Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything Twilight…not me…unfortunately I'm not that creative

Ok just a little note. I'm getting tired of everyone writing Mike as the sleazy asshole so in this story, he's the nice guy originally portrayed at the beginning of Twilight who's a good friend of Bella's but not interested in her…just to make that clear…now lets see how the rest of the story goes...this might turn into a three part story. Like one for Bella, Alice and Rose. I don't know. Depends on if you READ AND REVIEW!!

Looking For Love

Chapter 1: New Beginnings

Soundtrack : My People by the Presets

The loud bass rang out from the speakers, sending deep, rhythmic vibrations all through the club. The flickering party lights illuminated the many bodies moving to the music on the dance floor. The DJ was rocking the house and the bar flowed freely with drinks. The party was definitely rolling and we had just arrived for the final phase of Jessica's bachelorette party.

After a wild night living it up in a stretch limousine, we decided to end a spectacular night at our favourite club, The Meadow. Our mate, Eric opened it up a few months back and word had quickly got out. Since then his staff had doubled to keep up with the business that came flooding in every night. This night was no different. The place was packed and the five of us struggled to make our way into a private booth away from the business of the dance floor. Soon enough, Lauren, a friend and bartender came, expertly manoeuvring through the moving bodies with our drinks safely held on a tray above her head.

"So, apple martini for Angela. Cosmo for Alice, screaming orgasm for Rose, southern kiss for Bella and a special for you, bride-to-be. Made from Mr Busy, Eric himself, a wedding belle." she said, laying the drinks in front of us. We all gratefully took a drink, parched from the screaming and laughing we had done all night. We filled Lauren in on the things we had done that she unfortunately had missed out on account for Eric being short of staff come this holiday period. As our story drew to a close, the excited gleam in Lauren's eye told us that she had some news to share as well.

"Oh spit it out Lauren. You look like you're about to burst!" Rosalie said as she leaned against me, propping her feet up on Alice's lap. Her golden locks tickled my chin as she stretched out on the sofa. Her feet were adorned in gorgeous silver Marc Jacobs shoes she had bought to match with the short, red cocktail dress she wore that showed off her lean body.

Rose was one of those girls who made you feel self-conscious being in the same room as her. She looked like a goddess and could be an devious bitch when provoked but she was also one of my bestest friends and I loved her to bits. Rose, Alice and I had been best friends since our Dartmouth days. I was majoring in English, Rose, engineering and dear Alice in fashion design. Coincidentally we all got jobs in New York and shared an apartment in Manhattan.

Alice is the bubbliest, quirkiest girl ever. Her jet-black hair is cropped back in a short pixie cut. We can never reign in her enthusiasm and endless chatter nor her obsession for spending. She is the ultimate impulse buyer and it's lucky her job pays well or she would be sitting on mountain loads of debt.
She placed her arm across Rose's legs, keeping them in place on her lap as she leaned in to hear Lauren's story. Oh, didn't I mention? She's a major gossip too, loves knowing everything and usually already does too. Tonight she was dressed in one of her own creations, a beautiful black and white strapless dress that accentuated her tiny, pixie-like body.

"OK! Eric just employed a whole staff of bartenders right. So I finally get a Christmas break, thank goodness! But some of them have started training tonight and there's this one guy, absolutely DROP DEAD GORGEOUS! It's crazy. It shouldn't be possible for someone to be that hot! And, when I was bending down to get more limes, he was leaning over me and I got a peep at the body," she paused for dramatic effect as we all sat forward, anticipating the verdict.

She merely winked, biting her lip mischievously and picking up her tray she left us. We shouted after her, trying to find out more about this 'gorgeous' new bartender. It was funny seeing Angela and Jessica, both in successful, long-time relationships with Ben and Mike successively, still interested in this mysterious hottie. Jess saw us eyeing her and threw her hands in the air.
"Come on girls. It is my bachelorette party. The last night before I only swoon when the one hot guy walks by." We all laughed as she launched herself off the couch, streamlining towards the bar. Angela, timid as always but slightly flirtatious with a couple of drinks downed, followed her leaving Alice, Rose and I, comfortably lying on the couch.

Within seconds we all burst out laughing.
"Oh this is pathetic! What are we doing?" Alice exclaimed.
"You are not honestly considering going to perve on this guy?!" Rose chuckled, lightly punching Alice in the arm.
"Well what's the harm? Ange and Jess are doing it and they're supposedly off the market. At this rate, we'll be single through the new year!" Alice said with what we called, her serious tone she used when she really meant what she was saying.
"Calm down Alice. And what's with all this talk? Being single's fun! You're not tied down to the one guy. Makes life much more interesting," Rose said. Of course, with her looks, Rose never had any trouble getting a guy. She had more trouble keeping them. She was impatient and picky meaning that no guy was ever good enough for her or could keep up with her changing moods. It never bothered her, she was the most comfortable with single life.

