I checked the calendar again. Tuesday. I sighed and put my forehead down on my desk; my empty desk. I should have kept a bit of work from yesterday for today, if anything, to occupy my mind until Thursday. Jane had, at Carlisle request, moved the one
thing I had scheduled that afternoon to the morning so we could help him get ready but knowing him it was his way of getting me away from the office and to his place to help him pick out something to wear to make the best impression possible. I wanted
to call him out on his eagerness to see Esme again but I kept reminding myself that he also had been through so much when my aunt died and this was the first person he had been excited about since then.

I picked up my empty coffee cup that had not had the pleasure of coffee in it since I came back to go make myself another cup of strawberry tea. I wasn't fond of tea but it gave me a reason to get up and walk around. Just as I was passing Carlisle's office
he called me in and pointed to the chair. I just shrugged and took my place as he shut the door and started his recording up. "Why are you making me watch this…." He shushed me and hit play.

The recording started out with flashbulbs going off and what looked like the entrance to the Astoria hotel. I sank in my seat, I already hated what I thought I was going to see. The voice over was talking about the event and who was present and there
was a shot of Peter and Esme walking in on the red carpet. Then the reporter starts into who was there and listing off their credits and what not. I shifted again as the scene moved to the interior of the building and there were the shots of people
talking and there were Carlisle and I. We looked good and I took a second to appreciate the jewelry I was wearing up until the point where the voice over came back on again announcing the next cut of footage that was clearly taken with a phone camera
showing Peter and I walking off.

"Oh God I'm going to be sick." I buried my head in my hands and started shaking.

"None of that now, it's not like they followed you up to your room. Besides, Tiffany's called me and said that they escorted the person who recorded that out of the building under suspicion of conspiring to theft. He didn't challenge them to be let back
in but they weren't allowed to confiscate the recording ether." Carlisle stopped the recording at an image of Esme. "Its nothing but I wanted you to see it because I've already heard from Jane that there have been several calls from a few places asking
for our comments on it, on you and Peter. It's better heading into these things knowing isn't it?"

He was right, I hated it but at the same time liked that he was on my side in this. "What now then?" I lifted my head up a little; feeling like an insolent child at this point, what had I done.

"Now we do nothing but back Peter's story that you two were discussing legal matters and that our clients business is confidential. I don't want you get stressed over any of this. If anything it's good press for the firm and we have gained a new client
and several more have expressed interest in our services including a well-known local newspaper, The Uptown Beat." There was a light knock on the door and Carlisle switched off the screen before he called for them to enter. Jane walked in the room
and shut the door behind her. She glanced over to me and back to Carlisle. "Our second line is in place and watching. We've already issued one warning letter to a Mr Black for photographing Mr. Hale's son without proof consent with the intent to publish
materials for profit. He had a few items in his file so he surrendered the photos and signed off on the voluntary restraining order." Jane put the file on Carlisle desk. "Other than that, the usual players backed off from Mr Hale's home when they
saw us and there hasn't been any other issues thus far."

"Thank you Jane, well done." Carlisle glanced over to me and I felt myself go deathly pale. "Do get Charlotte something to drink please?" She nodded quickly and went off. "I told you not to get stressed, its not like we are a new firm and have never needed
to handle the press before." I nodded as Jane came back with a cup of tea for me to which Carlisle raised his brow; knowing me as well as he did and my coffee preference. "Good, I'm glad Jane knows, I don't feel so awkward now."

Jane smirked at him and I just shook my head. "I shouldn't be that predictable…." I sipped my mint tea and frowned at it.

"I think that's everything for now unless you had something else to bring to my attention Jane?" He sat down behind his desk and I thought I should have left at that point but decided to stay for the sake of being nosey.

"The flowers have been arranged for Thursday and they will arrive an hour before you do. The Beat has sent back the scope of services contract but haven't backed down on the one request." Jane glanced over to me and back to Carlisle. "I told them that
we were still discussing the matter and would get back to them. Emily has notified building security of an unusual number of walk ins off the street asking for Miss Cullen and requested that a security guard be posted outside the office to deal with
the ones that insist on lingering around."

"Tell Emily that she can call the security company to assign someone for the rest of the week and next for the office just to be sure. Charlotte I'd rest better if we could post someone in your building until things blow over."

