Disclaimer: The Twilight Series and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Any other characters, settings etc. are property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Chapter 2:
Alice grabbed my hand and whisked me toward the parking lot, stopping in front of a black arrow-shaped nose convertible. A Mercedes-Benz logo was distinctly set on the front of the hood. I opened the passenger door and sat comfortably on the soft leather seat.
She drove through the streets way too fast for my comfort, the wind whipping my hair against my face. I looked at Alice as she fiddled with the buttons on her steering wheel. Alice's spiky hair was untouched by the wind, as though she had and invisible shield around her. Unbelievable.
I tried to ask her about the place she was taking me, only to have a bunch of hair slip inside my opened mouth. I spit out the errant strands and remained silent the rest of the way, listening to the music she had settled on.
Ten minutes later she parked in front of a small building; three floors high, surrounded by trees, in a very secluded area. The street was empty, except for a young couple riding their bikes and a lady walking her dogs. "What do you think?" Alice asked.
"It's a nice neighborhood," I said and looked around for any rental signs. Nothing. Maybe she needed to make a quick stop here before taking me to the place that was for rent. "Why are we here?" I asked.
"You could live here, silly. Mrs. Cope just moved out from the third floor." Her face seemed saddened by this fact. "No one knows about this vacancy because it happened recently, and it was sudden. As soon as the information is out, there'll be a lot of people applying for it. If we talked to the landlord today, the apartment could be yours," she said.
I thought about it for a moment. Very quiet neighborhood. Good distance from work. The smell from the ocean was very pleasant. So far it was perfect. "Okay, let's see it," I said, suddenly excited.
"Yes!" She clapped her little hands and led me toward the building.
As we got closer I noticed six large windows, which meant six apartments, two on each floor. That was good; the prospect of having fewer noisy neighbors around me, the better.
We walked through the glass doors and once in the lobby she stopped in front of the door on the right and pressed the bell button once. A few seconds later an elderly man, probably in his seventies, opened the door. "Alice! What a pleasant surprise!
"Hello, Mr. Banner. How are you?"
"Hanging in there, sweetie. How are you?"
"I'm doing fine, thank you," Alice replied. She grabbed my arm and pulled me closer to her. "This is my friend Bella."
"It's nice to meet you, Sir," I said, offering my hand.
He shook it. "It's nice meeting you, Bella."
"Bella is new in town. She is looking for a nice place to move in and I thought that this was perfect for her," Alice told him.
"Oh. You heard about Mrs. Cope." Mr. Banner said. His voice sounded sad.
"Yes I did. And I'm really sorry for her," Alice said, full of sincerity.
Mr. Banner looked at me. "Mrs. Cope broke her hip. So she couldn't live in the third floor anymore. Her children moved her to a rest home. It's very sad," he explained to me.
"I'm sorry," I said.
Mr. Banner sighed. "Yeah, we all are. But life goes on, it's inevitable." He paused and then he forced a smile. "So, are you interested in the apartment?"
"Yes, I am."
"I'd show it to you, but we just waxed and resealed the hardwood floors. I'm sorry; you'll have to come back in a couple of days."
"No problem I'll…"
"I could show her my brother's," Alice interrupted me. "It's a replica of Mrs. Cope's."
"That's a good idea," Mr. Banner said. "We could ask him. I don't think he'd mind."
"He won't mind." Alice opened her handbag looking for something. "He is out of town, but I have a key," She told us jingling the keys in her hand.
"It's okay, Alice. I can wait. I don't think we should go in your brother's home without his consent." I said.
"Nonsense. Anyway, I have to water the few plants he has. You don't want them to die, Do you?" she said arching one perfect eyebrow.
Mr. Banner chuckled. And I was learning quickly that you couldn't say 'no' to Alice Cullen.
"Have the paperwork ready for her to sign. We'll be back in a moment," Alice told Mr. Banner while grabbing my arm and pulling me toward the stairs.
"Sure thing, Alice." I heard him saying while I walked beside her, reluctantly.
"Are you always this pushy?" I whispered and she chuckled.
We climbed the circular stairs, set in the middle of the lobby, to the third floor. Once in the small hall, she gestured to the door on my left. "That would be your apartment." And then she walked toward the door on my right. "This is Edward's."
Using her key, she opened the door and invited me in. I paused at the doorframe. "Alice, this is wrong. It's… invasive."
Alice rolled her eyes at me, reached for my hand and pulled me inside. I went along with her, dragging my feet, knowing how inappropriate this was. But once inside I forgot about propriety.
