Sorry for the long wait, but it will be worth it!
Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight, no copyright infringement intended
Thanks to saram05 for being a fantastic beta
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For as long as I can remember, shopping in downtown Charleston has always seemed to be the perfect way to put me in a great mood. Before I moved to Boston when I was twelve, I grew up in a small town on the outskirts of Charleston. My parents took me to into the city often – my mom especially considers shopping as the cure for a sour attitude. I've always been a bit unimpressed with the idea of shopping; I don't loathe it, but I don't love it either. When I'm in Charleston though, my inner shopper comes out with a vengeance.
Ashley and I decided to begin with a quick run through of the market and then take a walk down King Street, so we could admire all the brand name clothes we couldn't afford. We planned on finishing our shopping excursion with dinner at my favorite restaurant, called Slightly North of Broad.
The market is one of my favorite places in Charleston. It consists of three huge buildings, full of booths with handmade jewelry, clothing and other unique items. Every day, vendors come from all over bringing their finest products, so customers are always guaranteed a distinctive experience. It also doesn't hurt that things in the market tended to run cheap, an extra benefit for a 17-year old girl with a shoe obsession.
I was almost always able to find something exquisite to buy there, but after walking down the many rows of tiny boutiques that day, I couldn't find anything I wanted. This put me in a major slump, and I pouted as I walked next to Ashley, watching her load up with treasures.
I finally found a booth that held some jewelry that looked relatively interesting, and was trying to decide between a couple of bracelets when I heard Ashley rush up beside me and whisper in my ear.
"Isn't that the boy you were talking to at the beach", she muttered quickly, trying not to draw attention to herself. I felt a sudden pounding in my chest, and I instantly threw my head upward, almost giving myself whiplash. As I rubbed the back of my neck I looked around, not entirely sure whether I wanted Ashley to be right or wrong about Edward being here. I spun around in place and abruptly froze, stopping dead in my tracks. She was correct; Edward Cullen was standing a few feet away at a booth diagonal from us.
And I was definitely happy she was right.
He was admiring a silver pocket watch, and I watched in awe as he carefully spun the watch around, opened it, and then scrutinized it as if it was the most curious and beautiful object he had ever seen in his life. While staring at him from a distance, observing him eye the stunning watch, I was overcome with the urge to step in front of him and have him look at me the same way. Luckily, before I could do anything rash Ashley was by my side again.
"You should go talk to him", she suggested, "He's cute".
Cute was a definite understatement of Edward's looks. I found him stunning, jaw dropping, exquisite and absolutely breath-taking. I continued staring at him, unable to remove my eyes from the magnificent site. Before I could take another breath, his eyes locked with mine, and a crooked smile played on his lips. I hesitated, but slowly smiled back at him, amazed at the intense sparks I felt whenever our eyes met.
He slowly began ambling towards the booth across from me, and I just watched him, unable to move, think, or even breathe. He looked down at the two bracelets I held in my hands, and studied them for a moment, just like he had with the pocket watch.
"You should purchase the green one", he finally said, "It matches your eyes". His golden eyes then connected with mine, and it was as if the entire world around us stood still. All I could see was Edward and his beautiful face, smiling down at me.
"Hi," I breathed, finally letting out the air I had unconsciously been holding in.
"Hello," he whispered back, speaking loud enough for only me to hear. We stood silently, just staring at each other for what seemed like hours, until Ashley came up beside me, ruining the perfect moment.
"Hi Edward," Ashley bubbled as she lightly pinched my arm to bring me back to reality.
"Good afternoon Ashley. Are you girls enjoying your shopping?"
"Yeah, we figured we should make use of the awful rainy weather somehow, right Charlotte?"
"Mmhmm," I mumbled brainlessly, seeing as how I was still unable to form coherent words.
"I'm glad I ran into you two, I was wondering if you would be willing to join me for dinner tomorrow night. I'm new in town, and I don't have the slightest idea where to go, and I was looking for some company to explore with me," he asked.
Before I could wrap my mind around what Edward had just asked us, Ashley began to respond, "I wish I could, but I'm meeting up with some friends of my parents tomorrow. Trust me, I'd do anything to get out of it, but if you knew my parents, you would know I have no choice. However, Charlotte grew up around here, so she knows the area pretty well. I'm sure she would love to go, wouldn't you Charlotte", she finished then looked at me expectantly.
I knew I needed to answer, but my mind was still reeling from Edward's invitation. I was having an especially difficult time letting go of the idea that my potential dinner date couldn't even eat.
"I'd love to," I finally replied, carefully keeping my eyes downcast so I wouldn't once again become trapped in his mesmerizing stare. "That is, if you're sure you want just my company," I quickly added, not wanting him to think I was trying to force myself into a one-on-one situation with him.
"You would be the perfect company", he replied, and he quickly brushed his hand across mine, causing my entire body to tremble. "How does seven sound?"
Perfect, I thought to myself with a smile.
"Great, I'll pick you up then", he answered.
Knowing that I would be too nervous to hold a pen properly - let alone write, Ashley quickly scribbled down the address of the beach house on the back of a receipt and handed it him.
"I'll see you at seven", he said. He gave me one last smile and then sauntered off down the market once more. Ashley left my side to look around for a few more minutes, and I was suddenly overwhelmed with a heart filling happiness I hadn't felt in a really long time.
"Can I help you, miss?" the vendor whose booth I was at asked, bringing me to my senses ones more.
"I'll take the green one," I replied. I smiled as I handed her the bracelet, and found myself strangely excited yet completely terrified about the night to come.
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Worth the wait?
A special treat for the next chapter, EPOV as to what has happened so far!
Review lots and I'll get it posted extra fast!
