Disclaimer: These beautiful creatures belong to Stephenie Meyer.
"When I kiss mixie it makes me feel horny
Cause I'm the type of lover with the sensitivity
When she kiss my neck and tickle me fancy
She give me the right kind of love on Sunday morning"
-Caress Me Down, Sublime
October 1
EPOV"Leaving early again today, Duracell?"
"Gah!" I exclaimed, startled. It was an ungodly hour of the morning and I had been hoping to slip out of the apartment without my roommate and sister, Alice, being any wiser about it. Unfortunately, the kitchen opened to the entry hall and Alice sat at the table, calmly spooning bites of Life cereal into her mouth while she stared at me knowingly. I hated it when she stared at me knowingly. It meant that she knew something I probably didn't want her to know. Such as why I was leaving for work early. "You scared me, Freak," I admonished.
Alice continued to chew, staring at me for another moment before she stood and put her bowl in the sink. "Wait here, I need to brush my teeth. You're giving me a ride and then you can explain to me why this is the fourth time in as many weeks that you're going in early," she said as she wandered back toward her bathroom. "And don't bother telling me it's work related, because I know it isn't," she called cheerfully, her voice fading as she walked further into the apartment.
I sighed and threw myself down in a chair to wait. I knew better than to argue with Alice.
Alice was not my blood sister, but we were as close as two siblings could possibly be. We told people that we were twins sometimes, because we were born on the same day, but in reality, Alice and I met in a foster home when we were 5. My parents had both died, and Alice's, for reasons she doesn't know even now, had abandoned her. I had been hiding in some dark, lonely corner of the foster home we lived in when she had poked her little head into my hiding space. She just looked at me and I glared back at her. She stuck out her hand and, for some reason, I took it. I followed her outside while she talked a mile a minute and I said nothing. She jabbered at me for a week straight about everything and anything that came into her head. When I finally told her to shut up, they were the first words I'd spoken since my parent's death. She was exactly what I needed at that point in my life.
We were best friends. Sometimes it felt like there was no one else in the world but the two of us. We never really got along with the other kids that came and went through the foster home, so most of the time we were each others only playmates. Two years passed and a young couple showed interest in adopting me. I remember wanting, badly, to go with them, but I could see Alice was terrified. Even though every kid in our position dreamed of getting adopted, I politely thanked the couple but told them I wanted to stay with Alice. I was exactly what she needed at that point in her life.
Luckily for us, the couple who wanted to adopt me wanted two kids eventually, and, seeing us together with our hands clasped tightly, they could not bear to separate us. They adopted us both. Carlisle and Esme Cullen had not been able to have kids of their own. Knowing that older kids often had a difficult time getting adopted, especially ones with my and Alice's history, Esme had insisted on adopting in our age range.
Alice and I were lucky - for each other and for our loving mother and father. What happened to my parents, well, sucked, but I couldn't have asked for a better family.
Even right now when I was really not looking forward to the 25 minute commute to work with her and her version of the Spanish Inquisition.
Alice and I lived in Orange, CA, but both worked in the city of office buildings, Irvine, CA. Alice taught kickboxing and didn't have to be at work until after noon, but she also had a penchant for shopping. Both of our jobs were conveniently near Fashion Island - a mall of epic proportions and one of Alice's favorite places.
"Alright, spill," Alice said as we pulled out of the garage. "And no lies," she warned.
I grumbled under my breath.
The truth of the matter was that a week or so after Bella Swan started work, she had decorated her office from top to bottom with Nightmare Before Christmas paraphernalia. She had posters and wall-hangings - even figurines.
I vividly remembered the day she brought everything in. I'd stopped outside her office with my mail cart to find her balancing on her toes on her desk. She was trying to hang one of her posters. I swear I'd been about to offer my assistance, but I was captivated by the delicious way her jeans hugged her hips and flowed down her long legs. The hunter green shirt she wore set off the auburn highlights in her hair perfectly. There was a subtle grace about her body as she stood, arms stretched above her head trying to pin the poster up.
Then she'd shifted and lost her balance. She swayed and fell, but I got there in time to catch her again.
