Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. Just my own brilliant scenarios.
Author's Note: So here it is. Chapter one of my new little masterpiece. I'm thoroughly in love with this story, and I hope you come to enjoy it as well. I know I said I wouldn't be posting until I finished "Lovestruck", but I just couldn't resist.
Be warned, though, that this story is much different than my others. I'm talking more language, more scandal, and of course, lemons. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.
Pictures of VS outfit and Bella's dress are on my profile.
Without further ado, I give you "Paint the Town".
"Isabella Marie! You get your pretty little ass out of bed right now!"
I groaned and rolled over, throwing my arm over my eyes to shield them from the light pouring in through my open door. Damn you, Rosalie Hale.
"I'm not kidding, missy. Alice is on her way over here, and if you're still in bed, there's no telling what kind of horrors she might put you through. If I were you, I'd seriously consider getting up. Now."
I made no move to crawl out of the sea of sheets and blankets I was currently engulfed in, and I soon felt one side of my full-size bed sink down slightly under Rosalie's weight.
"Bell-a," she sang into my ear. "Get up. It's Friday and we don't have class. We're going shopping, and if you're not ready when Alice gets here, we're going to make you model sexy lingerie. After that, we're going to make you buy it."
"You're a bitch," I croaked sleepily, picking my head up off my pillow and glaring at my beautiful best friend. "And I hate you." She smiled and flipped her long golden hair over her shoulder.
"I may be a bitch, but you will never hate me. It's physically impossible."
"Whatever you say, oh perfect one." I groaned again as I threw the comforter off of me, the air hitting my skin. I slowly sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes, looking around the room, and then at Rose. "So what else is on the agenda for today? Do I really have to go shopping?" She grinned devilishly.
"Yes," she piped happily, but quickly caught sight of my less-than-thrilled expression. "Oh, Bella, calm down. It will be fun! We're picking out sexy clubbing outfits for tonight, and then we'll come back here and get you all prettied up. Then, we're going to hit the town. Those Seattle men will think they've died and gone to heaven with all the gorgeous girls walking around." She laughed and grabbed my hand, pulling me off the bed and toward my closet. "Up, up! You can shower later, but now you need to put clothes on. You can't go to the mall dressed like that." She let go of my hand, practically throwing me into my closet door.
"Jesus, Rose. You're like fucking cheerleader Barbie." I glanced at the digital clock on my nightstand. "It's nine thirty in the morning. How the hell are you so goddamn peppy?" She giggled.
"I guess I'm just a morning person who loves shopping. But you know, I'm not nearly half as bad as Alice, which is exactly why you need to get your tiny tush moving." She bounced out of my room, leaving me alone with my thoughts and my rather unspectacular wardrobe.
It was times like these that I wondered how Alice, Rose, and I even got along. They loved shopping, clubbing, make-up, and everything that your typical "girly-girl" found interesting, while I enjoyed sleeping, reading, writing, music, and quiet. Not that it happened that much around here.
As much as I despised the early-morning shopping trips, I really wouldn't trade my current situation for anything. I was a 21-year-old senior at Seattle University, living in an off-campus apartment with one of my best friends. I was a Journalism major, and I was only a few short months away from graduation day and hopefully a career as a writer for the Seattle Post. I'd interned with the newspaper the past summer, and they'd told me that I had real potential for a future with them. In the meantime, I worked Saturday nights as a singer at a local old-fashioned jazz club.
Most people I met would never in a million years guess that I could sing, but apparently, the folks at the Topaz Lounge saw something in me that I didn't even see in myself. The story behind my employment is actually pretty funny. Rose and Alice knew that I preferred jazz to the modern-day hip-hop and rap, so they took me to the Topaz Lounge for my 21st birthday. Needless to say, I got a little bit trashed and ended up climbing onto the bar and belting out a very loud and very wasted rendition of "And All That Jazz" in front of the entire club. I guess my drunk singing skills must have been pretty impressive, because instead of having me thrown out, the manager approached me and asked if I wanted a job as a Saturday night performer. I was too intoxicated at the time to fully comprehend what was being asked of me, but when I woke up (with a killer hangover) the next morning, I found the napkin with the manager's number and gave him a call. The rest is history. I've been singing at the Topaz Lounge for the past five months, and I love it. It's an easy job, the pay is marvelous, and I only have to work one night a week. On top of that, I get a good bit of attention from guys who come into the club. (You would too if you were up on stage in a slinky black dress that showed off curves you never even knew you had!)
