Quote; chapter 4

Chapter name: Invitations

Chapter song: A sorta fairytale - Tori Amos

A/N: Enjoy =] I own nothing…

Bella POV

I stood pacing in my room for ten minutes, before throwing myself backwards onto the bed I'd slept in the night before. I was an idiot. An idiot worn out from running like the wind up several large flights of stairs and along a very long corridor. If I wasn't so exhausted or embarrassed, I might have been proud that I'd not even managed to trip up once.

'Y-y-you're Edward Cullen!'

Of course he was, why did I feel the need to tell him again? And that ridiculous speech about the piano. I reached up and slapped my forehead, before digging my palm in and trying to clear my head. It didn't work; all I could see were his piercing green eyes looking down into mine. The green eyes that had stared at me from my bedroom wall for the last seven years. I felt like crying. What sort of a woman meets her idol and makes a complete cock-up of it? I must be the only one in history. I was positive that he'd hate me now.

'Well', I told myself, 'at least I didn't immediately throw myself at his feet'.

It had been extremely tempting though.

'You really need some more practice', a silky voice reached my ears as I finished the song; I felt myself whip around on the stall, grabbing the edge when I overbalanced and started to fall. I felt my cheeks flush. Glancing up, I found myself staring at one of the most attractive men I'd ever laid eyes on. He was tall and lithe, a fitted blue shirt accentuating his muscular arms, and clinging to his chest. His eyes were like large emeralds, and his hair a beautiful copper colour, falling in disarray about his head. His skin was pale as paper, and it caught the sunlight at such an angle that he appeared to sparkle for a moment. I blinked, but he was still there when I opened my eyes.

This was Edward Cullen. The Edward Cullen of Midnight Sun; the man who'd decorated my bedroom wall since I was seventeen.

I felt my jaw drop.

I groaned. I could at least have said 'hello' or asked him how his day was, or - or something.

Suddenly, my eyes opened properly for the first time since I'd seen him.

'Wait, no, he can't be. I'm not -

Alice isn't.'

I felt myself vault across the room to the computer at the desk in the corner before I knew what I was doing. I rushed to pull up the screen, and then I did something I'd never bothered to before.

I googled Edward Cullen.

I couldn't be bothered with the links on the first page that showed up, so I quickly flicked over to the 'image section'. The first half of the page was the usual, Edward, alone in every picture, save for one band picture of Midnight Sun. But I scrolled down; the last picture on the page was one of him, Jasper, and the woman I'd met three days before. I clicked twice, pulling it up full size on the screen.

Edward stood to one side, laughing, faced down. Alice was in the middle, smiling also, her head tilting downwards; she stood very close to Jasper, slightly shielded by his arm. His was the only face that could be fully seen. I clicked on the link to the website the picture appeared on. Sure enough, there was a caption below:

Edward Cullen (Midnight Sun), Alice Cullen (Mary Alice, designer), Jasper Hale (Midnight Sun).

Edward Cullen spotted with his sister Alice Cullen, and her fiancé, Jasper Hale, who got engaged just last month. Stargunner asks whether there'll soon be love in the air for Edward himself?

I didn't read any more. I closed the window and shut down the computer, leaning back in the chair. It couldn't be true, could it? I was going to be Edward Cullen's assistant? That was every girl's dream come true. I felt ill. Alice had told me we'd meet today, but she'd still not seen fit to tell me that I was going to be Edward Cullen's assistant. Hell, she didn't tell me that she was the Mary Alice.

'I should have known', I told myself, 'I should have realised'.

Suddenly the hotel seemed a little less extravagant.

'You'll meet him later', Alice had told me that morning, knocking on my door only moments after my wake up call.

'How soon is later? I'd like to know who I'm working for, Alice', I'd replied, I was restless, despite sleeping immensely well in my luxuriously comfy bed, I was still worried about the grand meeting of me and my employer.

'Just as soon as I get back Bella! I've just got a little bit of shopping to do; we'll all have some tea together in my brother's suite. I'll come and collect you when I'm back!' Somehow I got the impression that 'a little bit of shopping' was a lot in my book.

'Fine, okay Alice, I'll see you later', I'd told her, giving in. At least I'd be able to explore whilst she was away.

'Yay!' She'd cried, throwing her arms around me in a tight squeeze of a hug. 'I'll see you later Bella!'

Then she'd taken off down the corridor like she'd got the devil at her heels.

There was a sharp rapping on the door that I recognised from this morning, which interrupted me from my memories.

"Come in, Alice", I called.

The pixie-woman danced in, a grin stretched across her face, looking like Christmas had come early. She held several bags in her hand; one of the brands I recognised as being designer; the others, I guessed, would be as well.

"Bella!" she cried, throwing herself across at me and hugging me tightly, "you'll never guess what I found you! These clothes will look so cute on you!"

"Wait!" I cried, letting her words sink in, "you bought me clothes?! But they're designer! I could never pay you back!"

Alice just laughed, her little high pitched giggles filling the room.

"Don't be silly Bella, they're a gift! Some of them I didn't even have to pay for!" She placed the bags down at the foot of my bed, and I saw one bag labelled Mary Alice that had been hidden behind a bigger bag before.

