A/N: I don't own Twilight, that belongs to Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended and no money is being made from this story.
New characters and places introduced in this story belong to me.
*This is an Emmett story, however, I believe that plot and character development are essential to a well-written story and thus an enjoyable read. Please bear with me and I promise Emmett will make an appearance.*
*To quell any fears Emmett and the entire Cullen clan, save for Rosalie, are vampires. Rosalie doesn't exist in this little tale*
*This is my first fan fic, so please review and let me know what you think. Hope you enjoy*
***Chapter 1: Racing to Destiny***
As the plane raced down the runway, I grasped onto the armrests, pushed my body back in the seat and closed my eyes. This was it, the moment I had been planning for the past six months; I was leaving Tennessee and headed to Washington. I held my breath as the plane lifted off the ground; slowly I opened my eyes, and let out a small breath as I looked down at the landscape below. My home for the past 24 years was slowly fading into small grids of land as the plane ascended into the air and raced to my awaiting destiny.
'Well, no turning back now Emaline,' I thought to myself. 'This is what you wanted, so chase your dreams hard and fast.' I relaxed my grip on the armrests and regulated my breathing. I felt a small bittersweet tear fall down my cheek, as the clouds covered up the last view of my home. I wiped away the tear and began anticipating the next leg of my trip that would edge me that much closer to my dream and further away from the hurt and doubts that rested in the hills of Tennessee.
Just eight short months ago I turned my own world upside down. I had quit my job because of the lack of advancement into a higher position and felt I needed to work somewhere that my talents and skills as a public relations professional would be utilized and appreciated. I had spent a few months working a couple of part-time jobs trying to decide the next step in my life.
As I stayed in Tennessee I began to feel my opportunities were limited in both the work and personal arenas. No jobs were geared towards true public relations and that left my heart a little lack luster. And while the men I dated should have oozed with southern gentleman charm and grace they instead oozed of sleaze and dishonesty.
Since I had turned my world upside down I decided I had to do something to gain some semblance of control back; so I began looking for jobs on the West Coast for a change of scenery, submitted resumes, flew to interviews and finally landed a position with Creative Media Insight as a Public Relations Account Executive.
I began to wonder how I would fit into Seattle. I'm a cute athletic girl; nothing Maxim or Sports Illustrated would break down the door for, but cute. All my life I have been shorter than others, barely standing at 5'0 but an athletic build from cheerleading and aerobics. My dark brown eyes were the perfect compliment to my constantly changing hair color though it was now my natural chestnut brown with small red highlights. I knew that coupled with a slight Southern accent was going to make me stand out, I just hoped it wasn't in a bad way.
I must have fallen asleep on the last leg of my journey because I awoke with a start as the pilot's voice boomed over the sound system.
"Good Morning ladies and gentleman we will be landing in Seattle in approximately 20 minutes. Please put your tray tables up and your chairs in
the upright and lock position. Our flight attendants will be coming along to gather any items for trash and assist with any luggage needing to be
stowed for descent. The current time is 10:00 am and the weather is cloudy and 60 degrees. Thank you for flying with us and we hope you enjoy
your time in Seattle," with that the cabin began to fill with murmurs of restless passengers ready to hurry to their intended destinations.
I began to feel a little knot of excitement form in my stomach as I realized how close my dream was and then a small feeling of dread as I remembered the agency had sent someone over to pick me up and hoped they actually remembered.
As I descended the ramp and walked into the airport a small sigh of relief escaped my lips as I saw an older lady with red hair standing with a sign that read Emaline McAllister.
"Hi, I'm Emaline" I said with a smile as I approached the lady.
She smiled and lowered the sign as she stuck out her hand, "Hello Emaline, I'm Celeste, Mr. Berry's assistant. It's nice to meet you. We'll pick up your bags and then we have a limo waiting to take you first to your apartment and then the office. We'll discuss more details in the car."
"It's nice to meet you too. Thank you." I said feeling a little overwhelmed at the prospect of going to the office before settling into my surroundings. 'Oh well, Emaline you aren't in Tennessee anymore, get your ass in gear,' I thought and with that we were off in a rush to baggage claim.
The car ride to the apartment and office flew by as Celeste gave me details of the surrounding area and the office. As we pulled into the parking garage at Creative Media Insight, I began to wonder just how quickly I'd be thrown to the wolves. As if reading my mind Celeste said, with a sweet smile "Dear, don't worry this is a mere introductory day." Before I knew what hit me the elevator doors were open and the sight before me sent blood pumping through my veins, 'I'm home', I thought.
