You and Me: Chapter 4
"I've been losing so much time"
"Bella, we need kabobs," James rang. Stupid James and his stupid bell and this stupid restaurant...Each day that passed by I put an 'X' on my mental calendar, counting down the time until I would become twenty-one, and I would own this place. I still had over three years to go. Until then, I was under his guardianship; his stupid guardianship.
So, here I was in the kitchen, flipping the fifteenth steak in the past hour, and wanting to die from the grease that must be layered on my face. I couldn't believe the amount of prestigious people passing through Forks that bothered to eat at this high end restaurant. Swans had been reviewed as the most elegant and spectacular restaurant in Forks, and we had served our fair share of celebrities. On the bright side this let me cook food that had quality instead of flipping burgers down at McDonalds. That place made it hard to believe you couldn't go into cardiac arrest via inhaling burger fumes.
I didn't know what James was bitching about. I was already the most efficient cook he had here who couldn't even get better pay because I was related to him. I swore if I didn't eventually kill myself first, I'd take him down.
"Bella, is it alright if I played my iPod on the speakers," Angela asked.
"Go ahead," I plastered a smile. She nodded, and headed over to the speakers I had convinced James to allow into the kitchen.
As long as you don't spit in my food, he'd grumbled.
Angela was kind and didn't get into my business, which was highly appreciated. It was those two characteristics that made her slightly more than tolerable in my books. Under any other circumstances I imagined we'd be friends. She had graduated in my class, and since they were taking interns this summer in the kitchen, I offered to be her advisor. The amount of talent she possessed was inspiring, and I could see her working full time here one day.
The Maine's, You Left Me, blasted through the speakers as the younger and even older staff jigged around at their stations.
"Okay everyone, the music is good, just don't let it affect your food," I warned. A few people laughed in the background.
Oh, you left me with nothing but a kiss … And now I'm leaving you with these lips …
I found myself singing along to the music, something I hadn't done in a while. It was one of the small things that reminded me that it was time for me to heal, and return to my former life –whatever that had been. Ever since my attempt at suicide around a week ago, I had made the decision to let go and move on. It would be a hard road, but I couldn't live waiting on Jacob when I knew for a fact that he wouldn't come back. Jake wouldn't want me to be willowing away when he had been so full of life. I had prayed and prayed for the strength, and I knew that it would take time, but I would begin to let go of Jacob. Not forget him, but live without him.
There was an eerie silence in the kitchen besides the music playing. I turned to see everyone halted at their stations.
"What?" I asked. Something better not burn.
"You sing amazingly," Angela stuttered before turning back to her food, as did the rest of the staff.
I muttered a soft thank you before crawling into my shell. With my face flushed, I returned to the grill, singing much more softly to myself.
Edward's Point of View
A week had past, and I still hadn't found her.
I wouldn't call it a sick obsession, but it was bordering on that. I had gone to almost every local high school in the area, asking for their yearbooks and spending nights religiously looking through them. I made stops at local bars and grocery stores, and even traveled to a few stores in Port Angeles just to 'run into her'. What was I planning to do once I met her? I didn't particularly know. All I knew was that when I found her, I'd immediately ask her for her name.
"Eddie, we're heading to the restaurant, you up man?" Emmett knocked loudly and obnoxiously on my door. Come to think of it, Emmett did a lot of things loudly and obnoxiously.
I groaned, "You're such an ass."
"I'm not the one who left in the middle of a funeral…" he called, "Get out here, we're leaving."
"Hold on, Auden's still sleeping," I grumbled.
I watched his small face for a few moments before reaching over, and gently shaking his arm.
"Hey buddy," I smiled as his sleepy eyes dragged open, "We're going out to eat, kid, wake up."
"No," he mumbled and rolled over. Even from an early age he demonstrated my exact attitude when waking up, "Sleep."
"Sorry," I picked him up, "Have to go."
As he whined endlessly in my shoulder, I grabbed our 'Auden bag,' and exited the hotel room.
