Bella's Hufflepuff shirt
Chapter 4:
Edward's clothes @ the club
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Magnetism Manips (so far)
Rosalie's wedding dress
The bridesmaids: Alice Brandon (Maid of Honor), Victoria Hale, Bella Swan
Bella's masquerade banquet dress
(All manips made by me. PLEASE do not claim them as your own!)
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Chapter 4
The rest of the week went by quickly without any excitement. Rosalie had been extremely angry when she saw Bella's stitches but calmed down a bit when she was assured the stitches would be out in time for the wedding. Bella was disappointed however when she realized she would still have them when she went to the conference in California.
Friday night, even though she was feeling a bit tired from the stress of a first week at a new job, she let Alice and Rosalie drag her out to a night club. They knew she wasn't particularly into clubs but, after they agreed to not drag her out to another until after the wedding, she agreed to go. She even let Alice style her hair and Rosalie pick out her clothes. Alice put her hair in large, loose curls and loaded her up with enough hairspray to choke a horse. Rosalie picked out a form-fitting, v-neck, short sleeved shirt, black skinny jeans and boots that came up to the middle of her shins. All in all not bad; Bella approved their choices.
“Jasper said he'd meet us there.” Alice gushed with a big smile.
“He works at a bar,” Bella said as they left their apartment. “I'm surprised he would want to go to one on his night off.”
She shrugged. “He seemed okay with it. Besides, it's not a bar, it's a club.”
There didn't seem like much of a difference to Bella. Bars and clubs both had alcohol, music and guys trying to hit on girls with cheesy pick up lines. They only extra thing a club had was a designated dance floor.
The three of them arrived at the club about twenty minutes later and got right in. Emmett had called Rosalie on the car ride there to tell her that he'd meet them after he got out of work. He'd had to work a later shift that day.
They ordered drinks and grabbed a table. Jasper met them a few minutes later and was formally introduced to Bella and Rosalie.
It wasn't until Emmett arrived that Bella realized she was going to be the fifth wheel that night. Normally she would have had Alice to talk to while Rosalie and Emmett danced and made out. Alice and Bella tried extremely hard to ignore when they did that.
Emmett walked away to get beer from the bar, taking Jasper with him. All three girls guessed it was so Emmett could size Jasper up to make sure he was a good guy; Emmett was very protective of the three of them.
“Isn't he great?” Alice asked them as soon as the two men were half way to the bar.
“He seems really nice.” Bella replied with a nod.
“He is. He's such a gentleman.” Alice sighed. “He holds doors for me and pulls my chair out when I go to sit down.”
Bella smiled, feeling the slightest bit of envy. She wished she could find a great guy like her two best friends had found.
“Emmett used to do that for me.” Rosalie said and paused to take a sip of her Cosmo. “Now he's a lazy bastard.”
Bella and Alice laughed.
Emmett and Jasper returned a minute later with someone else in tow. Bella almost choked on her rum and coke when she realized it was Edward.
“Oh look, it's Edward.” Alice told her.
Bella shot her an icy look and turned back towards everyone else.
Edward wore a brown plaid button-up shirt with the top two buttons undone; she could see the slight bit of hair on his chest. He had on a pair of dark jeans and a leather jacket.
'Oh god,' she thought and shifted in her chair.
“We found this bum at the bar.” Emmett joked, sitting down next to Rosalie.
“You told me to meet you here, you ass.” Edward laughed and took the seat between Rosalie and Bella.
Bella could feel her face start to heat up and held onto her glass with both hands. She suddenly didn't feel much like drinking.
“So how's it going, Edward?” Rosalie asked. “Haven't seen you in a while.”
“Fine.” He replied. “Been busy with work.”
“He's a workaholic.” Emmett added. “He has no life.”
“I wouldn't say that.” Edward shrugged.
“I would.”
Bella giggled and bit her lip when Edward looked at her. She was too nervous to even look at him.
'Coward.'
“Oh, I love this song!” Alice said excitedly as a new song came through the large speakers. “Dance with me?” She asked Jasper who promptly took her hand and walked with her to the dance floor.
“What do you say, Rosie?” Emmett asked Rosalie, holing out his hand.
Bella could feel her anxiety double as she watched Rosalie and Emmett go out to the dance floor. The prospect of being alone with Edward in a social setting was both terrifying and exciting. She thought she felt her hands start to shake so she set her drink down on the table. The thought that Edward might take that move as a hint that she also wanted to dance came into her head then and she picked up her drink back up.
Edward laughed quietly and she forced herself to look at him.
“Does alcohol make you figity, too?” He teased.
“No.” She replied quickly. She would bet anyone a thousand dollars that her face was bright red by that point.
He nodded. “How's your head?”
“Fine... thanks.” She took a sip of her drink and looked over at her two best friends and their boyfriends. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Edward set his beer bottle on the table.
“Bella?”
She turned back to him and was surprised to see him looking at her so intently.
“Do you want to dance?”
“Um,” she laughed, “remember the whole clumsy thing? It applies to dancing, too.”
“Then it's a good thing I'm already here.” He said and held out his hand.
The bright smile on his face was what ultimately made up her mind. He could probably get her to do anything just by flashing that smile.
Bracing herself for what she expected to be a completely embarrassing display on her part, she set her drink down. She wiped her palms nervously on her jeans and took his hand. He led her to the dance floor, stopped by their friends and turned to face her.
Eyes betray the soul and bear its thinking
Beyond words they say so many things to me.
A stranger here reborn it seems
Awakening wonders deep in me.
If nothing's ventured, nothing's gained
So I must seize the day.
“Yeah, Bella!” She heard Alice cheer from a couple of feet away.
Dancing with Edward felt awkward at first and she had the feeling that he found her nervousness amusing. She kept one hand on his shoulder and the other on his arm while he gripped her hips.
And fighting time so hard I pray
That this moment lasts forever
And will the world stay standing still, at least for me?
They started out with a respectable amount of space between them but as they danced he pulled her closer and closer.
Through my eyes, stare into me
I bear my heart for all to see
With my face turned to the sun there ever standing still.
Bella was glad to have dancing as an excuse for her heavy breathing. In actuality, the feeling of his hands on her hips and his body pressed against hers was her undoing.
It wasn't you, it wasn't me, it wasn't anyone.
It was a day so long awaited and a chance to be as me.
I let the wind run through my hands
Before I turned to walk away.
In distant days I love to sense it all so clear.
She looked up at Edward to find that his beautiful smile had disappeared. Instead, there was an intense look in his eyes; the normal emerald green had darkened. His lips were parted slightly and she barely resisted the urge to grab his hair and pull his mouth down to hers. Her heart jumped at the mere thought of kissing him. She forced herself to turn around before she did anything foolish.
And fighting time so hard I pray
that this moment lasts forever.
As soon as she felt her back against him she knew she had made a mistake. His fingers curled strongly on her hips and he pulled her closer. A chill ran through her entire body and stopped to throb and ache in her lower abdomen.
And will the world stay standing still, at least for me?
She reached up and loosely draped her hand around the back of his neck. The loud music drowned out the gasp she let out as he ground against her backside.
Through my eyes, stare into me
I bear my heart for all to see
With my face turned to the sun, there ever standing still.
She could feel the growing bulge in his jeans. She could feel his hot breath against her neck and realized his mouth was right next to her ear. She couldn't help but grind back against him.
Edward grunted just loud enough for her to hear. One hand tightened its grip on her left hip as the other slid up slowly.
And fighting time so much I ask
I will this morning last forever.
Though seasons change and things come to pass
Remain inside of me.
He stopped his hand at the top of her jeans and let his fingers snake up under the bottom hem of her shirt. The moment his fingers made contact with her skin she laced her fingers into the hair at the back of his head and tugged lightly. She earned another grunt from him and smiled smugly to herself.
And fighting time so hard I pray
That this moment lasts forever
And will the world stay standing still, at least for me?
For just a moment she let herself believe that she was in control of the situation when she knew, deep down, that she wasn't. He was setting her body on fire with just his hands and she wondered how much better it would feel if she felt his mouth on her as well. She bit back a moan at the thought and tried to think about anything other than the sexy man behind her.
'The sexy man who is touching your skin.'
Her head fell back against his shoulder. She felt his nose drag against her skin, from the base of her neck to the sensitive skin behind her ear, and shuddered.
I had no faith before that day in any vow or deed.
Days followed days and years were meaningless.
Despite the wisdom of defeat
I bore my heart for all to see the wonders I'd seen.
She pushed back against him again and frowned when she realized the song was ending. She wished it would never end, even though she knew dancing with Edward had been a bad idea to being with. All it did was increase her attraction to him, when she wasn't even allowed to be with him in the first place.
This would end badly for her.
“Excuse us!”
Bella's eyes snapped open just in time to see Rosalie come at her. Rosalie grabbed her hand and dragged her away from Edward, towards the bathrooms. Alice was following behind them and Bella would have been worried if she hadn't seen the smile on her face.
The volume of the music decreased dramatically as soon as the bathroom door shut behind them. Rosalie dropped Bella's hand and went to stand in front of the mirror with Alice. Bella watched the two of them warily as they concentrated on reapplying their lipgloss. Alice was the first to speak.
“Y'know Bella,” she said sadly, “I thought you loved me. I thought we were best friends.”
Bella's eyebrows came together in confusion. “We are! What are you talking about?”
“No!” Alice shook her head and turned to face her. Bella was relieved to see her smiling. “If we were best friends you would have told me that you have a thing for Edward.”
Bella's face felt hot again and she looked away. “I don't know what you mean. I don't...”
“Oh, please.” Rosalie said as she slipped her lipgloss into her pocket and turned to face them. “You two were practically fucking right there on the dance floor.”
Bella bit her bottom lip.
Alice let out a high-pitched squeal. “I knew it! You do like him!”
Throwing her hands up in frustration, Bella looked back over to them. “It doesn't even matter. Even if he liked me like that, we couldn't have a relationship anyway. We work together and Carlisle has that rule about no dating.”
“Screw his dumb ass rules!” Rosalie rolled her eyes. “If you want Edward then go after him.”
“Besides,” Alice added with a shrug, “Emmett said people break that rule all the time.” A sly grin appeared on her face. “I bet it would be hot to be in a secret relationship.”
“Totally hot.” Rosalie nodded.
Bella shook her head and sighed. “So, now what? What should I do?”
“Play hard to get.” Rosalie suggested.
Alice agreed. “Pretend like nothing happened out there. Be cool.”
'Yeah right,' she thought, 'I'm awkward as hell around him.'
“Okay, I'm ready for some more dancing!” Alice announced with a clap of her hands.
Bella's eyes widened in panic. “But if you two are dancing then I'll be left alone with Edward. I won't know what to say to him.”
“You'll be fine.” Rosalie said as they headed back out to join Emmett, Jasper and Edward.
When they reached their table Bella was surprised to find only Emmett and Jasper there. Her nerves were replaced with anxiety as she wondered where Edward had disappeared to.
“Where's Edward?” Alice asked.
“One of the girls from the ER is here,” Emmett replied, “and roped him into dancing with her.”
“He didn't seem too happy about it, though.” Jasper added when he saw the slight frown on Bella's face.
“Yeah, really.” Emmett said. “That Lauren chick is annoying.”
“Lauren?!” Rosalie all but screamed.
“The Lauren that was always hitting on you?” Alice asked him as she patted Rosalie's arm, trying to calm her.
“Yeah,” Emmett nodded and took a sip of his beer. “She has her sights on Edward now.”
Bella could feel the jealousy rise inside of her as she finally spotted Edward and Lauren on the edge of the dance floor. She tuned everyone around her out as she watched them.
I'm on a mission
And it involves some heavy touching, yeah
She wondered if it was just her hopeful thinking but it looked as though Edward felt a little uncomfortable with having Lauren rubbing herself all over him.
You've indicated your interest
I'm educated in sex, yes
And now I want it bad, want it bad
A love game, a love game.
Her jealousy spiked and she took a couple of large gulps of her rum and coke.
It was then that Edward looked up and locked eyes with her.
Hold me and love me
Just wanna touch you for a minute
She had to take a deep breath to calm her nerves as he kept staring at her.
Maybe three seconds is enough
For my heart to quit it
He grinned crookedly at her and pulled Lauren back against him. Not once did he break eye contact with Bella as he continued to dance, putting his hands on Lauren's hips.
Let's have some fun, this beat is sick
I wanna take a ride on your disco stick
Don't think too much just bust that kick
I wanna take a ride on your disco stick.
She couldn't stand to watch him swing his hips with Lauren's but she couldn't make herself look away from his smoldering eyes.
Let's play a love game, play a love game
Do you want love or you want fame?
Are you in the game? Doin' the love game.
Edward's tongue darted out to wet his lips and Bella's heart jumped a little in her chest.
Let's play a love game, play a love game
Do you want love or you want fame?
Are you in the game? Doin' the love game.
When she lifted her glass to her mouth again she found it empty. 'I need another drink.' She thought desperately.
She chanced another glance at Edward and he winked.
“O-kay.” She said loudly. “I need another drink.”
“I'll go with you. You're too quiet, you'll be waiting forever for your drink.” Emmett said and they both headed for the bar.
Once they got there, Emmett got the bartender's attention and ordered her a rum and coke and beers for himself, Jasper and Edward. Right before the bartender walked away, Bella asked for a little extra rum in her drink, causing Emmett to raise an eyebrow at her.
Bella ignored his look and drummed her fingers on the bar. She put all of her energy into not looking over at Edward.
“So, what's up, Bells?” Emmett asked.
She looked up at him, seeing the large grin he was wearing. She chose to ignore that, too.
“Not much, Em. What's up with you?” She plastered a fake smile on her own face.
Emmett chuckled at her avoidance of answering his question seriously and shook his head. “Seems like you were getting a bit jealous over there at the table.”
She looked away. “I don't know what you're talking about.” To have Alice and Rosalie know about her crush on Edward was one thing, but she would not admit her feelings about him to Emmett, one of Edward's best friends.
Their drinks were set down in front of them and Bella immediately took a large gulp of hers. Emmett laughed again and told her to pace herself.
Edward was at the table when she and Emmett go back. Emmett sat down next to Rosalie, leaving the only open seat the one directly across from Edward. She took the seat and then another sip of her drink. She smiled to herself when she started feeling the effects of the alcohol.
She couldn't decide which spot was worse; next to Edward or across from him. Sitting next to him made her nervous, but sitting across from him made it hard to avoid looking at him. As it was, she could already feel his eyes on her. She felt hot under gaze.
Her thoughts went to when they had been dancing. She could practically feel his fingers on her skin just by remembering it. His touch had sent a bolt of electricity through her whole body and she longed to feel it again.
She took an unsteady breath as she stared down at the tabletop.
“Bella?” Alice nudged her with her elbow.
“Hm? What?” She looked up. “What?”
Rosalie laughed.
“I was wondering if it would be okay if Edward drove you home.” Alice said. “I'm going to Jasper's.”
“Oh, uh...” Bella couldn't think for a minute. The thought of being alone with Edward was a little overwhelming in her inebriated state. All she could think about was sitting on his lap in her living room, her fingers in his hair and his tongue in her mouth.
When she finally snapped out of it, she nodded. She couldn't help but look across the table then. Edward shot her a dazzling smile and her heart jumped in her chest.
“Ready to go now?” He asked.
'Oh yeah. So ready to go right now.' She thought and sucked down the rest of her drink.
Jasper, Alice and Edward stood up and she followed their lead. Apparently Emmett and Rosalie were staying a little longer.
Bella stumbled a few times as they headed for the door. Every time she stumbled, Edward would reach out to steady her, causing her to giggle. When they got outside, he stopped and went to stand with his back to her.
“Hop on.” He said, looking back at her over her shoulder.
She snorted a laugh. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah. This way I don't have to worry about you falling.”
