A huuuge thanks to my beta wmr1601 – she's the best beta a girl could hope for and always knows where my comma's should go. Big thanks to branchirps as well for pre-reading.
Also, a big thank you to everyone for your reviews and alerts. I tried replying to all of you but remember that I can't reply if your PM's are disabled.
More down the bottom.
***spark***
Ten days.
That's how long I had spent in Rome, doing everything I could possibly think of to meet Aro face to face. I had spoken to him six times on the phone. After day six, he stopped taking my calls, although he was nice about it.
"Ms. Swan, I understand that you're not here of your own free will. I may not frequent your offices, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that your superior is the devil incarnate. I appreciate all the work you have done for me in the past, but I have no intention of ever selling myself to the same media outlets I have successfully ignored for the past twenty years. I prefer my quiet life, and Hammond Publishing would do well to remember that. Now for the last time, enjoy the rest of your stay in Italy, and good day to you."
My plan was to get some face time with him, to build a rapport before springing the idea of interviews on him. On day one, I played dumb, telling him I just so happened to be in the area, and wouldn't it be lovely to put a face to the name? Apparently not. After querying how I could possibly know I was 'in the area' (when he had never given us his personal address), Aro explained politely that he had seen my photograph on the website so was all set in that department.
Day two, I tried flattery, asking him if I could stop by to have him sign my copy of his latest bestseller. He told me he would send one that afternoon.
By day three, I had resorted to begging and explained the situation in full. He was sympathetic and told me he would speak with Mr. Hammond to ensure I didn't lose my job, but he had a firm 'no publicity' policy, which was, in fact, written into his contract. Keeping or losing my job was no longer the point – I was given a task by my boss, and if I didn't complete it, I would feel like a failure, no matter how unreasonable it was.
On day four, we had quite a civilized chat. Aro asked me where I was staying and what I had been filling my days with. I told him about my hotel in Rome, and how I spent each evening wandering the city streets, ending up at all the tourist hotspots – the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps and—my personal favorite—the Villa Borghese. I'd spent an entire day there – day two, in fact – sitting under a tree, wandering the paths around the statues and simply relaxing and being free. For the entire day, I didn't allow myself to worry about my work, my upcoming wedding or my family. I simply… existed. Peacefully.
Day five was much of the same and I thought maybe, just maybe, I could win him over. By day six, however, his patience had run thin and it was all over. True to his word, he did not answer any of my calls from then on.
I decided that since I didn't have a job to go home to, I would stay in Rome for a few more days. My bachelorette party was supposed to be on Saturday night, so I booked my return flight for Sunday night and spent the next few days eating gelato, seeing the sights and spending time away from the hustle and bustle of New York. I loved New York and couldn't see myself living anywhere else, no matter what Jacob said. Even though it made us sound like tourists, or extra cast members in Sex and the City, Alice and I had always said that we seriously heart New York.
The decision of where to live once Jacob and I were married occupied my thoughts for the majority of my trip. I wasn't a huge fan of DC. I found it so impersonal and other than Jacob and my father, I didn't know a soul there. Sure, I could make new friends, but really, I was happy with the friends I had. I couldn't imagine living without Alice, Jasper and Chloe. They meant the world to me and I wouldn't give them up.
By the time Sunday rolled around, my decision was made. Whether Jacob liked it or not, I was staying in New York.
I spent my final day in Rome back at the Villa Borghese. I didn't understand what it was that drew me to the park, but I loved the serenity. By the time I had to leave for the airport, I realized I was dreading going home; I had no job and was getting married in a week's time. In the past, one of my arguments against DC was that I would lose my job. Jacob's solution had been that I simply didn't work at all, an idea which I was totally against. I knew Jacob's salary and my inheritance meant I could live comfortably without working, but I couldn't handle people saying I was just another spoiled rich kid who had everything handed to her on a silver platter. I'm sure part of the reason I was so driven at work was because I had a need to prove myself.