Just as the first time, the feel of her small body against mine sent a thrill through me. It was different though, because her startled arms went around my neck. I could feel hear heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my chest. And her smell - my god. Sweet, floral and feminine. I wanted to press my tongue against the skin of her neck to see if she tasted as good as the scent she exuded.
My mouth started moving before I could think about what I was saying. "You know, there are better ways to start a conversation. This is a little extreme as far as ice breakers go."
W.T.F. Cullen? What had possessed me to say something like that?
Bella's response was to turn a bright shade of pink.
That might have been my subconscious reason. Her blush was adorable, as I remembered.
Then I remembered the boyfriend that could flatten my face with his fist, and I remembered the latest figures of how much a sexual harassment lawsuit could cost both me and the company. I set her down quickly and stepped away.
Looking anywhere but her eyes, I'd noticed the box on her desk, filled with all things Jack Skellington.
I sighed again, shaking off the memory, and looked at my sister. "A co-worker of mine is obsessed, I mean obsessed with the Nightmare Before Christmas. She has all kinds of -"
Before I could continue Alice interrupted. "Wait, she?"
I glared at my sister and then continued as if she hadn't interrupted. "She has everything from posters to figurines. Sometimes I come in before she gets to work, before anyone gets to work, so I can...mess with her stuff."
Alice stared at me.
"I hung all her posters upside down last week," I said, hoping she'd laugh with me. I'd laughed all day. I almost laughed again remembering the look on her face. It was quite possibly the funniest thing I'd ever seen in my life.
Alice stared at me.
I tried to keep my eye on the road, but I felt Alice's eyes on me, making me uncomfortable. I glanced at her several times before I lost it. "What?!"
"Edward Cullen...do you have a schoolboy crush?!" she exclaimed.
"Oh, come off it Alice," I protested automatically. "You just want to read too much into things because she's a girl, that's all."
"This is the grown up version of schoolyard bullying. You remember when you used to pull little girls pigtails when you liked them?"
I scowled at my sister. "I never pulled anyone's pigtails."
She rolled her eyes. "Okay, when they used to pull YOUR pigtails. Don't get off subject, Edward. Let's look at the facts here. You're not a morning person, yet here you are, going into work so you can mess with someone's stuff. This will be the fourth week you've pulled a prank on her, so it's not like you're losing interest in your little joke." She tilted her head, looking at me with an entirely too amused grin on her face. "And you have a twinkle in your eye."
Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. "My eyes do not twinkle."
"They do today. What's her name?"
Luckily, by that time I had arrived at our destination. "Get out of my car."
"What's her name?" Alice insisted.
I sighed. "Bella."
Alice narrowed her eyes at me but exited the car. She poked her head back in with a warning. "Don't think you've heard the last of this, Edward." As she closed the door she turned back and grinned, waving cheerfully.
As soon as she had her back turned I glanced in the mirror. My eyes didn't look brighter nor did I see any telling sparkle like you read about. I looked annoyed. Clearly, my sister was delusional.
I had almost convinced myself not to go forward with my plan, but, remembering Bella's surprised look from last week, I found myself in her office before I could talk myself out of it. Grumbling to myself, I started to rearrange all the figurines that had been on her desk into compromising positions around her office. Sally with her face buried in Dr. Finklestein's crotch on the filing cabinet. Jack getting horizontal with Oogie Boogie on the window ledge. All of her toys became sexual deviants.
When I had finished the rest of the company was only barely starting to come to life. I slipped out of her office without being noticed and headed for my desk and my ever familiar mail cart.
At eight on the dot I had holed myself up in an empty cubicle adjacent to Bella's office. She usually came in sometime between 8:00 and 8:15.
Watching a girl from afar? Schoolboy crush or creepy stalker behavior? The voice in my head sounded annoyingly similar to my sister.
"Sounds like crap when you say it," I mumbled out loud and ran a hand over my eyes. I told myself I wasn't stalking anyone, I just wanted to see her reaction to what I'd done to her things. After all, what's the point of a prank if you can't see the effect?
