Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Twilight. All rights to the Twilight franchise belong to Stephanie Meyer. The only part of this story I claim rights to is the story line.

AN: Hey all! Sorry for the lack of steam, I promise you'll get a little somethin' somethin' in the next chapter. I wanted to set up the characters and the drama before I give you what you all want. *mischievous eyebrow waggle* Thanks guys for all of the Favorites, Follows, and Reviews! It really inspired me to write!

I stood before the mirror on the back of my door, my khaki pants buckled with a black belt and my black polo tucked in. I looked so professional. I had my hair pulled back, but I kept letting it down like the day before. I wasn't sure if they required our hair up, but I found myself wondering if Emmett would prefer it otherwise.

I rolled my eyes and threw the bobby pin in my hand at the mirror. It tinked off the surface and skittered under my bedside table.

Who cares?

Still, my stomach flipped. I had confessed to Angela last night that I found him attractive. She giggled with me and made me feel not so crazy. But as soon as we parted ways I knew that I was. Crazy that is.

He was way out of my league. Not to say that I wasn't attractive. I saw a list of girls' names in the boy's locker room in high school that rated all of the girls on the volleyball team by sexiness/do-able-ness. I had tried out so I think that's why I was on the list. I was actually somewhere between the top and the middle. If my boobs were bigger, I might have made it higher, but I wasn't too concerned at the time. All of the boys at Forks High were less than boyfriend material.

I hadn't changed much since senior year. Still had long red-brown hair, light brown eyes, pale skin (I probably should have made an effort to get out more), same small waist and hips, round perky butt and average bust. Like I said, I wasn't unattractive, but it wouldn't be a mistake to call me plain.

And Emmett was anything but average and plain.

Angela told me that he was married anyways. I wasn't sure how I missed his wedding ring, but then again I wasn't really looking. He said he would see me again.

Or maybe he was just mocking his sister.

Or maybe he was serious.

Not about the sweetie part. That was definitely him mocking Alice.

Yeah the sweetie part…

The conversation I'd had with myself all day felt like a broken record. After Charlie walked in on me an hour previously talking out loud I started arguing with myself in the confines of my head. A truly scary place to be.

My phone chirped at me from where it lay on the end of my bed.

U excited?

Angela's text had a string of emoji's after it. None throwing up, but that's how I felt.

The first day of my first job. And maybe Emmett would be there. Ang had said I'd probably shadow her most of the shift. She would be able to tell me about how they stock things and how to run the register, but she wasn't positive.

I really hope Alice lets me train, even if it's not with Angela. I don't want to look like a fool. Although I can't imagine why she wouldn't…

"Hey kiddo! You're gonna be late!" Charlie called from the bottom of the stairs.

I looked at the time and realized I only had 20 minutes until my shift started.

Totes excited. I typed, knowing Angela would get my sarcasm.

I grabbed my wallet and jacket and dashed down the stairs, pecking Charlie on the cheek before hoping in my truck. Charlie pulled out after I did, likely on his way to Billy's. It was Friday so they would be drinking late and playing a few card games. The next day they would leave early in the morning to go fishing.

It was usually the time I'd go hiking in the woods behind our neighborhood. I wondered if I would have to change up my running schedule now that I had a full time job and school. I couldn't help thinking that if I got to see Emmett frequently, I might not mind losing a few workout hours.

My first day wasn't as scary as I expect it to be. It went rather quickly since we were closing the store down an hour earlier than usual. I ended up following Alice around the whole five hours. She showed me the ins and outs of the store and gave me a few tips for my own electronic purposes. She informed me employees got a 40% discount, which was nice since my desktop was several years overdue for its own funeral.

Every time we moved from one topic to another she dragged me outside to smoke and gossip. It became very clear Alice was the kind of person who made friends with everyone.

By the time Angela finished closing out her register just after 7 and joined us out front, all of the store lights and displays shut off, Alice had told me what her sign was (Virgo), at what age she lost her virginity (16), and to whom (one of her brother's football buddies who broke up with her and then got herpes from one of his church going friends). I even knew when her parent's anniversary was (January 19th 1986). I let her ramble as much as she wanted in the hopes she would say something about her brother, but alas she avoided that subject altogether.

