AN: So I don't own Twilight, and the title is from Hotel California, which I don't own either.
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RPOV
"Rose get away from the mirror; honestly nothing changed in the last five minutes" Edward told me, I knew if I looked away from my own reflection I would see him peeking over his book, one eyebrow raised.
"I'm not so sure about this" I replied ignoring his opinion about my post at the mirror.
"It was your idea to invite them all here for dinner, so you have no one to blame but your self" he said laughing. This time I turned and glared at him.
About a month ago I ran in to Bella, I asked about her husband, her job and her kids. About twenty minutes in to our coffee we realized that neither of us had kept in touch with our old high school friends. So I got the genius idea to have a dinner party and invite them all.
"When does this thing start?" Edward asked. He knew that it annoyed me when he made my parties sound like frivolous wastes of time.
"You know when it starts." I said.
"Right then, I'm going to get ready. Why don't you check on dinner" He said leaving the study quickly.
The kitchen was relatively quiet when I entered, other parties I threw required much more staff and preparation. But somehow, not nearly as much emotional stress.
I passed through the kitchen towards the dinning room, stopping to thank the head caterer for all his hard work.
The dinning room was set, the candles, placemats, napkins, china and silver where were all the best quality, and in pristine condition.
I walked a circle around the dinning room table checking the place cards and settings. I had already done this twice earlier, but I had nothing to do.
I straitened a rose in the small arrangement behind Alice's place card. High school seemed like ages ago, yet it had only been about 7 years.
7 years since I had seen most of these people; Bella had kids, Alice was successful, Edward was a doctor, Jasper a historian with a PHD….and, Emmett was in sports…. 7 years.
I looked in the mirror again, not much had changed in my appearance. I had a little work done, but it didn't even count as surgery. I was thinking about doing something to my crow's feet, maybe even the lines around my mouth. I turned my head I could wait a few years. My natural beauty was still there, people never guessed my age right and I still had modeling agencies contact me for jobs.
I walked up the stairs to check on Edward. He was wrestling with his tie, as always.
"I still don't understand why you cant get down the simple task of tying a tie" I said reaching around his neck slipping the silk fabric in to a knot.
"This is why I became a doctor my dear, so I would never have to wear ties" Edward said turning around, still in my arms, and planting a kiss on my forehead.
"A doctor who cant tie a simple knot?" I said moving my hands from behind his neck to his shoulders "Remind you to never trust you with a knife around me" I said with a big smile giving his shoulders a slight shake before I walked over to my side of the bed where my dress was already laid out.
I took off my house robe and slipped in to my dress, before I could even ask Edward was behind me. He gathered my freshly curled hair and draped it over my shoulder. I could feel the zipper of my dressing slowly being moved up my back. It was normally a very sensual task that most people would shutter at the mere thought of having someone as handsome as Edward that close the them. But my mind could not stay away from the memories of high school, of other people. Of the very people that were due to be in my dinning room in less than an hour at my own doing; I never think things through. Edward was right, I had no one to blame for tonight but myself.
BPOV
I was just about to put on my mascara when I heard Lydia yelling from the living room. I threw down the wand-applicator-thing and ran down the hallway. Adonis was running around the room with his younger sisters' bear while Raeburn was jumping from chair to chair.
"Addy- give Lydia her bear back. And Rae, get off that chair this instant!" I yelled. Addy stopped running and Lydia snatched her bear from her brother's grip. Rea stopped jumping but was still standing on a chair.
"Raeburn get off the chair" Jasper said calmly as he walked from the study to the living room.
"Daddy-daddy, Addy hurt lulu" Lydia said her blue eyes filling with tears as she pointed to her bear.
"Let me see lulu" Jasper said kneeling down. He examined the bear and stood up.
"I can fix her just give me a minute" Jasper said taking the bear back in to his study. Lydia sniffled. Addy stood next to her and whispered something in her ear. She gasped and hit his arm.
"Mommy-mommy Addy said that lulu is gonna die!" Lydia cried her eyes again filling with tears.
"That's silly" Rea said. "lulu was never alive". I took a deep breath and readied myself for Lydia's break down. Right as I heard her take a large gasp of air Jasper entered the room.
"Raeburn, that was not a kind thing to say to your sister, where did you get from that?" He asked looking at our oldest son. Rea hung his head, once again he had upset his father.
"Now Lydia lulu is a bit sore, so she needs to go to bed soon can I entrust her care to you?" Jasper asked her handing her the bear who was not sporting one of Japer's handkerchiefs tied carefully around the bear's arm. Lydia looked at him just blinking for a moment then nodded enthusiastically.
"Why don't you go ahead and get her comfortable ?" I asked Lydia.
"Raeburn why don't you and Adonis put your toys away and then get ready for dinner?" Jasper asked. Raeburn nodded turning towards his brother, most likely to start giving orders.
Jasper turned towards me, "When is Lilah getting here to watch the kids?" He asked stepping aside to let me walk down the hallway first.
"She'll be here in about half an hour" I answered picking up the mascara instrument again and getting back to my make up.
"Good, good" he said, so quietly it was most likely for his own benefit. He opened up his side of the closet and grabbed pants and a dress shirt.
"How formal do you think the dinner will be?" he asked spinning his ties on their rack.
"Well you know Rosalie, as formal as she can most likely." I replied thinking of a dinner she threw for all of us when we were sophomores, she though it was fun. I thought it was hell, I was required to dress up, and eat in my nice clothes, there were way to many utensils and not to mention the low candles next to the paper name cards and nice table cloth, it was a two hour panic attack. The only way I made it to the end with out much ado was Edward. He would be there tonight . Of course he would, his wife was throwing the party.
APOV
I
was late, I was so late. Crap. I reached over to grab my cell from my
purse. I quick pressed 2 and then talk. It rang, and rang "come
on…" I began chanting in my head.
"Yeah?" He answered.
"Em, thank god. I am so late. I need to ask you a favor. Can you pull something out of the closet for me to wear. And remember we have to look some what respectable." I asked him.
"Oh sure, I think I can find something respectable" Emmett practically purred at me.
"If I cant wear undergarments with it, 'cuz it's that scandalous, then it's a 'no', got it Em?". I could hear him groan.
"Sure. Only you would take all the fun out of a chore. One that I'm doing as a favor" He complained.
"Oh, I'll make it up to you. don't worry about that" I said.
"OK then, I'm on it. See you in a few?" Em asked.
"about 5 minutes, love ya"
"love you to" He said. I snapped my phone closed as I pulled down the visor and looked at myself it the reflection. This would have to due. I was so busy lately on my home decorating show that I couldn't get off any earlier for Rose's dinner party; but at the same time how could I miss seeing them all. I remembered all of us being inseparable, and now I think I get Christmas cards from them. We used to do everything together and now I couldn't ever remember if Bella had two kids or three.
Ever since I graduated college it was just go, go, go. I was always late for something it seamed. My planner was so full I had to have at least a month to try and squeeze anything in. This is the life I wanted, I loved fashion design, but I realized that home design was a field monopolized by Pottery Barn. So now, just a few years latter, I had my own line and even a tv show. I was a 'big star' haha, I just had fun. I was living the life I wanted. I lived with the man I loved, my career was doing well, I had money, the only think I was lacking was time. Time and a social life. But I was hoping that I could re-connect with my old high school friends.
I remember high school like it was yesterday, I wish I could go back. There are so many things I wish I had done differently. I wish I had tried out for the school musical, I wish I could fix that unfortunate month and a half where I was a blond. But most importantly I would have fixed the last month pr two of senior year.
