I had written this for the Naughty Heels 80's song contest. But, it wasn't "citrusy" enough, so I didn't send it in. As a result, I am posting it here.

I think I will expand upon this idea in a multi-chapter at a later date. I need to get farther into my other multi-chap before I do that, though.

This fic was inspired by "This Night" by Billy Joel

As usual, I do not own any of these characters, or the original plot to the Twilight Series. Everything publicly recognizable belongs to their owners. I am doing this only for the pleasure I gain from writing and I am not associated with anyone or anything to do with the Twilight Series. There is no financial benefit, whatsoever, though I may wish there were. I do own the original ideas posted in this story.

"Thank you so much for doing this for me, Edward. You'll never know how grateful I am that you agreed to this." I looked over to view his profile. "I don't know what I would've done if I had to go there alone. I am so lucky to have such a great friend." My stomach tightened on that last word and the fissure along my heart, created by the contract we had made, widened. I wanted so much more than friendship but I promised not to make any advances.

He briefly looked at me, flashing a dazzling smile in my direction. "It was no problem, Bella. That's what friends are for." He turned to face the road and my hearted dropped from my chest. I hated that he only thought of me as a friend but we had made that damn agreement when his sister, Alice, tried to set us up on a date a few months ago

I had worked with Alice for a few years; we both taught at the same school. She taught kindergarten and I taught first grade. Alice's enthusiastic nature and short stature leant themselves to her calling. I walked into the staff room on my first day teaching and she was on her break, sitting at the long staff table. She looked up from her magazine and shot me a huge smile.

"Hi, I'm Alice Cullen," she greeted as I walked over to the counter. "Is this your first day here?" She followed me over to the kitchenette and held out her hand.

I grasped her hand, expecting to shake it in greeting but she pulled me into an almost bone-crushing hug. She had a surprising amount of strength for a tiny woman, her passion heartwarming. "Yes. I just took over for Mrs. Weber's class," I gasped when she finally released me.

"She was a very good teacher but I'm sure you'll be even better. " She beamed up at me.

I knew from that moment that Alice was the type of person I could be great friends with. She was open, charming and sweet. We had been nearly inseparable since our first meeting. That was until she met Jasper. Jasper was Alice's complete opposite. He was tall and calm; his presence always seemed to ground her. I had to admit that from the first time I saw them together, I knew they were made for each other, soul mates if that even existed.

She often told me how she felt the first time she saw Jasper – it made her almost giddy to relive the encounter. She described it as the most shocking event she had ever experienced. She had been sitting at the bar of a diner when he took the seat next to her. She looked into his eyes and was mesmerized. She knew from that moment that he was her always. She told him that he had kept her waiting, and he apologized, holding his hand out to grasp hers. When he touched her, she felt a connection that coursed through her veins, firing up from the point where Jasper held her hand.

I had hoped I would feel that someday and two years later, I did. I now knew exactly what she meant when she mentioned "the spark." I had felt it a few months ago when Alice set me up on the blind date with her brother, Edward, the man sitting in the driver's seat next to me. Like Alice, I knew from the moment I looked into his eyes that I was lost in him. I didn't think he felt the link, though, as we had never mentioned anything to each other.

As he drove, the electricity pulsing between us begged me to reach out and stroke his arm, his face, any part of him I could reach. I ignored it, and I felt the current running between us grow angry and belligerent, demanding that I reach out and contact his skin in some way. It was almost painful to look at him and not act. But I had agreed to the damn arrangement, and I could not go against it – no matter how much I may have wished otherwise.

We had just attended Alice's wedding, so he was wearing a black tuxedo that made him more enticing. Every time I saw him I just wanted to run over to him and kiss him senseless. I had wondered many times what it would be like to rip the clothing off him and run my hands along his . . . No, I could not think of that. Thoughts similar to those would only bring me to a place I did not want to go. I was frustrated enough as it was; I didn't need to take it further, especially not with him sitting right next to me. It's not like I could relieve that sort of pressure right now.

