Love and kisses and bewb gropes to my amazing beta/pre-reader team: nails233, LaMomo, Willow, cherrypie0192, and hln3twimom. They keep me on track and make sure I make sense. Any errors are mine, cause I don't know when to leave well enough alone.

I own nothing but an Eagles CD that I dusted off to write this chapter. Stephenie Meyer owns all the characters, I just make them move furniture.

Please do not reproduce, translate, caress, or fondle (or lick, nibble, or kiss for the girls from the fan group, for whom I have to be specific since they're abusing poor Jasper!) my story inappropriately in any way or Alice will short sheet your bed.


CHAPTER 4

Anywhere I Lay my Head

A movement near the warehouse doors caught the attention of all of us. Esme was standing there with her hands over her eyes to shield them from the sun. When she spotted us, she headed in our direction. The distracted look from earlier was gone, replaced with the cheerful smile I had begun to associate with her.

"Alice," she said, as she walked over, "How do you feel about a temporary relocation for a few weeks?"

-xxxxxxxxxx-

"What? I – I – I…what do you mean, Esme?" Alice stuttered, "I'm not sure I understand."

"I just got off the phone with Mr. Stanley. According to his contract, the design firm will oversee every aspect of the remodel. However, any expenses incurred for travel, meals, and accommodations will be his responsibility if the designer is required to make any trips deemed unnecessary by the firm. I had called him with this information in hopes of persuading him to agree to the plans we had already decided on. Instead, he agreed to accept the expenses incurred from having you on-site every day."

"You are serious, aren't you, Esme?" said Alice, shaking her head. "I am shocked that he is so set on this, but hey, it is a big contract and he has a large circle of friends that may hire us, too. If this is what it takes, I need to go pack!"

"Good girl. I knew you would go!" Esme answered, and hugging Alice, continued, "Mr. Stanley is making the arrangements for a suite for you to stay in. I will give you a corporate card for your other expenses and we will bill him for those. Thank you so much for agreeing to this, honey. I know it is a huge imposition!"

"Don't be silly, Esme," Alice giggled, "I'm now going to get paid for being in the same city with my out of town boyfriend."

Just then, Brady walked over. "Ms. Esme," he said, in a deep, gravelly voice, "the truck is loaded and ready to go. I have a couple questions about the Field House layout for Home-a-Rama, if you have a minute?"

Turning toward him, Esme replied, "Oh sure, Brady. Give me just one minute and I'll meet you in the office." Turning back to us she added, "Alice, why don't you head home to pack, and then meet me back here to review the story boards and get your hotel information. I guess this means you boys will be wanting to get on the road, too, so you don't get back too late, huh?"

We all agreed. After a promise from Esme that she and Carlisle would be at the tournament on Saturday if Emmett or I advanced to the finals, and with a flurry of hugs and goodbyes, we piled into our respective vehicles and got on the road. Edward was driving the truck alone, while Emmett and I followed in the Jeep. The past twenty-four hours had been a whirlwind of activity and my head was still spinning. I wanted nothing more than to lean my head back and close my eyes in peace, but Emmett had other ideas. After the first half hour of riding with Emmett's incessant chatter and the pop dance music he loved so much, I was ready to scream.

"Dude, I love you as if you were my own brother, but can we PLEASE listen to anything else? Hell you have XM, what about some classic rock or alternative? This shit makes me want to drive stakes in my ears so I never have to hear it again. I'm begging, dude. I can't take any more!"

Emmett looked over and grinned oafishly. "Go ahead and change it to whatever you want, Jazz. Better get used to it though. When I win the bet, you'll be listening to Bruno Mars and Katy Perry until your ears bleed."

"Yeah, whatever," I replied, as I leaned forward and punched in the station code for Hair Nation. Ke$ha's 'TikTok' was replaced with Dokken's 'Dream Warriors' and I sat back with a sigh, closing my eyes in the process. Arena rock was sadly underrated. Don't get me wrong, some of that shit totally sucked dick, but there was so many bands that kicked ass that I could live with the ones that didn't.

