast naked," Jane said lazily from the doorway. Eddie grinned and placed a smooth kiss on her lips. "Good morning," He said and ran a hand through her soft near black hair and placed a quick last kiss on her lips. "Go shower and I'll finish this off" He slapped her butt playfully as she walked off and she glanced over her shoulder and gave him a look that made his heart skip a couple beats. The coffee finished dripping and he poured it into two mugs, but when he heard the sound of running water, the left the food as it was and went to surprise Jane.
She was singing when he quietly opened the door, he knew the song was 'Crazy Love' by Aaron Neville and he grinned to himself. The white shower curtain was slick with condensation between his fingers and with one swift movement, he pulled it back and Jane gave a little yelp and tried to cover herself. "God why don't you just play the squeaky violin music and get it over with?" She asked with a relived sigh as she pushed her hand through her wet hair. "I believe fully in the water conservation laws, so move over"
To the both of them, there was no better way to start off a idle Saturday morning then to have steamy sex in the shower. Although the food had gone cold, they ate in comfortable silence while music played over the hidden stereos. It was classical this morning; Eddie recognized the complicated tangle of notes to be that of Vladimir Horowitz, for Jane was practically fond of his Etude in C Minor Op. 25 No. 12. He was a little shocked that he knew that precisely, but since he had asked her to move in a few months ago, she had played it.
There was a knock at the door and Jane rose to answer it. There was a young boy probably no older then 15 years a faded Yankee's cap slightly askew with spikes of sandy blonde sticking out and carrying a pouch at his side. It would have almost looked comical if it weren't for the thick envelope he had in his hand. "I'm looking for an Edward Alden"
Eddie rose and looked at the envelope in Jane's pretty manicured hand. "It's from a hospital in Louisiana," Jane said oblivious to the fact that Eddie was just behind her and was very well aware of where the letter was from. "Well this can't be right," Jane began to say but the boy had vanished as into thin air and Eddie took the letter from her. "Yes it can," He said grimly and began to open the letter.
"Who's it from?" Jane asked a little nervously at the open letter in his hands. "It's from my mother," He read a little further down. "She's dying and she wants to see me" Jane's hand flew to her lips and gasped a little. "Are you going to go see her?" Eddie's wide dark eyes looked through her as if she was insane. "You've got to be kidding me. Louise Alden hated me before I was born, I'm not going"
"Eddie she's your mother, you have to go" He just raised a perfect dark eyebrow and watched her blandly. "I'm not going to drop everything here to run to a place I don't even want to be to meet a woman who never wanted me to exist anyway" Jane took Eddie's palm and pressed it to her lips. "Look Eddie, I know that you and your mother haven't always gotten along, I know that you left as soon as you could, but that woman is the only family you have left, so I'm telling you to go. I'll take care of work; I'll.take care of everything"
Eddie gripped a handful of the sweatshirt Jane had slipped on and pulled her close for a fierce kiss. "I love you Jane," He said as he rested his forehead on hers and she winked at him as she went off to pack his bags.