A/N Thanks to the amazing Kitty and Mary for all their help and endless patience with my neurotic tendencies! There is now a banner for this fic made my the lovely Loopylou :)

Chapter 7

"Come on, Bella, get a move on!" Carmen yelled through my bedroom door. "What's taking so long?"

I opened the door and glared at her. "Hey, I got in from work an hour ago. You had all day to get ready. I'm going as quickly as I can."

It was the first time I'd been out with Amber and Carmen since the night I met Edward and the only reason I was going out at all was to celebrate my first ever pay check. The satisfaction I got when it finally hit my bank was staggering and the girls insisted we hit the town.

As I did my hair and makeup, it felt different, more rewarding somehow. Almost like I'd earned the right and I was looking forward to this night out more than any I could remember before. I saw my favourite blue dress hanging in my closet and remembered what had happened the last time I wore it. With a rueful shake of my head I pushed it aside and picked out a pair of skinny jeans and an off the shoulder green silk top.

When I agreed to go out, I assumed that it would have been on the Friday or Saturday night, but that wasn't the case. Amber and Carmen were planning a shopping trip to New York over the weekend, and as going with them was out of the question, we had to go out on a work night instead.

"Finally!" Carmen said as I emerged from my bedroom. "You look cute, Bella."

I smiled, it felt good to be in something other than pant suits and pencil skirts. Even though I was looking forward to this, I was still mindful that I had to keep a clear head. "You remember I have to work tomorrow, right?"

"Sure we do. One glass of champagne to toast your first pay check and then it's non-alcoholic cocktails all night long." Amber winked. "For you anyway."

I insisted on a different club, there was no way I could enjoy myself thinking about what happened the last time. The girls were too relieved that I was finally leaving the apartment to care where we went.

As soon as I walked inside the club, it felt good to be around people who actually liked me. When I was here I was just a normal girl having a good time. The girls and I danced, chatted, and laughed more than I had in ages.

"I have to sit down!" I moaned and gestured to my feet after we'd danced for the better part of an hour. "I'll go and get us a drink, okay?"

"We're right behind you, Bella," Carmen shouted. "As soon as this song is finished."

I was leaning against the bar trying to shift some weight from my poor feet.

"Isabella?"

"Mr. King?" I faked a smile. "Hi."

"It's Royce, yeah?"

I nodded. "What are you doing here?"

"Having a good time, even more so now. What about you? I thought you would have been at your usual haunt."

"How do you know what my usual haunt is?" I felt a little uncomfortable around him and I looked around to see where the girls were.

"Your friend's father owns the chain of clubs, doesn't he?" He laughed. "I just assumed you always went there."

"Well, yeah usually we do, but tonight we wanted a change I guess," I replied casually and waved over the bartender.

"Let me get these," Royce offered and ignored me when I shook my head. "I insist, what are you drinking?"

"Two cosmos and one daiquiri—virgin." I smiled and Royce pulled a face.

"Virgin? Let's make it a real drink, shall we?" He gestured to the bartender.

"Let's not. I have to work tomorrow and we have an important meeting with a client." I told the bartender again what we wanted and Royce laughed.

"He has you on a tight leash."

"Who?"

"Cullen."

"This has nothing to do with Mr. Cullen and everything to do with the fact I need this job." I looked around and saw the girls looking for me. I waved them over in relief. "Thanks for the drinks, Mr. King. It was nice seeing you," I lied and he winked.

"Always a pleasure, Isabella."

I spent the next twenty minutes batting away drunken encouragement that I should go back over to Royce. Apparently he was a total hottie and was totally hot for me… the girls developed the vocabulary of teenagers whenever alcohol entered their system.

"I really should be going," I said, looking at the time. "It's almost eleven."

"Let me just finish this and we'll get our coats." Carmen gulped back her drink.

I was just about to stand up when a server appeared with a tray of drinks. "Courtesy of the gentleman at the bar." She indicated with her head to someone behind her, but I couldn't see who it was. "Apple Martini's for you all."

"Thank you," Amber said with a giggle and tried to see who had sent the drinks over. "Was it Royce King?"

She shrugged. "He didn't give me his name and I didn't ask. As long as he pays I don't care."

"Tall, dark, and cute?" Carmen pressed and the server nodded. "Seriously cute?"

"Definitely," she said dramatically. "I wouldn't be kicking him out of bed anytime soon."

"Neither would I," Carmen told her and then turned to me. "It was totally from Royce, Bella."

