BPOV
"Honestly, you really have to stop treating me like a child," I complained to Mike. "I knew when it was time to come in."
"I didn't want you to get mixed up with all those…" he rambled on unable to think of a dirty enough word to describe the third class people. Grabbed my waist from behind and buried his face in my hair. I hated it when he did this. He made me feel like food.
"Mmmm," he hissed gliding his nose down to the back of my neck. "The most beautiful woman in the world belongs to me."
I gave him a fake smile and turned to kiss him on the cheek.
"I knew you would warm up to me," he sang softly to himself. This was indeed an illusion. I have in no way, shape, or form warmed up to him. It was apart of the act I put on to impress my mother.
"Can we come in," Emmett called from outside our room.
"Yes," Mike replied. In stepped Emmett and Jasper.
"Bella, I believe Renee, Alice, and Rosalie are waiting for you," Jasper replied.
I smiled at him. I gave the gentleman a curtsey and was on my way. Outside the door my mother and two sisters were waiting for me dressed in one of their best dresses.
"What is the occasion?" I asked.
"We are going to the gala in a few minutes to be introduced to the rest of the first class passengers. I advise you dress in your best too," my mother explained.
"Yes, Bella, I daresay that dress isn't proper for meeting the captain," Alice replied. Rosalie just merely glared at me. I should have known. More fancy parties to go to. Life was so dull and rational sometimes. The same people with the same mindless chatter surrounded me with nothing for entertainment.
I glanced down at my engagement ring. The diamond was huge surrounded by sparkling gold.
"Won't the men join us?" I asked them.
"Of course. We can't escort ourselves. They just had a few things to discuss," Rosalie informed. Her blond hair was pinned up to be stacked in piles amongst her head. I truly did feel under dressed.
"Shall I go change?"
"Yes, and we'll help you," Alice said. Her dark hair was also piled up on top of her head. They hurried me to the dressing room. Renee decided to head up to the gala since she had no escort.
"I think the black dress should do for the night," Alice wondered out loud.
"I think she should go with the red," Rosalie gave her peace of mind.
"I think I should put on my other blue dress like this," I said.
"What is with you and that damned color blue," Alice started. "You know, Bella, for you have a rich fiancé who loves to shower you in gifts your taste is truly poor. You never want to buy yourself anything new."
"Who needs five thousand dresses," I complained hoping Rosalie would back me up.
"A young lady about to be married," Rosalie chimed. The traitor.
"I am wearing the blue," I commanded stamping my foot to the floor. There were reasons that I had particularly always chosen a blue dress. Mike detested that color on me. He always wanted me to wear black or red. It was my duty to annoy the hell out of the man after all.
"Okay, put the blue dress on, but you know Mike won't be happy," Alice claimed.
"Yes, Alice, I know."
Mike, Emmett, and Jasper were waiting for us outside of the dressing room. Mike took one look at me then frowned. Success.
"What ever happened to that pretty black dress I bought you the other day?" he asked with the frown still apparent.
"I couldn't find it," I lied. I was such a terrible liar till Alice laughed.
"Bella," Mike said staring at me daring me to lie again.
"Fine then. I wanted to wear the blue. You can't make ever decision for me, Mike. If I want to wear a certain color then I should feel obligated to wear it!" I growled stomping my foot.
"Bella, go change before we are late. You know I hate being late," Mike said sternly.
"Please, Bella, do what he says," Rosalie pleaded.
Defeated I headed back into the dressing room alone. I despised it when my sisters betrayed me. They might let their husbands dress them, but damn it I wanted that right. I slung the blue dress into the corner and picked up the black lousily putting it on.
When I came on the dressing room, making sure my dress was askew, I stared at Mike's face and gave him my fake smile that I had especially for him. His mouth crossed into a thin line. He began fixing the straps till they were perfect as he pressed his body against mine. He then lowered his mouth to my ear.
"Stop being stubborn and behave," he ordered.
"I have no idea what you are talking about," I whispered back.
He straightened his position and grabbed my hand tugging me off into the hallway.
The ballroom was filled with people of importance, as said by Jasper. All of them must have owned some kind of mill or something. Jasper even pointed us out to the ones who struck gold off somewhere.
"Well hello, Mike," a black-haired man said to us.
"Good evening, Eric," Mike replied back. Eric had a woman on his arm that looked to me like some motion picture star. Her hair was long and silvery which matched her gray eyes. Eric's attention however, was all turned towards me.
"And who might this lovely young lady be?" he asked almost greedily. Mike smiled at his friends coveting.
"This is my fiancé Bella," Mike introduced me as Eric shook my hand. His wife did not seem pleased to see that.
"Nice to meet you, sir," I claimed.
