A/N: So, you guys liked The Masquerade! I loved writing it. I loved it so much; the guys wanted a turn to share what happened from their perspective.
If you haven't read The Masquerade, maybe give it a read first. I'm not sure that it's totally necessary, but it makes my stats look SO much better. xD Kidding!
I'm happy that anyone reads any of this stuff I call writing. It's more like word vomit!
Masked
I rolled out of bed leisurely at noon. I rose to my full height and stretched my sore muscles out. We'd been working so hard on Volterra, trying to make it the place to go in Seattle. The hard work was taking a toll on my body. I woke up each day feeling as though I'd fought a hard battle the night before, but Volterra was worth it. It was what we lived for. Volterra is the bar I had opened with my two best friends. We met in business school, marketing class to be specific.
We had been grouped to form a marketing plan for a new business. We joked about opening a bar for our plan and went from there. At some point an assignment in class became more. In each class, we found we were using this mythical bar as the basis for our assignments.
Upon graduation, we had a marketing plan, a business plan, and a human resources system. We couldn't let all that hard work go to waste, so we leapt into action. Two years later we were opening Volterra. And five months after our grand opening we were becoming the spot to go in Seattle.
Each day blended together, as we worked together. Emmett is the man you want to stock your bar. He made relationships with the vendor's and is the bar manager. Edward is your man if you want your paycheck, or account paid. He's a fiscal genius. I bet you wonder what I do. Who do you think came up with that great marketing plan? I'm a resourceful man; I can sweet talk an advertising sales woman with the slight twang of a Southern accent. Let's just say getting our business out there hasn't been much of a challenge.
"Jasper, get down here. We need to discuss these candidates," Edward shouted.
"I'm comin' man. Chill," I said as I walked into the living room.
We had recently interviewed people to work as bartenders and kitchen staff. We were in desperate need of help. The three of us had been doing all the work since we opened and were burning out.
Edward was sorting the resumes out and murmuring to himself about who was qualified. I stole a glance at Emmett; he looked like he was dreaming.
"Em, man. What's up with you? Are you awake?" I asked him.
"Yeah, just thinking of that blonde. She was some fierce piece of…you know." He grinned.
The previous night started like most other nights. The bar filled quickly with young women vying for our attention. I suppose we're handsome, available young men. We each end up with dozen's of phone number scrawled on napkins throughout the night. None of us are interested in a one night fling with a customer though. Our business means more than that.
But last night, a trio of intoxicating women came in. One of them was a statuesque blonde that captured Emmett's attention immediately. It probably helped that she was a hell cat. Another red-headed bimbo tried to wedge her way between Emmett and his blonde. The blonde looked like she was going to kill her, when the object of my affection, a tiny raven-haired vixen, dragged her away.
They spent all night in the balcony, laughing and throwing winks and kisses our way. They had a third friend up there that seemed to have a…moment with Edward. He hadn't said a word about it though.
Emmett grinned ear to ear, like the cat that ate the canary. I could tell he knew something.
"What is it Em?" Edward groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.
"Word is that the chick who didn't come down, the brunette one you know? Well she's on the board of that Wolfpack group that invited us to that shindig a couple weeks ago." He smirked.
"Her friends would be there…" I said thoughtfully.
Edward kept his eyes down cast, scanning the applications. But I saw the corner of his mouth turn up crookedly.
"I knew it! She did catch your eye! The unavailable and unattainable Edward Cullen, ensnared by a dark haired mystery woman." I smirked at him.
"Don't get too excited Jasper. I can't go that night. It's my night for training the newborns," he groaned. We'd agreed to taking turns on training our new employees, when we hired them. The party must fall on his night.
"We gotta go Jazz. I gotta get that blonde's number…and name." He grinned.
"No worries, man. I'll RSVP us." I smiled to myself thinking of the petite girl that captured me so intensely.
EmPOV
Man, who left Jasper in charge of that RSVP nonsense. Doesn't he know that the woman of my dreams will be there and he forgot! He forgot! I had to call that assistant chick myself. Eddie still refused to believe that he could leave the bar unattended for one night. So he wasn't going to join us. Poor mystery brunette chick, she for sure had the hots for him. Like most chicks do. Not my problem.
