Thanks to Missy Melissa Cullen for making a beautiful banner for this little story.
Thanks to SaritaDreaming for her made Beta skills.
Dedication: This is dedicated to Katalina, my nana, Valerie, and all the families that have suffered from cancer.
~LotG~
"Thank you all for coming this year. We've had a great turn out in volunteers and players," said Joey, the event coordinator, and everyone clapped. A good turnout was always a great thing with those events.
"I hope you've all checked in and received your name tags and I'll call out your assignment."
I turned to my two best friends, Jasper and Emmett, and smiled. I had volunteered for JDRF's various functions, but it was the first time I'd helped at their annual golf tournament.
A couple of years ago, my sister got me on board to volunteer time to support her son who was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes when he was three years old. I'd done a few galas and their annual walk, but the golf tournament was a big thing and I had never done it. I dragged my best friends with me, figuring they'd have fun with it being a golf thing.
I didn't have any friends that were girls. I was too impatient and couldn't handle the neediness and cattiness. It was too much work for me. Jasper and Emmett had been my friends since high school. We went to Santa Monica Community college together, stayed around our families, and got jobs. We'd been roommates ever since high school graduation, and it's been a great set up for all of us.
Jasper was the funny, carefree, crazy guy; Emmett was the serious, and responsible one; and I was the momma bear. I made sure they cleaned after themselves, bills were paid, and shit was done around the house because I was good at barking out direction while they did all the work.
Most of the time it was just executives that paid to play for the cause, and every once in a while I heard that a few professionals that lived in the area would play if they weren't out playing tour events.
"I'll call your name and give you a position. There are two positions to fill today: caddie and water person. The water person is assigned to a hole and is to ensure there is enough beer and water in those coolers. Ask the players when they get there if they want something to drink. You'll be given a radio to call in for more drinks as they empty. Got it? Who here has any golf knowledge?" Joey looked around expectantly waiting for us to raise our hands.
Jasper, Emmett, and I did. We'd played very little but we knew enough, and I even had my own set of clubs. Joey nodded and most likely began writing on her clipboard, probably checking off whoever raised their hand.
"Okay, great, we have plenty. The next position is the caddie. They will be assigned a player and will perform all caddie duties. If you know golf then you know what those are." She smirked.
She began calling off names and giving them assignments.
"Jessica, first hole."
"Emmett, Rosalie Hale."
He paled. I knew nothing about professional golf or tours. I played for fun and that was it. So I wasn't sure what had gotten into him. I nudged him and he gave me a weary look, shook his head, and mouthed, "I'll tell you later."
Okay! That was weird.
"Melissa, eighteenth hole."
And it went on and on for the sixty some odd of us there.
"Jasper, Alice Cullen."
He smiled so big I thought he'd permanently stretch out his face.
Finally, she got to me.
"Bella, Edward Cullen." I nodded, because I had no idea who that was.
~LotG~
The three of us took our instructions and headed to the cart area. We were told that our partners for the day would meet us there. We were also instructed the teams were made up of four people.
I knew the course well as we had played there a few times before. I smiled and got my game face on.
"So, guys, are you as glad as I am to not have to stand around passing out drinks all day?" I asked.
"Dude, do you have any idea who we're playing with today?" Jasper turned to face me and grabbed my shoulders like a mad man.
I pushed him off me. "Dude, relax and don't fricken grab me like that or I'm gonna have to kick your ass." I kept walking and noticed how Emmett was completely silent. It was like he was in shock.
"Listen, for reals, Bella. All three of our partners are top ten champion golf pros. Do you have any idea what that means? And Alice Cullen happens to be the hottest chick I've ever seen. She made golf dot com's list of Sexiest Women Golfers." He was jumping around like an idiot.
I swore on everything, he acted like my seven-year-old nephew and he especially picked up on his lingo. At twenty-six he should have been able to act his age, but no, he was such a dork who actually got along better with my nephew than people his own age. I wondered how we managed to maintain our friendship for so long.
"Emmett!" Jasper nudged him. "Dude, were you listening? You have Rosalie Hale. She was on the list as well." Jasper groaned and bit his knuckle like a pervert. "Can you believe our luck? I think I'm gonna volunteer at these things more often."
Emmett just kept walking and completely ignored us. Just as we arrived at the cart area, I saw a whole group of people in their golf attire. I was especially glad that I bought an outfit for this occasion. I had some cute golf shoes, grey, white, and red striped shorts and a white golf shirt with a red line around the collar.
I looked through the sea of white golf carts for one that had the number five on it. I sort of left the guys and made my way through the crowd looking for cart number five. I found it and walked in that direction through the crowd of golfers. When I arrived at my cart, the people standing around it impressed me.