She stared at him for a moment and then shrugged to herself. Placing her arms around his shoulders, she hopped up onto his back and his hands gripped the undersides of her thighs. As they made their way to his car, she wondered if she was too heavy for him, but decided she didn't care when his scent hit her. As discretely as she could, she leaned her head a little closer to his and breathed him in.
'Ugh, he smells so good.' She whined to herself and tried not to squirm too much while he carried her.
He set her down next to his car and opened the passenger side door for her. When she was settled he went around and slid into the driver's seat.
The ride to her apartment was quiet, save for when she had to give him directions. She kept sneaking little peeks at him while he drove. She found herself dwelling on his hands gripping the steering wheel. The strong hands she'd had on her while they danced. His fingers that had been on her bare skin.
Bella took a deep breath and licked her lips. Forcing herself to look away, she stared down at her own hands.
“Bella?” Edward said, breaking into her thoughts. “We're here.”
She looked up to find they were indeed parked in front of her apartment building.
“Oh, okay.”
He surprised her by turning the car off and getting out. She dragged herself out as well and dug into her pocket for her keys. Acutely aware of how closely he was following her, she entered the building and headed for the elevator. She glanced at him curiously when he stopped beside her.
“I just wanted to make sure you got to your apartment okay.” He explained.
Once again, she thought about him in her apartment, but this time she had her legs wrapped around his waist as he carried her down the hall to her room.
Bella cleared her throat and nodded.
The elevator ride was a little awkward but it was probably just her feeling that way, she decided.
The doors finally opened on her floor and she walked quickly to her door. She could feel him standing right behind her, causing her hand to shake as she tried to unlock her door. He reached around, wrapped his hand around hers and helped her turn the key.
“Um, thanks.” She mumbled and pushed the door open.
Edward didn't follow her in but stopped in the doorway.
“So... thanks for bringing me home.” She said and bit her bottom lip nervously.
A moment later his hand was cupping the side of her face. His thumb gently pulled her bottom lip out from between her teeth.
“I don't want to have to stitch up your lip, too.” He teased but didn't pull his hand away.
She couldn't help but lean into his hand and let her eyes close.
“Bella...”
She looked up into his green eyes and suddenly felt the need to confess how she felt about him. How she couldn't stop thinking about him. How she didn't care about the idiotic no-dating policy. How badly she
wanted him.
Edward stepped closer to her and slid his hand back to curl around the back of her neck.
“Edward...” she said, trying to keep the desperation that she felt for him out of her voice.
He leaned down and rested his forehead against hers. She watched him closely. His eyes were closed and he had a slight frown on his perfect lips.
'Please let me kiss those lips. Let me kiss that frown away.'
Before she could decide to just kiss him, he leaned back up. His lips pressed softly to her forehead; a lingering kiss on her hairline, over her stitches.
She had to keep herself from whining when he stepped back and shoved his hands into his pockets.
“Goodnight, Bella.” He said quietly and turned away.
She was silent as she watched him walk back to the elevator. He looked back at her once and, after the elevator doors closed, she forced herself to head inside and go to bed.
Friday night, even though she was feeling a bit tired from the stress of a first week at a new job, she let Alice and Rosalie drag her out to a night club. They knew she wasn't particularly into clubs but, after they agreed to not drag her out to another until after the wedding, she agreed to go. She even let Alice style her hair and Rosalie pick out her clothes. Alice put her hair in large, loose curls and loaded her up with enough hairspray to choke a horse. Rosalie picked out a form-fitting, v-neck, short sleeved shirt, black skinny jeans and boots that came up to the middle of her shins. All in all not bad; Bella approved their choices.
“Jasper said he'd meet us there.” Alice gushed with a big smile.
“He works at a bar,” Bella said as they left their apartment. “I'm surprised he would want to go to one on his night off.”
She shrugged. “He seemed okay with it. Besides, it's not a bar, it's a club.”
There didn't seem like much of a difference to Bella. Bars and clubs both had alcohol, music and guys trying to hit on girls with cheesy pick up lines. They only extra thing a club had was a designated dance floor.
The three of them arrived at the club about twenty minutes later and got right in. Emmett had called Rosalie on the car ride there to tell her that he'd meet them after he got out of work. He'd had to work a later shift that day.
They ordered drinks and grabbed a table. Jasper met them a few minutes later and was formally introduced to Bella and Rosalie.
It wasn't until Emmett arrived that Bella realized she was going to be the fifth wheel that night. Normally she would have had Alice to talk to while Rosalie and Emmett danced and made out. Alice and Bella tried extremely hard to ignore when they did that.
Emmett walked away to get beer from the bar, taking Jasper with him. All three girls guessed it was so Emmett could size Jasper up to make sure he was a good guy; Emmett was very protective of the three of them.
“Isn't he great?” Alice asked them as soon as the two men were half way to the bar.
“He seems really nice.” Bella replied with a nod.
“He is. He's such a gentleman.” Alice sighed. “He holds doors for me and pulls my chair out when I go to sit down.”
Bella smiled, feeling the slightest bit of envy. She wished she could find a great guy like her two best friends had found.
“Emmett used to do that for me.” Rosalie said and paused to take a sip of her Cosmo. “Now he's a lazy bastard.”
Bella and Alice laughed.
Emmett and Jasper returned a minute later with someone else in tow. Bella almost choked on her rum and coke when she realized it was Edward.
“Oh look, it's Edward.” Alice told her.
Bella shot her an icy look and turned back towards everyone else.
Edward wore a brown plaid button-up shirt with the top two buttons undone; she could see the slight bit of hair on his chest. He had on a pair of dark jeans and a leather jacket.
'Oh god,' she thought and shifted in her chair.
“We found this bum at the bar.” Emmett joked, sitting down next to Rosalie.
“You told me to meet you here, you ass.” Edward laughed and took the seat between Rosalie and Bella.
Bella could feel her face start to heat up and held onto her glass with both hands. She suddenly didn't feel much like drinking.
“So how's it going, Edward?” Rosalie asked. “Haven't seen you in a while.”
“Fine.” He replied. “Been busy with work.”
“He's a workaholic.” Emmett added. “He has no life.”
“I wouldn't say that.” Edward shrugged.
“I would.”
Bella giggled and bit her lip when Edward looked at her. She was too nervous to even look at him.
'Coward.'
“Oh, I love this song!” Alice said excitedly as a new song came through the large speakers. “Dance with me?” She asked Jasper who promptly took her hand and walked with her to the dance floor.
“What do you say, Rosie?” Emmett asked Rosalie, holing out his hand.
Bella could feel her anxiety double as she watched Rosalie and Emmett go out to the dance floor. The prospect of being alone with Edward in a social setting was both terrifying and exciting. She thought she felt her hands start to shake so she set her drink down on the table. The thought that Edward might take that move as a hint that she also wanted to dance came into her head then and she picked up her drink back up.
Edward laughed quietly and she forced herself to look at him.
“Does alcohol make you figity, too?” He teased.
“No.” She replied quickly. She would bet anyone a thousand dollars that her face was bright red by that point.
He nodded. “How's your head?”
“Fine... thanks.” She took a sip of her drink and looked over at her two best friends and their boyfriends. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Edward set his beer bottle on the table.
“Bella?”
She turned back to him and was surprised to see him looking at her so intently.
“Do you want to dance?”
“Um,” she laughed, “remember the whole clumsy thing? It applies to dancing, too.”
“Then it's a good thing I'm already here.” He said and held out his hand.
The bright smile on his face was what ultimately made up her mind. He could probably get her to do anything just by flashing that smile.
Bracing herself for what she expected to be a completely embarrassing display on her part, she set her drink down. She wiped her palms nervously on her jeans and took his hand. He led her to the dance floor, stopped by their friends and turned to face her.
Eyes betray the soul and bear its thinking
Beyond words they say so many things to me.
A stranger here reborn it seems
Awakening wonders deep in me.
If nothing's ventured, nothing's gained
So I must seize the day.
“Yeah, Bella!” She heard Alice cheer from a couple of feet away.
Dancing with Edward felt awkward at first and she had the feeling that he found her nervousness amusing. She kept one hand on his shoulder and the other on his arm while he gripped her hips.
And fighting time so hard I pray
That this moment lasts forever
And will the world stay standing still, at least for me?
They started out with a respectable amount of space between them but as they danced he pulled her closer and closer.
Through my eyes, stare into me
I bear my heart for all to see
With my face turned to the sun there ever standing still.
Bella was glad to have dancing as an excuse for her heavy breathing. In actuality, the feeling of his hands on her hips and his body pressed against hers was her undoing.
It wasn't you, it wasn't me, it wasn't anyone.
It was a day so long awaited and a chance to be as me.
I let the wind run through my hands
Before I turned to walk away.
In distant days I love to sense it all so clear.
She looked up at Edward to find that his beautiful smile had disappeared. Instead, there was an intense look in his eyes; the normal emerald green had darkened. His lips were parted slightly and she barely resisted the urge to grab his hair and pull his mouth down to hers. Her heart jumped at the mere thought of kissing him. She forced herself to turn around before she did anything foolish.
And fighting time so hard I pray
that this moment lasts forever.
As soon as she felt her back against him she knew she had made a mistake. His fingers curled strongly on her hips and he pulled her closer. A chill ran through her entire body and stopped to throb and ache in her lower abdomen.
And will the world stay standing still, at least for me?
She reached up and loosely draped her hand around the back of his neck. The loud music drowned out the gasp she let out as he ground against her backside.
Through my eyes, stare into me
I bear my heart for all to see
With my face turned to the sun, there ever standing still.
She could feel the growing bulge in his jeans. She could feel his hot breath against her neck and realized his mouth was right next to her ear. She couldn't help but grind back against him.
Edward grunted just loud enough for her to hear. One hand tightened its grip on her left hip as the other slid up slowly.
And fighting time so much I ask
I will this morning last forever.
Though seasons change and things come to pass
Remain inside of me.
He stopped his hand at the top of her jeans and let his fingers snake up under the bottom hem of her shirt. The moment his fingers made contact with her skin she laced her fingers into the hair at the back of his head and tugged lightly. She earned another grunt from him and smiled smugly to herself.
And fighting time so hard I pray
That this moment lasts forever
And will the world stay standing still, at least for me?
For just a moment she let herself believe that she was in control of the situation when she knew, deep down, that she wasn't. He was setting her body on fire with just his hands and she wondered how much better it would feel if she felt his mouth on her as well. She bit back a moan at the thought and tried to think about anything other than the sexy man behind her.
'The sexy man who is touching your skin.'
Her head fell back against his shoulder. She felt his nose drag against her skin, from the base of her neck to the sensitive skin behind her ear, and shuddered.
I had no faith before that day in any vow or deed.
Days followed days and years were meaningless.
Despite the wisdom of defeat
I bore my heart for all to see the wonders I'd seen.
She pushed back against him again and frowned when she realized the song was ending. She wished it would never end, even though she knew dancing with Edward had been a bad idea to being with. All it did was increase her attraction to him, when she wasn't even allowed to be with him in the first place.
This would end badly for her.
“Excuse us!”
Bella's eyes snapped open just in time to see Rosalie come at her. Rosalie grabbed her hand and dragged her away from Edward, towards the bathrooms. Alice was following behind them and Bella would have been worried if she hadn't seen the smile on her face.
The volume of the music decreased dramatically as soon as the bathroom door shut behind them. Rosalie dropped Bella's hand and went to stand in front of the mirror with Alice. Bella watched the two of them warily as they concentrated on reapplying their lipgloss. Alice was the first to speak.
“Y'know Bella,” she said sadly, “I thought you loved me. I thought we were best friends.”
Bella's eyebrows came together in confusion. “We are! What are you talking about?”
“No!” Alice shook her head and turned to face her. Bella was relieved to see her smiling. “If we were best friends you would have told me that you have a thing for Edward.”
Bella's face felt hot again and she looked away. “I don't know what you mean. I don't...”
“Oh, please.” Rosalie said as she slipped her lipgloss into her pocket and turned to face them. “You two were practically fucking right there on the dance floor.”
Bella bit her bottom lip.
Alice let out a high-pitched squeal. “I knew it! You do like him!”
Throwing her hands up in frustration, Bella looked back over to them. “It doesn't even matter. Even if he liked me like that, we couldn't have a relationship anyway. We work together and Carlisle has that rule about no dating.”
“Screw his dumb ass rules!” Rosalie rolled her eyes. “If you want Edward then go after him.”
“Besides,” Alice added with a shrug, “Emmett said people break that rule all the time.” A sly grin appeared on her face. “I bet it would be hot to be in a secret relationship.”
“Totally hot.” Rosalie nodded.
Bella shook her head and sighed. “So, now what? What should I do?”
“Play hard to get.” Rosalie suggested.
Alice agreed. “Pretend like nothing happened out there. Be cool.”
'Yeah right,' she thought, 'I'm awkward as hell around him.'
“Okay, I'm ready for some more dancing!” Alice announced with a clap of her hands.
Bella's eyes widened in panic. “But if you two are dancing then I'll be left alone with Edward. I won't know what to say to him.”
“You'll be fine.” Rosalie said as they headed back out to join Emmett, Jasper and Edward.
When they reached their table Bella was surprised to find only Emmett and Jasper there. Her nerves were replaced with anxiety as she wondered where Edward had disappeared to.
“Where's Edward?” Alice asked.
“One of the girls from the ER is here,” Emmett replied, “and roped him into dancing with her.”
“He didn't seem too happy about it, though.” Jasper added when he saw the slight frown on Bella's face.
“Yeah, really.” Emmett said. “That Lauren chick is annoying.”
“Lauren?!” Rosalie all but screamed.
“The Lauren that was always hitting on you?” Alice asked him as she patted Rosalie's arm, trying to calm her.
“Yeah,” Emmett nodded and took a sip of his beer. “She has her sights on Edward now.”
Bella could feel the jealousy rise inside of her as she finally spotted Edward and Lauren on the edge of the dance floor. She tuned everyone around her out as she watched them.
I'm on a mission
And it involves some heavy touching, yeah
She wondered if it was just her hopeful thinking but it looked as though Edward felt a little uncomfortable with having Lauren rubbing herself all over him.
You've indicated your interest
I'm educated in sex, yes
And now I want it bad, want it bad
A love game, a love game.
Her jealousy spiked and she took a couple of large gulps of her rum and coke.
It was then that Edward looked up and locked eyes with her.
Hold me and love me
Just wanna touch you for a minute
She had to take a deep breath to calm her nerves as he kept staring at her.
Maybe three seconds is enough
For my heart to quit it
He grinned crookedly at her and pulled Lauren back against him. Not once did he break eye contact with Bella as he continued to dance, putting his hands on Lauren's hips.
Let's have some fun, this beat is sick
I wanna take a ride on your disco stick
Don't think too much just bust that kick
I wanna take a ride on your disco stick.
She couldn't stand to watch him swing his hips with Lauren's but she couldn't make herself look away from his smoldering eyes.
Let's play a love game, play a love game
Do you want love or you want fame?
Are you in the game? Doin' the love game.
Edward's tongue darted out to wet his lips and Bella's heart jumped a little in her chest.
Let's play a love game, play a love game
Do you want love or you want fame?
Are you in the game? Doin' the love game.
When she lifted her glass to her mouth again she found it empty. 'I need another drink.' She thought desperately.
She chanced another glance at Edward and he winked.
“O-kay.” She said loudly. “I need another drink.”
“I'll go with you. You're too quiet, you'll be waiting forever for your drink.” Emmett said and they both headed for the bar.
Once they got there, Emmett got the bartender's attention and ordered her a rum and coke and beers for himself, Jasper and Edward. Right before the bartender walked away, Bella asked for a little extra rum in her drink, causing Emmett to raise an eyebrow at her.
Bella ignored his look and drummed her fingers on the bar. She put all of her energy into not looking over at Edward.
“So, what's up, Bells?” Emmett asked.
She looked up at him, seeing the large grin he was wearing. She chose to ignore that, too.
“Not much, Em. What's up with you?” She plastered a fake smile on her own face.
