Chapter 7

Waiving of the White

I sat like a nervous child in Esme's office. I knew that the highlights of filming were sent to her last night and I know that she watched them and I know what had to be on them. I was fucked. But she just sat across from me and smiled. She was going to get such satisfaction from taking me off this assignment and giving it to Lauren. I groan as another minute ticks past. "Just get it over with."

"Get what over with?" Esme questions me.

"I know you know." I lean forward. "So just say what you want to say and get it over with."

"What do I know?"

She was like a little girl teasing the boys on the playground. Very un-Esme-like. "What is going on?" I raise an eyebrow. "You hate suspense as much as I do. You speak your mind immediately. So what's the hold up?"

She still doesn't respond. She folds her hands and stares at me the corners of her mouth pulled up in an awkward smile. "Oh, fuck!" She exclaims and throws her hands up in the air. "I'm no good at this."

"Yeah, I know. Just go back to being a bitch." Not something most people can get away with saying to their boss, but I think Esme kind of likes it.

"You are in the wrong line of work, sweetheart. The camera loves you. And so does Edward. Which you are not going to get fired for. I love it! The producers love it! The people will love it!" I cannot formulate a response. This is not what I was expecting. "It couldn't get anymore perfect. Two strangers brought together by fate in this tragedy. You end up giving him a part of yourself and you fall in love! It's a hallmark movie, but in real life. It sickens me! And I loved every second of it!"

"I don't get it." Is all I can say. My voice small and weak. I'm still waiting for her to laugh in my face and tell me I'm fired.

She rolls her eyes at me. "What? Are you fucking stupid?" she yells at me. There is the Esme that I know. "Go have sex with Edward!"

Really not expecting that. "I'm sorry?"

"Jesus Christ! You seriously have to be the dumbest person alive! Edward likes you. You like Edward. That means you two should have sex. It's what normal people do." She speaks slowly with a condescending tone, as if I were a child. Classic Esme.

I lick my lips and lean forward. "Let me get this straight." I take a deep breath. "You want me and Edward to…"

"Go get yourself a piece of that hot ass," I stare at her, still waiting for the punchline. "Have sex. Fuck. Fornicate. Do the hibity-dibity. Kiss. Make out. Date. Whatever the fuck people who like each other do. It makes for great TV. I want great TV. We want great TV."

I sit there and still try to process the information she had given me. But she doesn't let me. "Why are you still sitting there?" I don't respond. I'm pretty sure it was supposed to be a rhetorical question. "Go find Edward and fuck his brains out. You deserve it." And this is where she is going to fire me. Still no yelling. She stares at me with increasing annoyance. But she still doesn't yell. She just shakes her head. "Just get the fuck out of my office," she lowers her voice in annoyance.

Wow. I'm at a loss here. I was sure I was going to get fired but instead, I think I'm being pressured into having sex with Edward. I feel very awkward. "Sure," is the only word that fumbles from my lips as I leave her office and make my way back to my apartment.

"Jacob, sweetie. You will never guess what just happened." I laugh as I enter my apartment.

"I don't know if I like you calling another man, sweetie." Edward looks at me from my couch.

I take a step back. "What are you doing here?"

"Your sweetie let me in before he left."

"He's my best friend since childhood. We've never had sex." I say suddenly. Real smooth.

"Good to know," Edward chuckles. There is an awkward silence that falls between us for a minute before Edward pats the cushion beside him. "How was work?" He questions as I sit beside him.

The stupid grin on his face gives me all the information. "Esme called you."

"Huh?" He tries a little too hard to be confused.

"My boss told you to seduce me!" I jump up and point at him in shook.

He laughs and shakes his head nervously. "I came to seduce you but your boss had nothing to do with it." He's so cute when he's lying. I cross my arms over my chest and raise an eyebrow. "Alright. Esme told me. But she did not make me come. She encouraged it, yes. But I did want to. I have for awhile."

I nod my head. "I know." I sit down beside him again. "So what do we do now? Do we like, date, officially?"

"I have a better idea." He raises an eyebrow suggestively and I have to remind him of the presence of the cameras. "A kiss?" He tries with a shrug of the shoulders.

I bite my lip and contemplate for a moment. I want to kiss him. Everyone knows that by now. But it is a little awkward to have an audience for it. Fuck it. I lean in and place my lips on his. It's a little weird at first. Mostly because I can't stop thinking about how many people are going to witness this in the future but Edward possesses some sort of magic. Shortly after, my mind couldn't wander off the subject of Edward as his hand slips under the fabric of my shirt. I grab his hand and pull it away from me. I sigh and pull away. "At least buy me dinner or something first."

"Well, what do you want? Dinner? Or Something?"

