Sorry for the delay. I intended to update last night but yesterday was the suckiest, longest day ever and I fell asleep early after class. I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's a little shorter than the others. It alternates POV's again.

Randomness: I was in the gym today and on one of the TV's there was a program about werewolves on the history channel. The first thing that popped into my head: Jacob Black! lol (Seriously, that's how you know you're a twilighter). My other random note was that yesterday on the sign-in sheet for my speech class one of the kids in my class was named Andrew...Whitlock. I definitely had to hold in my laughter at that one. (Again, that's how you know you're a twilighter) lol

I don't own Twilight, but if I did...well hell, I wouldn't even be on fanfiction ;)

It was official. I was an idiot—a certified, prize-winning, idiot. And it was because of me being this huge idiot that I was getting ready to go out on my "non-date" with Edward. I was seriously becoming a masochist. I agreed to go out on a date with the man I was head over heels for. What the hell was I thinking?

"Bella, are you almost ready?"

"No," I croaked from behind my door.

"Bella, are you alright? Let me in!"

I slithered up the door from my spot on the floor and opened the door. Alice was horrified.

"Are you crazy? They're going to be waiting for us at the theater in twenty minutes!"

I couldn't respond. She'd be exhausted by my excuse or freak out if I told her I didn't have one. I was supposed to be ready by now. Alice had picked out an outfit for me and everything. According to her, tonight things would be changing. She could "sense it." I told her she was full of crap but she felt differently.

"Bathroom. Now!" she ordered.

I rushed into the bathroom with Alice hot on my heels. She was not happy. She began frantically grabbing make-up while she pushed me down onto my toilet seat.

I closed my eyes and waited. I could tell she had put on eyeliner, mascara, and eye shadow but I never actually knew what I looked like.

After she finished the make-up she shoved me into my bedroom. I put the outfit on quickly and grabbed my purse.

I was still trying to put on the deathly stilettos she'd forced me to wear as we got into the elevator. I was quite sure I was a sight—hopping back and forth—trying to push my resistant foot into the suicide shoes.

"I cannot believe you did this to me Bella. We have ten minutes to get to the movie theater now. What were you doing in there that whole time?"

"Trying to figure out why I agreed to go on this stupid 'non-date' anyway," I replied while making figure quotations.

"That's your own fault you know."

"I know."

"I told you not to do the whole awkward friends thing. If you would have just told him you liked him when he told you about the kiss you would have saved yourself all this trouble. Now he probably thinks you just like him as a friend."

"Can we please save this lecture for another night? I'm beginning to have an ulcer as it is."

"Fine, but just remember if you screw things up tonight I'll make you wear heels everyday to work until you tell him you like him."

"Well, there's some initiative."

"Be serious, Bella."

"Trust me. I am serious."

I was serious. Wearing heels to work every day—indefinitely—was not my idea of fun. That would sober me up and get me to tell Edward the truth very quickly.

If I was going to torture myself that way the least I should do is finish off the job and tell Edward the truth. At least the rejection wouldn't hurt as bad as the many injuries I'd surely sustain with heels.

Ding!

Alice and I stepped off the elevator and rushed to the car. She almost sprinted but I was smart enough to know that in heels that would create a challenge for me.

I unlocked the doors and climbed into the driver's seat. We needed to meet Edward and Jasper at the movie theater in eight minutes now. I peeled out my parking spot, in Mike Newton fashion, and sped to the movie theater.

It wasn't like me to drive so fast but Alice was adamant about not being late—fashionably or otherwise.

"C'mon Bella! You're driving an Audi. You can drive faster than 50."

"Alice! It's a residential neighborhood! If I wasn't dangerously weaving as it is, we would never be doing 50! The speed limit is 35 for crying out loud!"

Alice groaned in annoyance and sat back in her seat with a thump. She folded her arms over her chest and pouted. If I wasn't so nervous myself, I'd laugh at her childish behavior.