I heard her voice before I saw her. She was walking down the hallway, talking to someone on the phone. As she came around the corner, I briefly thanked the Southern California sun for shining brightly even though this was the first day in October. I also thanked the casual atmosphere of the company. If it wasn't for both of those factors she might have been covered up...though I had to admit, thinking about Bella in a power suit had its merits. I had been a follower of the X-Files and the whole thing Agent Scully had going on with power suits and heels unsuitable for her typical work day had been hot.
It wasn't as though Bella dressed skimpy. I just appreciated the way her jeans and shirts hugged her curves. She had a beautiful body.
Her affectionate, "Goodbye Beast, have a good day," as she put her phone away reminded me that she was not mine to look at. I banged my head lightly against the wall of the cubicle, a little disgusted with myself at my inability to get this girl out of my head. Thinking about someone that could not be mine as much as I thought about Bella couldn't lead to anything good.
Of course, the next moment I forgot all about why I should not pursue whatever this thing I had going on for Bella was. She had stepped into her office. I saw her pause and look around for a handful of seconds before I heard what was rapidly becoming one of my favorite sounds in the world: Bella's laughter.
It was a full bellied laugh of amusement and it made me ridiculously happy to have been the cause for it. I smiled as I watched her. She had taken out her phone again and was taking pictures of my handiwork.
I was considering dropping by her desk nonchalantly when Mike Newton beat me to the punch. I scowled as he leaned in Bella's doorway, watching her and obscuring my view.
"I didn't know it was photo day. Should I strike a pose?" he asked, striking one anyway. He threw his hands behind his head in a pose that, I assume, he meant to be sexy.
I didn't see Bella's look but I heard her voice. She was definitely amused. More, I secretly hoped, by my efforts than Mike's antics. "It looks like someone has left my toys to be caught in flagrante delicto. Although, pairing Sally with Dr. Finklestein is particularly heinous. It's just... no."
This brought the smile back to my face. Before I had interfered, she'd had Jack and Sally wrapped around each other. She was a romantic and she personified the figurines on her desk. Instead of thinking it was weird, I found it charming.
Lunch found me alone in the break room. Most everyone went out for lunch or ate at their desk so the break room was rarely used. I found the quiet nice. I could read or enjoy my iPod...or, more often than not these days, find myself distracted, thinking about Bella. No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't understand. What was it about her that had me so entranced? From the moment I'd laid eyes on her, I hadn't stopped thinking about her. When she'd fallen into my arms that first time, my skin had felt like it was on fire. Instead of pain, I'd felt alive. My entire body was aware of her. My ears automatically perked up when I heard her voice. My mouth quirked into a smile when I saw her. Her face crept into my fantasies whether I wanted it to or not.
"Look at you, with the sparkle in your eye," Jessica Stanley's voice interrupted my memories. "You're in a good mood."
"It's Thursday. Tomorrow is payday. Who wouldn't be in a good mood?" I asked conversationally, ignoring the sparkle comment.
Jessica sighed, slumping a little at the table. "I have the day off. I should be in a good mood."
"But?" I prompted out of curiosity.
"It's my birthday. I had plans to go out with friends all day but they flaked on me," Jessica admitted, looking sad.
"Well...that's not very nice," I said sympathetically.
She shrugged, stirring her yogurt listlessly. "Oh well, at least I'll get to sleep in, right?"
I could see she was really upset and I didn't blame her. Having friends flake on you when you were excited about something sucked. Having friends flake on you, leaving you alone on your birthday, was another level of suck. I had an internal war with myself with what I was about to do. Jessica Stanley had made her attempts to flirt with me in the past. She just wasn't my type. She had a slightly valley girl thing going on that grated on me. Then again, she was nice enough and no one deserved to be alone on their birthday.
And maybe it would get Alice to back off about Bella.
Maybe it would help me back off about Bella.
"You know, Disneyland lets you into one park for free on your birthday this year. And I have an annual pass. If you want to go..." I let my offer trail off, not knowing how she would react to the Disneyland aspect. I know a fair share of people who hate Disneyland on principle.
She looked up, obviously shocked. "Disneyland. I haven't been there in like, ten years. But isn't it something you really should have all day to do?"