***spark***
I was always paranoid I would miss my flight, so when the hotel driver dropped me off at the airport with plenty of time to spare, I decided to take a look at the shops. I'd been browsing around for an hour or so and had lost track of time when I heard the final call for my flight, so I rushed through the airport, dragging my suitcase behind me and trying not to drop my recent purchases. In my rush, I didn't see the toy truck zooming around until it was too late. I overbalanced, wobbled for a bit and prepared for the wipe out, but somehow I managed to grab the handle of my hand luggage and stay on my feet. As I pushed my hair out of my eyes and unstuck the few strands that had caught in my lip gloss, I glanced around, but thankfully no one was paying much attention. Due to the heat in Rome, I was wearing a soft, short skirt from Alice's summer line. A fall in this skirt would have been even more embarrassing than normal.
Another day in the life of Bella Swan.
I made my way to the gate and found my boarding pass, handing it to the irritated looking stewardess. Due to the last minute nature of my booking, I had been unable to fly Business Class, so once on board the plane, I turned right and made my way down the narrow aisle, my bags awkwardly knocking people as I passed them.
Something I didn't count on in Economy – the regulation-height flight attendants were not as willing to help the vertically challenged passengers load their bags into the overhead compartment. I managed to get my small suitcase in and was unsuccessfully trying to throw my shopping bags and jacket in when one of the bags was taken from my grasp.
"Allow me," a silky voice said to my right.
"Oh! Thank you!" I replied, turning to face my tall savior. My years of media training were all that prevented my mouth from dropping open at the sight in front of me. The man who was currently stowing my bag of newly purchased La Perla lingerie was quite possibly the most perfect specimen I had ever seen. His hair – bronze is the only word that could come close to describing the color – flopped forward over one eye and his long fingers swept it back in what looked like an unconscious habit. He had a light dusting of stubble across his defined jaw and as my eyes traveled downward, I noticed his jaw was not the only defined part of him. While he wasn't huge, his plain white t-shirt showed how defined his muscles were. He reached down and took the last bag from my hands.
"This is why I never arrive early at airports – too much temptation." He glanced down at me with a smirk on his face. Green eyes… interesting. On paper, bronze hair and green eyes wouldn't be a good combination, but somehow on him it worked. Really, really worked.
"I can't help it – I'm always paranoid I'll get stuck in traffic and miss my flight," I told him. I noticed that one of my La Perla bags was open and facing the front, meaning that if he looked up he would be able to see the lacy underwear that was currently peeking out of the tissue paper. Please, God, don't let him look up.
"Are you in a 34C?" I blinked, not comprehending what he was asking. Surely he wasn't asking… "Because it looks like we're neighbors," he continued and I wanted to slap myself. Of course, he was talking about our seat allocations. The 'a' was a thoughtful 'ahhh.'
"Yes, I am," I recovered swiftly. He may have been gorgeous, but I was adamant that I would not stutter and stumble my way through a conversation with him like some gushing teenage girl.
No matter how much I felt like one on the inside.
"Nice to meet you, 34C, I'm 34B." He grinned at me and hoisted his own backpack into the overhead compartment. I waited to one side to allow him into the row first. 34A had yet to appear, but as the plane was fairly full by that stage, I was hoping no one would. Mr. 34B slid somewhat awkwardly past me into his seat and I noticed his knees were practically up near his ears.
"Would you like the aisle seat?" I asked, thinking how cramped he would be after nine hours. He looked up at me in surprise. "You're very tall; I thought you may be able to stretch out into the aisle. And we can both see that I don't exactly need the extra leg room." Edward joined in as I laughed at my height deficiency.
"Are you sure? I don't want to put you out."
"It's not a problem," I assured him and moved out of the way so we could switch.
"Thanks." He smiled at me again as he sat down, but the look turned to pain as another passenger walked past, their wheeled suitcase catching on his ankle. He looked up in time to see the other passenger glaring at him before yanking the suitcase over his ankle with a huff.
"Did you see-?" He looked at me, eyes wide open in disbelief. I couldn't help it – I started to giggle.
"Maybe you should keep your feet to yourself until take off," I told him. "And watch out for the drink cart." He laughed with me then, shaking his head, and tucked his feet back under the seat in front of him.
"I usually travel in business class but there were no seats available. They have much more leg room," he told me, before groaning quietly and shaking his head. "I promise you, that sounded much less pretentious in my head." I laughed, not really knowing how to respond to that. He did sound pretentious, but I could tell by the way he laughed at himself that he wasn't some arrogant jerk who thought Economy was beneath him. There was an awkward pause as I racked my brain, trying to think of something to say. When nothing came to me, I started rifling through the magazines in the seat back in front of me. Finding the menu, I pulled it out to see if there would be anything worth eating.
"I wonder if there's anything good to eat," I mumbled, more to myself than him, in a vague attempt at carrying on the conversation.
"Not likely. All plane food is usually pretty terrible," Mr. 34B told me.
"You travel a lot?" I asked, curious.
"I do. Mostly for work and mostly within the States."
"What kind of work do you do?"
"I'm a lawyer with Miles & Dean in New York. I specialize in international human rights. Well, I did, anyway." A flicker of annoyance crossed his face and I felt like I was bothering him. He looked at me and smiled. "I'm being moved into our corporate division in a few weeks."
"You don't want a corporate job?" I asked.
"I'd rather stay where I am. What do you do?" He smoothly changed the focus away from himself.
"I'm a publicist with Hammond Publishing, in the fiction division," I told him. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by the crew captain's voice coming over the PA. Reluctantly, we both turned to watch the safety demonstration. As soon as it was over and we had begun taxiing down the runway, Mr. 34B turned back to me.
"So tell me, 34C – although I suppose now I'll have to call you 34B – what brings you to Rome?"
"Or you could just call me by my name," I giggled. He flashed a grin at me and looked slightly embarrassed.
"If I was smooth enough, I'm sure I would have already gotten that information, but apparently my manners have deserted me. My name is Edward Cullen," he introduced himself and the only thought running through my mind was Edward? Seriously, his name is Edward? It seemed like such an old fashioned name for a guy who, despite his claims, seemed pretty smooth to me.
"Bella Swan," I told him in return.
"Bella…" he mused, my name rolling off his tongue. "So, business or pleasure, Bella?" I almost choked until I realized he had just asked me what I was doing in Rome. What is it about this guy that puts my mind firmly in the gutter?
"Business, and when that didn't go too well, pleasure," I told him honestly. "Rome is a lovely city and I was happy to spend some free time here before…" Before I get married. "Before going back to New York," I finished quickly, hoping he hadn't noticed. A quick glance told me I was safe, but my mind was whirling. For the past half an hour, I had completely forgotten my fiancé. I had been flirting with a complete stranger, barely a week before I was supposed to be pledging myself to one man for the rest of my life.
"It's one of my favorite cities," he replied, oblivious to my inner turmoil. "I have family here so I visited a lot as a kid."
"Are you originally from New York?"
"Born and bred," he affirmed with a grin. "Best city in the world."
"Isn't it? It's incredible how there's always something happening, always something going on right outside your door. I could never get tired of it."
"You're never alone in New York," Edward agreed with me. "The best restaurants, the best theater, the best music, the best hotels, the best park, the best chili dogs. What more could you want in life?"
I laughed. "Food, shelter, entertainment…I think you've got it all covered there." We smiled at each other for a few moments before going kind of quiet. Somehow, I had the feeling he was racking his brain for something to talk about just as I was. I ran my hand through my hair to mask the awkwardness and his eyes followed my hand before widening slightly.
"Oh, I see you're… engaged?"
"Oh!" I was startled and withdrew my hand sharply, before twisting the ring around on my finger. In all honesty, I wasn't enamored with my ring. It was lovely – a large, emerald cut diamond flanked by two slightly smaller emerald cut diamonds – but really, it was huge. Sometimes I felt like I needed a security detail with me just to walk down the street with it on. "I am," I told him. I didn't really want to get into the details with him. I was missing my bachelorette party; the least I could do was spend the next nine hours flirting with a total stranger.
"That's great." His words sounded forced. Was it possible that he was disappointed?
"What about you, are you… married?" It was the polite thing to ask, but somehow I didn't like the idea of him being married. He was the type of guy, if he was single, who could provide hope to millions of girls that there were some decent guys left.
"No, I'm engaged as well, actually." Of course he was. He was too gorgeous not to have been snapped up already. I bet his fiancée was some blonde, busty supermodel-type. Bitch.
"Great." I smiled at him but it didn't feel genuine. We slipped back into the awkward pause stage again.
"So when are you getting married?" he asked out of nowhere.
"Next Saturday, actually," I winced.
"Really? No kidding! Me, too." He nudged me and shot me that sexy grin of his. "Where's the wedding?" He seemed to be really interested, which surprised me. Jacob didn't really want anything to do with the planning of our wedding. Neither did I, for that matter, but at least I cared enough to keep an eye on what Alice had in store for us. It figured that this guy would be interested in the finer details. He probably went on venue tours, cake tastings and even flower arrangement classes so his fiancée could have her dream wedding.
It hardly seemed fair that a man this attractive would be the whole package, but I bet he was. I bet he was the type of guy who would run out at midnight to buy her ice cream, or search the city for a specific species of orchid, just because she said it was her favorite. He would probably cook her breakfast on a Sunday and lay in bed doing the crossword puzzle with her. He would take her to his work functions and show her off proudly, never leaving her in a corner while he schmoozed his bosses and flirted with their wives. I bet he was the kind of guy who would kiss her for no other reason than he couldn't not kiss her.
"Central Park. At the Boathouse?"
"Sure, I know it. I'll probably be able to see you as I'm saying my vows; I'm getting married at the Plaza."
I sighed wistfully. "I always wanted to get married at the Plaza."
"Why aren't you?"
"Jacob, my fiancé, wanted to get married outside."
"And he couldn't compromise for something you've wanted all your life?" Edward sounded slightly irritated.
"He did compromise. The outdoor wedding was the only part he cared about. The rest, he left entirely up to me."
"That's not a compromise," Edward scowled. "He took away your dream wedding, and left you with the organization of the whole thing in return." My mouth dropped open. I'd never thought of it like that. It seemed Edward misunderstood my reaction though.
"Shit, I'm sorry! That was completely out of line."
"No, it's okay. You're right; I just didn't look at it that way before."
"Did you know they can accommodate four weddings per day at the Plaza? Imagine if you walked through the wrong door. You could be halfway down the aisle before you realized it was me standing there and not Jacob," he teased. My mind immediately pictured the scenario and I laughed. Imagine the horror of walking toward someone and then realizing you were crashing someone else's wedding. Suddenly, my mind flashed on a not-so-horrific image – Edward waiting for me at the end of the aisle, looking incredible in a tux, me practically running down the aisle to get to him quicker. He would slide my wedding band onto my finger and then cup my face in his hands, pulling me into a kiss because he just couldn't wait for the officiate to announce us husband and wife.
What the fuck? 'Jacob, Jacob, Jacob, Jacob', I chanted to myself. It was completely inappropriate to imagine marrying another man when I was just one week away from marrying the man I loved.
"So tell me about your wedding." I changed the focus to him to avoid the feeling of guilt that was starting to spread.
