I AM SOOOO SORRY FOR DELETING IT ONCE AGAIN! But there is a serious problem with this story!! Thank-you for all of you who did review it! I got it on my e-mail so thank you sooo much! The only problem is this time I can't reply to the reviews nor do they show up on fanfic, so once again I have re-put the story up if you could review again or something that would be cool so then I can reply to you personally!! =]]
Hey guys and girls! Thank-you all for the amazing reviews on my other story and as promised here is the new story! I am very sorry that I haven't updated sooner but now is better than never, right? Well, I know this sounds like a cliché story but just hold on. Also, it may seem like you're missing something at first but you shall find out by the end of the chapter…enjoy :)
Chapter 1: My Own Personal Demon
Bella POV
My alarm clock blared at the not-so-decent-should-be-illegal time of 8 in the morning. A Friday morning. Ugh, not only is it a Friday but I have to wake-up at 8 in the freaking morning to go to work or as I like to call it hell in a corporate building—I work as an executive assistant to Red Ribbon industries owned by Mr. Carlisle Cullen; who is going to be retiring soon which leaves his wonderful company in the not so capable hands of his three sons. I probably should start preparing myself for hell to come; turning to see the other side of my bed, I found it empty. Again.
Well I might as well get up and go to work because if I'm even a second late Godzilla over there will have my ass. Stretching myself out, I got up and went to take a shower. A nice warm, stress relieving shower in the very silent apartment that I do not own, yet am forced to live in.
Getting out of the steam filled bathroom, I stood in front of my closet trying to decide what to wear to work today. If I have to get up this early then I should at least get some revenge and torture the bastard. I stared at my closet for about 15 minutes; I just couldn't decide what to wear!
In the end, I decided on a black pencil skirt with a tight royal blue blouse accompanied with 2 inch black heels. No matter what, he promised to catch me when I fall so I'm not too worried about the heels, although I am the clumsiest personal in the continental U.S or maybe even the world!
I walked through the apartment and into the kitchen where I found breakfast already made for me and sitting on a silver platter; next to it there was a note from my maid:
Eat up! I don't want you to be hungry on this beautiful—and I mean beautiful—Friday morning! You definitely can't be too tired for work, so you better eat your breakfast, sweetie pie.
~your dear and caring—
I stopped reading the stupid little letter. A maid is useless; I don't even know why I must have one. Can't people just leave me alone and let me live like a normal person in a normal city? Apparently not. As much as I didn't want to, I ate the food; a girl can be hungry without getting third degree, can't she?
My car hates me. It's official, my bad luck is spreading not only to my clumsiness and nature of falling—pun intended—into the most horrible situations but also to everything in my life. First my job, then my personal life, and now my precious, precious old rusty, red pick-up truck. It wasn't starting up, even after all the love I gave it through the years! In a psychotic attempt to get my car started, I begged my baby to start. Yea, that's right I was groveling in front of an inanimate object, waiting for it to start. Miracle of all miracles: my truck started! I was only going to be about 10 minutes late….shit!
"Hey princess you're late! Are you trying to make my Eddiekins mad? Stop whoring around and get to work!"
"Fuck off, Lauren. Go make-out with your pillow or something just wishing it was 'your Eddiekins'."
Yea, that's my best friend named Lauren Mallory. The slut of all sluts ladies and gentlemen! Ugh, I just wish I had crowbar and official permission to hit her over the head with it! Ever since I—sadly—got promoted to executive assistant to a Mr. Edward Cullen she has been on my case. For some odd reason she thinks that I am in love with my boss! Psh, as if. Love is the furthest thing I have for him; hate is more like it. That man has been ruining my life ever since I started working for this company.
"Isabella, you're late. Now what in this world makes you think that you are allowed to wander on in at any moment you wish, Ms. Swan?" Idiot. Pig-head. Butt-face. Dumb ass. Asshole. Bastard. Son of a—
"Ms. Swan?" With that he quirked a perfect little bronze haired eyebrow at me.
"Nothing at all, Mr. Cullen. You see my maid cooked breakfast for me this morning and left a charming little note. How could I say no? Besides not eating breakfast would break the contract I have with my, uh, maid. I do consider breakfast very important. Don't you agree?" This time I quirked my eyebrow at him, ha! Let's see what he has to say about that!
