a/n Yes I know.. I'm late! I have reasons though!! RL has descended upon me. My hubs, one of the kids and I were sick, so not much was done. Things may get a little sparse coming up. I usually get a holiday job to help with those extra expenses, and mine starts in a couple of weeks. But I will be here as much as possible.
I have so many fic recs it's insane.... hmmm anything by coldplaywhore, but her collab with flightlessbird11 called Maybe I'm Falling For You is awesome!
My smut lover in crime ARenee363 has just posted the sequel to her wildly successful Inked today. So go find Marked and enjoy!
And how can I speak of smut and not put Britpacksuccubus and her deeelicious tale I Get Off up here? Trust me, you will get off!
My last one for today is the ever-loveable Illegal Contact by GreenEyedGirl01. Who doesn't love a yummy Spankward?
Big thanks to all my lovely ladies in Twitter... you make me smile day after day!
Big thanks to my beta nicnicd for the hand holding, carenl for the promise of pep talks and porn, and big big big thanks to ShearEnvy for her knowledge of spas and salons. Go check out her super sexy Copward in Making The Cut.... you'll swoon!
Disclaimer: Do I want to own them? Hell yes! Will I ever own them? Nope, not me!
Chapter 7
APOV
I walked into work on Monday to a buzz of voices. My waiting room was full of professionally dressed women. I sighed as I remembered today was interview day. I had rearranged my whole week to do paperwork and interviews today instead of tomorrow. I wanted to be there for Bella when she went to the salon. Even more, I wanted to see what would happen if she ran into Edward. Stepping up to the desk, I was perplexed when a man I didn't know handed me a clipboard and, in an extremely droll tone, instructed me to sign in. When I continued to stand there, he looked at me, annoyed.
"Hon, do you not understand the instructions? In order for you to be interviewed, you need to add your name to the list. Ms. Brandon is a very busy woman, and I guarantee that if you don't sign the paper, you won't be seen." He looked at me sympathetically, and spoke as if I were a small child.
I wasn't sure if I should be insulted or amused at him. He was dressed professionally, and manned the desk with a commanding presence. As I looked him over the phone rang, and was answered by him with speed and efficiency. Another woman walked up behind me, and asked him for a drink. When he left and returned with a bottle of water and a glass, I raised my brow at him.
"What's your name?" I asked as looked him over again, pleased with how he seemed to fit in at the desk. "More importantly, what are you doing here?"
"My name is Jacob Black, and I'm here to be interviewed for the assistant's position, same as you." He looked me over appraisingly, and seemed satisfied with whatever he saw. "That's a great bag, by the way. You can have a seat, and we'll be called in order when Ms. Brandon arrives."
I thought about it for a moment. My gut was telling me that Jacob was just what I was looking for. I hesitated for a moment, wondering if it was my gut or the fact that I really didn't want to go through a round of interviews. As Jess walked out of her office with a potential applicant, the sad and defeated look on her face sealed the deal.
"Ms. Brandon has arrived."
At the drop of his jaw, I heard several women snicker cattily at him; certain he'd sealed his doom. I smiled at him and leveled a glance at the women, silencing them. "It's a pleasure to meet you Jacob, you're hired. I'm impressed that you took such initiative to make things easier on me." His face glowed with the praise. "I need no further interviews to know that you are what we need to make our office run smoothly. When can you start?"
"Immediately, Ms. Brandon. Thank you so much of this, I won't let you down!" He was giddy, almost clapping his hands with excitement. I could tell he was trying to rein it in.
"Immediately it is then, Jacob. And please, call me Alice. First order of business is to clear the room of applicants. Second, you will need to see Jess to fill out your paperwork. Welcome to Futures," I held out my hand, wincing when he shook it a bit too exuberantly. My Monday certainly looked a whole lot better after that.
I almost skipped into my office, giddy that I didn't have to interview anyone. My desk was littered with files that needed to be organized and put away. I sighed and started the monotonous task of filling out paperwork.
After plowing through the work, I lifted my head at the smell of coffee wafting into my office. There was a tentative knock and Jacob's head poked in.
"I got you some coffee Alice. Jess told me how you like it." I motioned for him to come in, inhaling the heavenly smell of Starbucks. "I'll just set this down and take these out of your way." He swept the completed files off my desk with a wink. "Zafrina called to confirm your appointments tomorrow. Do you want me to give the clients a call and remind them?"
