Thank you so much for those of you who have been reviewing since the beginning and thank you to my new reviewers. Some of your reviews were so much fun to read :)

Million thanks to my Beta, Steph. She's awesome and works quickly!

Now Read, Review, and Enjoy!

Chapter 7


It was almost one in the morning before Bella looked up from her laptop. Six hours had passed since she had said good bye and thanked Esme for all of her help. Five hours spent in front of her laptop working on her articles for work. She had easily finished up her work on ten things not to say to a single person. That was easy and very cliché to write. It had been taking what she and Esme discussed and putting it into written word, that was giving her so much trouble. She didn't want to mess this article up.

She sat up from her chair and stretched her arms above her head; she picked up her coffee cup and put it in the kitchen sink. The walk away from her fan had caused her to groan. She slipped out of her shirt and skirt, placing them into the hamper by her bedroom door. She turned the fan to face her bed before plopping down on it.

It had to be almost 3 in the morning before Bella actually fell asleep. So imagine her annoyance when there was a knock on her door at 5:30.

"Go away," she mumbled into her pillow. Bella thought maybe by chance they had heard when the knocking stopped, but a minute later it had started up again.

"Ugh. I'm coming," she groaned. Feeling around her room for her robe, she tossed it on. As she walked to the front door, the person kept knocking. "Hold on. I'm coming. Damn." The knocking stopped. "Who is it," she asked.

"It's me," the British accent responded.

Oh shit. What is Edward doing here? I look like hell.

"Hang on a sec," she yelled through the door.

She ran to the mirror by her door and started combing her hair down. She tightened the robe around her waist. It didn't do much good covering all the leg she had showing. It had reached above mid thigh.

Finally Bella gave up and opened the door. Edward was standing there in a pair of running shorts and a t-shirt. He had opened his mouth as he was about to speak, but no words came out. He stood there staring at Bella. His eyes were wandering over her legs right to where the robe hit. He prided himself on being a gentleman, but he was a man none the less. He tried hard not to imagine what was hidden under the robe as his eyes continued up it and to her face. He quickly closed his mouth once he saw the look of annoyance on it.

"Uh- um hey Bella," he stuttered. "I was wondering if you wanted to work out with me. I mean we could exercise-," he stopped and took a breath. "Would you want to go running with me? I remember you mentioned running the other day and I was still getting familiar with the area," then a look of sudden realization spread across his face, " but I see you may have been busy exercising- I mean sleeping. I'm so sorry."

Bella could feel her face going red with embarrassment. She didn't know what to say to him. No. Scratch that. She knew exactly what she wanted to say, but she just did not trust her mouth to say it when she opened it.

"I'm sorry to bother you. I'll be going now," he turned around to leave.

Bella knew she could have just let him walk away. In fact it would have probably saved her a great deal of embarrassment to let him just leave, but no- she decided to open her mouth.

"My air-conditioner is broken," she called after him. "I was practically sleeping in the nude. I was sleeping alone of course." He turned around to look at her, his eyebrows raised. She could have just stopped there, but she seemed to have diarrhea of the mouth. "I just got to sleep about two hours ago so I'm in no mood to exer- run this morning. Maybe tomorrow?"

Edward nodded his head. A crooked smile had spread across his face. The over confident guy that she had first met was back. "Sure thing. I'll see you later then. Sweet dreams, Isabella."

Bella went back into her apartment and mentally slapped herself for being so stupid. She wanted nothing more than to crawl back into bed and die. She did end up going back to bed that morning. Instead she only slept.

It was a little after one when she woke up again. This was going to throw off her entire sleeping schedule. She dragged herself through a shower and managed to get dressed in a white mini and a green tank top. She clipped her hair up and off of her neck before packing up her laptop and notebook. With the Mariner's cap on head, Bella left her apartment.

Thirty minutes later Bella found herself drinking a green tea in front of Esme's. Her feet propped up in a chair sitting across from her. She had just finished her first copies of her articles and was in the process of sending them to Victoria. At the same time she was scanning the area for couples in "love". She was scribbling more notes down in her notebook when she heard him.

"Hard at work?" Edward asked her. He pulled up a chair from the table next to her own. There was no trace of the nervous man who had appeared at her door five this morning. That was fine by her- if he wasn't going to let it affect him than neither would she. Part of her secretly wished it was a struggle for him as much as it was for her.

"Of course," she answered. "And how did lunch go at your Aunt's?"

"Very well thank you." Pause. "How did you know that I was over my Aunt's house?"

"Oh let's just say I have my ways…." she flickered her eyes at him playfully. He raised one eyebrow at her. "I was over there when you called yesterday to escape Friday family dinner."

