AN: it's a long one for my dearest reader. sorry ti took so long, if you read Arrivederci too, you know what happened. oh well, people died, i fainted, school is a hell...bla bla bla.
ok this chapter is cute, i think, the next we'll see the date...but it doesn't involve who you think (or hope) it does.
Margherita pizza is the Italin one: cheese, tomato and basilic. Don't argue about food with me, i'll show no mercy. you're all warned. For who still don't know: i'm Italian. ihih:P
I know James Lafferty is an actor, a wonderful one. Oh how much is he hot?????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The song of Bella's Ringtone is Leona Lewis: Bleeding Love. just adore it.
I would aprreciate it very much if people who put this story on alert would review...thanks:D
I put a poll on my profile: go vote!
ok, now this super long author's note is done, you can go on read the chap.
baci
Marta
A bit more of blush, here. Perfect. No, maybe it's too much. But then it would seem… no, no, definitely more blush. Just a bit. A little bit. What about lipstick? Lip-gloss or lipstick? Oh god, what to chose? Blue eye shadow or white one? Maybe neither, just a bit of kohl black pencil or is liquid eyeliner better?
Those were the thoughts that swam through Bella Swan's mind, while she looked at her reflection in the mirror, preparing for her date.
Yes, you heard right. Bella Swan, after months of loneliness, tons of ice cream and depression, finally had a date! A real one! With a man she actually liked, and that liked her, and that wasn't a geek with acne or a boring pompous macho jerk. He was normal, confident and pretty good looking, not boring and of an appropriate age.
She smiled to herself, yes, she had made the right choice accepting his invitation.
Flashback
"What was all that for"
"Charlie thinks I'm sneaking out"
"Oh" he contemplated that. "Why?". As if he couldn't know Charlie's mind much more clearly than I could guess.
"App…"
But I don't care what they say
I'm in love with you
They try to pull me away
But they don't know the truth
My heart's crippled by the vein
That I keep on-
"Hello?" she answered the phone, not knowing the number that showed on the screen, interrupting her typing process.
She heard a deaf sound on the other line and then a soft, masculine voice spoke "Hello?"
She was already irritated. Why do you call a person and then ask hello? You called! You should know! "Hello" she repeated.
"Oh, hi Bella, it's me, James. Do you remember me, that stupid guy you met some days ago?" he asked, Bella could hear the smile in his voice. Of course she remembered, she had been waiting for that call since she left the club that night.
"James?" she pretend not to remember who he was "Oh yes, I remember." She faked enthusiasm, well, she faked to be not as enthusiast as she really was "How are you?" she asked politely.
"I'm fine thanks. You?" he asked back.
She snuggled comfortably in the couch, putting aside her laptop "Quite fine, thank you."
"So…" he started slowly "I was wondering if you would like to go dinner with me, one of these nights. If you want to obviously, don't worry I won't be offended if you don't accept, even if my ego would be bruised and my analyst would be desperate to hear me talk endlessly about it." He chuckled.
She trailed off, as if she was valuating the situation "Hmmm, I don't know…" she said, her hand on her chin, rubbing it. Her smile was wide.
He sighed and started to play her game "Oh well, no problem. I'm sorry though. Really Bella, I'm not asking this for me" he said with an indignant tone, as if he was really offended by her probable assumptions "But for my analyst" and then he added " and my bank account" he chuckled.
She laughed too "Oh well, now I wouldn't want for you analyst or you bank account to be upset because of me, would I ?" she asked, rhetorically.
"No, definitely not" he said.
She huffed "Ok, I'll go dinner with you, but only for the analyst!" she said.
"Of course, I thank you for him"
"Tell him he's very welcome".
"Will do" he chuckled again.
And so they talked some more, agreeing about the place and the time.
End flashback.
And here Bella was, preparing herself to go dinner with James.
It was a cool Thursday night and she decided to wear a simple black dress with thin straps and black décolleté, her hair up, neat and shiny.
And then the entry phone buzzed, signaling to her that James had arrived.
"Coming" she responded, she picked up her purse and closed the door, then she pushed the button of the elevator. While waiting for it to arrive at her floor, she thought back at the discussion she and Edward had that afternoon at work.
Flashback
"We need a motto" he said, pacing up and down in the office.
She smirked from where she was seated "Calm down! You're making me anxious".
He looked a her puzzled "I am calm" he said "It's just that: we need a motto!"
Her eyebrows knotted together "A motto? And why would we need a motto?"
He sighed as if it was elementary for her to know it "Because" he spoke slowly, spelling every syllable "The people that are going to read it will need a line that represent the book! We need that they will remember a line. The line. The one that would mean your book! Like…" he moved his hands as if he was digging, searching for something "Like A Thousand Splendid Suns!"
She looked skeptical "A Thousand Splendid Suns?"
He nodded "Yes, A Thousand Splendid Suns" he repeated.
She arched and eyebrow "If you say so…"
He, circled her desk and kneeled in front of her, surprising her "Bella, listen, I know what I'm doing. And believe me: we need a motto. Something that when said it just make think of your book, still untitled by the way. You understand right?" he asked, softly.