I was impressed with how fast he seemed to pick up on things and anticipate our needs. He just seemed to blend in seamlessly with us. I was suddenly very glad I trusted my gut.
"Can you please call Edward to confirm? I'll call Bella myself. Thanks for the coffee Jacob." I toasted him with the cup, grinning at him after taking a sip.
"No problem Alice," he said and he walked to the door. "Oh, and you can call me Jake." He winked and sailed out the door.
I picked up the phone and dialed Bella's number. I was eager to hear her voice. She really seemed to open up on Saturday, and I loved seeing the change in her. Even before the clothes, the change in her was remarkable. Gone was the quiet demeanor and passive body language, replaced with a woman who had a razor sharp wit and carried herself with more confidence.
She had endeared herself to me even more when she'd bonded almost instantly with Rose. Not everyone understood Rose and often made judgments about her before even speaking to her. But Bella seemed to look at those walls and then tear them down by treating Rose with respect and not making any assumptions. I could tell that Rose truly liked Bella, and I was glad to include her as a friend, too.
"Hello?" Bella's voice lured me out of my thoughts.
"Hey Bella! It's Alice," I spoke quickly into the phone. "I just wanted to say a quick hello and make sure we were meeting at Zafrina's tomorrow morning."
"Hey Alice! That'll be great. I thought you wouldn't be there until the end though. You said paperwork would bog you down until late afternoon." Her voice was sweet but confused. "Are we still going to dinner with Rose? I called her and she said she was game."
"I managed to hire a new assistant today, so I got to catch up on some paperwork." I shifted in my seat, looking at the clock. "I will have to run out sometime tomorrow, but I wanted to be there when you started to kick into gear." I laughed along with her. "Dinner with Rose is a must. You think of where you want to eat, and we'll go there."
"No problem. Is it weird that I'm looking forward to tomorrow? Not just getting a massage, but going to dinner with you girls. I haven't had many girlfriends," she said shyly, making my heart go out to her.
"Well, you have us now, and I guarantee we'll help fill your social calendar. That's what friends do." I smiled as an idea formed in my head. I think I can make it work. "I'll see you at ten sharp at Zafrina's. Don't be late!" We said our goodbyes and I hung up, lost in the process of planning.
My cell chimed that I had a new text. When I checked it, my face broke into an ear-splitting grin. Jasper.
Hey Miss Ali-
You free for lunch? I'd love to swing by and feed you. I've got an… Appetite to see you.
-J
I fanned myself for a moment before texting back my affirmation. My thoughts suddenly slid back to our date. I was surprised at his choice of restaurant, but now I could see that it was designed for me to relax and have fun with him. My thoughts wandered briefly over the story of Maria, but focused on the fact that he was interested in dating again because of me.
Did that mean we were exclusive? Would he start to date others? My head started spinning as my imagination ran away with thoughts of him out with others, like the hostess from dinner. My blood boiled when my thoughts ran to him kissing her like he did me.
No way is he getting away from me!
At that thought, I relaxed a bit and dreamed about his kisses. I'd been kissed by some pretty experienced guys, but none had ever had this kind of effect on me. My face flushed with heat remembering how I felt in his arms, and how he tasted in my mouth. I licked my lips, trying to recapture the flavor when my door suddenly flew open.
"Hon, there is a fine specimen out in the waiting room asking after you. Tell me he's a client and not your man?" Jake's eyes shined with hope. I peeked past him and saw Jasper smiling at me.
"Nope, sorry Jake, that boy's all mine," I gloated. I laughed at his sniff of displeasure. "You'll have to find someone else to ogle. Now I'm off to lunch. Call only if it's an emergency."
As I sailed past him I heard him say under his breath, "But I could ogle him all day long." I laughed and gave Jasper a hug.
"Hey there Miss Ali," he said before giving me a lingering kiss. "Let's go eat, I'm starving!" His hand settled on the small of my back, leading me out the door to a waiting cab.
"You didn't have to make him wait. We could've walked or taken another cab," I told him, blushing a bit at his closeness.
"I'll wait as long as it takes to be with you Ali," he whispered in my ear. My hopes soared at the statement.
This boy is sooo mine!