"So, after we get the truck unloaded, I was thinking we needed to go to storage and get Edward's shit while we still have the truck. That way, even if we don't get that stuff unloaded tonight, it will be there for first thing in the morning." Emmett said, as he downshifted and changed lanes to move around a slow-moving car that had gotten in between us and the truck.

I nodded, my eyes still closed, and answered, "Sounds good to me. I know I got to eat something before we start unloading, though. Isn't there a sub shop right up the street from the house? It is something quick we can grab and chow on before we get to work."

"Yeah, it's at that little strip mall with the grocery store. That'll work. When we get closer to the house, call my cuz and see what he wants and he can head to the house. It doesn't make any sense for all of us to stop. I'm gonna grab some soda and beer, too, maybe some other shit to snack on tonight and tomorrow. I guess I had better grab some coffee and filters, too, since you and Edward can't function without your java in the morning. The box with his coffee pot will have to come out of the truck tonight, then."

"Yeah, that's cool," I murmured; only half awake.

The rest of the trip was spent in companionable quiet and I drifted in and out of sleep for the next hour. Visions of the brunette dotted my half dreams. I saw her lying on the beach, laughing and smiling. The sun glinted off her hair as the sea breeze blew it around her face, and she squinted against its rays. Just as she was about to speak, I was jerked awake by Emmett giving my shoulder a shove. The vision wisped away and I dragged my eyes open.

Sitting up, I noticed we were near the exit we needed to take to head home. Home. There was a word I hadn't used in a long time. Shaking the fog from my mind, I pulled out my cell and called Edward to tell him our plans and see what he wanted to eat. He continued on to the house as we turned into the shopping center. Splitting up, Emmett headed toward the grocery store. I yelled after him to grab some chips, too, and then stepped into Subway to order our sandwiches.

As I leaned against the wall waiting for them to finish making the order, I glanced toward the window, looked away, and then did a double take. Was that her? Here? Grabbing the bag of sandwiches, I rushed outside just in time to see her, my brunette from the park, pulling away in a dilapidated old Chevy truck. As I stood there on the sidewalk, watching the truck pull out of the parking lot, Emmett walked up and bumped into my side.

"Whatcha staring at?" he asked, scanning the lot. "The Jeep is right over there," he gestured, grocery bags swinging wildly in his hand.

I looked over to see him struggling with two handfuls of bags. I laughed at him and his voracious appetite and grabbed some of the bags to help him out. I mentally shelved the description of the truck and the idea that just perhaps, the brunette lived close by. Honestly, what was I hoping for? A chance meeting in the frozen food aisle? Good Lord! In two days, I had seen her twice from a distance, didn't know her name, and yet still she haunted my mind. Thank God Emmett hadn't pursued what I was looking at. I'd never live it down if he knew I was obsessing over a woman I'd never even met.

Back at the house, Edward already had the truck open and had unloaded several of the boxes of accessories Brady and Jared had boxed up. He had been stacking them neatly in the corners of the rooms they belonged in. He was in the process of pulling one of the arm chairs out as we walked up.

"Lunch is here!" Emmett bellowed.

"Great! I didn't realize how hungry I was until I made my third trip in with the boxes. I'll just grab this and follow you guys in," Edward answered as he walked down the truck ramp toward us.

Emmett and I piled the bags on the counter while Edward placed the chair in the living room. Setting the sandwiches on the island, I grabbed some sodas and a bag of chips to put with them, and then made short work of putting the rest of the groceries away before I ate. By the time I turned around, half of Emmett's sub was gone and he was popping the tab on his second soda. I unwrapped my sub and shook my head in amazement as Emmett shoved a handful of chips in his mouth.

"What?" he asked, swallowing and washing them down with a swig of soda. "I'm hungry, so sue me! Besides, I want to get the truck done and get over to the storage unit. I don't know about you guys, but I don't want to spend all week getting this shit sorted out."

Edward took a drink, set his can down and cleared his throat. "You guys ought to know that Ali is going to be here later on tonight. She called right after I pulled in the driveway. I didn't think it would be a problem, but if it is, I can just go to the hotel to see her."

"No skin off my nose," Emmett replied, "just so long as she is willing to open a box or two. There is no way in hell you are getting out of unpacking just so you can go sex up your girlfriend."

