Chapter 1: Meetings
Great, this was all I needed. First, I bomb a job interview. Second, the damn taxi driver tried to flirt with me. And now some stupid dude just spilled his burning Starbucks coffee all over me. Did I mention that it was HOT?
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I honestly did not see you there!" screamed the dude. He sounded surprisingly sincere.
That's when I looked up and noticed that this dude happened to be amazingly gorgeous in every sense of the word. Honestly, words did not do him justice. But then I noticed his one thousand five hundred-dollar Armani jacket. Also great, the dude was probably some spoiled rich kid who hadn't struggled one day in his life.
"Look, let me make it up to you," he said, "I can take you out to dinner or something. I can give you my number and pay for your dry cleaning."
That's right! Now I remember why he looks so familiar! He was Edward Cullen, CEO of Cullen Industries. I know because he appeared on the cover of Men's Health Issue last month. And I had been undeniably attracted to him.
"Right. Listen I have had a really bad day today and I really don't need some snotty well-off millionaire to pay for my dry cleaning," not that I had any clothes expensive enough to deserve dry-cleaning, "so why don't you just leave me alone."
I had every intention of walking out graciously like the ending in a really bad movie but of course, as clumsy as I am, I had to trip.
And as obnoxious as he was, he had to catch me.
"Whoa!"
"Darn it!"
"Are you always this clumsy?" He said. He dared to smirk at me. The little brat dared.
"Do you always spill your coffee all over strangers?" Ok, I'll admit that was a poor come back.
"Well, I usually make it up to them when I do. Not that I do that a lot. Actually this is the first time." He stooped down and grabbed my bag off the floor. It didn't look right, him in his one thousand five hundred-dollar suit and holding my bag which I grabbed of the sales rack at Wal-Mart.
"How about you just let me get on my way and leave me alone, alright?" I said in a strong voice. At least what I thought was a strong voice.
I walked out of the place kind of limping and with what little dignity I had left. I jumped eleven feet in the air as my phone vibrated in my pocket. I swore I needed to change that but I always forgot.
"Hello?"
"Darling! How are you? I haven't seen you in forever! How come you never call me anymore? So anyway, listen, I had this idea in my mind for you to stop by my apartment on your way to work? I need a little something something if you know what I mean!"
My mom kept rattling off and off just like every single time she calls me. I should have not answered but she would have called me a hundred more times in the next month. Guess it's just better to get it over now and not later.
"Mom, listen, as much as I enjoy our little chats over the phone, I really need to go now or I'm going to arrive late to work." I tried to sound stern but my mom was really blind and could not take a hint.
"Oh that's right! You had a job interview his morning! How did that go? Did you get the job? Oh, I just know you did, who wouldn't have given you a job? Do you get a desk?..."
I honestly thought she would just stop once she realized I wasn't answering any of her questions but she just kept digging deeper. I thought I was going to get a job. But I guess, they decided I wasn't their "type". I wasn't rich and I didn't have that much experience. But I thought I could make it to Editor. I had worked at that magazine since I graduated college with a Journalism degree in writing.
I arrived at Mode Magazine after finally hanging up with my mom. By that time, I was half an hour late not to mention the time it I spent at that café with that obnoxious Edward Cullen.
"You're late. Like, really late. I bet your probably getting fired." That annoying Tanya sneered at me.
I walked past her without looking at her. When I started here, I was intimidated by her looks but after a while, I realized there was nothing behind that pretty face. I try not to be stereotypical, but she was just a rich girl who never had to work for anything. Kind of like Edward Cullen. I bet they would make a great couple. Both come from rich families. Both have gorgeous appearances. If they ever meet, I can already see the next month's issue.
My desk wasn't anything special either. If I ever went missing, no one would know this was my desk. I had no pictures of me with anyone except one photo of my cat Alice. This reminded me that Edward Cullen had a cat, Russell. I don't even know how I remembered that since it had been a month since I read that stupid article of his.
Ugh, I can't stop thinking about that stupid, annoying jerk. Why does he have to be so big in the publishing world? It just doesn't make sense! He owns medical company. He's not Bill Gates, for God's sakes!
"Hey, Bella, I need you to cancel my meeting with John Fishburg. I really don't feel like talking business with that man today. He's so conceited. Ugh, men," Rosalie said as she passed my desk on her way to her office.
Rosalie Hale was Editor-in-Chief of Mode Magazine and had been ever since her father had a tragic heart attack and left the position between her and her twin brother, Jasper. She eventually won and Jasper became Creative Director at Mode. No one knows how she won, but there are some crazy rumors like she threaten to kill Jasper if he didn't give up. Or the rumor that says she tied Jasper to an electrical chair and tortured him until he gave it up. I don't believe any of them though I wouldn't put it past Rosalie to do some of those things. That was one of the reasons this magazine was so successful. She didn't give up until she got what she wanted. This made her a pretty mean and tough to impress kind of boss. I would know. I had been her assistant for two years now.
"I'll get right on it. I already had someone post up those new catalogs you wanted to revise. And Vogue called to invite you to the launch party of their January issue with the new Editor-in-Chief. I said you would get back to them as soon as possible," even though this was not the job I wanted to be doing the rest of my life, I did kind of enjoy getting invited to such launch parties. Well not invited directly, but Rosalie always needed me there to take people's numbers and schedule meetings.
"Tell them no those bastards always want me there so they can show off. On second thought, maybe I will be there. That way its good publicity and I get to show off a little myself," this was Rosalie's approach when she got invited to parties like this one. Always come out on top.
Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever get to be Editor-in-Chief. It kind of seemed like a lonely job if you're always backstabbing people. Look at Rosalie, she's gotten married five times in the past twenty years. She started out in this magazine when she was just a teenager. Unlike most rich kids, she actually had to work for things. She wasn't always daddy's favorite and that made her determined.
But for me, I just want to write. I just want my name to come out in a magazine in a major article. As Rosalie's assistant, I did get to attend a lot of photo shoots and get the behind the scenes look at everything.
Maybe one day I'll get there. I'm just not sure if I want to lose myself in the process.
Whenever I have a bad day, I can always count on Alice to cheer me up. My friends (the little I have) say its weird how in tune we are. She always waits for me by the door everyday when I get home. I wish I could just tale her anywhere with me but sadly, most places in Seattle don't allow pets and I'm always afraid I'll lose her. I carried her by the stomach and hugged her to me. I definitely needed her comfort now.
I made dinner for myself and served Alice with her bowl of food. Then I turned on the TV, hoping to get my mind off a certain red-head.
"…and I certainly hope she gets better. In other entertainment news, Edward Cullen was spotted out today at a Starbucks today with a new lady-love. The couple seemed quite cozy as he had his arms around her and was smiling. We certainly hope this isn't just another one of Mr. Cullen's conquests and we hope that dog will settle down soon. I'm Jessica Stanley and you've been watching E News."
I gaped. I just gaped.