BPOV
I was surprised at how excited I was when I stepped out of the cab on Tuesday morning. Honestly, what woman didn't want the royal treatment at the spa? After paying the driver, I looked over and saw Alice holding two cups of coffee and smiling at me. I walked up to her, taking the cup she held out toward me.
"Good morning Alice, how are you today?" I almost sang to her. She raised a brow at me in disbelief that I was so cheerful.
"I'm fine Bella. You seem chipper this morning. What's with that?" She grinned at me, sipping her coffee while waiting for me to spill.
"Nothing special really. I guess I'm kind of excited about this and our evening out. Am I dressed okay for tonight?" I went super casual with my outfit, choosing my favorite 'Kings of Leon' tee shirt and a pair of ripped jeans. I threw on a black leather vest to punch it up, and one of my favorite pair of sneakers.
"You look fine. We're not going to a club or anything. We're going to a restaurant of your choice, remember?" She laughed at me, and then gestured for me to head into the salon. As I walked in, I noticed how earthy it seemed. Warm browns, muted greens and flashes of vibrant colors melted together in a way that made you feel like you stepped into another world.
"I haven't decided where we're going; it depends on how hungry I'll be after this!" We both laughed at that statement as a tall, exotic-looking black woman floated up to the counter. Her eyes were a very dark brown, and her hair was done in tiny braids gathered in a ponytail at the back of her head. She smiled at us, her grin warming a bit when her eyes shifted toward Alice.
"Alice! So lovely to see you again." She had a rich, full voice that was accentuated by a melodious African accent. I wondered where she was from... "And this must be the Bella you spoke of. You're right, she is lovely." My cheeks flushed a bit at the praise. "Please feel welcome here. I'm Zafrina."
"It's lovely to meet you Zafrina. You have a beautiful place. I feel like I stepped into another world." My eyes wanted to look around again, but were stopped by her gesture to follow her toward the back. I looked questioningly toward Alice, wondering if I should follow her.
"Bella, I will see you again soon. I'm waiting for one more client to arrive, and then I have some errands to run. Zaf, it's wonderful to see you and he should be here shortly." Alice looked to be a bit annoyed at whoever it was that was late.
"Not a problem, I'll get Bella settled, and come back for your friend." She smiled down at me as she led me to what seemed to be a dressing room. "Please remove all clothing and place them in the lockers. I guarantee your valuables will be safe there. You'll find a robe and slippers in your size waiting for you on the counter. When you're finished, please wait in the lounge across the hall." She smiled once more before leaving me to my task.
Well, at least I'm not undressing in front of strangers. I quickly shed my clothing, hanging everything up carefully in the generously sized locker. After donning the robe and slippers, I stood for a moment, debating going out of the room naked under my robe. Stop being that way! Everyone here is dressed like you, get over it. I quickly shoved the door open and yelped when it swung back to nail me in the head.
"Oh, Christ...Miss? Are you okay? I'm such a fucking klutz! I'm so sorry..." A man gently held my arms, steadying me as I swayed from shock. The door didn't hurt much at all. The man's hands on me, however, were making me feel things I'd never felt before. While my arms tingled at the contact of his hands on them, I didn't dwell on the feelings, too wrapped up in shock that I may have hurt him.
"I'm okay, really. The question is did I hit you?" I looked up and froze. It was the man from Alice's office. His eyes widened as he recognized me, too. We stared at each other for far longer than necessary, each of us drinking in the sight of the other. Finally with a shake of his head, he let go of my arms and stepped back from me.
"No, you didn't hurt me." His voice was shy and melodious, relaxing my body magically as it flowed over me. "No harm done. Are you heading into the waiting area?" At my nod, he swept his arm out in front of him in a stiff way, like he was rusty at manners.
I put my nose up in the air and regally swept by him, ruining it by chuckling. He let out some kind of gasping choke, sounding like a cat with a hairball. When I looked over at him, his gaze was locked at my chest, the robe having opened a bit more than I liked. I turned bright red and quickly shut my robe, causing his eyes to snap up to mine.
His face flushed a deep scarlet under the beard. "Sorry," he mumbled, shoving his hand through his shaggy locks. He looked so embarrassed at having been caught ogling me...
"Well, you almost got a show there didn't you?" I joked, trying to relieve the tension. He let out a hoarse barking laugh, leading me to believe his social skills were indeed rustier than mine. "Hi, I'm Bella Swan. It's lovely to meet you." I held out my hand, but before he could take it and introduce himself, two employees came in and ushered us out in two different directions.
