The week a magazine like Eclipse went down on popularity was massive chaos. Every department head was in a frenzy. Desk were littered, phones were tied up and lunches were skipped. The air was tinged with a sense of panic that built with every hour. In most offices the lights burned late into the night. The rich scent of coffee and the sting of tobacco smoke were never absent. After three years on staff I took the monthly panic as a matter of course. Because Eclipse was a slick, respected publication whose sales generated million of dollars a year. It ran articles by eminent psychologist and journalists. Its photography was first-class, just as its text was thoroughly researched and concisely written. And knowing myself I wouldn't have settle for any less.
"so...how did the piece on the sculptures turned out?" bringing me out of my thoughts was my best friend from college Rosalie Hale, and one of the top photographers on the west coast. Whom has been talking nonstop about god knows what for the past 30 minutes.
"good." I said simply. "I have seen better art scrawled in alleys." I continued typing into my computer.
"Okay that's it!...here I am trying to make a conversation with my best friend whom I haven't seen for the past two weeks, and this is how she acts! by not paying attention to me but writing into that stupid computer."
"Well is not my fault that you decided to come and visit me during work when you know that I'm suppose to be working! AND writing into that stupid computer!" I snapped back at her.
She just sat there quiet for a few moments. And I was starting to regret yelling at her.
"look-" we both said at the same time.
"you first." I said.
"look Bells I'm sorry...I know you're busy, but I'm worried about you. Your always working. You don't go out with your friends anymore, you don't date...I miss you. And I don't want to lose my best friend."
I let out a sigh.
"I'm sorry too...and i know you just want the best for me." She gave a small smile.
I could remember it as if it were yesterday...I was sitting by my self during freshman orientation when Rose strolled in, she looked around before walking straight toward me and said 'You look normal enough, so I'm gonna stick with you' we became the best of friends from that time on. She helped me overcome my shyness and I helped her be less bitchy towards people. So you could say we were good for each other.
"Okay so I've been meaning for you to meet this guy I been dating for two months now...Bella I think he is the one- I'm so fucking in-love with him."
"Is this the Emmett guy you cussed out in the grocery store?"
she chuckled lightly. " Yeah...Can't believe you still remember that."
"Well, you didn't shut up about it for three weeks straight." I commented.
She laughed this time, while standing up and walking toward the farthest end of my office to my mirror and started checking herself out. But who could blame her, she was after all very beautiful. Silkily golden blond hair, Perfect ice blue eyes, and the body of a model. While I, in the other hand, had long brown hair, brown eyes, and pale as a ghost.
"I don't want to ruin the mood or anything...but are you still obsess with that Edward Cullen guy?"
I let out very dramatic sigh, because she was in fact ruining the mood. Edward Cullen was becoming my personal quest and almost an obsession. Maybe because he was so completely inaccessible, I've become determined to be the first to break through the cloud of mystery. Three months of hitting blank walls in researching Edward Cullen were not going to stop me. I was going to get his story no matter what.
"Well...you could say that. So far I haven't gotten pass his agent's phone number and his editor's name." I could hear the frustration in my tone. "I've never known people so close mouthed."
"Why in god's name are you being so stubborn? Why do you keep looking that guy up, you know nobody has been able to have an interview with him in the last five years...I mean why don't you go after any other author?"
"You know me, Rose. When I'm determined to do something I don't stop until I get it." I said in a Calm Voice.
"Well Hun, Good luck with that"
"Thank you for your amazing support" I said.
"C'mon you know I don't mean it like that, I'm Just trying to help."
"yeah, I know." I said.
"so...Didn't his latest book hit the best-seller list last week?"
"yep."
"Have you read it?"
"I have it, but I haven't had the chance to read it yet" I answered.
Rose flipped her golden hair to her right shoulder, then turned to look at me.
"Don't start it on a dark night" she laughed. "I mean, every damned time I read one of his books I end up sleeping with all the lights on in the apartment. I don't know how he does it."
I smile at her confession. She had before swore she didn't get scare of anything. " That's one of the things I'm going to find out."
"But why?...why do you want to find out about him?"
"Because no one else has." I said simply.
"okay then...But what's your master plan?"
"To keep digging." I returned. "I do have some connections with Red Dawn, his publishing house." I could hear the frustration creeping up into my tone once again. "Damned it, Rose. His like the man who wasn't there. I can't even find what state he lives in."
"You know...I'm half starting to believe some of the rumors..." she said thoughtfully.
"what?"
"That the man-" she got cut off by some one knocking on the door.
"Come in!" I yelled. The door opened and Angela stepped in with a shy smile on her face. She was our newest secretary on the News department.
"I'm sorry to interrupt Ms. Swan but Mr. Newton told me to give you these." she said apologetically. I looked at the hand full of documents she held. And my mouth dropped.
"Holy mother of-" I got cut off by Rose having hysterics in the background, I ignored her and tried to calm myself.
Mike Newton was the head of this department, and since I declined his dinner offer a month back he is set on making my life a living hell. "What does he want me to do with those?"
Poor Angela was more nervous than usual. I tried and smile at her so that she'll know I wasn't mad at her.
"Mr. Newton Just wants you to go over them and if you find anything out of place...to fix it." she said.
"That's okay, you can put them on my desk. And thank you." She put everything on my desk, and hurried out of the door closing it behind her.
I turn to look at Rose who was still trying to control her laughter. I shot her a dirty look which made her laugh harder.
"What is so damned funny?"
"The- the look on your face Bells!" She took three deep breaths and finally she was back to herself.
"Are you done now?"
"Isabella Marie you have no sense of humor." she said.
"yeah whatever, and don't call me Isabella" getting a little annoyed now.
"Sorry BELLA." she said sarcastically. "where was I before the girl came in?" she thought for a moment. "OH, I was saying that the guy probably lives in a cave somewhere, full of bats with a couple of wolfs thrown in."
I almost laughed at that one. "And what else? sacrifices virgins every new moon?"
"I wouldn't be surprised." she said with a serious tone."I'll tell you the man is weird."
"Yeas but 'On The Dark Side' is already on the bestseller list." I said defensibly.
"I didn't say he wasn't brilliant." she corrected. "I said he was weird, what kind of mind does he have?" she shook her head with a sheepish smile.
I jumped out of my chair impatiently and started pacing around my office. That was exactly what I was trying to find out. I wanted the mystery to be Mystery no more.
"That's exactly my point Rose... I want to answer those questions that people have out there." I said, stopping to look at her. "What kind of mind DOES he have? Is he married? Is he sixty-five or twenty-five? why does he write novels about the supernatural?...Why do you read his books Rose?" I ask.
"Because they are fascinating." she answered immediately. "because by the time I was on page three you couldn't have gotten the book away from me with a crowbar."
"And you are an intelligent woman." I said.
"Damn right." she agreed with a grin while wiggling her eyebrows for emphasis.
okay so leave it to Rose to take a complement over to the edge. I rolled my eyes at her and walked back to my chair.
"Oh come on, you want me to give you a compliment, don't you?" she said, while walking back to one of the chairs in-front of my desk. "you have a talent for digging obscure facts, and turning them into intriguing stories. You are lovely, but rarely date for some weird reason, other than business of course. You have an unfinished novel sitting somewhere in your apartment, and-" I cut her off because she was about to give me a rundown of my entire life.
"hold it there, that actually sounded like my mom trying to tell me what to do." I said, while trying to hold down a smile.