Author's Note: This is just a small drabble. I am rereading Eclipse because I'm working on a new story and I had a flash of Edward's and Tanya's first encounter. Edward says he rebuffed Tanya in as polite a manner as he was capable of, and Midnight Sun indicates that Tanya had expressed her interest more than once. I just wondered what "polite" might have turned out to be.
Edward sat at the piano in the great room of the ski lodge that was the home of the Denali coven. He and the rest of the Cullens had been staying with Irina, Kate and Tanya while Esme was remodeling what would be their next home. The little town in Washington held little interest for him, but Esme seemed excited so they would all go.
His fingers caressed the ivory keys of the piano. He was alone in the large lodge, both covens having gone hunting together. He had stayed to work on the piece he was writing. It was for Esme – a Mother's Day surprise. She still glowed every time one of her "children" called her "mom," and so collectively they'd decided to celebrate the holiday this year. He couldn't wait to see her face. Alice had already seen Esme's reaction and had been insufferably smug since they'd made the decision, but Edward had chosen to try to ignore Alice's thoughts on the subject. He wanted to experience this for himself.
Edward was playing a particularly tricky phrase, trying to figure out what exactly was missing when he heard someone enter the room. Whoever it was must have been trying to hide their thoughts because they were thinking about snow – falling snow, drifting snow, snowballs. He turned on the piano bench and then almost slid off it.
"Tanya?" His voice came out a strangled squawk. The Cullen's hostess was nude. Stark nude. Not a stitch covered her pale skin. He blinked as he tried to decide what the appropriate reaction might be. Then she dropped the mental screen of snow and let him know what she was thinking. Him… them… doing –
He recoiled violently, crashing into the piano and causing a jangle of sound. The pages of music he'd been writing scattered to the floor. He wanted to run from the prurient thoughts emanating from the blond in front of him.
"Edward," she purred. She smiled wide like a crocodile and he could see the venom glistening on her teeth. She stroked the strawberry blonde curls hanging over her shoulder and cocked her head to regard him. "Did I truly surprise you?"
"Tanya, I really don't…" He cleared his throat and tried again. "While I am very honored by your… interest, I fear that this is not… you and I, I mean…"
He trailed off. If he could have he would have blushed. He held himself in place with an extreme effort of will. Her face held a pretty pout. If he hadn't been able to read her thoughts he might have felt guilty at making her pout. But her thoughts were too intense, too focused. On him. It made his stomach roil, metaphorically of course. He swallowed. She took one step toward him and he gave up trying to find the right response.
"Er, I have to go." Edward didn't even stop to pick up his sheet music. He just turned tail and ran. He decided to go meet up with the rest and join the hunting party. He'd finish Esme's piece later. Much later.
