Trapped in an unhappy marriage, she sought happiness outside the home. What happens when outside reached back? Twilight has been KANKed. All human, AU. Canon pairings, eventually. REVISED.
Well, Bella and Edward certainly got their moves on. The reason Bella and Edward are so alcohol prone is because they both turn to it when they have problems like her sterility and his injury. Have I mentioned that this is harder to write than it seems? With Indian movies, you don't really need plot development because you can make them fall in love in one song. Unfortunately, I can't do that. So as you can probably tell, Ugly Betty is also heavily used in this. Mostly because I have NO idea how a magazine like Elle or Vogue would work. So it's mostly artistic license, haha.
Anyway, on we go! xoxo—ei
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Never Say Goodbye
Chapter 4— Nobody Does It Better Than Us
"What were you thinking?" Alice shouted.
Edward cringed. The Advil hadn't kicked in yet and his head was killing him. "Alice," He said quietly. She paused and waited for him to speak, breathing like a winded rhino. "What exactly did we do?"
"This!" She said icily, tossing the newspaper. "Congratulations, you made Us Weekly and E!" There were many, many pictures, of him, with obscene gestures and of Bella, in lewd poses and in many cases flashes of bare skin.
"Shit."
"Yes, shit!" Alice said angrily. All at once, however, she simply looked sad. "Why, Edward? Why did you drink when you know you're a terrible drunk especially when I need to impress so many people! That dinner was very important to me and Jasper." Edward looked sour. "We're lucky we managed to get contracts signed before you two decided to give a show."
"I'm sorry, Alice. I was...bored."
"Bored?" She repeated, her voice growing higher and more hysterical. "Well, pray, next time tell me when you're bored," She said scathingly. "And I'll make a note to get another date for parties."
"Gee, Alice. What do you want me to say?"
"How about sorry, for one?"
"Alright, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I was stupid. I shouldn't have done it." He said, trying to sound earnest despite the throbbing in his head.
"Well sorry is not good enough," She shot back. "You could have ruined my career-–Worse!-Jasper's reputation, my reputation! The company's reputation. I know you can't play ball anymore, Edward, and that sucks. Really, I get that. And I know you wish you could be a big shot like you used to be, but that doesn't mean you have to take it out on me!"
"I didn't take it out on you!" Edward shouted, standing up, massaging his temples roughly. "I'm serious, Alice." She began to clear away breakfast, shooting him a scornful look.
He followed her and as she rinsed them and he put his arms around her waist. He realized then that she was shaking, quivering with anger and pulled her close. "Baby," he murmured into her hair. "Really, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was a fool. I'm sorry I hurt you. But, Alice. You know, I love you. I support you. I just let the alcohol get the better of me."
She had stopped shaking. He brushed aside the hair on the nape of her neck and kissed it, sloping his mouth up her throat and her jaw line. She put down a plate with a clatter and turned around.
He cast her a hopeful, apologetic expression. Her tense, furious expression had softened, but her eyes were still angry.
"I'm sorry," he repeated softly, going in for a kiss.
"I don't have time for this." She pushed him away and stepped out of his arms. "I've got to do some damage control and write up a report for Jasper's comment about last night. Finish the dishes, please," she said tersely, not even looking at him.
Edward sighed and dropped the plate in the sink. There was a copy of Celebrity Gossip on the counter next to the sink and he picked it, reading the headlines. There were blurbs about him and Alice, and Jasper and Bella. The center-spread was just one picture however and it spoke at least one word loud and clear.
"Fuck."
-NSG-
The situation was very grave in the Hale household. Their positions were almost comical: Jasper at the head of the table, hands folded primly in a nunnish fashion while Bella sulked like a rambunctious pupil in need of knuckle-rapping.
"I just don't understand, Bella. Why would you go and get drunk especially, when we both know you're a hot mess?"
"I don't know why I did it. In retrospect, I realize it was horrible judgment on my part." Bella said quietly.
"Yes, James has been fired from his establishment as it was clear that he was egging the two of you on…" Jasper said contemptuously.
"You know when I get tipsy, my judgment...suffers," Bella pleaded.
"Tipsy is one word for it, I suppose, although I think the proper term is hammered." Jasper pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I know, I'm sorry."