I shrugged and leaned in conspiratorially. "I might be coming down with a cold. If I do, it'd be better not to come in sick and infect the whole office. Don't you think?"
She giggled and we made arrangements. Since she lived out further than I did, she agreed she would come to my place to pick me up. I lived on the same street that Disneyland was on, although in Southern California that could mean I lived 25 miles away. Luckily for me, being a Disney-aholic, I only lived about 4 miles down the road.
***
Jessica was better company than some. She wasn't as enthusiastic as I was about the Disney experience, but I suppose that was asking too much. As an adult, I loved Disneyland more than I had as a kid. It was just something about the constant upgrading in technology, and I will admit the sentimentality of connecting the generations. My grandmother, Esme's mother, often told me stories about how she watched Disneyland being built when she was 10 years old. Get me drunk enough and I'd even admit to getting teary eyed at the Remember, Dreams Come True fireworks show that mixed old school Disney with new. Past and present, just like those commercials where the parents go to Disneyland with their kids and it's like they're kids again. It was amazing to think that one place had been bringing joy to so many for so many years.
Yea, I could be a sentimental prick. Sue me.
It was about 4PM when I decided to reward Jessica for being such a good sport. Despite the fact that she obviously was not a huge fan of roller coasters, she had gotten on California Screaming with me. She took the screaming part literally. My ears were still ringing. To calm her frazzled nerves we walked down to Paradise Pier where there were several restaurants - and more importantly - beer, wine and margarita vendors.
"Seriously? Alcohol in Disneyland?" Jessica asked, incredulous.
"Well, this is Disney California Adventures. They had to get people in here somehow," I quipped. Suffice to say, the park had not been as popular, when it originally opened, as Disney had hoped. "What's your poison?"
"Margarita, definitely," Jessica said.
"Hey, Jessica, Edward!" a booming, unfamiliar, male voice called. I whirled around; stunned to find Bella's grinning, bear of a boyfriend waving at me. Bella was staring at him, looking somewhat mortified, but as her eyes turned to me she smiled a small, embarrassed looking smile. I felt my lips automatically tug upward and my feet propelling me forward before I had a chance to think about it.
"I'm sorry," Bella said as I came up beside her. "I told Emmett not to interrupt your date."
Emmett laughed again before I could answer. "Jessie's always glad to see me, aren't you? I missed you today when I picked up Cinderbella."
"It's my birthday," Jessica explained, gesturing to the Happy Birthday button they had given her at the front gate. She looked up at me with a smile. "Edward rescued me from being alone since my friends bailed."
"Well, that was nice of you Edward," Emmett said, turning his amused eyes on me. He didn't look nearly as intimidating with that goofy grin on his face. The man had dimples. Jesus Christ.
Then he stood up and I was intimidated again. "I'm Emmett McCarty," he said, sticking his hand out.
Knowing a man challenge when I saw one I didn't hesitate to grip his hand firmly. "Edward Cullen." I resisted the urge to flex my fingers when he released me from his bone crushing handshake.
"Here," Emmett pushed one of the two beers he had in front of him toward me. "I'll go pick up a couple of margaritas for the girls. My treat, for your birthday." He waggled his eyebrows playfully at Jessica and then trotted off to the margarita line. Jessica excused herself to go to the bathroom leaving me alone with Bella. I cast one more look at Emmett's huge form standing not too far away to remind myself to behave.
"You don't look sick," I teased her lightly.
"Said the pot to the kettle," she smiled at me again and my breath hitched. "I took a half day today. I can't wait to see the Halloween stuff in Disneyland but, of course, Emmett needed his alcohol fix. You know, it's been years and he still giggles like a little kid over being able to drink booze in a Disney theme park."
I chuckled and sipped the beer Emmett had shoved at me. I preferred the wine but it was across the way and I wasn't about to go anywhere. "They had the Haunted Mansion ready yesterday. And I heard Bob is a big success."
"Bob?" she asked, her eyebrows crinkling in confusion.
