Happy Halloween Everyone!

Chapter 4

Two weeks have passed since I left Edward sitting outside of the hospital and gone to check on Bella. I have to admit that those were two of the hardest weeks of my life. I had thought it was hard watching Bella be happy with Edward, but that was nothing compared to watching Bella be broken up over Edward leaving her. Despite what she said about having felt trapped, she still loved him and she missed him.

I spent most of my down time hanging out with her and when I eventually admitted to her that I had quit Masen, she was really upset for about ten minutes before she dragged out her laptop, tugged me over to sit down next to her and pulled up a resume maker. Less than twenty-four hours later, both of us went out and began to canvas our most desired prospects with our resumes and letters of reference. Neither of us had much in that respect to help us. After quitting Masen the way I did, I couldn't really get a great one from there. I did have one saving grace though, Edward's brother, Emmett, was behind Bella one hundred percent and didn't blame me in the slightest for my decision. He went behind the backs of his family and wrote me a really great letter of recommendation, doing the same for Bella since she had no work experience to draw from. She also had a few letters from her volunteer work to help bolster her prospects, but we both knew that in the current job market, we weren't going to be having any big wigs clamoring to snag us.

The last place of the day was on both of our lists. There was an opening in their HR department that Bella was hoping she might be qualified for, while I had my eyes on the architectural engineering position that had just opened at Cullen Inc. Carlisle Cullen had been my favorite professor at the University. He had built Cullen Inc so well that it ran like a top without him, so he had the freedom to pursue his passion for teaching a few hours a week while still being a successful CEO of his own private company. He was my hero from day one, but I never dreamed I'd have a shot in hell to get hired there. I followed Edward blindly into Masen and never looked back.

To my great surprise, four days later, I got a call asking me to come in for an interview. We made arrangements for the following Monday. Two hours later, Bella got a similar call and we ended up having appointments a few hours apart on the same day. Bella smiled for a while, but her smiles soon turned into tears as she buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

"I won't be there when my kids come home from school anymore. That was our favorite part of the day and we're not going to have that anymore. They'd come home, we'd make a snack and talk about our day while we ate before going through their papers and homework together. Now they'll have to go to some kind of sitter for three hours before I can finally pick them up and then we're going to have to fit in supper and baths and homework all in the few hours before their bedtime. I'm going to miss them so much! I won't be able to volunteer in their classrooms or go on their field trips. I loved doing those things!"

I moved to sit next to Bella and held her as she sobbed for her lost time with her kids. They were all so used to the freedom of being able to do those things and for Bella to be so invested in the kids' school programs and classrooms. This was going to be a huge change for them all.

After a long while, Bella finally stopped crying and started straightening herself up to pick up the kids from school, not wanting them to see her in that emotional state. With the little time she had before she had to leave, she opened her phone and began texting some of the other parents asking who they used for after school care, starting to compile a list of options before thanking me for my help and leaving to pick them up from school. If Bella was nothing else, she was always prepared. The people at Cullen Inc would be fools not to hire her.

My interview went really well. Mr. Cullen's eyes lit up when he got up to greet me with an exuberant handshake and he smiled and nodded the whole time. I hoped against hope that it was a good sign. When it came time to review my references, he frowned down at my paperwork for a while before turning back to me with a cocked head.

"You don't strike me as the type to abandon a position as Aro Masen claimed when we called to confirm your work history, and you have an exemplary letter of reference here from Emmett McCarty Masen, another esteemed member of the Masen family. Can you explain these conflicting reports, Jasper?"

I cleared my throat as my heart fell into my feet. "Normally that would be the case, Mr. Cullen, but extenuating circumstances led to me making a hastier retreat from my employ there than I had anticipated, but I had become less and less enamored with Masen over the last several years. I regret to say that a personal situation led to my quick departure."

He raised his brow in insistence that I continue. "I guess that the state of the marriage in question is probably well known by now, so it's not a betrayal of confidence to share this with you, but please don't speak of it outside of this office. If you remember correctly, in college, Edward Masen and I were the best of friends. He pulled me into Masen with him after graduation, but over the following years, his character has taken on a drastic change. When his wife called me at work upset because she found proof that he was in an inappropriate sexual relationship with a college-aged intern at Masen, I found myself unable to restrain my displeasure. I decided that resigning my position was better than another, less civil confrontation with Edward."

Mr. Cullen appraised me with serious eyes for a long moment before nodding, the hint of a smile twisting at the corners of his lips. "Thank you for your candor, Jasper. I can appreciate your position and the motivations for your decisions. I hope that if you do end up working for Cullen Inc that you won't find yourself in a similar position again. If you do, I hope that you would try to reach a resolution without breaking ties, which would be a possibility here where there was no such option at a family operation like Masen. I will certainly take this under consideration when I review applications upon completion of these interviews."

He paused a moment, cocking his head at the paper again. "I do believe my wife has an interview today with Mrs. Masen. That won't be a problem will it?"