After the most relaxing massage ever, the most horrendous thing on the planet happened to me. Why did I agree to a Brazilian before knowing what it was? When the woman started applying the hot wax down there I yelped and asked her what that was for. I'd snickered at her response thinking, No ones going to see how baby smooth I am in that area! But I felt bad, and let her continue the seemingly slow torture.
I was treated to a facial while my girly bits recovered, then they painted mud all over my ass and wrapped me up in seaweed, leaving me to my newfound respect of all sushi for an hour.
My thoughts during that time wandered back to the mystery man I ran into earlier. He was just as handsome as the first time I saw him. He still had the beard, but I had a feeling that would be gone before he left here today. I loved the fact that he was quite a bit taller than me, the perfect height for my face to nestle against his chest. He seemed to like the way I looked as well, judging by the way he looked me over…twice. But he acted shy and so much more reserved then even I did. It made me wonder if that was why he was going to Alice. I could only hope it was work-related. I decided to make it my mission to find out.
After a thorough shower, they took me to an atrium for lunch. I was starving and willing to eat anything… but sushi. As I sat down, I noticed the man who had consumed my thoughts for the last hour sitting at another table, looking straight at me. I smiled self-consciously and fidgeted with my robe, making sure it was closed. I took a deep breath, steadying my nerves a bit before talking to him.
"Hey, are you relaxing and having a good time?" It seemed like he was glad that I was talking to him. His eyes lit up more, and I noticed he kept them locked on my face. Ahhh... He seemed as if he was afraid I wouldn't talk to him, and was now checking me out, a lot. Well now handsome, look all you want!
He looked so different. His hair was still too long, but his face... His face. I knew they would shave him. It was so wonderful to see his face without all the scruff.. His jaw was hard and angular; looking like it was made of granite. His eyes looked much brighter and the skin around them appeared much more relaxed. I had a fleeting wish that he was on the menu for lunch.
"I suppose. It's different then I expected. You look quite refreshed. Are you enjoying your time here?" His voice was stronger than before. The fact that he carried himself a bit more confidently coupled with the huskiness he'd injected into his comments made my mouth as dry as the Sahara desert. Thankfully, someone had dropped off a glass of water and I drank from it deeply. I knew what I wanted to do, I just needed the nerve.
"It was different than I thought. Relaxing, but painful too." When he cocked his head and looked over at me with a question in his eyes, I steeled my resolve and simply blurted out, "Would you like to join me for lunch? I'd rather not shout over at you all afternoon."
Before I'd even finished the sentences, he swooped up his things eagerly and came over to my table. When the bowls of soup and salads were served, the woman looked puzzled for a moment, and then simply set the dishes down without a word.
"So you were wondering what was so painful." I asked after we'd eaten a bit. At his nod, I continued, "Well, I loved the massage and the facial, but the whole mud-sushi-wrap and waxing thing can really go." He choked on his water, causing me to giggle like a little girl. I hurried to explain the processes and he laughed heartily at the analogy of feeling like piece of sushi.
"Well, I had a woman attack me with a strait razor, then was pummeled and pounded by a woman that could easily be mistaken for a man, then forced to endure what was called a "facial". They blew steam in my face and then slapped cream on me. I could've done that at home for far less." He grumbled, stabbing at the salad like it was planning to attack him too.
"Hey now, don't take it out on the poor salad! It wasn't in the nefarious scheme to make you pretty." I blushed deeply as those words tumbled out of my mouth. I chanced a look at him, finding his lips pulled into a secret smile, and his cheeks just as red as mine. I cleared my throat, "I gave you my name, but never caught yours."
"Sorry. Edward, that's me," he said, holding his hand out to mine. When our hands connected, he pulled back so quickly he knocked over the water bottle and spilled it all over the table. "Shit, sorry! Shit! What a dumb ass! I'm so sorry." He continued to berate himself as he shot up and tried to clean up the mess. I stood to help him. "No, no I've got it," he stopped me from assisting in the clean up, still sounding angry at himself.
"Edward, it's no big deal. Hell, I do stuff like this all the time. Let me help you with that." I mopped up the mess on my side of the table, accepting his thanks with a nod.
Once everything was clean, we finished our lunch in relative silence. It was then we were shown into another room, this one obviously set up for manicures and pedicures.