"Auden, remember what Auntie Alice said about whining," Alice cooed, "It's not good."
"I'm tired," he kicked his feet around.
"Alice, please, not now, he's kicking me," I sighed.
"If you don't discipline him, Edward, he's going to be a brat," Alice raised an eyebrow, "Like you were."
"Not now, Alice," I gritted.
She huffed and walked ahead with the others as Auden continued fussing. I knew my child had a bit of a discipline problem, but unfortunately, I was an enabler. When it came to his health I was stern, but otherwise I didn't want Auden to ever be angry at me.
We pulled up to Swans, and exited the limo. It wasn't my choice to come here, but Alice and Rosalie had argued that it was respectable to make an appearance at the most noted restaurant in Forks.
The interior was quite charming. The walls were painted in a warm plum color, and the tables sported white table cloths with purplegardenias. The restaurant was barely full due to Alice asking for privacy tonight. The owner had assured us that there would be no paparazzi, and that the diners were asked not to disturb us. I honestly didn't mind, as long as they didn't become a nuisance. I didn't flatter myself by thinking they would automatically want our attention, but in rare cases, eating in public could be impossible. Alice, Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper fit into chairs at the other side of the booth while Auden and I shared the seating opposite of them.
Auden tugged at my pants before he looked up at me, "I'm hungry."
"Well, Auden, the food has to be made," I reminded him.
For a moment he was silent, and then he said to Alice, "I'm hungry."
"You heard what your father said," Alice raised a brow, and then ignored him.
A kind looking, middle aged woman showed up at our table, uniformed in a black skirt and plum top. She handed us our menus as she spoke, "Welcome to Swan, where we hope to meet your needs as gracefully as we can. I'm Nessie, and I'll be your server for tonight. Would you like to order drinks first?"
"Food," Auden demanded.
I laughed, "I'm sorry, it's been a long day for him."
"Well here sweetie," she smiled, and pulled out a small paper from her note book. She reached into her back pocket, grabbed a small box of crayons, and then laid the items in front of Auden. His face brightened immediately with the sight of them.
"Daddy," he smiled, his voice high with excitement, "Colors!"
"I know," I chuckled, "Why don't you draw something for me?"
"Auden," Rosalie said, "What do you say to the nice woman?"
"Thanks," he muttered, already engrossed with his picture.
"Thank you," I smiled at her.
"No problem," she smiled back, "Alright folks, what can I bring for you?"
"I want everything," Emmett was practically drooling at the menu, "Can I Rose, please?"
"Perhaps," Jasper intervened, "We can have some pot stickers, garlic bread, and some of your beef crumpets for starters."
"Of course," she wrote down, "Our chef's special is lamb kabobs," she leaned down and stage whispered cheekily, "She's only seventeen, but her food is to die for. I highly recommend them."
"Rosie, please," Emmett squirmed in his seat, clasping his hands together, "Please can I have some."
"Fine, Emmett," she rolled her eyes, "He's such a big baby. Can we please have three servings of the lamb kabobs on one plate please?"
"Sure thing, honey, but there are six kabobs in one serving…"
"Ma'am, my husband can eat out your restaurant," Rosalie smiled, "Trust me."
"Alright then, I'll tell our chef to take the biggest picks."
"I like her," Emmett's eyes widened, "A lot."
"What would you like for your drinks?" she asked.
"Could we have two bottles of your Chateau Montelena?" Jasper asked.
"Of course," she replied, and then leaned down to Auden, "What about you, darling?"
"Apple juice," he barely managed to say. I saw how focused he was on outlining all his pictures before carefully coloring them in. He got his neatness from Tanya.
"Auden," Alice kicked me under the table, "What do you say?"
"Please and thank you," he added. Ah, that's my boy.
"Alright, would you like to order your main courses now, or wait until I return with your appetizers?"
"We'll see how we feel afterwards," Jasper answered, "Thank you, Nessie."