I kept my eyes concentrated on the road and peered at the clock occasionally. We had two minutes to get to the movie theater that was four more minutes away.

I pressed on the gas a little harder, weaved a little more closely, and skipped out of more red lights than I would have ever thought possible in New York.

I parked in a spot that was relatively close and jumped out of the car. It was a pretty decent park for being so rushed. I wasn't far away from the curb or extremely crooked.

"Bella, stop admiring your handiwork and let's go!"

I snapped my head up and clacked my way over to Alice. These heels were obnoxiously loud against the pavement.

I walked quickly and was surprised by the amount of gracefulness I had managed. Maybe I wasn't so bad at this heel thing.

EPOV

"I don't know about this Edward," Jasper said in his slight Southern drawl.

"Jasper, don't start again! You're doing me a favor and yourself. Alice is great. You'll love her. She's pretty, smart, funny—"

"So then you date her!" he interrupted.

"Sorry man, even if Bella seems to be a lost cause these days I'm still crazy about her."

"I can't believe you two are calling this a 'non-date.' That's the most immature thing I've ever heard from a 27-year-old."

"Lay off the jokes. I didn't come up with it. If it makes her feel more comfortable then whatever! I'd go out on a hundred non-dates with Bella if it meant I got to spend time with her."

"You've got it bad," Jasper quirked an eyebrow at me.

"I know," I muttered.

We had parked far away due to the lack of parking and were running late. We still had one minute until we had agreed to be there but I still felt like an ass for being late.

I didn't want Bella to think I was incapable of being on time and I didn't want her to stand outside. Despite it being close to May the weather was still cool.

Jasper and I turned the corner around the movie theater and my breath caught. I hadn't seen Bella since the afternoon in her apartment and the sight of her was stunning.

She and Alice were arguing quietly about something and were walking close together.

The wind was picking up and it was getting cooler as the night got later. The sun was setting and it cast a beautiful gold hue on Bella's pale skin and her hair picked up the colors brilliantly. She had amber highlights running through her long mane.

She laughed at something Alice had said momentarily and continued walking, unaware of my gaze, towards the movie theater. Jasper smacked me in the stomach and I was brought back to reality.

"Is that her?" he asked.

"Yeah," I responded in a daze.

"She's gorgeous."

"Yeah, I know."

He stopped walking for a second and turned to face me. He had an incredulous look on his face.

"Not Bella, you moron. Alice!"

"Oh," I responded stupidly.

I was so caught up with watching Bella I didn't realize he'd noticed Alice walking too. We began walking once more and caught up to the girls who were waiting by the line forming at the ticket booth.

Bella turned around first and had a beautiful smile on her face. Her cheeks were slightly pink from the wind. She looked even more dazzling up close.

"Hey, Bella! Hey, Alice! This is my friend Jasper Whitlock," I gestured to the lanky, blonde on my left.

Bella smiled and held her hand out to shake. I watched her reaction closely to make sure she wasn't interested. She seemed polite enough and disinterested.

Alice, however, had a mile-wide smile on her face and took Jasper's hand eagerly. I was glad she was so pleased with Jasper. I was hoping that she would like him just as much as she liked his physical appearance.

Jasper was grinning just as much and was looking at her like he was in a trance.

I guess the picture of Alice I'd swiped from Emmett didn't do her justice. I looked over at Bella and she was smiling at the scene before her. My heart ached as I imagined that being Bella and I.

If only I could get her to change her mind about me. After the kiss debacle on Thursday afternoon it seemed like she was really uninterested.

Although, she claimed she didn't remember kissing me I figured she probably did and was just playing aloof to make me feel better. Was I really that awful of a kisser?

Jasper walked up to the ticket booth and spoke to the attendant. He paid for our tickets and I offered to pay for the snacks and drinks. Bella tried to protest but I ignored her.

Alice and Jasper stood closely together as we made our way into the theater. They went into the theater to get seats as I stood on line to get drinks and snacks.