Emmett chuckled at her avoidance of answering his question seriously and shook his head. “Seems like you were getting a bit jealous over there at the table.”
She looked away. “I don't know what you're talking about.” To have Alice and Rosalie know about her crush on Edward was one thing, but she would not admit her feelings about him to Emmett, one of Edward's best friends.
Their drinks were set down in front of them and Bella immediately took a large gulp of hers. Emmett laughed again and told her to pace herself.
Edward was at the table when she and Emmett go back. Emmett sat down next to Rosalie, leaving the only open seat the one directly across from Edward. She took the seat and then another sip of her drink. She smiled to herself when she started feeling the effects of the alcohol.
She couldn't decide which spot was worse; next to Edward or across from him. Sitting next to him made her nervous, but sitting across from him made it hard to avoid looking at him. As it was, she could already feel his eyes on her. She felt hot under gaze.
Her thoughts went to when they had been dancing. She could practically feel his fingers on her skin just by remembering it. His touch had sent a bolt of electricity through her whole body and she longed to feel it again.
She took an unsteady breath as she stared down at the tabletop.
“Bella?” Alice nudged her with her elbow.
“Hm? What?” She looked up. “What?”
Rosalie laughed.
“I was wondering if it would be okay if Edward drove you home.” Alice said. “I'm going to Jasper's.”
“Oh, uh...” Bella couldn't think for a minute. The thought of being alone with Edward was a little overwhelming in her inebriated state. All she could think about was sitting on his lap in her living room, her fingers in his hair and his tongue in her mouth.
When she finally snapped out of it, she nodded. She couldn't help but look across the table then. Edward shot her a dazzling smile and her heart jumped in her chest.
“Ready to go now?” He asked.
'Oh yeah. So ready to go right now.' She thought and sucked down the rest of her drink.
Jasper, Alice and Edward stood up and she followed their lead. Apparently Emmett and Rosalie were staying a little longer.
Bella stumbled a few times as they headed for the door. Every time she stumbled, Edward would reach out to steady her, causing her to giggle. When they got outside, he stopped and went to stand with his back to her.
“Hop on.” He said, looking back at her over her shoulder.
She snorted a laugh. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah. This way I don't have to worry about you falling.”
She stared at him for a moment and then shrugged to herself. Placing her arms around his shoulders, she hopped up onto his back and his hands gripped the undersides of her thighs. As they made their way to his car, she wondered if she was too heavy for him, but decided she didn't care when his scent hit her. As discretely as she could, she leaned her head a little closer to his and breathed him in.
'Ugh, he smells so good.' She whined to herself and tried not to squirm too much while he carried her.
He set her down next to his car and opened the passenger side door for her. When she was settled he went around and slid into the driver's seat.
The ride to her apartment was quiet, save for when she had to give him directions. She kept sneaking little peeks at him while he drove. She found herself dwelling on his hands gripping the steering wheel. The strong hands she'd had on her while they danced. His fingers that had been on her bare skin.
Bella took a deep breath and licked her lips. Forcing herself to look away, she stared down at her own hands.
“Bella?” Edward said, breaking into her thoughts. “We're here.”
She looked up to find they were indeed parked in front of her apartment building.
“Oh, okay.”
He surprised her by turning the car off and getting out. She dragged herself out as well and dug into her pocket for her keys. Acutely aware of how closely he was following her, she entered the building and headed for the elevator. She glanced at him curiously when he stopped beside her.
“I just wanted to make sure you got to your apartment okay.” He explained.
Once again, she thought about him in her apartment, but this time she had her legs wrapped around his waist as he carried her down the hall to her room.
Bella cleared her throat and nodded.
The elevator ride was a little awkward but it was probably just her feeling that way, she decided.
The doors finally opened on her floor and she walked quickly to her door. She could feel him standing right behind her, causing her hand to shake as she tried to unlock her door. He reached around, wrapped his hand around hers and helped her turn the key.
“Um, thanks.” She mumbled and pushed the door open.
Edward didn't follow her in but stopped in the doorway.
“So... thanks for bringing me home.” She said and bit her bottom lip nervously.
A moment later his hand was cupping the side of her face. His thumb gently pulled her bottom lip out from between her teeth.
“I don't want to have to stitch up your lip, too.” He teased but didn't pull his hand away.
She couldn't help but lean into his hand and let her eyes close.
“Bella...”
She looked up into his green eyes and suddenly felt the need to confess how she felt about him. How she couldn't stop thinking about him. How she didn't care about the idiotic no-dating policy. How badly she
wanted him.
Edward stepped closer to her and slid his hand back to curl around the back of her neck.
“Edward...” she said, trying to keep the desperation that she felt for him out of her voice.
He leaned down and rested his forehead against hers. She watched him closely. His eyes were closed and he had a slight frown on his perfect lips.
'Please let me kiss those lips. Let me kiss that frown away.'
Before she could decide to just kiss him, he leaned back up. His lips pressed softly to her forehead; a lingering kiss on her hairline, over her stitches.
She had to keep herself from whining when he stepped back and shoved his hands into his pockets.
“Goodnight, Bella.” He said quietly and turned away.
She was silent as she watched him walk back to the elevator. He looked back at her once and, after the elevator doors closed, she forced herself to head inside and go to bed.
Edward's clothes @ the bar.
Songs used:
Standing - VAST
Lovegame - Lady Gaga
Songs used:
Standing - VAST
Lovegame - Lady Gaga
Chapter 3
It was quiet in the apartment the next morning as Bella and Alice ate breakfast. Though Bella could tell that Alice was dying to talk to her – probably about Jasper – she was being considerate to not interrupt Bella as she read over her notes from the day before. Bella could feel Alice's eyes on her as she sat on a stool at the island counter. It was clear from her body language that she wanted to chat but she settled on holding onto her coffee mug with both hands and shifting restlessly from foot to foot.
They both looked toward the front door when they heard a frantic knock. Alice put her coffee down and went to answer it.
“I found it!” Bella heard Rosalie yell excitedly. She appeared in the kitchen a moment later, followed by Alice, and threw a bridal magazine onto the counter.
“Found what?” Bella asked.
“My wedding dress!” Rosalie rolled her eyes and opened the magazine to a page she had bookmarked.
“It's about time!” Alice grabbed the magazine up to get a better look. “I mean, really Rose, I've had my dress picked out for ages and I'm not even really dating anyone!”
“I wanted the perfect dress.” Rosalie explained. “I didn't want to settle.”
“I hope you can get it in time,” Bella threw in, “since the wedding's in a month and a half.”
“She'll have it in time.” Alice said as she studied the magazine.
Bella didn't doubt Alice's words. One of the reasons why Alice was the maid of honor was that she could get things done. She had a way about her; innocent on the outside and feisty on the inside. Bella could picture Alice nagging some poor saleswoman at a bridal shop to make sure the dress arrived in time. The girl wouldn't give up until she had her way and things were perfectly in order.
That made Alice perfect for the spot of Rosalie's maid of honor. All of the duties that came with that title... Bella wasn't jealous one bit.
Taking a sip of her coffee, Bella reached out for the magazine. Alice handed it over and began discussing more wedding details with Rosalie.
The dress Rosalie had picked out had a large diamond encrusted broach on the middle of the top which had straps reaching up around the neck. The dress hugged the model's body loosely and flowed to the floor.
It was beautifully elegant and she knew Rosalie would look absolutely stunning in it.
By the time Bella left for the hospital that morning, Alice had called in 'sick' to work so that she and Rosalie could work more on the wedding plans. Bella knew she could expect the living room to look like a wedding planner's imagination had exploded all over it when she came home from work later.
She got to work at 8AM and went about getting things in order for when Carlisle got in. The morning was nice and quiet since Carlisle didn't have any appointments scheduled until after lunch.
At around eleven thirty Carlisle stepped out of his office.
“I'm going down to the ER and then going to lunch.” He said and she nodded. “I'll see you after lunch.”
Bella felt jealous as she watched him leave the office. She wished she had an excuse to go down to the ER. Edward was there. She smiled to herself when she remembered how he had winked at her.
The phone rang, breaking into her memories of her first meeting with the Head of the ER.
“Dr. Cullen's office. How can I help you?” She answered professionally.
“Hey Bella, it's Angela.”
“Hey Ange, what's up?” Bella said as she turned to her computer and double checked the appointments for that afternoon.
“If you don't have plans already, do you want to meet for lunch in the cafeteria?”
“Yeah, that'd be great.” She felt a little relieved; she had been wondering if she was going to have to have lunch alone. Emmett already had lunch plans with someone else.
They met in the cafeteria a half an hour later and chose a table in the back. Angela said she loved to sit in the back so that she could people-watch.
“So, how was your first day?” Angela asked.
“Good.” Bella replied, unwrapping her sandwich she had brought from home. “I don't think I screwed anything up.”
Once again the memory of what happened with Edward popped into her head.
'Maybe I shouldn't have thrown myself in front of him.' She thought and felt her cheeks heating up. 'It seemed like a good idea at the time.' The look on Edward's face when he suddenly found her between him and the door was something she couldn't get out of her head. 'Ugh, he probably thinks I'm a spazz.'
She decided to try not to think about it.
“Bella?” Angela said, breaking into her thoughts.
Bella refocused her attention on Angela. “Sorry.”
She just smiled. “It's okay, you've got a lot on your plate.” She frowned slightly then and reached into her bag. “I just feel bad that I'm going to add more to it.”
Bella watched curiously as Angela placed a folder on the table.
“I completely forgot to tell you about this yesterday.” Angela explained, sliding the folder across the table to her. “There's a big medical conference in California in two weeks. Carlisle and a few other people will be going. It's three days; Friday, October 30th to Sunday, November 1st. You'll be flying out there that Thursday night and coming home that Sunday night.”
Bella looked up from the papers that the folder held. “I'll be going?”
“Yeah.” She continued to frown. “I hope you didn't already have anything planned.”
'Thankfully no.' Bella thought and shook her head in reply to Angela.
“Okay, good.” She reached over and pointed to one of the papers Bella was looking at. “This is the itinerary for the whole trip and here,” she pointed to another paper, “is a list of the things you're expected to do to help Carlisle if he needs anything. The hotel information's in there, too. I have already set everyone up with rooms.”
Bella listened carefully to everything Angela was saying. It was all so overwhelming at first but the more Angela talked the more at ease she felt.
“I'll be going, too.” She added.
“You will?” Bella asked, excited that she would have a friend along with her. Someone who knew her job and could help her if she needed it. She had never assisted a boss at a conference before.
“Yeah, I'll be there to assist Dr. Masen.”
Bella's heart felt like it slammed to a halt. She was going to be away from home with Edward. The possibilities were numerous... and a bad idea considering the no-dating policy.
“Yeah,” Bella cleared her throat nervously, “I met him yesterday.”
“Oh, you did? He's so nice, isn't he?”
Bella nodded, still feeling a bit dazed at the thought of staying in a hotel with Edward.
'Oh please,” She thought, 'it's not like you're sharing a room with him.'
“Anyway,” Angela continued, “the thing I'm looking forward to is the banquet on that Saturday night. Since it's on Halloween this year I guess they decided to have a masquerade theme. It sounds like it should be fun.”
'That does sound like fun, especially if Edward's all dressed up.' She bit her lip at the thought of Edward in a tux. She then shook her head at herself. 'Jeez, Bella, you're pathetic. You've only just met the guy.'
“So that's what I needed to talk to you about.” Angela said and checked her watch. “I need to get to the ER and get ready to start my shift.” She rolled her eyes playfully. “Should be interesting.”
Bella laughed and said goodbye as she rushed out of the cafeteria.
She looked down at the folder Angela had given her as she finished her sandwich. A large body bumped into her then and she looked up to find Emmett sliding into the booth beside her.
“Slide over, Bells.” He said cheerfully.
She did, not particularly in the mood to be sat on at that moment. There was only a moment where she wondered why he hadn't sat across from her before Edward slid into the seat across from them. Her heart jumped into her throat.
“Sitting alone?” Emmett teased. “That makes me sad for you.”
“Angela just left.” She replied, noticing the massive amount of food he had on his plate. “Holy crow, Emmett. You have enough food to feed a third world family for a week! Are you eating for two?” She teased back, quirking an eyebrow at him. “Because you should really let Rose know.”
Edward chuckled. Bella thought it was the best sound she had ever heard.
'I bet hearing him moan my name would be even better.' She was immediately surprised at herself for having that thought and bit her lip.
“You're feisty today.” Emmett said and took a bite of his burger. “Feisty Bella is fun.”
She blushed and dared a glance at Edward. He shot her a crooked grin and the butterflies in her stomach went crazy.
“Well, I'd love to stay and chat but I have to get back upstairs.” She said and elbowed Emmett in the side a few times until he let her out of the booth.
“See yah later.” Emmett said, his mouth once again full of food.
“Bye.” She turned and headed for the door. An excited chill ran up her back; she could feel Edward's eyes on her.
*
Edward watched her go and then looked at his food as soon as she was out of sight. “Is that the Bella you've told me about? She seems nice.” He said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.
Emmett stopped, his burger half way to his mouth, and looked across the table. “Dude...”
Edward looked up. “What?”
“Your dad would kill you,” he shook his head. “Especially after what happened with Tanya.”
“I don't know what you're talking about.” Edward said defensively. “All I said was that she seems nice.”
“Right.” Emmett said sarcastically and popped a fry into his mouth.
*
The rest of the work day was generally uneventful for Bella and, before she knew it, she was heading home. The living room of the apartment was just how she expected it would be. Some serious wedding planning had taken place that day.
“Hey!” Alice greeted when Bella entered the living room. “Check it out, we got so much stuff done today.”
“I don't think my Aunt Sheryl should sit at the same table as my parents.” Rosalie said, inspecting the seating chart.
Alice rolled her eyes. “We've already changed the chart four times.”
“Yeah,” Rosalie said, biting lightly on her thumbnail as she thought, “but she drinks and then fights with my dad.”
Bella raised an eyebrow and shook her head. “I think I need some wine.”
“Good idea!” Alice said, her eyes never leaving the plans she was going over. “Get us some, too.”
“Yes, ma'am.” She replied sarcastically.
She changed quickly out of her work clothes and into a pair of jeans and her favorite shirt to wear when she wasn't planning on going out; her Hufflepuff shirt from the Harry Potter series. It was black with the Hufflepuff crest on the front. It hugged her body in all the right places and she loved it. On her way back to the living room she grabbed three wine glasses and a bottle of red wine.
“How was work today?” Alice asked, again not taking her eyes off of the wedding plans.
“Oh, just fine, darling.” Bella answered teasingly as she poured the wine. She gave herself a little more than she gave the other two girls and sat down next to Alice on the couch.
She was still thinking about Edward. He seemed to be constantly on her mind since she had met him the day before. Part of her wished she could stop thinking about him, but the other part never wanted to.
'Maybe the wine will take my mind off of him.' She thought and took a large sip from her glass. She picked up the remote and began channel surfing.
“Um, hello?” Rosalie said loudly. “We're trying to fix the seating chart.”
“Don't let me bother you.” Bella said, sticking her tongue out and smiling. She settled on a channel playing Not Another Teen Movie. “Yes!”
“Are you serious?”
“What? I love this movie!” Bella rolled her eyes and tucked the remote between herself and the arm of the couch, just in case Rosalie tried to steal it.
“Aren't you remotely interested in my wedding plans?”
“I love you, Rose, but I don't know the first thing about planning a wedding.” Bella took another large sip of her wine. “All I really need to know is what dress I'm wearing and who I'm walking down the aisle with.”
“Wow,” Rosalie said with a frown, “thanks, Bella.”
“It's the wine.” Alice told her. “It hits her fast.”
Bella snorted a laugh and turned her attention to the tv.
Alice and Rosalie went back to planning the wedding while Bella continued to drink. She remained silent as she watched the movie and steadily became more and more intoxicated. Rosalie left for home around 7:30PM and Alice began to put the wedding plans away.
“You know what I need?” Bella asked lazily.