"Alright, I guess. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day but just make sure it doesn't happen again. And to insure that you will never be late I would like you to finish these three reports for me by, uh, let's say noon? Perfect, I shall see you then Ms. Swan." My jaw dropped at this. Noon?! How the hell am I supposed to finish three reports in three hours?! That would mean one report per hour and it usually takes me three hours to finish just one report! I hate Edward Cullen and his stupid bronze haired, green-eyed flawlessness! Hate it! Hate it! Hate it!
I snatched the reports from his desk and sped away from his office into my own, all the while having his annoyingly gorgeous emerald eyes watching me. Stupid hot boss. Wait, did I just think 'hot boss'?! Oh god I have to lighten up on the coffee. Plumping down into my super comfy desk chair, I looked at the reports. I should have more coffee in the morning. My office phone started ringing so I picked up; please don't be a squealing, super hyper in the morning pixie Alice.
"Belllaaa!!! How's hotty bossy working for you today?" Ugh, too late. You see, Alice is my best friend in the whole entire world and she has been since we were toddlers. She also seems to find it extremely funny that her boyfriend's brother just so happens to be my boss. He's also the most annoying prick on the block, but don't go telling her or Jasper—Alice's boyfriend—that, they'll think you're in love with him or something. That's what happens to me all the time; I mean really, every time I go over to their apartment to rant about him I get the Spanish inquisition on how much I like him or think he's hot. Which I don't because I don't think any of those things. Psh, why would I?!
"Bella? Honey, are you there? Look I know it's Friday and it's your 'no super hyper pixie morning day' but I just called to ask you something! First, are you there? Are you even listening to me?!" Oops, could I be more stupid?
"Sorry, I just kinda spaced out for a bit. Um, what do you need?" That brought her out of 'super hyper pixie land' and straight into 'super hyper very excited can't wait to do a Bella Barbie extravaganza pixie land'.
"Oh that's okay, if I had such a hotty bossy well then I would space out every single second of the day! Especially since he—
"Alice! Can you please just get to the point, I have work to do." I know that sounded rude but seriously I don't need this, as she put it, on my no pixie morning. We made that deal back in freshmen year of college when I had to study for finals yet Alice would bug me every morning and since Friday's are my relaxation days back then, we made a rule that she can't bother me on Friday, especially the morning.
"Jeez miss boss, well all I wanted to ask you was if you wanted to go to a club tonight! I mean, again, I know it's your no pixie day but it's been so long since we've gone to a club! Tonight just feels like the night! By the way, ask Edward too, I can't wait! Meet Jazzy and I at the usual club!" With that, she hung up. She didn't even wait for my answer! Some best friend, humph.
"Ms. Swan? You're here to do work, not to talk to friends over the phone. Remember I want those files done by noon."
"Wait! Um, that was Alice. She was wondering if you wanted to go to a club tonight, something about having never gone to a club in ages. Yea, she said that she'll see us at the usual place. I'll just get to work then." I made a dramatic show of taking out the files and beginning to look at them just to show that ass that I do come here to work. I'm not some trophy person that will stand around smiling like a crazy person. Said ass just continued staring at me as if he was fantasizing something about me. Oh no, my skirt rid up and my blouse rid down. Wow, can we all say slut?
"I'll be there, can't wait." Before he left the room he looked me up and down then smiled his crooked smile. Pervert. Whatever, I better start on these files.
How the hell does he expect me to complete these files by noon if he keeps poking his little head around the corner and asking, no demanding is more like it, me to go do some idiotic little thing for him?! It's already been an hour and half since he gave me the files which left me less than 2 hours to complete 2 and half files! Lucky for me, I got half way through the first one before he started bothering me. Just as I was about to finish off my first file, the annoying little prick poked his head out, again.
"Ms. Swan? I was wondering if you could do something for me." Wondering? Yea, right. I'll have to do whatever he asks of me, no complaints or it will get worse.
"What?" I put on my most sickly sweet voice.
"I would like some star bucks coffee but not the star bucks around the corner, I want the one that is all the way across town. Thank-you and I do hope you finish those reports by noon." What. The. Fuck?! Across town?! Does he think I'm wonder woman or something?! I'm doing the job that Lauren Bitch Mallory over at the reception desk should be doing! As executive assistant I'm supposed to be helping with files and company stuff, not running around getting him coffee! She's probably sitting at her desk right now filing away at her stupid nails all smug and thinking that she has to beautify herself for Edward and that's why he gives me all the work. Oh please, like that man would ever look twice at her platinum blonde, colored contacted eyes, clothes too tight little body!
