Thanks for all you're lovely reviews, they made me so happy:) Hopefully this one will go down just as well.
Chapter 3.
The weeks that passed since the interview were gruelling to say the least.
It was made even harder, when it felt as though fate was deliberately taunting me at every turn.
Before, I must have been living in a bubble to have been so oblivious to Edward.
However, since that faithful day, there seemed to be reminders of him everywhere I turned.
As expected, Edward's next release was ridiculously successful and went straight to the top of the box office charts.
The film's success propelled him to an even higher superstar status than before.
It seemed like the world had gone Edward Cullen crazy. Or perhaps it had always been that way and I was just too blind to notice it before now.
Day in day out, every magazine and newspaper seemed to feature the man who had haunted my dreams from the moment we first met.
Unfortunately for me, that was where I feared he would always stay.
Even work proved difficult. Instead of being a welcome distraction, it only served to emphasise my connection to him.
The girls in the office were still gushing about him and speculating over the latest gossip that was doing the rounds about Edward. I only had to hear his name and I would turn all giddy and dreamy.
It was like high school all over again, having a crush on the cutest boy in class. Except Edward was no mere boy, he was extraordinary.
At first I felt like I was going insane. I had never had an obsession like this before.
It didn't help matters that every single book I reviewed seemed to have a romantic theme. Either that or it was centred around a heroine and her perfect male counterpart. Consequently I found myself making comparisons between them and a certain man.
The rational side of my brain told me to put the insane infatuation aside and move on, but regardless of my strong intentions, my heart struggled to accept the harsh reality.
But it didn't help matters that he was quite literally in my face constantly.
My entire journey to work was riddled with reminders. Everywhere I looked there were posters and advertisements on the tubes, buses and billboards.
It was impossible to miss but they were no where near as satisfactory as the real thing.
Sure, he looked extremely handsome in the posters, but they didn't capture how heart-achingly beautiful he was in real life.
It seemed like I couldn't escape him even if I tried; which of course, I didn't.
If anything, I was becoming even more infatuated with him.
Though, in all honesty, obsessed is probably nearer the truth.
Not in a crazy stalker ish way, it was more of a smitten kind of fascination.
After my complete ignorance about Edward's film career, I found myself more than eager to see his work.
I was surprised, to say the least, when I finally got round to seeing what the rest of the world had long ago discovered.
I started off with his most recent project and was immediately overwhelmed.
I wondered how I could have been so utterly clueless as to his talent.
Looking back, I'm surprised he didn't piss himself laughing at my ignorance, as I was probably the only person on the face of the planet to have only just discovered the incredible talent of Edward Cullen.
I was hooked from the first film and so subsequently immersed myself in his entire back-catalogue.
He was undeniably eye-catching, but what surprised me the most was that it wasn't just his superior good looks that mesmerised me, though I cant deny they played a part. Instead, it was like I was hypnotised by his charm, charisma and beauty on screen.
I know that it may sound ridiculous, but I was genuinely surprised by how good an actor he was.
Before I met Edward, I had wrongly assumed that he had used his looks to bypass actual talent, but since that afternoon at the café I couldn't claim the same preconceptions.
After that day, I knew he would be skilled and talented, I just never expected him to be as brilliant as he was.
His performances were thought-provoking,accomplished and moving. One even brought me to tears.
It seems like everything associated with him was perfect.
Aside from his good looks, he had a presence that I had rarely seen in modern day actors. In keeping with his mannerisms, his acting was equally as charming and charismatic.
Regrettably, seeing him on screen only made me miss him all the more.
I sighed longingly, thinking of the charming and polite man I had long ago fallen for.
Unsurprisingly, not one man since had even slightly challenged the unquestionable hold that he had upon me.
But that was entirely the problem. There was no other man out there like Edward Cullen. It was a fact I was becoming increasingly disheartened by.
My only link to him was the interview and a subsequent note of thanks he had sent me.
After the interview I had expected never to hear from him again, but not two days after my article was published, I was pleasantly surprised when I received a small card from him, thanking me for the article I had written.
I will admit that I was very tempted to frame the card.
Rosalie, meanwhile had helpfully pointed out that I could sell it for a tidy sum on ebay. That was out of the question though, as I had grown quite attached to his beautifully elegant script.
Bella...
It was nice meeting you. I enjoyed our time together.
Hopefully our paths will cross again soon.
