Of course I don't own any of this, anyways enjoy the second chapter and please review.
In the next couple of days, not only did I have a photo shoot but I also had to get a dress for the VMAs. I love photo shoots because I'm a natural at following directions. Photographers love shooting me because they don't have to ask me twice, I just do whatever they want and trust that they're talented enough to know what makes a good picture.
What I am not good at on the other hand is making a decision which is why I hate dress shopping. They always expect that before you even enter the shop you have a vision of what your dream dress looks like. Then hours are spent being zipped into dresses of every color, cut and style imaginable while the stylist helping you says things that sound like compliments that are actually subtle insults.
Thankfully I've found one designer in California who believes that he can pick the perfect dress out for anyone; his name is Aro Volturi. Within moments of walking into Aro's shop he has me sitting down while he goes looking for the perfect dress, I've used him before so I know he will find the dress right away instead of making me try on an outrageous amount of dresses like everyone else does.
"Isabella I can see why your parents named you this, you truly are beautiful." Aro's thick Italian accent greets me as I enter into his design studio.
"Grazie Aro, I'm here to pick out a dress for the Video Music Awards."
"I thought you were out of the show business no? Aren't you one of those fancy models now?" He asked while sifting through his racks of dresses.
"Yes I'm a model now but I'm going with a friend, Jacob Black, have you heard of him?"
"Si, si the giant rap star, he is getting his suit from my brother Marcus." Aro trailed off temporarily, lost in a sea of clothing but soon he was back and hanging in his hand was a garment bag with Italian scribbled on the side.
"Here is the perfect dress for you, my child. Go and try it on, show me I still know how to pick out the perfect dress."
I changed in the next room, some how convincing myself to wait to look at the dress until I could see all of it in Aro's full sized mirror. I have to say the first time I saw the dress it took my breath away. Aro had put me in a strapless dress with a simple black bodice at the top that transformed at the waist to a knee length master piece of flowing tulle and piercing red feathers.
"Oh Aro, you don't know how perfect this is for me." I pulled back the gauze covering my dream catcher so Aro could see it.
"Bueno, I still have it." He laughed, pulling me into a hug.
"You know Isabella these new designers think I should retire; they think that at 76 I've lost my touch. You can help me prove them wrong; I still have a good ten or twenty years left in me."
I thanked him once more and paid for my dress then started towards the elevator, before I could get on it however Aro had stopped me.
"Isabella, it would kill me if you did not have this dress too, it screams your name at me so much I give it to you for free." It felt weird accepting a free dress from him but I knew if I said no I ran the risk of offending him.
"Grazie Aro, you're much too kind." I kissed his cheeks in the traditional Italian way before taking the garment bag from him.
"Ciao Isabella."
When I got home I headed straight to Angela's to show her and Eli my dress for the award show.
"Mama's very pwetty." Eli told Angela after seeing me twirl around in the dress.
"You're right Eli; your mama does look gorgeous." She said before noticing the other bag.
"Bella what's in that bag?"
"A mystery dress Aro gave to me for free, he said it screamed my name. Honestly I'm afraid to look at it."
"May I?" Angela asked timidly.
"Of course Ang." She unzipped the bag towards her so I couldn't see inside it and audibly gasped.
"Oh Bella, it's so beautiful and so perfect for you." Angela looked at it for another minute before zipping the bag back up.
"You need to save this dress for a very special occasion."
"What do you have in mind Angela?" She looked at me with a glimmer of plotting in her eyes.
"Like a date with a certain 6'8 gentleman." She put her hand up before I could protest the idea.
"I'm not setting the date and time for it, I'm merely suggesting that it could happen. Until you decide if you want to do that sort of thing I think I should keep the dress here so it doesn't tempt you to wear it."
"I don't I even get to look at the dress?" My little monster spoke before Angie could.
"No means no Mama. Now I hungry." I laughed at how he always seemed to settle the conversations I was having in someone else's favor.
"Fine, you win for now Angela." Eli and I said good-bye before heading back to the main house.