"Surprise me." I smile at him.

An hour later, we're lying on my floor chopsticks in hand, eating the meal that Edward had delivered. I've finished half of my plate and look to Edward, who is still struggling with his chopsticks. I roll my eyes and let out a small laugh. "Just use a fork." I push one towards him.

"No, it's more fun this way." He pouts, the bland chicken falling from the wooden sticks again.

I laugh and watch him struggle for another minute before wrapping a rubber band around the top of his chopsticks. The next bite makes it all the way to his mouth. "Thanks." He smiles at me. He quickly finishes his small portion and looks at me. "Okay, so I obliged." Edward nodded, being a polite guest and clearing his plate. "You got your dinner. Now it's time for my something." He wiggled his eyebrows.

I sigh and roll my eyes. Typical guy. Always has sex on his mind. "I think that we should discuss this first."

"Discuss what?" He glares at me. "We got the green light from your boss. No more excuses." He shakes his head. "Plus, you don't discuss sex, you just do it."

"We're still on camera!" I defend myself.

Edward exhales loudly. "Don't worry about the cameras."

"How can I not worry about them?" I stare at the man video taping me from behind Edward.

"Just ignore them." Edward shrugs. "You knew that there would be cameras when you signed yourself up for this."

I look up at him. "Actually I didn't."

We sit silent for a moment. "What would we be doing if there were no cameras?" Edward questions me.

I shrug and give the obvious answer as I take another bite. "Eating this naked from my bed. Assuming that you were decent in bed the first time."

"So you can say all that on camera but not do it." Edward shakes his head at me.

"I'm not a porn star!" I defend myself.

"You've never had sex on film before?" He raises an eyebrow speculatively.

I drop my chopsticks onto my plate. "Edward, what if my mother sees this? Or God forbid my father! Are you aware that he is the chief of police in Forks? He would always bring out his collection of guns to clean every time I brought a guy home to scare them. And he actually loaded his rifle once when he thought I was going to have sex."

He turns to face the camera. "If you're watching, Mr. Swan, please cover your ears." He turns back to me. "Better?"

"No," I snap.

"No, you're not better. Or no, you haven't filmed yourself having sex."

I give him a stern look. "I've never filmed myself having sex."

"So it was always your boyfriend's idea," he says, nodding in approval.

"Edward! Inappropriate." I fling some rice at him.

"Come on, we're dating now. We can freely discuss this stuff."

"Not on camera." I pout. "And who said we were dating." I raise an eyebrow.

"I said that we were dating. And stop it with the stupid cameras." He rolls his eyes. "They're going to be there for like the next year. Get used to it."

"I don't want to get used to it."

Edward rolls into his back and stares at me. "Fine. You'll forget all about it when I dazzle and amaze you with my prowess in bed."

"Edward!" I shout, my mouth full of food. "I don't even think you are supposed to be having sex."

"Whoa!" He rolls closer to me. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you're not healthy. You're weak and dehydrated and having sex can't be good for you in this condition." I shrug.

"False!" he screams at me. "Sex can never be bad for you! Sex will make me so much better. You have no idea. And if you are really concerned for my well being, you should be on top. Take complete control of me. Help me conserve some energy." I glare at him and he again sighs.

"Edward," I whine. But I don't know where to go from there. Would I like to make out with him? Yes. Would I like to have sex with him? Yes. Does that make me a whore? Probably. I twist my face as I concentrate. And I'm sure it makes me look like an ass, but it is helping me to think. To have sex or not to have sex, that is the question. This sort of decision usually requires mass amounts of alcohol. God damn alcohol probation. I roll onto my back and stare at the ceiling.

It takes a minute before Edward is in my line of vision, hovering over me. "What are you doing?" He questions me, furrowing his brow.

"Thinking," I sigh.

"How's that working for you?"

"It's not." I shake my head.

He sighs and looks deeply into my eyes. "I would be more than willing to help you if you would only tell me what the problem was."

I blink a few times before responding. "That's the problem." I sigh and pull him in for a hug. "There is no problem." I pause for a second and feel his heart begin to race against my chest. "It's too easy. Things are never that easy." I pout.

He pulls away and again lets his emerald eyes search me. "Then what the hell are we still talking for?"

And it was that simple. Something that I am not yet used to. "I don't know." I smiled at him and brought my lips to his. It was a soft kiss. A perfect first official kiss. There is no way I'm going to be able to fight him off for very long. So I sigh. "Just so I don't look like a total slut on camera, can we settle for an intense make out session tonight?" I raise an eyebrow in question. He didn't even use words to answer. He just lowered himself on top of me and begins. I hope he doesn't try to go farther, because I will give in. He is a damn good kisser.