The first person I saw was a guy featured on on some advertisement posters in the pro shop. I remembered the pictures were of him posing with a big trophy and the Nike swoosh. He had to be one of the pro players. He was tall with a solid upper body. He was wearing beige shorts and a white golf shirt with a little, beige Nike swoosh on the front. A hot mess of reddish-brown hair peaked out of a white visor with the same beige swoosh.
He was handsome and very sun tanned, almost leathery looking. I supposed that came with the territory of working outside all the time. He was still good looking from my point of view so far. As I drew closer, I could actually see his face, and the lines around his mouth and eyes were signs of time outside. He needed sunblock. He looked up a bit to speak to the black haired girl next to him and I saw his eyes. They were so inviting; the depth of the color reminded me of the rolling hills in Ireland. I found myself lost in the mossy green color. I must have been staring too long because he looked up and frowned.
I was a bit taken back by that but didn't let it bother me. I was here to volunteer and help him with his game, not get lost in his eyes. So I stepped forward, held out my hand, and introduced myself. "I'm Bella, your caddie for today, and you must be Mr. Cullen." He looked at me up and down, stared at my hand, and looked me in the eyes as he said in an angry tone, "You better know your shit. I don't have time to teach you how to do your job."
Great, I was stuck with a bitter, stuck up jerk. "Mr. Cullen, I know how to play golf. No worries, I wont be cramping your style today," I said with a complete dose of sarcasm. I began to gather my rag, a handful of tees, and a couple extra balls. I placed them all in my pockets, knowing I looked ridiculous, but I wanted to be prepared.
I noticed Emmett and Jasper appeared behind me just standing there. I cleared my throat. "Um, which one of you is Rosalie?"
The beautiful blonde-haired woman looked up from organizing her clubs and smiled. At least she seemed nice. She had the most beautiful complexion and the bluest eyes I had ever seen. They almost looked fake they were so crystal blue.
She actually stepped forward toward us and held out her hand. Nice. She was polite, not like the other jerk that I was punished with.
"Good morning, I'm Rosalie Hale." I shook her hand with a firm grip and told her my name.
"This big guy here is your caddie for the day. Emmett, come and meet Rosalie." Then I got closer to Rosalie and whispered, "He's acting shy today. He's usually really loud and obnoxious, so you lucked out. Be gentle with him." And I snickered.
She smiled so brightly and grabbed Emmett's hand. "Come on over here. This is our cart." Her voice faded as they walked away.
"And you must be Alice Cullen?" I looked at the black haired woman standing next to Mr. Cullen. She must be his wife.
Her hair was long but pulled back in a low ponytail. It was really straight and silky looking. She was about my height, five-four, and had very tanned skin like Mr. Cullen. But her eyes were an interesting mix of blue and green; I guessed hazel was the name.
"I'm Alice and I must be working with the handsome man behind you?" She practically purred as she strolled seductively over to Jasper. I looked at Mr. Cullen's face quickly to catch his expression and he scowled at me.
What the heck was his problem?
It was going to be a long day.
"Yes, that's Jasper and he's your caddie for the day." I pulled our game schedule out of my pocket and checked our starting position.
"So, it looks like we get to start at the first hole. If you all are ready we can pack up and meet over there." I needed to take control of the situation or I was going to lose it with asshole's attitude. I wasn't going to let him bully me all day. I was not one to keep quiet, so if he started shit, charity or no charity, I'd put him in his place.
"Are you ready, Mr. Cullen?" I hoisted his bag into the back of the cart, secured it, and ensured it was covered so his socks didn't fly off. As I began to close the bag, I noticed the socks and started laughing.
"Is there a problem back there?" I looked up after securing the clubs and shook my head.
"Never would have expected you to have socks like those. They're too much fun for the likes of you," I said straight out, not one for mincing words. I shrugged and walked toward the driver's side. I swore if he scowled any more, his face was going to stick like that permanently. Or maybe it already had.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean? And where are you going? I'm driving." He tried to beat me to the driver's side. It didn't matter if he did; he wasn't going to drive.
"Nothing, and no you're not. I'm driving. I'm your caddie and it's my job. I don't want you to think I can't do my job. Now go on and sit down." I flicked my hand at him. He was wearing on my last nerve, and we hadn't even started the game yet.
I hopped in the driver's seat and started the cart. I took in the expansive green in front of us and inhaled the smell of freshly cut grass. It was such a refreshing smell and a beautiful view.
I chanced a look at the ass-wipe next to me to ensure he was in his seat and hit the pedal. Off we went down the first hill and over the grass to the small road on the green as we made our way to the first hole.
The other two were already there. I noticed we were missing a player. "Aren't we missing a player?"
Everyone was playing four ball today, so that meant each team had four players but were paired of into two teams. Everyone played their own ball, but the lowest score on each hole went on the scorecard. "I don't do teams, so I play alone. The girls are a team though."
And before I could stop myself I blurted out, "I could play with you if you wanted."