"Sure whatever." I stared at my tea and shook my head. Deep down I knew this wasn't going to blow over and knew that there would always be someone watching me or Peter for the latest scoop. "What did The Beat want?" I sat up and lowered my cup of tea
to my lap. "What was the request?"

"They," Carlisle paused as he found the folder and opened it up to read from it. "want the option of three formal interviews with you and Mr Hale at their request and exclusive rights to our press releases regarding your interactions." Carlisle looked
up from the page to my opening and closing of my mouth, grasping at what to say to it.

"Oh." I needed a moment to remind myself that only the two people in the room plus Peter and possibly Esme were the only ones that knew about the baby. "Are they worth the contract?" Carlisle nodded yes. "Tell them that I'd be willing to do two interviews
at their discretion and that, contractually, we can not legally enter Mr Hale into a binding agreement with them because of our firms dealing with him. Also, no one can hold exclusive rights to anyone's interactions, especially mine and I will not
sign off on any of it if that line remains in that contract. If I want to go out I'm not checking in with them. Uncle, we are not desperate for their business and I think we should wait until tomorrow to reply to them, let them sweat it out. If what
you showed me this morning is out then I'm willing to bet that they saw it too and are playing with us. If there isn't a term on that contract length then I'd put that in there too so they can't drop us, if they agree to my terms, after a few months."
I could feel the anger building up in me at the situation and I liked it, it was better than feeling like the victim. "If there isn't anything else, Jane I'd like to keep my calendar clear except for my usual responsibilities and have the secretaries
take messages from new callers so that they can be verified, no need in filling your day with nonsense. I'll need a new unlisted cell phone as well." Jane nodded as I got up and left Carlisle's office and went back to mine.

"You weren't answering your phone after you left that interview and your agent has been calling every hour on the hour." Esme held up a wooden spoon at me. "What if it was me calling with an emergency?" Her pointed look made me frown.

"I wasn't in the mood to talk to him and I was screening my calls, I would have answered if it was you." I looked into the living room where Jasper was setting up a tower of blocks with Renee. My voice lowered to a whisper. "Things got a little tense
after I walked off the set with Maria and the producer threatened to sue if I didn't' get back in my chair. After I reminded my agent, Dem, about the privacy clause in my contract he nearly had it out with the producer. I got out of there and went
for a walk." What I didn't want to tell Esme is where I went so I picked up one of the peeled carrots out of the nearby bowl and bit into it. I was in a good mood, even after the interviewer brought up the question about Charlotte. I still spent the
night with her. I still was the father of her child. I was going to be seeing her again, and if things worked out, have her in my life in some capacity. I was still reeling from last night and wanted to enjoy it a little more.

"You could have called. Dem sounded put-out but not upset, and actually excited, for some reason, the last time he called. Did you check to see if he left any voice mails for you?" Esme pulled the bowl of carrots out of reach and went back to stirring
something simmering on the stove.

I pulled out my phone and plugged it in and started up the recordings.

"Peter. Well shit where did you go? He was willing to continue the interview after he had it out with the hostess. Call me." "Peter, it's an hour later and we are done here. Where the fuck are you? My phone has been ringing off the proverbial hook about
getting you in front of cameras."

"I swear you need to call me ASAP! Shit's getting real and you're the reason why. You and I need to talk, IN PERSON. I need to know what the actual fuck happened and what you want to do about it."

I set my phone down and kept it on silent mode. "He did sound excited." I shrugged and looked around for something else to munch on before dinner. "He wanted to talk in person, I guess I should have him over?"

"Invite him for supper tonight, I'm making too much again and he's too thin for his own good." Esme replied and swatted at my hand as it was going for some peppers.

"Fine." I picked up my phone just as it was ringing with Dem on the line. "Demetri's house of pizza, how can I help you?"

"Fuck Peter how can you honestly be joking at a time like this? Where the hell did you go and where are you now, we need to talk." Dem was at full volume and hyper which wasn't good but not necessarily bad.

"I'm home and you've been invited to dinner that will be ready.." Esme mouthed one hour to me. "in one hour and I will remind you of the language policy that still stands."

There was a breath of relief on the other end. "Fine fine, tell Esme that I'm still sorry for last time I swore in front of Jasper. I'll be there in twenty if the traffic lets me though."