Alice and I dated guys every now and then but never stuck with them for long. Alice usually scared them away with her enthusiasm - once or twice being dumped for telling them she loved them after only a few dates. She always put her heart and soul into every relationship and Rose and I were always there to help her when it didn't work out.

Me? Well, I think I just never could meet the right guy. Rose and Alice complained I was moving in the wrong circles but many of my relationships evolved into a chore and for the past few months I had been enjoying the carelessness of single life. It seemed Alice wasn't.
"I mean, Jess is getting married in a week! And Ben bought the ring already! I mean, the two of them have found that guy that they're gonna spend the rest of their life with and everything. Doesn't it put everything into perspective? I mean we're 23, yeh, sure having the time of our lives but what if we never find that guy? Are we going to keep going just picking up guys at the club, dumping them in a couple days and that's it? I mean…don't you see what I mean?"

I nodded thoughtfully, and though Rose was a little too proud to voice her agreement, we knew she did too.

"So what are you proposing Alice? We look for that special guy who's going to look into our eyes and say he loves you and you're going to marry and live the rest of your life with, falling in love with him all over again, every morning you wake up in his arms?" I asked, accidentally letting slip my high school, romantic dreams.

Back then I was a teenager in love with the thought of being in love with the perfect man but then I stepped into the real world, dated losers and jackasses who taught me that that guy does not exist.
"How are we supposed to do that? We know and meet plenty of guys every day, 90 percent of them pure jerks! How can it be so easy to find our perfect guy?" I was the most rational of the group and so these questions usually came from me. Rose sat up sensing the serious turn our conversation had taken.

"I don't know Bella. But just have a little faith. I'm sure that he's out there. All three of them. I mean Jess and Ange have found theirs. It'll just happen. I just know it. They're out there and we'll meet them. I'm sure." We all looked to the floor, occupied by these thoughts that Alice was putting in our heads.

"I don't know but I believe in a little Christmas miracle. Ok, I've got a plan," Alice said adjusting herself so she was facing us. Rose and I looked at each other warily before turning to Alice. She didn't have a good track record with plans.
"We're all going to Nessa's New Years Party right? And I know we were all planning to go as the three of us and find a random guy to pash as the new year comes right? Well, we still have three weeks which means we still have plenty of time to find a decent guy we may or may not call our boyfriend by that time to bring as a date to the party. So Bella, no jerks or losers. Rose, you have got to have been with them for over a week. And me, well I won't tell him I love him. Well at least not yet!" Tense laughter broke around our group. It was a crazy idea but not too irrational as far as Alice's plans go.

"I must say that no, maybe the guy we bring to the New Years Party is not the one and only but at least it means we're on the right track of actually getting a steady boyfriend! So, you guys in?" Alice looked at us expectantly. Shyly Rose nodded her head before they both turned onto me. My mind wasn't being quite rational, probably under the influence of the alcohol I had drunk that night but I felt my head nodding in agreement.

"Good! So it's set. At that New Years Party we are going to have dates. Proper ones. Now let's call it a night. I'm plastered." We finished our drinks, gathered our things and headed towards the door, hoping to bump into the other two on our way out. Instead we caught Eric, running around the bar, telling the trainees off. We left a message with Eric to tell the other two we were heading home and he nodded distractedly as he watched his trainees out of the corner of his eye.

And that's when I saw him, a bronze-haired god shaking his tumbler effortlessly much to the awe of a dozen girls, perched on the bar watching him. I suddenly hear a low giggle in my ear. I turned to see Lauren peering over my shoulder.
"And that is Edward Cullen. What did I say? Total hottie much?" and then she disappeared into the crowd.

Edward then glanced over in my direction and in that moment our eyes met. They were the most dazzling, green eyes I had ever come across. I could feel my knees going weak when suddenly Eric's yell could be heard from across the bar.
"EDWARD!!!!!!!" He immediately realised the overfilling drink he was holding and cleaned it up, apologising profusely to the customer and an irate Eric. I couldn't help but laugh. It was at this time that Rose and Alice came to pull me towards the door. I stole a glance over my shoulder as they pulled me out of the club and saw him looking too. A cute lopsided grin appeared on his face as our eyes met and I could feel a smile starting to form on my lips.

However my lack of coordination decided to strike and I tripped over someone's foot, gathering myself just before I fell over and completely humiliate myself. I brushed down my dress and tucked a loose hair behind my ear in an attempt to compose myself. I turned around to see Edward with a mask of fear on his face that turned into a face of absolute humour as his shoulders shook with laughter. I could feel my face going bright red in embarrassment and I quickly turned back towards the door where Alice and Rose were waiting impatiently. As the cab drove off into the night, I looked out the window as the city lights flashed by, my thoughts completely preoccupied with Edward Cullen.