I craned my neck around her, but Royce was nowhere to be seen near the bar. "Nope, it looks like he left."

"Hey, if the guy's still around, would you tell him to come over so we can thank him in person?" Amber asked the server and then winked.

"I'll be sure to tell him that." She handed us each a glass, a different colour umbrella in each. "He was specific about the drinks; he obviously gave you a lot of thought. Red for the fiery redhead, yellow for the pretty blonde, and green for the beautiful brunette to match her shirt."

"He told you to say that?" I asked. "That's really lame." The server laughed and sauntered away.

"Cheers, ladies." Amber raised her glass and eyed mine dubiously. "Come on, Bella, one more won't hurt."

"Yeah, I guess it won't," I agreed and we clinked our glasses.

I also let the girls persuade me to have one final dance before we left and it was while we were dancing that I started to feel weird. The room began to sway and my legs felt unsteady. I tapped Amber on the shoulder.

"I need to go home, Amber," I said, hearing the slur in my voice. "I don't feel good."

"Wow, Bella, one month as a teetotaler and you lose all your tolerance for alcohol." She laughed.

"Five more minutes, Bella," Carmen asked me, but I shook my head.

"I need to go. If you want to stay I'll just see you guys at home." I started to walk away alone but was immediately flanked by my friends who took hold of my arms.

"What kind of friends would we be if we left you alone in this state?" Carmen kissed my cheek.

"Come on you lightweight," Amber teased and we left the club together.

By the time we got back home I felt terrible. The room was now spinning, I was barely able to stand up and I felt as sick as a dog. I vaguely remembered Amber and Carmen putting me to bed before I had to stagger to the toilet to throw up and I was still lying on the bathroom floor when I woke up almost twelve hours later.

I rubbed my face, feeling if possible, worse than last night. I was confused, felt as sick as hell, and the room was still spinning. It took me a long time to focus on my phone and when I did I noticed the time and screamed.

"Oh fucking shit," I yelled over and over, fumbling around in a blind, disoriented panic trying to dress as quickly as I could.

Within minutes I was out of the apartment, yanking my hair back as I went downstairs. I felt so bad I took a cab to the office and tried not to vomit in the backseat. I raced through the lobby and into the elevators, making the most of the ride up to try and make myself a little more presentable.

When I arrived on my floor my legs were so unsteady I needed to support myself on the wall as I walked to my desk. Thankfully, there was no one else around and Edward's office was empty so he hadn't seen me arrive. I tried to think of a genuine reason why I was late… almost four and a half hours late.

"Shit," I mumbled. "I'm so fired."

I tried to make a start on my work, but I still felt drunk… really, really, really drunk. How could that be possible? I'd only had one drink… hadn't I?

"I'll have a black coffee, Miss. Swan," Edward seemed to materialise from thin air and was now standing in front of my desk. "And may I suggest pouring one for yourself then take a seat in my office."

Shit, here we go.

My hands were shaking as I poured the drink and the smell turned my stomach. There was no way I could drink one without throwing up. I walked slowly into his office, doing my utmost not to spill his drink and then all but collapsed into a chair.

"This is completely unacceptable!" he yelled, and I mean yelled. I cowered in my chair, his voice and the lights in his office resonating in my head making it almost unbearable. "You missed an important meeting, Miss. Swan, and I had to call the client to rearrange."

"I'm sorry," I said, my voice low and shaky.

"Sorry won't cut it if we lose that contract," he continued. "This client is worth millions to this company. You are fortunate that you step-father isn't in the office today because he would be sitting here with me right now while I fired you. He will hear about it, I promise you that."

I wanted to ask him to lower his voice because I thought I was going to pass out from the pain in my head, but I also felt like I'd throw up if I spoke a single word.

"I was beginning to warm to you and dare I say it, think I might have been wrong about you," he spat. "Now, I've never been more certain of just how predictable you turned out to be."

I started to apologise again, but my stomach heaved and I had to make a dash for the door with my hand clamped over my mouth. There was no chance of making it to the bathroom so I grabbed the trashcan by my desk and threw up, hearing Edward swear loudly as I did.

He only approached me when I was done. "You're a disgrace. I have to be here tomorrow morning to try and appease the client, so you can come in and cover the four hours you've missed today."

I nodded, croaking out a weak, "Yes, Mr. Cullen."