"I've been humiliated in front of the world on the eve of my greatest success. And what's worse, you overrode Alice's instructions, which I'll be sure to implement next time–-if there is a next time–-and you let him drink, maybe even pressured him to." Jasper shot her a furious glance. "I respect Alice very much; how can I face her after this?"
"I know. I sent over flowers."
"Flowers?" Jasper repeated incredulously. "You sent flowers to Alice to repent for possibly ruining her name? My name? My company's name? I seriously hope you're joking or they are drowning in blooms over there."
"I said I was sorry," Bella said petulantly.
Jasper frowned. "Oh Bella, I just wish you'd be…" He sighed and didn't finish.
That infuriated her and she scowled in response. "That I'd be what? I'm sorry I can't be your perfect Stepford wife, Jasper."
"I don't want a Stepford wife; I just wish you'd be a little more sensitive and responsible. Is that too much to ask?" He asked, dismayed.
"I told you I wasn't good at parties and you made me come," she reminded him.
"Oh, you're it was my fault for wanting to share my special night with my wife. Well, don't worry, Bella. I won't inconvenience you anymore. I won't be asking you to be my date for any parties any time soon, believe me!" He snapped.
Bella opened her mouth to retort, but suddenly, she had an unusual expression on her face. Jasper felt a little alarmed as his wife turned pale and then slightly green. Bella spluttered, turning and fleeing into the hallway. She made a beeline for the bathroom.
Jasper could hear her retching and vomiting in the bathroom. He kneeled by Bella and swept her hair back, feeling how clammy her forehead was. Jasper stared dispassionately at his wife. "Take some Tylenol. I have to get back to work and smooth over this whole incident."
When her stomach had given up, she lay motionless on the floor, cheek pressed against the cold edge of the toilet, breathing deeply, eyes closed. She let out a pitiful groan.
-NSG-
"Dear god," muttered Alice under her breath as she pulled into the driveway of the office. She'd taken Edward's car for a reason: it was less recognizable than her trademark yellow Porsche. She stepped out of the car and tossed the keys to a valet, donning shades and pulling the brim of her Prada leopard print hat low over her eyes.
No cigar.
The reporters with their armada of mics and cameras flashing hurried over to her. They surrounded her like sharks in a feeding frenzy.
"No comment." She said flatly. "No comment. No comment!" One of the security guards peeled away from the building and escorted her to the building's entrance, warding off reporters with his biceps. "Thank you," she said curtly, as they entered.
As she passed Gianna who was being swamped with phone calls, the receptionist called to her, "Jasper's already waiting for you. He's frantic–-no, I've told you; no information. Jasper will release a comment when he deems it apropos-please hold!"
Alice sighed.
Truthfully, she didn't know what to do. A scandal of this proportion had never occurred to her, especially not from her side. And Edward…she didn't know if she could forgive him though to his credit, he hadn't really disturbed the main party.
No, he'd just landed the front page of US Weekly.
And Bella? Just the thought of her made Alice's blood pressure rise sky-high. She had purposefully forced Edward to drink. The fool. The tawdriness of it just made her blood boil.
Alice hoped she wouldn't see the woman again. She would have a hard time controlling herself. But who was she fooling? Hadn't she been–-the word disgusted her–-flirting with Jasper all the while? After the trip-up in the closet, she'd promised herself that it had been an accident; a mistake made in excitement mistook for passion and checked her thoughts.
She and Edward had had a wonderful few days, marriage renewed with love and sex. But it hadn't been real, at least for her. Edward had been baffled at first to her new passion for their marriage and then extremely receptive. But the extremity had only been in response to her mistake, part of a way to make up for her coquettish ways.
The other way, avoiding Jasper religiously, had crumbled the night of the party along with Edward's soberness. All those naughty things she'd said, had she meant them? How could she hate Bella for being a reputation wrecker, when she herself was becoming a home wrecker? Regardless, this trivial mishap wasn't going to stop her, them, the company. They were still unstoppable with her here.
"Alice!" Jasper was looking out of his office at her. "Come on!" He called. She hurried into his office. All the senior staff were assembled there. "Okay." Jasper clasped his hands together. "Now that everyone is here – we need to figure out how I'm going to handle this PR nightmare. Any ideas?" He asked, tiredly.
