AH - Bella Swan finds herself falling in love in a way she never thought possible – through letters written to a soldier fighting in France during WW2. She promises to love him when he comes home, but when someone unexpected returns, will she be able to keep her promise?
Dazzled
Chapter One
The bell above the door dinged softly as Bella Swan entered the tiny diner. The many empty booths indicated that business was slow tonight, odd for a Friday night, and Bella couldn't help but let out a low groan as she reached that realization; a quiet evening meant her shift was sure to drag by painfully slow.
"Hey, Bells," came the familiar greeting as Bella approached the diner's counter where Alice Brandon stood, polishing the counter top to perfection.
"Hello, Alice," Bella replied, giving the girl a warm smile. "How's the day been?"
"Eh, same old, same old," Alice said, folding up the rag she'd been using. She leaned forward on her elbows, a spark glistening in her eye. "Though there has been quite the influx of handsome men today. I'm glad I dressed up a bit; you never know when your soul mate might walk through that diner door."
Bella rolled her eyes at Alice's notions, but couldn't stop herself from laughing. It was no secret that Alice was boy crazy. Alice was Bella's oldest and best friend, and though the two were sometimes as different as night and day, Bella constantly thanked her lucky stars that she had someone like Alice in her life. Alice was the one person in Bella's life who encouraged her to expand her horizons, to look at things in a different light, and to not be afraid of having a little fun.
"I can't believe you're still able to walk around with those things on your feet," Bella commented, warily eying the tall high heels that Alice wore. If it had been Bella wearing the heels, the entire diner would have probably been a pile of rubble by now – and that was not an exaggeration. But Alice, on the other hand, was the epitome of grace, and still looked just as comfortable in her footwear now as she probably was at the start of her shift.
Alice shrugged her tiny shoulders. "Beauty is pain." She let a tinkling laugh escape. "And that handsome man is worth all the pain in the world," she added as the diner bell dinged again. She raised a perfectly manicured eyebrow in interest.
Bella followed Alice's wide-eyed gaze. The soldier stopped just inside the diner, casting a sweeping glance across the available tables before slipping into a booth close to the front. He took off his hat, placing it neatly beside him, and ran a hand through his unruly dark curls.
"Mm mm mm," Alice breathed, the grin on her face become wickeder with each passing second. "I believe he may just be your type, Bella."
Bella rolled her eyes again. "I don't think I really even have a 'type', Alice. And besides, he is definitely your type. Tall, dark, handsome, muscular. Geez, he looks like he could be a model, not a soldier!"
A muffled snicker sounded from the soldier, and Bella felt her cheeks heating with her blush as she realized he had heard her. Alice unsuccessfully tried to hide her giggle.
"You know this means you get to wait on him, right?" Alice asked the question in a way that made it seem less like a question and more like a command. "I'm suddenly very, very busy and cannot be disturbed."
"Alice!"
"Busy, Bella, too impossibly busy to chit-chat," came the mischievous response, and with that, Alice danced off toward the back of the diner.
As much as Bella would have loved to chase after her conniving friend, she knew it would be impolite to keep their customer waiting. With a defeated sigh, she picked up her notepad and pen from the counter and made her way over to his table, trying to put on her best (non-embarrassed) smile.
"What can I get for you this evening?" she asked, putting on her most cheerful voice.
The soldier looked up at her, delivering a smile before replying. "You mean besides a date with you?" he asked suavely, and Bella felt the blood rushing to her cheeks again. She didn't have a lot of experience with dating, and she generally didn't know how to act around men without making a fool of herself.
He must have realized that she was uncomfortable, and he quickly made amends. "I'm sorry, but it's not very often that I meet such a stunningly beautiful woman. Please forgive me. I hope you don't find me too forward." He smiled genuinely at her, revealing the dimples in his cheeks, and Bella smiled back.
"No, not at all," Bella said, speaking so fast that her sentence sounded more like one word. "It's just that I don't usually make plans with men I've just met. I don't even know your name."
"This is the first time a beautiful woman has caused me to forget my manners," he said with a chuckle. He stood and extended a large, strong hand, which Bella accepted with a smile. "I'm Emmett McCarty."
"I'm Bella Swan. It's certainly a pleasure to meet you."
"So, Miss Swan, would you accompany me somewhere after your shift?" Emmett asked, clearly not one to be dissuaded easily.