He was Jasper's Best Man, and I was Alice's Maid of Honor. Of course, Alice, being the fashion maven that she was, had picked out the most gorgeous tuxes ever. And, when highlighted against Edward's pale skin, I couldn't help but marvel at him. I tried not to be too obvious about my ogling but Alice had picked up on it and mentioned it several times throughout the night.

I, on the other hand, wore a long, dark blue gown. The cut was perfect. Alice had picked it to accentuate the few positives in my figure. I was so grateful that she hadn't picked something over-the-top or extremely revealing. I had received quite a few compliments on the ensemble throughout the night, and that helped bolster the false high I was currently riding.

Normally, I was not one for attention but tonight it didn't bother me; it made me feel alluring. Unfortunately, my ex, Jacob, was also invited to the wedding, and he found numerous occasions to tell me what he thought of my dress.

Jacob worked at the school with Alice and me; he taught gym. He was a large man with an imposing physical presence. He and I had been dating when I met Alice. He tagged along when we went out, so the two of them soon became friends as well.

Their friendship made my decision to break up with Jacob that much harder. She knew I did not love him, and she supported me in my final choice but was still his friend and she saw the pain the relationship's end brought him. He had a skewed view of our connection and assumed we would eventually get married. So, as expected, he took it very hard.

What I had not expected was his obsession with "rekindling the flame," as he liked to call it. It had started sweetly enough, flattering actually: flowers, candy, little love notes. But, when he started dedicating cheesy 80's ballads on the radio to me, I started to get nervous. Then he would find reasons to approach me at work or even at my apartment. No matter how many times I told him I wasn't interested, he continued to chase me. I continued to run. I arrived home at different times; I changed my phone numbers and email addresses. I couldn't avoid him completely at school but I made sure to travel with a group at all times.

I felt horrible that he was taking it so badly. Really, I did. I knew he was just mourning the loss of our relationship but he was really getting on my nerves. It was like he was a little lost puppy that wouldn't leave me alone. I swear sometimes I could picture him standing in the staff room with a wagging tail.

Not long after the break up, Alice told me about her brother, Edward. I knew that she had a brother but I never met him. He was in a serious relationship with a woman, and his life revolved around her. As a result, I had not seen him in the three years I knew Alice, even though we lived in the same town.

We were on my couch, watching a movie, some romantic comedy, when she pressed the subject.

"So, you know that Edward and his fiancée, Heidi, broke up last week," she said as a not so subtle hint.

"Oh! That's terrible. He must be heartbroken." I was not going to fall prey to her trap. I looked down at a piece of lint on my couch. "How's he taking it?"

"Well, it was definitely not his decision. Heidi waited until he came home from work one night and practically pounced on him when he walked through the front door. She said that there were 'more fish in the sea' and 'she wanted to become a fisherman,'" Alice practically snarled that last part.

"Ouch. That's a really harsh way of breaking up with someone. What a bitch." I felt sorry for Edward; it must have been a complete and devastating shock. They had planned to get married six months after Alice.

"You're telling me. I've had to deal with the aftermath. He won't go out; he won't do anything. All his friends were her friends to begin with. So, he doesn't feel comfortable hanging out with them," she explained. "Would you go out with him, like to dinner or something, just to get him out of the house?"

"Alice, you know I'm not looking for a relationship." I tried to dissuade her, knowing the battle was already lost.

"I know but he needs to get out and so do you." She threw me under the bus. But, I had a reason for my anti-social behavior - I was not going out because I was trying to avoid Jacob at all costs.

"Just as friends?" I hedged.

"Of course! You are going to love him," she cried. "He is handsome and loyal and kind and handsome . . ."

"Alice, there is going to be nothing more than friendship. Don't get your hopes up."

The next week, Edward and I met at a restaurant, my favorite to be exact. As I pulled up to Mona Lisa's, I calmed my nerves by reminding myself that Edward was not in any state for a relationship, so I had no worries that this would be anything other than a simple dinner. We would meet, make small talk and then part ways. In the future if I ever saw Edward, we could possibly be friends.