"Just let it off as a publicity stunt," Jessica called out.
"Too unlikely. They'd never take it," Jasper disagreed.
"Just explain what it was: too much alcohol and too little restraint," Lauren suggested.
Jasper sighed. "Don't be naïve, please, Lauren, it doesn't suit you. We need a better explanation or they're going to assume we're all as flighty as that."
Alice glanced up at Jasper. "Wait..." He looked slowly to her, like he'd been avoiding her eyes. "Just tell E! Or TMZ or whoever…they're models." Alice snapped her fingers.
"What?" he asked, confused.
"We'll say, Edward and Bella are our models. We've hired them for next months' cover. And models?–-come on! What model hasn't done something like that? Just a few months ago the cover model for French Elle took off on a boat and ended up drunk in Bermuda."
Alice gauged her co-workers; they didn't look completely convinced.
"Bella and Edward as models?" Jasper repeated, dubiously.
"Oh come on. Bella's attractive enough and my husband was a heartthrob when he played the majors. It'll definitely work."
"I suppose that would work," Jasper allowed. "But do you really want to sacrifice the next cover for them? If it doesn't fly, it's going to cost more in sales than this catastrophe."
"As far as sacrifices go, I think Bella and Edward's faces won't disappoint us," Alice said, with a fleeting smile. "Trust me on this one. I think it'll work." She locked eyes with Jasper for a few seconds. "Besides, the shock factor should give us some solid sales."
He quickly broke the gaze, glancing to the rest of his employees. "Okay! We've got this. Get back to work! Next month's has to be to scintillating if we want to put this behind us."
The staff dissipated.
Alice lingered, watching Jasper. He shuffled and shifted papers busily for a few moments until she realized: he was ignoring her and she turned to go.
"It's audacious."
She turned back around. Jasper was watching her go, arms crossed across his short-sleeved D&G suit. It showed off his arms, nicely cut, like Edwards'. She swallowed, consciously making herself look at his face…not helping, Marie Alice.
"Do you actually think it's going to work?" He asked, leaning back against his desk.
"It's a risk," Alice allowed. "But have you ever known me to not be risky and fail?"
-NSG-
"Honey, I'm home," Edward called teasingly, as he let himself in. Bella came out of the living room with a laugh but quickly sobered as they looked each other over. Bella led him into the dining room and they sat across from each other as the silence settled around them.
"So," Edward said, uncomfortably. "What did you want to talk about?"
What it just her or did he put an extra emphasis on talk? Bella wondered. She smiled easily at him and held something out to him. He took it confused and then blanched, dropping it like a hot potato.
"We didn't!" he said forcefully. "Dear god, tell me we didn't."
"We didn't what?" Bella asked, picking up the pregnancy test from under the table without glancing at it and placing it in front of him.
"We didn't…have sex?" he asked, looking horrified.
"No, of course not." She laughed airily. "Why would you think that?"
He raised an eyebrow at her and reached into his pocket, pulling out a folded square of newspaper and brandished it in front of her face. "This, perhaps?"
She glanced at the photograph and paled. "I didn't see this! Jasper never said anything. Do you think he doesn't know?"
"I doubt it. It's been circulating everywhere. We made the front page of the style section, too. He just probably didn't tell you."
"Oh no." Bella put her head in her hands. "That's why he was so angry. I didn't understand. I don't remember anything from last night. I didn't think anything happened. I was so cross with him. I should apologize to him later. That's why you asked me if we had sex?" She confirmed miserably.
Edward shrugged. "I mean, if we made out, there was a chance we went farther. But I'm sure Alice would have let me know if we had…" He looked, embarrassed. "So, what's with the test?"
Bella's face lit up. "I-I think I might be pregnant. I mean, maybe we were unlucky the other times, right? Bad timing or sperm or eggs, or something. Because Jasper and I have been…well, we were going at it like rabbits before this whole travesty. And this morning I got sick – morning sickness, maybe?"
"Congratulations!" Edward grinned.
"No, no," Bella said quickly. "I mean, I think I'm pregnant. But I might not be." She thrust something into his hands. He studied the object for a moment and leapt up in horror, tossing it aside. "Oh god. Why would you make me touch that again?"
