I was in a daze the rest of the day. I was in a daze when I finished working. I was in a daze when I picked up Rose. I was in a daze when I picked up Reed and Wyatt. I was in a daze when I did my daily run and work out and I was in a daze when Rose and I walked into the club. The club opened at noon so there were already girls working and girls who were getting dressed to leave. I took my seat at my mirror and started to do my makeup.
"I'm going to have to redo my spray tan soon, what about you Bella?" Rose asked but I was in my own world and just muttered a 'huh?' Then she snapped. "Isabella Marie Swan! What the hell has gotten into you?!" That did it, I practically fell apart and told her about what happened at Brandon's. By the end of it I was shaking and hugging her tightly. She played with my hair until I calmed down. "Bella, you just need to hold it together and we can talk about it more later babe. You know I'm always here for you right?"
I nodded, "Thanks Rosie. I just needed someone to talk too. It's so overwhelming. I don't even know what he wants!" Before she could answer me Garrett busted in the room and told us all to hurry up because it was a full house tonight. The thought excited me. Rosalie and I were actually on the stage tonight and hopefully with a full house we can make a lot of cash tonight.
I dressed in a pair of hot pink underwear and a white oxford shirt and a short black pencil skirt. I touched up my makeup and Rose and I hit the stage. We danced all night long but I loved to dance and I lost myself in the movements. I hear men and even women cheering me on as I lost the shirt and the skirt; leaving me only in my black pumps and undies. I guess I was comfortable on my pedestal. I wasn't ready for anything to change.
Before I knew it, Rose was driving us home to our boys. I paid Angela, we tucked the boys in, and crawled into bed.
The morning was like every other morning. I ate breakfast, took the boys to school, took Rose to school, and went to work. Work was like every other day, with the exception of the Cullen's visit, and everything was going perfectly. Until it wasn't. I only had about an hour left on my shift when the devil himself walked in. I heard him before I saw him. He requested to be put in my section. Lena complied and the three Cullen brothers were seated at a booth in the corner. I heard Jasper say something about wanting to be in Alice's section. I couldn't help to agree with him.
I made myself appear happy when I approached, "How can I help you boys?"
Emmett actually spoke up, "So are you really that girl from Legs? The blonde?" He at least had the dignity to be kind of quiet about it.
I almost broke my pencil on the pad of paper. "Yes, Mr. Cullen. I am the blonde who works at Legs and whose name is Roxy. Would you like to know anything else about my private life?" I was having such a good day.
He looked embarrassed, "Sorry babe, I just wondered if you knew the red headed girl at the club? She was gorgeous and amazing. I'd love to take her out sometime if you could pass along the message."
I clenched my jaw, "What do you two not get?" I narrowed my eyes at Edward and Emmett. "Strippers change their names, hair colors, skin color, and everything so that they can be anonymous. We don't get involved with patrons anyways. Plus, beyond that, you three are the Cullen boys. You are a part of a family that 'supposedly' runs Chicago. You are 'supposedly' a Russian mafia family. Even if, like I believe, that none of that is true, you could have hundreds of other girls that you didn't meet in a strip club. How would you tell your mother? I can sure as hell tell you that neither one of us is an easy or cheap or free whore. Stripping is not gonna be what I'm doing for the rest of my life. It's a short necessary step to the rest of my life. To the rest of Rose's life too."
"Bella, neither one of us said any of those things about you," Edward leaned forward, clasped his hands together and rested his elbows on the oak tabletop.
"Mr. Cullen that doesn't matter. You know that I'm a stripper! I get propositioned on the daily but I have things that are more important in life than becoming a booty call or a friend with benefits. Hell, I'm not really in the position to have a boyfriend. It's just how it is. So I'm sorry if you thought that things could or would be different but they can't and they won't. Now what would you like to drink?" I felt surprisingly calm after my rant. I got their drink orders and meal orders. I brought out the drinks and the food and I left them too it. I timed out before the trio was finished and picked up Wyatt, Reed, and Rose and I headed home.
"Mommy, mommy!" Reed jumped up and down once we got inside, "Lemme show you my report card!" I was shocked, I had forgotten that report cards were coming out today. I was kind of ashamed of myself when Reed thrust the paper into my hands, "I got all A's Mommy! I got all A's!
"Oh my gosh! I'm so proud of you Reed! That's fantastic!" I looked over to see Wyatt doing the same to Rose. I really was so proud of our boys. I also felt so sad. We rarely got to actually see the boys let alone spend any time with them. "What should we do for you smart guys?!" I asked them. I knew that they had already talked about this because they glanced at each other.
Then they yelled, "We want to go to the zoo! I laughed and we all got ready for the evening. I heard Reed coughing pretty hard but he said he felt fine so I let it go for the night. Tonight Alice had come to watch the babes and all three of them were bouncing off that walls. Sure, they loved Angela but she just wasn't Aunt Alice.
The night at the club was good and Rose and I came home with a good bit of cash along with our actually paychecks. I was glad that it was Friday. Rose, Wyatt, and Reed would spend the morning together while I went to work in the morning and I would be home by two. Plus, the club didn't open until eight on Saturdays. It would be nice to relax for a while. Sleep came easily and I didn't even think about the prick who kept harassing me until the next day. I was just floating around the restaurant when I walked to the table of one and looked up to see Edward Cullen watching me. I looked around for his partners in crime.
"I'm all by my lonesome today sweetheart," He winked at me. I grimaced.
"Do you know how to take a hint?"
"Who says that I need to do anything? Maybe I'm just here to, I don't know, eat?" He smirked at me.
I huffed, "Fine? Want a whiskey then?" He nodded and I set the glass down in front of him, "You know, most people don't drink before noon."