I walked into the restaurant and was greeted by the pretty blonde hostess.

"Welcome to Mona Lisa's. Are there any more to your party?" She smiled falsely.

"Yes. Actually, I'm meeting someone for dinner. The table should be for Cullen," I replied politely.

Her smile faltered only to be replaced by an awful grimace that I was sure she meant as a grin and her eyes narrowed as she looked me up and down. Her smile now showed all her teeth and I wondered if she was baring them in a snarl toward me. It was an odd reaction.

The hostess led me past a partition and into the heart of the restaurant. I noticed that there was only one table that had any occupants as it was too late for lunch and not late enough for dinner. Sitting there in the corner across the room was the most handsome man I had ever seen. His hair was strewn about his head haphazardly. In the dim light I could not make out an exact color but it appeared to be brown. He sat staring dejectedly into the empty restaurant.

Holy shit! He was stunning.

It was not until we were a few yards away that he turned to look at us. When his eyes met mine, they widened for a split second, and then he regained his composure. His gaze made me feel weak in the knees. This was not something I was used to and it made me feel slightly uneasy. His mouth lifted in a slight smile, one side was higher than the other giving him a boyish quality. He stood, held out his hand and spoke.

"Hello, I'm Edward. You must be Bella." His voice oozed confidence, charm and masculinity. It was soothing and spoke directly to my heart, which felt like it was going to pound out of the prison of my ribcage.

"Yes. It's wonderful to finally meet you," I said, grabbing his hand. Suddenly the shock, that intangible energy that Alice had always talked about, but I had not understood until that very moment, spread throughout my entire body. It seemed to originate at the point where my fingers touched his skin. I smiled and quickly yanked my hand back, unnerved by the sensation. "Alice always has such nice things to say. I'm glad I get to meet her big brother."

He sat down again and we made trivial conversation as we ordered and ate. After dinner – the mushrooms were good – our conversation became more personal. We both spoke of our situations.

"I told Alice that I am not looking to get involved with someone. I just need friendship, you know? No complications. Just friendship, plain and simple," Edward stated. "I'm not looking for a romance. "

"I couldn't agree more," I sighed. "I am not looking for a whirl wind, knock-me-off-my-feet love story, either. " I shook my head to illustrate my point. "No. Right now, I just want someone to spend time with, someone to have fun with. My ex has been hounding my every step. I need time away from that scene. When I do decide to jump back into dating, though, I want someone who's seen it all before; I can't handle being anyone's first anything. I did that with the last guy. I don't want to be the parental figure anymore. I want to forget that sort of relationship."

"I need time to forget her," he nearly whispered.

"OK. So we promise. Just friends?" I smiled, knowing we were on the same page. He may have been gorgeous and I may have felt the link to him but that did not change the fact that I did not want a boyfriend.

He nodded. "Promise. Just friends. No complications, I swear." His answering smile was weak but expressive.

We kept our promise. We saw each other a few times over the next few months. We found out that we had been paired off at Alice's wedding due to our positions in the bridal party. This pleased and upset me all at once. Even though I had agreed to our deal, I was beginning to develop feelings for Edward, so being with him for most of the night made me feel giddy and uncomfortable.

Edward and I helped a bit with the planning of the wedding and hung out together often during the preparation.

It was a few weeks before Alice's wedding that I was informed that Jacob would be attending the event. Alice called me over to her house and sat me in her kitchen to tell me. Panic mode settled in within moments of the revelation.

"Oh no, Alice. What am I gonna do?" I shrieked over my omelet.

"Since you're going to be matched up with Edward, you can just ask him to pretend you 're dating. That way, Jake will see you together and he'll leave you alone." She folded her arms across her chest like she had just said the most obvious thing ever.

"I wish it were only that easy, Alice."

"It is," she stated. She grabbed her phone from her bag and dialed someone. She held it to her ear. After a few moments, she spoke. "Hey, Edward. How're you?" She smiled and listened briefly. "That's great. Listen, Bella's ex is going to be at the wedding. Do you think you could pretend you're dating to keep him off her back?" She nodded her head and made a noise of agreement. "Perfect, Edward. You're a lifesaver. I've gotta go. Talk to you later." She closed the phone and looked at me. "He'll do it," she squealed.