"It's next Saturday, at the Plaza," he told me. "I'm marrying Tanya, a friend of the family." Was he serious? A friend of the family? Not 'I'm marrying Tanya, the love of my life' or even 'I'm marrying Tanya, she's an amazing woman.' It was 'I'm marrying Tanya, a friend of the family,' as though it was some arranged marriage from the 1800s.
I waited for more, but that seemed to be all he wanted to share.
"Were you childhood sweethearts?" I asked, and he actually snorted.
"God no, I couldn't stand her when we were kids. We didn't talk for years. Then I saw her at my brother's engagement party and, well… these things happen, I guess."
"That's so sweet," I told him. I couldn't help but feel a little jealous.
"Er, yeah. It is," he replied somewhat awkwardly. I got the feeling there was more to the story than what he was telling me but I didn't think it was my place to pry. He didn't seem to be enthusiastic about his upcoming nuptials. A horrible thought struck me. What if he was just getting married to keep his family happy and he actually had no intention of being faithful? I mean, a guy this gorgeous would have no trouble finding a willing girl, whether he was married or not. Is that why he was talking to me, because he thought I might be an easy lay? Despite my best efforts, could he tell that I was attracted to him?
My mind whirled from the possibilities. I hated to think badly of Edward since he seemed like a really nice guy, but I could tell that something wasn't right. I wanted to spend the next nine hours happily flirting with a cute guy before I arrived home to start my life with Jacob, so I decided to change the subject away from weddings.
"How long were you in Rome?"
Edward shot me a grateful look. "Only four days."
"Business or pleasure?"
"Neither, actually." I raised an eyebrow in question. "Tanya decided that she simply had to have a second bachelorette party, so I simply had to pick up her wedding dress for her from the designer in Rome."
"Who has two bachelorette parties? God, I was over the moon when I realized I'd miss mine to come here."
"Tanya, apparently. Something about male dancers and one bachelorette party being soooo last year," he laughed and I joined in. Tanya sounded like a vapid, brainless socialite. What was he doing with someone like that when he was obviously an intelligent guy?
"Isn't it bad luck to see the dress before the wedding, though?" Edward looked at me for a long moment, seemingly at war with himself.
"I don't think luck has anything to do with it," he said in a low voice.
"It doesn't?" I squeaked back. God, his voice is sexy.
"It doesn't," he affirmed. He was looking into my eyes as though trying to tell me something. I couldn't understand what that was, but God, he was smoldering hot when he looked at me like that. I heard a small chime and was broken from the moment, luckily before things got too intense, by a member of the cabin crew announcing that the seatbelt sign had been turned off.
"I think I'm going to try to get some sleep," I told Edward. I'd been attracted to other guys in the past; it was only natural when you think about it. Sure, I loved Jacob, but loving someone didn't mean you were blind to every other guy in the world. Just because I found a guy attractive didn't mean I was going to cheat on Jake.
But something about Edward was different. I just didn't believe that there was only one person meant for me in the world. The thought was ludicrous, that out of six billion people, there was only one person who could make me happy. Jacob was simply one of many who, had I met them at the right time and place, I could have been happy with. I had never met another of the men I could have been happy with, but something told me that I could have been happy with Edward, if only I had met him first.
Considering I was getting married in six short days, the inappropriateness of my feelings gave way to feelings of guilt, betrayal and shame. It was much easier to play dumb than to risk everything by flirting with a stranger who I would never see again once the flight landed.
"Sure, good idea. I'll wake you up when dinner comes around, if you like."
I tilted my seat back, raised the arm of the seat next to me and loosened my seatbelt so I could shuffle into a more comfortable position. I closed my eyes and felt myself gradually relaxing, until my bare knee brushed against Edward's shorts then onto his bare skin. It was always uncomfortable when you had to share someone's personal space – you don't want to be rude by cringing away from them as though you think they'll give you some kind of disease, but you also don't want the weirdness of touching a complete stranger.
