Disclaimer: Stephenie owns Twilight. All mistakes are mine.
Chapter Three
Bella awoke after a restless night, worries about her first official day as a Harvey Girl had kept her tossing and turning.
Alice and Rosie had filled her in on what to expect, but there were so many rules and procedures; she thought surely she would make a mistake.
Since her roommates were still asleep, Bella crept carefully from her bunk. She didn't want to disturb them. After hearing about a typical day of service, she knew they both had to be bone tired.
Realizing she still had two hours before she needed to report for duty, Bella decided to take advantage of the bathroom Alice had shown her the previous day.
She and her father had still used an outhouse at the farm, so when she had seen the indoor plumbing, Bella had almost cried. She couldn't remember seeing anything more wonderful in her entire life than the porcelain clawfoot tub. When she received her first paycheck, she was going to splurge on some fancy, smelling toiletries —the kind Alice and Rosie used. But for now, she would be stuck with her old, lye soap; the one she had made herself while living at home.
After freshening up, Bella returned to her room where Alice and Rosie were now awake and had begun getting dressed.
"Bella! Where have you been?" Alice scolded. "You need to hurry, or you're going to be late!"
With furrowed eyebrows, Bella asked, "But I thought we didn't need to report for work until seven?" It was barely six a.m., so she didn't understand their sense of urgency.
"You'll understand once you begin dressing, Maizey." Rosie laughed. Maizey was the nickname she had given Bella after learning she had grown up on a corn farm.
Once Bella had placed on her skirt and blouse, she arranged her hair. After fashioning it into a knot, she secured it with bobby pins. She then slipped on the hairnet before finishing with the required, white bow.
"Alice, can you help me with this?" Bella asked as she held a black scrap of material in her hand. She couldn't figure out how to get it tied correctly around her neck.
"Sure." After she finished, Alice looked Bella over. "Where's your girdle?"
"M-my what?" Bella asked.
"Your girdle! You have to wear one or Mrs. Cope will know for sure."
Bella had no idea what a girdle was. Once Alice showed her the undergarment, she blushed.
"Land sakes, Maizey! I can't believe you haven't ever seen a girdle before—were you born in a barn or something?" Rosie giggled before adding, "oh yeah, you were!"
After chastising Rosie, Alice said, "Pay her no mind, Bella. But you're going to need it. You'll have to run over to the five and dime later and get one."
HG
After tying on their aprons, the three girls arrived in the kitchen with five minutes to spare. Busboys were carrying trays of dirty dishes while a chef was ladling food into bowls.
Six other girls joined them as they waited for Mrs. Cope's arrival.
"Looking good there, Rosie." The chef called out with a wink. Bella watched as her roommate's cheeks turned pink.
Alice leaned over and whispered quietly into Bella's ear, "Chef Emmett is Rosie's beau. Don't tell, or they could both be fired."
"I won't." Bella promised even though she couldn't believe her friend was taking such a huge risk. She didn't understand why they couldn't just wait until Rosie was finished with her contract. But then again, Bella didn't understand anything about courting.
"Line up for inspection!" A gruff voice reverberated throughout the room. When all the other Harvey Girls snapped into attention, Bella followed suit.
As soon as Mrs. Cope reached Bella, a scowl covered her face. "Your dress is two inches too short, and where's your girdle?"
Bella's heart sank. Hanging her head in shame, she tried to explain. "I … I … I borrowed my uniform from Alice. That's why it's a bit short."
"Humpf!" Mrs. Cope scoffed. "Well, we certainly can't have you out on the dining room floor looking like this. You'll work at the lunch counter so no one will see your disorderly appearance."
Bella grimaced. She knew her uniform wasn't to exact regulation, but she wouldn't have gone as far as to call herself disorderly.
"And what about the girdle?"
"I … I don't have one, ma'am." Bella muttered.
"What did you just say? Speak up!"
Bella repeated, "I … I don't have one. I'm sorry, ma'am, but I hadn't even heard of them before today. You see, I grew up without my ma—"
"Well, aren't you just full of excuses!" Mrs. Cope huffed after cutting her off. "Ben Franklin opens in forty minutes. I expect you to be the first in line. Once you are properly dressed, you may return back to work."