"Tell me what it says. I'm dying to know!"
"How do you not know already? Did you get a square root sign on there or something?"
"I didn't check. I wanted to talk to you anyway so I thought you should break it to me – I'm afraid to look."
Edward glanced at the test warily. "This has your pee on it, Bella. We might be friends, but even I will not do some things."
"Oh, good grief, I wiped off the handle, promise! Now, quick tell me what it says."
"Okay." Edward gingerly picked it up. "Here I go." He turned it over, shielding from her view. His eyes read the answer and he looked at her, poker faced.
"What does it say?" Bella demanded, excited. "I'm pregnant, right?" Edward placed it back on the table, facing her, covering it with his hand. "Right?" She repeated, her smile fading.
"I'm sorry."
Her face fell tragically. She reached out and took in her hands, holding it gently as if it were an infant. Her eyes read the math and she dropped like it was contagious. "I'm not pregnant?" She asked in confirmation.
"I don't think so," Edward said carefully. "But you can't know for sure. Maybe it's too early to show up." He glanced at Bella who was staring blankly across the table at him. It almost looked like she was staring through him, seeing nothing, but that minus sign, blinding her eyes. "Bella?"
"Why can't I get pregnant?" She asked, her voice breaking. "What did I ever do? I always wore the lead apron, I deal with my period month after month after–-why me?" She sobbed.
"It's not your fault, Bella," Edward said, reaching across the table and taking her hand in his. "It just is that way, but why does it even matter? Nothing's wrong with you."
"Stop saying that," Bella cried. "That exactly what Jasper says. But both of you are lying! If there wasn't something wrong with me then I would be able to -" She broke off, unable to continue. She yanked her hand from Edward's and stopped up with determination. She took the pregnancy test and disappeared into the recesses of the house.
Edward stood up, uncertain whether he should follow; she was clearly upset, but he wasn't sure whether it was in his place to say anything. A resounding crashing echoed through the house.
"What the…?"
Heart pounding, Edward sprinted into the living room, glancing around wildly.
Empty.
He continued into the bedroom area. He turned away from the guest bedroom and saw a light on the master bedroom and hastened inside. "Bella!" Edward said, half exasperated, half terrified.
Bella was lying on the floor of the bathroom, leaning against the door. Shards of glass were around her and there was blood on the floor.
"Bella!" Edward repeated, louder, worried now. He pulled out his cell phone as he kneeled next to her, feeling her wrist.
"I'm not dead," she said in a hollow, empty sort of way. "Although, I wish I were." Her eyes didn't open.
"Don't ever say that again," Edward warned her angrily, as he slumped next to her. He took her hands, they were bleeding. "What did you do? Go all kung-fu on the mirror?"
"No, that was the silver soap dish." She opened her eyes and glancing at the shower where it was lying forlornly on the floor, glinting ominously.
"What happened to your hands, then?"
"Turns out, plastic is harder to break than glass. And glass splinters, well…" She shrugged. "They hurt more, too."
"Oh, Bella," Edward said softly. He opened the cabinet and took out some gauze bandages from the first aid kit. He took her hand and carefully pulled out the splinters one by one with a pair of tweezers.
They fell with a quiet chink into the sink.
"Why me, Edward?" Bella asked, quietly. "I love kids. All my life I've wanted children. When I was a kid and we played house, I was always 'Mom'. I was meant to be a mother."
"Bella, I think you're placing too much importance in this. You're pretending like one child is your whole life."
"Having a child would be my whole life. You just don't understand."
"But it shouldn't be; don't you understand?" Edward took up some gauze and began to wrap her hand. "You're so immersed in this perfect child who doesn't exist yet that you're losing yourself. You're forgetting how perfect you are and because of that so is everyone else."
"It's all I've ever wanted," she pleaded, pitifully.
"That child isn't going to complete you, Bella. You're going to complete it. Because you're already whole and wonderful and perfect and a bunch of adjectives that I can't think of…" Edward tried to sound solemn although what he was saying sounded exactly like the bullshit he'd heard in rehab after his accident.