Thank you for such a complimentary piece!
Yours, Edward x
It was nothing earth-shattering or mind-blowing and was probably standard procedure; but it showed he was a true gent and professional after all.
And though I couldn't deny that the kiss at the end made me happy and all dreamy, I wasn't going to let myself get carried away by thinking he felt anything for me.
By now, he had probably already forgotten about me anyway. This was not the movies; this was real life, my life.
Despite my acceptance of the situation, I will admit that I was still intrigued.
Frequently, I was drawn towards the newsstands that were full of magazines with his face plastered all over them.
I found myself picking up magazines that before, I would have referred to as tat and garbage, just to get a glimpse of him.
This week's newspapers had been rife with speculation that after his latest film was all wrapped up, he would be returning to the UK.
That was a source of both excitement and sadness.
The good being that I was happy he would at least back in the same city as me.
On the other hand, it only seemed to reinforce the reality of the situation- the reality being that it made no difference where he was; there was little to no chance of me ever seeing Edward again, whether he was in this country or not!
This reality only made me all the more despondent.
Rosalie noticed my moping, but thankfully left me to it. If I wanted to talk about it, I knew she was there for me. The truth was that I would much rather suffer in silence than address the real issue. Instead, I tried to act normal and pretended to be unaffected.
Some days were worse than others.
Today had been particularly trying for a variety of reasons.
In fact, the day had started off disastrously, when I overslept and consequently had to run around like a headless chicken to get ready in under fifteen minutes.
I was sure I resembled a scarecrow, with my barely-brushed hair and scruffy appearance.
Despite my haste, I still missed the tube, so by the time I finally made it into work, I was over half an hour late and it didn't help matters that I had to walk in half way through an important publishing meeting.
"Nice of you to join us, Bella!" Lauren's catty voice had snipped when I took my seat. Bitch, she had always had it in for me!
My day didn't get much better after I found a mountain of paperwork on my desk waiting for me.
To add to my annoyance, Mike spent most of the day chasing me around, trying to persuade me to go to the Volturi benefit with him.
Every year, a select few members of our team were invited to go to the infamous Volutri charity benefit.
It was an elaborate event that celebrated the year's biggest successes in the arts, music, theatre and literature. It was a big deal in the publishing world, with all proceeds made being donated to charity.
This year, I should have felt enthusiastic and excited, being invited to represent our department, but I was dreading it, especially as Mike Newton had been invited too.
After following me around like a lost puppy all morning, Mike had finally managed to corner me in the photocopy room an hour ago. He sounded genuinely sincere as he innocently asked if I wanted to share a ride with him to the venue.
That sounds pretty thoughtful, right?
Well don't let that fool you.
At last year's Christmas party, after a few too many drinks, Mike had gotten a little merry, and stupidly mistook my acceptance of a drink to mean he had the right to try and kiss me.
Needless to say, he got the message loud and clear when I slapped him across the face. It sounds harsh but the guy just wouldn't take a hint.
You would think that that would have pushed him away, but it seemed to have had the adverse affect. If anything, he has become even more persistent.
So as a result, I have been trying to avoid any other potential misunderstandings by cutting out anything other than polite chit-chat or work-related discussions with him.
You would think that would have made it blatantly obvious to Mike to cut his losses, but he was determined, I would give him that.
Even thinking about him made me frustrated!
Like a fly you cant squat, I spotted the object of my frustrations heading through the door. I promptly collapsed on top of my desk, with my head buried in my hands, hoping that he would leave me alone.
Here we go again, I sighed, when not two minutes later I felt a light tapping on my shoulder.
Maybe if I ignored him, he would think I was asleep and leave me alone, I thought, trying to convince myself.
Arghh, I screamed internally when the tapping persisted.
"For God's sake, Mike! I swear to god if you ask me one more time, then I will seriously lose my temper," I ranted without bothering to look up at him.
I was surprised when I heard his laughter, but more horrifying was the fact that I had replaced Mike's drab monotone laughter, with Edwards magical chuckle.
How did he manage to invade my thoughts so frequently?
"What happened to the shy, blushing girl that I met just last month?" said an awfully familiar voice, sounding amused; a voice that was certainly too real for me to be imagining it.
Cautiously, I looked up for clarity, but despite my suspicions, I still wasn't prepared for the breathtaking sight that greeted me.
