A/n: YAY! Thanks for all your reviews! They make me feel happy and fuzzy! I do have three other stories on the go, if you're interested! They're called:
The Wallflower
The New Girl
And
The Doctor
Teehee, all are Twilight!
Also…
Thanks to Fictitious Character; who has made me aware of the fact that I had blocked anonymous reviews! I had no idea! So thanks so much!
And to ElleMay Duncan: Erm, I don't know to either! Teehee; I'm sure I'll do other POV's at some point! And I was thinking in the 20s for their ages! But you'll find out when I've decided! I'll try and make sure it's not too long before you find out! I hadn't even thought about it before you asked!!!
And thanks to everyone else again! If anyone has any questions, or anything, don't hesitate to ask! I just hope I don't disappoint any of you!!!
Anyway, on with the dance!…Er…I mean story!
Chapter 4 (I think)
Edward POV
"Edward!" the voice I'd wanted to hear for almost a week spoke down the phone a soon as I'd answered.
"Aro!" I replied quickly, sitting up straighter on the couch and crossing my fingers. Please saw you've called to tell me when I'm next interviewing Bella. Please , please, please, please, please'.
"Great job on the Isabella Swan interview, my boy!" I sighed in relief, this must be good news.
"So good, in fact", he carried on, "that I'm giving you a promotion!"
"Wow! Thanks Aro, that's really-" I started
"Slow down there kid!" Arrow crowed down the phone, "I'm not finished yet", he said proudly. "I first wanted to tell you the really good news! Ms Swan has agreed to a fourth interview. With you, of course, apparently, somebody was impressed" He said the last bit with a sing-song voice. And my heart fluttered, Bella would do another interview, with me. I had three interviews left. I wanted to get up and do a little dance. Three more interviews!
"I was also calling to tell you, of course, that I've arranged the next interview. I'm afraid she was quite busy this week, so we've decided that you two will do the interview over dinner tomorrow. I've booked you a table at 'La Belle Italia', in Port Angeles, since she'll be there during the day. The table's booked under Masen, and you'll have to collect her from the address I've e-mailed you. I've also e-mailed the times, since I'm terrible at remembering them."
"Wow, thanks Aro, I'll be there. You can count on me!" I was grinning big. I couldn't help it. I was taking Bella Swan to dinner. Granted, not in the circumstance I'd prefer…but still…it was almost like a date.
"I know I can boy", he chuckled. "I'll see you on Wednesday".
It was Monday evening now. I'd been at the office all day, putting the finishing touches to the article with Garrett, the man who put it all together, and Jasper. It took a while to decide where to put the pictures, and which ones to used. I liked them all, of course.
The picture taking had been my favourite part of the interview…apart from the talking, and the staring at Bella…Bella's smile, and Bella's laugh, and Bella's voice…
Jasper had decided to do them in positions she was most comfortable. Bella wasn't exactly a fan of photo-shoots, it turned out. In the majority of pictures, she was blushing. First, Jasper photographed her sitting in her chair as she had been when talking to us. One photograph was taken mid-laugh, when she'd been watching me making faces behind Jasper's back. Another had been taken with her reading one of her favourite books (she'd chosen Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen), and another was with her reading her own book. Then Jasper started to get inventive. Photographing her next to her book case, picking out a book, leaning on the book case whilst reading a book. They'd both gotten quite into it when Bella had gotten more comfortable with the camera. Both laughing and pulling stupid poses, some of which Jasper had photographed just to see the surprise flash across her face when she realised he had. One of my favourite photographs was one of her giggling, whilst she picked balls of chocolate out of a bag and ate them.
My very favourite though, was one I was not expecting.
"I hope you don't mind, Bella", Jasper had said to her, "But our boss likes to have pictures of our journalists with famous people, to show off, you know, so would you please have a photograph with Edward?" I shot him a look to say 'Since when?' He smirked back at me, and I didn't complain.
"Sure", she agreed, "where?" Jasper pointed back towards the bookshelves, and she skipped over quickly to stand in front of them. Jasper prodded me in the side, and I followed.
"Right", Jasper said, setting up his camera on a tripod, for the millionth time in that hour. "I need you two to get closer together, I'd like to be able to see Bella's bocks on the right hand side. Edward, be a big boy and put your arm around her". I did. "That's better."
Having my arm around Bella felt right, and if felt even better when she looked up at me, smiled, and put her arm around my back. I grinned down at her, squeezing her a little closer; as close as I dared. She didn't seem to mind. I could feel the heat from her body soaking through my clothes and warming me up. It felt sort of amazing.
I hoped Bella didn't notice, but I could tell Jasper was messing with the settings too much, to give me time to savour the moment. He usually pressed a couple of buttons, adjusted the focus, and off he went. This time he pressed several more buttons, and spent a long time getting the focus right. I'd never realised what a good actor he was before. He kept tutting and muttering about the lighting in the flat. I couldn't help but grin, and suppress a laugh. The whole process to about five minutes, over all.