That left Bella to hang out with me and I prayed desperately she didn't mind it. I didn't want her to feel compelled to stand by me so I wouldn't feel like a third-wheel. I was starting to think maybe asking her to come along was a bad idea. Maybe I should have asked Rosalie.

"How was the rest of your week Edward?" her voice startled me.

She was standing closely beside me as I waited on line. I figured she had gone into the theater to sit down and avoid me. Things had become so awkward.

I felt like such a fool for telling her about the kiss. I knew it was a bad idea, but the way she pleaded with me made it impossible for me to deny her anything.

I tried to tell her in so many words I loved it but she apparently didn't feel the same way.

"It was supremely boring. Tonight will be the first night since Wednesday that I'm doing something fun."

"Oh," she responded quietly.

I realized the error in my response and opened my mouth to correct myself.

"Oh, I didn't mean lunch with you Bella. I had a great time with you."

"It's fine Edward. We're next."

She turned to face the concession stood and I internally groaned. What the hell was wrong with me? I used to be so smooth at the dating thing.

It was like Bella had some superpower that rendered me incoherent, bumbling, and incapable of tactfulness. I knew exactly what that power was too.

It was just how truly incredible she was. Bella was absolutely beautiful, intelligent, sweet, unique, humorous, and considerate. I could go on for days thinking about all the things that made her so impossibly wonderful.

"Alice said she wanted a Diet Coke and Sno Caps and Jasper wanted popcorn. According to Alice, they'll share a drink," she said with a smirk.

I smiled at her and shook my head. Leave it to Jasper to catch the girl within knowing her for five minutes. I knew Alice wasn't the type to share a drink that quickly either. They must really have chemistry.

"What do you want, Bella?"

There was an underlying question in there and I was half-hoping she wouldn't catch it. Her eyes snapped to meet mine and she parted her lips to respond but stood staring for a long moment.

She had caught the underlying question. The optimistic side of me was dying for her to answer it but she closed her mouth quickly and looked down. I had made her uncomfortable.

"Next!" the concession stand worker shouted at us.

I stepped forward still looking at Bella. She averted her eyes to everything that wasn't me. I told the young man all of the order until I got to Bella.

"So, what do you want Bella?"

Her eyes shot to the boy in front of us and she told him she wanted a Coke in a small voice. I closed my eyes. I was really screwing things up with her. Why did I always need to push the boundaries with her? It was a sure thing that I'd gone too far.

The boy handed us our drinks and snacks and I paid him. Bella grabbed her Coke, Jasper's popcorn, and Alice's Sno Caps. I grabbed my drink, my popcorn, and Alice and Jasper's drink.

We made our way into the theater and found Alice and Jasper quickly. His blonde hair stood out and Alice was giggling loud enough that it'd be difficult to miss her.

I scooted into the row and took the seat on Jasper's right. Bella, surprisingly, sat on my right as well and handed down the snacks.

I put my drink in the cup holder and placed my arm on the arm rest only to touch Bella's tiny hand. I pulled my hand away quickly so I didn't bother her. I was really being smooth tonight.

Bella stared at the commercials and trailers while I tried deeply not to watch her. Watching her watch movies was becoming my favorite hobby.

The trailers and commercials passed quickly and the movie eventually began. It was some action/thriller. I didn't even remember the title. Watching Bella had made me completely oblivious to trivial things like the movie title.

She was so enchanting and exquisite. The array of emotions that flashed across her face while she watched the movie felt like the most intimate thing I'd ever experienced. It was as though she was an open book and I could figure out anything I wanted to know about her.

I loved how unmindful she was to my watchful eye. It gave me the honesty she'd otherwise try to hide in front of me. I was so caught up in my staring that it startled me when I felt a nudge in my side. Jasper was leaning over towards me.

"What?' I whispered.

"Alice and I are going to take off. Do you think Bella minds taking you home?"