Ah, yes, that brings us to my romantic life, or as Alice and Rosalie like to call it, the Endless Pit of Despair. That's right, I'm single. For the most part it doesn't bother me, but every now and then, I would like to have someone to spend some time with in a way other than I would with Al or Rose. I guess that it probably works out better this way because between classes and work, my week is completely booked, which would leave no time for a boyfriend. Oh well. I think if I ever did find someone, he would have to be just as much of a work/school addict as I was, or else he would never be able to understand my schedule, and it would never work out. Unfortunately, most of the guys on campus are burnouts, jocks, alcoholics, nerds, or people who just don't care, none of which interest me. Alice and Rosalie call me picky, but I prefer to call it "having standards".
Alice would know nothing about being single anyways, because she's been dating the same guy since sophomore year. She and Jasper actually met on the day we moved in as freshman, and she spent that entire year analyzing everything he did and said around her, trying to figure out if he liked her. When we came back from summer break after our first year, she finally got the nerve to ask him out, and he told her that he'd planned to ask her out last year, but wasn't sure if she liked him. They've been dating ever since then, and they are the absolute epitome of the perfect couple. You can tell just by the way they look at each other that they're totally, completely, madly in love with each other, and just that look is enough to make me forget all the reasons I don't want a boyfriend.
Rosalie, although single, is in an entirely different boat than I am. She actually attempts to communicate with members of the opposite sex, and in 99.9% of cases, they are ready and willing to communicate right back. Rose is crazy-beautiful, with a tall, slim, perfect figure and long blonde hair. She's every guy's fantasy come to life, so it's pretty easy for her to get a date. The problem with that is that Rosalie seems to only date the douche bags. The last guy she dated had been nice enough, right up until Rose and I went to the movies one day and saw him sitting three rows in front of us, making out with some redhead from my Creative Writing class. Why anybody would cheat on Rosalie Hale is completely beyond me; that woman leaves nothing to be desired. She's gorgeous, smart, funny, and is, despite her appearance, weirdly capable of being "one of the guys She just needed someone to appreciate her.
Once upon a time, I'd had a boyfriend too. His name was Michael Newton, and I thought he was "the one". Yeah, right.
We started going out when I was a sophomore and he was a junior, and we'd been dating for just over a year when he kindly informed me that he'd found someone else. And just like that, it was over. I'd been head-over-heels in love with him, and the night he broke up with me was the night I thought he was going to propose. Maybe I'm just really bad at reading signals, because I definitely didn't see the end of our relationship coming. He told me that her name was Jessica, and although he'd never cheated, it didn't feel right that he should have such strong feelings toward another woman while he was dating me.
So the charming prince and his mistress lived happily ever after while the broken princess wondered if she would ever love again.
That was almost a year ago, and I was just now fully recovering. It still hurt a little to see Mike and Jessica walking around campus hand-in-hand, but I was strong enough now that I didn't feel like crying every time I saw them together.
However, I had barely interacted with men since the break-up, so although Rose claimed to want to go out for fun, it was more than likely a scheme to get me to open up to some random guy. I really didn't like the way they were throwing me into the club scene so that I could carry on a boring conversation with a man who was probably only interested in getting laid by the first willing female he could find. Well that certainly wasn't going to be me.
After dressing in a gray velour tracksuit, I eyed my bed longingly, wishing for just twenty or so more minutes of restful sleep. Feeling defiant of my friends, I pulled back the covers and crawled under them, curling up in a ball on my side and sighing as I closed my eyes. Within minutes, I was drifting off to sleep once more.
"Bella!"
Oh, fuck.
I immediately recognized Alice's perfect soprano voice, and I knew I was a goner. I could feel her presence by my bed, but I kept my eyes closed, pretending to still be fast asleep.
"I can tell that you're faking it," Alice huffed, sounding impatient. "And I want to go to the mall. Didn't Rosalie warn you about what would happen if you weren't ready when I got here?"
"Yeah," I mumbled into the pillow.
"Well she wasn't kidding. I'll give you to the count of three, Isabella. If you aren't out of that bed, we will make you buy racy lingerie. I'm not joking."
