And we're back from the trip down Edward Lane. This took a bit longer than the rest. The weekend was way too nice to spend indoors so the hubby, little monkey and I went for some frolic time instead of writing time.
It is here! When Edward met Bella...again. Thank you to everyone that has reviewed, followed, fav'd, or just stopped by for a quick read.
My name's not Stephenie so I guess that means I don't own twilight. Le sigh. All mistakes are mine until I can find someone who I can blame it on. :)
Onward!
I stop by Alice's office late in the afternoon on Thursday to fill her in on my weekend. And to steal some cake from a tasting she went to earlier at The People's Cake; their red velvet is the shit.
"Mmm, so good," I say, licking the cream cheese frosting off of the spoon. "What wedding is this one for?"
I watch her add more dates to her planner before snapping it shut and leaning back. "Remember that steampunk deal I was telling you guys about a couple months ago?" When I nod around a mouthful of cake she adds, "We were able to get the design hammered out today and they picked the velvet."
"How are you feeling about the theme now? I know you weren't too sure when you first heard of it."
"It's actually really interesting. Victorian meets industrial seemed way out there even for me; but when it's done well, which there's no question that I will, it's fantastic. The wedding dress is freaking amazing and I didn't expect that I would like it so much."
I grin at the image that pops into my head. "Am I going to see you in ass padding dresses and goggles now?"
I get the 'bitch please' look from her before she starts to think about it. "For Halloween, maybe. I'll make that shit look good. And we'd all be doing it."
Since I haven't planned my own costume since I met Alice I just shrug.
"So," I say as I close the now empty cake container, "Last weekend was an episode straight out of Jersey Shore."
"As long as you never go near spray tan and animal print spandex that's fine with me," Alice says with a shudder.
"Uh yeah, no," I snort, "It was great though, we had the showdown in public, a party, there was an emotional connection between me and my dad. The only thing missing was me drunk off my ass, but that would never happen with Charlie around."
Alice throws her head back and laugh. "Remember when he and Sue popped up on Sunday morning after a Saturday frat party sophomore year? Bless Sue, she saved our asses by distracting Charlie enough to not notice our hang overs."
"Oh lord, I try not to go there too often." I cover my eyes to try and block out the images from that weekend. Breakfast at IHOP that morning was horrible for all four of us.
"So, yeah. It was a good idea to go. I'm ready to see Edward again. Nervous, but ready."
"Good. No need for a second intervention then. We're with you the whole way, you know that right?" She says.
"Yeah I know you've got my back," I say with a grin.
"Ok, I hate to kick you out, but I've got a big list of things to do before tomorrow," Alice says with a sigh.
"I'm surprised your phone hasn't been ringing off the hook."
She rolls her eyes in exasperation before saying, "Both my cell and landline are on silent. If I answered one more call from the Garden Club of Mercer Island ladies before I was done with my break I was going to seriously consider having catering slip something into their mimosas when they show up in the morning so I could do my thing setting up."
The idea of Alice wanting to give anyone tranquilizers amuses the hell out of me. "Alright, girlie. I'm out of here. I'll see you Saturday morning."
She waves while reaching into a drawer and pulling out her phone.
As I walk through the lobby of Alice's building, I check the time and decide to do some grocery shopping since I had been putting it off even before leaving. For a minute as I'm starting up my car I seriously think about going to Pike Place Market and "by chance" taking the route that would let me drive by Pesce on 4th.
I immediately eighty-six that idea and head towards the store not far from my apartment. Tonight I'll cook myself some stir-fry, watch a couple funny movies, and play with my cats. Tomorrow I'll spend time with Liam while Rose and Emmett go for a checkup and eat dinner with them. And Saturday I'll find an amazing outfit, get pampered with my girls, and go to what I'm really hoping is a good dinner because I would hate to have to write a bad review of Edwards place.
~o~o~O~o~o~
Saturday morning starts with breakfast at one of our favorite cafe's where we laugh over some of the lengths that Alice's assistant and interns went through to entertain the Garden Club and keep them out of the way.
"By 3 in the afternoon they were all sloshed and giggling while playing poker with James in the back room of the hotel ballroom. It was really funny to see them hit on him and try to feel him up," Alice tells us while laughing.