"Th-thank you, ma'am."
Mrs. Cope had already walked away.
Once they were excused, Bella rushed out of the kitchen. She was about to cry and didn't want anyone to see.
HG
In her rush to leave the hotel, Bella didn't see the man who stood in her pathway. As soon as she collided with him, she felt two hands grasp her upper arms.
"Bella, are you okay? What's the hurry?"
It was Edward.
"I-I'm so sorry, Mr. Cullen." Bella stammered as her voice cracked with emotion. "I-I wasn't watching where I was going."
Noting the girl's distress, Edward led her into his office. "Have a seat. Do you want some hot tea or coffee? I can have some brought in."
"No, sir. Thank you though."
After sitting next to her, he asked, "What's the matter, Bella? You're clearly upset."
"I'm fine, sir. R-really." Even though she tried her best not to cry, teardrops began falling from her eyes.
Removing his handkerchief from his jacket, he began wiping away the wetness from her cheeks. "I wouldn't call this fine. Are you going to tell me what's wrong, or would you rather I get Mrs. Cope? Maybe you would feel more comfortable talking to her."
"No!" She yelped before restating, "I mean, no. Please don't bother her."
Lifting her chin with his hand, he smiled. "Well then, you're going to have to tell me."
Bella didn't know what to do. How could she tell her employer she didn't have enough money to purchase an undergarment? She had spent her last dime buying a meal on her trip to Syracuse.
When Alice had mentioned going to the five and dime earlier that morning, Bella figured she could get away without wearing a girdle until payday. She didn't think Mrs. Cope would be able to tell, but she had been terribly wrong.
Bella knew if she didn't get one, she would surely lose her job. She wondered how long it would be before Alice had a break. Maybe she could ask her for a small loan.
It was becoming obvious to Edward that Bella wasn't going to tell him what was the matter. He stood. "Bella, I'm just going to get Mrs. Cope. You clearly don't feel comfortable talking with me."
"Please, Mr. Cullen, don't! It's just … I need a girdle!" She exclaimed before burying her head in her hands.
"A wh-what?"
"I don't have all of the necessary pieces for my uniform. Mrs. Cope told me to go to the five and dime and purchase one, but I don't have the money."
"How much are these … these …" Dear Lord, Edward had no idea what to say. He finally said, "How much do you need?"
With a tearstained face, Bella looked at him. "I'm not sure, but I don't have any money at all."
His heart broke for the sweet girl who sat before him. He couldn't imagine being in a position where he didn't have a cent to his name. Reaching inside his jacket, he pulled out his money clip.
Bella watched wide-eyed as he unfolded his money and handed her a ten-dollar bill. "I c-can't accept that, sir."
"I insist," he said pressing the money into her hand. "Now go to Ben Franklin and get everything you need."
She looked at the money in her hand and lifted her head to meet Edward's gaze. "I'll pay you back. I promise."
"You don't have to, but if it's that important, you can give me a few dollars each time you get paid until we're even."
Standing, she encircled him in her arms and gushed. "Thank you! Thank you so, so much!"
He lifted his hand and patted her gently on the back. "You're welcome, Bella."
Even though he knew it was wrong, he relished the feel of her in his arms.
Once Bella realized what she had done, she backed away and sputtered. "Oh my! I'm … I'm sorry!"
"It's okay." Noticing she was about to cry again, he looked her straight in the eyes and teased. "Now, no more of that. I don't think my poor, male ego can handle any more tears today."
She gave him a shy grin. "I'd better go."
As she opened the door to leave, she turned in his direction one last time. "Thank you again, Mr. Cullen."
Sitting back in the chair, Edward groaned.
So much for staying away from Bella Swan.
HG
AN:
The official Harvey Girl uniform consisted of a skirt that hung no more than eight inches off the floor, "Elsie" collars, girdle, opaque black stockings, and black shoes. The hair was restrained in a net and tied with a regulation white ribbon. Makeup of any sort was absolutely prohibited, as was chewing gum while on duty.
Ben Franklin is a chain of five and dime and arts and crafts stores found in small towns throughout the United States. The first one opened in 1877.
HG
I've never seen the movie The Harvey Girls but heard it was very good. Have any of you seen it?
-HE