Bella hiccuped. "I wish I saw it that way." She leaned into him, resting her head on his chest. She tried to stay the tears welling up in her eyes. "Every time Jasper and I talk about this, I feel like he's always blaming me for this. He doesn't say it of course, but still…you can t-tell."
Edward pulled her into his arms, holding onto her tightly. Bella whimpered against him. "Oh, sweetheart," he said, pressing his cheek against her head. Her hair was soft, like silk, not like Alice's spiky fashionista's do. He pushed her hair out of her face and hugged her to his lean body. "It's okay," He murmured over and over, until she stopped crying.
-x-
Why was she intent on doing that him? Did she enjoy working him up with those irresistible one-liners? As if he didn't feel guilty enough about last night, having to reprimand Bella, pretending he hadn't done anything wrong, or worse. Why was he blaming her anyway? Alice wasn't at fault, he was the one who could handle himself around her.
The solution was simple: he wouldn't be around her…as much.
"Mr. Hale," Gianna poked her head into his office. "I've got Marc Jacobs on downstairs for you, to talk about the issue."
He cleared his throat and glanced down at himself. "Tell him I will be there presently, Gianna. Thanks."
She withdrew.
Okay, so easier said than done. He liked being around Alice, but no, more than that, if he was being honest with himself. He was clearly attracted to her. She was so strong, sexy, confident. Women weren't made like that anymore.
Bella had used to be liked that; when he married her; it had been her resilient nature that he'd fallen in love with, but she'd lost it after all the miscarriages.
Yet, somehow, Alice managed to be spunky, bold, and dignified while simultaneously being tipsy as hell, and good-looking to boot. Women like that used to be burned at the stake, and as Jasper looked down at himself, he knew exactly what stake he wanted to burn Alice with.
As he stood to leave the room, he shook his head in embarrassment. Even in his head, that line had sounded awful.
-NSG-
Bella threw herself into attempt to get Jasper's forgiveness with fervency unlike any other. When he arrived, she had dinner on the table and a bottle of '87 Chardonnay in ice.
"Jasper, I'm sorry. I'll do anything I can to fix this," was her constant refrain. Instead of looking appeased, he just looked more aggravated. "Jasper, please; talk to me. What can I do?"
He sighed and looked up at her. "We decided at work that you and Edward are going to model for our next issue."
"I don't understand."
"Models often lose control at parties so what happened will seem normal. Starting tomorrow, you need to come in with me and meet with a nutritionist. You have fittings afterwards and then in two days -"
"Why?"
"So you can lose enough weight to fit into the dresses."
"I'm only a size two!" Bella protested.
"Yeah, well, for a model that's pretty much obese!" Jasper snapped back. That was cruel, he knew, but he was just being honest, and doing what was best for his company.
"But why are you doing this?"
"I told you-–"
"But why're you being so nice? That's like a reward!" She protested. "And why would you want to put Edward and I together again if that's what fueled a scandal?"
"A reward?" Jasper snorted. "Yes, once Alice starts riding you, it'll be a real treat."
"Alice?"
"Didn't I mention? She's in charge of the shoot."
"No," Bella whispered. "Can't you get someone else to do it?"
"Now you want to run the company you ruined?" Jasper snarled. "No, she wants to keep an eye on you. I told her it wasn't necessary because there's nothing going on, but she insisted and that's her prerogative. If I were you, I would talk very little for the next few days."
Bella watched him head upstairs. She listened to his steps as they padded around on the landing. She did some quick thinking and raced up the stairs. He was changing out of his suit into PJs. She stepped up behind him and wrapped her arms around his torso.
He froze.
She stepped in front of him and with a demure smile, pulled his pants down.
"What are you doing?" Jasper asked her, bemused.
She got down on her knees before him.
"Asking for forgiveness," she said in a voice deeper than usual.
He didn't smile. Instead, he pulled his pants back up and began to hang up his clothes, ignoring his wife. "Sex doesn't fix everything, Bella." He said and turned away from her. "But, then you would know that, wouldn't you?"
-NSG-
As soon as the door flung open, Edward was on his knees, hugging Alice's lithe legs.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" he said. "I don't know how many times I have to say it and I don't care. I'm sorry I was a selfish son of a bitch and I'll do whatever it takes for you to forgive me."
Alice stood, looking stunned.
Edward took advantage of this to beg and plead more.