When he'd gone back into his office and I dealt with the mess in the trash can then I sat at my desk and put my head in my hands. Never, in all the times I'd been out drinking, had I felt anything remotely close to this. My entire body was screaming like I'd been hit with a freight train and the nausea was overpowering. With my eyes closed, I had the slightest of reprieves from the incessant throbbing in my head, and I must have fallen to sleep again, because another half an hour had passed when the phone rang on my desk.

"Yes, Mr. Cullen?" I said, hoping he couldn't tell.

"I'd like a tea, if you think you can manage it?"

"Right away," I said but he'd already hung up.

As I prepared his drink, the dizziness was making it difficult to stand and I had to brace both hands on the table, praying I wouldn't pass out.

"Miss. Swan, is there a problem with my tea?"

I turned around to face him, unable to focus on his face. "No, Mr. Cullen, I just need… a… minute." Without the table to support me I started to sway.

"Jesus, Bella." He lunged forward and reached for my arms just as my legs gave way.

TBMOA

When I opened my eyes again I thanked God I wasn't seeing double and the room wasn't spinning, but as I looked around I realised I wasn't at home. Wherever I was I had been before… it was familiar.

"Bella?" Edward's face suddenly came into view and it clicked exactly whose bed I was in.

"Why am I here?" I asked nervously and tried to check if my clothing was still in place.

"It was either that or the emergency room… where I may still insist on taking you." He watched me studiously. "How do you feel?"

"Not great," I admitted, sitting up still fully clothed. "But better than earlier."

"You look better," he agreed.

"What happened?" I asked.

"You tell me," he said icily. "I never took you for a user."

"A what?"

"Bella, I know a bad trip when I see one." He shook his head.

"A bad trip? You can't be serious? I don't do drugs, I've never done drugs." I spat angrily.

"Please, Bella, you were exactly like… I've seen it hundreds of times before." He sat on the edge of the bed. "What did you take?"

I was getting more and more irritated by his presumptions. "Mr. Cullen, I have no idea what you're talking about. I have never taken a drug in my life. Well, I tried a joint once but almost coughed a lung up… and I took some nytol once to help me sleep even though I wasn't sick, but-" He was giving me a peculiar look. "What?"

"You didn't take anything?" he repeated.

"No! I went out with my friends and had one drink." He raised his eyes questioningly, but I ignored him. "One drink, Mr. Cullen, and I was just waiting for my friend to finish hers when… oh, sorry I had two drinks. I forgot about the Apple Martini that guy at the bar sent me."

"What guy?" he asked, his voice tight.

"I can't remember," I shrugged, another memory tugging at the edges of my mind but it was too fuzzy. "I think he sent us all a drink… the server said he'd made some lame attempt to impress us with the umbrellas."

"What?" he asked.

"He gave us all different colour umbrellas I forget what the others were, but mine was green. I remember that because it was the same colour as your... it was green." I was going to say green like your eyes, but stopped that slipping out and I just had to hope he didn't see my blush.

"And you thought accepting a drink from a strange man was a good idea?"

"He bought us all one… are you suggesting he put something in mine? He couldn't have, could he?"

"Your ability to spot risky situations and make smart decisions needs considerable improvement," he said quietly.

"Oh don't I know it. I'm still enjoying the back lash of my last bad decision." I glared at him and then stood up. "I need to go to the bathroom."

"It's the second door…" he laughed when I raised my eyebrows. "But I guess you knew that already."

Once inside, I sat on the toilet and put my head in my hands. I had the world's worst hangover and I didn't even get to enjoy the benefits of being drunk. The sleep had certainly helped, but being back here in Edward's hotel suite brought back too many memories.

After washing my face and attempting to tame my inexplicably wild mop of hair, I stepped back out into the bedroom. "I should go," I told him nodding towards the door and trying not to give too much thought to what happened the last time I was here. "Thank you for… um… you know… taking care of me."

"You scared me," he admitted, still sitting on the edge of the bed with his elbows on his legs. "When you passed out I almost called 911, but I didn't think there was any way to keep it from Phil if I did. I've… had to deal with this kind of situation so many times I figured somewhere to sleep it off would be enough."

"You could have taken me home," I told him. "You didn't have to bring me here."

"I didn't know your address and unless you wanted me to call Phil or break into your personnel file, I was out of alternatives." He stood up and took a tentative step towards me. "I managed to wake you up long enough to get you downstairs and to the hotel without looking like I was kidnapping you."

"I'm sorry," I said with a sigh. "I feel like such a fool. So, I just slept?"

"For about," he checked his watch, "Nine and a half hours. I was so angry."