"Hey! I am NOT the notorious slacker out of this group!" Edward retorted. "Besides, she was already planning on helping us out. One of her possibly less endearing traits is an obsessive compulsion to organize everyone and everything. However, it's also to our advantage, as she also has more energy than that damn battery rabbit on speed. So," he continued, looking pointedly at Emmett, "those of us who want to go out clubbing should appreciate the extra pair of hands."

At that, I laughed out loud. Crumpling my wrapper up and shoving it onto one of the empty grocery bags, I decided it was time to rally the troops.

"Well, guys, I think we need to get hot on the truck and get that furniture in here. Otherwise we won't make it to storage and back before Alice gets in."

We all headed outside and the next couple of hours were spent hauling furniture in and setting in its respective rooms. We decided to put the beds together after we got back from the storage unit, once we had all of them at the house.

Loading up the storage unit wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Alice might be obsessive compulsive, but Edward didn't seem to be a far cry behind her. He had even organized his boxes by the rooms they came out of. We got the truck loaded in no time and were headed back to the house with plenty of daylight to spare.

"Thank God for summer and Daylight Savings Time," I mused aloud. "It looks like we could get all of this unloaded and in the house with time to spare. What time do you have to have the truck back?" I asked Edward as he backed up the driveway.

"Well, I booked it for forty-eight hours, but turning it in tomorrow morning by eight would guarantee we didn't pay for a second day on it. Once it's empty, I can drop it off at any local U-Haul. I just have to make sure the tank is full first," he answered.

"Sounds good to me," Emmett answered. "The sooner we get done, the better." Opening the door and changing course, he added, "Hey, what are we gonna do about dinner? I'm getting hungry."

"Wow, there's a shocker," I joked, moving to roll open the door. "Who'd have thought that you would be the one asking about food?"

"Dude! Even hired help gets a dinner break. Free labor should get at least that," he retorted.

"Oh, right! And, like none of this shit is yours, anyway. Suck it up. We can order pizza or something. I don't know about you, but I certainly don't want to be sleeping on the floor tonight. We'll eat and work," I replied, shoving a stack of boxes into his hands.

"Look, I'll order pizza when we get in the house," Edward said, grabbing a stack of boxes himself. "I am sure you're not going to die of starvation in the time it takes for a delivery driver to get here."

I grabbed a pile of boxes and followed the two of them inside. While Emmett and I put the boxes in the rooms they belonged in, Edward called in the pizza order. As I headed back out to the truck I heard his phone ring and figured it was Alice, calling for directions. My suspicions were confirmed when, on my next trip out, she pulled up next to Emmett's Jeep.

"Hey, Jazz," she trilled, climbing out of the car. "Anything I can grab?"

"Sure. Why don't you take one of these last two boxes and I will start on the big stuff," I answered, reaching for the headboard to Edward's bed. Emmett bounded out the door as we were walking back up.

"Grab an actual piece of furniture," I yelled back to him, as I hauled the headboard in the door.

Edward was taking the box out of Alice's hand and leaning in to give her a kiss when I finally followed her inside.

"Hey, guys," I teased, "can you keep it PG until we get the truck done?"

Edward chuckled and Alice blushed.

"Pizza's here!" Emmett shouted as he came in the door carrying one of the nightstands. "The driver is right behind me. Jazz and I got lunch and groceries, dinner is on you," he tossed back over his shoulder as he walked in Edward's bedroom.

Edward paid the driver and Alice took the boxes and put them on the kitchen island. "Plates?" she asked.

"Um, not unless you can find the right box. Emmett grabbed some napkins and paper towels earlier, they're on the counter. We are gonna have to settle for that for now," Edward answered.

"That'll work." Opening the fridge she asked, "What does everyone want to drink?"

We all opted for beer and I pulled the barstools over to the island, since we hadn't put the dining table together yet. The next half hour was spent eating and joking around, mostly at Emmett and his appetite's expense. Alice was overwhelmed at the amount of food he ate.