He must have been shocked that I would even suggest such a thing, especially after so rudely telling me he only played alone, but he raised an eyebrow at me and said, "You want to show me what you've got. Fine, be my guest." He made a show of waving his hands to the green.
I scowled at him. "I'll never show you what I've got, but I'll show you my game." I looked him straight in the eyes and raised my brow. "I need some clubs."
Cullen made a call on his cellphone, and a few minutes later, a boy from the pro shop drove over with a loner bag of clubs. Nice. It was a good set, too, and just my size.
"And I'll still caddie for you. I mean, I don't want you running around telling people I didn't do my job or anything." He shrugged and flashed me a devious smirk.
"All right, so who wants to go first?" I looked around at the group of us. Emmett looked a bit more relaxed, and I wonder what had him so nervous. Maybe Rosalie Hale was his poster girl crush. He still had posters of girls lining his bedroom walls like a teenager. I'd have to take a look and see if one of them was her.
Of course, Cullen spoke first. "I'm going first then Rosalie, you, and lastly, Alice." Jasper and Emmett snapped their heads toward me after Cullen spoke with questioning looks on their faces.
"You heard right, boys. I'm Cullen's teammate and caddie today." I said cheerfully, hiding my sarcasm.
"All right, Cullen, you're up." I unzipped the golf bag, pulled off his Angry Birds sock–giggled a bit–and pulled out the 1-wood. I didn't even know how he played, but being a professional, he should be okay with that one.
"Here you go, boss man." I handed him the driver and ran over to the tee box to place the tee and ball.
I waved my hands and arms in a Vanna White type of way and showcased his ball. "There you go, sir." I smirked. I knew I was going to get under his skin, if I hadn't already. Oh, well, that's what he gets for being such an ass.
I watched him getting into position and, much like baseball players do when they're up at bat, his little hiney stuck out. It was a nice little butt, firm and muscled. And while I was too busy checking out his ass, he swung and it must have gone at least three hundred yards.
While Rosalie was teeing off, Cullen stood next to me. I just looked out over the green so I could spot her ball when it landed. Not that I needed to know, but just in case Emmett wasn't paying attention.
She was actually really good. She landed it about fifty yards away from Cullen's.
It was my turn and I was nervous. I didn't want to make a fool of myself because, let's face it, I was no pro. But I acted like I knew what I was doing, grabbed my three wood, and walked over to the tee box and set up my own ball.
I lined up my stance with my three wood because I needed the straight hit. I knew I wouldn't get distance, but I could get accuracy with that club. There I stood, legs shoulder width apart, club lined up next to the ball, hands gripping the handle one above the other, knees bent, and butt sticking out. I turned my upper body to the right taking the club with me and swung back to hit the ball. The whole time I ran through the steps my eyes were firmly set on my target. I was so amateur that I had to recount the steps in my head or I would forget something. I wasn't a natural, nor did I have enough experience to do it automatically.
I couldn't see where my ball landed because I was too busy worrying how to swing. I turned to everyone, looking at their faces. "Where did it go?"
Jasper was the first to answer and handed me a small pair of binoculars. "Dude, take a look right over there where you saw Cullen's land." I searched the ground over in the general area I remember Cullen's ball landing and spotted a ball about ten feet from his. There was no way that was mine. It had to be a mistake. A sly smile crept up on my face. I wasn't going to gloat yet, though. I needed to ensure I played my best before I did.
"Oh, wow." That was my only outward reaction. I totally played it down because inside I was fist pumping and yelling, "Booyah" right in his face.
Mister Grouchy could sit with that for a while. I caught Rosalie's expression and I could tell she knew I was messing with Cullen, and with her wink, I knew she approved.
After everyone teed off, we drove down to our balls. Aiming toward the first hole's flag, we all shot again. That hole was a five-par hole, meaning we had five strokes to get the ball in.
Every time Cullen went up, I cleaned the ball and gave him the perfect club for his swing. Cullen ended up scoring a birdie and I scored a bogey on that first hole. I was actually proud of my bogey, scoring one stroke over par. I was so excited I couldn't stand it. I could have done the cabbage patch right there.
We had a few beers along the way, as the day had gotten quite hot. Cullen didn't seem much for small talk, but I was bored of sitting in the cart with him and not talking. So I began to fire off questions.
"So how long have you and Alice been married?" He spit out his beer all over the cart. Thank god, he wasn't facing me, the slob. "What the hell? Did you choke or something?" I threw him my towel.
He scoffed while placing his beer in the cup holder. "Alice is my sister, not my wife. Why would you think that?"
I shrugged. " I don't know. I don't know anything about you, and because you two had the same last name, I just figured." Whatever, he could think what he wanted, but his constant scoffing and scowling was getting on my last nerve.