"Wait, wait. They were hitting on James? Pink shirt rocking, bow tie wearing, I've slept with more men than all four of you combined before meeting my soulmate, fabulously gay James?" Angela manages to ask while sputtering.
"Exactly! And you know how James is, he loves any kind of attention so he was eating that shit right up," Alice says.
We're still laughing at the antics of the ladies as we walk in to Pacific Place to get our shopping done. I cringed a little on the inside when I heard where we were going, but even I can admit that I'll definitely find something absolutely perfect for the night here. I'll be able to go from the bottom layer out here so it's better than running from shop to shop all over Seattle.
We've gone through a couple stores already, but I'm not finding anything to vibe with the look I'm going for. The girls agree with me when I tell them I want to look chic and a little mysterious, and while that can mean a lot of different things, I'm looking for something in particular.
We hit on it while looking through White House | Black Market. It's a beautiful sheath dress that's tight fitting on top and flows into a pencil skirt. The shoulders are wide, but the top scoops down enough to look sexy and be classy at the same time. It also has a little belt set high on the waist.
In Barneys I find an amazing pair of Louboutin's that takes very little convincing on Alice's part for me to buy. Who doesn't need a pair of black platforms, honestly? I get a nice red clutch and a matching belt for a splash of color to offset the black and decide to keep it simple with the jewelry; Alice tells me she has just the thing for it.
A stop at Victoria's Secret and I've got a red and black set that makes me feel sexy as hell. It's not like anyone will see it, but I'll know it's there and I'll feel damn good in it. Every woman should get a few sets of sexy underwear just for herself and her confidence; I learned that from Rose.
Once we've all had our fill of shopping we head to Alice's apartment to drop the bags off since that's where we would be getting ready. The next stop is getting our nails done before lunch so we head to Alice's favorite shop not far from her apartment and have a good time gossiping with the ladies there. Somehow I ended up getting a wax job done, under protest. I really didn't think it was necessary since it's not like I had a man to see it. The chances of Edward being overcome with lust and dragging me into a back room for steamy sex were slim to none.
And now I'll be thinking of that the whole time I'm eating. Great.
We keep lunch light at a little sushi bar. Well Alice, Ang, and I keep it light with sushi, the preggo goes to town on some teriyaki chicken and rice.
The next stop after lunch is hair and make up and it takes the longest. We head over to Laurent's salon to get it done. He happens to be James boyfriend of the last two years or so. I decide to keep my hair loose and wavy. It's my favorite feature so I like to show it off. The make up is left natural with only a hint of smoke around my eyes.
By the time everyone is done, it's almost 5:30 and we need to get to Alice's to get dressed and make it down to Pike Place.
An hour later I'm looking at the full effect in front of Alice's bedroom mirror and I've gotta say I look good. I smooth my hand down over my hip and turn to check out the back. The light catches the tennis bracelet I'm wearing, a gift for graduation from Charlie and Sue. Along with that I'm wearing the Movado watch I put on this morning with dinner in mind and a solitaire diamond necklace with the matching earrings that I borrowed from Alice.
Now that we're almost ready to go the nerves are coming in. I'm still in front of the mirror staring at myself with my hand holding my stomach when Rose comes up behind me and sets her chin on my shoulder.
"You ok, hon?" She asks as she wraps her arms around me.
I take a deep breathe and meet her eyes in the glass. "Yeah I'm ok. Little nervous now that we're almost leaving, but I feel good."
She squeezes me lightly before stepping over so we're side by side in the mirror. "Good. Just remember we're badass bitches with looks to match and you'll be golden."
I grin at her and hip bump her gently. Before I can reply Ang calls out to us. "Let's go ladies we're cutting it close on time."
I follow the girls out the door with one last look back at the mirror.
Yeah. I got this.
~o~o~O~o~o~
Pike Place is always such a busy place on the weekends that we use a valet service for the car. It's on Seattle Mets dime so I have no problem avoiding the headache of finding parking.
We walk down Union Street to 4th Avenue and when we reach the corner, there it is. Pesce on 4th is lit up brightly. There are a lot of people walking in front of it, but even from across the street it's easy to see through the large windows that it's packed pretty well. We cross the street and walk up to the doors. I don't see many empty tables which is a good start; it seems like a popular place for how new it is.
