Edward's POV
"Now?" I asked for her permission.
"Go ahead Sugar." She nodded and winked at me.
I lowered my face to hers. I told myself this is what it will be like once my Bella has been changed. My mind went on a small vacation as I fought with my conscience. My imagination, working overtime, created a pair of advisors against my will.
One was hovering to my right about 5 inches tall with unkempt blonde hair and a grey military uniform. He was preoccupied shining his halo on his sleeve. To my left a stockier imp with black, curly hair and a shit eating grin on his face. He was giving me a thumbs up.
From my right came, "You really shouldn't….very baaad…very baaad."
From my left I could hear, "Hell YES he should, do you want to hurt the girl's feelings?!"
This wasn't going to be very instructive if I didn't do it exactly right. I closed my eyes willing my consultants to disappear. Perhaps if I simply pretend that it's Bella standing before me. It helped closing my eyes, turning off my sense of sight, but I was unable to fool myself.
Oh, the hell with it.
I cupped her cheek in my hand and pressed my lips lightly to hers. Sarah's fragrance was flowery like honeysuckle but she lacked the all consuming warmth and electricity I had learned to crave. The kiss was gentle and brief and totally foreign.
I released her and took a step back with questions brimming from my eyes. She paused for a moment and looked at me confused. "Huh, she stays around for that?"
My pride fell and I felt the need to enlighten. "That's how it begins, but it doesn't stay that way!"
"Right." She deadpanned. She doubted me.
"Seriously. This is where our problem comes in. She attempts to…to enter…to put…" I stuttered.
Sarah waved her arms up and down, "Oh for crying out loud, it's called French kissing!"
"I know what it's called!" This is exasperating.
"Just because it's necessary for her to keep away from your teeth doesn't mean you can't get inside her mouth for a little exploration." She whispered.
"Well, I've tried…" I started to say when a determined look crossed her face and she suddenly grabbed my shirt front with both hands forcing me to her and attacking my mouth. She sucked my top lip into her mouth and then pushed her tongue inside and began running it behind my teeth. I broke us apart violently when I abruptly realized I didn't have to be careful with her. I was trembling and breathing embarrassingly heavily.
Concerned at the sight of me she asked, "Why are you so worked up sugar? You sound like you've just run to Seattle and back." Comprehension flashed in her eyes. "You have got to be kidding!" She pointed a finger at me with one hand and covered her mouth with the other, her eyes wide in astonishment. She paced to the left once and then to the right thinking, then stopped looking straight at me. "Sweetie, you're not… a virgin…are you?"
She made it sound like she'd inquired if I was a brontosaurus, or a dodo bird or some other creature of extinction that hadn't been seen for millions of years. What was the world coming to?
"I really don't see what that has to do with it!" I said flabbergasted.
"Oh Sugar, it's alright." She removed her apron, stepped up to me and patted my chest with her hand, meaning to sooth. "I didn't mean it like that, but I could've used full disclosure." She caught my eyes with her own which wasn't easy since I was attempting to look anywhere but at her. "It really does make a difference."
I wasn't sure if I wanted to go any further with this, and as if she could read my mind she asked, "Is there anything else I should know before we continue?"
My embarrassment was turning into frustration. "I'm afraid it's hopeless, Sarah, because Bella's a virgin as well. What do you think of that? A couple of babes in arms!"
"But that's wonderful, don't you see..?"
I cut her off mid sentence, I was on a roll. "All she has to do is look at me a certain way and venom pools in my mouth!" I spat out. "What would happen if she ingested a single drop? I don't want her to know about it because it seems perverted to me." I felt deflated, sat down on the couch holding my head in my hands. I should be ashamed raising my voice at her like that. "Do you know what I do to hide it from her? I swallow it. It burns like hell; I'm probably giving myself an ulcer."
Sarah looked thoughtful at the mess that was me in front of her. She went to the kitchen to fetch a chair from the table. She dragged one behind her and positioned it on the opposite side of the coffee table from me. She sat down and sighed.
Silence
"The venom?" She questioned, "It's not always present?"
"No, but I never know when it's going to happen." I was much calmer now.
Silence
"Venom collects when you hunt to bring down your prey. It collects if you're fighting for your life. Your body is confused because it doesn't know what to expect in this instance."
That's logical, I thought.
"You may be trying automatically to dominate the situation, but once the mystery is solved and you realize you're in no danger the venom reflex should stop."
"How do you suggest I convince my psyche that my girlfriend is no threat, Doc?" I folded my arms in front of me trying to look superior. I'm such a jerk.
"Easy Sugar." Uh oh, she was animated again. "We just have to make you relaxed." She obviously doesn't know me very well.
"I don't know Sarah; I've always been tightly wound. It's my nature. I don't think we can change that overnight.
"It doesn't need to be permanent honey, you just need to prepare before the big event. A temporary state of relaxation." She explained. "Isn't there anything that calms you?"
"Music perhaps, but not like you mean."
