I don't own these characters. I am just barrowing them. The song for this chapter is These Dreams by Heart. I know this is all just fluff right now but it will get better. Please enjoy!
"Mr. Xavier can I ask you why you are selling this wonderful place?" I so wanted this place but I did not understand how he could give up this beautiful jewel he had worked so hard on through the years.
" Bella my partner and I are moving to Florida to be closer to both our families. He is very sick and we need to leave our baby and have some fun before it is to late." I could see the loving tears in his eyes as he spoke. I knew too well as to how he felt.
We all walked back and father and him talked prices. " You are what? That is to low for a place like this! No way the girls can do this!" all I heard from inside was bantering back and forth. Something was up and me heart was sinking further and further into the pit of my stomach as I went up the back porch. There was my father, mother and Mr. Xavier with paperwork in hand.
"Mr. Brandon you and I have been friends for years and I intend to do this my way. Well we intend to do this our way. My lawyer is on her way over and the papers will be signed today!" he hugged my parents and then looked at us. I was so confused as to what this all meant. Did we lose the business cause our father was being an ass or is the price to high we cant afford it. Just then a beautiful downright goddess came through the door with briefcase in hand. Holy shit she made me look like a dishrag. I looked at Alice and she shrugged and made the crazy sign at her temple. We both giggled and sat down not knowing what was about to happen.
"Mr. Xavier the papers are all in order and ready for being signed. Don't worry about the bank I can take care of that too with the Brandons. Oh I am sorry please excuse me for my rudeness. I am Rosalie Hale so nice to meet you all." she shook all our hands and we all sat down.
"Now girls I know you heard your father being an ass but there is a reason as to why he was being a donkey. I am letting you have my baby for what it cost me not for what I could get for it if it were on the market"
Our mouths fell open and my head to my knees. I was no real estate genius but I knew growing up with Alice that this place would cost millions. The room started spinning and my head hit the table as I went down. The next thing I knew I was on the couch with a cold cloth with my family, the flamboyant man and a lawyer looking at me.
" Oh dear I did it again didn't I? I am so sorry my head started spinning from shock and down I went. I am so sorry to panic you all!" I exclaimed as I got up. Everyone looked at me but my family knew me better. They were use to my clumsiness, my fainting spells and my bumps and bruises.
" Oh Bella we are so used to you doing that but who would expect you to faint over a house!" Alice giggled and the rest joined in with her. She pulled me to her side and we went back to the table. There was a reason to my shock and I wanted to know why he was doing this for us. I looked at him and he could tell that we all needed an answer.
" I know it is a shock but this was the love of our lives. We put all our blood, sweat and tears into this place and it nearly cost me the love of my life. I am doing this cause I am going to be living my life the way it should be. We are going to have the remainder of what is left making memories. " he said all this while signing the papers.
" Mr. Xavier I understand now. I just well I cant we cant say thank you enough for giving this opportunity to make our dreams come true. How can we ever thank you for this wonderful gift?" Both Alice and I both pounced on him with tons of hugs and kisses. At this point him being the way he was had nothing to do with the gift he just gave us. He hugged us all back and replied, " make sure we get packages every once in awhile with some goodies that will make us happy."
It was obvious my loving parents told him about my talent and the wonderful food I created. I took the pen after Alice and finally saw the price we were paying. 250,000 for a dream that he was making come true. I knew that this was something not to be taken lightly. Tears streamed down my face as the tears came down Alice's too. We hugged and kissed him once again while Miss Hale retrieved them and said everything would be final in a few days. We wrote him a check and said we would not disappoint him and would keep in touch with him as to how we were doing. He said that he knew we would be a hit to not only Nob Hill but to Portland too. We all said our goodbyes and made arrangements for dinner later in the week to make things final.
We headed for the car as Mr. Xavier and dad shook hands. Alice was so wound up she nearly flew right out the car door again. I was quiet and entertained the thoughts of creation swirling around in my head. I came out of my fog as the doors were shut and mom smiled at me and rolled her eyes at Alice.
"Girls do you mind not entertaining us tonight? Your father and I are tired from the trip down from Ketchikan and all the excitement. We can all celebrate with Mr. Xavier once that is set up." She pulled her seatbelt over and buckled herself in. She smirked at dad me all knowing that I am sure they still had a great sex life. I was happy for them though my heart wretched from my chest as they reminded me of my own parents love they had for each other.
Dad pulled up in front of our building and we each blew them kisses as we walked. The elevator ride up was excruciating for me. Damn elevators always made me dizzy and my stomach come up to my throat. I breathed through my nose and out through my mouth. Alice looked at me while bouncing and just shook her head at me. She unlocked our door and we both threw our coats and shoes off.
"Bella!! Pajamas, food talk couch 10 minutes!" all I saw was a small black blur wiz by me. I could tell it was her but still not sure. I walked to my bedroom and undressed. I pulled on my gray sweats and my Kayhi Kings sweatshirt. I silently giggled to myself thinking back to high school. The school mascot was a fish, a king salmon of all things. Yet again the rivals were bears and wolves. Only in Alaska are mascots like the animals in the wild.
I slowly walked out into the living room only to trip over the damn rug in the hallway. I hate that rug! It was the bane of my existence and I swear it was out to get me at every chance it had. Alice looked at me rolled her eyes and flopped onto the couch pulling me down with her. She looked into my face and mirrored the look of horror I had on my face.
"What are you not telling me? What is wrong? Can you see that this whole business was meant to be! Remember my dream how can you not believe it?" She threw a pillow at me breaking me out of my stare.