"You're more than welcome," she smiled warmly, "I'll be back shortly."
"Why aren't people like that in Hollywood?" I asked.
"What, genuinely nice?" Alice scoffed.
"Everything is about competition there," Rosalie muttered, "There isn't time for niceties."
"Oh, you left me with a broken heart … and now I see you as I should have from the start,"
"Wait, do you guys hear that?" I stopped their conversation.
"Oh, you left me with nothing but a kiss … and now I'm leaving you with these lips."
Jasper muttered, "I wonder who that is."
Emmett leaned forward, "Ask Nessie when she gets back here."
"No, I can't do that," I shook my head, "Alice, you do it- you're straightforward, and don't care about personal boundaries. You'll have no problem."
Alice glared, "Despite your rude and false descriptions of me, I'll do it. But we're not asking her to join. I thought we agreed to stop looking for a replacement?"
"Yes, but that was before we heard whoever that is, sing," Emmett wiggled his brow.
"By including her in the band you're inviting another woman into our lives. The paparazzi will love that there's another female in the group right after Tanya keeled over. I can see the titles now, 'Callous band members celebrate death of former bandmate via replacement!" Rosalie barked.
A man showed up, and placed our drinks down. The conversation stopped as we exchanged pleasantries with the server. Once he was gone, we dived back into the topic.
"If she's a bitch we won't let her in," Alice said, "And she'll have to audition for the spot."
"We know she can sing," Emmett argued, "You heard her."
"But we don't know her," Rosalie reminded him, "We should interview her. She'll be coming on the road with us if she is let in."
"When," Jasper interjected, "Pray tell, are we going to do this when we are leaving at three pm tomorrow?"
We were all silent. Jasper continued, "We can't miss that flight, we have to meet with the record company to discuss the tour next year."
"Don't fuss so much Jazzy," Alice tapped his nose, "We'll audition her tonight, interview her, make our decision, tell her, and give her tomorrow to pack."
"Assuming she says yes," Jasper said, "She'll be leaving her life behind."
"Assuming we say yes," Rosalie muttered, "We'll be changing our lives."
"This could take hours," I informed them.
"The only one here who has a bedtime here is Auden, Edward, unless you're tired?" Alice teased.
"Shut up," I grumbled.
This time it was Rosalie to deliver the kick to my shin, "What?!"
"Your language," she growled, "Watch it."
"Humph," I groused. "Whatever."
A few minutes later we were met with our appetizers. Nessie smiled as she set them down. Part of me wondered if she ever stopped smiling. We had expected her to leave shortly after delivering the plates, but she remained at the table.
"I'm sorry," she giggled like a little girl, "I just haveto see one of yall's reactions as you take a bite."
"I volunteer," Emmett raised his hand, and then grabbed a kabob. I almost drooled as I saw his teeth sink into the succulent meat. Emmett groaned and practically wagged his tail as he swallowed, "I'm having a foodgasm."
"Emmett!" Rosalie squealed, "I'm so sorry-"
"I told you so," Nessie poked him with her pencil playfully, "They're to diefor."
"We need to meet the chef," he said, mouth full, "like, now."
"No," Alice calmed him, "Nessie, we were wondering if you could ask for the woman who was singing before?"
"You're in luck," Nessie smiled as if she knew something we didn't, "The chef is the woman who was singing. I'll bring her after I take your orders."
Eager to meet the mystery girl, we relayed our orders quickly. Emmett was going on and on about how she had to come with us because she's the only one out of us that could cook. Rosalie was currently giving him a glare about the food comment, while Alice was bouncing in her seat with excitement, and Jasper was whispering in her ear for calm her down. Auden, still oblivious to all of this, was scribbling away contentedly at his picture. Me? My eyes were now focused on the intriguing, but familiar face of the girl walking towards us. I was sucked into her brown eyes again, and at once was a prisoner to her gaze. This was her. This was the girl I had been obsessing over. This was my mystery girl, and now, here she was, about to become a major addition to my life.