I rolled my eyes and leaned over back towards Bella. I rubbed her arm softly and almost lost it when her brown eyes connected with mine. She was hesitant to face me and I felt bad. I was interrupting her from the movie.

"Bella…Alice and Jasper want to leave. I hate asking you this but we didn't come in my car and—"

She threw a hand up and stopped me. She shook her head and leaned over to bring her lips to my ear.

"Don't worry about it Edward. I can take you home. Tell them to have fun."

Having her that close and having her voice in my ear was messing with my head. I was getting lightheaded and woozy. Did this girl have any idea of the way she drove me crazy?

I leaned over to Jasper and he was waiting anxiously for my response. Alice's head was popping out from the side and she was bouncing in her seat.

I smiled at the sight and nodded my head. They were free to leave.

Jasper shot up and grabbed Alice's hand. The way they scooted past Bella and I and practically sprinted out of the movie theater was almost comical. I heard Bella giggle and smiled at her.

"Do you want to stay here any longer?"

She shook her head and stood up. I followed behind her and stared at her hair intently. If I looked anywhere else I was sure I'd lose my battle with self-control and kiss her amongst other things.

We made our way outside and I stopped momentarily. I didn't know where she parked and I didn't know what she wanted to do.

"Where do you want to go?" she asked.

I debated. There were a number of places I wanted to take Bella but I didn't want to push the boundaries again. The tension seemed to have been lifted lightly.

"I guess we could just go back to the apartment."

She frowned a little. Oh God, the wrong answer again!

I smiled at her trying to coax a reaction out of her and she smiled weakly. Bella walked away as I ran a hand down my face. I had lost it. I was officially the old guy with no game.

I don't even know why I hoped Bella was interested. What business did a 27-year-old cardiologist have with a beautiful, carefree 24-year-old? Bella had so many other options out there.

The fact that Christian was leaving her the morning I met her was proof enough that she was irresistible. Then there was always the thing about her neighbor and his undying devotion to her. And I hadn't missed the way the men in the gym were staring at her Wednesday morning.

There was no reason why Bella should be interested in me. I should just throw in the towel and leave with my dignity.

"Are you coming?" she called out.

I opened my eyes and ran up to where she was standing. We continued walking in the direction of where her car was parked. She pressed a button on her car keys and the unlocked the doors.

I slid into the passenger seat while she climbed into the driver's side. I sat there while she drove and cursed myself. I needed to give it up. If she liked me things wouldn't be this hopelessly awkward.

I smiled to myself when I realized I was watching her driving. She was a good driver, a little slow for my preference but she wasn't as awful as most women were. I instantly wondered if she noticed my little stunt on Wednesday afternoon after lunch.

We pulled up to my apartment quickly and got out. I groped around in my pocket for my keys until I found them. The elevator ride was quiet but surprisingly not awkward.

When we got to the fourth floor I stepped out first and unlocked the door. I knew Emmett wouldn't be home so I didn't bother calling out for him.

Tonight was his shift at the Rectangle Room. It was around 10 P.M. now—he was already well into his shift. I took off my coat and put it in the closet.

I grabbed Bella's from her and hung it up. When I turned around I surprised myself. I was finally looking at Bella's outfit. She was wearing a plain, khaki, knee-length skirt and a navy blue polo. It was a simple outfit but she looked stunning.

"Do you want to watch a movie or listen to some music? My CD collection is finally here from Seattle."

"Let's listen to some music. I'd like to see your collection. Emmett told me it's pretty impressive—not that he likes everything in it." She was smiling beautifully again.

"Okay, c'mon."

I grabbed her hand and led her to my bedroom. She seemed a little startled by the contact but it felt friendly to me.

I opened the door with my free hand and led her into my room. We hadn't been in here since the morning I met her. It was a little ironic.

I turned and let go of her hand and motioned to the wall across from my bed that was now covered in CD's. She gasped at the sight and her eyes widened in amazement. A smug smile crept over my face.