I grimaced. That had slipped out. "You know they changed up Space Mountain for Halloween?" She nodded. "Bob is the little alien thing that follows you around in the ride," I explained reluctantly. "There's this forum - Mice Chat - where a lot of the annual passholders talk, and some of the programmers and other Disneyland employees post to it too. The programmers are the ones that named it Bob."
"Bob," she repeated with a grin instead of balking at my display of nerdiness. "They named the dragon from Fantasmic Murphy, no?"
Now it was my turn to grin. Disney had upgraded the dragon from their nighttime river show after many years that summer only to have everything that could go wrong go wrong. Hence, the Disney programmers had taken to calling the dragon Murphy after Murphy's Law.
Jessica and Emmett came back and we all talked fairly easily. I found myself watching Emmett and Bella. They were close, that much was certain, but there was something off about them. They didn't seem as intimate as they should have been. I found my ire peaked. I couldn't fathom having Bella and not touching her in some way every second we were together. Even now the energy between us crackled like some sort of intense magnetism, beckoning me to just brush her hand or tuck the errant strand of hair out of her face.
An empty, neon green plastic cup being slammed down on the table in front of me distracted me from that line of thought. Emmett was eyeing me with an expression that was much more annoyed amusement than stop eye-fucking my lady. "Now that you have some liquid courage in you," he began, turning away from me to look at Bella. "I think today is the day, Bella."
"No," she blurted, shaking her head.
"It's time. Time for the Tower," Emmett pointed to where the Tower of Terror was, a little ways across the park.
Bella looked like she was going to protest again but then Jessica spoke up. "It's a drop ride, right? I want to go on that. I mean, I go bungee jumping so it won't be like that, but it should be fun."
Setting her mouth in thin, determined line, Bella looked up at Emmett. "Fine. Let's do it."
Emmett's eyebrows shot up. "Really?!"
Taking a deep, steadying breath, Bella nodded. She looked green already. "Bella, if you don't want to go," I started, but she cut me off.
"I'll be fine," she said brusquely, gathering all the cups as she stood. She walked off to the trashcans without another word.
I hadn't noticed before, since she had been sitting down, but she was wearing the most adorable little dress I had ever seen. It wasn't too short, but nor was it too long. It was simple, gray and cotton with a design along the side that led to - of course - Jack Skellington heads. She was wearing it over black leggings and had a light, open jacket over it that covered her arms against the cooler than summer but unseasonably hot day. The now too familiar warmth spread through my body. I adored this woman for reasons I really couldn't understand.
As we got to the line, Emmett's phone started blaring "Baby got back". "I'll catch up with you guys," Emmett waved at us as he stepped to the side and flipped open his phone.
Bella looked irritated, but as she looked over at us she smiled tightly. "Baby Got Back?" I prodded lightly as we walked to the end of the line.
"That's Rosalie," Bella explained. Then she gave a little laugh. "She hates that song. If she knew that he made that her ring tone, she would have a fit."
My eyebrows shot up in surprise. "He's got that ring tone for another woman, and it doesn't bother you?" I asked before I could stop myself. Fuck me and my lack of filter around this woman.
Bella furrowed her eyebrows, thoroughly confused. "Why would Emmett's ring tone for his girlfriend bother me?"
Oh. OH.
Well, fuck.
"I just thought you looked annoyed, that's all," I covered lamely.
Bella shrugged, looking away. At first I thought she was going to let it go, but then she started talking again. "Emmett and I have been friends since grade school. We're close. But he's like my big brother. I don't have feelings for him like that. Rosalie doesn't like how close we are. Whenever we're out alone, she calls a bunch of times. It's just irritating."
"Why don't you invite her out with you?" Jessica said with a tinge of judgment in her voice. I had to try not to glare at her.
"We do, of course we do," Bella responded, standing up a little straighter, obviously insulted by the implication. "We all go out together, when we can. Rosalie doesn't like me very much. And she hates the whole Disney thing. But Emmett and I kind of grew up with it." She shrugged.
Emmett made his reappearance then and we got on the ride not long after. Bella was bone white by the time we were seated. We took up the first row with Emmett and Jessica on either end and me between Bella and Jessica. Bella was gripping Emmett's arm. "Easy bonny Belle," Emmett whispered to her. "Just remember, no one has died on this ride."