"Nice to see you again, Lauren," Mike addressed to the woman on Eric's arm.
"The pleasure is mine," Lauren sighed looking apathetic. Great! I made an enemy.
Emmett and Jasper introduced themselves and my sisters next. After that we caught up with Renee who was engaged in a conversation with the captain and insisted that he join us at our table.
I had to endure two hours of mindless chatter before Eric's smoking was about to drive me crazy.
"Honey, I think I need to go out and get some fresh air," I said leaning in to Mike for a private conversation.
"Okay," he said in approval as if I needed it from him.
I rose up from the table and began to make my exit from the gala. Rosalie and Alice got up to follow me but I held my hand up to them signaling that I wanted to be alone.
The deck was a nice vast area to prod upon and think. It was twilight outside. Almost dark enough to see the stars. I loved the stars. I love to gaze up at them and marvel. I felt that there was something out there in the deep immense sky for me to unravel. It depressed me that I still haven't found it.
"Excuse me, sir," I apologized after bumping into a male with bronze hair. I didn't hear a reply back as I continued walking, but I could feel his stares. I was tired of people marveling at me like I was some prize.
I was wondering out of district and I knew it. But who cares. Mike of course would give me a full lecture about running off into third class boundaries. "Class" was overrated to me. Aren't we all people?
I leaned on the railing to get a good view of the ocean whose water was now reflecting the twilight color. How beautiful.
EPOV
Carlisle and Esme hit it off real well. We were in our room and those too were rambling on about pointless things. She was a nice person I have to admit, but she never shut up. Carlisle was absorbed in her every word.
"I think I need some fresh air," I spoke up as a plan to escape
"You need us to go with you?" Esme asked. Oh goodness no!
"No thank you," I said quickly making my way out of the room.
Outside on the deck the sun was setting giving the sky a wondrous color. Memories began to flood my mind. The sky was this color when I last saw my mother smile, so it was my favorite part of the day.
I began to pace on the deck trying to remember my mother's voice when I felt a small shove. I looked up to curse at the assailant, but the breath was taken from me as soon as my eyes fell on her.
"Excuse me, sir," she apologized walking off. This was the same angel I saw earlier in the day on the first class deck. I wanted to speak but I could form no words. I just stared at her as her brunette hair swept on her back not even noticing I was following her.
How was such a beautiful creature even possible? Was someone playing tricks with my sanity?
I watched her as she leaned on the railing to stare at the ocean. She must truly be reckless because she was leaning far over. To my worst realization her scream snapped me out of my pondering. I reached for her foot as it kicked in the air and caught it. She was now dangling from my hands.
"HELP ME!" she screamed.
"Its all right I won't let you go," I assured her pulling her back over.
She clashed into me knocking both of us down once I got her overboard.
"Thank you so much," I heard her gasp from beside me.
"No problem."
Both of us were out of breath. We stayed on the floor hyperventilating until we heard footsteps.
"What the hell is going on, Bella. Has he attacked you?" a man's voice called. "Arrest him!"
I felt hands around my arms yanking me up.
"No," the angel called Bella spoke up.
"What do you mean no," the man's voice asked. "He attacked you. This filth put his hands on you.
I glanced up at the two officers restraining me. I knew they wouldn't believe the truth so I kept quiet.
"No, Mike! He saved me," Bella explained. God Bless this angel.
"Saved you?" Mike stammered as if he couldn't believe it.
"Yes, you know how clumsy I am! I was leaning over the rail to look at the ocean and I fell. Mr.…uh…" she paused realizing she didn't know my name.
"Edward," I answered her unspoken question. "Edward Masen."
"Mr. Masen here pulled me back over," Bella stated.
"Release him," Mike told the officers. I could tell he had no intentions on doing it if Bella hadn't insisted.
He turned his attention to me.
"Mr. Masen, I want to thank you," Mike began. I could tell his thank you was fake.
"No problem," I answered.
"Thank you," Bella added. Her thank you real.
"We must be getting back," Mike told Bella, but before he could tug her away she stopped him.
"Is an apology all you have to offer to the man who just saved my life?" she asked him.
"Hum…I see you are displeased," Mike pondered aloud. He then turned his attention to me. "Would you like to join us for dinner to entertain us with your heroic tale?"
I was about to refuse. A first class dinner was nowhere for me to be, but Bella's gaze caught my attention. Her beautiful face looked at me and I could see her mouthing "please".
"Sure," I accepted. Bella returned the favor with a smile.
"See you soon, Mr. Masen," she called out to me as Mike dragged her off. She didn't take her beautiful eyes off me until they were out of third class range.
My heart began to pound loudly as I ran back to tell Carlisle the news.