"Ah. Okay. I thought you were up to your old ways and stalking me again. And I'm not escaping anything. I am actually a little upset that I won't be able to be there."

"You can always try to make it to Eddie's for some pool afterwards. That's where we usually go."

"We? You're at these family events?" he asked. Before Bella could give it to him about being a part of their family he continued. "Now I'm really bummed I have to miss this. I'll definitely have to try and make the pool hall. I still need to see if your master skills can beat mine."

"It's your own pride at risk," she laughed. "Whatever will you do if little old me beats you in pool?"

"Oh that modesty you showed before just went right out the door didn't it? What happened to 'I'm just a woman playing a man's sport,'" he asked trying to mock her. It really was adorable how he tried to throw his voice with that accent.

This caused Bella to laugh harder. Edward enjoyed the sound of her laughter.

"I do not sound anything like that." She gave him a light kick on his knee. "And from the sound of your voice, I am going to guess that your voice was not your instrument as a music major in college. What type of music did you study?"

"Esme?" Bella nodded. "Well I play the piano, guitar, violin, and- you can't laugh at this one- the tuba. My overall read at university was music," he said.

"The tuba," Bella smiled, forcing back laughter.

"Hey, I said don't laugh," Edward warned with a grin.

"I'm not going to laugh. I think that's cute. Vey sweet."

"Sweet? That's a new one. I have never heard a girl call my tuba playing sweet."

"Oh I'm sorry," she laughed. "They probably use words more along the lines of 'sexy' and 'sensual'. I must say, I don't blame them."

"Well of course they do."

Bella rolled her eyes at him. "Now Mr. Playboy, do you compose your own music?"

"Yes. I love creating songs on the piano and guitar. I have found it slightly more difficult to find much diversity when it comes to composing songs on the tuba."

"Your poor fans," Bella sarcastically replied. "How long does it generally take for you to compose a new song?"

"Well that really depends on what type of piece it is meant to be. Many songs that I compose, usually relate to my emotions or how I am feeling at the time. I can typically finish those rather quickly."

Bella sat across from Edward and watched his face light up as he explained the process of composing original songs. He was very animated about the whole thing. Edward's own enthusiasm left her excited to keep asking him questions. He was more than willing to answer all of them. Before they knew it over an hour had passed.

"Are you nervous about tomorrow?"

"A little. Being younger than most of the staff may be a little frustrating. And I don't know how I will react if someone refers to me as 'son'."

"Oh you sonny boy."

Bella could hear Edward's stomach start to grumble. "I'm getting hungry. What time is it?"

Bella glanced down at her watch. "Oh my gosh. It's after six."

"I feel so bad. I've kept you for so long from your work."

"Don't worry about it. I was already done my articles. I was doing some research for my novel."

"Ah. The realistic love novel?"

"Don't mock."

"I'm not mocking. Would I be able to read what you have written so far?"

"Yeah… I don't think so. Didn't you say that you were hungry? Go get yourself something to eat."

"Okay," he said standing up. "What would you like to eat? I'm buying."

"Well I can't turn down free food," she smiled at him. "How about a burger and fries?"

The smile Edward returned showed his brilliant white teeth. He nodded. "I'll be right back."

Bella stood up and stretched her legs out. She decided to put her laptop away to make room at the table for the food. She did leave out her notebook though.

Two tables away from where she sat there was a couple sitting together. The girl had her hand glued to her phone texting. The guy had his phone attached to his ear. Their conversation with each other consisted of short phrases and nods of the head. Bella had decided they were a Tech couple. (A name she has made up.)

The table on the other side of her held another type of couple entirely. They showed enough PDA for every couple within a mile radius of Esme's. She was practically straddling his leg as she leaned in to kiss him in between every bite she fed him. It made Bella even more uncomfortable (if possible) to notice that his hand kept wandering up the bottom of the girl's skirt. She shuddered as she turned away.

The Public Sex couple

"Are you cold?" Edward asked as she approached their table.

"No I'm good. I just got a little nauseous for a second there."

She watched him as he glanced over at the Public Sex couple. His face turned to disgust as he quickly looked away. Bella could not help, but laugh at his reaction. A grin appeared on his face.

"Some people have no shame. That is no way for a man to treat a lady," he said shaking his head. "Well if you still have an appetite I present you with your burger and chips." He put her plate down in front of her before he sat down.

"Thank you very much," she said before popping a fry into her mouth.

"I don't understand why people would want to be that intimate in the open."

