A/N-Yes, I know I should probably finish my other stories posted on fanficiton, but I like this story, too . . . and I've never written a Bella/Edward fic before, so wish me luck! :)
Beta: ltaylor041 (not an official beta on fanfic, but definitely an official friend!) (she will be beta-ing for all chapters)
Warning? All human story! Definitely OOC!
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended.
Mind Your Own Business
Chapter 1: Inspiration
"Hello?" he answered, sounding like he was in a good mood, but I still did not want to risk it. "Hey babe, I'm gonna be home late tonight," he told me.
"Oh, okay," I said. "Same. I have a deadline." But the truth was, we had just sent to the printer the night before. We didn't send again for another week, but he didn't need to know that. I could always work on my piece for my column next week.
"Okay," Mike mumbled, "I'll see ya when I see ya." We both hung up the phone, and I sighed, staring at my computer screen, a blank document ready for next week's column. Next to my computer sat a framed photo of Mike and me on our honeymoon in Costa Rica. I reached towards it and laid it down on the desk, the photo facing down.
What to write, what to write, what to write, I thought, tapping my fingers rhythmically on the desk. What to write.
"Why do you always stay late, Isabella, is it?" I looked up to put a face to the voice, and hello there, a cute face at that! A man in a blue button down shirt and tie stood in front of me. He had dirty blonde hair—almost brunette—and a crooked smile with perfect white teeth.
I shrugged. "Just like it here, I guess." I looked down at my left hand and slid it under the table, out of his view. "And yeah, but it's Bella. Aren't you Carlisle's son, Edward? Oh, yes you are." Carlisle Cullen, the man who signs my much-needed paychecks. He nodded yes. "You know everyone hates you because they think you got the job just because he owns this place?"
"People should really just worry about themselves, mind their own business." Edward ran a finger along the edge of my desk.
"That would be nice," I agreed as a thought occurred in my head. I slyly slipped my diamond ring off of my left ring finger under the table and slid it into my knee-high black leather boot—the boots that my friend Alice had forced me to buy. I hoped he had not seen. If he does it, then why can't I? I asked myself, laying my left hand on top of my desk in Edward's sight.
"Hm, Alice's friend, aren't you," Edward mused to himself. He glanced out into the other offices and entrance area. "This place is dead," he said.
"Tell me about it. Hey, do you wanna go get a drink?" I knew Mike was cheating, so why couldn't I have a little fun?
He tilted his head, looking at me a little funny, probably wondering why I had asked him such an abrupt question. "Sure, lemme just go get my coat." He turned around, walking back to his office, and I admit it, I watched him. I turned off my computer and grabbed my purse and coat. Checking my phone for any missed calls or texts, I noticed a text from Alice, the "trends" section editor, my best friend, and also Edward's little sister. The text read: "HEY! Don't stay too late today, okay?" I replied, "Leaving now." Alice was always looking out for me. Somehow, I think she knew about Mike and me. I just don't think she ever knew how to approach me about it.
"You ready?" Edward asked as he came to my desk.
I glanced one last time at the picture frame facing down on my desk, smiled, and looked back up at Edward. "Ready!"
We went to this restaurant/bar down the street that I had been to a couple of times with Alice. She claimed the waiter had a thing for her . . . she only claimed this, however, after she had had a few drinks and told the hostess, Victoria, to wear a turtleneck to "conceal the girls." As much as Alice embarrassed me sometimes, she was my best friend and I loved her.
"You know, I love reading your column each week," Edward told me, setting his drink on the table. "How'd you land the gig, anyway?"
"Well, I interned at the magazine for a few months, and then Emily left. She had the column before me. She told your dad and Jacob that she thought I had 'spunk.'" Jacob was my section editor. "And that if they didn't give me the job they'd really regret it." I took a sip of my drink. "Your dad gave me a trial run, so I wrote the column for three issues, and he liked me! So I got the job!" I paused. "I'm surprised you read it. They're kind of feminine." Then something crossed my mind. "Wait... unless you're..."
He laughed. "Ah no! No, I am not. I just love how you write; no matter what it's about it's captivating. And that's also what I like about the column in general, it's just random! But I can see how it can also be useful to readers, too, and it is just so captivating." I laughed—he kind of just kept going and going and going . . .
"Ha, yeah Alice says that reading my column is like an—"
But Edward cut me off, "An orgasm for her brain. Yeah, I know. She's said that to a lot of people about your pieces. She's very... very... eccentric?"
"See, you can use fancy words, too!" I laughed, he joined in. "But I guess photography is more your forte." He nodded. Edward was the photo editor for the magazine, a phenomenal photo editor, at that. I'll have to ask Alice for a sexual comparison. "So, tell me the truth. Did you get the job because of daddy?" I asked.
"I mean, yeah, sure, maybe, but I hate that! People think that and then they automatically know I'm some conceited idiot that is going to run the publication into the ground once my dad leaves." He drank the last of his drink as a waiter stopped by, asking us if we wanted more. We both said yes. "But I hate that, hate it!" I wondered what Edward's brother Emmett did for a living and why he wasn't in the publication business. Carlisle had mentioned him a few times in passing, but I decided not to inquire any further.
"Well, if it means anything at all, I do not think you are some conceited idiot." I smiled and nonchalantly flipped my hair over my shoulder. Oh God, I just flipped my hair. Who was I?
"Means a lot. Thanks, Bella!" Then we entered the first awkward silence moment of the night. I was actually surprised we had made it this far. We made it out of the office, down the street, through the door, and almost to the second drink. I would consider that rather successful, actually.
Once the waiter came back with our drinks, Edward asked me if I knew what I was going to write for next week's issue. I told him I hadn't really decided yet; nothing had hit me yet. "So something has to 'hit' you?" he asked. "What? Like an asteroid?" I smiled, but shook my head no. "Yeah, I get it. Inspiration."
"Exactly. I just hope that inspiration doesn't wait to hit until the morning of deadline. In that case, the 'dead' in 'deadline' is literal." I bit my lip. "Wow, that has got to be one of the worst journalistic jokes ever," I laughed.
I got up and went to the bathroom after that. The ring in my boot was killing me. I had to take it out. I quickly removed it. "Bastard," I muttered as I turned it over in my hand and slipped it into my purse. I checked my hair, my makeup, and headed back out toward Edward. He was staring off into space when I sat down.
"Is the wall really that interesting?" I questioned him. He snapped back to reality, and I ignored his little daze out. "So how are you out this late? Your girlfriend not mind?" I know it is the oldest trick in the book, but I had to know. Single? Taken? We already know he's not gay, so that was crossed off the list.
"No girlfriend," he said, taking a swig of his drink. I looked up, making eye contact with him, and smiled.
After that, no more awkward silences arose. The conversation flowed, as well as the drinks, several drinks, in fact.
At 11:15, I told him that we should probably head out. Walking out to the street, we decided to share a cab. We both gave the driver the addresses of our separate apartment buildings as we got in. After the first block, Edward and I turned to each other at the exact same time, connected eyes, and then well, he kissed me. I'm not saying I that I didn't kiss back. I mean I kissed back. After a minute, Edward pulled away, looked at me with questioning eyes. I smiled in response. He leaned towards the driver. "Actually, " he said, "just go to the second address we gave you, mine." The driver chuckled, and I pulled Edward back against me.
That's when the inspiration hit me.
A/N-C'mon! Hit that little review button and let me know what you think! I have the first six and a half chapters written, so I plan to post soon.