(Later that day)

I had a late lunch at 2:00, and when I had finished eating, Alice took me up to her room. Rosalie joined us.

"Come on, Bella. We are going to get you ready for your date," Alice declared.

"This early?" I inquired, feeling puzzled.

She giggled. "Bella, it takes longer than you think it does to prepare for a special outing. Trust me, you are about to see."

The first thing that she and Rosalie did was make me take another shower in her bathroom. Alice gave me strawberry-scented body wash to use. Then they gave me a robe before washing my hair twice with strawberry shampoo. After rinsing it out, they used conditioner to soften any tangles I had. Then Rosalie blow-dried my hair.

When she had finished doing that, they both styled my hair in elaborate curls.

"You have such pretty mahogany-brown hair, Bella," Alice commented while she was doing this.

I had to smile; I was pleased by her compliment. "Thank you," I whispered.

In less than an hour, they were done. They pulled most of my hair back into a ponytail, but left some of it out so that curls hung down both sides of my face. I ran my fingers through my hair. They were as soft as silk, and just as loose. I peered into Alice's mirror and nearly gasped. I looked beautiful, more beautiful than I had ever seen myself look.

Rosalie grinned as she watched me admiring myself. "Did we do a good job?" she queried.

Nodding, I responded earnestly, "I would say it was more than good."

"Thank you," they said at the same time.

Alice laid a hand on my back. "Now, it's time for you to change your clothes. And that reminds me, you need a dress." She went to what was obviously her closet door and opened it. She stepped inside, then came out with a pile of dresses, which she put on the bed. "Go ahead and look through them. If you find something that you like, you can slip it on. I'll find you a pair of heels while you're at it. What is your shoe size?"

"Seven and a half," I replied.

She nodded and disappeared inside her closet again. I rummaged through the pile of dresses and found three that I liked. One was a glossy emerald-green, the next one was a shimmery navy-blue, and the other was black with sparkly glitter on it. It was hard to pick one that I really wanted to wear. Which one should I choose?

I consulted in Alice and Rosalie. They held each dress against me while narrowing their eyes.

"You should put on the emerald-green. It brings you out more. And these forest-green shoes will go with it," Rosalie finally announced.

Alice inclined her head in agreement.

But I was a little doubtful. Green wasn't particularly my favorite color. "Are you sure? Wouldn't the black one look better on me?"

"It does look good on you, but it would be better for another time. This is only your first date. Carlisle doesn't expect you to look like a queen...not yet, probably," Rosalie said, joking a little.

I chuckled.

"Try the dress and shoes on," Rosalie insisted.

Not wanting to change my clothes in front of them, I went to put it on in Alice's bathroom.

As I slipped it over my head, I noticed how thin the material was. It felt lighter than air, but clung tightly to my figure.

The dress had thin shoulder straps (not spaghetti straps, they were a little more wider), and the hem was an inch under my knees. Half of my back was exposed, but not too much. The forest-green shoes were a perfect fit, and thankfully had low heels.

I looked myself over in the full-length mirror on the door. Damn, did I look sexy! I began to think that emerald-green was my color! It did bring me out!

Alice and Rosalie thought so as well when I came out of the bathroom.

"Ooh! You look good! You're probably going to have to fight Carlisle off all evening!" Alice joked.

"Yeah because he won't be able to keep his hands off of you," Rosalie added with a smirk.

Rolling my eyes good-naturedly, I shook my head at them.

I had brought my strawberry and freesia perfumes, so they tested both on their wrists to see which one smelled better. They did each one separately first, then combined them. After that, they asked which one I liked the best. Strawberry mixed with freesia actually smelled wonderful, so I sprayed a little bit of both on me.

"Now for the make-up," Alice declared, turning my face from side to side. "Your skin is very clear, so you don't need much. Just a light coating of powder will do. We could also straighten out your eyelashes and put some eyeliner on you. Some red lipstick would look nice on you too. Does that sound okay?"