"My theory is that people feel the need to put their 'love'," Bella put in the air quotes, "on display, so that those watching will look at them and go 'Oh look at how in love that couple is.' It is just their lust that they are putting out there for everyone to see."

"I must say that I may actually agree with one of your theories about love. Some people are insecure about that type of thing and feel the need to put it on display. Love is its most sincere when a person can show it when no one is looking. Sure a relationship could always use some lust in it. It can be fun, but I don't need to see it."

At this last part Bella could feel herself blush as her breath caught in her throat. She quickly looked down to take a bite of her burger. Her hat cast a shadow around her face. She was hoping that it would go unnoticed. Unfortunately she was not that lucky.

"Are you okay?" She could hear the amusement in his voice.

Bella exhaled before looking up at him. "Yep. Just thinking about what you had said."

"Thoughts?"

"It will cost you a penny."

"Do you have change for a quarter," he teased her.

"Nope."

"Darn," he was smirking at her now. "I guess this is your way of saying that you are not going to tell me anything."

"Esme said you were smart. You're going to be a college professor after all."

Edward shrugged his shoulders as he ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, but that's just music. Are you not the one with the journalism career? Writing novels on the side."

"I write for Eclipse; a woman's magazine. Not exactly biting journalism."

"From what I have heard from my aunt, you are very talented. What would be your dream job?"

"I really want to find work writing about the issues that really matter. This book is a way for me to have fun and be creative. It kind of expresses a more personal part of me," Bella, like most things she told Edward, did not know why she was telling him this. She never told anyone this. "But it's just one of several dimensions that I want to have as a writer. I found something that I am good at and I want to put it to good use."

Bella looked at Edward when she finished. His face broke into a gentle smile that did not match the intensity in his eyes. "See? I told you that you were smarter than me. I think you would make an excellent journalist."

"Thanks," she smiled at him. Bella glanced down at her watch to give herself a small distraction from his face. "Wow, is that really the time? It's almost eight."

"Blow me. Is it really?"

"Oh I really hope that doesn't mean what it does in America." Edward shot her a puzzled look. "Blow me? Does that mean surprised or something?"

"Oh. Yes it does. Sorry. Is that phrase not used in America," his face was still slightly confused.

Bella could not stop laughing at this. "Oh it is a phrase used. Just not in the same context. Well it could be." She could not stop giggling. It was the fifteen year old boy in her. The one Alice told her existed ever since one the sleepover where she had wanted to watch the movie Spaceballs rather than Pretty Woman.

"Usually I would stay and try to figure out what's so funny, but I must be going," Edward said, the confusion gone and was replaced with a look of almost dread.

"Yeah I should get going too," Bella said, trying to sober up. "Thank you for dinner." She slung her laptop case on her shoulder before sliding her feet into her shoes.

"It's getting dark. I'll walk you to your car. Are you in the car park around back?"

"You really don't have to. This town is not very dangerous, but yes. I am parked around back."

They walked in silence to Bella's truck. It was not an awkward silence though. Both silently noted it as a comfortable one.

"Thank you for a rare bit of chivalry," Bella turned to him with a sincere smile. "It's not every day a woman encounters an actual gentleman."

Edward bent over in a mock bow. "Anytime Isabella. It was my pleasure."

She pretended to curtsy back. As she went to climb into her truck her foot slipped. She felt Edward's hands on her elbows steadying her back to the ground.

"Watch it now."

"I can be a bit clumsy at times," she grumbled. On her second attempt, Bella accepted Edwards hand as he helped her into the truck. "Thank you."

"It was nothing."

"See you around Edward."

"Soon I hope. Good bye Isabella."

Bella found herself in a great mood when she woke up the next morning. It probably had to do with the mood she fell asleep in last night. Last night as Bella lay in bed in front of the fan in her room she could not shake an almost giddy feeling running through her. She had no idea why she was feeling this way, but she felt good.

By 5:30 Bella was dressed to go on her morning run. She had actually taken extra care to pull her hair into a nice ponytail. Her shorts and tank to were even matching her new shoes. Bella grabbed her keys and was out the door.

She jogged/jumped down the stairs to the first level of the building. Before she exited the stairwell Bella composed herself, flattening her hair down. She started down the hall to room 110.

Taking a deep breath, Bella knocked on his door. She took a step back and waited a minute before knocking again. After the third knock the door swung open. She wasn't expecting who she saw behind it.

Uh oh. Who is behind door number one?

Review and let me know who you think it is! Also what you thought of the Bella and Edward time in this chapter

Next chapter is ready to go. Reviews movitivate me to update faster :)

Love,

BookWorm4Life