"Jasper, do you have your costume yet?" I asked him.
"Yeah, I'm going as a Confederate Army Soldier. You?" He asked.
I snorted, there's a shock Jazz going as some Southern thing. "Tarzan…man, I'm going as Tarzan."
His eyes widened and he bent over laughing. "Dude, it's a masquerade, that shit won't cover much."
"Whatever man, it's not like I want to hide from the blonde. I want her to notice me." I shrugged and stalked off into my room.
"Oh, she will. Make sure you get a leopard thong to go with your Tarzan mini-dress," he snorted.
Mini-dress or not, I looked damn fine in it.
EPOV
I can leave these kids alone, I can leave these kids alone. I can do it. They will not burn the bar down in my absence. I repeated this mantra to myself as explained to Riley where to put the bar's sales for the night. The kid was bright, I knew it, and he knew it.
"Seriously Edward, if you try to show me where to put this envelope one more time I'm going to get a complex. I'm not stupid, I promise." Riley grinned.
"I know, I know. But this bar is the fruition of a lot of hard work by Emmett, Jasper and myself. It's like leaving my child for the first time," I said, hoping not too sound too pathetic.
"Dude, you have a child?" He asked wide-eyed.
I looked at him quizzically. "No, it's just a saying."
Oh crap, he IS stupid…wait…is he…laughing?
"You are messing with me, aren't you?" I asked him.
"Yes, I am. Go out with your friends, find the smokin' brunette and have fun." He grinned.
"Fine, but I will have my cell phone on; if anything goes wrong I mean any..." I started, but was cut off by a look from Jasper, who had just appeared from the store room.
"EDWARD! Leave Riley alone before you scare him off and he quits. He's smart, he gets it, and it will be fine. Let's go and get ready," Jasper snapped.
I paced in the living room, staring at my cell phone. I debated one more check-in call with Riley. I hit the dial button and brought the phone to my ear. One more check won't hurt. I heard Riley pick up and breathed a sigh of relief. If he's answering the bar can't be burning down.
I opened my mouth to speak when the phone vanished from my hand. I turned in shock to the angry eyes of Jasper.
"What the hell man? I was just checking in!" I frowned at him.
"I'm confiscating this. You can have it back at the end of the night." He smirked and placed my phone in an inside pocket of his blazer.
I glared at him with as much ferocity as I could manage. That bar was my life, all our lives. Everything we've done in the last couple years has been for Volterra. Before the business I was content with life. Well, I thought I was. I worked for a large company in Seattle in the human resources office all through college and after. I was engaged to a beautiful woman, who was driven to succeed. I thought I had it all.
Then Jasper and Emmett approached me about taking the "company" we'd made up in business school and making it real. I just wasn't sure, I knew if I stayed the path I was on, I could have an alright life.
Did I want an "alright" life?
I knew I didn't. So I quit my job and turned my focus to Volterra. The "love of my life" didn't approve. She thought I was making a mistake. At first I convinced her it wasn't true. I didn't know how to fail.
Emm, Jazz and I worked around the clock to get it going. To my great surprise, I found that I could fail as well as I succeeded. Volterra was coming along nicely. I wanted to celebrate with Tanya. We'd determined we were going to open in just a couple weeks. I stopped picked up some champagne to celebrate and headed home.
I came home to find my fiancée wrapped around a lean, blond man I recognized from her work. The shock must have displayed clearly across my face.
"Are you surprised? How could you be? You're never here," she'd spat at me.
It was true; I was never there for her. For the first time in my life I'd messed up. But then I thought about it as she stormed around the room screaming at me. She was throwing her clothes in a suitcase screaming that she was leaving me.
I realized then if I couldn't find the time for the person I love and my business, maybe I didn't love them enough. They deserved better. And I told her that. She called me an insensitive bastard. She moved out and I moved on. Determined not to let another woman down, until I knew it was real…forever.