The next day Jasper had brought over the photographs for me and the paper; two copies of them all except that one. He gave the only copy of that one to me, and now it sat at home, on the music stand of my piano. When I'd gotten home that night, after driving Jasper back to his place, which was filled with teasing about my little…alright, massive crush on Bella (the extra questions hadn't gone unnoticed), and singing along to songs about unrequited love (knew I shouldn't have let Jasper chose the music); I sat down at my piano and played all evening. I had started composing a piece. I'd played every night since, and it had been a week. But I still wasn't finished, it was nowhere near perfect yet. The melody was sweet and tuneful, filled with crescendos, decrescendos, texture changes, and chromatic notes that weaved in and out of the main tune to create a spider's web of sound. I found myself humming it to myself during the day, and constantly wondering whether Bella would like it. I hoped she would. In my dreams I played it to her.
"Whipped" Jasper told me, every time he saw or spoke to me. Getting me back, I suppose, for years of myself telling him the same thing about his infatuation with Alice. Emmett phoned me up several times during the night to say the same thing; having found out at our family gathering that there was actually a girl I liked. Waking up to the sounds of my phone, and having 'Whipped, beeyatch!' yelled at you as soon as you pick the damn thing up was not exactly fun. Thankfully, Rosalie had gotten tired of being woken up in the early hours too, and had banned Emmett from calling me for the time being. Sometimes, I was glad she was my almost-sister-in-law.
Unfortunately, the Saturday after I met Bella, Jasper decided to spill my little crush to the rest of the family during dinner.
'I just love having all the family round, don't you Carlisle?' Esme had asked.
'Of course, dearest", he'd replied, taking her hand off the table and kissing it gently, 'it gives me even more pleasure to see how the family has grown.' He smiled around at Jasper and Rosalie. I thought to myself that the way I'd describe it would have been 'morphed', rather than grown. We were no longer the Cullens, we were the Cullen-Whitlocks. Though none of us, save for Carlisle and Esme had actually ever been real Cullens in the first place. And even Rosalie had changed her name, now that she was a model.
'So Edward', Esme had carried on, and I internally groaned, knowing exactly what was coming, 'when do you think you'll meet your match, eh?' I was about to reply with my usual comeback to that question, which was something along the lines of 'I'm focused on my career, and I'm still young', when Jasper began to snigger.
Esme had turned immediately to look at him.
'I think he already has, Esme', he said, much to my annoyance, and smirked at me across the table. I shot him the most deadly glare I could manage.
'Eddie's got himself a girl?" Emmett had exclaimed immediately. 'Nice one bro!" He held up his hand for a high five. Rosalie slapped him upside his head, and I rolled my eyes.
'Oh do tell, Edward!" Esme had cried, 'will you invite her over for lunch?'
'Er', I had run my hands through my hair, 'we're not dating or anything.'
'How do you know her?' Esme immediately questioned.
'He interviewed her', Jasper intervened, 'It was love from the moment she opened the door and he saw her'. I glared at him again.
'Edward's in LOVE?!' a voice shrieked from the doorway, letting us all know that Alice had returned from the bathroom. 'What's she like? Is she pretty? Does she like shopping? Oh my gosh! I have to take her shopping. Where is she?!'
'Calm down, love', Jasper said the first sensible thing since he'd sat down at the table.
I sighed, realising there was no way I was getting out of this.
'I met Bella when I was interviewing her for the paper. She's beautiful, nice, funny, interesting, and has good taste, and I don't want to talk about it anymore'.
Thankfully, my family had dropped it.
Apart from Alice, who had called several times a day since.
'What does she look like?'
'What type of clothes does she like?'
'What type of music does she like?'
'When are you going to ask her out?'
'Where are you taking her for your first date?'
And so on, and so fourth.
I was closer to killing Alice than ever before. Unfortunately, I reckoned that Jasper was quite vengeful, and I knew he could be scary when he got mad, especially over Alice. He'd already broken several people's noses for trying to grope her in clubs. I did not wish to be on the other end of his temper. Even the peace and quiet wouldn't be worth it.
I looked at the clock, which read 9pm, and decided to turn in early that night. I would go over to Seattle in the morning, to see Alice at the boutique. Perhaps if I asked her to set me up with an outfit for the evening, she would leave me alone for a bit. It was worth a try.
I dreamt of Bella again that night.
The next morning I got up early, showered, and dressed in my jeans and a shirt. Then I printed out the address to pick Bella up from, and picked up my wallet, before heading out in my baby.
I headed to Carlisle and Esme's. I was planning to switch my baby for my 'special occasion' car, in hopes of impressing Bella. My Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, in my opinion, the best car in the world, had been given to me when I'd left university with my degree, and started working at the Seattle Observer. Alice had gotten a canary yellow Porsche 911 Turbo, and Emmett had gotten a postbox-red Jeep Wrangler when they'd gotten their degrees. Needless to say, Carlisle and Esme were by no means poor, and we all loved to drive…fast.