Without further a due I snatched the files up from my desk and ran down to catch the next subway across town. Maybe I can get some work done on the subway ride. I slid my card into the gate and rushed inside the train, taking a seat all the way in the back where no one else but a creepy, old homeless man was sleeping. Going through the files my mind was in a whirlwind, I only have an hour and half to finish all of this work and I still have to get his coffee; do you think I can poison it? Nah, who's going to pay the bills for me?
"Hey, sugar how ya doin'?" The creepy old dude started looking me up and down. Ew, gross. As my mother taught me, I ignored him and moved away.
"Where ya goin', honey? Come give a big kiss to daddy." He held his arms out to me and my heart beat frantically; yea, he's old enough to actually bemy dad. Gross, I cannot believe I just thought that!
"Um no thank-you, please leave me alone." I moved away a bit farther but he only moved a bit closer to where I was sitting. Okay, calm down, there are other people on this train, he won't do anything. All my life I was always protected, I mean I did take self defense classes but with my clumsiness I don't think I would be able to fight off an attacker. I can try but just watch me trip and fall. Ugh, this is not the time to think of things like that.
"Hey, Bells, is this guy bothering you?" My savior! Wow, that sounded totally damsel in distress corny. But really, if Jake wasn't here I don't know what might have happened. Upon seeing me running over to Jake, the old creepy dude backed away and settled himself at the corner again.
"Oh my god, thank-you so much. If you weren't here I don't know what might have happened." I hugged one of my best friends in the whole wide world.
"No problemo, I'm always here for you Bells. Now, what are you doing on the subway? Don't you have work with 'hotty bossy'?" Jake is his own boss in a mechanic shop so he can take a break any time he wants. I, however, am famous for not being able to do anything except work while at work. Everyone knows that.
"I do have work with the prick but I have to get star bucks coffee from him and no he doesn't want it from the corner shop but from the one across town. So as his personal maid, I have to go get it for him." In response, Jake simply laughed at my situation; for some reason, all of my friends find it really funny how I am at his beck and call during work yet when—
"Why do you have all these files with you?" I have an idea; maybe I can get Jake to help me finish these files. All I have to do with them is read through and edit them and Jake is really good with that seeing as how he has helped me so much with it in the past. And since he used to be a business major before he dropped out of college to become a mechanic, he should have no problems helping me. With that idea in mind, I looked up at him with the cutest expression I could muster.
"Jakey, you know how you're my bestest friend in the whole wide world?" He rolled his eyes at me and said:
"What do you need help with?" I squealed in delight because he would help me and told him what I had to do. The rest of the ride Jake sat next to me doing half of the files while I worked on the other one and finally it came to my stop.
"Come on, Bells, I'll walk with you; don't want you to get caught up with strangers." He smirked at me, great he'll never let me live it down.
"Oh, shut-up! Anyways, you never did tell me what you're doing on the subway right now; shouldn't you be at the shop?"
"I should but the little pixie called me and told me that I should get on the next subway immediately and knowing that she'll take me shopping if I didn't comply I went. Glad I did too or who knows what trouble you could have gotten into." Times like this are when I feel so grateful to have friends like Jake and Alice. Although Alice does have this mysterious all-knowing power or something; somehow she almost always knows what's going to happen in the future that it's scary, but I've gotten used to it by now. Having lived with that pixie for 24 years of my life, I've gotten used to all of her antics.
"Well I'm glad too." I smiled warmly at him but he ruined the moment with the next words coming out of his mouth.
"Plus I'm pretty sure Edward would tear me to pieces limb from limb if something happened to you and I could have done something to prevent it. You know it is so funny how—
"Jake! Shut. It." See what I mean? All of my friends torture me this way, it's not fair! They're all on his side rather than mine.
After getting his coffee, I headed back to the office with Jake still by my side helping me with the files. The second miracle of today happened: Jacob and I finished all the files!!! Now Mr. Cullen has no excuse to yell at me and give me more work because I will be getting back to the office just before it hits noon! Wow, Jake sure does work fast.
"Looks like this is my stop. Thank-you so much for the escort and help, Jake! I don't know what I would ever do without you! Oh wait, I do know. Mr. Cullen would kill me." Both of us laughed at my statement and I waved goodbye to him. Jake is a really good friend, unlike some other people I know.