"Does he eat like this all the time?" she asked. When Edward and I nodded, she shook her head. "Where on earth does he store it? And please tell me that everyone is paying for groceries. Feeding him is gonna bankrupt you and Jazz if he doesn't chip in." Edward and I laughed while Emmett looked offended.

"Hello? Standing right here," Emmett interjected, making us all laugh even harder. Emmett hmphed and stood up.

"Well, if I am going to be abused, I might as well get back to the truck. You guys helping, or are you going to continue the 'bash Emmett' session for a few more minutes?"

I finished my beer and wiped my mouth. "Come on tough guy. Let's get back to work so you can demonstrate the great feats of strength that generate your appetite." I slapped him on the back and headed out the door.

Within an hour, everything was unloaded and Emmett and I were putting bed frames together. Edward was working on the table, while Alice started unpacking the boxes labeled "Kitchen" and getting that room set up. As we finished the last frame, I suddenly heard music coming from the living room. I followed the sounds of Tchaikovsky out to the living room where Edward was setting up the entertainment unit on the only solid wall in the room.

"Beds are together and just waiting for some sheets," I announced, walking into the room. "Holy shit! You guys got a lot done out here," I exclaimed, noticing the pile of empty boxes by the door.

"No slacking going on out here," Alice answered, as she finished putting the glasses in the cupboard and shut the door.

Edward finished putting the electronic components into the unit, stood up, and brushed his hands on his legs. "It is almost eleven. Emmett, why don't you follow me back to U-Haul so we can drop the truck off? Then it's done and we don't have to worry about it tomorrow."

"Works for me. Let me just grab my keys and we can head out," Emmett answered.

As they headed out the door, Alice got my attention, "Jazz, how about you break down those boxes and take them out to the recycle bin. While you do, I will go ahead and take care of making up all the beds for everyone. Then, I think I will talk Edward into calling it a night and we can get going early tomorrow morning. I'll even get up and cook breakfast for us all."

"You got yourself a deal, darlin'. I wouldn't mind a remotely early night. Emmett and I have to compete in a couple of days, and unlike him, I can't run on pure adrenaline alone."

Alice and I spent the next half hour in companionable silence. When she finished the beds, the guys weren't back yet, so we decided to start tackling some of the décor boxes that had been packed up at the warehouse. Six boxes later, the great area was completely unpacked and all of the boxes were disposed of. The house was starting to look lived in and I was grateful for all of Alice's help. We had even managed to get the pictures up on the walls. Wednesday was going to be a fairly light day as far as the house was concerned. I am sure that meant Emmett would be dragging us out to some club so he could get his drink on and pick up some little chick to keep him company. It would be interesting to see how he planned to handle the difference in our situation now from in the past. Lovin' and leavin' was no longer an option for him.

-xxxxxxxxx-

In the mini-dictator style I was beginning to associate with Alice, she did manage to convince Edward to knock off for the night. And, true to her word, there was a huge breakfast for us all by eight o'clock the next morning. Unfortunately, we were left to our own devices to finish our rooms, since Alice had to report to the Stanley house for work. She was also checking in to her hotel that afternoon. I got the feeling that she and Edward were both fond of their own space, even thought it was also blatantly obvious that they were very much in love.

By noon, we were all done unpacking all the boxes in the house. I had also called a moving company and the storage facility in Galveston and made arrangements for all of my stuff to be crated up and shipped to me. There wasn't very much there, but it would be nice to have my own things in my new room. Emmett had done the same with his stuff, too. We both grabbed showers, and leaving Edward to his own devices, we decided to head over to the beach to get registered for the tournament. Once we got that out of the way, we were free to do what we wanted until seven the next morning.

As we walked out of the hotel, Emmett whooped. I looked at him and quirked my eyebrow, but said nothing.

"What? Aren't you the least bit excited? The house is unpacked, we're registered for the tournament, and it is only one o'clock! We have the rest of the day to do whatever we want."

I stopped and pulled my shades off the collar of my shirt. Shoving them on, I pushed my hair out of my face. "And, what exactly is it that you want to do, Em?"

"Well, there is some shopping I need to do, if you want to tag along. Otherwise, I can drop you back off at home and I'll go alone."

"Depends," I answered, "Where are you going?"