"What is your problem anyway? Since I met you today, you've snubbed my handshake and scoffed, and scowled at me a million times already. Do you have any idea how rude you are?" I said as seriously as I could because, honestly, I had to sit with that man for a few more hours and I didn't know how I was going to handle it if he kept up with his bullshit.
His mouth dropped right open as if he was in complete and utter shock that I would speak to him that way. His mouth opened and closed a few times before he finally answered me. "Well, um … I'm just not good with people I guess." He took off his visor and ran his hands through his hair a few times, one right after the other. "It's just that I keep my distance because people are always harassing me. I don't get to meet people and have normal conversations like normal people do. There's always an agenda, trying to get something from me. It's either women trying to get with me only going for my money or men that want to use me to get in the circles. So I stay clear. I guess I've been doing it so long that I don't know how to shut it off."
Then it was my turn to look shocked. I had no idea he was so famous that people tried to get to him and use him. And although I understood his predicament, I didn't like being disrespected. "Look, I don't even know who you are. I don't watch golf or know the pros—I just play for fun. And I'm not like that even if I did know who you were. But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you? You didn't even try to get to know me. You snubbed me from the get go." I huffed through my nose and continued. "You don't have to like me, but I deserve respect." I noticed everyone had taken their turns, so I began driving us to the next hole. He had me in a foul mood at that point. Thank goodness, we were half done with the game.
As soon as we got to the tenth hole, I jumped out, handed him his club, and set him up for his shot. He was playing a bit more shitty and I didn't like it. I must have frazzled him with my back talk. But it was my job as a caddie to help him play well, and so I did.
When we got to the next hole, I set him up and explained, "This hole is tricky because we're higher up and the location catches more wind. It comes from that way." I pointed to the right in the fairway. "So you need to hit it that way and it will come back to the left." I gave him a manly pat on the back. "I've played here a few times before." I stepped back and watched him.
He took my suggestions and hit the ball right on the green, so close to the flag. The hole was a two-par hole and I thought he'd get it. I smiled to myself and cleaned up to go follow the ball.
When we got in the cart, he elbowed me a bit. When I looked at him to see what the heck that was for, he said, "Thank you. You are pretty good at this."
I smiled so brightly inside, but for him I just brushed it off. He was going to have to work on getting into my good graces.
By the end of the eighteen holes, I was quite tipsy and tired. The sun wore me out, and although I had a great time, I was drained. We still had a dinner after the game, so the day was not over yet.
When we got back to the cart area, I tallied our score card and cleaned up for Cullen. His bag was back in order and the clubs were dawning angry bird heads again.
I walked over to Emmett and Jasper and saw them finishing up their clean up duties and tallying their scorecards. I actually did very well for myself, but Cullen, of course, was better. My guys did great, too, per their scorecards, and it seemed like they had a good time.
While we were playing golf, I noticed everyone spent less and less time talking around the tee and more time in their carts until it was their turn. I figured they were getting to know each other and having real conversations. Too bad my partner was a jerk and couldn't get past his own shit to get to know me.
I held our scorecard in my pocket. We had to turn it in at dinner, but I was especially proud of my score.
We used the Stableford System since it was a recreational game. I scored twenty-eight points, which I was so happy about. I was no pro, but I did darn well for myself. I hoped Cullen recognized that and gave me credit for it. He scored forty-six, and of course, that was to be expected.
"So you all are staying for the dinner, right?" I asked. Everyone nodded and started to grab their clubs. The guys carried the girls' clubs and Cullen grabbed his and mine.
We walked toward the pro shop to turn in mine and then Cullen said, "We're going to take our clubs to the car then get our stuff to change. Can we meet you all inside and sit together for dinner?" I looked at Emmett and Jasper to get their take on it and when they nodded, I said yes.
~LotG~
My stuff was in the locker room so I went straight there. "I'll catch you guys out here when I'm done." Emmett and Jasper waved and went into the men's room.
After I got my stuff from my locker, I went straight to the showers. I knew I stank from sweating in the sun all day and I wanted nothing more than to wash all the bullshit from today right down that drain.
As I was showering, I thought about Edward. Wondering what type of life he had. He had to be in his thirties; he looked older than me as I was only twenty-five. I wondered about all the years he'd dealt with being treated like a sports celebrity and how that molded and changed him.
He seemed remorseful for his behavior so I knew there was a good guy in there. I would have liked to get to know him instead of fighting with him all day. But, whatever, it was done.
I was so lost in my musings that I didn't hear all the girls talking in the shower area until I heard Cullen's name.
"Oh, how I would have loved to ride with Edward Cullen all day. Did you all check out the ass on that man?" said one girl.
Another with an ear piercing voice said, "Yeah, and he's rich, too. That can't hurt. You know he's been playing pro since he was a teenager."
And the conversation kept going back and forth.
"Too bad he's gay."