"Alice it is not that. I just realized we never saw the second and third floors of the main house! What if they are not like the rest of the house and horrific! What are we going to do!?" my worrying got the best of me this time. She looked at me calked her head to the side and smiled.
"Bella does it matter what they look like? If we don't like them we can fix them the way we want! Just think we can have rooms of every color!" There she went into her color haze. I see that every time we go shopping no matter what it is for. It scared me but at the same time settle my stomach back to where it belonged in my body.
"So what do you feel like tonight? Chinese, pizza, hamburgers what?" Alice had the talent to party plan and design beautiful clothes but her talent for cooking was dialing the phone fast. She knew what I wanted and ordered from our favorite pizza place. She grabbed a pen and paper off the table and settled back down on the couch near me.
" We have to come up with a name for the place. Something that represents both of us." I could tell she had some ideas and I knew I was going to veto them right away. I never had dreams like that but my intuition was telling me to come up with something quick.
" How about Sugar and Spice? You always know how to spice up the most bore of a party and make the most beautiful weddings out of nothing! Me well sugar I know. It fits us." I kind of floated my hands in the air while explaining it to her. I just hope she likes it cause I had nothing else to give. She looked at me silent.
" It is perfect Bella! I knew you would come up with something that would knock my socks off!" She hugged me and then wrote it down in her fine beautiful print. She also started a list of things that were going to be needed. The endless list of baking supplies, cooking supplies, utensils, fabrics, computers the list went on and on. Seriously it made my head spin. She casually got up off the couch to answer the door. One steaming calorie filled pizza ready to be inhaled.
" I am going to ask one thing of you Bella and please don't fight me on it!" she had that look in her eyes. I knew that look so very well. It was the mischievous look she got when she took me shopping and treated me like her own personal mannequin. I looked back at her with my mouth open going to say something but she shut it for me.
" We are going to find you some fun non white chef outfits. Something with flair and perfect for who you are! We all know the first week the white will no longer be perfect." she rolled her eyes at me remembering when I did my chocolate class. I laughed back at her and nodded. She was right on that and I was certainly not going to fight her on it this time.
"Alice can I run something by you and would you write them down so I don't forget them. We both know the only one that can read my writing is me!"
She put her empty plate down and nodded with pen and paper in hand. She may not be my sister in blood but in my heart she sure was my family.
" Ok here is what I was thinking. I want to do specials for the holidays like gingerbread houses, cookies, cakes and pies. I want to do specials like that for all the holidays. I have so many great recipes that I think they would be an asset to both of us. I also want to incorporate some foreign things like the great Italian and Norwegian cookies I brought home for you after that one class. I think we could do all occasion cakes. I don't want to get into full meal catering. I don't think the kitchen can handle that but salads, soups, gourmet sandwiches, hors d'oeuvres and food like that. I also got to thinking with that great back yard we can offer teas for bridal showers or birthday parties. " My dreams spilled out of my mouth and the more I talked the more came out.
She looked at me in awe and wonder, " you really have thought about this haven't you? Bella who knew you had all this talent in that klutzy body of yours! I love each and every idea and I am sure we can come up with some more. I think with the two of us this business is going to be like no other!!" she started bouncing again and lunged at me taking me into a hug while the tears streaming down her face. I started crying too realizing our dreams were coming true but sad too that my parents were not here to see it all come to reality.
:" Great now we are both wet! What are we going to do when we cut the ribbon or finally get a customer!" she looked at me and we both fell into laughter. I finished my pizza and got a glass of water.
We both headed off to slumber land both knowing the next few weeks were going to be filled with lots of work.
I woke up the next morning to a small black blur bouncing on my bed. "Bella get up mom and dad are here to take us shopping! They found the best stores in Port Angeles and we need to get going!" she smiled at me. I looked at the clock and realized it was just after 7am. I pulled the blankets back over my head and growled at her.
" Unless Steven Straight is out there naked and with coffee go away till noon!" I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. The next thing I knew my blankets were off and I was on the floor. I glared at her and growled again knowing that it was futile to argue with the caffeine driven pixie. She handed me a towel and pointed to the shower. I slowly went and thought of ways to get back at her one day. I got it chunky peanut butter in her shoe drawers. I shivered at the thought that would mean more shopping and realized I was never going to win against Alice.
The shower was nice and hot and I enjoyed every damn minute of it. I knew that once out that door an outfit would be on the bed with the matching bra and panties would await me. I remember the lecture of her telling me that beautiful lingerie made a women. I argued back that no one ever saw them but her and me and what was the point! Alice got her point made when she told me one day I would thank her. Again another battle lost against her.
I came out of the bathroom in my robe with my hair still damp. There was the outfit though this time I was shocked. A blue t-shirt, a black hoodie and my favorite jeans. Though Alice made sure the bra and panties were to match the shirt. I shook my head and got dressed. I found my favorite sketchers and put those on and headed out.
"Alice Brandon there better be some damn good coffee your promised me and Steven Straight better be necked holding it!" I walked out to the living room again tripping on the rug from hell. I blushed at the site of my father holding the coffee and asking, "just who is this Steven and are we going to meet him?"
" Dear there is no boy and calm yourself down he is an actor in a movie." he looked with the awe of how she knew this and went to open his mouth. Mother stopped him with a hand wave.
" I made be married and I love you with all my heart but there is no women in their right mind that would not enjoy some eye candy now and then." Alice and I nearly spit out our coffee and stifled our laughter. Who knew that she liked eye candy and she was so in for our next girly movie night.