The night had gone off without much action; Edward stayed close to me, holding my hand or wrapping his arm around me, keeping Jacob at bay. It wasn't until the DJ played a slow song that things started to go awry.

As soon as the music started, Jacob made his way over and requested that I dance with him. Edward glared at him and stated that he was, in fact, walking me to the dance floor. Edward guided me to the wooden area and wrapped his arms around me. I was enveloped in his warmth and he pulled me in closer, swaying in time to the music. The position was intimate and I leaned my head against his shoulder.

When the song neared its end, I looked up into his eyes, the color of emeralds. I saw a burning behind them, something I had never seen before. It seemed a variety of emotions were standing just behind the veil of his stoic face. I wondered if he had been feeling the emotional tie and desire that I had. He looked like he was about to speak and I melted into his arms, hoping to hear what I had desired him to say since I had met him, that he wanted more from our relationship.

Just then, Alice walked over, interrupting our moment. "Heidi is here, Edward. She came here with one of the guests. I'm so sorry," she stated pointing over by the bar.

His face fell when he gazed in the direction Alice pointed. "I didn't know you invited Demitri . . . So, I guess they're together now." He sounded hoarse.

Alice's eyes never left the ground as she answered him. "Yes. I invited him before - "

"God damn," Edward cut her off, speaking through clenched teeth. "I don't believe this. I knew there had to be another guy, but my best friend? I'll be right back, Bella." He excused himself and practically fled from the room. His reaction only further confirmed that he was not interested in me. After a few minutes, he returned to my side and asked if I wanted to leave.

* * * * *

His sudden movement broke me from the memories of the wedding and I looked back over at his chiseled jaw line, illuminated from the lights of the dashboard, wishing that he could feel what I did. But that was impossible. I knew he would never see me as anything other than a friend; he was well out of my league.

He reached across to the radio and popped out the CD that was currently in the player, replacing it with another. The sounds of Beethoven's "Pathetique Sonata" began to fill the car. I had always found this song relaxing but with the steady hum between us, I was unable to unwind.

Most people were staying the night in a hotel but since Edward needed to be back early, we decided to get a head start. We drove to his family's house; It was about halfway between the wedding venue and home. His parent's house was enormous. I had been there on several occasions and the size never ceased to surprise me. There were more than enough guest rooms, so sleeping arrangements were easily made.

We arrived at the beautiful house and walked into the foyer. I was still keyed up from the events at Alice's wedding and apparently so was Edward.

"I'm not tired yet. I'm going to have a drink. Would you like one, too?" he asked after I had dropped my bag next to the nearest sofa.

"That would be great. Do you have stuff to make a Midori Sour?" He raised one eyebrow. "I know. It's a girly drink. But I like 'em," I fake whined. "Where should I put my bag? And I want to get changed," I said, gesturing to my dress.

"Go to the third floor. Take the hallway to the end. Yours is the room on the right. Your drink will be ready when you come down." He chuckled and walked off to the kitchen.

I dropped my stuff off in the room and changed quickly. After I was dressed, I made my way down the stairs. About half way down the first flight, I heard the dulcet sounds of a piano. The farther down I went, the more recognizable the tune became. After a moment, I realized it was the song that Edward had played in the car.

Edward turned when I hit the first floor. He smiled at me and patted open space on the bench next to him. When I sat on the bench, he pointed to my drink which was resting on a coaster and began playing again.

As he progressed into the song, it morphed into a less traditional piece. It started to sound almost like doo-wop. Then he played a portion reminiscent of "Pathetique Sonata" again. This happened quite a few times before he finally finished the piece. I found the song familiar but I could not quite place it. He looked at me expectantly.

"That was wonderful, Edward. You play beautifully."

He stared at me and his expression was unreadable. He ran his hand through his hair and I wondered what was going through his mind.