"He is not, and even if he was, I'd do him. I'd be set for life."
I honestly couldn't believe my ears. I couldn't even fathom the thought of getting with someone for just their money. That was fucking disgusting.
I rushed myself in the shower and got out to find those two girls that were talking. Once I was dressed, I saw two girls in the dressing room curling their hair in front of the big mirror. All of their hair and makeup supplies lay out across the counter.
I brought my stuff over there, too, so I could dry my hair. "Think you girls could scooch down so I can have some space, too?" They both made funny faces at each other through the mirror, and I looked straight at their reflection, waiting for them to notice that I caught them.
Once they put their curling irons down and moved over a bit, I placed some of my stuff on there.
"So was it you girls I heard talking about Edward Cullen in the shower area?" Their faces lit up like Christmas trees and they began nodding.
"Oh yeah, could you imagine hooking a fish like that?" That was from Lauren. I remembered her face from when they called her assignment that morning. The other was Jessica, if I remembered correctly.
"No, girl, you mean whale." And they giggled while making the most offensive noises ever. Snorting and high-pitched screeches were not my idea of cute. Those girls were nasty.
"You know, that's just downright disgusting. You using a guy for his money. What happened to getting a job and earning your own? Are you both incapable or just too dumb and lazy?"
They threw their irons back down and stood side-by-side facing me. "How dare you speak to us like that. Do you have any idea who we are and what our fathers could do to you?"
I put my hand up right in their faces.
"Shut it. I don't know who you are and I don't give a shit what your daddies can do. I don't run in your circles, so you had better watch out, because you don't know who I am. I'll kick your ass right here and now if you threaten me one more time." I was in their faces ready to kick some ass.
They gasped the most exaggerated gasp, like the women did back in the olden days. I had to laugh at the image of a Mrs. Bennett, gasping and talking about her nerves, as it ran through my head.
Other women walking around the locker room stood of to the side, gawking at Lauren and Jessica and their crazy words.
They started to jabber on some more, but I could hardly listen. "You're just jealous because you're not in his class and, of course, not as beautiful as us."
Whatever!
"Please, bitches! She's more in his class than the two of you would ever be." I swung my head around to see Rosalie and Alice coming in from the showers. They were pissed, and the look on Alice's face was pure murder.
"How about we play a game. Do you have any idea who I am and what my daddy can do to you?" Alice stalked right over to them and pointed her finger in their chests, alternating between the girls with slow deliberate pokes. That shit had to hurt.
"Um … no … I mean … yes. Yes, we know who you are. Um … we're so sorry," Lauren whimpered out.
"You're sorry for what? Talking shit to my friend, talking about my brother, or getting caught?" Slam!
The girls just stood there stock-still. Their faces were like those of cartoon characters where their eyes just bulged out and their mouths were hanging so low it looked ridiculous. Yeah, they were in shock.
"How about you just get your shit out of here and run off. Don't let me see you the rest of the night, or ever for that matter." Rosalie waved them off like she was shooing flies.
The girls still stood there straight as a board with the same stupid looks on their faces. Did they not just hear Rosalie send them away? "Boo!" I screamed as I flinched toward them. Watching as they jumped like the little bitches they were was hilarious.
They swept their beauty paraphernalia off the counter with one arm while holding a bag with the other hand. The pulled the curling iron from the plug and stormed out.
Rosalie, Alice, and I just looked at each other and cracked up. That was classic! The crowd that had gathered began to applaud and then went about their business.
When we calmed down enough to speak, Alice said, "Thanks, you didn't have to stand up for my brother. It's not like he deserved it, but thank you just the same." She smiled and I waved her off.
"What's right is right! It wouldn't have mattered who they were talking about. I hate bitches like that and would have done the same thing." Although I wasn't sure if that was true. Cullen and his reserved, angry man persona were intriguing to say the least. I was interested, that's for sure.
Rosalie started to chuckle and I looked at her through the mirror to see what was so funny. I raised an eyebrow at her in a silent question like, "What the fuck?" and she just kept on laughing.
"You'd be great for Edward. He needs your brand of feisty to calm his ass down, and I'd bet you need his level of bossiness to teach you some manners." I should have been insulted by that remark, but truth was, even though I did have manners, I didn't use them much. I spoke my mind and didn't think about the consequences of my words much. And although it was a good trait, to a degree, I needed to learn how to filter it. I said inappropriate things sometimes and could potentially embarrass people in front of others without that intention.
I smiled at her. "Thank you."
Alice squeezed between us in front of the mirror so she could get ready. "Come on, girls. Let's hurry so we can eat. I'm starving." We all agreed. It was a long day, and the sandwich I had for lunch was not enough.
~LotG~
We walked into the banquet room and checked in at the table by the entrance. The room wasn't decorated with anything fancy, but it did have the big posters of JDRF's Converse tennis shoe all around.