I shook my head. "Absolutely not sir, and…and if it comes to a point where you feel you can only hire one of us for some reason or other, please consider hiring Bella. She desperately needs a good job at a place like this."

Mr. Cullen's eyes sparkled as his teeth shown pearly white through his wide smile. "Very chivalrous, Jasper. I will keep this in mind when decisions are made tonight." He rose from his seat extending his hand. "I think I've got all I need here. Thank you for your time and you'll be hearing something regardless of my decision by the end of next week. Stop by at my assistant's desk and she will validate your parking."

I stood up shaking his hand firmly as I thanked him, nodding again before leaving the office and praying for success. Carmen, Mr. Cullen's assistant stamped my parking ticket for the company parking deck before directing me back toward the lobby.

Bella was still sitting in the waiting area, fiddling with the handle of her case as she waited to be called back for her interview. I hated that she'd come so early so that I'd be on time for mine, but at the same time, the moral support on the commute in was so nice.

I settled in next to her and rested my hand over hers. "Relax, Bella. You're going to be great in there. Just be yourself and show them what you're made of."

Bella sighed. "Jasper, I'm a stay at home mom who has done nothing with her degree since she graduated over ten years ago. I'm afraid that's not going to impress anybody."

I shook my head. "Bella, you do an amazing job with the kids and your house is always in great shape, you have your hand in every volunteerism pie presented to you and you never seem to drop any balls. You are an HR department's dream in the flesh. You can do this with your eyes closed. Go in there and show them the well-spoken, organized lady I know so well. Just be you, Bella. I know that they will appreciate it."

I did have a little insider information on this matter too…I'd met Esme Cullen at more than one University event. She was a petite woman of great intelligence, wit, and a keen eye for character. I had a feeling she would see Bella for the jewel that she was before they even entered her office, or at least I hoped that she did.

From behind us, I heard Bella's name called and we both turned in time to see the soft light brown eyes of Esme Cullen smiling in our direction. She crossed with a wide smile.

"Jasper Whitlock, I remember you from years back. Please tell me you are applying for a position today."

I smiled and nodded. "Yes, Mrs. Cullen. I just left your husband a few moments ago."

She clapped her hands, her eyes twinkling. "Oh, splendid!"

She turned to Bella with a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Masen. It is quite the small world, isn't it? Please come this way and we'll get this little party started."

Bella swallowed and nodded before allowing Esme to guide her toward a door. I watched them leave before turning around and settling in with a sports magazine from a nearby table, tapping my foot as the time passed at the pace of an elderly snail.

Finally Bella emerged, a bright smile on her face, though her watery eyes told me that at some point she must have gotten a little emotional. Esme waved to me as she turned to leave before Bella reached my side.

"Well, how'd it go?"

She nibbled her bottom lip as she let me lead her toward the door. "I think it went pretty well. We had a pretty emotional conversation when she asked about my lack of work history and when I looked up from telling her my story she had tears in her eyes too. She walked around the desk and hugged me, Jasper. Like she was a friend or something instead of my potential boss. I've never seen anything like it."

I smiled, offering her my arm as we stepped out into the sunny afternoon. "That's just Esme Cullen for you. I've never met a nicer woman. So did she say anything to make you think that you might have gotten the job?"

Bella sighed. "Not really, but she told me that I'd hear one way or another by the end of next week. She gave me a lot of scenarios and asked me how I would handle them and she seemed very pleased with my answers. I hope that's a good sign."

I smiled down at her, reaching out to squeeze her hand that was now draped on my arm. "I think that's a very good sign."

We made it home just in time to pick eight-year-old Cooper and five-year-old Lizzy from school. Lizzy cheered as she ran to us, hugging her mom around her waist before hugging me.

"Uncle Jasper! I'm glad you came today," Lizzy said, jumping into my arms so I could lift her up to rest on my hip. "I wanted to give this to you."

She reached out to hand me a little white paper with a multicolored scene scribbled messily on the page. There was a house with five people in the scene. In a little silver car, someone with copper hair drove past the house while in front of it were four people I quickly picked out as Bella, Lizzy, Cooper, and…me.

"Wow, Lizzy-Belle that's a great picture. Thank you!"

She beamed as if I had just told her she won the lottery before scrambling down and sprinting off to her mom's van where a still-sullen Cooper was already climbing into the back. I showed Bella the picture and she took it with slightly shaking hands, a little tear falling from her cheek.

"This wasn't how it was supposed to be, Jasper. Where is he? He claims that our marriage was all about having these kids, but they haven't heard a word from him for two weeks. I've called countless times, left so many messages that his voicemail box is too full, and nothing."

I reached over and ran a hand down her back, trying to comfort her, but having no words to give. Apparently, Lizzy really was taking things in stride more or less, but she was too young to understand. Cooper, however, was an entirely different story. He blew up when Bella finally sat down to tell him what was going on, and he's been running hot and cold ever since. Edward needed to make an appearance and sooner rather than later.