And so, I react. I'm sitting in my bathroom being scrubbed and masked. And manicured. One hand painted, one hand in goop. Cucumbers cover my eyes. I hope she doesn't take them off soon. It's easier to ignore what she's doing in the dark. It also makes it impossible to see the dress. Does she really expect me to be able to pull that off? The color is good, midnight blue, but cut to my thigh? really? And I don't have anything for that deep neckline to show, so what is the point of that? I sigh and try to stop reacting, but that's my part in this.
She puts six different products in my hair, creating a sculpted mass of gentle waves. Now she's painting my eyes. I hate when she does this. I know she knows what she's doing. I know she isn't going to stab me, but it's still an odd sensation.
"Okay, you can open now." I do, seeing my reflection and close them again.
"Alice," I moan.
"You look gorgeous, Bella. You know I always make you look gorgeous. Now put it on." I haven't opened my eyes yet, but I know she's holding the dress. I stand up and turn in the same movement, snatching the dress. Then I grip the chair to regain my balance.
I feel cold after putting the dress on. Probably all the skin exposure. She's just needs to put on her dress. Her make-up has been on for hours and still looks fresh, and her hair never takes any time. I'm always jealous. At least her dress makes me feel a little less out of place in mine. It's hot pink, asymmetrical and very short.
"Ready?" she asks, knowing the answer is no. Also knowing she isn't going to let me say it. "Let's go." She grabs my hand and drags me out the door.
Alice shouts something about drinks, but she was gone before I really caught it. She demanded I wait here so we make our 'entrance' together. Fine by me, I'm going to need something to hold onto. It's that or a broken ankle, maybe worse. It isn't a short flight of stairs. I try to relax. I focus on my breathing. I'm not wearing a slinky dress. I don't have make-up on. I'm in my sweats and T-shirt and at the bottom of the stairs my dad is watching a game. There. I feel much better. I open my eyes again and see I'm late.
I should exit the room very carefully. These stupid shoes are going to be the death of me. But I'm reacting, as usual, and warp an ankle before coming to an abrupt halt. I didn't simply stop. That would be acting, wouldn't it. No. I am stopped, by a body. One that smells amazing. A musky smell is tempered by cinnamon and mint, and this smell, well the person who bears it, is keeping me from a date with floorboard. I should be grateful. I hate floorboard. I feel the arms wrapped tightly around me. Not female, not with that musky scent. I look up.
Suddenly it isn't his arms that holding me, it's his eyes. Reaction, I'm attracted, almost magnetically, to the person behind those green eyes. He's holding me up by sheer force of personality. Holy crap.
Oh, right. I'm a person too. I should probably act like one. I feel the heat in my cheeks that isn't surprising after a near brush with floor. Thanks, I barely manage to squeak out while trying to find my feet. The heels do not want to cooperate. They keep folding foolishly.
No problem. That voice cannot be real. It's like the voice that introduces movies. You just know a person can't maintain a voice like that. His voice drips sex. Who can do that just saying 'no problem'? A man with a force of personality that defies gravity of course. And what kind of man has that. The one with unruly bronze hair set a little over six feet from the ground, high cheek bones and plump lips. The one with a body that any model will kill for. And those eat me from the inside green eyes. The green eyes that were fixed on my feet. My feet?
ALICE! I screamed internally. There was my tattoo, staring back at me from these stupid, unrealistic, completely impractical shoes. The shoes ALICE had put me in. The tattoo she knew I regretted and did not want flashed around.
I heard Alice yell at Jasper, her boyfriend. It's the sound that make me realize I haven't said anything else to he of the magnetic personality, he who saves me from eating hardwood. I'm sorry. I am really clumsy. Thank you again. My voice didn't even betray me. Score one for Bella!
No problem, he said again, and sex dripped with the words. How did he do that? Clumsy, huh. That must make you Isabella. Alice speaks fondly of you, Bella. It is a pleasure to finally meet you. Too many words, too much sex, pheromone overload. I could swear I was drooling.
Then he lifted my hand and kissed my knuckles. If I wasn't drooling before I was now. Those lips were on my skin. I stammered inanely trying to find any reply. uh, nope. er. still nothing um. Zero for three. The puts Bella two in the hole. Better luck next time!
He chuckled. Could he hear my internal score, or was he keeping his own. I was definitely in the negatives there. Well, Miss Bella, may I escort you to the party? Bwah? First: I'm still slipping on the sex dripping from your tongue. Second: you want to escort me? Did you not see me nearly fall to the floor? But he wasn't done melting me yet, oh no. He had more grease and sex for me to slip and slide on I must say your suits you. You are beautiful. He had his lips to my ear by the end and I thought I was going to fall apart right there. That pile of mush there? Yeah, that's me. Just scoop me up later, Okay?
He was looking at me. He was waiting for an answer. Crap I needed words. That went so very well last time. Th-thank you? I left a pause at the end, looking for a name.
Edward. Mmmmmm His name would sound good on my tongue but it sounded divine on his. Edward. Wait, Edward?
You're Edward? I asked, confused. Alice's brother was this god beside me. That simply wasn't possible.
That's what they call me, love. Love? Where was he from? Oh, right Harvard. Maybe they talk like that there. I had already giggled so it was too late to pull that train back to the station.
He didn't seem embarassed. So what is the tattoo of, exactly? he asked moving slowly and I stepped very carefully next to him. The heels stayed more vertical than less. Yay! Bella's only one in the hole now.
It's a vine of hearts, I told him. I'll show you sometime. I said with a smile. Why had I said that? I didn't want to show anyone.
I'd like that, he whispered letting sex drizzle in my ear again. Oh, that's why. Well that was a good reason.
At this point we had reached the stairs. I took one deep breath and began to take my first step down. I closed my eyes as I did, praying Edward was strong enough to keep me here when I started tumbling down.
Bella, so beautiful, he murmured and I was pulled back, my heel catching on the stair I had started to pass. He put his lips to mine and the room disappeared. My eyes were wide and I saw the back of his lids. My nose filled with the musky smell he had and I closed my eyes to really enjoy this kiss. That sex that he'd been dripping off his tongue, was now running through my mouth, down through my body and all the way to the toes that weren't really touching the ground anymore. Ground ceased to exist. All that existed were his lips and mine.
No, there was more. I continued to react and felt his body in front of me. I grabbed onto it, convincing myself it was really there. It really was, and it really was as perfect as it had appeared. His chest was broad and flat and his hips were right were mine were pressing. I was thanking Alice for the slit in the side of my dress as I brought one leg up along his, curling it behind his knee. I sucked greedily on his lip as I pressed my hips into his again. I felt his hands running up and down my back and wanted nothing more than to feel them on my skin.
I heard Alice calling for us, Bella? Edward? I heard footsteps but still hadn't gotten my foot back down. They're hooking up on the stairs! she yelled to all assembled. Did you get that? Stay off the stairs! she shouted.
I finally got my leg down but it was just as he was trying to move and our legs tangled. He came down on top of me, me on my back. And here are on the hardwood. This is a familiar place for me. Reaction? Trip the guy of my dreams and try to fight the force of gravity. Always a winner. I heard Alice laughing and turned my head to see her giving us a thumbs up before walking away again.
I thumped my head on the floor. I was such an idiot. Well, this is a familiar place, I muttered.
No, it isn't, he whispered. I'm pretty sure I've never had you under me before. Oooh sex and implication. That was a double dose Edward. I'm pretty sure that's illegal. Of course that was when I felt him poking me in the thigh. He liked me under him. Well, I might not tell him I liked being here but...
I kissed him again, as wildly as before.