There were big round tables throughout the whole room, with several people at each one. It looked like a good turn out.
The people sitting around the tables were locked into chats with others and no longer donned the golf outfits they had on earlier. Everyone looked fresh and famished.
The girls and I made our way to our table. There were several people there I didn't know, but Emmett, Edward, and Jasper were already seated.
Edward was handsome, although I had no idea how old he was. He did look over thirty, though. Those crinkles around his eyes gave him character; however, the lines on his forehead made him look like the grouch he proved to be.
I stood at the side of the table looking around for an empty seat and the only one left was next to Edward. Thanks to Rosalie and Alice, they took the two other chairs next to my besties. Before I actually sat down, Alice stood back up and introduced me to an older couple across the table.
"Bella, this is my mom and dad. Dr. and Mrs. Cullen, this is Bella, she was Edward's caddie and golf partner today." Alice smiled widely during the introduction.
I reached out and made my way closer to them so I could shake their hands. "It's nice to meet you both." They were quite beautiful. They looked like actors from the forties and fifties. Timeless beauty.
After the formalities were done, I sat down and sipped my water. Since I was stuck next to Cullen, I was going to make the best of it and tease him.
"Mhmm, don't you smell good," I said as I leaned into him and sniffed his neck. His dark tanned skin flushed.
He scrunched his face in an almost grossed out way and said, "Are you sniffing me?"
I threw my head back and shrugged my shoulders as if it wasn't a big deal. He really did need to loosen up.
I flicked my eyes to my friends on the other side of Edward and they were in their own worlds.
"Hey, Jasper, Emmett. Did you two have a good time today?" I asked. They just nodded their heads without even looking at me while they continued talking to Rosalie and Alice. Hmph! Already trading me in.
I just remembered the scorecard. "Oh, Edward. Did you turn in our scorecard?"
"Yes, I gave it to the lady at the table when I came in."
I nodded relieved. "Cool, thanks."
"So, Edward. What do you do with your free time?" His brows furrowed into that scrunched up look again. God, it looked like everything I said confused him.
"You want to know what I do with my free time. Hmmm …" With his hands folded loosely on the table, his eyes focused on them. He shook his head minutely and looked back up at me.
I gave him my most open and accepting look with wide eyes and body shifted to face him more.
"Well, besides playing golf, I like to read and relax. I spend a lot of time with my family. You know, at family dinners and such. We're a close family and still get together a lot, and we all live close together." He shrugged.
I nodded, taking it all in. His green eyes sparkled so brightly when he spoke about his family, and I almost saw a soft spot there. I looked quickly at his parents as they sat speaking to another older couple next to them and I saw he resembled his mother. Same hair and eye color, but he had his father's bone structure.
"Do you all live here in L.A.?"
"Yes, we live in the Mar Vista area."
"Oh, I know that area well. I live in Culver City." Excited that he lived so close to me, my head bobbed up and down like a dork. "What brings you to this fundraiser? I mean there are many you could devote your time to. Why this one?" I asked.
"Well, Alice has type 1 diabetes and was diagnosed at thirteen. It was difficult because she was old enough to know differently and her whole life had to change." He took another sip of his water and continued. "But we stood by her and helped her adjust. It was a struggle for all of us as well, but it was what our lives were about. We had to accept it. She had to follow the rules, and couldn't afford to be rebellious. I mean, it was life or death if she didn't conform."
Even though he was talking about something painful that happened to his family, I noticed his face visibly began to relax the more he spoke about his family.
I placed my hand over his on the table. "She's very lucky to have a brother like you. My nephew was diagnosed when he was three and it was very difficult as well. Still is, but as you said, it's a part of his life now and must be addressed."
His eyes were focused on where our hands met. In an unexpected move, he placed his other hand over mine and squeezed for a moment. Then pulled his hand away much too quickly. The warmth of his hand on mine caused butterflies in my stomach.
I looked at his face, wanting to see his eyes, but he began to look across the table at his parents. I removed my hand quickly as not to embarrass myself any further. I had left it there much too long.
I wanted to get his attention back. I wanted him to initiate conversation with me and act interested in me. So I told him so.
"So, don't you want to know what I do in my free time?" I smiled a big sarcastic smile. I wanted to get under his skin. When I was under his skin, he engaged me, and I wanted all his attention. I was quickly growing very fond of Edward and his aloof, grouchy manner.
His head whipped my way, his eyes met mine, and he spied my expression. A hint of a smile crept on his lips.
"Sure, Bella, why don't you tell me what you do with your free time."
"We-ell," I said with exaggeration. "When I'm not working, I'm reading or hanging out with the guys. We like to hang out at a small bar in Culver City." I shrugged. "There's really not much to tell. I have a boring life. I spend time with my family as well and help out volunteering at JDRF whenever they need me."
