The Garden of Eden

A Glimpse of What Lies Below

Carmine Giordano

We spent 4 days in Kosovo and pleasantly enough, Michael showed his face never. Eden and I went back and forth on what's the best way to approach the situation and surprisingly she was on board with the meeting. The rest of the time she spent grumbling about our books being delayed and ruining her perfectly maintained schedule.

For 4 years I've made sure everything was perfect.

For 4 years I was never behind.

There was many more speeches about her 4 years of work for me and everyone I followed up with telling her how they have been the most wonderful 4 years of my life. Neither of us brought up her little crying episode either. It lasted all of 5 minutes and she got up and made dinner after. There was no tension between us, but personally I was exceptionally tense. Every snarky comment and sarcastic smile had me ready to pounce on her. I managed to sneak her kindle out of her bag and finish the stupid book I started. I really shouldn't have. It gave me all sorts of ideas about what to do with Eden. Thankfully she excepted my passive comments as exactly that, passive. She didn't even bat an eye and the excessive touching. She either wants me, or she really just doesn't want to deal with me at the moment.

She wants me, definitely.

Unfortunately now we sat across from each other on the plane, Michael next to her and never taking his eyes off me for long. He must be really stupid to think I'd kill him after this long, and with Eden right there.

"You need to hire a new bookie in London and move offices."
"What else?"
"We are due for some turnover and expansion, we've been making too much money here and doing nothing with it."

"What business do we run there?"
"Distribution. If we combine France and England's distribution centres and put it under one corporation- no." Eden shoved a handful of papers into Michael, who finally stopped looking at me, and shifted through her bag. "Here. We make it an acquisition. France becomes our main distribution centre and London expands into let's say manufacturing. The tax write off alone for expenses will save thousands and we can move more product, more efficiently through Spain and Germany."

"What are we manufacturing?"

"No manufacturing. Research. Energy or something green. We can take the grant money from the government, wash it in research and innovation and practically triple it before interest incurs."

"I love when you talk business to me." If I could turn my eyes into hearts I most certainly would.

"We move car part distribution to France, profits there will rise because we will incorporate current, UK buyers with our other European buyers and we can also move money back and forth between research and distribution. We'll get Germany, Argentina and- we need a legit investor. I'll make calls to the F1 teams and see if we can get an investment for a sponsorship."

"This all seems very businessy." Michael spoke for the first time in 4 days and it irritated me more than his sob story. Of course he also had to say something stupid.

"It's because it is a business."
"I just didn't think the mafia was so legit."
"Not really like the movies innit."
"No." Maybe I could find a use for Michael, a way for him to pay me back and a way to avoid killing him. I could even get him set straight, no more living in the slums and acting like a sewer rat. I don't know if Eden would like it and I can guarantee she would try to convince me otherwise. She had her fair share of rants about her brothers inability to be reliable and anything but lazy. She would never want him to work in association to her but it is the best alternative.

"Once the books are done, maybe you can take a little break and think of what you'll dress up for the Halloween party."

"I already know what I'm going as." Of course she did. Eden isn't much of a holiday person, or so I've gathered over the years, but she does enjoy dressing up for Halloween. Every years she comes in a very well put together costume. Last year she came as a sexy little devil. I wish I had fangs to bite her with that night.

"Should we do a couples costume?"

"You mean you'll give up dressing up as the god father finally." Every year my little group costume between Neo, Enzo, Aldo and I is a hit. It always makes people laugh and I know Eden loves it too. She's always one for irony.

"For you, I'd give up the world."
"Are you guys like, whatever Eden is capable of?" I don't know what exactly that was suppose to mean but it does not sound pleasant. Eden tossed a dirty look his way before pulling her glasses off and setting them on the tray table in front of her.

"Eden wants me to be in love with her."
"No, and I'm capable of dating people Michael. I just don't go around getting tattoos of guys name on my body unlike someone. Who is Bella anyways?"

"You saw her. We've been on and off but it's kinda whatever." Is it bad that I like gossip? I don't necessarily like to partake but I do love hearing about it. Relationship drama is very bland with the people in my life. Most women in my surrounding friend group and mafia born women, or associated. They are either docile and house wives or absolutely witches with money on their mind. It's hard to be anything else in this life though, if you aren't tough you have to be quiet. It's how you stay alive.

"I'm not impressed."
"You never are."
"I think we should all have a drink. I could use one." I took my leave to the bar at the back of the plane. Whatever gossip I was going to hear was about to turn into a big sister lecture and potential fight. Eden doesn't seem like the type to back down either so drinks are a safe way to take off the edge. I balanced the 3 drinks in my hand, slowly making my way back. Eden was standing, her back to me. She was leaned over, one hand pressed to the seat Michael sat in.

"Talk to me like that again and I'll end this shit right here. I won't even cry when I watch that cheap fucking casket get lowered into the ground." Eden spun around, not even surprised to see me and took a glass right out of my hand. What was going to be my bourbon was gone in one gulp and the cup tossed on Michaels lap. "I need another."

I handed Michale the fruity drink I made for Eden, a little umbrella on the top as well.

"I've never her seen her like that."
"You've never seen the real Eden. The monster that she really is. You know she had a hard time in law school right?" I hummed in acknowledgment. "She was seeing one of the professors. More like he was seeing her, she's a right cunt and isn't emotionally available. Anyways, he use to come around her place when I was staying with her. She would pick fights with him, egg him on all night till he snapped. He use to just lay in to her and when he was done she would spit blood on his shoes and smile."

"You would just watch her get beat by her professor?"
"Eden knew what she was doing. She ruined him after, his job, his reputation. All of it down the drain and when he had nothing she walked away like it never happened. The Dean of the school would have expelled her if he wasn't so fucking scared of her." That is certainly not my Eden. My Eden would fight back, I know she's got it in her. "After that she was practically outcasted. The staff, the students, they would all just beat her down any way they could. Some how she came out on top still."

"Did you ever consider she wasn't looking to get smacked around but talked to? She needed to talk to someone to get all the shit that happened to her out."

"Believe whatever you want but, Eden wants the world to bow at her feet and she will tear down anyone who gets in her way. You should be careful."

"If she wants the world I will most certainly give it to her."