“Coffee?” Alice guessed with a smile; she always found 'Drunk Bella' amusing.
“No,” Bella rolled her eyes. “Some cheese. Cheese goes great with wine.” She jumped up from the couch and had to steady herself, then stumbled to the kitchen.
“Do you want me to cut it for you?” Alice followed her into the kitchen. “You're clumsy enough when you're sober so maybe you shouldn't be handling a knife right now.”
“You worry too much.” She replied, pulling a block of muenster cheese out of the refrigerator and setting it on the counter. “I need a cutting board.”
Alice watched her open one of the cupboards above the counter and then leave it open as she moved on to the next one. When Bella didn't find the cutting board above the counter, she moved to the ones under the counter.
“So,” Bella began, “who am I walking down the aisle with?”
“I'm walking with Jared,” Alice listed, counting the couples off on her fingers. “You're walking with Paul-”
“Ugh.” Bella grumbled. She had never liked Paul but Emmett had grown up with him. She would just have to deal with him. 'Just for one day.'
“And Victoria's walking with Edward.” Alice finished.
“What?!” Bella yelled, jumping up and banging her head on the corner of an open cupboard door. “Ah, ow!!!”
“Ohmigod, are you okay?!” Alice rushed to her and pushed the hair away from the gash on Bella's forehead.
“It's okay, I'm okay.” Bella said. “Who did you say Victoria's walking with?”
“You're bleeding really bad.” Alice said, ignoring her question. “I think you need stitches.”
“You're overreacting.”
“I am not.”
Bella began to really see the worry in her best friend's eyes.
“Please let me take you to the hospital, Bella.”
Her eyes widened. “I can't go to the hospital. I'm too drunk.”
“Well, sober up and get your purse 'cause we're going.” Alice said sternly and went to grab her own purse and car keys.
Twenty minutes later, Bella found herself being dragged through the emergency room doors. Alice had given her a small hand towel to hold against her forehead. As her head continued to bleed she began to smell the metallic scent of the blood and became lightheaded.
“Here,” Alice pushed her down into a chair. “You stay here.”
Bella nodded and looked down. “Ohmigod!” She gasped quietly.
“What?!” Alice asked quickly, checking to see if Bella had another wound she didn't know about.
“Look at my shirt!” She hissed.
Alice looked at her shirt and, after a moment, shrugged. “What's wrong with it?”
“I'm wearing a Harry Potter shirt.” She replied. “This is so embarrassing. People are going to think I'm such a loser.”
Shaking her head, Alice turned to walk to the reception desk. “Just stay here.”
'Where else am I gonna go?' Bella thought to herself, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. She tried to block out the smell of her blood by breathing through her mouth.
“Bella?”
Opening her eyes, Bella looked over to see Angela walking over with Alice.
“Are you okay?” Angela asked and reached for her hand that held the towel. “Let me see your head.”
She let Angela look and, after a moment, Angela let her put her hand back up.
“Let's get it cleaned up and we'll see if you need stitches.” Angela told her. “Can you walk? Do you feel like you're going to faint?”
“I'm fine.” Bella shook her head, stood up and followed Angela into an empty triage room.
There were two doors; one leading to the reception area and one leading to the main emergency area where people were taken when they came in by ambulance. There was a counter against the left wall with a sink, a cabinet and an x ray display light. A small hospital bed took up most of the room. There were two chairs also in the room; a regular one and a rolling stool.
Alice took a seat in the chair next to the bed and Angela had Bella sit on the bed.
“Okay, someone will be right in to take care of you, Bella.” Angela said and disappeared through the door that lead to the main emergency area.
“I'm glad Angela was out front or we would have been waiting forever.” Alice commented as she pulled her phone out of her pocket.
“I wish I wasn't wearing this fucking shirt.”
Alice rolled her eyes. “You look fine. Oh!” She sat up straighter as her phone began to vibrate. She leapt out of her chair, a huge smile appearing on her face. “I'll be right back.”
Bella watched her go out to the waiting room with a frown.
“Sure, leave the injured girl all by herself.” She mumbled to herself. She closed her eyes again and lay back on the bed. 'I'm not gonna say 'this night couldn't get any worse' because then it will.'
“Wow, you look like crap.”
Bella's eyes flew open to see Edward standing at the end of the bed, smiling. The butterflies in her stomach started up again.
“Really?” She sat up, lettering her legs hang over the side of the bed. “Is that your professional opinion?” She pulled the towel away to see if she was still bleeding.
'Yup.'
“Yes it is. I went to medical school just so I could tell people they look like crap and get away with it.” He chuckled.
She watched him reach into the cabinet, pull out a pair of gloves and put them on. As he walked over to her, her heart started to beat faster.
“Alright, let's see it.” He said, pulling her hand away from her forehead.
A tingling feeling ran through her whole body from the contact of his hand on hers. She loved the feeling of his fingertips on the palm of her hand.
“Are you okay?” He asked.
Her eyes snapped up to look into his. They were a beautiful emerald green.
'God, he's gorgeous.'
“You're breathing kind of heavy. Do you feel like you're going to pass out?”
She shook her head and looked away from his eyes. She didn't want him to think she was gaping at him. But he was still holding her hand.
He nodded but didn't look as though he was fully convinced. Turning his attention back to her forehead, he pushed her hair away from the gash she was sporting.
“If you were trying to crack your head open you certainly made a good attempt.” Edward commented and turned to reach into the cabinet again. “You might have a concussion."
“Mm.” Bella watched him closely.
He came back to her with some cotton balls and rubbing alcohol. “This will probably sting a little.” He said apologetically as he poured some rubbing alcohol onto the cotton.
“I'm used to it. I'm very accident prone.” She said but still hissed when the cotton touched her wound.
“Well it's a good thing you know an ER doc then.” He smiled.
“Yeah,” she agreed with a short laugh and earned a wider smile from him. “Definitely a good thing.” She had to stop herself from giggling. 'What? I never giggle.'
The room was silent for a minute as he finished cleaning up her forehead.
“Looks like you're going to need a few stitches.” He said with a frown. He handed her a piece of gauze and placed her hand with it over the cut. “Hold that there for me.”
'Anything for you.' She wanted to say.
“I'll be right back.” He told her and disappeared through the door.
'Okay Bella,' she scolded herself, 'pull yourself together. You know how you get when you drink alcohol. Don't let it take over your hormones!' She sighed sadly. 'But he looks so delicious.'
Edward came back quickly with a tray of things to do her stitches; a syringe, thread, needles and a small pair of clamps. She had seen it all before, she had gotten stitches so many times.
“Since you say you're accident prone I'm sure you know this is going to hurt a little.” Edward placed the tray on a small table with wheels and pulled it closer to himself. He stood in front of her, between her legs.
Her heart sped up. 'Calm down, Bella. Calm down.'
“I'm going to numb it with some Lidocaine.” He said, picking up the syringe.
She braced herself and shut her eyes tightly.
“Don't hold your breath,” he told her as he leaned forward with the syringe. “Try to focus on something else.”
She let out the breath she hadn't known she had been holding and opened her eyes. All she could focus on was him as he put the syringe down. She hadn't even felt the shot. He picked up a needle and threaded it. She had to look away when she started to feel anxious about the needle.
“Ready?” Edward asked when he turned back to her with the needle, thread and pair of clamps.
She made a noncommittal noise.
“Remember, focus on something else.”
She looked up as he leaned forward again and focused on his lips. Her heart sped up again. All she wanted to do was lean up, lace her fingers through his hair and pull him to her. She wanted to kiss his soft lips and close her legs enough to feel his legs against her thighs. Letting out a shaky breath, she tried not to squirm as she sat there.
“You alright?” He asked, his breath fanning over her.
“Mhm...” She replied and let her eyes close.
He chuckled. “I've never had someone smile while getting stitches before.”
Her eyes opened again and she saw the crooked grin on his face. “I wasn't-... the wine-...” She cut herself off and snapped her mouth shut.
His grin widened. “Bella,” he teased, “were you drinking tonight?”
“Um,” she said dumbly.
“I assume that's why you banged your head.”
“Um,” she said again, “not exactly...”
He opened his mouth to say something just as the door opened and Alice came in.
“Oh, hi Edward.” She said with a big smile.
Bella could tell Alice had just gotten off the phone with Jasper. She was glowing.
“Hey, Alice.” He greeted. “How are the wedding plans going?”
“Great. Rose and I worked all day on them. We should have everything settled soon.” She told him, sitting down in the chair on the other side of the bed. “You'll be walking with Rosalie's sister, Victoria.”
Bella frowned slightly but tried to hide it from Edward.
“I'm sure whatever you plan will make for a fun time.” He tied off the stitches and cut the thread. “Okay, all done. I do want you to get a scan to make sure you don't have a concussion though.”
“I'm sure I'm fine.” She shrugged and shook her head.
“Please?” He asked as he taped a piece of gauze to her forehead, over her brand new stitches. “It would make me feel better to know that you're okay.”
Looking up at him she could see the worry in his eyes. How could she say 'no' to that look?
“Okay.” She caved and was glad to see him smile again.
“I'll go get it set up.” He said, heading for the door with the tray he had brought in. “Sit tight.”
“Don't worry, I won't let her run away.” Alice reassured him.
Edward nodded and left the room.
Alice turned to Bella and raised an eyebrow.
“What?” Bella asked apprehensively.
Alice shook her head and smiled. “Oh, nothing.”
Bella rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
Alice giggled.
Just as Bella thought, she didn't have a concussion. Edward sent her home with instructions on how to take care of the stitches, even though she already knew how. Alice took her home and, after cleaning up the wine glasses that had been left out, she went to bed.
When she fell asleep that night she dreamt of Dr. Edward Masen.
They both looked toward the front door when they heard a frantic knock. Alice put her coffee down and went to answer it.
“I found it!” Bella heard Rosalie yell excitedly. She appeared in the kitchen a moment later, followed by Alice, and threw a bridal magazine onto the counter.
“Found what?” Bella asked.
“My wedding dress!” Rosalie rolled her eyes and opened the magazine to a page she had bookmarked.
“It's about time!” Alice grabbed the magazine up to get a better look. “I mean, really Rose, I've had my dress picked out for ages and I'm not even really dating anyone!”
“I wanted the perfect dress.” Rosalie explained. “I didn't want to settle.”
“I hope you can get it in time,” Bella threw in, “since the wedding's in a month and a half.”
“She'll have it in time.” Alice said as she studied the magazine.
Bella didn't doubt Alice's words. One of the reasons why Alice was the maid of honor was that she could get things done. She had a way about her; innocent on the outside and feisty on the inside. Bella could picture Alice nagging some poor saleswoman at a bridal shop to make sure the dress arrived in time. The girl wouldn't give up until she had her way and things were perfectly in order.
That made Alice perfect for the spot of Rosalie's maid of honor. All of the duties that came with that title... Bella wasn't jealous one bit.
Taking a sip of her coffee, Bella reached out for the magazine. Alice handed it over and began discussing more wedding details with Rosalie.
The dress Rosalie had picked out had a large diamond encrusted broach on the middle of the top which had straps reaching up around the neck. The dress hugged the model's body loosely and flowed to the floor.
It was beautifully elegant and she knew Rosalie would look absolutely stunning in it.
By the time Bella left for the hospital that morning, Alice had called in 'sick' to work so that she and Rosalie could work more on the wedding plans. Bella knew she could expect the living room to look like a wedding planner's imagination had exploded all over it when she came home from work later.
She got to work at 8AM and went about getting things in order for when Carlisle got in. The morning was nice and quiet since Carlisle didn't have any appointments scheduled until after lunch.
At around eleven thirty Carlisle stepped out of his office.
“I'm going down to the ER and then going to lunch.” He said and she nodded. “I'll see you after lunch.”
Bella felt jealous as she watched him leave the office. She wished she had an excuse to go down to the ER. Edward was there. She smiled to herself when she remembered how he had winked at her.
The phone rang, breaking into her memories of her first meeting with the Head of the ER.
“Dr. Cullen's office. How can I help you?” She answered professionally.
“Hey Bella, it's Angela.”
“Hey Ange, what's up?” Bella said as she turned to her computer and double checked the appointments for that afternoon.
“If you don't have plans already, do you want to meet for lunch in the cafeteria?”
“Yeah, that'd be great.” She felt a little relieved; she had been wondering if she was going to have to have lunch alone. Emmett already had lunch plans with someone else.
They met in the cafeteria a half an hour later and chose a table in the back. Angela said she loved to sit in the back so that she could people-watch.
“So, how was your first day?” Angela asked.
“Good.” Bella replied, unwrapping her sandwich she had brought from home. “I don't think I screwed anything up.”
Once again the memory of what happened with Edward popped into her head.
'Maybe I shouldn't have thrown myself in front of him.' She thought and felt her cheeks heating up. 'It seemed like a good idea at the time.' The look on Edward's face when he suddenly found her between him and the door was something she couldn't get out of her head. 'Ugh, he probably thinks I'm a spazz.'
She decided to try not to think about it.
“Bella?” Angela said, breaking into her thoughts.
Bella refocused her attention on Angela. “Sorry.”
She just smiled. “It's okay, you've got a lot on your plate.” She frowned slightly then and reached into her bag. “I just feel bad that I'm going to add more to it.”
Bella watched curiously as Angela placed a folder on the table.
“I completely forgot to tell you about this yesterday.” Angela explained, sliding the folder across the table to her. “There's a big medical conference in California in two weeks. Carlisle and a few other people will be going. It's three days; Friday, October 30th to Sunday, November 1st. You'll be flying out there that Thursday night and coming home that Sunday night.”
Bella looked up from the papers that the folder held. “I'll be going?”
“Yeah.” She continued to frown. “I hope you didn't already have anything planned.”
'Thankfully no.' Bella thought and shook her head in reply to Angela.
“Okay, good.” She reached over and pointed to one of the papers Bella was looking at. “This is the itinerary for the whole trip and here,” she pointed to another paper, “is a list of the things you're expected to do to help Carlisle if he needs anything. The hotel information's in there, too. I have already set everyone up with rooms.”
Bella listened carefully to everything Angela was saying. It was all so overwhelming at first but the more Angela talked the more at ease she felt.
“I'll be going, too.” She added.
“You will?” Bella asked, excited that she would have a friend along with her. Someone who knew her job and could help her if she needed it. She had never assisted a boss at a conference before.
“Yeah, I'll be there to assist Dr. Masen.”
Bella's heart felt like it slammed to a halt. She was going to be away from home with Edward. The possibilities were numerous... and a bad idea considering the no-dating policy.
“Yeah,” Bella cleared her throat nervously, “I met him yesterday.”
“Oh, you did? He's so nice, isn't he?”
Bella nodded, still feeling a bit dazed at the thought of staying in a hotel with Edward.
'Oh please,” She thought, 'it's not like you're sharing a room with him.'
“Anyway,” Angela continued, “the thing I'm looking forward to is the banquet on that Saturday night. Since it's on Halloween this year I guess they decided to have a masquerade theme. It sounds like it should be fun.”
'That does sound like fun, especially if Edward's all dressed up.' She bit her lip at the thought of Edward in a tux. She then shook her head at herself. 'Jeez, Bella, you're pathetic. You've only just met the guy.'
“So that's what I needed to talk to you about.” Angela said and checked her watch. “I need to get to the ER and get ready to start my shift.” She rolled her eyes playfully. “Should be interesting.”
Bella laughed and said goodbye as she rushed out of the cafeteria.
She looked down at the folder Angela had given her as she finished her sandwich. A large body bumped into her then and she looked up to find Emmett sliding into the booth beside her.
“Slide over, Bells.” He said cheerfully.
She did, not particularly in the mood to be sat on at that moment. There was only a moment where she wondered why he hadn't sat across from her before Edward slid into the seat across from them. Her heart jumped into her throat.
“Sitting alone?” Emmett teased. “That makes me sad for you.”