Oh my The place was beautiful. The hardwood floors were reddish brown, giving the open room a classy distinguished look. The living room was very inviting; there was a black leather sofa with a dark mahogany center table set in front of a fifty-inch flat screen television, and tasteful artwork decorating the walls.
Many shelves of books lined one of the walls. But what caught my eye was the beautiful black grand piano set on the left side of the room by the French doors that would lead you out to the balcony.
Alice noticed my amazement. "Do you play?" she asked, directing her gaze toward the piano.
I shook my head. "Not at all. But it's beautiful."
"Do you like music?"
"Who doesn't?" I said.
Alice laughed, "It's a good thing you like music, Bella. Believe me, not everyone enjoys it. If you were one of them, I would never let you live next to my brother. It would drive you insane."
"Well, it's a good thing I like it, then."
"Good indeed," she said, her face lighting up at something that crossed her mind. "Let me show you the rest of house," she told me before I could read more into her expression.
She took me to the kitchen, set with large dark patterns on walls, and light brown cabinets. The beautiful granite countertops matched the color of the cabinets. There was an array of stainless steel appliances, and the state of the art oven range was immaculate. Either Alice's brother had never used it or he was extremely clean.
Alice read my mind. "He doesn't cook," she said and walked toward the bedroom. I followed her hesitantly. Maybe going in his bedroom was too much. "Alice, I…"
Alice rolled her eyes in exasperation. "You're not going to look inside his underwear drawer. Just take a quick look inside the room and bathroom."
I went in and out quickly. But I still noticed the beautiful king-size bed in the middle of the room and the big tub in the bathroom. Everything was spotless. He was a very neat person.
Even without the furniture, if the apartment next door were exactly like this one, it would be more than perfect. Maybe too perfect.
We were back at the living room. "So, what do you think?" Alice asked.
"I don't know, Alice. I think it's a little too much for me," I admitted.
She shook her head. "You haven't seen the best part yet."
She walked toward the French doors and stepped onto the balcony. I followed her. The view of the Pacific Ocean was breathtaking. I continued to the ledge and leaned on it, inhaling deeply breathing in the ocean breeze. I closed my eyes and savored the fresh air filling my lungs. After a moment I opened them slowly only to witness the most stunning sunset I had ever seen; the reds, the oranges, the yellows surrounding the sun were very rich and warm. It was spectacular. I turned to look at Alice. "Where do I sign?"
She grinned at me. "Let's go see Mr. Banner before you change your mind."
We walked toward the door and I stopped abruptly. "Don't you have to water the plants," I reminded her.
"Nah. He pays someone to do it."
I shook my head. That little sneaky pixie.
After all the paperwork was signed. Mr. Banner gave me a set of keys and informed me that the apartment would be ready in a week. And we left. We got in Alice's car and headed back toward the city.
Alice dropped me off at the hotel not before making me promise that we would go car shopping on Saturday. "If you live in LA, you must have a car," she'd said. I had to agree with her. Long distances seemed to be a fact of living in this big city.
We exchanged phone numbers and I stepped out of her expensive car. "Thank you for everything, Alice. I really appreciate it."
"You're very welcome, Bella. I just know we are going to be very good friends," she stated, smiling at me.
"I'm sure of it."
"Bye, See you tomorrow." She pulled away from the curb and sped down the street.
"Bye," I whispered and went inside the hotel.
x~x~x~x~x~x~
The next day I was more relaxed at work. Everyone was very nice to me with the exception of Lauren. I said good morning to her as soon as I came in and she ignored my greeting. I didn't know what her problem was.
James reviewed with me the stories I would be working on. I spent most of the afternoon in his office. He was very professional and experienced. It was really a pleasure working with him. I could learn so many things from someone as proficient as him.
I didn't notice how late it was until James exclaimed. "Wow. Look at the time! I'm sorry, Bella. I didn't know it was this late."
I glanced down at my watch; eight thirty p.m. "Don't worry, it's not that late. And I'd rather finish with this so I could start doing what I like the most."
"And what would that be?" he asked.
"Reading, of course."
James chuckled. "As much as I'd like to keep you working all night, I don't think it's a good idea. You need your beauty sleep so tomorrow you'll be happy and more productive." His tone became proper and formal, "So it's in the company's best interest that you get your rest."
"Okay, you're the boss," I said while collecting the papers and turning off my laptop. I organized everything neatly inside my messenger bag and headed toward the door. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Wait! I'll walk you to your car," he offered as he was turning his computer off.
"You don't have to bother. I don't have a car yet. I'm staying at a hotel a few blocks from here. I'm walking."
"Then I'll give you a ride to your hotel." He said matter-of-factly.