The door opens as we walk up and what seems like two couples walk out and hold the door for us. We get inside as one of the hostesses is leading a couple to their table and the other is making a note on the chart in front of her. Looking up I see her eyes widen a little when she sees me, so they do seem to have my picture. She quickly puts a smile on though.
"Good evening, ladies. Welcome to Pesce on 4th. My name is Steph. Do you have a reservation with us tonight?"
"Hello Steph. We do have a reservation for 7:30 under Swan," I say as I check my watch. We're about 10 minutes early.
She glances over to her left before saying "Ah, yes Ms. Swan. You're table is being cleared off right now and will be ready in just a moment."
We step to the side to wait and I take the time to look around the restaurant. The girls are used to my routine so they're talking quietly next to me while I take in the feel of the space.
The floor plan is nice and open, making the space look pretty big. It has soft tones in the wall color and great lighting. The brick wall accents add a nice rustic touch. I nod in approval.
It doesn't take long at all before we're being lead to a table in the front corner of the restaurant in front of the window. I take the seat that gives me a clear view of the whole space like I usually do and take the menu that Steph hands me.
"Your waiter tonight is Marcus and he'll be right with you to take your drink orders. Please enjoy your meal," she says with a bright smile.
"Thank you Steph," Ang responds.
I glance at my watch and see that it hasn't even been 5 minutes since we walked in the door. Efficient turn over, nice.
"Not bad so far. It's a cute place," Alice says.
I nod in response as our waiter comes up to us with glasses of water on a tray.
"Good evening, ladies. My name is Marcus and I'll be taking care of you tonight. Can I start you off with something to drink?" he asks as he places the glasses around the table.
Alice and Ang look my way for an opinion so I look over the wine menu while Rose talks to Marcus.
"Can you ask the bartender to come up with something non-alcoholic for the pregnant lady in the bunch? A juice base would be great."
Marcus nods as he tucks the tray low against his elbow. Another plus, it's just weird to see waiters stick trays in their armpits like they're not a little sweaty from running around.
"We'll take a bottle of Pinot Grigio, please," I say as I smile up at him.
"Of course. I'll put those drinks in and give you a moment to look over any appetizers you might want."
"Thank you, Marcus," we all say and he smiles before moving away, checking in with tables on his way to the bar.
Generally the girls leave appetizers for me to decide so they're looking over entrees when Marcus comes back.
He sets Rose's drink down in front of her before putting a bucket on a stand in between Alice and I. He takes out the bottle that's resting in the ice and wraps it in a napkin before popping the top and pouring a bit into a glass to taste. I take the glass and sip before nodding in approval.
Once he's filled three glasses he sets the bottle back into the ice turns to us. "Have you decided on a starter, or would you like more time?"
"No, we can put those in now," I say, at his nod I continue, "We'll take the stuffed baby portobello mushrooms, the antipasto, and calamari to start."
"Excellent choices. I'll put those in right away and give you all a few minutes to look over entree selections." When we nod in agreement he smiles and moves away again.
"It's looking pretty good, huh?" Ang asks.
"Yeah, it looks like a pretty tight ship is run around here. They're turning tables quickly and even though they're obviously swamped, the wait staff and hostesses are handling it well," I say while reaching for my glass.
"Damn and the bartender is good too. This drink tastes great. Here try it," Rose says as she passes me her glass. I take a sip and it is really good. Cranberry and sprite maybe? With something else in there that gives it a nice kick as well. Excellent for a non-alcoholic drink on the fly.
"Nice," Alice says when she tries it. "Oh my, now that is one fine piece of man right there."
We look up to see who she's talking about and find a man standing with the hostesses. He's got sandy blonde hair and a very nice jawline from what I can see. He also fills out the suit jacket he's wearing very very nicely. From the way he's checking the papers on the stand I would say he's part of the management team.
"Remind me to find out who that is later. It looks like he works here and I would be more than happy to have an after work drink with him," Alice says as she fans herself discreetly.
I grin at her, "Sure thing Alice." This is a new development. I can't remember the last time a guy has caught her attention like that. I'll be interested to see what happens from here on that front.