I'd wanted the Vanquish since it came out, and I was absolutely enamoured with it. I'd thought I couldn't love any car more than Tanya, my baby, the silver Volvo. But the Vanquish took the edge off. Unfortunately, I was a bit too protective of my car, and refused to leave it in the garage of my flat, which made accessing it a little difficult. When I bought my own house, I was getting my own garage, and the Vanquish would be the first thing in it.
I was planning to collect the Vanquish, then drive to Seattle, so that Alice could fix me up with a new suit for the night. I could change in the flat she had above the boutique. I'd take Alice out for lunch during the day, and see if I could get some help in choosing some nice flowers or something for Bella. Having not dated much, I wasn't exactly the best person for this sort of thing. Alice, however, knew everything. Or said she did. It was time to put her knowledge to the test.
"What're you doing back here so soon?" Carlisle joked when he saw me. He was putting the rubbish out as I walked up towards the garage. He'd taken a couple of weeks off from the hospital to spend time with Esme.
"Just came to collect my beauty", I joked back.
"We'll you'll have to wait a bit", Carlisle grinned, "she's in the shower. Have her back by ten won't you boy?" I laughed and waved him off as he went back inside. I unlocked the garage and stepped inside.
Carlisle's Mercedes was on the left, and behind it sat Esme's lavender Galaxy. Carlisle and Jasper's old motorbikes sat at the back of the garage, and in front of them was my Vanquish. I pulled of the pink cover that Alice had 'thoughtfully' given me when she got a new one, and I breathed in the sight of the car.
I hummed softly in appreciation, before reaching for a cloth and wiping her down. It didn't take too long, and I was soon opening the door and sliding in. I checked her over, her tank was full, and she was ready to go. She still felt new. I put in the keys and revved her up, stepping on the gas, I drove out of the garage, before stopping. I got out and closed the garage door, before getting back out, and driving off.
I switched on the CD player, and was pleased to find the mix tapes I'd made in the dashboard. I pulled one of them out of the holder, and pushed it in, pressing play. Collective Soul spilled out, and I sighed, leaning back and relaxing. I made it to Seattle in good time, though the road was busy, so driving over the speed limit wasn't exactly an option; which didn't exactly improve my mood.
It was okay though, because I had a sort of date with Bella Swan that night, the most beautiful, wonderful person in the world. So everything was grand, even though I was acting and thinking like a hormonal teenage girl.
I drove round to Alice's private car park at the back of the boutique, and let myself in the staff way. I stepped into the shop, which was absolutely full of clothes, and accessories, shoes, and bags, and sat on one of the plush sofas at the back, waiting for Alice to finish dealing with a customer at the tills.
"Edward!" she turned around and encased me in her little arms for a moment. At four foot, with stilettos that looked like small models of the Eiffel tower, she just managed to come up to my chest. Jasper had once said that she was the perfect height for his size when we were teasing him about being so tall, and dating someone so short. Emmett's mind had manage to warp the statement, and Jasper had never repeated it since.
"What can I do for you?" she asked, grinning. I rarely came to the shop. I ran my hands through my hair, and decided to get it over with.
"Well, I was gunna ask if you wanted to go out to lunch later, and I was also wondering if you could set me up with some clothes for my interview tonight?"
Alice shrieked with happiness.
"Of course!" then she whizzed off towards the men's section of the shop. She came back five minutes later with several outfits, including shoes and underwear, which she thrust into my hand. Then she pointed to the dressing staircase at the back of the boutique, which lead to the flat above. I grinned at her, and made my way up, locking the door behind me.
It didn't take long to chose my outfit. I tried on the first one she'd thrust at me, and decided that this was the one. Ebony jeans, shiny black shoes, and a dark blue fitted shirt that which I left untucked, and then rolled the sleeves up to my elbows. I brought the other outfits downstairs and gave them to her. She nodded in approval at the one I picked.
"Thought so", she said simply, and danced away to replace the other items, then took the tags off the things I wanted, and put them in a bag which already looked full.
"What's in there?" I asked.
"Other clothes for you to wear", she said, smiling up at me innocently. Then she pulled two small boxes up onto the counter.
"And those are?" I asked.
"These", Alice pointed at the smaller box, "are a selection of accessories that go with the dresses I sent Bella last time, "you can take them to her tonight for me", she smiled happily, then opened the other box, revealing a small bouquet of buttercups and daisies. They were tied with a black and white polka dot bow. It was adorable.
"These", Alice pointed to the bunch, "are for you to give to Bella tonight. They're fake, so don't worry about them dying or anything." She smiled knowingly at me.
I picked up her small frame and hugged her close, spinning her round a bit, before putting her down and kissing her twice on each cheek. "Thank you Alice", I grinned, "you are, without doubt, the best sister in the universe!"
"Of course", she said, grinning, and waving me off, but she was blushing.
"So then", she started talking again, "where are you taking me to lunch?"
A/n: Hope you all enjoyed!!!!!! I just LOVE Alice, she is SO much fun!!!