"We must make you so mellowed out that your girl could do the dance of the seven veils in front of you and you'd take it all in stride." She giggled. What was so funny, this was serious.
"That's impossible, I'd have to be drugged." This is fruitless. Drugs don't work on our kind. She looked at me like I'd just discovered a cure for cancer.
"That's it!" She jumped out of her seat and hit me on the shoulder so hard I almost fell backwards. She ran into the kitchen and I could hear her opening the refrigerator door. "Tah dah!" She chimed upon returning with a few of her infamous juice boxes. "We're going to get you tipsy Sugar."
Bella's POV
I couldn't concentrate. I went from class to class in a guilty haze. I'd been so unfair to Edward. I wish I'd never promised him to wait for the change, but I had and I was going to do my best to put in at least a year. If his needs are as strong as my own I need to help him to keep cool and desensitized.
No more low necklines, poor Edward gets excited at my collar bone. Maybe he shouldn't stay in my bed while I sleep. The night he gave me the negligee he had admitted to an odd fixation. I definitely needed to start wearing socks around the house. And kissing? We should keep that to pecks on the cheek. I passed the library. Maybe I could find a book of etiquette from the early 1900's and we could follow its example. I started climbing the stairs into the old library building.
Sarah's POV
Ed sipped the drink from the straw. He really did look like a little boy with a juice box. He wrinkled his nose and complained. "What sort of mammal is this?" He looked disgusted.
"Common raccoon Sugar." He's sweet, but snooty. His clothes are an expensive cut and he was clearly educated even if it wasn't in love.
"Shit Sarah, that's like drinking road kill!" His language had become more colorful after only his second drink. What a lightweight.
"Would you prefer mink Honey? You'll get what we've got and be thankful." He looked sheepishly at me and stuck his straw into a new box.
I'll bet he's used to getting his way. Once he got a taste he greedily drank it down. Well, he likes that one….oh my stars! I grabbed the container from him but it was empty. It was from my special private stock…quite potent…costly and….human.
"Do you have any more of that one, it's pretty damn good." He wobbled in place and he was still sitting down. Whoopsie.
"I think you've had enough for now."
"Maybe you're right, I feel kind of…" and he smacked his lips. His irises were turning reddish. He looked at all his empties on the table. "I'm paying you."
"Nonsense, you're my guest." I said feeling remorse at my mistake. He'd told me he didn't indulge. He leaned to one side to get his wallet from his pants pocket. "Really sugar, it's not necessary." I knew how difficult it was to earn a wage. He continued, opening his wallet stuffed with what looked like hundreds. Well, it obviously isn't as difficult for some. "What are you, a bank robber?" It just slipped out.
He laughed, "No, but I feel like one sometimes. I'm probably the highest earning asshole on E Trade." He stood to hand me a few bills but instead tripped over the table and landed flat on his face.
Bella's POV
I got home, went up the four steps to our porch and overheard a crash next door. I'd seen our neighbor around. She walked everywhere and was very pretty. I went inside and unpacked the books I'd found.
Sarah's POV
By the time I got to him he had struggled onto his knees resting his arm on the coffee table for support. Mumbling something about how smooth the table top was under his breath he ran his hand flat against it back and forth, fascinated.
I stood over him and asked if he was alright. He looked up at me as if trying to remember who I was, then glanced down at the cash in his other hand, and back up at me with an evil half grin.
Then the little bastard tucked about five-hundred dollars into the waist of my Levis.
I should have slapped him but instead helped him to his feet. We'd discuss the money when he was himself again, as it is he was laughing through his nose. "I am so fucked up." He seemed proud of himself.
"That's an understatement Honey, back in the day I would've said stoned." The human girlfriend was back and I had to get Ed to go home. She was no doubt wondering where he was. The way he doted on her he probably only ever left her to hunt. I'm sure she had him tied around her little finger, but he was the type of man who liked that kind of bondage. "Your lady friend is home, you'd better get over there before she comes looking."
He grabbed my upper arms with a surprised expression and exclaimed, "That's right!....eh, what?" Short term memory syndrome, I'd seen it before. I walked him to the door and outside.
"Think you can make it alone Sugar?" I waved him over to his own house.
"Oh sure…make it where?" I let out a sigh, took his hand and led him to his own porch.
"Go on…go inside." I whispered and pushed him up the first step. He gazed back at me like I was his mother leaving him on his first day of kindergarten. "Go on…shoo!" And I ran back home. I watched from my window as he put his head back and stared up into the sky studying it. When he was satisfied all was well with the heavens he went to his front door and rang the bell, leaned on it in fact. I closed the blinds and said a little prayer.
Bella's POV
Some idiot was lying on the doorbell. I'd barely gotten into the second chapter of Edwardian Etiquette, who'd have thought? I was not in a good mood and opened the door ready to give the fool on the other side a lashing. It was Edward and if I didn't know any better I'd say he'd just woken up. He looked at me through hooded…red eyes. "What the hell?"