I wanted to smooth those creases on his face. He was too handsome to look so upset all the time.
"You sound normal–"
I cut him off. "What's that supposed to mean?" I didn't know how to take that statement.
He laughed and his face pinked. He should do that more often. His face was lit right up, but I could tell he was a bit embarrassed.
"No, I didn't mean anything bad by that. It's just all the women I've ever known would have said how much they loved to shop, spend time at the salon, and want to go to the nicest restaurants in L.A."
I clicked my tongue and scrunched my face that time. "No, thank you. I mean, don't get me wrong … I go to the salon, and of course I shop, but I do it out of necessity to look decent, not because that's my favorite past time." I shook my head. I could never understand women like that.
"Attention everyone." Joey, the coordinator, stood at the podium at the head of the room. Everyone quieted down and gave her their attention.
"Thank you to each and everyone of you for being here. Every single penny spent will go to research and find a cure for type 1 diabetes. I am determined to see that happen in my lifetime." Everyone applauded.
"Dinner will begin soon, but before it does, I wanted to announce the winning four ball team." She opened an envelope and smiled. "It looks like Edward Cullen, Rosalie Hale, Alice Cullen, and they had a last minute addition, Bella Swan. Congratulations." Joey began to applaud with the rest of the room.
The girls, along with my friends, congratulated each other and made a small spectacle over me.
With three professionals on the team, I figured they'd win, but once I joined the team, I knew our changes no longer existed. The lowest score was the one that counted, so that meant I had a better score than anyone else in the room. Not bad, Bella! I silently patted myself on the back.
Joey added, "Enjoy dinner, everyone." The chatter picked up again.
I looked at Edward to see his expression. He was looking at me, probably seeing my pride written all over my face. I raised my eyebrow at him, waiting for my praise.
He slid his hand on my thigh under the table and squeezed. He leaned in and whispered in my ear, "Congratulations, Bella." Then he sat back slowly and made a show of removing his hand from my leg.
His warm breath heated my ear and sent a shiver down my body. It had to have been a visible shiver because it was so strong. I felt it in every cell of my body.
My face must have morphed into surprise because that was how I felt. Completely shocked and absolutely confused. His personality shifted and changed quicker than anything I'd ever seen. I saw his jerk behavior, his soft side, and then a sexy side. Unbelievable.
He was really pissing me off. I wondered if he was doing that on purpose to mess with me or if he truly didn't know his affect on me. It was strange how all of his moods turned me on, even if they enraged me at the same time.
~LotG~
The servers placed salad at everyone's setting on the table. It looked good, it was a Cesar Salad, but I was sure that anything would have looked good at that moment. I was so famished.
My napkin was placed on my lap and I scanned the table to make sure everyone had started when I saw Alice smiling with her mother. That wouldn't have been anything to worry about, but in that instance, they were looking at Edward and me. I tilted my head toward Alice in question and she just shook her head.
I rolled my eyes and dug into my salad. I wondered what those girls were up to. Probably trying to match-make or some shit like that. Although Edward had a playful moment, I didn't think he would consider me in that way.
"What are you thinking about over there?" Edward said around a mouth full of salad.
"Ah, just wondering what Alice and your mother are up to over there." I pointed in their direction with the handle of my fork, and then I stabbed some lettuce on my plate.
He looked toward his mother and Alice then back at me. "What are they doing?" I chuckled because he was a typical, oblivious man. I shook my head at him.
"They're plotting and planning," I mumbled under my breath.
Once the salad plates were removed, we were served our main dish. I asked for salmon, and Edward requested the steak. It was actually perfect portions; not too much, but just enough to fill me up. And it included starch, potatoes, and asparagus. I was a big carb eater. Couldn't live without spaghetti, potatoes, or rice in my life. Big ass be damned. I was never giving up carbs!
Mrs. Cullen spoke up. "Bella, dear, what do you do for work?"
"Oh, well, I do a couple of things. I work at the Culver City Library and I work for the Community Center teaching kids how to ice skate." I smiled, because I loved both of my jobs.
"You know how to ice skate?" Edward asked, completely shocked, as if it was impossible for someone from L.A. to know how to skate.
I clicked my tongue again because, seriously, he completely underestimated me. I was a tomboy my whole life. I learned from the boys how to golf, play pool, and ice skate. I wore boy's skates, too, not those girly white ones. Nope!
I could dress up and behave like a lady with the best of them, but I felt more comfortable looking like a lady and acting like a boy.
"Of course I can skate. Why are you so shocked all the time? I thought you figured out already that I'm not like all those prissy girls you're used to." I wasn't sure what he expected or if I completely turned him off, but honestly, it was too bad.