He looked at me over his glass, "I'm not most people though." Then he took a drink and ordered. I put the order in and attended to the other customers. I went back to check on him he looked at me like he was looking through me. It made me nervous but I stood my ground as always. "You know Bella, despite what you think, I'm a man who practically has the world at his hands. I could give you anything you could ever even think about wanting. I've never had a girl who is so against me. What did I do to you?" I looked him in the eye and I almost thought that I saw something there, hurt, maybe?
"Mr. Cullen, I never said you did anything wrong but I've got my life figured out and right now there aren't any men a part of it. I respect you. However, it doesn't seem that you respect me. I'm a strong woman who is making her way through life. Yes, I'm a waitress and yes I'm a stripper. That doesn't mean I'm going to fall head over heels in love with you. I things in my life that take priority and Mr. Cullen, you are not one of them. I'm sorry if that's not what you wanted to hear."
He sighed, "I understand Bella." He stopped and pulled his wallet out. I thought he was just grabbing the money to pay the bill but instead he pulled out a business card and wrote a number on the back of it. "This card has my work, work-cell, and now my cell phone number. If you ever change your mind or something happens I'm just a phone call away. Don't hesitate." He gave me a tight-lipped smile and handed me a wad of cash. "Keep the change." With that, he winked and walked away. I was absolutely stunned. I looked at the card and thought about throwing it away but something told me to keep it.
I got off work and got home to see Reed laying on the couch with a bucket in front of him. He had a rag on his head. "Reed, baby, what's wrong?"
He groaned, "I don't feel good Mommy." He coughed deeply and I wanted to hit myself for not taking him to the doctor when he started coughing. I walked over and Reed pulled his shirt off and I gasped. He had bruises where I had picked him up yesterday. Then I also noticed his belly was slightly swollen.
"Rose!" I yelled and she walked in.
"He threw up some this morning but he hasn't for a while." She got around to the front of the couch and he covered her mouth, "Why is he bruised like that?" I felt the world practically falling down on my shoulders. I shook my head.
"I don't know but I'm going to take him to the clinic, come on baby. Wyatt will you grab Reed some clothes?" I heard Wyatt in their room and he quickly brought me a red t-shirt and a pair of red sweat pants. I helped Reed change and I picked him up and hoisted him onto my hip. "Either I'm getting stronger or you've lost some weight baby boy." I frowned and headed out to the free clinic down the block. I told Rose that I could do this on my own so she could spend some time with Wyatt.
We made it to the clinic and I set Reed down in one of the chairs. I went to the receptionist to get the papers to sign and to check in. Quietly, while Reed rested his head on my shoulder, I filled out the medical history forms. I froze when I saw the page on father's medical history. I blinked away some tears and just skipped it. I turned the forms back in and we waited about a half hour before we were called in.
"Hi Reed! How are you today?" The nurse was too chipper for my tastes but I understood. Reed just groaned and hid behind my leg. She laughed, "We need you to stand on this scale so I can get your height and weight." He did as he was told and she measured him, "Forty-four inches and forty-one pounds."
"Wait, did you say forty-one pounds?" She nodded. I was just kidding about Reed losing weight but he had lost around nine pounds. She led us into the examination room and Reed made me sit on the table with him in my lap. A few minutes later the doctor walked in. He was tall with tan skin, black hair, and gorgeous brown eyes. I was kind of floored. He was younger but most of the doctors who worked at this clinic were older.
"Hello, I'm Dr. Black." He smiled at me and shook my hand and then he smiled at Reed and shook his hand. Reed was shy but he smiled back. "What seems to be the problem today?" He was looking over the information that I had provided as I told him Reed's symptoms. After I finished he asked Reed if there was anything else.
"Well," Reed's scratchy voice bothered me, "My head has been hurting and I've been really, really sleepy. Like, I don't even wanta play with Wyatt!" He exclaimed. I laughed a bit and so did Dr. Black.
"Well Reed, let's got you healthy again so you can play with Wyatt again." Dr. Black had a nurse come in and asked me to step out into the hall. I squeezed Reed's knee and followed the doctor.
"What do think is wrong Dr.?" I was worried. I have never been asked to step out into the hall before.
"Well, we can run the strep test and everything but I think we need to draw some blood and do some tests. Then maybe we can get down to the problem. Do you think Reed will cooperate?"
"Yeah, as long as I'm with him, he shouldn't have a problem with it." I answered and we went back into the room and a nurse brought in all the equipment to draw his blood. Reed was nervous but he sat in my lap and I talked him through the entire process. Afterwards, Dr. Black gave me some antibiotics so Reed could feel better and told me that he would call me when he got the results back. I thanked him and all the nurses before picking up Reed and putting him on my back. We made our way home when I realized that it was nearing six o'clock. I sighed.
"I'm sorry mommy," I heard Reed say behind me.
"Baby, why are you sorry?" I was concerned.
"Because! You had the whole afternoon to relax and you had to take me to the doctor because I got sick! I shouldn't have gotten sick!" I almost laughed.
"Reed, you can't control whether you're sick or not! And I'm your mommy, it my job for you to be the most important thing in my life. You're it baby. I love you." We were going up the stairs to our third floor apartment.
"Really mommy?" He asked quietly.
"Yes baby! Now you need to go in and get some sleep you hear me?" He nodded and I set him down before opening the door. Rose and Wyatt were curled up on the couch watching the movie Cars and Reed just hoped up and joined them. Rose smiled at me before seeing my expression. She got off the couch and followed me to our bedroom. I gave her a rundown of what Dr. Black had said and her mouth set in a firm line.
"I guess we'll have to wait and see." Rose spoke almost to herself.
She had no idea how right she was.
Thank you! All of you! The response to this story has been great. I hope that it gets better every chapter! I also hope that none of you see what's coming. Thank you again for all your support!
Reviews give me motivation!
Love you all!
Katie