"Yet," Bella mumbled.
The attendant made some comment before she closed the doors to the "elevator" we sat in. "Oh, God," whispered. Then the lights went down, the ride started moving and she said it louder. "Oh, God!"
Then the ride shot up and she screamed. Suddenly, her hand came down on my arm. I was surprised by how much it hurt. The girl had the GI Joe Kung-Fu grip for sure.
Not a helpful thought, Cullen. My conscience, in my sister's voice again, chimed in.
"Shut up," I muttered to it, as the ride ground to a halt, high above the ground.
"Sorry!" Bella squeaked, thinking I was referring to her screaming. Her grip on my arm loosened.
"No, not you, I-," I started to explain, but of course the ride dropped us again at that moment. Even I screamed, having been momentarily distracted. Bella full on leaned into me.
A few seconds later the ride was over and the doors opened. Bella started giggling maniacally. "Cinderbella, are you okay?" Emmett said between chuckles.
She looked up at him, appeared momentarily confused and then looked over to where her hand was still clenched around my arm. "Oh! Oh my god. I'm sorry. I thought I was grabbing Emmett. I just panicked," she babbled as she let go of me.
"Don't worry about it," I murmured, completely amused by her sudden burst of hyper activity. She struggled to get out of her restraints but she was shaking. It was a typical response for this ride. She got up and stumbled off after Emmett. I turned to Jessica to make sure she was okay. She was looking after Bella with a slightly bemused expression.
"I'm glad we went on that ride before we ate," Jessica commented as we walked. "The up and down thing does weird things to my stomach."
I covered my mouth to stop myself from snickering.
Just as we had gotten to the shop outside of the ride, Bella turned to face Jessica and me but she must have moved too fast. Her sense of equilibrium was still off. She swayed slightly and fell forward, straight into my arms. "Head rush," she said breathlessly, not hurrying to move. I knew I was frozen to the spot. She looked up and I felt like I was drowning in the depths of her eyes. I saw her giddiness at the adrenaline that the ride had brought, happiness, I assumed at being here with her best friend, and just a little of an incredulity that made me hope she was feeling the same things I was. That she was feeling this baffling current that ran through us, which sparked where our skin touched.
"Take it easy, Princess," Emmett said, wrapping a steadying arm around her waist and pulling her out of my arms. Emmett made eye contact with me long enough that I saw the disapproval on his face before he put his easy grin back on. "Let's switch parks," he suggested.
"Uh, right," Bella said, seeming a bit dazed. She shook her head and leaned on him for support as we walked out of the store.
I fell into step beside Jessica as we made our way out of DCA and over to Disneyland. What was going on with Emmett? He wasn't quite acting possessive, but the look he'd shot me was certainly not pleased at the lingering hold I'd had on Bella.
It occurred to me that Emmett might be under the impression Jessica and I were more than just friends. I belatedly remembered Bella apologizing for Emmett interrupting our "date". Hell, we weren't even friends, really. Surely, Emmett must have picked up on the fact that this wasn't a date - or else why would we have joined him and Bella? Jessica was always skirting the borderline of annoying the hell out of me.
I wondered if I was sending Jessica the wrong impression by bringing her here. Did she think it was a date? I didn't want to lead anyone on. Still, the basis of Emmett's irritation, if I was right, remained. It was rude to be here with one person and be more involved with someone else in the group.
So after that I tried to behave myself. After all, in over a month that Bella had worked where I worked, she had not really sought me out to talk to me or else showed any interest in doing so. I had just chalked this up to her being with someone, but if she was free and, despite the often surreal, titillating atmosphere around us during our few encounters, she had not voiced or even hinted at being interested...
Even after my realization, which was a punch to the gut, I'm not going to lie; I had a great time through the afternoon and the rest of the evening. We grabbed fast passes for the Halloween-ized Space Mountain and hit several rides on our way to our agreed dinner destination - Cafe Orleans in New Orleans Square. Bella insisted on riding the Haunted Mansion ride before dinner since the Haunted Mansion was always decked out in Nightmare Before Christmas gear from October to the end of December. We took in Fantasmic from the terrace of the Cafe Orleans while we ate, and we watched the new Halloween fireworks.