"Angela, why didn't you tell me Bella has such amazing hair?" Alice asked, running her delicate fingers through the ends of my thick brown tresses.

"Because I knew you'd want to style-"

"Will you let me curl it? I have this gorgeous copper headband that would set off the gold flecks in your eyes like crazy amazing," Alice interrupted Angela.

"Oh uh—"

"Hey Al!" The deep tenor of the modern Adonis known as Emmett Cullen called out of his jeep's window, turning the engine off half a second after it came to a stop in the no parking zone.

I subconsciously licked my lips and tried not to stare at him. He strutted up to where the three of us stood. Alice punched his arm and asked how his day was.

"Better now," he said with a wink, propping his elbow up on my shoulder.

"Gross," Alice said, frowning for just a moment.

I froze, starring up at the elder twin.

"You about ready to go?" Emmett asked.

"Yeah, Angela just finished closing everything up. Right?" Alice paused only long enough to let Angela nod. "Oh! So Emmett and I are going to a fabulous dinner party at our parents' house- wanna come?"

"A dinner party?" Angela asked, skeptically.

I was able to tear my gaze away from Emmett just as he looked down at me. Alice launched into her explanation excitedly.

"Yeah, our older brother, Edward is getting married and it's like a wedding announcement to their colleagues."

"I told him it was a bad idea— "

Alice punched Emmett in the stomach, though it did little to phase him. She rolled her eyes at him and continued. "I'm sure it's going to be a mega bore, but they have a hot tub on the second floor deck and there will be a lot of champagne."

"Oh, I'm not old enough— "

"I didn't hear that," Alice interrupted me, not even glancing my way. She pulled out her top of the line smart phone and clicked away on the temper glass, her professionally manicured nails making an oddly satisfying sound.

"There. That's their address. Wear something really nice. It's at like nine, but there are extra rooms to stay in if you get sloshed, so there should be no worries." Her radiant smile did little to convince me that this was a good idea. It definitely sounded fun, but I still wasn't sure.

Angela's and my phone vibrated at the same time. As Alice and Angela discussed what, if anything, we needed to bring and what "really nice" kind of attire she was talking about, I copy and pasted the address into the Maps app on my phone. It was only about a 30-minute drive from my house, and I recognized the street view pictures of it as the giant modern glass house up north of our town. It was pretty much like a landmark.

"So you coming?" Emmett asked, taking his elbow off of me and leaning his weight to his other hip. He perched his weight on a cement cylinder meant to block cars from driving straight into the store front.

"Um, well I don't really think I have anything to wear…" I trailed off seeing the look on Angela's face. "But… yeah, maybe."

Emmett's smile grew and he pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, smacking the bottom of the pack and withdrawing a long Marlboro from the middle.

"Awesome. You guys can show up a little late if you want too, really the only people coming are the socialites and elites that work with our parents. They are always twenty minutes late or something." He lit his smoke and inhaled with a sigh.

"Yeah, that's true. Anyways, we'll see you guys there right?"

Angela nodded and I shrugged, quickly changing my non-verbal answer to a nod, as my best friend shot me a quick glare.

"Great! See you ladies in a bit!"

Angela marched alongside me, her brow furrowed and her sharp gaze examining the store fronts of downtown Forks.

"What are we looking for again?" I asked.

"Something fancy! Something with some class! Something— "

"Black?" I interrupted.

Angela hesitated, rocking her head back and forth as she tossed the idea around. "I mean… yeah I guess…"

"Cool!" I started walking faster and checked the street before crossing. I knew Angela would speed up so she wouldn't lose me. I knew of a little hole in the wall store that sold a lot of band t-shirts and had a section in the back for some cold shoulder lacy numbers that I think were supposed to be 'grown up emo'.

"Where are we going?" Angela asked, breathlessly. "Bell, I don't know about this…" Her head was tilted back, her throat exposed as she read the hip brick sign over the small glass door.

"It'll be fine."

Inside the latest record from some alternative band played softly over the speakers. The walls were brick and the racks were silver, mostly black, dark red, and gray clothes hung by size throughout the store. The checkout counter was an open display case with gages, belly rings, choker necklaces, and hipster bracelets and earrings within.