Bella stretched her small hands out and started to brush her fingertips across the titles. I was happy she was impressed.

At least she would be impressed by something that was related to my doing tonight. I had crashed and burned so many times already.

She smiled widely at my collection and pulled out a CD. I could tell by the section which one it was already.

"Can we listen to this one?"

"Absolutely."

I took the CD from her and walked over to my stereo. I placed the CD carefully and pressed play. The music started instantly and the sound filled my room. It wasn't a CD I listened to often but it was a good album to have in my collection. It was the Memoirs of a Geisha soundtrack.

I was particularly fond of John William's compositions and I liked the distinctiveness of the music. It was a different type of classical that was heavily influenced by other styles. Not just traditional. Elizabeth had given it to me as a gift. She knew how much I loved John Williams.

Bella and I perused the CD's and we spoke occasionally. I would ask her if she'd listened to a certain artist or album and she would ask me about certain albums. The conversation was easy and comfortable.

I watched as her fingertips grazed one section and she narrowed her eyes to read the titles. I was overwhelmed with emotions as I stared. That burning sensation I got anytime I was near her started to fuel deep inside me.

I wanted so badly to press my lips against hers the way we did the other night. I couldn't resist her after having just one kiss. My favorite song on the album, "The Chairman's Waltz," came on and I was overcome with confidence and desire.

Unconsciously, I started walking towards her and brushed my left hand up her exposed arm. The feeling of her soft skin underneath my fingertips was maddening. It was insane how deeply attracted I was to her.

Her eyes were still downcast but she started to slowly lift her head and peek at me from underneath her long, dark lashes. My hand continued its ascent and stayed on her shoulder, waiting on the boundary between her collar and neck.

We were staring at each other intently. It seemed as though she wanted this just as badly as I did. My other hand got curious and snaked its way around her waist, pulling her closer. Her lips parted to say something but she never spoke.

I leaned in slowly and brought my head down. Luckily, the heels made her closer and I was now inches from her lips. I closed the distance swiftly and pressed my lips against hers.

Instantly, my hand that was on her shoulder was cupping her face. I was eager and wasted no time with pretenses. The kiss was urgent and quick.

I was beginning to feel reassured that she was enjoying it when her tongue slid across my bottom lip. I opened my mouth fast. I wanted to taste her just as badly. Our tongues battled for dominance and intertwined passionately.

I felt her hands wrap around my neck and find their way into my hair. I was turned on by this one little action. The feeling of her hands brushing through my hair was spectacular. I imagined that maybe my hair would cooperate if her hands were the ones brushing through them.

I pulled away hesitantly when I realized I needed to ask her something if this was going to continue.

I broke from her grasp and stared at her. Her lips were swollen from kissing and her face was slightly flushed. I could get used to seeing her in this state.

"Bella, would you go on a real date with me?"

She giggled lightly and lost the exasperated expression she had with me when I stopped kissing her.

I was glad she wasn't upset with me. I was thrilled she'd kissed me. And I'd be over-the-moon if she answered the question.

"So..."

"Of course I'll go on a date with you Edward."

I wanted to smile but that didn't seem like enough. I leaned back to her and pressed my lips against hers. This one was quick-paced too but because of exultation.

The woman who'd consumed my thoughts from the first moment I saw her face had just agreed to go out with me—even after the catastrophe our non-date had been. Talk about a twist of fate.

They kissed finally! And this time it was real one! Next chapter is the real date. I love this chapter I think it's pretty funny. The date is actually broken into two chapters and might even continue into three. We'll see how I do.

Preview for next chapter: (Bella's POV only for this chapter)

I was passing through the bewildered tourists and little kids when I finally saw the bridge. My eyes darted across the lake and I struggled to see Edward. His dark hair with the unnatural hint of bronze was nowhere to be seen. Maybe Emmett was a part of the plan in a way I hadn't expected. Maybe there was some sort of drop-off and I had missed it.