"What are you ladies thinking of getting?" I ask them
"Well the Veneziano di Pesce Risotto sounds amazing so I think I'll go with that," Alice says as she closes her menu.
"Aw, dammit. I was looking at that too," Ang pouts, "I know you need to try different plates, Bella, so I'll go with Pesce con Porto. It has risotto in it too."
"I'm ordering the Salmone Primavera," Rose says and I look at their choices to see what's in them.
"They all sound great. I think I'll keep it simple; see how they do with one of the classics and go with a Shrimp Scampi con Linguine."
The girls again give me time to do my thing as I look over the rest of the menu to see the different options. It all sounds amazing and it's not so overloaded with dishes that it's ridiculous amounts of reading. Although I do wish there were more than 3 dessert options. A subscript at the bottom of the inner fold of the menu says that most of their ingredients are locally sourced. Always a bonus to see restaurants giving business to local farmers and fishermen.
I look up in time to see Marcus come back with a pitcher of water. "How are we on picking entrees, ladies?" he asks as he refills our glasses.
"We're set to order," Rose says.
We give him our orders and I don't see him writing anything down. Here's hoping the staff has been trained well to remember what's ordered. We hand him our menus and he lets us know that the appetizers will be along shortly.
I check my watch and see that it's only 7:42. Not bad on the time so far, now to see how long they take with entrees. I cross my legs and settle into my chair. Now that I don't have the menu to occupy myself with I'm getting a little antsy.
I'm looking around the restaurant and trying not to strain sideways to look for the kitchen doors. They're hidden somewhat behind a short brick wall which is nice since you don't really want customers seeing and hearing the kitchen every few seconds as waiters come and go.
Ang sets her hand over mine and I realize I've been playing with a fork nervously.
"Hey, chill out babe. You've got this. Try to think of it as just another restaurant review. We've done this dozens of times before, it's old hat to you," she says as she gives my hands a shake.
I exhale deeply and take a sip of wine. "You're right, I know you are. We've just done a good job of distracting me today because it's hitting me all at once now. Once we're actually trying food I should be ok though." As I say it I see Marcus step around the short wall with a tray and a stand.
He works his way expertly through the busy space and sets up next to our table.
"Here we are. The stuffed mushrooms, antipasto and calamari. I've brought small plates for you to use if you need it. Is there anything else I can get for you for now?" he asks.
"Can I get a refill of whatever this is? And please let the bartender know that it's very good," Rose lifts her now empty glass to show it to Marcus.
"Right away, Miss. I'll let Maggie know you enjoyed it and see if she has a name for it for future reference."
"Thanks."
I'm quick to snap a picture of each of the plates before the girls dig in. When I'm done I reach for the mushrooms first because I love those and moan in appreciation at the taste.
"Oh that's good. The last time we had calamari it was God awful, just rubbery as all get out. This is so much better it's not even funny," Alice says from behind her napkin.
There isn't much talking at our table for the next couple minutes as we try everything. The prosciutto is melt in your mouth good and the antipasto includes marinated artichoke hearts that are amazing. It doesn't take long before the plates are clear of food and we're sitting back with contented sighs.
"Well ok, they get an A from me so far on the food," Rose says as she rubs her belly and takes a sip of her drink. It's called The 4th Kind according to Marcus. It's the 4th kind of drink after liquor, wine, and soft drinks that they have and it's also a nice play on the restaurant name.
We all voice our agreement as I again look up to see Marcus making his way over with a tray that he sets up next to us. I glance at my watch to check the time, 7:57. 15 minutes, not bad for how crowded they are. He stacks the used plates from the table onto a corner before setting our entrees down in front of us.
"Ok ladies, enjoy your meal. I will be back soon to check on you," he says as he moves the dirty plates onto the tray and takes it away.
From the looks of it, he put in the order spot on. And it all looks mouth watering. I remind the girls to take pictures of their plates as I angle for a good shot of mine. Putting down my phone I taste my scampi and it's rich and garlic-y. Almost automatically we all hand our plates off to the left as we try each others dishes. By the time my scampi comes back to me I'm ready to do the dance of the happy tummy, but I remember that I'm there to do my job and that more than likely several staff members are watching us.