"No. No way in hell am I getting my nails done. Forget it." Edward stood with his arms crossed, a frown on his face. The staff looked bored, like they'd seen it all before.
"Come on Edward, it's not that bad… I'll even help you pick out a nice red to put on your nails!" I hoped that teasing would bring him out of his little fit. His mouth quirked in a half smile that made my insides quiver. "Come sit by me Edward…" I beckoned him over and patted the seat next to me. He reluctantly sat in the chair, looking over at me as if he was almost scared at what was to come.
"You won't lose your man card Edward. I'll be sure to say they tied you down!" The manicurist rolled her eyes toward me and we stifled a laugh. He simply sighed and let his head rest against the seat.
"So, why are you going to see Alice?" I remembered my mission to seek out why he needed a life coach. At his arch look, I quickly said, "I recognized you from her office last week. I was leaving as you were going..." I trailed off, not knowing what to say next.
"Yes, I recognized you, too." He sighed and pushed his hair out of his face with his free hand. "My company is launching some new software, and I have to 'clean up' for the press. Usually I have my lawyer handle the interviews, but apparently me being 'camera shy' has people wondering about the integrity of my product." His face tightened with anger, his jaw locked into place. I wondered if it was wrong of me to want to lick it.
"That's not very fair, is it? But I understand. I'm an author and my editor says my last book would have done much better if I had done more interviews. That's why I'm seeing Alice. She's helped me so much already." He looked over at me in surprise. "If you relax a bit, maybe she can help you, too." He smiled over at me, and I truly hoped I'd helped him.
As the ladies finished up our fingers and toes, we spoke of general things. I felt very relaxed and comfortable with him, but there was an undercurrent of awareness. Every move I made he seemed to watch in fascination and I was no better. Whenever his hand would jerk through his hair in frustration, mine longed to follow and soothe him. I noticed that whenever I bit my lip, his eyes would darken a little and his tongue poked out to wet his lips. I longed to feel those lips against mine. How can I see him again? What if he doesn't want to? My head started aching with these and other unanswered questions.
I was separated from him when it was time for my hair and make up. I was floored that a simple cut, style and make up session took over two hours. I went to the changing room hastily throwing on my clothes in an attempt to see if Edward was still here. I paused at the mirror a moment to take in the full effect of all the changes. Damn, I look good!
I practically ran to the front of the store, thanking everyone I passed. I skidded to a stop as I saw Edward about to step into a taxi. Oh my god, he's beautiful. The sun glinted off his hair, showing the red tints he had. The cut they gave him was simply elegant, long enough to maintain that messy I-don't-care style while still giving him a certain air of sophistication.
He looked back into the window, his jaw dropping when he caught sight of me. After staring for a moment, he gave me that lazy smirk I was starting to swoon over. He mouthed the word 'bye' to me, and got in the cab. My heart sank when I realized I may not see him again. A snicker over to my right caused my head to whip in that direction.
Alice stood there grinning like a Cheshire cat. I could tell she now knew of my fascination for Edward. The door opened and Rose breezed in, looking even more beautiful in modern clothes than when she was at work.
"Rose is here, Bella. Let's eat, I'm starving!" Alice exclaimed and she strolled toward Rose and the door. "You can tell us all about you and Edward while we eat."
Rose looked over at me with a smirk on her face.
"Hey lady, looking good! Not that you needed much improvement though. So, already snagged you a man?" I rolled my eyes, causing her to burst into laughter. We all sauntered out onto the sidewalk, me turning and walking instead of hailing a cab.
"Come on, ladies, Chili's is down the street and I'm in the mood for a margarita." At my statement, they both let out a whoop and we all three walked off into the sunset like it was a movie. Only it wasn't happily ever after. It was 'happily drink as many margaritas as I could' before they made me spill the beans about Edward.
Well, what do you think of Edward and Bella finally meeting? I know it was a long time coming, but Bella needed the confidence to speak to him. Please drop me line and tell me what you thought. I've gotten a number of alerts, but my review count could use a boost. Who knows? I may be inspired to write faster! Next up, dinner with the girls and will Edward like the wardrobe change? Oh, and did you ladies like Jake? I do! Leave me love pretty please!! Then go read the entries for the Esme contest hosted by coldplaywhore and me. Perhaps you'll want to write your own!!