Cupid's Contract

The End, I Guess

Eve stood stock still outside the shop, taking in the scene before her. While Drew had yet to move much, Polly was in her element. She pointed at chocolates while smiling up at him, never letting go of his arm. Eve was torn between moving in closer, craning her neck for a glimpse of his face, and wanting desperately to run away. It was the buzzing of her phone that did it, her ringtone screeching through the silence. As the beat dropped, the bass thumping from her purse, the pair in the chocolatier's stopped and began to look around.

Panic made Eve turn tail and run, skittering down the last two shops and around the corner, straight into the arms of Veronica.

Her best friend squealed and threw out her arms to stop Eve. "Ok, what did we say about street etiquette?"

Eve's forehead was already dewy with sweat, and she panted as she caught her breath. "Um, always use protection and never take card?"

Veronica gave her a look of distaste, then pointedly tapped a button on her phone. The music from Eve's purse mercifully stopped. "Next time I ring you, just try answering? There's no need to personally locate, and flatten, me." She wrapped an arm around her friend and guided her into the bistro. "Was there a reason for the spontaneous cardio?"

They sat down at the first available table and Eve took in the old-fashioned decor as she organised her thoughts. Rossi's sandwiches were infamous for their fresh bread and home made sauces, but Eve's favourite thing was easily the interiors which were cluttered with every type of knick knack you could imagine. On one shelf there was a mishmash of old records, quirky salt and pepper shakers and a cuckoo clock. The counter next to it depicted the Three Wise Men and their journey to Jesus, in cartoonish figurines and epic detail. Eve picked up the pepper shaker on their own table, turning it around in her hands and admiring the dedication of the artist to its vision. It was half of a set made to look like an anatomically correct dairy cow, and Eve had picked the back half of the cow.

"It's weird, but I think I just saw Drew and Polly together? Looking at chocolates?" She briefly glanced up at her friend, and then focused on the cow's udders.

"Not that weird, really. I overheard them discussing lunch plans today. They were getting a present for his mother, I guess she has a sweet tooth." Veronica reached for the menu between them, her mind already on lunch.

"Oh, that's nice." Her voice was devoid of emotion and Veronica noticed.

"Is it? Polly is a terrible person, nothing she's involved in is ever nice. I just thought Drew would've had better taste than that." She was watching Eve closely now.

"I thought so too," Eve sighed inadvertently.

"Eve? What's going on?" Veronica put down the menu, a sign of serious conversation being imminent.

Eve forced a smile and a laugh. The last thing she was going to confess to being in love with Drew, especially if he was with the Leech of Harper's House now. "Nothing, sorry, I just don't know if I like my new job."

Veronica raised a sceptical eyebrow. "And that's why you were galloping down the street?"

"Oh, no, I just didn't want to be late. I'm turning over a new leaf." The lie poured from her like honey.

"You need to check your watch, you were fifteen minutes past punctual."

"Leafs take a whole season to change colour, I'm not a bloody miracle worker you big Susan."

"How dare you!" Affronted, Ron gasped dramatically before grinning. "What does this 'leafs turning' involve, exactly?"

"The plural of 'leaf' is 'leaves'," Eve pointed out.

"I know that, but do you?" Ron retorted, rolling her eyes. "Get to the point!"

Eve hadn't really thought it through, what with it being a spur of the moment lie and all, but now that the question was with her she could see the merit. Turning over a leaf wasn't a terrible idea. She'd been in a dead end job with dead end boys. Now, she had a new job that might not be terrible and she was no longer working with the boy who had done everything to trick her into believing he was a man.

Did she love Drew? Probably not. It certainly felt like it, but the locket said no, and Eve was officially ready to embrace moving on.

New job, new attitude.

"Just the usual. I have a new job, I'm going to concentrate on me. No more love life, no more tardiness. I might even take up yoga."

"Jeeze, this new leaf sure sounds fancy."

"I am aleafed, Ronnie, and the new Eve doesn't need Harper House and it's men to make her happy."

"Hmm... what about coffee and carbs?" She asked, as the waiter came to their table.

"I'm a plant, not a rock," she quipped, as she ordered a big frothy mug of vanilla latte and a sandwich stuffed with assorted cheese and meat.

She felt happy in this decision. She couldn't help but miss the idea of Drew but he was tainted now, another distraction stopping her from being New Leaf Eve. He'd missed his opportunity, and she could squash the love-like feelings down and move on. If the locket said it wasn't love, she couldn't exactly disprove it.

She had matchmaking to do, and if she was totally honest, a job at Match Mate on Mount Olympus sounded like a brilliant place to start. There was a stack of files on her desk a foot high and Eve already knew who she wanted to be her first client.

Let the Soul-Mating begin.

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Um, you guys, I think we are finished. There's bits to fill out, and editing to do, and this probably isn't the finished published project, but I'm at the end. 

Eve's journey is complete. She's gotten her character growth, she's come out stronger than she started and she's changed her life around.

I have some chapters I want to add in, and I need to give this a big ole developmental edit, so if anyone wants to beta read and give me some criticism that would be great, but as of this moment... 

THE END!

That's the first time I've ever finished something, and I'm so proud of myself. I know its not polished yet, but I finished a novel. It totals at 111,567 words and it's all mine! And I already have ideas for the sequel, which will feature Matchmaking, More Eve Escapades, and most importantly... more Drew and Polly and The Gang.

And if you're not familiar with 'Susan Memes' I highly recommend. I have an actual Susan in my life and I gotta say... nothing. Because she's my sister and we don't bash family outside of the family.  :P

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=susan+memes&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj7gons9InaAhVR_aQKHZEOD2wQ_AUICigB&biw=989&bih=743#imgrc=q4edJS7754z-1M: