Much thanks to R. for late-night calls, faeriemelie for editing despite being grumpy, and Starrynytex for being a great beta and just all-around awesome.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns these characters. I own Urban Decay eyeshadow that happens to be the same color as Bella's.

B POV

"Uh, I'm sorry, sir. Could you repeat the question?" I stammered at Edward.

"Absolutely, Miss Swan. Was the color symbolism and the theme of Emerald Azure Ruby inspired by anything, personal or otherwise?" he repeated as I regained my composure. I pondered his question for a few seconds before answering.

"That's an incredibly thoughtful question, Mr. Edward, and I'm glad you enjoyed my book. To answer your question, the colors I used to describe the fae world were colors I'd seen my entire life in my hometown of Forks, Washington. There were a lot of trees and other types of plant life, and I always imagined that faeries would hide in those plants, waiting for me to find them. When I began writing the book, I just used the colors before realizing about twenty pages in that the use of the color green could help convey that the fae creatures were driven more out of power and greed than anything good or natural. The color green is a common symbol for this in other literature, so it worked. I used yellow intentionally as a symbol of hope for the human world, and this was inspired by how bright the sun and sky look here in Los Angeles. When I began that book, I'd just moved here and my first novel was a best-seller, so I had plenty or reasons to be hopeful. As for the theme, that wasn't really inspired by anything particular. I remember that I'd been reading the Harry Potter series at the time, and listening to the album Ok Computer by Radiohead a lot, and the ideas just flowed out. Next question?"

He smiled a full grin at me, and it seemed he was impressed with my answer. Good, I thought. Now let's see if I can dazzle him with my outfit choice.

The questions continued in fast succession, and they were mostly questions I had been asked many times before. When asked if I was dating anyone special, I blushed as I responded in the negative. Granted, I knew that at the moment anything more than a few dates with a guy wouldn't be the best idea. I had way too much on my plate involving my job to be able to handle an emotionally involved relationship as well. I was really fucking lonely sometimes, though. Maybe Edward Cullen would like to make your bed sheets a little less cold.

The questions died down, and the manager of the bookstore announced that the crowd would be getting into line based on the numbers they were given earlier. I tried to crane my neck to see where Edward was in the line, but I couldn't find him. The fans started moving and I gave up my search. It was time for work.

I made sure to talk to each fan and sign personal notes into each book. I like to do these things for my fans so that they know I care about them, their thoughts, and their opinions. One girl named Sarah gave me a quilt she'd made with the birds from the cover of Wings on the Summer Wind on it. She was very quiet and shy about handing the present to me, almost as if she wasn't sure if it was allowed. I stood up and gave her a hug, thanking her profusely for the present. I'm always touched when my fans show so much dedication and love for my work, especially since I feel like my books are a very large part of me.

The line dwindled down, and when there were about fifteen people left, I saw Edward at the very end. I tried my best not to rush through the people in front of him, but I was getting really excited for the signing to end and my date with him to begin. Except that you two never specified that it was a date, dumbass.

Finally, he reached my table. He was wearing dark jeans and a black T-shirt that fit snugly to his body. I could see that he had defined muscles in his chest and arms, and I began to feel a warmth spread through my body. He had to have known what kind of reaction I was having to him because he gave me that uneven smile again.

"You don't have to sign the book if you don't want to," he said quietly, suddenly looking a little uncomfortable. I began to worry that I had gawked too long.

"No, it's alright. I'd be happy to sign the book for you. Would you like a personalized message?" I asked, noting that my voice sounded a little higher-pitched than normal. Way cool, there, Swan.

"How about 'To the many happy times to come?'" I felt his eyes boring holes into mine, and the color of them seemed to darken slightly.

I smiled at him and took the book from his hand. I signed the message he had requested and added "with much adoration, Bella Swan." When I was finished, he took the book from me without looking at what I'd written.

Alice came up behind me and said, "Well, since Edward was the last person, we are done here. I will take care of all the stuff with the manager of the store. Edward, I am assuming you brought a car with you?" Edward nodded, and Alice continued. "Well, then, I'll see you later. Have fun!" She gathered up the quilt, turned on her heel, and walked to the store manager.