"I know I get it," I raised my hands to him, not wanting another lecture. "It was irresponsible and typical behaviour of the spoiled little girl, blah, blah, blah."

I grabbed my jacket and shoes and headed for the door. Just as I reached for the handle, Edward's hand closed around mine, stopping me.

"I wasn't angry with you, Bella." He sighed, tugging my hand away from the door.

We were standing so close together right beside the very door he'd pinned me against. It seemed like so long ago.

His mouth… his fingers…

I swallowed nervously and looked down at the floor. Vivid flashbacks when I was this close to him were not good, not good at all.

"I was angry with myself, Bella." He released my hand. "I should have noticed it straight away. If I'd paid enough attention instead of jumping down your throat, I would have recognised it was more than just a hangover."

"Let's just forget about it." I took a step back, he was just too close and I didn't trust myself not to make a foolish move on him. "I really should go."

"Mm, I suppose your friends are going to be concerned when you don't come home." He nodded, glancing up at my face before looking away again.

"Actually, they're in New York for the weekend. I just meant I've taken enough of your time, Mr. Cullen."

"I think given our… situation… calling me Edward out of the office is perfectly fine." He ran a hand through his hair, and I pictured my hands grabbing it, stroking it, and pulling it. "Would you like to have dinner?"

"Dinner?"

"Dinner." He nodded.

"With you?" I asked in shock and he chuckled.

"Yes with me."

What?

"I don't think that's such a good idea." I shook my head.

What?

"Why not?"

"Because most of the time you treat me like I'm a pesky little fly that hovers around doing nothing of any importance." He tried to object, but I tactfully reminded him of our conversation that first day in his office. "And now you want to take me to dinner. Just like that?"

"I admit I acted rudely," he said with a hint of regret. "But my mind was in turmoil and I had no idea how I should act."

"I get we were in a very uncomfortable situation, but I think there was nothing wrong with being civil to me, Edward. Instead you chose to make me feel like crap and belittle me pretty much every chance you could." I couldn't deny it, the prospect of dinner with him had my heart and very empty and hungry stomach doing cartwheels. "I really need to go. Maybe we can try and be friends in the office, but other than that I think it's best we keep our distance."

"I get why you're angry, Bella, but I'd like to show you that I'm not… I'm not…"

"An asshole?" I countered dryly and he laughed.

"Exactly, I'd like to show you I'm not an asshole." He looked at me hopefully. "So… dinner?"

"Maybe some other time," I said, hating myself for shunning the chance to spend time with him. "Right now I just want to go home."

"At least let me drive you?"

"I live about a mile away from here, Edward," I told him. "And I could do with some fresh air, so I'll walk."

"Then I'll walk with you." He walked over to the closet and pulled out a coat.

I noticed that he was in a pair of old jeans with a UCLA t-shirt and not his usual attire of jacket, shirt, and tie. It was bizarre to see him so casually dressed and it was almost like a totally different Edward.

"It's really not necessary."

"It is necessary." He shot me a disapproving look. "And I won't take no for an answer. Either I drive or we walk together, but you're not going home alone."

"Fine," I mumbled. "Domineering asshole."

He chuckled and held the door open for me. "You're definitely feeling better."

As we stepped out into the hallway, I saw the key card in his hand and I closed my eyes, unable and unwilling to stop the memory that overtook my mind.

"Shit," he groaned against my mouth. "I can't open the fucking door."

"You'd better, because we aren't stopping." I was serious, wild horses couldn't stop me now.

I slipped my hand into his opened pants, he cursed again, fumbling desperately with the key with one hand and grabbing my ass with the other.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," he growled.

Still we remained on the wrong side of the door, pressed so hard against it, that the likelihood of of breaking it down was quite strong. I lost all my inhibitions, the risk of someone catching us like this, just made it all the more exciting and I slid down his body to my knees, pushing his pants down just enough to let his dick spring free.

"I told you I wasn't stopping," I said, dragging my nail along the underside of his shaft. "I meant it."

The fumbling with the key had stopped and he was looking down at me, almost daring me to do it. So I did…

I was all hot and bothered by the time we got to the elevator when I was hit with another flashback.

"Five more floors," he told me and I nodded once. "Maybe it would be an idea to introduce myself?"

The doors closed and finally we were alone. I slammed him up against the wall, kissing him. "No time for that," I said against his lips.

Any good behaviour we'd maintained down in the lobby had vanished, and when the doors opened to his floor, he walked me backwards into the hallway and down towards his room, not once breaking the kiss.