“Angela just left.” She replied, noticing the massive amount of food he had on his plate. “Holy crow, Emmett. You have enough food to feed a third world family for a week! Are you eating for two?” She teased back, quirking an eyebrow at him. “Because you should really let Rose know.”
Edward chuckled. Bella thought it was the best sound she had ever heard.
'I bet hearing him moan my name would be even better.' She was immediately surprised at herself for having that thought and bit her lip.
“You're feisty today.” Emmett said and took a bite of his burger. “Feisty Bella is fun.”
She blushed and dared a glance at Edward. He shot her a crooked grin and the butterflies in her stomach went crazy.
“Well, I'd love to stay and chat but I have to get back upstairs.” She said and elbowed Emmett in the side a few times until he let her out of the booth.
“See yah later.” Emmett said, his mouth once again full of food.
“Bye.” She turned and headed for the door. An excited chill ran up her back; she could feel Edward's eyes on her.
*
Edward watched her go and then looked at his food as soon as she was out of sight. “Is that the Bella you've told me about? She seems nice.” He said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.
Emmett stopped, his burger half way to his mouth, and looked across the table. “Dude...”
Edward looked up. “What?”
“Your dad would kill you,” he shook his head. “Especially after what happened with Tanya.”
“I don't know what you're talking about.” Edward said defensively. “All I said was that she seems nice.”
“Right.” Emmett said sarcastically and popped a fry into his mouth.
*
The rest of the work day was generally uneventful for Bella and, before she knew it, she was heading home. The living room of the apartment was just how she expected it would be. Some serious wedding planning had taken place that day.
“Hey!” Alice greeted when Bella entered the living room. “Check it out, we got so much stuff done today.”
“I don't think my Aunt Sheryl should sit at the same table as my parents.” Rosalie said, inspecting the seating chart.
Alice rolled her eyes. “We've already changed the chart four times.”
“Yeah,” Rosalie said, biting lightly on her thumbnail as she thought, “but she drinks and then fights with my dad.”
Bella raised an eyebrow and shook her head. “I think I need some wine.”
“Good idea!” Alice said, her eyes never leaving the plans she was going over. “Get us some, too.”
“Yes, ma'am.” She replied sarcastically.
She changed quickly out of her work clothes and into a pair of jeans and her favorite shirt to wear when she wasn't planning on going out; her Hufflepuff shirt from the Harry Potter series. It was black with the Hufflepuff crest on the front. It hugged her body in all the right places and she loved it. On her way back to the living room she grabbed three wine glasses and a bottle of red wine.
“How was work today?” Alice asked, again not taking her eyes off of the wedding plans.
“Oh, just fine, darling.” Bella answered teasingly as she poured the wine. She gave herself a little more than she gave the other two girls and sat down next to Alice on the couch.
She was still thinking about Edward. He seemed to be constantly on her mind since she had met him the day before. Part of her wished she could stop thinking about him, but the other part never wanted to.
'Maybe the wine will take my mind off of him.' She thought and took a large sip from her glass. She picked up the remote and began channel surfing.
“Um, hello?” Rosalie said loudly. “We're trying to fix the seating chart.”
“Don't let me bother you.” Bella said, sticking her tongue out and smiling. She settled on a channel playing Not Another Teen Movie. “Yes!”
“Are you serious?”
“What? I love this movie!” Bella rolled her eyes and tucked the remote between herself and the arm of the couch, just in case Rosalie tried to steal it.
“Aren't you remotely interested in my wedding plans?”
“I love you, Rose, but I don't know the first thing about planning a wedding.” Bella took another large sip of her wine. “All I really need to know is what dress I'm wearing and who I'm walking down the aisle with.”
“Wow,” Rosalie said with a frown, “thanks, Bella.”
“It's the wine.” Alice told her. “It hits her fast.”
Bella snorted a laugh and turned her attention to the tv.
Alice and Rosalie went back to planning the wedding while Bella continued to drink. She remained silent as she watched the movie and steadily became more and more intoxicated. Rosalie left for home around 7:30PM and Alice began to put the wedding plans away.
“You know what I need?” Bella asked lazily.
“Coffee?” Alice guessed with a smile; she always found 'Drunk Bella' amusing.
“No,” Bella rolled her eyes. “Some cheese. Cheese goes great with wine.” She jumped up from the couch and had to steady herself, then stumbled to the kitchen.
“Do you want me to cut it for you?” Alice followed her into the kitchen. “You're clumsy enough when you're sober so maybe you shouldn't be handling a knife right now.”
“You worry too much.” She replied, pulling a block of muenster cheese out of the refrigerator and setting it on the counter. “I need a cutting board.”
Alice watched her open one of the cupboards above the counter and then leave it open as she moved on to the next one. When Bella didn't find the cutting board above the counter, she moved to the ones under the counter.
“So,” Bella began, “who am I walking down the aisle with?”
“I'm walking with Jared,” Alice listed, counting the couples off on her fingers. “You're walking with Paul-”
“Ugh.” Bella grumbled. She had never liked Paul but Emmett had grown up with him. She would just have to deal with him. 'Just for one day.'
“And Victoria's walking with Edward.” Alice finished.
“What?!” Bella yelled, jumping up and banging her head on the corner of an open cupboard door. “Ah, ow!!!”
“Ohmigod, are you okay?!” Alice rushed to her and pushed the hair away from the gash on Bella's forehead.
“It's okay, I'm okay.” Bella said. “Who did you say Victoria's walking with?”
“You're bleeding really bad.” Alice said, ignoring her question. “I think you need stitches.”
“You're overreacting.”
“I am not.”
Bella began to really see the worry in her best friend's eyes.
“Please let me take you to the hospital, Bella.”
Her eyes widened. “I can't go to the hospital. I'm too drunk.”
“Well, sober up and get your purse 'cause we're going.” Alice said sternly and went to grab her own purse and car keys.
Twenty minutes later, Bella found herself being dragged through the emergency room doors. Alice had given her a small hand towel to hold against her forehead. As her head continued to bleed she began to smell the metallic scent of the blood and became lightheaded.
“Here,” Alice pushed her down into a chair. “You stay here.”
Bella nodded and looked down. “Ohmigod!” She gasped quietly.
“What?!” Alice asked quickly, checking to see if Bella had another wound she didn't know about.
“Look at my shirt!” She hissed.
Alice looked at her shirt and, after a moment, shrugged. “What's wrong with it?”
“I'm wearing a Harry Potter shirt.” She replied. “This is so embarrassing. People are going to think I'm such a loser.”
Shaking her head, Alice turned to walk to the reception desk. “Just stay here.”
'Where else am I gonna go?' Bella thought to herself, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. She tried to block out the smell of her blood by breathing through her mouth.
“Bella?”
Opening her eyes, Bella looked over to see Angela walking over with Alice.
“Are you okay?” Angela asked and reached for her hand that held the towel. “Let me see your head.”
She let Angela look and, after a moment, Angela let her put her hand back up.
“Let's get it cleaned up and we'll see if you need stitches.” Angela told her. “Can you walk? Do you feel like you're going to faint?”
“I'm fine.” Bella shook her head, stood up and followed Angela into an empty triage room.
There were two doors; one leading to the reception area and one leading to the main emergency area where people were taken when they came in by ambulance. There was a counter against the left wall with a sink, a cabinet and an x ray display light. A small hospital bed took up most of the room. There were two chairs also in the room; a regular one and a rolling stool.
Alice took a seat in the chair next to the bed and Angela had Bella sit on the bed.
“Okay, someone will be right in to take care of you, Bella.” Angela said and disappeared through the door that lead to the main emergency area.
“I'm glad Angela was out front or we would have been waiting forever.” Alice commented as she pulled her phone out of her pocket.
“I wish I wasn't wearing this fucking shirt.”
Alice rolled her eyes. “You look fine. Oh!” She sat up straighter as her phone began to vibrate. She leapt out of her chair, a huge smile appearing on her face. “I'll be right back.”
Bella watched her go out to the waiting room with a frown.
“Sure, leave the injured girl all by herself.” She mumbled to herself. She closed her eyes again and lay back on the bed. 'I'm not gonna say 'this night couldn't get any worse' because then it will.'
“Wow, you look like crap.”
Bella's eyes flew open to see Edward standing at the end of the bed, smiling. The butterflies in her stomach started up again.
“Really?” She sat up, lettering her legs hang over the side of the bed. “Is that your professional opinion?” She pulled the towel away to see if she was still bleeding.
'Yup.'
“Yes it is. I went to medical school just so I could tell people they look like crap and get away with it.” He chuckled.
She watched him reach into the cabinet, pull out a pair of gloves and put them on. As he walked over to her, her heart started to beat faster.
“Alright, let's see it.” He said, pulling her hand away from her forehead.
A tingling feeling ran through her whole body from the contact of his hand on hers. She loved the feeling of his fingertips on the palm of her hand.
“Are you okay?” He asked.
Her eyes snapped up to look into his. They were a beautiful emerald green.
'God, he's gorgeous.'
“You're breathing kind of heavy. Do you feel like you're going to pass out?”
She shook her head and looked away from his eyes. She didn't want him to think she was gaping at him. But he was still holding her hand.
He nodded but didn't look as though he was fully convinced. Turning his attention back to her forehead, he pushed her hair away from the gash she was sporting.
“If you were trying to crack your head open you certainly made a good attempt.” Edward commented and turned to reach into the cabinet again. “You might have a concussion."
“Mm.” Bella watched him closely.
He came back to her with some cotton balls and rubbing alcohol. “This will probably sting a little.” He said apologetically as he poured some rubbing alcohol onto the cotton.
“I'm used to it. I'm very accident prone.” She said but still hissed when the cotton touched her wound.
“Well it's a good thing you know an ER doc then.” He smiled.
“Yeah,” she agreed with a short laugh and earned a wider smile from him. “Definitely a good thing.” She had to stop herself from giggling. 'What? I never giggle.'
The room was silent for a minute as he finished cleaning up her forehead.
“Looks like you're going to need a few stitches.” He said with a frown. He handed her a piece of gauze and placed her hand with it over the cut. “Hold that there for me.”
'Anything for you.' She wanted to say.
“I'll be right back.” He told her and disappeared through the door.
'Okay Bella,' she scolded herself, 'pull yourself together. You know how you get when you drink alcohol. Don't let it take over your hormones!' She sighed sadly. 'But he looks so delicious.'
Edward came back quickly with a tray of things to do her stitches; a syringe, thread, needles and a small pair of clamps. She had seen it all before, she had gotten stitches so many times.
“Since you say you're accident prone I'm sure you know this is going to hurt a little.” Edward placed the tray on a small table with wheels and pulled it closer to himself. He stood in front of her, between her legs.
Her heart sped up. 'Calm down, Bella. Calm down.'
“I'm going to numb it with some Lidocaine.” He said, picking up the syringe.
She braced herself and shut her eyes tightly.
“Don't hold your breath,” he told her as he leaned forward with the syringe. “Try to focus on something else.”
She let out the breath she hadn't known she had been holding and opened her eyes. All she could focus on was him as he put the syringe down. She hadn't even felt the shot. He picked up a needle and threaded it. She had to look away when she started to feel anxious about the needle.
“Ready?” Edward asked when he turned back to her with the needle, thread and pair of clamps.
She made a noncommittal noise.
“Remember, focus on something else.”
She looked up as he leaned forward again and focused on his lips. Her heart sped up again. All she wanted to do was lean up, lace her fingers through his hair and pull him to her. She wanted to kiss his soft lips and close her legs enough to feel his legs against her thighs. Letting out a shaky breath, she tried not to squirm as she sat there.
“You alright?” He asked, his breath fanning over her.
“Mhm...” She replied and let her eyes close.
He chuckled. “I've never had someone smile while getting stitches before.”
Her eyes opened again and she saw the crooked grin on his face. “I wasn't-... the wine-...” She cut herself off and snapped her mouth shut.
His grin widened. “Bella,” he teased, “were you drinking tonight?”
“Um,” she said dumbly.
“I assume that's why you banged your head.”
“Um,” she said again, “not exactly...”
He opened his mouth to say something just as the door opened and Alice came in.
“Oh, hi Edward.” She said with a big smile.
Bella could tell Alice had just gotten off the phone with Jasper. She was glowing.
“Hey, Alice.” He greeted. “How are the wedding plans going?”
“Great. Rose and I worked all day on them. We should have everything settled soon.” She told him, sitting down in the chair on the other side of the bed. “You'll be walking with Rosalie's sister, Victoria.”
Bella frowned slightly but tried to hide it from Edward.
“I'm sure whatever you plan will make for a fun time.” He tied off the stitches and cut the thread. “Okay, all done. I do want you to get a scan to make sure you don't have a concussion though.”
“I'm sure I'm fine.” She shrugged and shook her head.
“Please?” He asked as he taped a piece of gauze to her forehead, over her brand new stitches. “It would make me feel better to know that you're okay.”
Looking up at him she could see the worry in his eyes. How could she say 'no' to that look?
“Okay.” She caved and was glad to see him smile again.
“I'll go get it set up.” He said, heading for the door with the tray he had brought in. “Sit tight.”
“Don't worry, I won't let her run away.” Alice reassured him.
Edward nodded and left the room.
Alice turned to Bella and raised an eyebrow.
“What?” Bella asked apprehensively.
Alice shook her head and smiled. “Oh, nothing.”
Bella rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
Alice giggled.
Just as Bella thought, she didn't have a concussion. Edward sent her home with instructions on how to take care of the stitches, even though she already knew how. Alice took her home and, after cleaning up the wine glasses that had been left out, she went to bed.
When she fell asleep that night she dreamt of Dr. Edward Masen.
Bella's Hufflepuff shirt
Chapter 2
'I should have known.' Bella thought as she and Alice walked through the main doors of the hospital.
Standing at the front reception desk was Rosalie's fiancé, Emmett. He was a pharmacist and had been working at West Seattle General Hospital for a little over two years. He loved it there and was always talking about how great his co-workers were.
The smile he seemed to always wear widened when he spotted them. “Ladies!” He welcomed, holding his arms open. “Welcome to West Seattle General!”
“We've been here before, Emmett.” Bella said as she and Alice came to a stop in front of him.
“Many times.” Alice added, glancing sideways at Bella, who rolled her eyes.
“I know,” Emmett said, putting his arms around their shoulders and steering them toward the elevators. “But this time it's not because Bella's hit her head or broken a bone.”
Bella sighed loudly, shooting them both dirty looks. “If you've just brought me here to make fun of me-”
“Of course not.” Emmett pulled her against his side in a sideways hug. “I had Alice bring you because there's a job opening that I thought you'd be perfect for.”
Alice pushed the call button for the elevator once they reached it. “We're just trying to help, Bella.”
Bella looked at them both silently for a moment, and then gave in. “What's the job?”
Alice clapped her hands together in excitement. “That's the spirit!”
The elevator doors opened to reveal an empty lift and they all stepped inside.
“Assistant to the Dean of Medicine.” Emmett answered her. He pushed the button for the fourth floor.
“Okay...” Bella said slowly and she thought about the job. “But don't I need to set up an interview? Like, make an appointment after he's reviewed my resumé?”
“He's already read it.” He said.
“The one in your bag is just in case you need it.” Alice supplied.
“What?” Bella shook her head. “Can someone please just tell me exactly what's going on, instead of waiting for me to ask the right questions?”
Emmett leaned back against the wall calmly. “Being in the medical field, we all heard that your office was closing. That's why I called you yesterday. I wanted to see how your morning was going, if anything had happened yet. I was hoping you wouldn't lose your job but then Rosie told me you did. Then I remembered the Dean had a job available. Alice emailed your resumé to me and I gave it to him this morning. Since you're a friend of mine, and I'm such a good judge of character,” he smiled, extremely proud of himself, “the Dean told me to have you come in.”
“So here you are.” Alice said, proud of herself as well.
Bella's heart rate picked up a little. Her friends had set this all up and now the Dean of Medicine was waiting for her. What if she messed up big time in front of the Dean? He was Emmett's boss! What if he thought she wasn't good enough? Would that make him think less of Emmett for recommending her?