Edward walked around the table and held his hand out to me. I took it, and he led me out of the store and to his car. I didn't let go of his hand until after I'd gotten into the car. I had no idea where we were going, but I didn't really care. I just wanted to spend some up close and personal time with him

(-)(-)(-)(-)

E POV

I'd decided to take Bella to a small café I had found while searching for a good record store one day. It served all kinds of food, so I knew it'd be a safe choice. We drove in near silence, with the only sound being a recording of Verdi's Requiem on my car stereo. I was doing my best to keep my eyes on the road, but I had a hard time focusing when she was dressed like that.

She looked like a 1950's housewife taken over by a pin-up girl. Her dress was black, and it showed an ample amount of cleavage. I had to struggle not to look, but from the few glimpses I let myself have, I'd noticed that she had very pale, almost translucent skin. She was also rather well-endowed for someone so small in stature. Just admit the girl has nice tits. Don't tip-toe around your thoughts just because you want to be polite and chivalrous and all that jazz. You know you want to fuck her silly while you motorboat those delightful breasts. Oh, who the fuck was I kidding? My libidinous thought process was right.

When she stepped into my 1966 Ford Mustang, I noticed that she was wearing very high heels and fishnet stockings. I wasn't completely positive, but I thought I saw a flash of garter as she moved her legs into the car. She had to have known what she would do to me and my testosterone levels when she put this outfit together. Even her make-up drew me in, with bright colors that weren't over-bearing.

"Where are we going?" she asked after a few minutes, her hands nervously fumbling with a small black handbag.

"I'm taking you to the Café Luminiere. They serve a variety of different types of food." And desserts I'd like to eat off of your bare skin.

"Do they serve burgers? I haven't had one in a while. Alice has been on a vegetarian kick, and has demanded that everyone in our house try it out for three weeks. I'm in desperate need of the protein." She looked at me kind of sheepishly, as if she felt like she was talking too much.

"Yes, they serve burgers, though I've never had one. I'm a vegetarian. I believe I am the reason Alice has forced this new diet on you. She sampled something I'd made for dinner one day, and proclaimed it the best thing she'd ever eaten. When I told her it was vegetarian, she asked me about cookbooks and stuff." Shit. Now she's going to get mad at me for denying her delicious burgers and slabs of bacon or whatever else meat-eaters ingest.

Instead, she laughed, her eyes giving off a soft, joyous luminosity. "Well, that's Alice. She's been doing this kind of thing to me for seventeen years. I'm used to it by now."

"How did the two of you meet?"

"We were seated next to each other on the first day of kindergarten. I let her use my crayons, and she shared the cookies in her lunch with me. It flourished from there, I guess. I can't even remember my life without her in it." There was a gentleness in the tone of her voice when she spoke of Alice. I could tell that she really loved her friend like family, and that there was a strong bond between the two women. I guess that meant I really had to make sure to stay on Alice's good side.

"Do you have any family here in L.A?"

"Yeah, my brother, Emmett. He lives with us, and he helps manage my literary empire. Do you have any family nearby?"

"No. My parents both still live in New York, and I don't have any siblings. You're lucky that you had Emmett and Alice growing up."

"Why's that?"

"I was a really lonely kid because I was always performing and always traveling. I didn't make my first friend until I was sixteen, and that person happened to be Jasper." After I'd spoken the words, I realized that I had shared something much too personal - and pathetic - than was appropriate for a first date. Except that you didn't specify to her that this was a date.

We were silent for a minute before she responded, "I didn't mean to bring up a sore subject, if I did. I'm really sorry." She looked down at her hands with a grim expression on her face.

"It's alright," I reassured, "you didn't know. My childhood was very different from that of most people, and it's not really a topic one brings up on a first date." I gave her a weak smile, and was surprised when she looked up at me with a look of elation.

"So, this is a date, Edward?" she breathed, her voice drawing me in closer to her face as I struggled to watch both her and the road.

"Only if you want it to be," I replied, making my voice as low as hers.

She blinked at me, slightly parting her lips. She stayed in her position for a few seconds before turning to face the windshield, her face flushing a deep shade of crimson. It was a beautiful sight, really. The small amount of color made her pale skin look more alive and radiant.

"So," I said, breaking our silence, "since I told you something really personal, you have to do the same for me….. in the interest of fairness, of course."

She turned to face me and smiled. "Ask away."

"If you were to ask a genie for three wishes, what would they be? And you can't ask for extra wishes or unselfish shit like world peace or the end of world hunger or no nuclear weapons." This was a question I asked everyone I met, but I'd asked it a lot sooner than I thought I would.

"Um... let me think." She paused, and I nodded with encouragement while she pondered her answer. "My first wish would be for my writing to never halt. Writer's block is frustrating, and it makes me unpleasant to deal with, and everyone around me gets sad or upset. My second wish would be for my father to finally start dating again, because it's been a while and I don't want him to live the rest of his life lonely. My third wish would be to have someone care enough about me to give me their soul completely."

"Sounds good to me." I was really impressed with her answers. I completely understood where she was coming from with the writer's block, and I was glad to know that she loved her father and wanted him to be happy. I wondered where her mother fit into the picture, though. Her third answer was intriguing, especially since I wasn't sure what exactly she meant by someone giving her their soul. Still, her answers where a lot more thoughtful and eloquent than asking for a house, a car, and Brad Pitt.

We were silent again, but this time the silence was comfortable. After a couple of minutes, we'd arrived at the destination. She'd hopped out of the car before I was able to make it around and open her door, and I wondered if she was a militant feminist or something. Granted, a militant feminist wouldn't be caught dead in an outfit like hers, so I figured she was excited instead. I knew that I was, especially as I watched her walk to the door with a little sway in her hips.

(-)(-)(-)(-)

B POV

We arrived at the restaurant, and I was excited and nervous. I felt like the conversation we'd had in the car was awkward, and I was wondering what he was thinking about it. When the car stopped, I hopped out before realizing that I probably should have waited for him to open the door. He seemed like the type to do that kind of thing. I turned around to make sure he was still behind me, and I caught him staring at my ass. I felt a little thrill run through me. Mission accomplished.

He closed the distance between us with three long strides, and we walked into the restaurant. He'd opened and held the door for me, and when I walked through the frame I felt his hand in the small of my back, leading the way. That small touch brought out an involuntary gasp from me, and I had to fight not jump on him.

We were led to a table near the back, and after we had ordered drinks (water for me and iced tea for him) we were left to our own devices. I decided to break the ice.

"You know, this meeting people thing is incredibly awkward for me, and you're looking pretty uncomfortable yourself. So, why don't we do like a rapid fire question deal? I'll ask you a question, then you ask me something. We don't ask anything too complicated, and we answer as quickly as possible."

"That sounds fine to me, but let's wait until after we order," he replied.

As if on cue, the waitress arrived to take our orders. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger with sweet potato fries, and he ordered a guacamole black bean burger, also with sweet potato fries.

When the waitress left, I said, "Ok, I'm going to ask a question first. Why did you order sweet potato fries?"

He grinned that adorable crooked smile at me and said, "They're my favorite thing on the menu here. They always turn out perfect. Why did you?"

"I've never had them before. I wanted to try something new. How old are you, and when is your birthday?"

"June 20th, and I am twenty-five years old. Same question."

"September 13th, and I am twenty-two."

The questions continued in this fashion for a while. I learned a lot about him, like his parents names (Carlisle and Esme), his full name (Edward Anthony Cullen), his favorite food (fettucine alfredo), his favorite book (Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger), and his favorite movie (Casablanca). He seemed to enjoy this type of questioning, as if the pressure was taken off of his shoulders. I remembered what he'd said in the car about meeting his first friend, Jasper, at the age of sixteen. It made me wonder if he'd ever dated before, and I hoped that I wasn't scaring him too much. Then he asked his next question.

"What's your favorite color?"

"Green," I answered, looking down at the table. I was afraid I'd begin to blush if I looked into the eyes that were my favorite color. I couldn't think of a question to ask him, so he asked another after I was quiet for a bit.

"What is your full name?"

"Isabella Marie Swan."

"That's a lovely name. Why don't you go by Isabella?"

"I don't know. I guess I just always preferred being called Bella." Although now I might start going by Isabella again, because the way it sounds coming out of your mouth is orgasm-inducing.

The food arrived at that moment, and we ate in silence. Our eyes would meet every so often, and we would smile at each other across the table. Then I noticed a bit of guacamole just above the left side of his upper lip.

"Um, Edward? There's a little bit of something on your face," I said, a little embarrassed. He wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand, but he missed it.

I had the sudden urge to lick it off of him, and before I could stop myself, I'd stood up and leaned over the table.

"Uh… B-bella? What-?" he stuttered as I brought my face close to his. I stared into his eyes for a few seconds before my tongue darted slowly to remove the traces of the tangy avocado from his lip. I licked my own lips as I sat back down. Ball's in your court now, I thought to myself, feeling incredibly smug.

