A new story!

I've written quite a bit of this already but would be keen to hear peoples response to it.

I am planning on updating often - a few times a day - but the the updates will be short, averaging between 1000-1500 words give or take.

A very talented friend of mien collaborated on this with me, we wrote this as original fiction but haven't' finished it yet... I'm hoping to get some inspiration to finish it off.

She wrote from Edward's point of view. Let me know what you think!

"Have fun at the bar! Let me know if you need me to pick you up," Rosalie called out to her as Bella crossed the room of their shared apartment toward the front door. Thirty seconds and she'd be free.

"I should be fine, but thanks," Bella replied as her hand twisted the knob of their front door. "See you later!"

And then she was free. Not because she wanted to be away from Rosalie, her best friend, but because she was caught in a lie, and she hated it.

The story that Rosalie Hale knew was that Bella was helping out a friend of hers who was struggling really badly at his bar. Bella had, out of the "goodness of her heart," volunteered to help him out until he got back on his feet. The lie tasted bitter in her mouth every time she told Rosalie she was doing another shift. Mostly it was just Saturday nights, but more recently Bella had been having to lie more often to Rosalie; she'd come in late sometimes Wednesday and Thursday nights, too, and if her friend hadn't already made it to bed, she'd look up from whatever it was she was doing and ask her: "How was Riley? How was the bar? Was it busy? Are things picking up for Riley again?"

And every time, Bella would have to swallow back the compulsion she felt to tell her friend the truth and once again lie.

Riley wasn't a friend. That was the first truth.

She shut the door behind her, a huff of breath leaving her as she felt the warm, humid air of what had to be the hottest summer she'd experienced in her short twenty-six years.

A voice cleared, and Bella glanced up. She hadn't even realized she'd not been alone. She spotted Edward, who was looking her over. Bella clutched the bag that held her clothes tightly in her arm and straightened her back. She wasn't going to let whatever Edward had to say to her tonight affect her, and so before he opened his mouth, she walked past him without so much as bothering to say hello. Hello would lead to how are you? And what are you up to this evening? And who knew what else, and Bella didn't really feel like lying to Edward as well.

She'd most likely end up saying something completely bitchy and uncalled for because that's what always ended up happening whenever she was around Edward. The man made her defenses snap up and every bit of common courtesy she had within her leave the moment he entered a room. And she still hadn't figured out why.

Bella caught a taxi to the club. It was still early, and she knew she would be one of the first girls there, but that was okay with her. Riley wouldn't arrive until an hour before the show started, and by that time, all the girls would have arrived, and she'd be able to hide in the back of the costume room. At least, she hoped she could hide.

She handed over a twenty to the cab driver and collected her change. Then walked around to the back of the seedy looking club, situated in Tenderloin, San Francisco – notoriously well known for its high crime and red-light-district.

Dumping her bag down, Bella got to work on getting herself ready.

Her hair was the easiest. Most of the girls wore hair extensions, but Bella already had rather long brown hair. The guys seemed to tip her more than the blondes, although she couldn't figure out why. Weren't blondes supposed to be more fun? But if it was making her money, then she wasn't about to complain.

Steam billowed out from the hair straightener as Bella began to work it over her hair. She was almost finished when the back door opened and a girl by the name of Clara wandered in. Bella smiled in the mirror, her eyes meeting the tall, dark-skinned beauty.

"Hey, Isa!" She greeted Bella using Bella's stage name. No one except for Riley knew her real name, and Bella planned on keeping it that way. It was important to her to keep her two lives separate.

"Clara. You're here early." Bella continued to straighten her hair as the two girls got caught up with one another. Clara was a mother of two, although by looking at her you couldn't tell. There were no stretch marks on her body. She was toned and in shape. The only tells that Bella could spot were the tired shadows under Clara's eyes that would easily be covered in makeup within a few hours.

Finished with her hair, Bella switched the hair straightener off. "Do you need help with your extensions?" she asked Clara.

"No, honey. I'm fine. I'm a pro at this, remember? You go get yourself ready."

Bella laughed and nodded her head. "Alright, but give me a shout if you need help."

Clara snorted. "You probably wouldn't even know what to do, Miss-I-don't-need-hair-extensions."

"You're probably right." Bella grinned and shook her hair about in a way that only made Clara pout.

"Save it for the fellas, girl."

Bella sighed and turned away. A glance at the clock told her that most of the girls would be getting here any minute and that if she wanted use of the mirrors to do her makeup, she'd better get cracking. She had finished applying her red lip-stain when a group of young girls entered. Bella recognized most of them; they were probably the youngest workers at the club: barely eighteen year old college students who needed the extra cash for rent and food.

She moved aside as they bustled in, figuring that she was done with her makeup and hair and only needing to get dressed. She grabbed her set list and headed out to the main area where the DJ, Tyler, was setting up for the night.

"Hey, sugar!" Despite the fact that Bella was still wearing her street clothes, Tyler looked her up and down, a leer on his face. He called all the girls various pet names. Bella's happened to be "sugar."

"Hi, Tyler. Here's my set list." She handed over her list. Bella was due to work the stage six times that night, including a special feature where she'd dress up in a costume. But for the other five dances she would only be required to wear her usual get up: a skimpy, black string-bikini top and matching thong.

"You'll be the fourth girl on tonight, sugar."

"Great. Thanks."

Bella turned on her heel and walked back toward the dressing rooms, ignoring Tyler's wolf whistle. Tyler was relatively harmless, but he was still a pervert.

Back in the safety of the changing room, Bella managed to find a space with a mirror, despite the fact the room was becoming crowded with girls.

Sh removed her clothes quickly and folded the jeans, t-shirt and underwear she'd worn to the club, placing them in her bag. She then took out the skimpy undergarments and slid them on. She straightened to check herself in the mirror and to ensure that her body looked all right, and it did. Bella had no self-image issues, she worked out a lot and she ate healthy. She was toned, and her skin had a healthy glowing tan. Her body wasn't scarred with stretch marks or any other sort of mark, which was incredibly lucky considering the life she'd led so far.

She caught the glances of a couple of the other girls on the other side of the room through the mirror looking her over, Through the mirror, Bella caught the glances of the other girls. They were judging her body and no doubt comparing themselves to her. Bella sighed and turned to the sheer, black baby doll negligee she'd be wearing over the top of her skimpy undergarments.

"Doors open in ten minutes, girls!" Bella glanced up to see that Riley had arrived and was ordering the girls into their positions.

Put your game face on, Bella. Or rather, Isa. She slipped the sheer fabric on over her body and tied it together. A simple pull of the string would unveil her. But that would be later, when the spotlight was on her.

So what do you think of the first chapter? Tell me your thoughts by leaving a review below. :)