I really wasn't dreaming. It was definitely Edward Cullen who was stood in front of me.
"Edward?" It came out more like a question.
I was completely shell-shocked and for one moment, I did actually question whether or not I had indeed dreamed him up.
"You look surprised to see me," he said, with that teasing smirk of his.
It was infuriating that he looked effortlessly gorgeous in simple jeans and a grey fitted T-shirt combination, whilst I resembled a tramp!
"What are you doing here?" I finally managed to ask, once I had stopped drooling over him.
He looked highly amused, with his eyebrows raised and a cheeky smile on his face.
"Silly Bella," he started, while I couldn't help thinking that my name had never sounded so good coming from anyone else's lips.
"I'm here for a feature, but while I'm here, you don't honestly think I would pass up on the chance to spend some more time with the shy and reserved girl who portrayed me in such a positive light in her interview."
He smiled that beautifully crooked smile that left me once again gaping like an idiot. I don't think I'd completely got over the shock of him actually being here yet.
I watched, enchanted, as his smile widened and turned into a smirk before he spoke once more.
"Though, I'm not so sure that I am the only actor around here. That was quite the transformation back there. I actually feel rather scared for this Mike character, " he laughed.
"Arghhh you're impossible!" I retorted in response to his teasing.
"Impossibly beautiful, according to you," he responded, quoting my words from the article.
His smile became even more captivating when my blush made its first appearance of the day. Yes ladies and gentlemen, Edward Cullen is back in the building.
"There we go. That's more like the girl I remember. I have missed those rosy cheeks," he joked playfully, as I reddened further.
Thankfully his voice broke into my embarrassment, "So what's the deal with this Mike guy that has you so wound up?"
"I am NOT wound up!" I stubbornly replied, receiving a knowing smirk from him.
He was obviously trying to hide his amusement, but was failing miserably.
He looked utterly stunning though and I couldn't take my eyes away from him.
That said, I reluctantly did when I realised I hadn't responded to his question.
"Okay, so maybe I am a little bit cranky today," I weakened.
"A bit?" he downright laughed at my stubbornness.
Had any other person done that, I would have been outraged, but with Edward, it was different.
He just made me laugh along with him like nothing had changed. We seemed to pick up from where we had left off before, as he and I engaged in our familiar banter.
And like so often before when I was in his presence, I found I caved in to his questioning.
"He is doing my head in!" I vented.
"Mike?" questioned Edward.
"Who else?" I groaned.
"He just wont take no for an answer. I have told him repeatedly, and in no uncertain terms, that I will never go to the benefit with him, but he just doesn't get the message. I've tried being nice about it, but that doesn't work either. Even when I'm downright rude to him, it only seems to encourage him all the more. I really don't think I can take any more!"
I closed my eyes and hung my head in defeat. Several moments passed, but Edward still hadn't said anything. I opened my eyes to see that he had that unreadable expression on his face.
"Why don't you tell him you've met somebody?" he asked hesitantly.
"Already tried that one, but he just insists on meeting the guy," I said exasperated.
I know he was trying to be helpful, but I had tried everything to discourage Mike and nothing worked. Talking about it was only getting me more and more frustrated.
"Aghhhh, it's so infuriating. I know I should be grateful and flattered that he feels that way,"I started.
I really was losing my mind as I babbled on, whilst Edward looked pensive.
"Maybe Jessica is right. I should just accept it and give it a shot. Then I can be horrible to him and drive him away. Or maybe the problem lies within me. Perhaps I'm just being picky and should be less demanding. Mike's not complicated; maybe I should settle for that."
By the end of my babbling, his expression became serious, bordering on angry.
"You shouldn't have to settle for anything, Bella," he declared fiercely.
His eyes captured mine and I couldn't look away.
Of course, no perfect moment lasts forever and seconds later, I saw Mike heading through the door.
I groaned in frustration as Edward's gaze followed mine.
"Is that him?" he wondered.
"The one and only," I groaned, before starting to panic.
"Don't leave me," I begged, while Edward looked puzzled.
"Please? He wont come near me if he sees you're next to me," I explained.
Edward looked quizzical, like he was calculating something in his mind, before he finally spoke.
"I have an idea of a way that Mike will finally get the message," he said hesitantly.
"I'm all ears." I really was ready to try anything by this point.
"You trust me?" he whispered as he crouched down in front of me.
I nodded, unable to risk the nerves in my voice from showing if I spoke.