After feeding my little man macaroni and cheese with bits of ham mixed in I decided I could use a little down time with him so I carried him to his play room. When I was pregnant with Eli I wanted him to be able to have everything I never did, including a proper place to play. When Jacob and I were little we would play in his dad's workshop, constantly receiving various cuts and bruises from the tools we pretended were toys. Eli's toy room is definitely not a decrepit workshop but rather a tribute to comic books complete with comic strips painted on two of the walls and Super man painted on the ceiling. As soon as I put Eli down I know what toy he's going to waddle to and sure enough he picks up his plush Superman.
"Who's that Eli?" He grins at me as he shakes the plushy with all his might.
"It's me, I Superman." I can't help but smile at his enthusiasm.
"You're definitely my Superman Eli and that's all that matters." As soon as I had come up with the nick name of Superman for Eli I had a heart filled in with the superman emblem tattooed as close to my heart as I could get it without distortion.
We played around for a couple of hours until Eli was tired out and then I carried him across the hall way to his bedroom; a room that I was sure once I got to decorating it with a theme would probably be a mix of Superheroes and Eli's favorite tank engine.
Once my angel had drifted off to sleep I tip-toed back to the living room to catch the nightly news. Everything was going fine until they got to the celebrity news section, that's when I started to panic. Without being fully aware of what I was doing I dialed Jacob's number and waited for him to pick up.
"Bella? Why are you calling?" He answered with concern laced into his voice.
"He's going to be there Jacob." The line went silent momentarily before Jake responded.
"Are you sure?"
"Tanya Denali said so herself in an interview, he's her date to the awards."
"Fuck... we can skip it if you want Bells. I'm not going to make you face him."
"I don't know Jacob I mean we might not even run into him and I don't want you to miss the show. As long as you don't leave my side until we're back in the safety of your car I think I can make it." I held my breath while waiting for his response but instead I heard jingling in the background.
"Jacob, what are you doing?"
"I'm getting my keys Bells; you said I shouldn't leave your side until after the award show so I'm not going to. I just have to pack a bag and then I'll be on my way." I wanted to protest him putting his next couple of days on hold to stay with me but I didn't for fear that he wouldn't come.
"Thank-you Jacob, I'll have the door unlocked for you." Once I had hung up the phone I turned the T.V off then headed to my bedroom to put on pajamas.
When Jacob arrived I was sitting on top of my kitchen island eating from the cookie dough ice cream carton I had convinced myself that I'd share with Eli. Jacob stared at me for a minute before he burst out in laughter.
"If Michael Newton saw you right now he would flip his shit Bells." I narrowed my eyes.
"If that's your way of trying to get me to share it's not going to work Jacob, this ice cream is mine and mine only." He laughed again before snatching the container out of my arms.
"As much as I'd like to see you throw up all this ice cream I have a feeling you wouldn't enjoy it too much." He put the carton back in the freezer before gathering me in his arms.
"Now what would you like to do Miss Bella: watch T.V or go to bed?"
"I don't think I can sleep right now Jacob."
"All-righty then T.V it is." He brought us back into the living room and placed me on the couch while he gathered every throw I had in the room and placed them on the floor in front of the couch.
"Come here Bells." He picked me back up only to settle with me on the floor so I was snuggled into his side. After covering the two of us with all the blankets he turned on the T.V and settled on to an episode of The Simpsons. Six episodes later and I couldn't find it in myself to stay awake any longer and I had resorted to yawning to try and keep my eyes open.
"Are you ready for bed yet Bella?" I nodded half heartedly and mumbled a response. Jacob gathered me up in his arms and tucked me into bed starting to leave the room.
"Don't leave me Jake." His eyes softened towards me.
"Bella I wasn't leaving you; I was just going to get my over-night bag."
"What if I fall asleep while you're gone? I don't want to have a nightmare." I know I was being childish but I was just too tired to care. Jacob shook his head at me slowly before coming back towards the bed.
"Okay Bells don't worry; I'll just sleep in my boxers tonight." He climbed into bed next to me and pulled me against his warm body so I could feel his heat from my head to my toes.
After Eli's father left me I had said that I would never love again but as I lay next to Jacob Black, the man who had dropped everything to rush to my side when I needed him, I felt a twinge of something in my heart. Could it be that second chances at love were possible? And if they are possible could Jacob ever care for me as more than a friend with all the baggage I have.