"Sometimes I wish I knew what you were thinking," he said, echoing my thoughts.

I laughed. "I was just thinking the same thing."

He turned and faced me, reaching his hand up and placing it on the side of my face. It was the most intimate we had ever been, and it made me nervous. I took in a deep breath.

"You know the pact we made when we first met." I nodded and he continued. "Well, I was wrong. Now that you're here alone with me, I realize it's not the same situation as it was then." He gazed at me with such intensity, my thoughts became incoherent. "Suddenly I don't remember the rules anymore. I don't want to be just your friend," he whispered.

His face drew closer to mine. His warm breath tickled me as his lips collided with mine. The strange shock that had hummed earlier broke out in full song as it spread through my body. I had never had a reaction like this from such a chaste kiss. I was lost in the feel of his mouth on mine; it was all that existed, all that could ever exist.

He moved his lips against mine, gently caressing and massaging. His mouth opened, and he lightly ran his tongue against my lower lip. Knowing what he wanted, I quickly allowed him access by parting my lips and his tongue wrestled with mine.

His hands roamed down my face to my shoulders and then lower to my waist, all the while we kissed with a passion I had never known before. The electricity between us strengthened to an almost unbearable force.

I pulled away from our kiss, gasping for breath. He leaned in and kissed along my jaw line and down into my neck. I shivered from the delight his soft kisses brought as the pleasant tingling sensation trailed along my spine. My breathing quickened and he turned me toward him, pulling me closer. He dragged his hand up my side and over my breast. My body reacted instinctually leaning into his tender touch. I had wanted this for so long; I could not believe it was actually happening.

Once again he captured my mouth with his and suddenly, I remembered the song he played a few minutes ago. The words that accompanied it began to sing in my head:

This Night

You're Mine

It's only you and I

I'll tell you

To forget yesterday

This night we are together

I felt the cool air as his hand that had remained on my waist left its spot. I heard a muffled bang, the sound of something closing. For a moment, Edward's body left my side as his strong hands lifted me up in the air. Abruptly, I came to rest on something hard and smooth – the piano I realized.

"You don't know how many nights I have been thinking about you . . . wanting to hold you," he murmured, his eyes closing as he leaned me back and pressed himself against me. I automatically wrapped my legs around him and pulled him even closer. His warm body was perfectly shaped to mine, and I groaned as his hands worked their way underneath the fabric of my top. Within seconds, my top was ripped from my body and flung to the floor. He gazed at my bare chest and groaned as I worked to remove his shirt from his body.

I pulled his shirt off, throwing it to the floor and yanked him against me again. His naked chest felt warm and inviting and I knew this was where I would always want to be. He brought his lips to mine once more, almost attacking me in his fervor.

As we kissed, I realized that he was right- it was time to forget the past. It was time to live for the present and this night we were together.

This will probably be the most "smut" you'll ever get from me. It was a real stretch to get this far.

For those of you interested, the lyrics to the song. They were interwoven throughout.

Lyrics to "This Night" by Billy Joel (1983)

Didn't I say
I wasn't ready for a romance
Didn't we promise
We would only be friends

And so we danced
Though it was only a slow dance
I started breaking my promises
Right there and then

Didn't I swear
There would be no complications
Didn't you want
Someone who's seen it all before

Now that you're here
It's not the same situation
Suddenly I don't remember the rules anymore

This night is mine
It's only you and I
Tomorrow
Is a long time away
This night can last forever

I've been around
Someone like me should know better
Falling in love
Would be the worst thing I could do

Didn't I say
I needed time to forget her
Aren't you running from someone
Who's not over you

How many nights
Have I been lonely without you
I tell myself
How much I really don't care

How many nights
Have I been thinking about you
Wanting to hold you
But knowing you would not be there

This night
You're mine
It's only you and I
I'll tell you
To forget yesterday
This night we are together

This night
Is mine
It's only you and I
Tomorrow
Is such a long time away
This night can last forever

Tomorrow
Is such a long time away
This night can last forever