A/N Twilight and all it's characters remain the creation and property of Stephanie Meyer. I just use them in my little puppet theatre mind. Please review if you would be so kind xxx xxx
I could have killed Alice for the predicament she had put me in.
Sure I had agreed to Bella staying with me over Christmas.
But Alice told her it was until she regained her memory!
Who knew how long that could be?
I groaned as the thoughts of the past couple of hours played over and over…
"Is everything alright?"
For a moment I had forgotten about the fact that I had a passenger in the car with me.
I chanced a glance to the side of me to where Bella sat nervously biting her lip. I did not want to tempt fate by taking my eyes off of the road for more than a split second again.
I had to sit by and wait while Bella had gotten the ok to leave and received her discharge papers. It felt like a lifetime. I think I was on the point of drooling in my sleep and was only spared the embarrassment when my sister came barging past me in a giddy state, waving said papers in her hands for Bella to sign.
It was kind of weird to just see the name 'Bella' on the dotted line with no other names following it.
I could not wait to get home, yet I was dreading it all at the same time. This was my space we were talking about.
My sanctuary.
Not many people got to be in my space, only family and the odd girl after a good night out. Though, the only woman to have been in there for the past year on and off was Tanya Hale. She was slim, blonde hair and had oversized, overpriced breasts…yes, that would have been exactly how I would have describe her.
She was a Personal Assistant to Ephrim Black over at WES toys. She needed an eligible bachelor to fast track her status in this city as someone of class and I needed someone to keep an ear to the ground over at WES, and to accompany me to certain events and fundraisers. She also helped me through a couple of drunken nights of human contact after those events. I have done my share of womanising, with an end goal of personal pleasure. I had needs. Tanya was just that. I bought her something pretty, she attended functions alongside me and then we'd go back to my place after. It would have cost me less to hire a prostitute.
I had heard that she had started seeing someone, and that they were pretty serious. I had been glad to hear the news through Jessica Stanley. I was also grateful for the fact I would no longer have to fake the pleasure of listening to her shallow stories, and her whiney, nasally droning voice, bang on about the latest Jimmy Choo's. The only Choo's I knew of these days was from when I had to sign off on the order for a 5000 cubic feet container full of Choo Choo Charlie's, ready to hit the stores on Monday, just in time for the Christmas rush.
"Edward?" Bella asked cautiously, taking my silence while I thought as a sign that something was wrong.
"Everything is ok." I offered her back.
I was sure that my short answers would do nothing to calm her own nerves; at having to stay in the apartment of a man she didn't even know, not to mention the fact that it was the apartment of the man that had, inadvertently, mowed her down. And that it was to be for the in foreseeable future.
Oh yes, this was going to be hell. I did not need this kind of commitment during the busiest time in the financial calendar. It did not say anywhere in my job description about babysitting a grown woman with no memory.
She settled her gaze back out through the windshield and seemed to almost fold herself into the seat.
She didn't ask me any further questions as we continued the journey to my building, nor did I offer up any kind of conversation of my own. The quiet was something she would have to become accustomed to while she stayed under my roof. I liked peace and calm.
"There are a few things you should know about me." I finally broke the silence that surrounded us. "I like things as they are, don't touch my stuff. Put the necessary things you use back in their place. I have a house cat that is not to be let out; she is a very valuable Rag Doll bread. Don't give her tip bits; she has to have special food. I like quiet and I like to work in peace. I have a lot of work to be getting on with seeing as I didn't go into work today so I therefore expect you to respect my need for said quiet."
I looked around at her as I turned the key in the lock and opened the door.
She blinked at me a few times, unsure what to make of the essay spiel I just gave out. She looked like she wanted to take notes.
I might have been an ass but I was still brought up with the manners to let a lady through a door before I myself entered the room.
She accepted my lead and walked tentatively into my apartment.
Her eyes darted all around the room, taking in the expanse of space that I called home. The high ceilings seemed impossible to touch, the carpet was wall to wall deep pile, Persian, hand woven in a light stone colour that was immaculate. Her eyes roamed every corner and piece of furniture; finally settling on the wall of glass that looked out upon the Seattle skyline as Alice had mentioned. She walked over and stood motionless taking in the breath taking view.
"How can you possibly get any work done when you have a view like this?" she breathed.
"Simple, I'm not a man that is easily distracted." I answered while shutting the door behind me "As I said, I have work to do so I would appreciate that peace and quiet I previously mentioned. The kitchen is that way…" I pointed over to the obvious open plan section of the apartment. "And the bathroom is through that door in the middle of those two doors over there. Please…Make yourself at home." I begrudgingly added.
I headed over to my office space by the window and lifted my brief case up into the desk space in front of me. I had to come up with a solid business plan, selling the benefits of Denali Toys and why WES should choose our company to merge with. I shifted some papers around, looking for the relevant documentation I needed to start writing up my report.
"Are you Jewish?" Bella suddenly asked as she continued to look around my home.
