Chapter 3: Of Apple Pies and Coffee
Disclaimer - All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the intellectual property to the respective author. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.
Dessert is always the most anticipated meal for me at any dinner; it either makes or breaks the whole experience. If the actual dinner was awful but the dessert was good you leave satisfied, but if dinner was amazing but dessert wasn't as good as it could've been then you leave disappointed and that ruins the whole experience. With Mama C, the chances of dessert not being up to par happen to be slim to none. But today I didn't want to wait for dessert, I wanted to bolt. That was in big part due to Edward and his incessant staring. Twice I had picked up the spoon to subtly check my reflection, to ensure I didn't have anything like spinach stuck in my teeth or a big ass neon sign above my head.
I didn't have either.
By the time dessert was brought out I was a jumpy mumbling mess, so much that I couldn't even focus on the delicious apple pie and vanilla ice cream in front of me which on any other occasion I would have found rather impossible to do.
The only reprieve I got was after dinner when us women were wheeled into the sitting room while the men cleaned up. Thankful for the few stare-free minutes I tried to come up with an acceptable excuse for me to leave early; on any other day I would not have been looking forward to going home and would be attempting to prolong my visit as long as possible.
Seeing as Papa C was a doctor any medical excuse was out, so I decided to go with the one excuse that always works. Claiming to have period cramps wasn't difficult, since my stomach did hurt, but from nervousness. After making me promise to call her tomorrow Mama C let me leave early, just before the men returned from their chore.
Escape felt good.
The giddiness made me feel high.
But some part of me remained still on that dining table, uncomfortably trying to avoid Edward's eyes.
Waking up on weekdays is hard, but it's even harder on weekends. Knowing that this is one of the only two days you can sleep in and not get in serious trouble makes it hard to get out of bed to start the day. But alas, everyone has to at one point.
My point had been Alice's incessant knocking – or banging – on my door.
"Bellllaaaa, wake up please," she whinnied.
According to my cellphone it was only five after ten.
Yup I was going to ignore her and go back to sleep.
"I've got breakfast, please wake up and come out."
Or not.
Deciding to forgo sleep, I stumbled out of bed to open the door only to be fiercely be pushed back inside.
"You promised breakfast woman," I called out to her as she opened up my wardrobe and started going through my clothes.
"I swear, it's like food's the only thing you respond to," she mumbled as she started pulling out random clothes, "it's on the counter."
Deciding to leave Alice with my wardrobe I hunted down the Danishes and muffins and fixed myself a cup of coffee.
By the time she appeared, I was on my second muffin and out of coffee.
"So why did you wake me up on such an ungodly hour and bribe me with breakfast this Saturday morning?" I asked.
"Because we direly need to go shopping today. I've got a date with super special guy tonight and I need to be prepared. I swear, I think this is it. It's him, you know, the one." Alice answered sounding more serious than I ever remember her sounding. Normally at this point I'd point out that she'd met various 'the ones' s before, but something in her expression told me not to argue.
"Uh huh, and how and where'd you meet this super special guy?" I asked curiosity getting the better of me.
"I met him yesterday at the coffee shop, in front of where I work. My new PA Emily couldn't make it to work yesterday, something about her husband having food poisoning. Anyways, I was waiting in line and had my nose in that new book you lent me so I didn't notice that the line had moved forward. He tapped me on the shoulder and I completely freaked out and yelled 'You've kept me waiting a long time' which was where I was in the book. And the guy in complete seriousness replied 'I'm sorry maam' and we both burst out laughing." Alice paused, taking a deep breath, "He had the sexiest smile I've ever seen, the best case of bed hair and his eyes, oh gawd his eyes, it was like I couldn't look away. I know I told you that I'm going to take a break from all the dating shizzle but I really think this is it, I really feel like he actually is the one."
And I was speechless.
See things like this don't happen to me.
Why don't I meet hawt guys with sexy smiles and deep soulful eyes that don't give off the I'll-eat-you-in-a-very-non-sexy-way vibe?
"So when are you going to meet him again?" I asked as soon as I got my voice back.
"Tonight, we're going out to dinner. He won't tell me where he's taking me only that I need to dress up." Alice replied frustrated. I could easily see why she didn't like this, Alice liked being on top of things all the time, secrets and surprises didn't sit well with her unless she was in on them.
I did the only thing I could do, "So when do we leave?" I asked her.