"We should have taken the stairs," Edward mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.

TBMOA

"So this is you?" Edward said, looking up as we approached our building.

"Yep, this is Chez Moi, for now anyway." I sighed.

"For now?"

"When the lease is up I have to pay my share of the rent, which on my salary isn't happening. So, I guess I'll have to find another place." I began to walk away. "Thanks for walking me home."

"Technically I didn't, not yet." He stepped to my side. "Can I come up?"

"Why?" I frowned. "If you think that-"

"I'm not suggesting that. I was just thinking, you might have to move out in a few months and I still need to find a place… maybe I can move into your room?" He laughed at my unimpressed scowl. "I just want to make sure you're okay, Bella."

"And check out my facilities," I huffed, making him laugh even more.

Edward out of the office and the bedroom was different. He was easy going, funny, and he loved to laugh. It was all very confusing, because in this situation I thought that he might actually like me.

"So, here we are—Casa Bella. You've seen the laundry room that I've never used, the gym and pool I've never used, and you like the doorman, who I should point out is gay and was totally checking you out all the time we were downstairs. I'm guessing he really hopes you find an apartment here." I nudged Edward playfully as we stopped outside my apartment. "Are you going to leave now, or do I have to put up with you some more?"

"I'm hungry."

"Edward, what are you really doing here?" I asked him quietly. "You're messing with my head."

"I want to be your friend, Bella," he said softly. "That's all."

"Friend?" I scoffed. "Edward you made it clear you don't have time for people like me."

"I was an idiot." He put his hand on my shoulder, squeezing it gently. "I just want to draw a line under what happened between us and start anew."

"Just friends?" I said again, admittedly a little disappointed. Did he not feel what I felt?

"I can be your friend, Bella, but that's all. I can't give you any more than that." He didn't look convinced, or maybe that was just wishful thinking on my part. Either way it had to be better than him ignoring me at every opportunity.

"Friends then." I smiled and it seemed to make him happy.

"Does your apartment take up the whole floor?" He looked around the hallway and I rolled my eyes.

"Obsessed much?" I grumbled and he laughed. "But the answer is no. There are two on this floor and our neighbour is a snooty old hag who basically thinks we're all just a set of sluts."

"Are you?"

"Sluts?" I asked. "Apart from you… I've never had a one night stand before. It's not my kind of thing. What about you?"

"It's happened once or twice," he admitted almost shyly. "Never quite as… intensely as it happened with you."

"It was quite a night." I nodded and a thick silence hung around us.

"So, are we going to eat?" he blurted out randomly. "I could call us a pizza? That's what friends do, right?"

"I'm tired, Edward," I told him. "And I definitely don't think I could eat pizza."

"So let me in and I'll fix you something else." He pointed to the key in my hand. "You haven't eaten all day and I'm not leaving until you do."

"Jeez, who put you in charge?" I grumbled, but opened the door to my apartment. "Kitchen is through those double doors, I'm going to take a shower."

I stood in my bedroom and undressed, thinking about this very different Edward and what he was really doing here. It was giving me a headache on top of my headache so in an attempt to clear my mind I turned on the stereo and put it up as loud as I could. I sang to myself in the shower, refusing to acknowledge that all the time I was naked and wet Edward was only a few feet away.

"Shit," I said to myself when I noticed there was no clean towel in the bathroom.

I listened for Edward but couldn't hear anything over the music. I assumed he'd be waiting for me in the kitchen so I walked into my bedroom dripping wet and still very much naked. I was just reaching for my robe, when Edward walked straight into my room.

"Hey, I've been shouting where's the-"

He froze, his mouth and eyes wide and fixed on my tits. I scrambled to cover my modesty with a shriek at him to turn around.

"Shit, sorry I was shouting but I guess the music… I thought you… shit, sorry." He continued to apologize but forgot to turn around and his eyes definitely didn't look away.

Just friends my ass. This man is toast.

Edward…

Oh my fucking god she was wet and naked… dripping… wet… Just friends? Never going to be enough. Fuck.

A/N Should I hide? There was progress at least, no?

Thanks for reading, reviewing, alerting, and pimping, I'm so grateful I can't even say… I am going to have to stick to weekly posting now just until I get a few more chapters prewritten. I will post a teaser in the facebook group MrsK81 Fic tomorrow at some point if you want a peek.

I'll also be posting a little Christmas multichapter story on the 1st December if you're interested and there's also a little teaser of that up in the FB group!

See you next Sunday… maybe!