"No, it's fine." I said quickly. "I prefer to walk."
James looked at me and raised an eyebrow. "You're not walking by yourself to your hotel this late. I won't allow it."
"It's really okay. The night is beautiful and this is a very safe neighborhood."
"Not a chance, Bella. If you don't want to accept a ride from me, you will let me walk you to your hotel. Which one is it?"
I thought about how to get out of this one. Nothing came to mind. And James looked so obstinate.
I chose the second option. "Walking it is." I said.
He smiled triumphantly and led me toward the door.
The night was beautiful, and the streets were deserted. I really needed a car soon to avoid this type of situation. Oh, how I wished my old truck hadn't died just a few days before leaving Washington. Bummer
We were walking side by side. James offered to carry my bag but I refused.
"So, are you looking for a home around here?" he asked.
"I already have one. Alice found it for me. But it won't be ready until Monday," I told him.
"How about a car? I could help you find one," he offered.
"I appreciate it, but Alice already arranged some appointments to go see some cars on Saturday. Thank you though."
He sighed. "Don't mention it."
We walked in silence for a few minutes. He was the first to talk. "How are you adjusting to everything?"
"It's going perfectly. I like everyone at work."
"What do you think of the manuscripts that we reviewed this afternoon?" James asked.
I was happy he opted to talk about work-related issues to fill out the uncomfortable silence. "Some of them are very interesting. Some need a lot of work," I told him honestly. I explained to him, the changes I planned on making on some of the manuscripts.
"I totally agree," he said.
It was good to know we were on the same page.
By then we were in front of my hotel. "Thank you, again. For keeping me safe and sound," I teased.
"You are very welcome, Isabella." James said as he winked at me. Then he bowed from the waist, and walked away. "Get some rest!" he ordered over his shoulder.
Isabella I'd never liked being called by my full name; nevertheless I forced a smile. "Sure"
I went up to my room. I ordered some food and watched some television to relax a little. I then went to bed to get some rest in order to be 'happy and productive', as James put it.
x~x~x~x~x~
The rest of week passed by in a flash. My mornings would start with the now familiar glare from Lauren. I learned to just ignore her. I usually ended up going to lunch either with Alice or Angela. I enjoyed their company.
The rest of the team I hardly saw because I'd spend most of my day in James' office, setting up the accounts that were assigned to me.
I tried to keep track of the time to avoid unnecessary escorting from James. If it looked like something was going to take longer, I simply took it with me, and worked in my room by myself. That gave me peace of mind.
Friday was a different story. Since it was the last day of the week, we stayed past ten o'clock, working on an account that needed all of our energy. James rose from his chair, stretching his arms and legs. "I'm done for today! Collect your stuff. I'll take you to your hotel."
I knew that protesting would be futile. I grabbed my stuff and headed toward the door where I waited for him. As we did on Tuesday, we walked side by side, talking. This time, however, he began asking me personal questions. I tried to give him short answers. I really didn't want to go into details of my private life.
"Where did you grow up?"
"Arizona."
"How did you end up in Seattle?"
"Moved to Washington during my junior year in high school."
"What was your favorite subject in school?
"English Lit."
"Why?
"I've always liked it."
As he kept asking personal questions, I kept the answers short, but as cordial as it was permitted. I've always been particular about giving details of my life. This time was not the exception.
We finally got to my destination. "Thank you, James. It was very nice of you to walk me to my hotel, again."
"It was my pleasure," he said grabbing my hand and pressing it gently with both of his.
His gesture made me uncomfortable, but I tried not to show it. "I'll see you Monday," I said, retrieving my hand smoothly.
He just nodded.
I started walking toward the hotel entrance when he spoke loudly behind me, "Bella!"
I turned around. "Yes?"
"Would you like to have a drink with me? After this long day, we both deserve it," James said.
I bit my lower lip, looking for the easiest way to decline his invitation. But I always had been a bad liar, so I went with a half-truth. "I really appreciate your invitation, but the truth is that I am really tired. I can't wait to put on my pajamas, crawl in my bed and go to sleep. Sorry."
A small smile curled his lips, the kind of smile one use on those who had ever dared to challenge you. I didn't like it. "Don't apologize," he said. "I know you must be tired. It was a long day. That's why I thought a drink might relax us a little," he paused. "But it's all right, we'll go out some other time. Good night, Bella."
"Good night."
The arrogant smile never left his lips. He turned around and walked back toward the office to retrieve his car. I closed my eyes trying to ignore the guilt mixed with fear I felt, and walked up to my room.
I hoped that things with James would be kept professional from this point on. I really did.
A/N: Thanks Marijee.