We chat sparingly while we eat, pointing things out about the restaurant and sometimes the people walking outside. Over Rose's shoulder, a couple tables away, I see a lot of head shaking and the other waitress working the section is called. They talk for a moment before one of the plates is taken back to the kitchen. Uh-oh. I was hoping it wouldn't happen, but it looks like there was a mistake somewhere along the way.
"Well, it looks like the first real strike against them came up. One of the tables not far away just sent back a dish," I say while holding my glass up to my lips.
"Damn shame that. It looks like the only one so far though, right? I haven't seen any others. Then again I was way focused on my halibut," Ang says as she wipes the corner of her mouth.
"No that's all I saw," I say. When I see that we're all pretty much done eating I sit back and cross my legs again. "Ok, ladies. You know the drill."
"I have no complaints about my salmon. Well cooked and the veggies that came with it had enough firmness that I didn't feel like I was eating vegetable paste," Rose answers.
"Mine was good," Ang says next, "The port sauce was maybe a little heavy, but the fish was spot on and the risotto was really well done."
I nod as Alice speaks up, "I think you tasted it, Bella. My risotto was on the boarder of being underdone. It wasn't enough to not make it good as hell though. The seafood in it was really good."
"Ok, excellent. Mine was great too, so nothing major with us. They might slide a bit from the A plus with the food, but the service is on the ball." I stilt my head to where the waitress is at the table with the replacement for the send back.
I adjust my watch and smile at Marcus who has come to clear the plates.
"I hope you all are enjoying the food so far."
"It's been lovely, Marcus, thank you. Please give our compliments to the chef."
"I'm sure Chef Cullen will be pleased to hear that. I think he might wish to come and speak with you himself, if that's alright."
I can only nod at him and he walks away. I sweep my hair behind my ear and sit up nervously.
"Well shit. I was hypnotized by the food and really did forget who's place we were at," I say and the girls laugh.
"That's good, Bella," Rose says with a chuckle.
"Yeah, yeah. Just, someone pinch me if I start acting like an idiot ok?"
"You got it babe," Ang replies with a glint in her eye.
I narrow my eyes at her in warning before draining what's left in my wine glass. As I set it down I see a white chef coat come around the short wall. Oh fuck me, he's hotter than he was in high school.
Making his way towards us with two plates in his hands is the star of a lot of my teenaged fantasies. The hair is the same bronze color and just as unruly, I immediately think of grabbing hold. He's filled out a bit if his shoulders are any indication, it's a little hard to tell the rest with the bulky coat. And, oh god, the eyes and the smile.
I hear a couple of gasps around me and then Alice says, "Holy shit, Bella. No wonder you were stuck on him for so long. I totally understand now and hope he has equally hot friends and family."
The reaction is enough to bring me back from nearly hyperventilating and I end up laughing instead. I see Rose nod in approval with a smirk directly across me and I wink at her to show her that I'm just fine.
Edward has made his way over to us and is standing between Rose and Alice now. Oh jeez he's even better up close.
"Ladies. Thank you for joining us here tonight. I've brought a couple of sampler plates of our desserts for you to enjoy on me." He says as he sets the plates down. His smile is directed right at me though and I know I saw his eyes glance over me. Well this could be good.
"I must say, when I heard that you made a reservation with us I was pleasantly surprised, Miss Swan."
I quirk an eyebrow at him. "Why is that, Chef?"
"Well first that Seattle Met was sending a critic our way already, but more so that in a round about way I knew who it was. It's unfortunate that it took a little while, but I did remember you when I was researching the area," he says with a somewhat sheepish smile.
That isn't really a shock and surprisingly it doesn't even sting that he didn't know me right away. That just means that I have almost a second chance at a good first impression and I'm not going to waste it.
I smile at him reassuringly, "It's been a while since the good old days of Forks. I was intrigued myself when I got the assignment to come here, Chef Cullen."
He holds up his hand and shakes it a little, "Please call me Edward."
I nod in agreement. "I had heard that you went back east after graduation so I wasn't at all expecting to see your name as Chef and Owner of a Seattle restaurant. Congratulations by the way."