I headed straight for the back where bikini sets hung from the walls and a mannequin with one of their dresses dangled from the ceiling.

"Bella!" Angela hissed.

"Look! This is cute right? Do you think it's fancy enough?" I held up a plain black thigh-length dress with a high neck and cold shoulder sleeves.

"It's – oh!" She took the merchandise from my hands and held it up to her body. It appeared to be her size. She gasped. "Bella! Look at this skirt!"

I smiled knowing that I had converted her.

We left the store with some less than modest outfits and relatively simple jewelry to accent the clothing more than dominate it. We got ready at my house – out of the prying eyes of family.

"So do you think we'll meet Emmett's wife?" Angela asked, looking at me sidelong. She was applying fake eyelashes, or at least trying to. I knew she wasn't trying to be mean, but it was her way of subtly reminding me to not get my hopes up.

Which was a very real possibility.

I thought back to our conversation today when he had his arm propped up on my shoulder. I didn't get a good look at his hand, but I wasn't sure he'd been wearing a ring.

I said as much to Angela.

She faltered her fake eyelashes and finally put them on the bathroom counter, giving up. She looked at me with a mix of doubt and pity. Neither of us said anything and she hesitantly returned to her make-up, still disregarding her false lashes.

"I'm just saying," I mumbled.

By the time we left we were going to be close to thirty minutes late.

"Fashionably late to being fashionably late – right?" Angela giggled as she drove us up the long dirt driveway to the Cullen house.

When we pulled up to the circle drive in front of the glass mansion, a young boy in a red vest was waiting.

"Oh my God. Is that really a valet?" I breathed.

Angela and I exchanged a look of excitement her coy smile spreading into a grin.

We climbed the stone steps and crossed the open threshold. The inside was breath taking. There was a large black piano that probably cost more than my house in the middle of the sitting room to our left. A vine draped banister rose alongside dark wooden stairs that had a plush white carpet cast down it. People were gathered in the kitchen just around the corner from the sitting room, but Angela and I didn't get much chance to explore as we were immediately assaulted by Alice and Emmett.

"You girls made it!" Alice squealed kissing each of us on the cheeks. She wore a painfully expensive deep purple dress paired with velvet black heels.

Emmett was dressed in black slacks and a dark green button up with a black vest over it. It was just a single fancy step above his work clothes.

"Told you they'd be here. They couldn't resist all of this." He gestured to himself and leaned against the banister.

"Shut up," Alice scoffed, waving a waiter over.

"Wow, if this is the announcement I can't imagine what the wedding will be like…" Angela breathed. She turned pink and took a glass of wine from Alice silently.

"Oh I know. Our mother really has a flare for the elegant." Alice sighed and handed me a glass as well. I sipped it, and tried not to wrinkle my nose at the taste. I couldn't see why some people spent their lives drinking this for a living. It just tasted like sour grapes.

"Emmett!" A blonde haired beauty strutted around the corner her brow furrowed and her mouth cemented into a hard line. When she saw us looking she perked up into a fake persona and smiled so stiffly it bordered a grimace.

"Alice, I didn't know you invited friends over. Emmett dear, you left this on the sink when you washed your hands." The blonde slipped a gold band onto the stiff, blank faced Emmett's left hand.

A wedding ring.

This was his wife.

My stomach dropped out and I felt my smile faltered and then slowly slide off my face.

"I'm Rosalie Cullen," she said, offering her hand like a medieval lady.

I nodded and Angela shook it with more vehemence than Rosalie expected.

Emmett and I met each other's eyes, but his face was as stoic as I hoped mine to be. She was gorgeous. This woman was goddess level beautiful and I had no chance. I mean, I knew I had no chance to begin with, but seeing Emmett's wife in person cemented that reality for me.

"Rosalie, this is Angela Weber and Isabella Swan," Alice said.

"Angela. Isabella." Rosalie spoke our names with an Italian accent and I wanted to vomit. "Beautiful names! Angel and beauty. Mine is actually French for rose," she bragged.

I flashed a thin, tight lip smile and audibly sighed when a woman who could only be Alice and Emmett's mother called for the room's attention.

This was going to be a terrible evening.

P.S. Don't forget to leave a review! Let me know what you did or did not like. And let me know what you might like to see later on!

-Lee-