Despite the fact that I made sure not to touch her or watch her overtly, I always had Bella in my peripheral vision. I just couldn't help it. She fascinated me.
We passed by Ray Bradbury's Halloween Tree and I learned that her favorite Ray Bradbury story was the same as mine - There Will Come Soft Rains. Her excitement as we neared the Haunted Mansion was, for lack of a better word, adorable. There was a noticeable bounce in her step and when we got inside the Mansion, she was mouthing every word of the storyline that played. She actually waved to the miniature Sally as we got off the ride. While we sat down to dinner she bounced her head in time to the music of Fantasmic, miming Mickey's dance moves with her hands pulled close to her chest. Emmett one upped her and did the whole monkey dance, but I was watching her face as she laughed - unrestrained and completely unworried. And then, during the fireworks show as Zero flew over the castle and Jack's head filled the brilliant LED screen they had going on, her eyes were glowing with a childlike sense of wonder.
Did I mention how much I love Disneyland?
We finally got to the tram and everyone was exhausted. The chill that had been missing from the day had permeated the evening. I had wrapped my jacket around Jessica when I had noticed she was getting cold. Bella had rested her head against Emmett's shoulder.
The tram operator began his usual spiel about hands and arms inside the tram. "If an item should fall off the tram while the tram is in motion, simply raise your hand. I will raise my hand and together, we will wave good-bye to the item," the operator quipped.
All four of us blinked at each other before bursting into laughter.
"Guess he was trying to see if everyone was awake," Emmett said.
All too soon we were at the parking structure. It turned out that we were both parked on the Donald level. "Do you know what bugs me about the Donald level is the inconsistency," Bella mumbled randomly, looking more than a little tired as we rode the escalator to the correct level. "On the pillars, he's all smiles, just like everyone else, but on the signs above the roadway, he's all pissy."
This woman was making it entirely impossible for me not to adore her.
"Well, Donald wouldn't be Donald if he wasn't pissy," Emmett offered.
"Consistency, Beast! Why does he get two poses when no one else does?" Bella insisted.
She turned long enough to say good-bye, a smile lighting up her face when she turned to me. I swear my heart stuttered. This woman was going to be the death of me.
I forced myself to shake her influence off so I could pay attention to Jessica as we got into her car. "So? Did you have a good time?"
"I did, actually," Jessica said, smiling. "I'm pretty sure my feet are going to fall off, but I think it was worth the experience. You know, so many people said Happy Birthday to me today. I think that's a nice touch. Thanks so much for everything. Especially these," she tapped the frilly, pink Princess ears I'd bought her. Getting Mickey ears was just a rite of passage at Disneyland. It was a must, although I have to admit I had to resist the eye roll when she went Princess on me.
"I'm glad you had fun," I said, closing my eyes and leaning my head against the seat.
"You know...you should tell her," Jessica said quietly.
"What?" My eyes snapped open.
"Bella. You like her, don't you?" Jessica glanced over at me with curious eyes.
Damn, Jessica was the biggest gossip in the entire office. "Jessica...I don't," I started to protest.
"Relax. I know my reputation, but I do know when to keep my mouth shut," Jessica said. "I'm not going to tell her before you do."
I sighed and banged my head against the seat. "It's obvious?"
"Not to her - which is hysterical by the way. You know, most of the women in the office would be beside themselves if you looked at them the way you look at her," she shook her head ruefully. We had pulled up to my apartment complex by that point and I got out. "Thanks again, Edward. And really...you should tell her."
She pulled away and I fished around in my pockets for my keys. I nearly jumped out of my skin when a voice came from beside me. "Tell who what?"
"Gah!" I exclaimed for the second time in as many days. "Alice, Jesus Christ, were you waiting up for me?"
"Not technically," Alice said, following me in the door of our apartment. "Now, tell who what?" she demanded.
I sighed as I threw myself onto the couch. This was going to be a long night. Especially because it started with the words I always hated saying to my sister.
"You were right."