He looks around the space with obvious pride. "Thank you," he says before looking directly at me again, "I very glad that I decided to come back to Washington and I look forward to getting to know Seattle and settle in for a long time." I hope I'm not misinterpreting the look in his eyes. The pinch from Alice makes me think I'm not so I go for the bold approach.
"If you need a tour guide at all my friends and I would be more than happy to show you around. These are friends that I've known since I came to Seattle for school. Alice Brandon, Angela Weber and my sister-in-law Rosalie Swan," I say as I point to each of them in turn.
Edward tips his head to each of them as I say their names, "Ladies, it's a pleasure to meet you. I haven't had as much time to explore the city as I would have liked while setting up shop so I would definitely love to take you up on that offer. My best friend actually moved here with me from New York and is acting as my general manager."
Alice perks up at that and leans forward against the table. "Would that be the blond that we've seen walking around in a suit?" she asks with interest.
"Yeah. Jasper Whitlock. He'd never been to Seattle before we moved here and I didn't come up very often while living in Forks. So, Bella, if you'd like to show me, or rather us, around I wouldn't even think of saying no." Ok yeah, there was no mistaking that. What was I nervous about before coming here?
"I'd love to, Edward. And I know Alice would be willing to join us. She knows a lot about the city with her job as well. You and Jasper would be in very capable hands with us." I give him my best sexy smirk as I reach for my clutch.
He smiles in response as I pull one of my business cards out of a side pocket. "Do you have a pen I could use, Edward?"
He quickly pulls out the one that's sitting in a shoulder pocket and hands it to me. I make sure I brush his fingers with mine as I watch him and he licks his lips as he follows my hand down to the table. Flipping the card over to the blank side I write my cell number down before handing both back to him. This time he swipes his fingers over mine and I grin big at him. At this point I remember the review that I need to write before Monday and I start thinking quickly.
"Give me a call soon, but let's hold off on the tour for a couple weeks. I don't want either one of us to get suspicious looks before the next issue of Seattle Met has been out for a little while."
He frowns and seems upset that he won't see me as soon as he wants, but nods in agreement. "You're right, I wouldn't want anyone to question your professionalism. But I will call you soon, Bella." The look he gives me is intense and the way he says my name causes some waterworks down below.
"I look forward to it, Edward."
He smiles and tips his head at me before glancing around the table. "Ladies, have a good evening. I hope you can join us again at some point."
"Good night, Edward"
"Bye, Edward"
I watch him walk away, wishing I could see more of his ass under the coat and bite my lip.
Alice gives a quiet squeal of delight and they all lean in close to the table to start whispering and eating the really good looking desserts.
"Daaaaaaamn, Swan! He is hot," Ang says with a pleased grin as she scoops up a piece of chocolate mousse.
"Seriously, Bella, you didn't try to hit that in high school?"
I wrinkle my nose at Rose in response. "You guys saw that right? My signals weren't crossed? He was letting me know that he's interested right?"
"I'll say. I was getting hot and bothered and we were just innocent bystanders," Alice says as she pours the last of the wine into our glasses. "By the way, excellent job getting a foot in for your wingman, girlie. I would not mind taking hold of Mr. Whitlock and showing him around my bedroom." She wiggles her eyebrows and grins.
"Another "friend" to add to the rotation, Ali?" Ang asks as she grabs her glass.
"Bite me, Weber. No actually, he intrigues me. I think I want to know more." Alice sips from her glass and tries to be casual about it, but I can see she's thinking hard.
To redirect attention I lift my glass and hold it out to the center of the table. "Well ladies. Thank you for being here with me tonight. You guys are the best friends I could ask for and you were absolutely right, I had nothing to worry about. So, to good friends."
"To good friends," Alice and Rose say as they tap glasses.
"To Bella getting laid!" Ang says when she toasts with us.
We laugh before finishing our drinks. As Marcus comes over and Alice asks for the check I keep my eyes focused on that little wall hiding the kitchen.
I can't wait for that phone call.
~o~o~O~o~o~
Italian is not one of the languages I speak, so sorry if I'm off on the way the dishes are spelled.
I've put up a picture of a steampunk bride and groom on my profile if anyone is interested in seeing what it looks like. Very cool concept. There are images of Bella's outfit and what Pesce would look like as well.
Until next time~