I rushed into the office and headed up to the 40th floor where my office was and went straight into his office.
"Ah, here you are Ms. Swan. I was beginning to wonder whether you fell of the face of this earth or not." Rolling my eyes, I held out his coffee to him.
"Here's your coffee from the star bucks across town; one mocha with a spoon of vanilla, two drops of sugar, shaken not stirred." He just shook his head at me.
"No thank-you. Since you were taking too long, I had Lauren get me coffee from the star bucks around the corner. You know, she was much nicer about it than you were." What. The. Hell?! I went all the way across town to get him his stupid coffee and now he tells me that he doesn't want it?! On the outside I was cool and calm but inside I'm fuming! I don't want him to have the satisfaction of my anger and pure hatred at this jerk. I swear I'm going to murder him one day!
"Fine. Do you have anything else for me to do?" My voice was clipped and emotionless.
"Yes, actually, I would like you to do some research for me. Please contact all of our clients and ask them where they are in their stories. That is all." Keeping the calm exterior I walked out of his office to just scream quietly in anger. He expects me to call ALL of our clients?! Since this is a major publishing company, the most famous one in the United States, we have thousands upon thousands of authors/clients working with us. This will take forever!
An hour and half later, I was only done contacting all of our clients through the first three pages out of about 1,000. Lovely.
"Ms. Swan, I would like to ask you for another favor. Please go grab David Clientele's file from the second floor. Thank-you."
"Yes, sir." Do I have a choice? He moved to leave when suddenly he turned back around.
"Oh by the way, take the stairs. The elevators are currently getting fixed." My mouth dropped open. The stairs?! Did I mention that we're on the 40th floor?! I kept my rage within me, complaining would only make it worse for me but I felt as if my body was literally trembling and Mr. Cullen's smirk gave me proof of that.
Without further a due, I went toward the staircase and descended down 38 floors in treacherous heels that Alice bought for me, replacing all of my comfy shoes. I swear along with Alice and this idiot I'm going to drop dead one day! Snatching up the file from the drawer next someone's desk I raced back up to the 40th floor way out of breath.
"Got…the…file…for…you." I said between gasps of air filling my painfully aching lungs.
"Lovely, finally you have done something I ask of you, Ms. Swan. Now, I must ask of you another favor. Get me the file from Mrs. Cheney's desk." Okay, I'm already out of breath but another trip all the way down to the first floor this time?!
"Couldn't you have told me before when I was going to the second floor?!" This time his eyes looked sharply back into mine and a wide grin like the Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland wore.
"Ms. Swan, I'm shocked, is that a complaint I hear coming from you?" Oh no! One single complaint from me and I might as well be thrown to the dogs! It only gets worse when I complain! Quick, Bella, think of something. Quick!
"No! I was just, uh, wondering what kind of sense of timing that, um, you have! Yea, I'll just go get the file now." Running out to the staircases yet again, my cheeks were flamed with my almost ever-present blush. On my trip back I stumbled on the last step and fell just in time to see him walking out of his office. He looked panicked and concerned when he saw me on the floor but once I righted myself, his ever-present smirk came slithering onto his face once again.
"Your file." With that, I stormed into my office and continued working on 20 other files he had given me. Sometimes I wish I could just jump into another world and never have to worry about my current life.
"Belllaaa!!! Come on! I'm going to get you ready for the club! I already talked to Edward so get your cute little but over here!" Alice got rid of him for me?! She is a God sent! Even though she is going to play Bella Barbie with me…either way as long as I'm nowhere near him, I'm fine!
"Let's go!" Shock registered on her face at my words.
"What?! You're actually anxious to get a Bella make-over? This is a first and I must say that I quite like the new attitude." She didn't get it.
"No, it's not that. If I had the choice of getting a make-over from you or staying in this office to be treated like a slave and running up and down the stairs because the elevators are broken, then I choose the make-over." At this, Alice had a funny look on her face.
"What do you mean? The elevators aren't broken; I just came up on one." In the distance I heard my prick of a boss snickering a little. So, the elevators weren't broken. Taking deep breaths in and out, I followed Alice out to her car while still keeping my cool but once inside her car I grabbed the nearest pillow and screamed into it.
"Geez Bella, what's up with all this frustration? You know all you have to say is that magical little phrase and it will all end."