"I wasn't kidding about getting a decent grill and maybe we could grab some patio furniture or something. I mean, hell, we gotta have something to sit on out there. A pool table would be nice, too. We got that big ass bonus room with nothing in it but the bar right now. A pool table would be fun. Maybe a dartboard, too."

"A dartboard? Are you frigging nuts? Dude! We are renting the house! We can't go throwing darts at the walls."

"Sure we can," he retorted. "All we have to do is cover the whole wall with corkboard. They sell corkboard tiles with a sticky back. It will protect the wall from the darts. C'mon dude! Don't be a fucking buzzkill!"

"Are you forgetting we have a third roommate?" I asked him. "I think we need to check with Edward before we go that far."

"Fine!" Emmett pouted. "I'll call him now and see what he says."

"No, let's head back home and sit down and talk to him about it. It is not fair to spring it on him over the phone and force him to make a quick decision. Besides, I want to grab a bite to eat and am tired of paying for takeout all the time. I am seriously considering learning how to cook now that I have someplace worthwhile to do it."

"Yeah, whatever. I'll believe that shit when I see it!" he shot back. "Then let's get going. I really want to go pick this stuff out. I guess it would be easier if we had your truck, too. I don't think we can fit anything, not even the grill, in my Jeep."

I shook my head and climbed into the Jeep. Emmett was such a tool.

-xxxxxxxxxxx-

Surprisingly, Edward had no objections to Emmett's idea, once he elicited a promise that Emmett would take full responsibility for painting the room when it came time to pull the corkboard down. He declined joining us, though. He had spoken to Alice and they had made plans to meet for dinner in a few hours. He wanted to work on some lesson plans before classes started next week.

Using the GPS in his phone, Emmett found a recreation warehouse about fifteen minutes away. He helped me unload Miss Piggy from the truck, and I stored her under the house in the covered parking area. Climbing up in the truck, I pulled a hair tie out of my center storage console and clubbed my hair back off my face. I needed to seriously consider a haircut, but honestly I just couldn't be bothered.

Following Emmett's directions, we found the place with no problems. Emmett grabbed the first salesperson we saw, a guy about our age. The tag on his shirt said his name was Eric. Emmett described his "perfect grill" to Eric. He thought for a few seconds, and then led us over toward where the larger grills were. The model he showed Emmett could do everything but walk into the kitchen and get the food—and I wondered about that possibility, too. Even the $2400 price tag didn't scare Emmett off. When Eric said we could have the assembled floor model and a filled tank for two grand since it was the end of the summer, Emmett didn't bat an eye and said he'd take it. I was pretty sure Eric worked on commission and Emmett had made his day, because the poor guy lost the power of speech. As a matter of fact, when Emmett asked where the pool tables were, I'm pretty sure the guy almost pissed himself with joy. He pointed us in the direction of the pool tables and said he would join us there after he removed the grill from the floor. Right, like there is a big rush on Wednesday afternoons for super grills.

Walking across the sales floor, Emmett looked like a kid with ADHD at a laser light show. The place was a bachelor's wet dream. Hot tubs, grills, game tables, patio furniture, even arcade games, everything needed to make a game room fun. You name it, they sold it. I had to damn near pull him off the pinball machines.

I left him alone with the pool tables and his ruminations of all their varied uses, outside of playing pool. Yeah. Eww. Remind me to sanitize that shit if he was in there alone with one of his playthings.

I decided to go ahead and spring for the patio set. I found a black wrought iron set, including a table with four chairs, a couple chaise loungers, and a small end table to put between them. There was no way in hell it would fit in the truck. While I was looking, another salesperson approached me. I told him that Eric was helping me and walked away. Hell, the poor guy deserved the sale for dealing with Emmett.

By the time I found Emmett again, the pool table and a dart board had been picked out. He also had directions to Home Depot, where we could get the cork tiles to cover the wall. Eric wrote everything up, ran the sales, and made arrangements for the pool table and furniture to be delivered late the next afternoon. We should be done surfing by then, but if not, Edward would be home to get the delivery.