The elevator doors opened, making Bella jump. Then she felt a hand on her arm.
“You'll be fine.” Alice said soothingly.
The three of them stepped out of the elevator and into the main hall of the fourth floor. Straight ahead was a large wooden door with glass panels on each side. Emmett led them through the door and into the front office area.
'Wow,' Bella thought as she looked around the room. 'Much nicer than my last job.'
The room had a warm, welcoming feel to it. The floor was covered in a rich maroon carpet and the walls were a nice cream color. There was a sofa against the left wall – almost the same color as the walls – and a matching chair kitty-corner to it. A mahogany coffee table sat in front of the sofa, a few magazines sitting on it. On the right side of the room was a big mahogany desk and a long filing cabinet against the wall. In the middle of the back wall was another door. Bella assumed that door led to the Dean's office.
“Hey Emmett.” The girl behind the desk greeted cheerfully.
“Hey Angela.” Emmett greeted back and then turned to Bella and Alice. “This is Angela. She's a nurse from the ER but she's helping out up here since Dr. Cullen doesn't have an assistant.” He turned back to Angela. “Ange, this is Bella Swan and Alice Brandon. Bella's here to see Dr. Cullen for the assistant job.”
“Thank goodness!” Angela laughed. “As much as I like Dr. Cullen, I just want to get back to the ER.”
Emmett laughed at that and leaned on the desk. “Yeah, we need you down there to keep the other girls in line.”
“Definitely.” Angela nodded, a knowing look in her eyes. “Okay, I'll let Dr. Cullen know you're here.” She picked up the phone and hit a button. “Dr. Cullen, Bella Swan is here.” She listened for a moment and then hung up. “He'll be right out.”
“Thank you.” Bella said and she, Alice and Emmett went to sit down on the sofa.
Emmett sat between the two girls and began talking to Alice. Bella couldn't concentrate on their conversation, she was too nervous. All she could do was worry about the interview. What if Dr. Cullen didn't like her? What if he thought she wasn't qualified enough?
A large hand grabbed her wrist and pulled it away from her mouth before she even realized she had been chewing on her nails.
“Don't worry, Bells.” Emmett said and let her hand go. “Dr. Cullen's cool.”
She gave him a tight smile.
The door behind Angela opened and a man in a white doctor's coat stepped out. He had blond hair, blue eyes and a warm smile. He handed a folder to Angela and then walked over to the sitting area. Bella, Alice and Emmett stood up as he approached.
“Dr. Cullen,” Emmett said formally, “this is Bella Swan.”
Bella stepped forward and held out her hand. “It's nice to meet you, sir.”
Dr. Cullen shook her hand. “It's my pleasure. And no 'sir.'” He said with a laugh and let her hand go. “Carlisle or Dr. Cullen is fine.”
Bella nodded.
“We'll leave you to it.” Emmett said and patted Bella on the shoulder. He and Alice turned to leave.
Alice shot Bella an encouraging smile and she knew Alice was wishing her luck.
“Shall we?” Carlisle asked, motioning toward his office. He let her enter first and closed the door behind them.
“Cheers to Bella!” Emmett said loudly, raising his beer in a toast.
“Here here!” Rosalie joined in.
“Hell yeah!” Alice giggled.
Bella blushed and took a sip of her coke.
After Bella's interview, Carlisle had told her he would contact her soon. He hadn't offered her the job. Even though Bella knew there were barely any jobs in the world now where one would be hired on the spot, she had still felt the sting of rejection. So it surprised her later that day – around 4:30pm – when she received a phone call from him. Carlisle told her he would love to hire her if she still wanted the job.
“Yes!” She had blurted out before she could control herself. She cleared her throat and calmed her voice. “I mean, yes, I'd love to take the job.”
Now she sat in Emmett and Rosalie's living room with them and Alice, eating pizza and celebrating. The television was on in the background; a horror movie that no one was paying attention to.
“I'm so excited for you, Bella.” Alice said happily.
“Thank you, guys.” Bella said, her blush deepening from all of the attention. “Especially you, Emmett. You didn't have to go through all of that trouble for me.”
“Are you kidding?” He asked, grabbing another slice of pizza. “I was more than happy to!” He took a bite and continued talking with his mouth full. “Plus I'm glad it's you working there and not some bitchy, gossipy girl!”
Rosalie watched him talk with a look of disgust. “Really? You can't swallow your food before you speak?”
Emmett only grinned at her.
“So, is Dr. Cullen nice?” Alice asked Bella. “He seemed nice.”
“Yeah. He told me everything the job entailed and it doesn't seem too hard since I did most of that stuff at my last job.”
“Yeah, he's a great boss.” Emmett added.
Bella nodded and thought about her interview for a moment before speaking again. “He did seem extremely adamant about employees not dating other employees.” She looked at Emmett, hoping he might be able to explain that.
“Yeah, there was some trouble with that about a year ago. Two employees were dating and when the guy ended it, the girl started making his life hell. She wasn't getting her work done and was making it almost impossible for him to work as well. Long story short, she was fired and the 'no dating' policy went into effect.” He paused to take a sip of beer. “I mean, people sneak around it, but if Dr. C finds out, it won't be good for whoever's involved.”
“Huh.” She said thoughtfully, and then shrugged. “Well, I told him it wouldn't be a problem. I'm not looking for a boyfriend.”
“Well, you should!” He said sharply, putting his feet up on the coffee table. “And you,” he pointed his beer bottle at Alice, “you too! I swear I'm suffocating with all this estrogen around!”
All three girls rolled their eyes and smirked to each other.
“Don't get me wrong, I love my girls, but I need some testosterone up in here! Some male bonding!” He ranted. “Basketball, football, baseball; man stuff!”
Bella and Alice tried not to laugh.
Rosalie reached over and rubbed his arm. “Don't worry, baby. We'll find you some friends.”
“Maybe I can introduce you to Jasper.” Alice suggested excitedly.
“Who's Jasper?” Rosalie asked, she and Bella's curiosity spiked.
Alice bit her lip and smiled. “The bartender at Lux.”
“Nice.” Bella laughed.
“Oh, I so knew it!” Rosalie said loudly. “I knew you showed tit for those shots!”
Alice laughed but shook her head. “No, I really didn't, but I gave him my number and he called today!”
“Ugh,” Emmett grumbled as the girls squealed happily. “I need another beer for this girly shit.”
Rosalie smacked his butt as he walked past her, and then turned back to Alice.
“So, what did he say?” Bella asked, leaning closer.
“Not too much, but he asked me out for tomorrow night!” She bounced up and down in her seat on the couch.
“If things go good maybe we can all go out to a bar next weekend.” Rosalie suggested. “We can hang out and celebrate Bella's first week at her new job.”
“No more celebrating.” Bella plead. “You know I hate being the center of attention.”
“Wah wah, whatever.” Rosalie waved her off.
The rest of the night was spent making shopping plans for the next day; new work clothes for Bella and clothes for Alice's date. After a little while they gave in and watched another horror movie with Emmett. Halloween was just a month away and he was already in the spirit of all things scary, creepy and gory. It didn't surprise Bella that his favorite movies were slasher flicks, since those had the most nudity. Rosalie had thrown a pillow at him during the first nude scene when he had yelled out 'boobies!'
'Yeah,' Bella thought. 'We definitely need to get Emmett some friends.'
The weekend went by faster than Bella would have liked. Though she looked forward to starting her new job, she was still extremely nervous about how much responsibility it required.
Alice's date on Saturday night had gone so well that every time Bella would talk to her the next day, the conversation would always come back to something Jasper said or did. She and Jasper went out again Sunday night and Bella was secretly grateful to have the apartment all to herself. She focused all of her energy that night into preparing for work the next day. By the time she went to bed her clothes were laid out for the morning and her attache case held any and every piece of paperwork she thought she might need.
Bella woke up extra early the next morning to give herself enough time. Not only was preparing for work her main concern, but she also had to try to concentrate on listening to Alice continue gushing about how great Jasper was. It was only when she asked Alice if she had to work that day did Alice break out of her love-haze and panic about being late.
Emmett met Bella at the hospital's front entrance again. Even though she tried to act as normal as possible he could tell she was nervous. He took the elevator up to the fourth floor with her, giving her a pep-talk the whole way. They shared a quick hug and she entered Carlisle's front office alone.
The first thing she saw when she walked through the door was Angela sitting behind the desk, smiling brightly. A wave of relief ran through her. She had thought, for some reason, that Carlisle might just give her a list of things to do and leave her to it. Now she realized what a stupid thought that was; Carlisle was too busy running a whole hospital to train her in any way.
“Morning, Bella.” Angela said warmly.
“Morning, Angela.” Bella said, returning her smile. She stopped in front of the desk that she would now be working at.
“You can hang your coat up and put your bag under the desk.” Angela waited for her to do just that and then launched into explaining the plan for the day. “Okay, since I've been Carlisle's assistant for the last couple of weeks, he wanted me to help you get familiar with everything.”
Bella nodded as she watched Angela begin to search through the desk for something.
“I'll be working with you this morning,” she continued, “but after lunch I have to work down in the ER. Ah, here we go.” She pulled a notepad out of the left bottom drawer and sat it with a pen on the desk, close to where Bella was standing. “You can take notes on things to do if you want but, considering you did most of this stuff at your last job, I think you should be okay.”
Bella took up the pad and pen; better to write things down and not need it than to forget.
The morning went by rather quickly and Bella wasn't sure if she was happy about that or not. She was glad the day wasn't dragging on but she was rather nervous about being on her own. Angela was right with the assumption that Bella had done a lot of what the job called for at her last job, which made explaining things so much simpler. She learned that, while she was supposed to be there at 8AM, Carlisle usually didn't come in until 9AM. He liked to have any messages waiting for him, along with any patient files he would need for that day. Line three on the phone was his direct line, so if it was lit up no one was to interrupt him.
She and Emmett had lunch together. He gave her one more pep-talk for good measure and by the end of lunch she was feeling a bit more at ease with things.
Bella got back to the office ten minutes before her lunch time ended; she wanted to go over the notes she had written down that morning. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that Carlisle's phone line was blinking and reminded herself to not disturb him with anything. She began to organize medical files that had to be put away and as she turned around to open the filing cabinet she heard the door open and someone walk in.
“Hello.” She welcomed them as she put a folder in the cabinet and closed the drawer. She spun around in her chair to see what she could do for whoever had walked in, but words escaped her immediately.
Standing on the other side of the desk was easily the most beautiful man she had ever laid her eyes on. He had stunning green eyes and a tossled mane of brown hair that had a bronze hue to it. He wore blue scrubs and a white doctor's coat.
A crooked smile appeared on his face that made her heart pick up its pace and her stomach flutter.
“Um, hi.” She said dumbly and resisted the urge to cringe at herself.
His smile widened. “Hey.”
Bella's eyes started to glaze over; his voice was just as lovely as he was.
“So, you must be Carlisle's new assistant?” He asked.
'Snap out of it!' She blinked. “Oh! Yeah, I am.”
“I'm Edward Masen. I'm Head of the ER.” He reached his hand out and she shook it.
“Bella Swan.”
“It's nice to meet you, Bella Swan.”
She felt the familiar warming of her cheeks. She hated that she blushed so easily but the sound of her name from his lips was like music.
“It's nice to meet you, too, Dr. Masen.” She replied formally.
“I know some doctors like to be called by their last name but it's okay, you can call me Edward.” He glanced at Carlisle's office door. “Is Carlisle in?”
“Yes, but he's on the phone at the moment.” She said, checking the phone and seeing that line three was still lit up.
“Oh, it's okay. He won't mind if I go in.” Edward said, heading for the door.
“But I was told that no one was supposed to go in when he's on the phone.” Bella said quickly.
He shook his head and smiled. “Don't worry, he really won't mind.”
The desire to not screw anything up on her first day propelled her out of the chair. She threw herself in front of Carlisle's door, her arms spread wide. Edward stopped in front of her.
“Please,” she began, trying not to sound as though she was begging. “It's my first day and I would really love to not mess anything up.”
The confusion left his eyes and an amused smile appeared. “Okay,” he nodded, “I'll wait.”
“Thanks.” She felt so embarrassed for going as far as throwing herself in front of him but she really wanted to keep her job.
Edward walked over to sit on the couch and Bella sat back down behind her desk. She couldn't help glancing at him every couple of minutes as he occupied himself with a magazine. There seemed to be no indication that the smile he wore was going to fade any time soon. Chewing on her bottom lip gently, she tried to concentrate on getting her work done. She finished putting the rest of the medical files away and when she turned back to her desk she realized she had nothing else to do. She began to drum her fingers nervously and sneaked another peek at Edward.
Her heart jumped when she caught him watching her. The blush returned to her cheeks instantly. She looked away quickly and could have sworn she heard him chuckle.
The door next to her opened and Carlisle stepped out of his office.
“Bella, can you file this for me, please?” He asked, setting a folder on her desk.
“Of course.” Her voice was a bit shaky as she could still feel Edward's eyes on her.
Carlisle turned to head back into his office but stopped short when he noticed Edward sitting on the couch. “Edward, what are you doing?” He asked, confused.
“Just waiting for you to get off the phone.” Edward explained. He tossed the magazine he had been reading onto the coffee table and stood up.
Carlisle raised an eyebrow. “Okay... well, you can come in now.” Confusion still plain as day on his face, he turned and went into his office.
Edward followed and as he passed Bella, he winked.
The butterflies in her stomach went into a frenzy and she tried to remind herself of the rules.
'No employee dating.' She laughed nervously to herself. 'Yeah, no problem.'
Standing at the front reception desk was Rosalie's fiancé, Emmett. He was a pharmacist and had been working at West Seattle General Hospital for a little over two years. He loved it there and was always talking about how great his co-workers were.
The smile he seemed to always wear widened when he spotted them. “Ladies!” He welcomed, holding his arms open. “Welcome to West Seattle General!”
“We've been here before, Emmett.” Bella said as she and Alice came to a stop in front of him.
“Many times.” Alice added, glancing sideways at Bella, who rolled her eyes.
“I know,” Emmett said, putting his arms around their shoulders and steering them toward the elevators. “But this time it's not because Bella's hit her head or broken a bone.”
Bella sighed loudly, shooting them both dirty looks. “If you've just brought me here to make fun of me-”
“Of course not.” Emmett pulled her against his side in a sideways hug. “I had Alice bring you because there's a job opening that I thought you'd be perfect for.”
Alice pushed the call button for the elevator once they reached it. “We're just trying to help, Bella.”
Bella looked at them both silently for a moment, and then gave in. “What's the job?”
Alice clapped her hands together in excitement. “That's the spirit!”
The elevator doors opened to reveal an empty lift and they all stepped inside.
“Assistant to the Dean of Medicine.” Emmett answered her. He pushed the button for the fourth floor.
“Okay...” Bella said slowly and she thought about the job. “But don't I need to set up an interview? Like, make an appointment after he's reviewed my resumé?”
“He's already read it.” He said.
“The one in your bag is just in case you need it.” Alice supplied.
“What?” Bella shook her head. “Can someone please just tell me exactly what's going on, instead of waiting for me to ask the right questions?”
Emmett leaned back against the wall calmly. “Being in the medical field, we all heard that your office was closing. That's why I called you yesterday. I wanted to see how your morning was going, if anything had happened yet. I was hoping you wouldn't lose your job but then Rosie told me you did. Then I remembered the Dean had a job available. Alice emailed your resumé to me and I gave it to him this morning. Since you're a friend of mine, and I'm such a good judge of character,” he smiled, extremely proud of himself, “the Dean told me to have you come in.”
“So here you are.” Alice said, proud of herself as well.
Bella's heart rate picked up a little. Her friends had set this all up and now the Dean of Medicine was waiting for her. What if she messed up big time in front of the Dean? He was Emmett's boss! What if he thought she wasn't good enough? Would that make him think less of Emmett for recommending her?
The elevator doors opened, making Bella jump. Then she felt a hand on her arm.