"Did you go to college, Bella?" Dr. Doogie asked. I swore he did not look like he was old enough to be a doctor, and never mind Edward's father. His skin was pristine, much like Alice's, and very pale. I wasn't sure what color his hair was naturally because the only thing that showed his age was his white hair.
"I did, sir. I went to Santa Monica College then I transferred to Loyal Marymount and got my degree in English Literature." I shrugged. "Honestly, I didn't know what I wanted to do, so I figured that I should study something I liked. And I love to read."
"Oh, that's lovely, dear." Praised Mrs. Cullen while Dr. Cullen nodded his approval.
I sneaked a peak at Edward and he had a sly smile creeping on that stupid face of his.
"How about you, Mrs. Cullen, what do you do?" I asked kindly in attempts to keep the conversation going so I wouldn't smack that smirk off Edward's face.
"Please call me Esme, " she said and waved her hand like she was shooing a fly. "I dabble in many different things, but most of my time is donated at JDRF. I'm on the board there and help them with all of their functions. I also paint a bit and help out some of my friends with their interior decorating projects."
"Oh, that's lovely. It's so nice of you to do so much for JDRF. I know they need it very much. I'm surprised I haven't seen you before. I volunteer at a lot of the functions they do."
She waved her hand again and said, "Oh, you know how those functions go. There are so many people and it's so busy. Not to mention, I'm usually in the zone when I work a particular function. I'm sure you know how it is. Running around to ensure everything is going as planned and people have what they need." She smiled, and boy was she a fast talker.
"That's so true." I smiled.
I took another bite of my salmon and looked over at Edward. I wondered why he behaved with such bitterness at times. I wondered why I cared, but it seemed as if he was growing on me. And if in his experience he dealt with people like Jess and Lauren then I could see why he'd be so guarded.
I was not like that. If I liked someone, it was because of who they were as a person not what they had or did.
Edward nudged me and when I turned to him, he was looking across the room to some tables that were lined up against the wall. "Don't forget. They have silent auctions over there." I saw what he was looking at and nodded.
"I'll check it out when I'm done eating. Have you been over there yet?" He shook his head no.
~LotG~
"You want to go over there with me to look at the auction stuff?" He nodded and I held my hand out for his to grab. Not sure why I did that, but it just felt right. He looked at my hand for a second, also questioning it, but took it in the end.
His hand was firm, strong, and rough. It was manly and felt so good around my hand. The connection I felt was strange. I looked up at him and found him looking back at me. I wanted to see if he felt it, too. The intense gleam in his eyes told me he did.
I stepped back and pulled him along to break the connection. I needed to change the vibe to one sillier. I was good at that. So I pulled him forward and then nudged him to lighten the mood.
"Come on, let's start at this end."
Lined up on the table were sheets of paper, and some had either a picture of the auction item or the item itself behind the sign up paper. People donated these items and a lot of them were impressive. I pointed one out to Edward; it was a helicopter tour of L.A. and Catalina. Another item was a weekend in Aspen, Colorado. There were things like jewels, sports memorabilia, and plane tickets, a wide variety, some expensive and others not so much.
"Do you want to do that?" asked Edward as he pointed to the helicopter auction.
I shrugged. "I've always wanted to do that, but it's super expensive."
Edward bent down and wrote on the auction paper. I leaned over him to see what he was doing and sure enough, there was his name and a bid for one thousand dollars.
I began to laugh uncomfortably. "Why did you do that?" I jerked my head at the paper.
He put his hands up in front of him as in surrender and began to laugh. "I thought if I won we could go together." Then he reached for my hand to continue walking down the table.
I looked up at him again and asked, "You'd want to go with me?" His offer completely threw me off. I never expected him to want to go anywhere with me.
His eyebrows rose and he smiled. "I guess I do. We could make it a date."
I was sure my face drained. "What? A date? Um … sure." Then I thought about the location of my confidence and summoned all I could.
"And if you don't win the helicopter ride we can still go on a date," I said with finality.
"Of course, I'd like that very much."
~LotG~
After we had looked at all the auction items, we made our way back to the table. Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper weren't there. They must have been looking around as well. Edward's parents were sitting by themselves.
Dr. Cullen addressed Edward. "Son, when is your next tournament?"
"I'm actually doing the Open Championship in England in July."
"That's great. You have plenty of time to train and practice. In the meantime you'll be around for our family dinners," Mrs. Cullen said.
"By the way, Bella, would you like to join us for our family dinner next Sunday?" Edward's mother completely shocked me with that question.
I looked at her quickly then to Edward, pleading him to tell me what I should say. We had just decided to go on a date, and we hadn't even decided when or where. Edward smiled and nodded his head slightly.
I turned back to his mother and answered, "Yes, I'd love to. Thank you so much for the invitation." I smiled so widely.
It seemed like forces were working in succession to get Edward and me to spend as much time together as possible. And I liked the idea of that. And I couldn't wait to see where it took us.
The End