To everyone who reviewed: Thank you. You are the inspiration that keeps me writing. I love to hear your thoughts, ideas and frustrations…like no play by play of kinky Daddy Cullen in the back of the limo. Maybe that will come in a later chapter.
Like always, let me know what you think!

…

Bella felt her stomach clench at Caius's abrupt greeting, her hand gripping her phone tighter, although her face remained practiced and impassive,

"What is it, Caius?"

Caius sighed,

"Where are you?"

Bella bit back a snarl at Caius's lack of forwardness, but answered through gritted teeth. Alice seemed to recognize that something was wrong, casting a worried glance to Bella from her seat next to Jasper.

"I'm in the air on my way to New York."

She could hear Caius typing in the background,

"Perfect. Isabella, the Costa Rican Environmental Protection Agency has launched a full-scale protest lawsuit against Clearwater Oil. I need someone on the ground there."

Bella's heart dropped into her stomach, knowing exactly what Caius was implying even as she asked,

"And what does that have to do with me?"

"Isabella…you're my brightest associate. I need you there. This shit storm is going to get ugly fast, and it's not going to blow over as easily as we thought. I need someone there who knows what the hell they're doing."

"Seriously? Some hippie-dippie, granola group has launched a lawsuit, and that warrants flying your 'brightest associate' out of the country?"

Bella bit down on her full bottom lip, tasting the tang of blood through the lipstick. She never lost control like this. Never talked back to a superior. Was always calm and rational, presenting her ideas in a calm, rational way. Alice's tiny hand, coming to rest gently against her thigh, startled her back to reality.

"Caius? Fine. I'll do it. But I will be the lead prosecutor. I will make all and every executive decision, and I get to choose my team for the hearings. And you owe me. If we win, I get partnership."

She could feel Caius's relief over the phone,

"Absolutely. Your ticket is booked. You leave New York in 12 hours, Isabella. I'll have Jane send the information to your inbox. And Isabella? Don't underestimate the hippies."

Bella hung up without saying goodbye, fighting the juvenile urge to hurl her smartphone against the wall of the jet. Jasper looked on quizzically as Alice gently brushed a strand of hair off her face,

"What is it, Bells?"

Bella grimaced, motioning the flight attendant for another drink. What didn't Caius understand? Washington was her home. New York was her playground. The whole damn Eastern Seaboard knew who she was, and she wasn't sure she was ready to give up that power.

"That was Caius. I'm…going to Costa Rica."

Alice looked bewildered, and Jasper arched a questioning eyebrow, both encouraging her to elaborate. Bella took a deep breath,

"I'm going to Costa Rica on the Clearwater Oil case. I leave in twelve hours. There's been some kind of protest lawsuit launched against them by some environmental group."

"Well God damn. The granola types are just causin' trouble everywhere."

Jasper drawled, winking at her, and Bella giggled, semi-hysterical laughter bubbling up. Alice rolled her eyes,

"So, why do you have to go?"

Bella half shrugged one shoulder,

"I guess these particular granola groupies are a force to be reckoned with, or so says Caius."

Alice sighed,

"Well, I guess that only means one thing, Bells."

"Skype until I'm safely Stateside again?"

Alice giggled,

"No. We party like it's 2006 for the twelve hours before you leave."

….

Rosalie was dressed in what amounted to the shortest, tightest, hottest dress Alice had ever chosen for her, in lipstick red. Bella, true to form, had her hair pulled up in a tight, slick ponytail, her dress form fitting with strappy cutouts in the back, but still a classic black. Alice had on a meringue and fuchsia halter dress that would have been immature or even casual on anyone but her. 5" stilettos and they were out the door, Jasper and Emmett lost somewhere long before the first club. Six shots of golden tequila into the evening, Bella was starting to feel a little dizzy.

"Bells…was he good?"

Alice looked up at her imploringly, batting her huge, blue eyes at Bella. Bella smirked, swaying drunkenly with the music,

"Allie, I can't tell you. You'll have to try it out for yourself!"

"Try who out?"

Rosalie returned to their table with a round of margaritas, lime for herself and Bella, strawberry for Alice,

"Big Daddy C."

Alice murmured dreamily, not bothering to turn to see who she was speaking to. Rosalie turned to Bella with flashing, inebriated eyes,

"Big Daddy C, Isabella? As in my father?"

Bella shook her head, sucking on a slice of lime to buy time, but Alice was too inebriated to even backpedal, nodding drunkenly to Rosalie.

"You fucked my father?"

Rosalie had one hand on the strap of Bella's dress, the other clenching the table with barely restrained fury.

"It's okay, Rosie. I'm just trying to find out how he was."

"Alice."

Bella gritted out, glaring down at her tiny friend who seemed not to realize how serious the situation was,

"Stop talking."

"You fucking whore."

Rosalie slammed her hand down on the table, pushing Bella just the tiniest bit. Bella stumbled backwards, taken completely by surprise,

"Excuse me?"

Rosalie was in her face almost immediately,

"I put up with your sick social games, your fucking and chucking of Washington's most powerful…Fuck, Bella, I have been there for you through thick and thin. But to fuck and chuck my FATHER? That's too far."

Bella shook her head,

"I didn't mean to—"

"DIDN'T MEAN TO? Are you fucking kidding me? Close your fucking legs, woman. Have some self respect."

Bella pulled herself up to her full height, pushing Rosalie back,

"Self respect? Please. I'm a grown woman, Rosalie. I hardly need YOU to dictate who I sleep with."

"No, you need a motherfucking babysitter, Isabella. You're a fucking train wreck, sleeping with whoever comes along just for kicks. Get out of here. Go home, go back to Seattle or whatever hick town you come from, where it's so inbred it's socially acceptable to sleep with other peoples daddy's."

There was a horrifying, stagnant moment of silence, Bella and Rosalie sizing each other up as enemies instead of friends, before Alice staggered to her feet, turning an odd shade somewhere between gray and green,

"Guys, I don't feel so good…"

Rosalie put one arm around her tiny shoulders, guiding her down the hallway towards the club bathroom, pushing forcefully past Bella.

Bella arrived alone at JFK International.

….

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