As with most things where Edward was concerned, though, this felt completely different. The second my knee touched Edward's skin, I felt my whole body start to hum with anticipation. I moved my leg back slightly, murmuring a soft apology, and tried to ignore the residual feeling of his leg on mine.
What the hell was that?
I was reminded of a conversation I'd had with Alice the night she'd met Jasper.
Alice dragged me to the bathroom, her nails digging in to my wrist so hard I thought she was going to draw blood.
"Who the hell was that?" she demanded once we were inside and she had done the requisite check under the stall doors.
"That was Jasper. I've told you about him – he works in Renee's policy team."
"How could you not have introduced me to him before now?"
"He's new to the team. Why do you think I insisted you come here tonight?"
"Oh my God, Bella… I'm going to marry that man," Alice swooned. Seriously, I had to grab her before she fell to the ground.
"I knew you'd like him, but don't you think it's a little too soon to be picking out china patterns?"
"He's 'The One'," Alice told me seriously. We had spent the last two and a half years enjoying everything New York had to offer – food, wine… men. While I had several relationships in that time, no guy had ever lasted more than a few dates with Alice. She claimed that when she met him, she would know, and there was no point wasting everyone's time until then.
"Do you really think so, Ally?"
"I know so, Bella. I felt it, when we touched. The spark."
"The spark? What spark?"
"You know… that spark of electricity you get when you meet your soul mate. My whole body was tingling the second he touched my hand." Alice looked down at her hand in wonder. I just thought she looked stoned. Hell, maybe she was.
"Isn't that just the stuff of bad romance novels?" I asked skeptically.
"Trust me Bella, one day you'll meet your soul mate and when you do, I want you to remember this conversation. Remember that it was you who didn't believe in the spark. When it happens, I want you to call me and say 'Alice my darling, you were right. I have met the man of my dreams and we're going to live happily ever after'." I couldn't help but laugh.
"Sure, Ally. Whatever you say. Now, get the hell back out there so he can propose, already!"
I couldn't help but smile at the memory. Alice had insisted for the past four years that she felt a spark of electricity every time she and Jasper touched. I was just as cynical as I had been when she first told me about it, but I was left with a slight feeling of unease. That wasn't the spark, was it? No, Alice had always described it as a zap of electricity, like a lightning bolt. That was more like when you put chicken in a deep fryer.
No, it was definitely not the spark. I refused to associate my soul mate, fictional or otherwise, with deep fried chicken. It must have been something to do with the altitude and blood circulation.
But still…I couldn't help but move my leg slightly to the right again, just to be sure.
And there it was. That feeling again, like I was burning up, but I felt like shivering at the same time. It felt… kind of nice. Soothing, but exciting at the same time. My senses were heightened and I was conscious of every breath I took. All I could think about was this feeling of contentment, anticipation, and… arousal?
Edward didn't appear to be pulling his leg away from mine, so I didn't move either. After all, it couldn't hurt, could it? The plane would land in nine hours and I would never see him again.
Eventually, I felt myself dozing off. I prayed I wouldn't start to drool, or talk in my sleep, or some other humiliating thing.
I woke up some time later to find myself tucked into Edward's side, my head resting on his shoulder and his arm around me. My whole body was tingling and alive and I had no idea how I could have possibly slept through that feeling. I surreptitiously tilted my head up to see if he was asleep. If he was, I could simply extricate myself from his arms and he would never need to know that I had practically mauled him in my sleep. I raised my eyes slowly, only to see him looking down at me, wide awake, with a tender smile on his lips.
Fuck!
Awww they've finally met…
This little fic of mine actually began when I was on a plane last year from Italy to London. My leg kept touching the guy next to me and it got me thinking – my obsessed mind can turn anything into fanfic! Sadly, there was no spark and sadly, he was not Robert Pattinson, but you can't win them all, I suppose :-P
I'd love to know how you met your spark. Or maybe you've met someone on a plane, too? Leave me a review and tell me!
*heart*
Lil