A Season for Everything

By Eden Baylee

Claire Pelletier's life is changed forever when she meets an Oxford professor who teaches her an important lesson. Set in London, England, A SEASON FOR EVERYTHING is inspired by the Book of Ecclesiastes, poets, and the belief that to everything there is a season.

"...poignant and passionate..." - Masquerade Crew
"...a beautiful piece set at that intersect of ends and beginnings." - Beach Bum Books
"...touched my heart and brought out the romantic in me." - Jersey Girl Sizzling Book Reviews

This novella is included in SPRING INTO SUMMER with: Unlocking the Mystery | Summer Solstice | The Lottery. (Each sold separately)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Eden Baylee
• Release date: Sep 8, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311625649

Eden Baylee

Eden Baylee left a twenty-year banking career to become a full-time writer. She incorporates many of her favorite things into her writing such as: travel; humor; music; poetry; art; and much more.She has written three collections of erotic novellas and flash fiction—Spring into Summer, Fall into Winter, and Hot Flash.In June 2014, she released her first novel outside the erotica genre—a psychological mystery/thriller with a sexy twist called Stranger at Sunset. A synopsis and more information can be found on her website.

Book preview

A Season for Everything

a novella by

eden baylee

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Learn more about the author and her work at:

www.edenbayleebooks.com

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Cover design by JB Graphics

Edited by Annetta Ribken

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Copyright

Published by lowercase publishing

Copyright 2014 eden baylee

Smashwords edition. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Author's note: All characters depicted in this work of fiction are 18 years of age or older.

For more information, contact [e-mail]

Dedicated to poets and professors

contents

a note from the author

a season for everything

titles by eden baylee

about the author

excerpts

unlocking the mystery

summer solstice

the lottery

a note from the author

Poets, professors, and their mastery of words inspired this story.

I rediscovered my love of poetry after reading Charles Bukowski for the first time. That was over fifteen years ago. It’s with the appreciation of his words that I was able to connect to some amazing modern-day poets. Their words reminded me that poetry breathes life into prose, film, music, and so much more.

I hope you enjoy A Season for Everything. I’d love to hear from you regardless, and reviews are always appreciated.

Excerpts are included of the other three novellas that accompany this one in Spring into Summer. My wish is you’ll give them a try too.

Always grateful,

eden

a season for everything

~ PROLOGUE ~

I looked at the faces of the young men and women sitting in front of me. My chest tightened, and a wave of nausea threatened to make me run out of the room. Swallowing the jitters crawling up my throat, I told myself no matter what happened—I must not cry.

How do I begin to impart the wisdom of a relationship that transformed my life—one that happened too quickly and affected me profoundly?

Being with an older man changed me, and being with a man who saw the world in a unique way only amplified the consequences. I’d always wanted someone who could teach me something. I just wasn’t prepared for the lessons I would learn from him in our short time together.

The affair has been over for nearly three years now, and yet; I remain raw as the day it ended.

* * * *

On an exceptionally warm winter’s day for London, Brenda Williams and I sat in her kitchen drinking Earl Grey tea and eating brownies. I'd noticed spring making an early appearance with the snowdrops in her garden. After taking over most of the domestic duties including grocery shopping, cleaning, and cooking, Brenda confessed how happy she was to have me staying with her. She hated housework of any kind.

Claire, you’re going to make some man a very good wife one day. These brownies are smashing! Brenda popped another bite-sized morsel into her mouth.

You know I love to bake, but I never did much of it back home. I finished cutting the pan of brownies and plated a small square for myself.

Why the heck not?

My parents couldn’t eat sweets, and I wasn’t going to bake only for myself.

Yes, well, I’m getting fat if this keeps up. Your good cooking is spoiling me. I haven’t opened a can in a while, but …

But what? I was almost afraid she was going to tell me she wanted me to leave. I’d been staying in her modest flat in West Hampstead for close to a month.

Brenda reached for another brownie absent-mindedly. I’m just wondering if you’re having fun, that’s all. I’m really grateful for the help, but you’re my friend, not my housekeeper. You know that, right?

Of course I do, but I’m the one who’s grateful. If it were not for you, I’d still be in Montreal giving my parents grief. They were tired of seeing me do nothing after quitting school. I took a sip of my tea, something I had grown fond of here. "And I am having fun. I tend to your