(-)(-)(-)(-)

E POV

I sat there, completely stunned. Five minutes ago, she was blushing because her favorite color happened to be the same color as my eyes, and now, she's licking guacamole off of my face. I was confused as hell, and incredibly turned on.

During our rapid-fire questioning I'd learned a lot about her. Her favorite movie was The Rocky Horror Picture Show, she loved all types of music except for most country and rap, and her favorite book was One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia-Marquez. I had never heard of the movie or the book before, so I wondered about the quality of these favorites. I stopped wondering when she told me her favorite opera was Madame Butterfly. I figured anyone who loved Puccini had incredible taste.

She sat back down across from me, a superior expression on her face. I had no idea how to politely react to this development, so I just smiled, went back to my food, and tried to ignore the waves of lust rolling over me.

We made small talk about the abnormally hot weather and our friends while we waited for the check. She tried to offer to pay, but I wouldn't let her.

"I'll let you get the next one, okay?" I said as I set my credit card on the table. When I got my card back, I wrote out a generous tip and escorted Bella back to my car. I noticed that the clock in my car stated it was five PM.

We were being silent again, but it was serene. It was the kind of quiet you normally shared with someone you've known for a long time. We kept sneaking glances at each other, and each time our eyes met, her cheeks turned a darker shade of pink. I wondered if she blushed anywhere else besides her face, and imagined what that dark flush would look like on her breasts and stomach.

"What are we listening to?" she asked at one point.

"Verdi's Requiem. Do you like it?"

"Yeah. It's really powerful and bombastic for a requiem. Which recording is it? I'd like to look it up at home and maybe order a copy."

"It's the one with Christa Ludwig and Elizabeth Schwarzkopf. It's the best recording of the piece that I've found. The balance between the voices of the chorus and the soloists is unrivaled."

She didn't reply after that. We listened to the music as it flowed through the car, and I began to feel a sense of peace. The "Lacrymosa" movement was playing, and it always made my head clear as I listened. When we got back near the bookstore, she gave me directions to her house.

Eventually we arrived at our destination. She reached for the door handle, but I stopped her.

"Wait. I have a surprise for you," I told her as I reached into the back seat for the small package I'd hidden underneath her seat.

"Edward, you didn't have to do that. I mean, you paid for our meal and all." Her face was showing that remarkable color on her cheeks again, and my breath halted in my lungs. I'd never seen such an innocent reaction look so incredibly alluring.

"You gave me a present. I only thought it fair to give you one." I waited for about thirty seconds, and then she sighed and opened up the wrapping.

"Are you familiar with his work?" I asked as she held a new copy of Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman in her hands.

"I read some of it in college. I really enjoyed it. Is this an earlier collection or the deathbed edition?" I was delighted to hear that she was familiar enough to know of the different versions of this particular book.

"It's the deathbed edition. I've always enjoyed Whitman, and I frequently used his text when composing when I was younger. I guess you could call this a peek into my soul, Isabella, to use some of your terminology."

She stared at me, her eyes growing brighter and darker at the same time. How do they do that? Then she interrupted all thought processes by bringing her face close to mine.

"Thank you," she whispered, her lips so close to mine that her words made our lips touch.

"You're welcome," I whispered back.

She pressed her lips to mine with soft movements and gentle pressure. I brought my hand up to her face, stroking her cheek lightly with my thumb. I felt her hand twine itself into my hair as she pushed me even closer to her. Our kiss deepened, lips crushing together in a paradox of passion and tenderness. Her lips parted at the same moment mine did, and our tongues began their dance for domination. My other hand snaked around her, gently pressing against the small of her back. She moaned into my mouth, and I almost lost control.

Our need for oxygen broke our kiss, but our faces remained only inches apart. We looked at each other for a few minutes, trying to read the other's expression. I saw lust, excitement, and fear in her eyes, and was completely and utterly turned on by it. Her lips stayed slightly parted as she caught her breath, and I noticed how they looked rosy in the fading light as the sun made its descent in the sky.

"Well, I should get going. Thank you for a lovely evening, Edward. Call me tonight?" she asked, ending the perfection of the moment with the memory of reality. I was hoping she would ask me inside, but I guess she didn't want to move that fast.

"Sure." I opened the car door, and walked around the other side to walk her to the door. When we reached the door, she pressed her lips to mine gently, placing her hands on my hips. The kiss didn't deepen, but instead remained sweet and soft.