"Get up off the floor, Edward," she drawled. "You're in luck: we managed to fix it. But you'll need to come in to work with me for a while."
"Why?" He asked curiously, not moving from the floor.
"You and Bella are models for our next issue."
He sat up, wide-eyed. "Why?"
"It was the only way we could explain the fiasco that was the dinner party." At the confused look on her husband's face, she added. "Models get hammered and loose all the time."
"So my punishment for ruining your big is to be sprawled across the cover your magazine with a bombshell?"
"Yes," Alice sighed. "How unfair the world is."
"You're not withholding sex? Come on, Alice–-where's the punch line? What strings are attached?"
"None."
"Yeah, right!"
"I'm really tired, Edward. I'm going to turn in early, alright?"
What it just him or did his wife look a little uncomfortable to be around him? "That's fine – I'll put dinner away. Want me to come in and give you a massage?"
"That'd be nice all things considered."
He'd expected a tongue-lashing, yelling, a fight that would at least let Alice blow some steam. You had to head her off early in these types of situations and not let her build steam or he'd be on the couch for weeks.
She padded off down the hall after tossing her shoes off. Edward glanced after her, bewildered. Alice hadn't put her shoes away. Her YSL pumps were carelessly thrown in the foyer. But, for some reason, this blind forgiveness left him feeling worse than if she'd screamed at him.
He followed his wife to their bedroom. She was already sprawled across the bed in a pretty, lacey negligee, fast asleep. He turned her on to her back and began to rub circles in her back.
But there was something else bothering him: it took a lot to get him drunk and that night, he had drunk a lot. But when he'd kissed Bella, at that time, he had still been sober.
Alice sighed in contentment.
Sober enough.
-x-
There was definitely a storm brewing.
Bella had only been here an hour and already she was showing all the concern and sensitivity she was known for: none.
"Ordering lattes from the interns," Alice snarled under her breath. "This isn't a fucking cruise on the Carribbean." She halted outside the dressing room. "No, it's hell, you slippery bitch so get used to it."
When she walked in, she froze.
Bella was chatting merrily with one of the interns as she scarfed down a sandwich.
Disgusting, Alice thought.
The photographers were playfully snapping photos of one of the interns who was pressed up against the Faberge-patterned wall in a provocative pose. The rest of the personnel were standing around, doing apparently nothing while two of the background models were engaged in a ferocious row that looked likely to escalate.
Alice strode in, grabbing a shot from a platter on the table and brought down on the table. Hard.
Crash! The shards skittered all over the floor.
Everyone froze.
What the hell is going on here?" She said in a quiet voice that carried throughout the room. "Who is running this shoot?"
"Lauren ran out for a moment," one of the interns murmured.
"Tell her she's fired," Alice snarled. She walked up to Bella who's amused expression slowly faded. "Put that down," Alice scolded, her voice full of revulsion. "Models do not eat!" She stated for Bella's benefit. "And they do not drink lattes," she picked up an empty cup and glanced around pointedly. "Even the interns should know that so if you lot see something wrong happening, you correct it!" She hissed at the interns who were standing around, looking quite discomfited. "Understand?"
A dull chorus of "Yes" sounded.
Bella lowered her sandwich, looking puzzled and…little scared?
Alice smiled to herself: Good for her, at least she picks up on the power dynamics fast.
"Renesmee!" The young intern next to Bella perked up. "Who do you think Bella should wear for the shoot?"
The young intern could barely believe her ears. "I was thinking a-–"
"Do not fool yourself," Alice interjected. "Even a moment, that I care what she's going to say." The girl's mouth snapped shut. "But each and every one of you should be asking yourselves that question for whenever the opportunity arises in the event that I do care, however unlikely that may be."
The interns muttered among themselves.
"Learn why what was chosen was chosen and then next time maybe–-don't bet on it–-you may not be wrong." She gave them a haughty smile. "Now, Renesmee, what were you going to say?"
The girl looked terror-struck.
"Go ahead," Alice said sweetly.
"I was thinking Alexander McQueen's ISSHEFORMAL lines? Or one of Bahnik's vintage plaid-inspired designs and the new line of geometric jewelry put out by Gucci."