We headed to Home Depot to get what we needed there and Emmett decided that the new grill needed to be broken in that night for dinner. We stopped at the grocery store near the house again to snag some real food to put in the fridge. For future information, two single guys grocery shopping together, especially when one is the size of Michael Oher, is probably not a good idea. Definitely not, when neither of them can cook.

-xxxxxxxxxx-

Edward helped unload the truck and between the three of us we got the grill up on the main deck. He said he could make sure he was home to catch the deliveries the next day, but that he did have to go over to the university in the morning. While Emmett fiddled with the grill, I worked on getting the groceries put away and the steaks prepped. Edward was heading out to meet Alice for dinner. I heard the door close, but looked up when it immediately re-opened.

"Hey, did you guys make plans for tonight yet? Ali and I are going to a small bar called Smackwater Jack's near the mall after dinner, if you want to join us. She apparently has some friends in town and they are all meeting up there."

"Really? Female friends?" Emmett asked as he walked in on the tail end of the conversation. "I could hang with that."

"Good Lord!" I groaned. "Edward, do I have to bring the walking ball of testosterone, or would you prefer I leave him in his man cave? I mean, yeah he's house-broken and all, but he still humps the legs of unsuspecting victims."

Edward was laughing so hard his whole body was shaking and tears were rolling down his face. Emmett didn't find it nearly as funny.

"So glad you guys are having so much fun at my expense. Just remember Edward and I received our home training in the same place," he retorted.

"Oh, just bring him along," Edward managed to gasp out. "If he gets out of hand, we can sic Ali on him. The pixie is frigging terrifying when riled!"

I laughed aloud, but mentally concurred. The pixie was definitely a force to be reckoned with, if the way she whipped us through getting the house unpacked was any indication.

We agreed to meet them at Smackwater's around nine and Edward left. While Emmett was cooking, I jumped in the shower and pulled on some clean clothes, a pair of dark wash jeans, button-down chambray shirt, and my beat as hell boots. Presentable and comfortable worked for me. I took a towel to my wet hair and clubbed it back off my face again. I shoved my wallet in my back pocket, grabbed my keys, and headed out to the kitchen.

I'll give Emmett credit; he had mad skills when it came to the grill. The steaks were perfect, potatoes cooked in the microwave, and some veggies steamed on the grill completed the meal. It was all delicious, and I didn't mind giving him the props for it. Thankfully, he wasn't still mad at me for the comments I made to Edward earlier, so we were able to spend the time talking about the heats scheduled for the first round of the tournament. Having registered as early as we did, we didn't have a clear idea of who we were slated to compete against.

After we ate, I loaded the dishwasher and straightened up the kitchen and dining area. I then wandered over to check out Edward's entertainment system. Turning on the CD player, the sultry sounds of Bonnie Raitt drifted out of the surround sound.

I'll close my eyes, then I won't see
The love you don't feel when you're holding me
Morning will come and I'll do what's right
Just give me till then to give up this fight
And I will give up this fight.

As memories flooded my senses, I fought the impulse to give into them. I couldn't give in. It had taken too long to dull the pain and pulling off the bandage would only make me bleed again. I pressed stop and leaned my head against the wall as the room fell silent again. I forced the images back into the mental box I kept them stored in.

By the time Emmett came out of his room, I was back in control. Emmett was dressed pretty casual, khaki cargo shorts, a wife beater, and a plaid shirt unbuttoned and rolled up to the elbows. He finished it off with flip flops. The cowboy and the beach bum. We were definitely a pair to draw to.

"You ready, dude? It's 8:30," he asked.

"Yeah, let's hit it. Who's driving, you or me? Or do we both need to drive?"

"Nah, we can take one vehicle. I'll drive if you want."

"Works for me," I replied, "just don't leave me stranded if you pick up some chick."

"Whatever, I've got a bet to win. Let's go. I need a beer or four and some mental stimulation."

I locked the door behind me, I laughed. "Oh, is that what they call it these days? Mental stimulation? Somehow I'm thinking the mind is the last thing getting stimulated."