Bella bit her lip. She was definitely interested, but a part of her was telling her how irresponsible it would be to go off to some unknown place with a stranger. Sure, he looked nice enough, and he was dressed in uniform, but it was hard to tell about people these days...
"I don't know. I'll think about it," she finally said, unsure of what to do. Alice would have handled such a situation much more gracefully, Bella was positive.
Emmett's million-dollar smile never disappeared as he took his seat back. "Then I suppose I should order dinner while I await your decision. I think I'll have a BLT with fries and a Coke." He slid the menu back to its spot behind the napkin holder on the table. "But I must ask you to seriously consider my offer." And then he winked at her, causing her heart to gallop wildly and her knees to turn to jelly.
"I'll get that right out to you," Bella said, then turned on her white sneakered heel and dashed back to the kitchen, where Alice was waiting.
"Isabella Swan! Did I just hear correctly? Did that gorgeous soldier just ask you out?" Alice squealed in excitement. "Tell me you said yes to him, just tell me!"
Bella shrugged as she pretended to be preoccupied with getting his drink. "He may have mentioned something about taking me out somewhere after my shift, but I'm working until eleven, so it's probably not a good idea..."
"Nonsense!" Alice exclaimed. "I suddenly need some more hours. Would you mind if I finished up your shift for you?"
Bella stared at her for a moment. "Have you lost your mind? Alice, you've been here since seven. You definitely don't need to be pulling a double shift with those shoes," she said, eying the heels again.
"Bella, I'm perfectly fine," Alice assured her. "Go out with him! He's a soldier, he's a gentleman, he's absolutely gorgeous... I wonder if he has any friends... but that doesn't matter right now. He likes you, you're going!"
"Haven't you ever heard those stories on the news about young women going out with strangers only to turn up dead in a ditch a few days later?" Bella asked in a hissed whisper as Alice tried to push her back towards the dining room. "Do you want me dead?"
"Stop being so dramatic! Heaven forbid you go out and have a good time... or get kissed! Here," she said, handing Bella his food, "go tell him your shift is over in thirty minutes."
If there was one thing Bella had learned from years of friendship with Alice, it was that when she got that particular glimmer in her eye, there was no denying her. The glimmer was definitely there...
"I'm so sorry for the wait," Bella said, placing the drink and food on Emmett's table. "Listen, I don't usually do this kind of thing, but I'd be glad to go somewhere with you after my shift. I get off in thirty minutes, if that's not too long for you to wait?"
– – –
"Okay, I'm ready," Bella announced thirty minutes later as she slipped out of her apron and into her jacket.
Emmett had ordered three more Cokes and a chocolate milkshake in the thirty minutes he had been waiting for Bella, but he had been very patient, much to Bella's chagrin. She had been secretly hoping that he would have decided that she wasn't worth the wait after all, but apparently that wasn't the case. She watched in amusement as Emmett jumped out of his seat and rushed to the door to open it for her.
"How about a walk in the park?" Emmett suggested. "There's a chill in the air, but it looks as if you have a warm enough jacket."
Bella nodded. "That sounds wonderful," she agreed, walking through the front door, trying to ignore Alice's squeals from the back of the diner.
The pair walked in silence for a few minutes. Bella tilted her head back slightly, enjoying the crisp autumn air. She was trying to be herself, trying to be natural as Alice had instructed her, but now that she was alone with a complete stranger, his arm protectively around her waist, she wasn't sure what to do or what to say. She didn't have a lot of experience with dating; in fact, she'd never had a serious boyfriend – or any kind of boyfriend, for that matter – in her life.
She had lived in the small town of Forks, Washington her whole life, which meant she had grown up with the same boys all her life, which meant that she wasn't necessarily interested in any of them. Her mother had a constant line of eligible bachelors, it seemed, but Bella was never able to pick out any redeeming qualities from any of them. They were all either too self-consumed, too superficial, too worried about social status, too something that just wasn't her. Though it seemed to disappoint her mother that she hadn't found someone yet, her father seemed happy that his little girl wasn't all that interested... yet.
"What are you thinking?" Emmett asked suddenly, breaking Bella out of her thoughts. "You look really captivated with something."
"Oh, I was just thinking about how my mother would absolutely die if she knew I was out with a boy right now," Bella replied. Emmett quirked an eyebrow and she quickly added, "It's just that it seems like she's made it her life's devotion to find me my perfect match, but I've never really been interested in any of them. She'd never believe that I was out with a boy of my own accord."