She was too surprised to speak properly so she whispered "Yes".
He nodded and smiled "Good" and he resumed pacing.
"Yes, but now you need to relax" she said, getting up and going to block him " Let's eat something" she proposed.
He looked at the floor, defeated "Yes, maybe you're right"
She scowled "Not maybe, I am right"
"What do you want to order?" he asked, picking up the receiver , waiting for a number to dial.
"Mmmmm, today I want Chinese!" she exclaimed happily.
He scrunched his nose and muttered something that seemed like "American's" but Bella was sure she must had imagined it, and he dialed the number of the closest Chinese restaurant.
After finishing that call he dialed another number and ordered a pizza from one of the best Italian restaurants in New York "Da Nico's" and ordered a Margarita Pizza.
"Why didn't you order Chinese?" she asked, sincerely surprised.
He shrugged " I don't like it" he simply said.
She widened her eyes in utter disbelief "What!" she practically yelled "You don't like Chinese!" she asked again.
He looked at her as if she was a little unstable, and that was probably true, and nodded, a strange look in his eyes, looking at that mad woman in front of him.
She threw her hands in the air dramatically "How!" she said "And I repeat it: How! How can you make such a wrong to your body depriving it of such a wonderful, tasty, colorful, wondrous food!" she said.
The scary thing was: she believed the things she was saying.
He arched an eyebrow, now slightly scared "Because it's junk? Because they probably make it with dogs and cats, and because it would be an insult to the real food to call those… things food? For that?" he pretended to thought about his response "Yes, yes for that" he answered.
She shook her head in incredulity and muttered "Stupid boy".
Unfortunately for her, he heard her "Have you ever been to Italy, Bella?" he asked, leaning on his chair and crossing his legs, his eyes playful and a smug smirk on his face.
She answered immediately "No" she said with suspect.
He sighed and smiled "Then, you can't discuss food with me, because you've never eaten any".
She was outraged, her mouth fell open at his "brilliant" comeback "I'm sorry, Mr. Masen, but I've eaten more real food, as you put it, than you. And, anyway, even if I've never eaten any, I'm sure that tonight I'll savor the most exquisite food a chef has ever cooked" she finished smugly, and a bit childishly, secretly hoping he would ask about her cryptic answer and so she would have, finally, the opportunity to spill the news to someone.
Edward obviously knew what her intention was, and, just for the aim of relaxing himself, he asked the fatal question "And why is that, may I ask?".
Bella sat straighter in her chair, letting know with the body language she would talk for a long time "You know the morning you went to my house and I wasn't feeling well?" she asked.
He nodded, so she went on "Well, the night before I went to a club with a friend of mine, Rose, and she introduced me to a French friend of hers who, right on cue, had dragged with him a friend of his! And guess who that friend was?" he remained silent, slightly bored, but Bella didn't notice "James Lafferty! The famous architect. He hummed a "mmmm" of …approval?
Her eyes then brightened "And guess what!" she said loudly, right when a Chinese boy, short and rather ugly, knocked on the glass door, Bella's food in hand.
"Sorry, is this Bella Swan's office?" he asked, reading the name from a piece of paper.
"Yes, it is" said Edward, getting up to pay the boy and putting the food on a little table in front of them "Here's your wondrous lunch" he said sarcastically.
"Thanks, remind me to pay you back later" she added, before going on with her tale " What was I saying?" she tried to gather her thoughts and then she smiled widely "Oh yeah" and then she squealed "Guess what?" she said enthusiastically.
"What?" Edward asked.
She started to frightenly clapping her hands "He called yesterday and asked me on a date!!!!" she squealed even louder.
He smiled, unsure of what to do "Wonderful" he murmured incredulous as she put in her mouth a full Spring Roll in a very unlady-like manor.
"Yes it is" she tried to say with her full mouth "I haven't dated in ages, I need a man" she admitted.
He breathed loudly "Well, I don't needing a man is that good. A woman should never depend on a man like that, either she's in love with him or not. People, before expecting love from others, should give love to themselves. Love and respect themselves, you know?" he asked and then went on "You'll never find the right man, or have a good relationship if you don't have those basics." he then, unexpectedly, chuckled and it was really a good sound, Bella noticed "You know, a song says ' Before claiming orgasm, try to just love yourself'" she was ready to say a malicious cut, but he stopped her "And not in the way you think" he said sternly.
"I've never heard that song" she said, offended.
He smirked and said "You've ever been to Italy, you don't know what I'm talking about"
End flashback
Maybe he was right. Maybe she should try to use her periods of loneliness to try to understand herself better and not wasting months trying to decipher a man's attitude.
But she needed someone to spend time with and do things with, and she wanted James.
To hell with Edward and all his smart talk, in the end, he had a girlfriend so who was he to talk about "loving yourself"?
Finally the elevator door opened and Bella saw, outside the glass door of the entrance, a man, tall and confident, dressed in a black suite without tie and a white shirt with the first two buttons open and a smile on his face that held a promise: we'll have fun.
And so she pressed the door's button and stepped in the cold New York's air, ready to start her date.
AN: questions? anything unclear? just ask. you know where? in a REVIEW!
baci
Marta