I had a feeling that something real would happen tonight.
"You ready to go, man?" Emmett asked. His leopard-clad frame filled the doorway.
I scanned him up and down. "Interesting outfit. No, I'm not. Go ahead; I'll meet you guys there."
He nodded and dashed down to grab Jasper. I could hear them clucking away about their ladies. I watched out the window as my two best friends went to meet the women of their dreams. I wondered if a ten-second look could be considered grounds for an intense connection.
I slid the black mask on over my eyes and tied it securely. I'd been watching The Princess Bride over the weekend. I felt as though being Wesley/The Man in Black would be the perfect masquerade costume. It was at that moment I contacted the woman to RSVP and hoped that the beautiful brunette would recognize me.
As I handed my keys to the valet, I suddenly realized I was nervous. I'd never even spoken to her, but I knew, I just knew I had to find her. I needed proof that I could have it all. Love, career, friends, happiness. I wanted proof I wasn't a failure, more than that – I wanted her.
I saw Jasper and Emmett snuggled up with their women. Emmett was acting goofy and the statuesque blonde dressed as Jessica Rabbit giggled appreciatively. Jasper was at the bar, arm wrapped around a petite Scarlet O'Hara. I'd never seen him happier. I could feel the elation radiating off him across the room.
Then I saw her. She was making her way around the room, shaking hands with people, laughing delicately. My heart swelled instantly, but my nerves got the best of me. I sidled up to the bar and ordered liquid courage.
I leaned against the wall and watched her work the room. Her eyes darted around, as though she was searching for something. She spotted me and I stopped breathing. Her eyes pierced me even from a distance. I didn't know if she recognized me or not.
She was distracted momentarily and I edged into the darkness, cursing my cowardice. She made her way onto the stage and began speaking. Her voice was so clear and sweet. It drew me to her. I ended up standing beside the stage staring at her. She saw me, our eyes connected. She stopped speaking briefly and stared back at me.
I smiled weakly and made my way to the bar. More liquid courage was going to be necessary. No woman had made me feel so helpless before, yet so strong. On the edge of the vulnerability I felt was strength. It was real, it was now. It was her and I wasn't afraid anymore. I knew with certainty I wouldn't fail.
I watched from the bar as her friend whispered excitedly in her ear. My own Princess Buttercup calmed the woman down and sent her on her way. Her eyes scanned the room. I made my move.
"That dress is amazing," I whispered to her. I saw her skin pepper in goose bumps.
"Isn't it? It's also an excellent way to get through the crowd. No one wants to get in her way," She said.
She whirled around to face me. I grasped her hand gently and held it.
"I was referring to yours, of course," I said softly. I grazed her hand lightly with a soft kiss. My lips felt like they were on fire.
A slow song began playing in the background; I wanted to ask her to dance. Her eyes were full of wonder, shock and…desire. I couldn't be sure. I could feel the nerves building up again slowly. I looked down to her hand, which I still held as though it was mine.
"Dance with me," she commanded.
"As you wish," I murmured.
We made our way to the dance floor and I wrapped my arms around her. I inhaled her scent softly. She was perfect. Perfect for me, the missing piece to everything. Her eyes met mine again, but they were clouded with frustration.
She slid her mask off and dropped it carelessly. I couldn't stop the smile that crept onto my face when I saw her beautiful face unmasked.
She whispered to me, "Take off your mask."
"As you wish." I slipped it off and dropped it beside hers.
I could hear her draw a breath in. I wasn't sure if it was shock or relief, perhaps both.
"I knew it was you. I just knew. Kiss me," She said huskily.
I leaned in and traced her face, memorizing it with my fingers. I wanted nothing more than to grant her request – for the rest of my life. I brought my lips to hers and smiled.
"As you wish."
End Note: I really hope you all enjoyed this as much as the first one. It was a bit of struggle at the start with the JPOV and EmPOV, but their voices could not be silenced. Leave a review! I love reading them. It gives me so much inspiration. I'll bribe you with your own Masked Cullen man. ;)