Emmett chuckled. "Well, for the record, I'm glad you decided to come out with me of your own accord. Though I suspect that your friend did have some sway in your decision."
"That's Alice for you," Bella agreed. "She's a little pushy sometimes, but she means well. Alice is certainly one of a kind. I'm very lucky to have her as a friend."
"And it appears that I'm very lucky that you have her as a friend."
Bella wasn't sure how long the two of them strolled down the streets of Forks, but before she knew it, it was much too late. Her mother would have expected her home awhile ago. "I hate to say goodbye," she admitted reluctantly as she turned to face Emmett, allowing him to take her hands in his. "Even though we've just met, I feel like I've known you forever."
"I feel the same," Emmett replied, giving her hands a squeeze. "I wish I could have met you before tonight... it's such a shame that I'm leaving tomorrow..."
"Yes, it is," Bella agreed. It figured that when she finally met someone who attracted her and was attracted to her, he would be leaving the next day. "I wish we could spend some more time together tonight."
"Well, we don't necessarily have to call it a night," Emmett suggested. "We could spend the whole night together."
Bella was surprised at his offer, unsure of how to take it. Was he suggesting what she thought he was suggesting? The look on his face and in his eyes told her clearly that yes, he was suggesting exactly what she thought he was. Her cheeks burned with anger rather than embarrassment this time as she took a step back from him, pulling her hands from his.
"Excuse me, Mr. McCarty," she began, "I suppose that my friendliness has been misinterpreted. I'm not that kind of girl."
Emmett was swift to save face. "I'm so sorry, Bella. I never should have brought anything like that up. It was so stupid of me. Impulsive. It's just that I've never felt a connection with anybody like I feel with you, and my future is quite uncertain at the moment..."
"I understand, but I'm afraid that if that was what your goal for the evening was, you've wasted your time."
"No, Bella, my goal was to get to know the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on, and I believe I've accomplished that. You're not only beautiful on the outside, but you also have a beautiful personality. Won't you forget my stupidity and let me write to you while I'm gone?"
Bella considered his question for a moment. "Yes, of course. I'd like that very much," she said finally, hearing his true apology. She'd had a wonderful evening with Emmett, and there would be no reason to ruin it just because he'd said something before he thought about it thoroughly. She rummaged in her purse until she found a blank piece of paper and a pen, jotted her name and address neatly on the paper, and then slipped the paper into Emmett's hand before climbing into the front seat of her family's sedan.
"Thank you for an unforgettable evening, Bella Swan," Emmett said, leaning down to place a soft kiss on Bella's cheek. The kiss caused her heart to flutter and she was sure that, once again, her face was ten shades of red. "We will have many things to discuss in our letters. Most importantly, our future when I return."
"Yes, of course," Bella breathed. "I look forward to hearing from you..."
– – –
November 3, 1942
Dear Bella,
I've just arrived at my first post in Europe with my friends Edward and Jasper. It has been rather uneventful so far, so there's not much to write about at this point. I do so wish that I was back home in Forks, strolling through the park and the streets with you. Don't worry, I'm sure I will be able to return soon.
Emmett
–
November 30, 1942
Dear Bella,
I'm so sorry that I was unable to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving until after the fact, but I certainly hope you and your family had a fantastic holiday. Thanksgiving dinner over here wasn't what I'm used to, but I'm sure next year will be different. Don't worry, I'm still safe.
Emmett
–
December 23, 1942
Dear Bella,
How I wish that I could spend the upcoming holidays with you rather than with all these men. I suppose you may not get this letter for awhile, so I hope Christmas and the New Year find you happy and healthy.
Emmett
–
January 30, 1943
Dear Bella,
How long it has been since I've been able to write to you. I desperately enjoy all the letters you have sent to me regarding your life in Forks. It is your letters that keep me going.
Emmett
–
March 12, 1943
Dear Bella,
The men around camp are becoming more and more restless with each passing day. Our lives are still very much the same. How I wish that I could see your face, hold your hands, and stroll through the park and the streets of Forks like we did that first night.
Emmett
– – –
Author's Note: So here is the first chapter. I know it's looking a lot like I'm pairing up Emmett and Bella, but I can assure you, that is not the case. Please review and continue reading to find out what is REALLY going on.