I still didn't move, and she began the countdown.
"One…"
This bed was much too comfortable, and there was no way I was leaving it. Especially to go shopping.
"Two…"
Besides, Alice and Rose couldn't really force me to try on and buy anything. What were they going to do, dress me themselves? Impossible.
"Three."
I threw the covers over my head, indicating to Alice that she was not removing me from my resting place.
"Big mistake, Bella. Big mistake."
I said nothing as I lifted my arm and gave her the finger. I was NOT leaving this room.
***
Three and a half hours and fifteen stores later, I was literally being pushed through the entrance of Victoria's Secret. Somehow, Alice and Rosalie had managed to pry me out of bed and force me into the back of Rose's car, and now we were here.
"You can't make me buy anything," I declared confidently, holding my chin up smugly. "You can't even make me try anything on."
"Au contraire, my darling," Alice piped happily while Rose walked off to find something in my size. "We can, and we will, even if we have to stuff you into an outfit ourselves."
"Found something!" Rose called from across the store, and Alice pulled me over so I could see what horrors awaited me.
"No." I halted as Rose held up the skimpy piece of fabric, and she smiled maliciously.
"Oh, yes."
"No."
"It's perfect!" Alice squealed, ripping the garment from Rose's hands and pulling me back toward the dressing room. I struggled wildly, but that little pixie is one of the strongest women I'd ever met. "Fitting room, please!"
She stood holding my arm as the attendant opened the door for me, and I could see that there was no getting out of this.
"Now, Bella," she began as Rosalie appeared over her shoulder. "You're going to go in there and try this on, and you will not come out of that dressing room until you are wearing it. Am I understood?"
"Yes, mother," I replied sarcastically as she handed over the flimsy lace babydoll.
"Good. Now in you go." She shut the door behind me, and I took several deep breaths before changing into the outfit that had been picked out for me.
One could hardly call this swatch of fabric an outfit; it barely covered me at all! The sheer, pale blue babydoll hugged my body tightly, accentuating every little detail. It was very short, ending about three inches below my hip bone and leaving the rest of my legs completely and utterly exposed. The matching panties were silk thongs, and I spun around to examine myself from every angle. The garment didn't look awful, but this was definitely not me. I would never in a million years wear something so…provocative.
"Are you done yet?" Rose called from the other side of the door.
"Please don't make me come out," I begged, still looking at my reflection.
"No one is looking, Bella. Just come out here and let us see."
I inhaled and opened the door, holding my breath as I stepped out to show my best friends my new attire. Both of their mouths dropped open.
"What?" I asked, panicked. "It looks awful, doesn't it? Oh, I never should have put this on." I turned to go back into the dressing room, but Alice caught my arm.
"Attention all shoppers," she pretended to call the store's attention. "Isabella Swan has a smoking hot body!"
"Shut up, Alice!" I smacked her, trying to pull away. "I do not."
"Bells, you definitely do," Rosalie confirmed. "You look like sex on legs in that thing. You have to buy it."
"No, I don't."
"Yes you do," Alice chimed in, checking the price tag. "It's only $46, you have to!"
"Al, there's no point in spending money on a piece of clothing that no human besides myself will ever lay eyes on. It would just sit in the back of my closet forever."
"But every woman should own a piece of sexy lingerie," she persisted. "Just in case."
"I'm not buying it."
"Fine. I'll buy it for you."
"No."
"Yes. Consider it a belated birthday gift."
"Alice, my birthday was five months ago. This is practically an early gift for my next birthday."
"Whatever you want to call it, Bella," Rosalie said airily, waving my concerns away. "You are leaving here with that. We will not let you go home without it."
A guy walked by with a similar piece of clothing, and he stopped in his tracks to openly ogle me. My cheeks immediately flushed red out of embarrassment as I glared back at him.
"What?" I snapped.
"Nothing, I was just wondering if this will look half as good on my girlfriend as that looks on you." Ugh. This guy had a girlfriend, and he was hitting on me. Exhibit A on why I hate men.
"Pig," I muttered as I flashed a dirty look at Alice and Rose and backed into the fitting room to get redressed.
When I emerged, Alice immediately tore the outfit from my hands and danced up to the register while Rose kept her eye on me to make sure I didn't try to interfere. I wasn't planning on it. I'd already evoked the wrath of Alice once today, and I wasn't about to become a repeat offender. Besides, maybe she was right. That babydoll might come in handy someday…
Who am I kidding? That thing will never see anything other than the inside of my closet.