“You'll be fine.” Alice said soothingly.
The three of them stepped out of the elevator and into the main hall of the fourth floor. Straight ahead was a large wooden door with glass panels on each side. Emmett led them through the door and into the front office area.
'Wow,' Bella thought as she looked around the room. 'Much nicer than my last job.'
The room had a warm, welcoming feel to it. The floor was covered in a rich maroon carpet and the walls were a nice cream color. There was a sofa against the left wall – almost the same color as the walls – and a matching chair kitty-corner to it. A mahogany coffee table sat in front of the sofa, a few magazines sitting on it. On the right side of the room was a big mahogany desk and a long filing cabinet against the wall. In the middle of the back wall was another door. Bella assumed that door led to the Dean's office.
“Hey Emmett.” The girl behind the desk greeted cheerfully.
“Hey Angela.” Emmett greeted back and then turned to Bella and Alice. “This is Angela. She's a nurse from the ER but she's helping out up here since Dr. Cullen doesn't have an assistant.” He turned back to Angela. “Ange, this is Bella Swan and Alice Brandon. Bella's here to see Dr. Cullen for the assistant job.”
“Thank goodness!” Angela laughed. “As much as I like Dr. Cullen, I just want to get back to the ER.”
Emmett laughed at that and leaned on the desk. “Yeah, we need you down there to keep the other girls in line.”
“Definitely.” Angela nodded, a knowing look in her eyes. “Okay, I'll let Dr. Cullen know you're here.” She picked up the phone and hit a button. “Dr. Cullen, Bella Swan is here.” She listened for a moment and then hung up. “He'll be right out.”
“Thank you.” Bella said and she, Alice and Emmett went to sit down on the sofa.
Emmett sat between the two girls and began talking to Alice. Bella couldn't concentrate on their conversation, she was too nervous. All she could do was worry about the interview. What if Dr. Cullen didn't like her? What if he thought she wasn't qualified enough?
A large hand grabbed her wrist and pulled it away from her mouth before she even realized she had been chewing on her nails.
“Don't worry, Bells.” Emmett said and let her hand go. “Dr. Cullen's cool.”
She gave him a tight smile.
The door behind Angela opened and a man in a white doctor's coat stepped out. He had blond hair, blue eyes and a warm smile. He handed a folder to Angela and then walked over to the sitting area. Bella, Alice and Emmett stood up as he approached.
“Dr. Cullen,” Emmett said formally, “this is Bella Swan.”
Bella stepped forward and held out her hand. “It's nice to meet you, sir.”
Dr. Cullen shook her hand. “It's my pleasure. And no 'sir.'” He said with a laugh and let her hand go. “Carlisle or Dr. Cullen is fine.”
Bella nodded.
“We'll leave you to it.” Emmett said and patted Bella on the shoulder. He and Alice turned to leave.
Alice shot Bella an encouraging smile and she knew Alice was wishing her luck.
“Shall we?” Carlisle asked, motioning toward his office. He let her enter first and closed the door behind them.
“Cheers to Bella!” Emmett said loudly, raising his beer in a toast.
“Here here!” Rosalie joined in.
“Hell yeah!” Alice giggled.
Bella blushed and took a sip of her coke.
After Bella's interview, Carlisle had told her he would contact her soon. He hadn't offered her the job. Even though Bella knew there were barely any jobs in the world now where one would be hired on the spot, she had still felt the sting of rejection. So it surprised her later that day – around 4:30pm – when she received a phone call from him. Carlisle told her he would love to hire her if she still wanted the job.
“Yes!” She had blurted out before she could control herself. She cleared her throat and calmed her voice. “I mean, yes, I'd love to take the job.”
Now she sat in Emmett and Rosalie's living room with them and Alice, eating pizza and celebrating. The television was on in the background; a horror movie that no one was paying attention to.
“I'm so excited for you, Bella.” Alice said happily.
“Thank you, guys.” Bella said, her blush deepening from all of the attention. “Especially you, Emmett. You didn't have to go through all of that trouble for me.”
“Are you kidding?” He asked, grabbing another slice of pizza. “I was more than happy to!” He took a bite and continued talking with his mouth full. “Plus I'm glad it's you working there and not some bitchy, gossipy girl!”
Rosalie watched him talk with a look of disgust. “Really? You can't swallow your food before you speak?”
Emmett only grinned at her.
“So, is Dr. Cullen nice?” Alice asked Bella. “He seemed nice.”
“Yeah. He told me everything the job entailed and it doesn't seem too hard since I did most of that stuff at my last job.”
“Yeah, he's a great boss.” Emmett added.
Bella nodded and thought about her interview for a moment before speaking again. “He did seem extremely adamant about employees not dating other employees.” She looked at Emmett, hoping he might be able to explain that.
“Yeah, there was some trouble with that about a year ago. Two employees were dating and when the guy ended it, the girl started making his life hell. She wasn't getting her work done and was making it almost impossible for him to work as well. Long story short, she was fired and the 'no dating' policy went into effect.” He paused to take a sip of beer. “I mean, people sneak around it, but if Dr. C finds out, it won't be good for whoever's involved.”
“Huh.” She said thoughtfully, and then shrugged. “Well, I told him it wouldn't be a problem. I'm not looking for a boyfriend.”
“Well, you should!” He said sharply, putting his feet up on the coffee table. “And you,” he pointed his beer bottle at Alice, “you too! I swear I'm suffocating with all this estrogen around!”
All three girls rolled their eyes and smirked to each other.
“Don't get me wrong, I love my girls, but I need some testosterone up in here! Some male bonding!” He ranted. “Basketball, football, baseball; man stuff!”
Bella and Alice tried not to laugh.
Rosalie reached over and rubbed his arm. “Don't worry, baby. We'll find you some friends.”
“Maybe I can introduce you to Jasper.” Alice suggested excitedly.
“Who's Jasper?” Rosalie asked, she and Bella's curiosity spiked.
Alice bit her lip and smiled. “The bartender at Lux.”
“Nice.” Bella laughed.
“Oh, I so knew it!” Rosalie said loudly. “I knew you showed tit for those shots!”
Alice laughed but shook her head. “No, I really didn't, but I gave him my number and he called today!”
“Ugh,” Emmett grumbled as the girls squealed happily. “I need another beer for this girly shit.”
Rosalie smacked his butt as he walked past her, and then turned back to Alice.
“So, what did he say?” Bella asked, leaning closer.
“Not too much, but he asked me out for tomorrow night!” She bounced up and down in her seat on the couch.
“If things go good maybe we can all go out to a bar next weekend.” Rosalie suggested. “We can hang out and celebrate Bella's first week at her new job.”
“No more celebrating.” Bella plead. “You know I hate being the center of attention.”
“Wah wah, whatever.” Rosalie waved her off.
The rest of the night was spent making shopping plans for the next day; new work clothes for Bella and clothes for Alice's date. After a little while they gave in and watched another horror movie with Emmett. Halloween was just a month away and he was already in the spirit of all things scary, creepy and gory. It didn't surprise Bella that his favorite movies were slasher flicks, since those had the most nudity. Rosalie had thrown a pillow at him during the first nude scene when he had yelled out 'boobies!'
'Yeah,' Bella thought. 'We definitely need to get Emmett some friends.'
The weekend went by faster than Bella would have liked. Though she looked forward to starting her new job, she was still extremely nervous about how much responsibility it required.
Alice's date on Saturday night had gone so well that every time Bella would talk to her the next day, the conversation would always come back to something Jasper said or did. She and Jasper went out again Sunday night and Bella was secretly grateful to have the apartment all to herself. She focused all of her energy that night into preparing for work the next day. By the time she went to bed her clothes were laid out for the morning and her attache case held any and every piece of paperwork she thought she might need.
Bella woke up extra early the next morning to give herself enough time. Not only was preparing for work her main concern, but she also had to try to concentrate on listening to Alice continue gushing about how great Jasper was. It was only when she asked Alice if she had to work that day did Alice break out of her love-haze and panic about being late.
Emmett met Bella at the hospital's front entrance again. Even though she tried to act as normal as possible he could tell she was nervous. He took the elevator up to the fourth floor with her, giving her a pep-talk the whole way. They shared a quick hug and she entered Carlisle's front office alone.
The first thing she saw when she walked through the door was Angela sitting behind the desk, smiling brightly. A wave of relief ran through her. She had thought, for some reason, that Carlisle might just give her a list of things to do and leave her to it. Now she realized what a stupid thought that was; Carlisle was too busy running a whole hospital to train her in any way.
“Morning, Bella.” Angela said warmly.
“Morning, Angela.” Bella said, returning her smile. She stopped in front of the desk that she would now be working at.
“You can hang your coat up and put your bag under the desk.” Angela waited for her to do just that and then launched into explaining the plan for the day. “Okay, since I've been Carlisle's assistant for the last couple of weeks, he wanted me to help you get familiar with everything.”
Bella nodded as she watched Angela begin to search through the desk for something.
“I'll be working with you this morning,” she continued, “but after lunch I have to work down in the ER. Ah, here we go.” She pulled a notepad out of the left bottom drawer and sat it with a pen on the desk, close to where Bella was standing. “You can take notes on things to do if you want but, considering you did most of this stuff at your last job, I think you should be okay.”
Bella took up the pad and pen; better to write things down and not need it than to forget.
The morning went by rather quickly and Bella wasn't sure if she was happy about that or not. She was glad the day wasn't dragging on but she was rather nervous about being on her own. Angela was right with the assumption that Bella had done a lot of what the job called for at her last job, which made explaining things so much simpler. She learned that, while she was supposed to be there at 8AM, Carlisle usually didn't come in until 9AM. He liked to have any messages waiting for him, along with any patient files he would need for that day. Line three on the phone was his direct line, so if it was lit up no one was to interrupt him.
She and Emmett had lunch together. He gave her one more pep-talk for good measure and by the end of lunch she was feeling a bit more at ease with things.
Bella got back to the office ten minutes before her lunch time ended; she wanted to go over the notes she had written down that morning. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that Carlisle's phone line was blinking and reminded herself to not disturb him with anything. She began to organize medical files that had to be put away and as she turned around to open the filing cabinet she heard the door open and someone walk in.
“Hello.” She welcomed them as she put a folder in the cabinet and closed the drawer. She spun around in her chair to see what she could do for whoever had walked in, but words escaped her immediately.
Standing on the other side of the desk was easily the most beautiful man she had ever laid her eyes on. He had stunning green eyes and a tossled mane of brown hair that had a bronze hue to it. He wore blue scrubs and a white doctor's coat.
A crooked smile appeared on his face that made her heart pick up its pace and her stomach flutter.
“Um, hi.” She said dumbly and resisted the urge to cringe at herself.
His smile widened. “Hey.”
Bella's eyes started to glaze over; his voice was just as lovely as he was.
“So, you must be Carlisle's new assistant?” He asked.
'Snap out of it!' She blinked. “Oh! Yeah, I am.”
“I'm Edward Masen. I'm Head of the ER.” He reached his hand out and she shook it.
“Bella Swan.”
“It's nice to meet you, Bella Swan.”
She felt the familiar warming of her cheeks. She hated that she blushed so easily but the sound of her name from his lips was like music.
“It's nice to meet you, too, Dr. Masen.” She replied formally.
“I know some doctors like to be called by their last name but it's okay, you can call me Edward.” He glanced at Carlisle's office door. “Is Carlisle in?”
“Yes, but he's on the phone at the moment.” She said, checking the phone and seeing that line three was still lit up.
“Oh, it's okay. He won't mind if I go in.” Edward said, heading for the door.
“But I was told that no one was supposed to go in when he's on the phone.” Bella said quickly.
He shook his head and smiled. “Don't worry, he really won't mind.”
The desire to not screw anything up on her first day propelled her out of the chair. She threw herself in front of Carlisle's door, her arms spread wide. Edward stopped in front of her.
“Please,” she began, trying not to sound as though she was begging. “It's my first day and I would really love to not mess anything up.”
The confusion left his eyes and an amused smile appeared. “Okay,” he nodded, “I'll wait.”
“Thanks.” She felt so embarrassed for going as far as throwing herself in front of him but she really wanted to keep her job.
Edward walked over to sit on the couch and Bella sat back down behind her desk. She couldn't help glancing at him every couple of minutes as he occupied himself with a magazine. There seemed to be no indication that the smile he wore was going to fade any time soon. Chewing on her bottom lip gently, she tried to concentrate on getting her work done. She finished putting the rest of the medical files away and when she turned back to her desk she realized she had nothing else to do. She began to drum her fingers nervously and sneaked another peek at Edward.
Her heart jumped when she caught him watching her. The blush returned to her cheeks instantly. She looked away quickly and could have sworn she heard him chuckle.
The door next to her opened and Carlisle stepped out of his office.
“Bella, can you file this for me, please?” He asked, setting a folder on her desk.
“Of course.” Her voice was a bit shaky as she could still feel Edward's eyes on her.
Carlisle turned to head back into his office but stopped short when he noticed Edward sitting on the couch. “Edward, what are you doing?” He asked, confused.
“Just waiting for you to get off the phone.” Edward explained. He tossed the magazine he had been reading onto the coffee table and stood up.
Carlisle raised an eyebrow. “Okay... well, you can come in now.” Confusion still plain as day on his face, he turned and went into his office.
Edward followed and as he passed Bella, he winked.
The butterflies in her stomach went into a frenzy and she tried to remind herself of the rules.
'No employee dating.' She laughed nervously to herself. 'Yeah, no problem.'
Chapter 1
“WHAT?!” Bella yelled in shock. “You're joking, right? 'Cause I gotta say, Jess, it's not funny!”
“I wish I was joking.” Jessica said miserably.
Bella could see how stressed she was and knew immediately that Jessica was telling the truth. The pink piece of paper in her hands said it all.
Jessica couldn't meet Bella's eyes as she let out a heavy sigh. “There's one on your desk, too.”
That left Bella speechless. A cold feeling ran down her back. She lost her job? That couldn't be right...
“There's one on everyone's desk.” Jessica added, anger entering her voice. “They're moving the practice and hiring a whole new staff! Can you believe this crap?!”
Bella sat down heavily in the chair next to Jessica's desk. She hadn't even made it over to her own desk yet this morning; she had only been passing through to say good morning. Instead, she was faced with this horrible news. Glancing down at the paper that Jessica had handed her, the words “Immediate Termination” stood out as though the big black letters were taking up the whole page.
“I can't believe this.” Bella mumbled.
She had been at her job as an office assistant for three years. She thought her boss was better than this – would never put them out of a job, especially so suddenly or near the end of the week – but the reality hit her even harder when she saw two coworkers walk by with their personal belongings.
Jessica saw this too and sighed again. “I guess I'll start packing my stuff.”
Bella nodded slowly and forced herself to stand up. “Yeah... me, too.”
As she walked towards her desk, she passed a lot of pissed off coworkers. If anyone had been as shocked as she was about all of this, they had clearly gotten over it by now. A few of them said goodbye to her on their way out and she mumbled the same to them. Though her desk was exactly the way she left it when she went home the night before, it looked different somehow today. There was a cold, bare feeling about her little space in the very large room. Almost like her things didn't belong there.
She didn't know how long she had been there staring – probably looking like a complete moron – when her phone started to buzz in my pocket. She pulled it out and checked the caller-ID, even though she had no intention of answering it. There was no way she was talking to anyone at the moment.
Emmett.
She wondered briefly why he would be calling her as she slipped the phone back into her pocket and continued to stare at her desk.
Box, she thought. I need a box.
She wandered off in search of a box and stopped in one of the supply rooms. A few people had emptied out some medium sized boxes to carry their things in; there were prescription samples and single packs of condoms littering the floor. She couldn't blame them for not caring about the mess but Bella couldn't bring herself to add to it. Not wanting to get caught standing there and be accused of something she didn't do, she grabbed an empty garbage bag and headed back to her desk. She tossed everything into the bag, not wanting to be there any longer, and turned to leave.