"Safe," Alice announced. Renesmee sighed. "And completely boring. Yawn." The intern flushed a bright red. "Your limitations are drawn by your model. They are your deadweight. Anyone have any observations?"
Bella's face, Alice noted, flushed red in chagrin. She heard the door open and close and saw Jasper pass by. When he saw the interns grouped around her, he paused by the door to listen.
One of the older interns raised her hand.
"Tanya. Go."
"Well, in this case, observe the model: she's a pear. An anomaly among models, most of whom will either be hourglasses or thin like a line." She grabbed Bella's arm and turned her around so that her back faced the interns. "Well, note how her posterior is bigger than most models we've hired. Something we have to diminish. Turn. Look at her bust. Average, on the smaller side even. Something to be enhanced."
Ruthless, Alice thought. She couldn't have said it better herself.
"On top of that, she's not generically petite," Tanya continued. "So we have here our first plus size model of the year."
Bella's lip trembled.
"Good. Very good." Tanya beamed and smirked at Renesmee. "Now as Renesmee said, Alexander McQueen." Alice said pointedly. "To be honest, that's not the worst idea I've ever heard." Renesmee peered through her fingers. "However, McQueen's designs have clear, clean sharp angles and cuts. Bella's soft figure is reduced to that of your run of the mill overweight receptionist at the dentist's office. Not remotely sexy."
The interns scribbled all this down.
"Meet back in twenty and you'd better have something better to show me. And if anyone so much as breathes Betsy Johnson, I will make you cry," Alice warned.
They scarpered.
"Alice!" Jasper called. "What was that?"
"Jasper, let it go," Bella muttered.
"What was what?" Alice said coolly.
"I know you have a vision, but there is no need to tear down my wife to satisfy your issues, Alice."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Alice said nonchalantly.
"Talking about my wife as if she were a mannequin, criticizing her body. She is perfectly proportioned."
"I don't give a damn about your wife, Jasper." Alice said coldly. "She can go to hell for all I care. To me, she's a model and not a very good one, therefore a liability. I'm teaching them how to deal with liabilities."
"Alice-–"
"All I said what that she wasn't a typical model, not that it was a bad thing. Models are chronically unhealthy anyway. I commented professionally. I do this job the only way I can, Jasper: the best way. Just don't expect me to be successful without stepping on a few toes. I'm paid to be a conniving bitch, you know that; you sign my checks."
-NSG-
It wasn't as gratifying as it should have been to watch her husband defend her. Maybe his acting would have been more convincing if his lines weren't so half-hearted, Bella thought; if he hadn't been inwardly agreeing with Alice's opinions; if Alice hadn't been so depressingly right.
Bella grabbed a donut off a tray. Before it could make its way to her mouth, one of the interns who had slipped back in, slapped her wrist.
It was that Renesmee girl, the one Alice had torn down. "No donuts." She said firmly.
"I'm starving." Bella said irritably.
"We have sparkling water and scotch–-take your pick."
Bella reached for the scotch and then, thinking the better of it, picked up a bottle of San Pelligrino. If she so much as glanced at alcohol for the next month, Jasper would probably make her join AA. And Alice would probably bite her head off.
"Where are the male models?" Bella asked the girl called Tanya.
"Down the hall, left," She answered, ruffling through a row of dresses which collectively probably cost more than a Ferrari."
Bella left Jasper and Alice who were still going at it and tip-toed down the hall. She peeked inside the doorway adjacent. "Jackpot!" she whispered to herself in triumph. Never before had she seen so many hot men arrayed before her in barely anything for her viewing pleasure.
She strutted in, pretending like she belonged. They gave her a passing glance and went back to flexing and rubbing oil on their bulging bodies. Edward was in a corner, sipping a drink, wearing a pair of what she could really only call booty-shorts, with a bandana tied around his neck.
"Hey there," she called.
Edward glanced up and a smile spread across his face. "Hey yourself."
"Nice shorts," she teased.
"I had no idea I would have to do all of the odd modeling jobs here. Plus, those guys have been looking at me kind of…" He shrugged. "…like they want to cop a feel."
She grinned, trying to keep her eyes at an appropriate level. It was like a car accident: she couldn't take her eyes off the bulge and was dying to know if it padded or legit.
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