Regardless, I allowed Alice to hand me the bag without a fuss, and we walked out of the store, looking left, then right.
"What next?" I asked unenthusiastically.
"Bloomingdale's," they answered simultaneously, laughing at the coincidence. I rolled my eyes and let them tow me to the next store.
***
Bloomingdale's wasn't half as bad as I'd expected, and neither was the game of Bella Barbie that I lived through when we arrived home.
Despite the fact that I usually threw a fit beforehand, I really did love the fruits of Alice and Rose's labor. I always looked like a different person when they were finished with me, but in a completely amazing way. Presently, the top half of my hair was pulled back away from my face while the rest cascaded down my shoulders and back in large, soft curls, my long bangs parted in the middle and curled so that they framed my face. My makeup was natural-looking, so instead of changing my appearance, it simply enhanced my features. The gloss on my lips made them appear fuller and more luscious, and the blush, although unnecessary, added a new level of color to my pale skin. As I sat and stared at my reflection in the mirror, I forgot that I had ever wished for a different eye color. The eye shadow played up the brown of my eyes so that the color was warm and chocolate-like rather than the dull and one-dimensional brown that they normally were.
"Your eyes are never dull, Bella," Alice reprimanded as I voiced my opinion. "You just don't see yourself in an unbiased way."
"And you do?" I asked skeptically.
"Maybe not, but that guy at the store sure did. You heard him, didn't you? He was totally into you."
"Alice, he had a girlfriend! He's not exactly the type of guy I want checking me out."
"Who cares if he had a girlfriend? It wasn't like he was asking you out or anything." She placed her hands on her hips and looked at me thoughtfully. "Why can't you just take a compliment?" She demanded, and I stared at her. There was really no need for her to make this personal.
"Why are all guys such douche pricks?" I fired back defensively.
"Ladies, let's calm down," Rose said, walking back into the bathroom to take the hot rollers out of her hair. "We don't want to ruin our night out before it even gets started." Alice ignored her.
"Not all guys are dickheads, Bella."
"All the single ones are!"
"Alice, Bella." Rose snapped her fingers in an attempt to get our attention, but I wasn't paying any mind to her.
"No they aren't!" Alice huffed, raising her voice. "You know what I think? I think that you're afraid."
"What the hell are you talking about?!" I shouted, getting angrier by the second. "I am not afraid!"
"Yes, Bella, you are. You're afraid to open up to men because you're absolutely terrified of being in a relationship."
"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!"
"No, it's not." Alice sighed before continuing. "You're scared because of what Mike did to you. You're unwilling to open up to any guy because you can't stand the thought of getting hurt again."
Tears formed in my eyes, but not because I was angry; I was crying because I heard what Alice was saying, and I knew that she hit the nail on the head. Every word she spoke screamed the truth.
"Alice, that's enough." Rose said sternly. "Can't you see that you're making her upset?" Alice was having none of that.
"Bella, I know that what Mike did hurt you, but you can't hold it against the rest of the male population." Her voice was softer now, more soothing. "There are decent guys out there; you just haven't encountered any yet. But I guarantee you that someday you're going to find someone that makes you absolutely crazy in the best possible way, and you'll want to hold onto him for dear life. And you'll know he's the one, because he'll want to hold onto you, too. To him, you'll be the only woman in the world, and no one else will be able to captivate him like you do, so there will be no possibility of him pulling a Michael. Please trust me, Bella. You'll find him. In fact, I'll bet he's right around the corner."
I sniffled and Alice grabbed a tissue to dab the corners of my eyes. "No more crying, okay? Tonight we're going to go out and have fun." I smiled slightly as Alice hugged me.
"Okay."
"Just promise me something. Loosen up a little tonight. Don't be so uptight and antisocial." I opened my mouth to protest, but she stopped me. "I'm not saying you have to jump into bed with the first guy who looks your way, because I know that's not how you roll, but if a hottie wants to buy you a drink or dance with you, you should let him. Come out of your safety zone a little bit, because that's what relationships are about: taking chances. Can you do that?" I nodded my head in acquiescence, and Alice beamed at me. "Good, now go get dressed."