On her way to the elevator she noticed her boss's office door was closed.
Coward, she thought, bitterness beginning to creep in.
She stepped into the elevator with two other people and practically punched the button for the main floor.
“I don't know why you're so upset about this.” Rosalie said after taking a sip of her beer. “You were always complaining about that job. And your boss was a bitch.”
“No she wasn't.” Bella protested.
“Well, whether she was or wasn't before, she is now.” Rosalie stuck her nose into the air.
Alice rolled her eyes at her and reached out to pat Bella's hand. “Don't listen to her, hunny.”
Rosalie gave a loud huff.
After hearing the news about her job, Alice and Rosalie had talked Bella into going out. They went to their favorite bar, Lux, and told her to drink her blues away. There was a good amount of people at the bar that night, seeing it was a Thursday.
“You know what you need?” Alice asked, perking up a bit.
Bella looked up at her sadly.
“More alcohol!” Alice said, nodding with finality. “You guys stay here.”
They watched her disappear into the crowd, heading towards the bar. Rosalie turned to look at Bella as she stared down at the table. After a minute, she set her beer down and leaned forward.
“Okay, I get it. Losing your job sucks. Think of it this way: now you can get a new job that you actually like.”
Bella shrugged. “I guess so.”
“Think positive about it!” Rosalie picked up her beer and sat back in her chair again. “Be happy, damnit! You're being a huge downer.”
Alice came back a few minutes later with three shots. She set them down in the middle of the table and sat back down in her chair.
“That was fast.” Rosalie raised an eyebrow at her.
“Oh well, you know...” Alice shrugged.
“Oh, you're such a whore.”
“Look who's talking!”
Bella cracked an amused smile and giggled at their playful banter.
“That's better.” Alice smiled back at her.
“I'm not doing a shot while drinking a beer.” Rosalie threw in, as if it was the most obvious point ever. “So, what'd you do? Show the bartender your tits?”
“No!” Alice shot her a look. “Only you would do that. And I know you're not doing a shot. Two are for Bella.”
“I don't know, Alice...” Bella eyed the shots warily.
“You need to loosen up.” She said and slid two of the shots across the table. “Drink!”
Bella sighed and took the first shot with Alice. “Gah.” She gasped as the alcohol burned down her throat.
Alice smiled and pushed the second shot even closer.
Bella shot her a grumpy look. “Remember when they talked about peer pressure in school?”
“Just drink it.”
After taking a moment to prepare herself for the burn again, Bella drank the shot.
“See? Don't you feel better?” Alice asked.
“Oh yeah, loads. Alcohol cures everything.” Bella replied sarcastically.
Another shot and a rum and coke later, Bella was finally having some fun.
“Thank you so much, you guys.” She said a little louder than was necessary, reaching over and holding their hands.
“That's what we're here for, Bella!” Alice giggled.
“Ohmigod, you two are trashed.” Rosalie laughed. “I guess I'll have to drive your asses home.” She grabbed her purse and stood up.
“Aw, right now?” Bella whined.
“Yes, right now.” Rosalie answered. “I still have to work tomorrow and I'm tired of watching Alice eye-fuck the bartender.”
Alice giggled even louder. “I am not.” She looked over at the tall blond working behind the bar who had been looking over with a smile all night. “He is a total hottie, though.”
“Right.” Rosalie rolled her eyes and she picked up the other two's purses. “Let's go. I'm tired and if we stay any longer I'm gonna start acting like a bitch.”
“Start?” Alice asked quietly, making Bella snort and laugh as they followed Rosalie out of the bar.
Bella felt like she had been beaten about the head when she woke up the next morning. Her stomach felt uneasy and the rest of her body was too uncomfortable for her to roll over and go back to sleep. She contemplated getting up, but then a thought that made her feel even worse entered her mind.
Oh, yeah. I don't have a job.
She groaned and then regretted it; the vibration of it made her head pound even more. She pulled her blankets up over her head and tried not to fall into a mood of self-loathing. After a little while – she didn't know exactly how long – she heard her bedroom door open. A moment later, the window blinds were pulled up.
“Bel-la.” Alice sang.
Bella gripped the blanket tighter.
Alice began to poke her through the blanket. “Come on, time to get up.”
“Why?” Bella grumbled.
“Because we have things to do! People to see!”
Bella whined. “What're you talking about?”
Alice suddenly grabbed the blankets and threw them off of Bella, who hissed slightly as the bright sunlight assaulted her eyes. Bella pulled her pillow over her head to block out the light.
“I'm talking about you getting out of bed and getting ready for a busy day!” Alice explained, standing there with her hands on her hips.
“Of what?” Bella asked, her voice muffled by her pillow.
“Job hunting!”
Job hunting already? Couldn't a girl get time to mourn over her pathetic life with no job? Not to mention barely enough money and no man.
Ok, I guess I did slip into the self-loathing just a little bit.
“I don't know, Alice.” She sighed heavily, wishing she could drift back off to sleep.
“Yes, you're getting up.” Alice began pulling on Bella's arm. “I'm taking it easy on you. We're just going to one place.”
Bella groaned again and yanked her arm away. “Fine!” She whined, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.
“There we go!” Alice said happily. “Get yourself freshened up while I pick out your clothes.”
Bella dragged herself out of bed and headed for the bathroom, bitching the whole way about the evil pixie that was her best friend and room mate.
After a long, hot shower, she was completely defunkified and her head began to feel better. Wrapped in a big fluffy towel, she went back to her room. Alice had lay clothes out for her – a light blue cap-sleeved top and a pair of sleek black pants. She pulled the outfit on and checked herself in the mirror.
Not bad.
Alice dragged her into her own room across the hall and sat Bella down at the vanity table. Bella had learned long ago not to fight Alice on letting her do a makeover. She just tried to ignore it and go to a happy place in her mind while Alice attacked her hair. They had come to an agreement that Alice could do whatever she wanted to Bella's hair, but the makeup had to be as natural looking as possible; the less makeup, the better. To Bella's relief, all Alice did to her hair was dry it and put some loose curls in; not a fancy style that she might do if she was dragging Bella to a party.
“Okay,” Alice said when she was done. “Time to get this show on the road.”
Bella followed her out toward the kitchen. “Um, mind telling me where we're going?” She stopped with Alice at the island counter.
“The hospital.” Alice replied, digging through her attache case. She pulled out a piece of paper. “I printed out a copy of your resumé. I think I have everything you need in here.”
“Wait.” Bella said, confused. “The hospital?”
“Yeah.” Alice smiled. “You got the hookup.”
“I wish I was joking.” Jessica said miserably.
Bella could see how stressed she was and knew immediately that Jessica was telling the truth. The pink piece of paper in her hands said it all.
Jessica couldn't meet Bella's eyes as she let out a heavy sigh. “There's one on your desk, too.”
That left Bella speechless. A cold feeling ran down her back. She lost her job? That couldn't be right...
“There's one on everyone's desk.” Jessica added, anger entering her voice. “They're moving the practice and hiring a whole new staff! Can you believe this crap?!”
Bella sat down heavily in the chair next to Jessica's desk. She hadn't even made it over to her own desk yet this morning; she had only been passing through to say good morning. Instead, she was faced with this horrible news. Glancing down at the paper that Jessica had handed her, the words “Immediate Termination” stood out as though the big black letters were taking up the whole page.
“I can't believe this.” Bella mumbled.
She had been at her job as an office assistant for three years. She thought her boss was better than this – would never put them out of a job, especially so suddenly or near the end of the week – but the reality hit her even harder when she saw two coworkers walk by with their personal belongings.
Jessica saw this too and sighed again. “I guess I'll start packing my stuff.”
Bella nodded slowly and forced herself to stand up. “Yeah... me, too.”
As she walked towards her desk, she passed a lot of pissed off coworkers. If anyone had been as shocked as she was about all of this, they had clearly gotten over it by now. A few of them said goodbye to her on their way out and she mumbled the same to them. Though her desk was exactly the way she left it when she went home the night before, it looked different somehow today. There was a cold, bare feeling about her little space in the very large room. Almost like her things didn't belong there.
She didn't know how long she had been there staring – probably looking like a complete moron – when her phone started to buzz in my pocket. She pulled it out and checked the caller-ID, even though she had no intention of answering it. There was no way she was talking to anyone at the moment.
Emmett.
She wondered briefly why he would be calling her as she slipped the phone back into her pocket and continued to stare at her desk.
Box, she thought. I need a box.
She wandered off in search of a box and stopped in one of the supply rooms. A few people had emptied out some medium sized boxes to carry their things in; there were prescription samples and single packs of condoms littering the floor. She couldn't blame them for not caring about the mess but Bella couldn't bring herself to add to it. Not wanting to get caught standing there and be accused of something she didn't do, she grabbed an empty garbage bag and headed back to her desk. She tossed everything into the bag, not wanting to be there any longer, and turned to leave.
On her way to the elevator she noticed her boss's office door was closed.
Coward, she thought, bitterness beginning to creep in.
She stepped into the elevator with two other people and practically punched the button for the main floor.
“I don't know why you're so upset about this.” Rosalie said after taking a sip of her beer. “You were always complaining about that job. And your boss was a bitch.”
“No she wasn't.” Bella protested.
“Well, whether she was or wasn't before, she is now.” Rosalie stuck her nose into the air.
Alice rolled her eyes at her and reached out to pat Bella's hand. “Don't listen to her, hunny.”
Rosalie gave a loud huff.
After hearing the news about her job, Alice and Rosalie had talked Bella into going out. They went to their favorite bar, Lux, and told her to drink her blues away. There was a good amount of people at the bar that night, seeing it was a Thursday.
“You know what you need?” Alice asked, perking up a bit.
Bella looked up at her sadly.
“More alcohol!” Alice said, nodding with finality. “You guys stay here.”
They watched her disappear into the crowd, heading towards the bar. Rosalie turned to look at Bella as she stared down at the table. After a minute, she set her beer down and leaned forward.
“Okay, I get it. Losing your job sucks. Think of it this way: now you can get a new job that you actually like.”
Bella shrugged. “I guess so.”
“Think positive about it!” Rosalie picked up her beer and sat back in her chair again. “Be happy, damnit! You're being a huge downer.”
Alice came back a few minutes later with three shots. She set them down in the middle of the table and sat back down in her chair.
“That was fast.” Rosalie raised an eyebrow at her.
“Oh well, you know...” Alice shrugged.
“Oh, you're such a whore.”
“Look who's talking!”
Bella cracked an amused smile and giggled at their playful banter.
“That's better.” Alice smiled back at her.
“I'm not doing a shot while drinking a beer.” Rosalie threw in, as if it was the most obvious point ever. “So, what'd you do? Show the bartender your tits?”
“No!” Alice shot her a look. “Only you would do that. And I know you're not doing a shot. Two are for Bella.”
“I don't know, Alice...” Bella eyed the shots warily.
“You need to loosen up.” She said and slid two of the shots across the table. “Drink!”
Bella sighed and took the first shot with Alice. “Gah.” She gasped as the alcohol burned down her throat.
Alice smiled and pushed the second shot even closer.
Bella shot her a grumpy look. “Remember when they talked about peer pressure in school?”
“Just drink it.”
After taking a moment to prepare herself for the burn again, Bella drank the shot.
“See? Don't you feel better?” Alice asked.
“Oh yeah, loads. Alcohol cures everything.” Bella replied sarcastically.
Another shot and a rum and coke later, Bella was finally having some fun.
“Thank you so much, you guys.” She said a little louder than was necessary, reaching over and holding their hands.
“That's what we're here for, Bella!” Alice giggled.
“Ohmigod, you two are trashed.” Rosalie laughed. “I guess I'll have to drive your asses home.” She grabbed her purse and stood up.
“Aw, right now?” Bella whined.
“Yes, right now.” Rosalie answered. “I still have to work tomorrow and I'm tired of watching Alice eye-fuck the bartender.”
Alice giggled even louder. “I am not.” She looked over at the tall blond working behind the bar who had been looking over with a smile all night. “He is a total hottie, though.”
“Right.” Rosalie rolled her eyes and she picked up the other two's purses. “Let's go. I'm tired and if we stay any longer I'm gonna start acting like a bitch.”
“Start?” Alice asked quietly, making Bella snort and laugh as they followed Rosalie out of the bar.
Bella felt like she had been beaten about the head when she woke up the next morning. Her stomach felt uneasy and the rest of her body was too uncomfortable for her to roll over and go back to sleep. She contemplated getting up, but then a thought that made her feel even worse entered her mind.
Oh, yeah. I don't have a job.
She groaned and then regretted it; the vibration of it made her head pound even more. She pulled her blankets up over her head and tried not to fall into a mood of self-loathing. After a little while – she didn't know exactly how long – she heard her bedroom door open. A moment later, the window blinds were pulled up.
“Bel-la.” Alice sang.
Bella gripped the blanket tighter.
Alice began to poke her through the blanket. “Come on, time to get up.”
“Why?” Bella grumbled.
“Because we have things to do! People to see!”
Bella whined. “What're you talking about?”
Alice suddenly grabbed the blankets and threw them off of Bella, who hissed slightly as the bright sunlight assaulted her eyes. Bella pulled her pillow over her head to block out the light.
“I'm talking about you getting out of bed and getting ready for a busy day!” Alice explained, standing there with her hands on her hips.
“Of what?” Bella asked, her voice muffled by her pillow.
“Job hunting!”
Job hunting already? Couldn't a girl get time to mourn over her pathetic life with no job? Not to mention barely enough money and no man.
Ok, I guess I did slip into the self-loathing just a little bit.
“I don't know, Alice.” She sighed heavily, wishing she could drift back off to sleep.
“Yes, you're getting up.” Alice began pulling on Bella's arm. “I'm taking it easy on you. We're just going to one place.”
Bella groaned again and yanked her arm away. “Fine!” She whined, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.
“There we go!” Alice said happily. “Get yourself freshened up while I pick out your clothes.”
Bella dragged herself out of bed and headed for the bathroom, bitching the whole way about the evil pixie that was her best friend and room mate.
After a long, hot shower, she was completely defunkified and her head began to feel better. Wrapped in a big fluffy towel, she went back to her room. Alice had lay clothes out for her – a light blue cap-sleeved top and a pair of sleek black pants. She pulled the outfit on and checked herself in the mirror.
Not bad.
Alice dragged her into her own room across the hall and sat Bella down at the vanity table. Bella had learned long ago not to fight Alice on letting her do a makeover. She just tried to ignore it and go to a happy place in her mind while Alice attacked her hair. They had come to an agreement that Alice could do whatever she wanted to Bella's hair, but the makeup had to be as natural looking as possible; the less makeup, the better. To Bella's relief, all Alice did to her hair was dry it and put some loose curls in; not a fancy style that she might do if she was dragging Bella to a party.
“Okay,” Alice said when she was done. “Time to get this show on the road.”
Bella followed her out toward the kitchen. “Um, mind telling me where we're going?” She stopped with Alice at the island counter.
“The hospital.” Alice replied, digging through her attache case. She pulled out a piece of paper. “I printed out a copy of your resumé. I think I have everything you need in here.”
“Wait.” Bella said, confused. “The hospital?”
“Yeah.” Alice smiled. “You got the hookup.”
Welcome! :)
Hey everyone,
Welcome to the blog I've created for my fan fiction. With all of the M rated fics being pulled from fanfiction.net, I decided to post my writing here, where I don't have to worry about it.
This is the first time I've used blogger so please bear with me while I learn how to use it.
I'm also on twitter! Follow me if you'd like!
http://twitter.com/zeppogrl7
Thanks again!
Zeppogrl7
Welcome to the blog I've created for my fan fiction. With all of the M rated fics being pulled from fanfiction.net, I decided to post my writing here, where I don't have to worry about it.
This is the first time I've used blogger so please bear with me while I learn how to use it.
I'm also on twitter! Follow me if you'd like!
http://twitter.com/zeppogrl7
Thanks again!
Zeppogrl7
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