"No." I looked up briefly to answer her.
"Jehovah's Witness?" She annoyingly questioned me again.
"No," I replied, getting a little annoyed that she hadn't taken my 'need for quiet' speech to heart. "Why do you ask such personal questions?" I couldn't help but enquire back; still looking down at the paperwork in my hand.
"Well everyone's told me it's only a week until Christmas, but you don't have any decorations up, no lights; no tree... I just wondered if it was for religious reasons is all." She shrugged and walked towards the bathroom.
"I do not have time to waste on inconsequential things like dressing up my apartment or a Christmas tree." I kept my head down and tried to carry on with my work.
"But it's Christmas." She added, seeming perplexed by my answer.
"And your point is?" I answered rhetorically.
Apparently her memory had also forgotten the meaning of rhetorical as she carried on her conversation regardless.
"How can you not do Christmas?" She went on.
"I'm not here all that much, I work long hours at work. I thought you couldn't remember anything?" I asked agitatedly.
"I can't." her tone had changed to that of scolded child.
"Then how is it that you know all about it?" I pushed, finally looking up at her both curious and angry at the interruptions she kept imparting upon me.
"I…I don't, it's just what I've seen since all this happened…things at the hospital, peoples general happiness and behaviour towards the season I guess." She added, letting the last words fall from her lips. After a moment she spoke again, but only to apologies for her interruption.
I sighed.
"It's fine. I just really need to get this work done." I managed to soften my tone.
An hour or so passed and I had had my nose to the grindstone.
When I looked up I noticed Bella sat, lost in thought, on my couch. And for a moment got lost too as I looked over her properly for the first time. She was rather petite, with long chocolate hair that she let fall freely around her face, with one side tucked up behind her ear. Her complexion was that of perfect porcelain and nearly as pale. Then there were her eyes, like liquid pools of deep dark chocolate.
I shook myself from my thoughts just as I noticed her yawning.
I finally lifted myself up, walked over and pulled out the sofa bed section of my couch. She looked at me stunned and rose to her feet.
"I'll go get you a pillow and a duvet" I told her as I walked over towards my guest room.
Her eyes followed me over there and all the way back. I positioned them on the pull out and suggested she take up the space and sleep.
I didn't want her getting too comfortable under my roof, so would not offer her my guest room. I wouldn't put it past her to pretend about the memory loss longer than she needed to; to take advantage of my generosity.
"I don't have anything to sleep in." She shyly admitted.
It was only then that I realised how she literally had nothing but the clothes on her back.
I huffed and retreated back to my own room. I pulled out a shirt from my dresser and took it back out to her. She quietly thanked me and stole into the bathroom to change while I went into the kitchen to feed the cat. As if on cue the cat came running at the sound of her bowl being moved. I filled her bowl up with her dried, cardboard looking food and put the bowl down on the floor for her.
By the time I went back into the room Bella had already changed and climbed into her makeshift bed.
The white of my shirt against her skin had given her pale complexion a look of a glow.
"What's your cat's name?" She asked as I walked back towards my piled high desk.
"Mrs Snugglesworth." I answered.
It seemed to elicit a giggle from her.
"What's so funny?" I asked, waiting for the inevitable question that I knew would follow.
"Whatever made you name your cat that? Forgive me but you don't seem the type of man to name his cat with a fluffy name like that." She tried to stifle her laughter.
"My Niece named her." My tone was that of frustration and she too had noticed.
My curiosity piqued "And what sort of man do I seem like?"
"Like someone who doesn't like company, or disruption; someone who is a little OCD with his possessions and a man who seems to resent anyone who commands his time or attention...unless it serves your own purpose."
I sat looking up from my desk with a gaping mouth.
Eventually my frustration returned and my annoyance that she dared to judge me caused my nostrils to flare. "Goodnight Bella." I offered tersely, allowing no room for interpretation.
She didn't push for more information and instead snuggled down under the blanket like a child that had been sent to their room.
But this wasn't her room and an awkward silence followed.
I lost track of time as I tried to bury myself in work so as to not dwell on her depiction of me.
The truth was she had managed to sum me up while barely knowing anything about me.
Eventually I looked up towards the couch to find her sleeping. She looked so vulnerable, laying there with the covers pulled up to her chin. My apartment was far from cold, so the only conclusion I could draw up, as to why she did such a thing, was to achieve some form of comfort.
I finally had some peace and managed to get a fair chunk of my work done. I sat back in my chair as I revelled in the fact that I had caught up with my report quicker than planned.
I spun my chair towards the window and looked out at all the city lights twinkling on the horizon. I put my head back and closed my eyes to relish in the peace that had fallen within my home.
"Maybe this could work out ok after all." I allowed myself to think aloud.
Just then my quiet time was interrupted by the loudest, droning, snoring, sound that made me jump out of my skin. I turned and looked over to where Bella lay sleeping in peaceful slumber.
"Or maybe not" I added as I decided to head over to my own room to settle down for the night.