"Good night, Edward," she said after the kiss ended as she reached for the door handle.

"Sweet dreams, Isabella," I replied as I took her other hand and placed a light kiss on her knuckles. One point for Cullen.

I turned around and got back into my car, staring down at the bulge in my pants. Maybe next time, little buddy, I thought to myself. Then I pulled out of the driveway and drove home.

(-)(-)(-)(-)

B POV

I walked into my house, closed the front door, and leaned against it. Man, this guy is charming. Charming like Clive Owen or something. I'm so totally fucked.

I stood there in my Edward daze, still thinking about the fact that he kissed my hand, when the house phone rang.

I picked up the receiver without looking at the caller ID and said, "Hello?"

"Belllllllaaaaaaa. What's shakin', sweetie?" replied the voice on the other end of the phone. I immediately knew from the sound of the voice that it was Jacob.

I'd been friends with Jacob Black almost as long as I'd been friends with Alice. His father was friends with my father, and my family would spend a lot of time on the weekends with them. Jacob's dad, Billy, was the chief of a nearby Native American tribe, so for a long time I only saw Jacob on those weekend trips to the reservation. When Jacob got to high school age, he rebelled and decided to go to Forks High School because of their dance program. Jacob had always been a remarkable dancer, and was in fact minoring in dance at UCLA at the moment while also completing a pre-law program. I hadn't heard from him in a while, so I was happy to hear his voice.

"I actually just got home from a date. What are you up to?"

"Seth and I just got home from a date, too. We went to the movies and saw Star Trek, which was awesome. You'd like it, I promise you. Now he and I are making dinner. Hey, want to come join us?" he asked as I heard his boyfriend asking where the olive oil was in the background.

"No, I've eaten already. So, is this a purely social phone call, or did you call with a specific purpose in mind?"

"Actually, I was wondering if Alice was home. I need to ask her if she'll dance with me for a performance the UCLA choir is doing. Is she there?"

"Let me check." I set the phone down and called for Alice across the house. After I didn't get a response, I searched all of the rooms in the house and found that I was home alone at the moment. Shit, it would have been a perfect time to invite Sexy Cullen inside. Motherfucker.

I picked the phone back up and said, "Nope, she and Emmett are both M.I.A. You want me to give Alice a message?"

"Nah, it's alright. I'll call her cell, or I'll talk to her about it on Friday."

"I see. Hey, what's on Friday?"

"Uh, Bells, it's the first Friday of the month. Anyway, Seth needs my help, so I'll talk to you later. Love!"

"Love you back." I hung up the phone, feeling kind of stupid for forgetting what was happening on Friday.

Alice always had parties at the house on the first Friday of the month. She'd started the tradition when her maternal grandparents passed away two years ago and she inherited a large amount of money. She never told me the exact amount, claiming that she still liked to work to make her own way as best she could, but she did say once that she could live like Paris Hilton if she wanted. The only real money she spent out of her inheritance went to funding wild monthly parties that always had a theme.

I always hated Alice's parties. I never felt like I belonged at them, except when I was smoking pot with Jacob. Also, someone (usually Alice or Emmett) always ended up having sex in my bed. Well, at least this time I might be having sex - with Edward - in my bed. Things are starting to look up, Swan. I walked into my room and began to undress for a shower, wondering what theme Alice had picked for this month.

A/N: The title comes from the song "A Kiss To Send Us Off" by Incubus.

Harry Potter rocks my socks, and probably always will. Ok Computer by Radiohead contains the song "Paranoid Android", which is in my top ten favorite songs list. It's definitely worth checking out.

All of Edward and Bella's favorites are things I enjoy. Special shout-out to Madame Butterfly, which is an absolutely heart-breaking opera. The aria "Un Bel Di" makes me cry every time I hear it. PM if you want to know my favorites.

Verdi's Requiem is a piece of music I was lucky to perform in college. The "Lacrymosa" and the "Dies Irae" movements are worth checking out. And yes, the recording I mentioned is the best one.

Walt Whitman is an amazing poet, so if you haven't read any of his works, please do so. You won't be disappointed.

Star Trek was the only summer blockbuster that did not disappoint. Also... hot Spock.

All mentions of UCLA are done without any knowledge of their law or music programs. If you go there, and have knowledge of them... I'm sorry if I'm wrong.

Reviews are even better than licking guacamole off of Edward's face, and they'll get you a teaser, too.