Emmett looked up the directions and the GPS took us to a little strip mall. Smackwater's took up the whole left side of the strip and while it was off the beaten path, it was obviously a popular place, if the cars alongside and in front were anything to go by. Emmett parked the Jeep off to the side in the only empty space and we headed inside. Alice and Edward were sitting at a double table near the stage. Two other women and a guy around our ages were with them.

Alice saw us across the room and bounded over to bring us to the table, dragging Em by the hand. I trailed behind them, praying Alice wasn't playing matchmaker. Alice introduced us to her friends.

"Tanya, Rachel, and Jacob, this is Emmett, Edward's cousin, and Jasper, their roommate and Emmett's best friend. Guys, the spunky little strawberry-blonde is Tanya, my best friend Bella's cousin. This is Tanya's boyfriend, Jacob, and his sister Rachel. Bella was supposed to join us, too, but she got called into work at the last minute."

We all greeted each other and pulled out a couple of chairs to join the group. The waitress noticed the new faces and came over to get our drink orders. Bella and Rachel had just moved to the area and Jacob and Tanya had driven out too, to help them get settled in. Rachel was attending Eastern Virginia Medical School and Bella was a graduate student majoring in Education at ODU. When they both found out they were going to be in the same area, the decided to live together to cut expenses. Alice hadn't seen the group since the early spring and since it was Jacob and Tanya's last night in town, they all wanted to get together.

The conversation swirled around me, along with the other ambient noise. An Eagles cover band took the stage around ten. They were pretty decent and people began moving to the small dance floor in front of the stage. Emmett had drifted off to talk to a pretty little blonde who had been flirting with him from the bar. Yeah she looked his type, giggling and vapid. Jacob and Tanya went out to dance and Ali leaned over so I could hear her.

"I hope you are having a good time. Edward said you liked music and I was told this group was really good for a cover band."

"They are good. Thanks for including me, Alice. I appreciate it. Shame your friend couldn't make it."

"Well, luckily, with me working in town the next few weeks, I'll have plenty of time to spend with her. We've been friends since high school and attended Washington State together," Alice answered, "I was ecstatic when she called and told me she settled on ODU for her graduate studies. She had several options to pick from, including staying at Washington. I hope you and Emmett get to meet her soon. She is a lot of fun and I'm hoping everyone can be friends, since we're all relatively new to the area."

As she finished, Edward asked her out to dance. I figured I would be polite and ask Rachel and we followed Edward and Alice to the floor. Rachel tried to engage me in small talk, but between the band and the crowd, I could barely hear her. She was a pretty enough girl. Her Native-American heritage showed in her coloring and bone structure. She had long, straight, black hair, dark brown eyes, and flawless skin the color of burnished copper. Although she seemed interested enough in me, I didn't feel the same. Instead, my mind drifted to thoughts of the pretty brunette I had seen twice and who haunted my dreams.

The song ended and I escorted Rachel back to the table. I told Edward to order me another beer and headed to the restroom. I washed my hands and walked back toward the table in time to hear Alice squeal and see her jump up to run and hug someone who had just walked in the door. I sat down and started peeling the label off my beer. Alice walked up behind me.

"Where is Emmett? Oh, never mind. Edward, Jazz, this is my best friend Bella. Bella, I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Edward, and his roommate, Jasper."

I turned around to greet the new addition and my voice caught in my throat. It was her, the brunette. She wasn't a dream and she was standing right in front of me.


Chapter title is from the Tom Waits' song of the same name

The song on Edward's CD is Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me"

Oh and the song at the bar that Edward and Alice danced to? The Eagles' "New Kid in Town"

Please check out the Spencer Bell Memorial page. The friends and family of Spencer are doing a fantastic job of bringing awareness and research dollars to Adrenal cancer :

A group for fans of Going Under has been started on Facebook. There is a great bunch of ladies in there and we are always looking for more friends. Come join us to talk about the story, other fic recs, and just generally hang out.

FB group: http:/www(.)facebook(.)com/#!/home(.)php?sk=group_145967552120329&ap=1

Fic rec for this week is by a wonderful lady that I am lucky enough to call friend on Facebook. Check out Love This Pain by Twilightcakes. Do it, you won't regret it!

Reviews are like a slow dance with Jasper—which is foreplay in my book!