I stood and walked into my bedroom, pulling my dress out of its box. As I slipped into the flowy blue silk, I could still hear Alice and Rosalie in the bathroom, speaking in hushed tones.
"Was that really necessary? Did you actually have to pull the whole 'you're afraid' thing tonight?"
"Rose, you know that it's true, and it was about time that Bella realized it, too. I want her to have fun tonight, and you know very well that unless we said something, she'd just sit at the table and get wasted while guy after guy threw themselves at her. She deserves to know the truth."
"Yeah, but did you have to throw it in her face like that?"
"What other way could I, Rosalie? She just sits by and lets all these opportunities pass her by because Mike Newton fucked her up beyond repair, and it's about time that it stops. She can't go on like this."
"Whatever, Alice. Just don't go crazy on her anymore tonight. I don't know if she can take it."
I heard their quiet steps emerging from the bathroom, so I finished zipping up my dress and stepping into my four-inch black patent leather peep-toe pumps. On wobbling feet, I made my way over to the mirror to take in the finished product. My eyes popped open upon seeing myself, and I smiled in approval.
My legs looked miles long, and the dress's low neckline showed off just the right amount of my normally unimpressive cleavage. Not too prudish, not too slutty…it was perfect. Alice and Rose walked into the room and stopped to check out the new-and-improved me.
"Bella, you look amazing!" Rose squealed while Alice crossed her arms in the doorway, a smug smile on her face.
"We did good, Rose."
"Damn, Bells. Those hot men are going to be throwing themselves at your feet. You won't know what to do with all that attention."
"More than likely not," I muttered, so low that it was almost inaudible, but Rosalie somehow managed to hear me. When Alice walked out of the room to get dressed, Rose pulled me aside.
"Bella, please just try to relax. You don't have to do anything you don't want to; this night is purely for fun, okay? And don't be mad at Alice for what she said. She just wants you to be happy."
"I'm not mad at her, but I'm happy like this," I said rather unconvincingly, and Rose put her arm around me.
"Okay, but just give guys a chance, Bella. They aren't all sucky."
"Rosalie, how do you say that? You've been screwed over by almost every guy you've ever dated, and you're still willing to put yourself out there and give them a chance. I just don't get it." She laughed lightly and shook her head. "What?"
"It's just funny how you think that I'm so brave and outgoing. The truth is, Bella dearest, that I'm just as terrified as you are. I'm so scared of getting hurt, but I'm not about to let that fear stand in the way of meeting someone wonderful. I think that's what Alice was trying to tell you. You can't let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game." I sighed.
"I guess you're right."
"Of course I'm right. Now put on your game face and let's go score!" She yelled as she pumped her fist into the air. I raised my eyebrow and looked at her skeptically. "Well, figuratively."
"Damn right," I said, laughing. "I am not having sex with anyone tonight." Rose just smiled mischievously.
"We'll see."
Alice popped her head in my bedroom door, smiling widely.
"Edith, are you and Odette ready to hit the club?"
"We sure are, Wendy. But my name is Edy, not Edith," Rose answered.
That was one thing about when we went out clubbing: we all had codenames. It was my idea, and though Alice and Rose were against it at first, I told them that it was the only way I would go with them and they quickly agreed. My name was Odette, after the princess from Swan Lake. Bella Swan…Swan Lake…you get the idea. It was a fun way to make sure that no overly persistent guys got a hold of my real name, and it made me feel strong because I was able to be someone other than myself for an evening.
"Whatever, Rosalie. You know that Edy is just short for Edith."
"Ugh, what a terrible name. I much prefer Rosalie to Edith." She pretended to shudder as she left the room, and I laughed. She was such a drama queen.
"Well, it's now or never," I whispered as I grabbed my purse off my bed and followed my two best friends out of the apartment.
A/N: I know, this chapter was a little bit bland, but I had to introduce the characters. Trust me. It WILL get hotter.
Oh. And I have a little challenge for you lovely readers. If you can tell me where Rosalie's and Alice's codenames originate from, you get a super special mention in the Author's Note of Chapter 2. Hint: Both are from movies.
One more thing. Chapter 2 is finished. Like I have it completely done, but I will NOT be posting it until I finish "Lovestruck". Also, I won't post it until I have at least 15 reviews on this chapter.
So go on, tell me what you think so far.
Love you all.