"Just go along with me, okay?" he whispered sounding even sexier.
"Okay," I found myself agreeing in a voice that didn't sound like my own.
In all honesty, he could have asked me to kill Mike and I would have gone along with him.
His expression became intense as his eyes drifted down to my lips.
He hesitated for a fraction of a second, before he moved even closer to me, his hands gently coming to frame my face.
His touch was like an electric current running through me, but it was his expression that was scorching. His eyes seemed to sparkle as they cast a spell over me.
Then almost agonisingly slowly, he gently tilted my face up, closing the distance between the two of us.
The next few moments seemed to play out in slow motion. My eyes no doubt widening in awe, as his sparkling green eyes bored deeply into mine. I could only stare in disbelief, as my lips ached for his touch.
My heart went into overdrive, my blood pressure no doubt flying through the roof, as the anticipation grew. My face felt like it was on fire, and my body tingled all over.
I was partially terrified, partly hopeful. I couldn't possibly be misreading the signs like I had when we left the café, could I?
As if reading my confusion, he was quick to reassure me.
"Relax" he soothed.
It was easy for him to say. I'd thought it was impossible to spontaneously combust, but right now, I was in danger of testing the theory.
But then everything faded away. Nothing else mattered, or even existed, as Edward's soft lips lightly brushed over mine, and my heart started pounding erratically in my chest.
My lips trembled slightly as the reality hit; I was kissing Edward Cullen. I internally panicked -what if I wasn't good enough? He had no doubt kissed countless stunning models and actresses alike. Ones I couldn't even compare to.
But when I didn't pull away, Edward took control of the kiss, claiming my lips with his, he somehow calmed my nerves like he always seemed to be able to.
Though it was still fairly tame and tender, I felt a jolt of electricity bolt straight through me as his lips became more forceful over mine.
If it felt like a spark when our hands touched before, then this was a full blown inferno, though strangely enough, it still remained intimate and tender.
Before I'd thought that Jake was a good kisser, but compared to Edward, he now seemed childish and inexperienced. I had never experienced a kiss quite like this before.
Somewhere along the way, my eyes must have closed of their own accord, while I focussed on the all-consuming sensation of his lips against mine.
I couldn't tell you how long it lasted, but after what undoubtedly was the best moment of my life, we pulled apart.
I opened my eyes to see Edward's piercing eyes locked on mine.
I didn't know what to say or do, as we simply sat there holding each other's gazes.
We stayed like that for a moment, before I remembered where we were and nervously looked around at my gaping colleagues. Thankfully most of them seemed to have gone on their lunch breaks so there weren't too many witnesses.
Unfortunately there were a few angry girls left in the office, who were predictably shooting me daggers with their eyes. If looks could kill, I would be six feet under!
Amongst the sea of shocked faces, I spotted Mike's despondent face. I almost felt sorry for him, but quite frankly, I'd had enough of his constant pestering.
Then, like a knife stabbing me through the chest, reality hit me and I remembered what had instigated the kiss. Obviously, it was Edward who had made the first move, but the reasoning behind it was what caused me the most pain.
While I had stupidly convinced myself that he felt it too, the truth was that Edward was simply pretending. He was an actor, and a damn good one at that.
The world around me shattered as realisation hit me. It was all an act to him, done with the best intentions to help ease my suffering. It summed Edward up typically.
I sighed disappointed and quickly looked down to my feet, while blushing in embarrassment.
"I think he got the message," he broke the silence.
"Thanks," I replied shyly, as I finally lifted my gaze up to meet his.
"Any time, Bella," he responded, but once again he had that unreadable expression on his face, though this time, I speculated it was most probably one of regret.
Abruptly he nodded his head as if to clear his thoughts and quickly stood up, "I have to go do some shots for the piece, but I will see you later."
He offered me a half smile before walking off out the room, leaving me clueless as to what had just happened?
I couldn't help but feel disappointed because I now knew the pleasure that those lips could bring, but the reality was that that one blissful moment was a one-off and wouldn't be happening again.
I sighed in misery, as my head once again fell back on top of my desk like it had earlier, but this time it was for more depressing reasons.
If I'd thought Edward appearance was a surprise, then an even bigger one was to follow shortly after.
"You want me to spend the day with Edward Cullen! Are you kidding me?" I said in disbelief as I stood in my editor's office completely shell-shocked.