It took about ten minutes for Alice to convince me to keep the clothes she'd bought me, I discovered, the hard way, what Alice's puppy dog eyes and pout could do to you. She'd obviously had a lot of practice.

"YAY!" She'd squealed as soon as I'd given in, before proceeding to use me as her new dress up doll for the next hour. I had to admit, albeit grudgingly, that the clothes she'd chosen did suit me well; all of them were beautiful, and there was one dress I completely fell in love with.

It was dark blue denim, and so simply I almost couldn't believe it was designer. It was pulled in around the bust two triangles of material meeting in the middle where a piece of material with a button tying it to the main part of the dress. Thick straps held the dress over my shoulders, and the thread that held the dress together was an obvious straw colour. It fell to just under my knees, and it was one of the comfiest pieces of clothing I'd ever worn. Perfect for the summer sun of Chicago.

"Bella you look fantastic!" Alice had gushed when I'd stepped out of the bathroom wearing it, "You have to wear it to meet my brother later!"

"Alice…" I started, it was now or never after all, "is your brother-"

"Oh!" She suddenly cried, "you've already met haven't you?" She grinned across at me, showing off her tiny white teeth. "Excellent!"

"Oh, I-" I started, but she was already off out the door, leaving me to shove on my trainers quickly and hurry after her.

"Hurry up Bella!" She trilled. She was already standing in the elevator at the other end of the corridor, holding the doors open. I quickly caught up, tripping once, and stood next to her in the lift, watching her push the button for floor eighteen. My eyes widened.

"The Peninsula Suite?! But that must cost-"

Alice snorted.

"Oh." I finished, lamely.

I felt myself feeling more sick as we climbed higher and higher. By floor seventeen I was feeling distinctly nauseous. My head spinning. I didn't think it was because of the elevator.

I quickly followed Alice out of the elevator when the bell tinged and the door opened. She walked swiftly up to a large Maplewood door with the words 'Private; Peninsula Suite' engraved into the wood.

"Edward!" Alice chirped, and I wondered if the door was thin enough for her to be heard, it looked soundproof. "Open up!"

A few moments later, the door was opened, but not by Edward.

"Jazzy!" Alice shrieked, throwing herself into his arms. I was surprised that he didn't even look shocked; he merely picked her up, span her round, and hugged her tight, before putting her back down on the ground; taking her small hand in his larger one.

In the flesh, he, like Edward, looked even more attractive. His longish blonde hair was wet, so it appeared longer, and he wore only board shorts, exposing his gorgeous figure. A padlock on a chain hung around his neck, resting on his rock hard abs. He was dripping all over the floor. It seemed that the Peninsula Suite had a Jacuzzi.

"Jazzy! I want you to meet Bella! She's going to be Edward's new assistant!" Alice exclaimed, turning and grinning happily up at her…fiancé, I realised.

Jasper smiled softly down at the woman, nodding, before turning to me, and holding out his unoccupied hand.

"It's nice to meet you Bella, I'm Jasper Hale", he told me. His voice was almost as lovely as Edward's.

"Ah", I started, "nice to meet you to, Mr, um, Hale".

His lips twitched into a smile for a moment.

"Just Jasper, please Bella", he said, before pulling the door open wider, and gesturing that I should join them inside. I stepped in quickly, letting him shut the door behind me. He and Alice then started off to a room on the right. I followed, dumbly.

"Hey! The munchkin is back!" A loud, bass voice roared from in front, and a massive man appeared, shaking his long wet hair all over the place, soaking everything in the immediate vicinity.

"Emmett!" Alice screeched as he picked her up and hugged her, soaking her clothes in the process, "This is Gucci!"

Emmett roared with laughter, putting her down, and letting her return to Jasper's waiting arms. He wrapped them around her, having dried off somewhat.

Somebody I could only describe as a blonde bombshell appeared behind Emmett, wearing a bright red, barely there bikini. She wrapped her arms around his waste, and he turned and pulled her into his muscular arms.

"Emmett, Rosalie, I want you to meet Bella!" Alice cried, "She's going to be Edward's assistant!"

I stepped forwards a little, so I wasn't hidden behind Jasper. Emmett grinned at me immediately, holding out one of his massive hands for me to shake.

"I'm Emmett", he told me, grinning hard enough to show me all of his teeth. I took his hand and shook it quickly.

"Bella", I muttered shyly.

"Good to meet you Bella", he said, still grinning, and gave me a wink.

Rosalie nodded in my general direction, before taking off towards another room, grabbing a towel from a peg on the wall as she went. Emmett gave me one last grin and followed after her.

"Don't mind Rosalie too much, Bella", Jasper said softly, surprising me. "She takes a little while to get used to people." He gave me a small smile, which I quickly returned.

I noticed that Alice had disappeared just after she'd appeared at one of the other doorways.

"Edward's not here", she told us, pouting. Jasper chuckled slightly.

"He'll be back in a minute, I'm sure Alice."

Just then, I heard the click of a closing door.

Jasper smiled.

Alice grinned.

I suddenly felt extremely dizzy.

Edward was back.

A/N: =]