He hung up and I set my phone back down. "An hour? I'm going to starve." Esme held up her wooden spoon at me and I backed off to go get changed. I wanted to tell Esme about the baby but with so few secrets between us it was tantalizing to keep this one
for myself just a little bit longer.

I walked back into the kitchen, changed, and sat across the island from where Esme was finishing up dinner. "So we didn't get a chance to talk this morning, how did you like the party?" Esme knocked a spoon off the counter and went to pick it up, somewhat
startled by my question.

"It was fine, I had a lot of fun and it was interesting to see that place all done up like that. Aro and his wife were rather kind to talk to me, as well as Charlotte's uncle Carlisle."

Esme kept her back towards me as she fussed with what was on the stove. "Did you two have a nice evening after the party?" Esme's head nodded like she was found out and I could see her jaw clenching slightly.

"Yes. Yes we did." Esme took a deep breath and turned to look at me. It looked as if she wanted to question me on how I knew she had stayed the night because she had arrived home before me on Sunday. "He's a very nice man and I hope to see them both again
if they do take up your offer to come to dinner."

I rested my elbows on the counter and stared her down but she wasn't going to budge with any more information. "Well I spent the night in Charlotte's room and we talked a great deal. She's sorry she had left us as she did and I will be seeing her from
time to time." My hands clasped in front of my mouth and I rested my chin on it to watch Esme finish cooking, awkwardly, in the knowledge that I had of her being away that night as well.

The doorbell rang and I rose to let Demitri in. Jasper started running for the door but when he realised it was Dem, he turned around to go back to playing with Renee. I brought Dem to the kitchen and we sat and watched Esme as she cooked.

"Esme, good to see you again," Dem nodded over to her, "and there will no repeat of those words, I promise you." He turned to me. "I'm glad you went to that and don't worry about today, if anything it was great press for you and people are talking. I've
got a few things to add to your timetable this week and wanted to double check with you before I called them back to firm things up."

I pulled over the calendar and we started writing stuff in. "That's quite a bit of extra stuff, you are charging them my standard rate of course?"

"I'm insisting on it and when I confirm that the 'whatever' is a go I'll ask for a non-refundable deposit. Your time is money right now and I won't be letting anyone waste it. I got a few calls on having you being a spokesperson for various products and
what not, but I think I want you there with me in person for those negotiations so you can pick what you like. Besides, it'll show your interest and they'll be hard pressed to drive the price down with you sitting there, you know."

I nodded at Dem and got up to help Esme set the table. "So why all the interest all of the sudden? Everyone's known about this movie for weeks." I knew the answer, Aro made it pretty clear and when Charlotte put Maria down it was solidified in my mind
the kind of influence she had.

"Well Peter she's, her part ownership in that firm, is well known and the amount of money they funnel into the industry and make on their return is nothing short of astounding. Maria has called me a few times begging me to represent her but I sure as
fuc… heck won't go near her now that she's been snubbed." Dem shot Esme an apologetic grin, he was trying so hard to not swear and tonight was shaping up to be a record for him. "You knowing Charlotte and her liking you is like a magnet for producers
to get the funding they need to make their films. The industry isn't dying but people willing to invest in bigger budgeted productions are, and they have to cast their nets our pretty far to get the capital they need to start a project. Your girl,
Charlotte, and her uncle could easily start several productions without blinking because their firm has no damn board of stiff shareholders to get the idea past first." As Dem said 'your girl' he took a pointed glance at me. "So how did you meet Charlotte
anyway, it'd help if I knew what I had to work with."

Jasper ran into the room, hearing the mention of Charlotte's name several times. "She's our friend." He took one look at Dem and ran back out again.

"She's our friend." I echoed his words. I didn't think Dem needed to know how we were anymore than that, at least not now.

"Friend. I can work with that but if there's more then I'd like to know, you know, just so I can deflect stuff. Last thing I'd want to do is upset the woman by saying something stupid and ruining us both."

Esme called everyone into the room and we had our dinner. Through it all Demetri's phone went off a few times and he ignored it. Renee asked if he should be answering it he said they could wait for him because he had been running all day and this was
his first proper meal. I got the feeling that he was just doing it to make him, us, appear unavailable.