"Do I look like I am joking?" Kate casually replied.
"You cant be serious! This is Lauren's field not mine."
"Your piece was a great success, Bella. Whether Lauren is back or not, I want you to do it."
After not too much persuasion, I agreed. It wasn't like I could turn down the chance of spending more time with Edward, especially not a whole day!
After taking a few minutes to prepare myself, I happily went into the interview room where I was to meet Edward.
My nerves seemed to kick in when I reached for the door handle.
I could do this; I would just act like nothing had happened. It would be easier to be around him if I could put the kiss to the back of my mind. It would hard, bearing in mind how truly spectacular it had been, but I would have to endure it.
When I entered the room, I was saddened to see that Edward was not alone. Besides him was one of the beefiest guys I had ever seen. His broad shoulders and muscular were very distinctive.
Whilst Edward's looks were intimidating, this guy's physique was equally as daunting.
"Bella, allow me to introduce you to my manager and good friend, Emmett. Emmett, this is Bella." Edward said smoothly, whilst his friend's smile grew ridiculously wide, to the point where dimples formed in his cheeks.
"So, this is the famous Bella. I feel like I know you already, after the amount of times that Edward's mentioned you," he said causing my blush to return.
His next remarks only made my blush deepen, "Edward was right about you. You're very pretty and I get to see the famous blush too."
I don't know what I was more pleased about, the fact that Edward had mentioned me to him, or the fact that he said I was pretty.
Obviously, it was the pretty part, but that was most likely just Edward being Edward.
He was hardly likely to describe me as a troll, even if he thought so.
"Emmett, shut it. You're embarrassing her," Edward scolded, looking across warningly.
"She knows I'm only messing. Isn't that right, Bells?" his smile was friendly.
Bells? Since when was I Bells? I didn't have time to come up with an answer, as he engulfed me in a tight bear hug that I was too shocked to protest to, not that I would have anyway.
Had it been any other guy, I would have been nervous and uncomfortable. But it was different with Emmett; it was more friendly, almost brotherly.
"Emmett, put her down, you're crushing her," Edward sharply instructed.
"Yes Master," Emmett replied with a laugh, as he placed me back down on the ground.
I laughed along with him as I dusted myself off and rearranged my crumpled clothing.
When I was done, I turned to find Edward looking at me peculiarly. He didn't say anything so I quickly filled the almost awkward silence.
"I believe I am spending the day with you."
Something seemed to pass between to two of them, and just as Edward was about to respond, Emmett beat him to it.
"Of course you are. He," he said looking pointedly at Edward, "was the one who insisted you do the feature. We have spent half the morning negotiating it with your boss. I swear if he hadn't threatened to pull the plug on the whole thing, then I'm sure they would still be having the debate as we speak."
"Is this true?" I asked totally taken aback.
Edwards response was a shy nod. He looked slightly uncomfortable, with his hands placed firmly in his pockets.
"I kind of told them I would only do it if you were the one I was spending the day with."
"Really?" I was gob smacked.
"Is it so hard for you to believe that I actually like spending time with you, Bella?" he wondered.
I was surprised to note that his cheeks looked a little rosy too.
"Are you hungry?"he asked suddenly.
Though it didn't go unnoticed how quick he was to change the conversation, I agreed none the less.
"Do you fancy grabbing something to eat and drink first?" he asked.
"We could go to a café, perhaps?" I suggested.
"I was thinking somewhere a little different," he sounded amused.
"So no greasy spoon today?" I teased, reminding him of the circumstances of our first interview.
"Not today," he replied with a smile.
"Our café not good enough for you now?"
He smiled again when I said our 'café' and I seriously wished I could censor my mouth sometimes.
"Afraid not. Today, I am taking you to lunch," he replied casually, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
My mouth flew open, but Edward merely chuckled, before reaching for my hand and leading us out of the door.
I could vaguely hear Emmett's laughter on the way before he called out, "Nice to finally meet you, Bella."
It seemed that Emmett wasn't joining us after all.
A slight smile played at my lips as I thought of having some quality time alone with Edward. I wasn't sure it would help cure my infatuation, but I couldn't claim to be unhappy.
"What are you smiling at?" Edward asked from beside me.
I looked up to find him looking at me questioningly.
"Nothing," I lied, blushing further.
I couldn't help thinking that this was going to be an interesting day after all.
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