"No, Alice, why don't you guys understand?! I. Do. Not. Like. Edward. Cullen!" She simply looked at me with her mysterious Alice way.
"Are you sure you don't like him? Not even a little?"
"Alice, please. I don't like him. Not at all! You guys should seriously consider not blackmailing me anymore; I mean I already told you I don't like him so why must I go through torture everyday at work? Can't you ask Jasper to talk to him already? Please?" For extra affect, I gave her my special puppy dog eyes but in response she just rolled her eyes and concentrated on the rode.
"Oh please, Bella, don't give me the puppy dog look; I practically invented that! It will definitely not work on me. But, since you're so bent on saying that you don't like him then I will try and get Jasper to talk to him about lessening up on your work load. Okay?"
"Thank-you, that's all I ask."
We arrived at her house in record time and she dragged straight upstairs. It really is a big room: a king sized bed in the middle with a white canopy over it. The sheets a lovely shade of baby pink which matched with the walls. Decorative flower designs all over the walls. A door that led into a huge walk-in closet filled with designer clothing. And, to top it all off, a Broadway style vanity mirror combined with a huge desk covered in products. She calls it a bedroom; I call it a torture chamber. Go figure.
"What are you standing around for? Sit down before I physically tie you down onto this chair!" And she means it! So I immediately sat down, awaiting Alice's directions.
"So, uh, what are you going to do to me?" Might as well ask and get it over with.
"Well, let's see…" And she went off on a full length lecture using many product names that I don't know about. Forget I asked.
"…Finishing off with a light coat of clear lip-gloss to cover the lipstick and make it smoother and you're all ready! At least with make-up that is. Okay, let's get started!" And off she went!
I think about an hour later Alice was applying something she told me was called a light bronzer.
Half an hour later she told me that she was done and before I could look in the mirror, Alice started on my hair and pulled a dress over me.
Fifteen minutes after that, Alice declared me ready. I took a deep breath, turned around, and gasped at the image in front of the mirror. Not to brag or anything but I looked hot! My hair looked wild and had an out-of-bed style to it, I had eyeliner lining my eyes darkly so it brought out the brown, and I was wearing a rich green halter top, with thin straps, that contrasted nicely and was very short that it barely reached mid thigh! There was also a very pretty square diamond right where the straps met the top of the dress. My face looked really pretty, I barely recognized myself! I head a slightly maroon lipstick on that made my lips look very plump and what I call 'kissable'. All in all, I think I look AMAZING!
"Wow, Alice, it looks AMAZING!" She squealed in delight.
"Thanks! I can't wait to see Edward's reaction to it!" Yeah, me too. I wonder what 'Mr. Cool' would have to say about me looking like a sex kitten.
"I wonder too."
"Oh! I know what he'll say! It'll be something like: 'Bella, my new love! You look absolutely gorgeous! Please, let me worship you like the queen you are! Let me ravish you and buy thousands upon thousands of gifts! I promise never to bother you again; I shall be your slave! Forever, if need be! My goddess, what do you say?'" We both cracked up at Alice's eerily similar representation of him. She made her voice nice and deep that it almost sounded like him and she even got down on one knee and held her arms out to me! As Alice and I were still giggling, my cell phone started ringing.
"Hello?" I didn't even bother checking the caller id and I was still quietly giggling as I answered but as soon as the voice on the other end replied, I sincerely wished I had checked the id.
"Hello, since you left work early I just called to give you an assignment." It's him.
"What assignment?"
"You're about to find out. You know the 20 files that I had given you? Well I would like them completed and finished on my desk, Monday morning at 7. See you tonight." And he hung up. That bastard! Okay, I know that sounds completely obnoxious but it will take me the whole weekend to finish all of the files by Monday! Ugh! I hate him!
He's my torturer, my axe murderer, my devil, my own personal demon sent from hell, my husband…
Hahahaha! You guys didn't think I'd write some cliché story, did you? I have to have some sort of twist…Anyways, like I said before I am sooooo sorry that I didn't put this chapter up earlier but I have been fighting a MAJOR case of writers block so yea. I hope you enjoyed it, review so I can continue! (That rhymes!) Or review and criticize me! I could really use the ego deflator, not really, but tell me what I should work on so you guys can enjoy my stories more! Or maybe even drop a review and tell me how much you liked it! That would be totally awesome!
Plus, if I get that many amazing reviews then I am definitely thinking a very hot, jealous Edward at a club…=]]]