"Yes, it sound fine. You're the boss," I sighed. They knew more about fashion than I did, so I just let them have their way.

Several minutes later, she and Rosalie were done applying the make-up. With it, I looked slightly older, as if I were twenty-one rather than eighteen. But the make-up had a very appealing effect on me, and I looked as gorgeous as Carlisle said I did once. They also gave me slender diamond earrings to put on that dangled, as well as a thin diamond necklace. They were fancy, but did not overdo the look at all.

"Done!" Rosalie proclaimed. "Just look at Bella, Alice. She's going to blow Carlisle away, isn't she?"

"I would be astounded if she didn't," she said.

Then Alice glanced at the clock. "We had better get you downstairs now. It's 4:20. Carlisle will be waiting for you by the front door soon."

I blinked. "How do you know that?" I questioned.

She shrugged. "That's what he used to do when he was married to Esme, our mother."

"Oh," I grumbled. The idea of him having been married made me feel oddly and inexplicably jealous.

Alice frowned at me in bewilderment and concern. "Bella? What's the matter?" she inquired.

Feeling my face from the inside out, I realized that I had been scowling as well. "N-Nothing. I'm fine."

She exchanged glances with Rosalie. A strange, knowing look passed between them, almost too quick for me to catch. Before I could think about it more, she put her hand on my shoulder.

"Come on, Bella. Stand up so that we can look you over one last time."

I obeyed, turning on the spot when directed to. Nothing seemed to be wrong with the outfit or my hair because they did not fix or straighten out anything.

"You're all ready to go!" Alice exclaimed with a grin. "Have a wonderful time! And remember what I told you last night. Relax. Don't be nervous and be yourself. If you do that, everything will go fine. Oh, wait a minute." She went to her closet and pulled out a black sweater. "Take this. It might get a little chilly later on."

"Good luck! I'm so excited for you!" Rosalie squealed.

"Thanks. I'm going to need it," I remarked, taking the sweater from Alice.

They walked with me down to the second floor landing, wished me luck again, and I was on my own. I carefully made my way down the steps so that I wouldn't fall and kill myself.

Carlisle was standing by the front door as Alice told me that he would. He was wearing a white button down shirt, with a black jacket and black slacks. His dress shoes, which were also black, were highly polished. His outfit contrasted splendidly with his golden, liquid-fire eyes. The sight of him took my breath away.

As I approached him, I noticed that his eyes were also taking me in from head to toe. He nodded to himself, as if in approval, and a tiny smile appeared on his face. He looked as if he thought that I was as beautiful as he was handsome.

Carlisle's POV

When Bella came down the stairs, I was suddenly overcome by wondrous beauty.

She was attired in an emerald-green dress with polished forest-green, three-inch heeled shoes. Dangling diamond earrings sparkled from her ears, and she wore a glimmering diamond necklace. Her curly, mahogany-brown hair shone brightly with luster. Most of it was in a ponytail, but a strand of curls framed both sides of her face. I could smell her strawberry and freesia scent from Alice's room...the perfumes magnified it tenfold.

Rosalie told her that she did not look like a queen, but she was completely and utterly wrong. My soul mate was so magnificently stunning that I would have to take special care to keep my hands off of her. I found myself nodding and smiling a little in admiration.

This was one of those moments when I could not believe that she was mine. All mine.

Bella's POV

I walked up to Carlisle in a daze and stopped before him. Almost immediately, I caught a whiff of musk cologne radiating from him. I wanted to bury my nose in his chest. He smelled too good!

Carlisle spoke then, jerking me from my thoughts. "Hello again, Bella. How are you this afternoon?" he murmured.

"Hi Carlisle. I am all right, thank you. What about you?" I returned shyly.

"I am very well, thank you," he replied. He held out his hand. "Are you ready to leave?"

"Yes," I whispered, placing mine in his tentatively. Static charged through it.

He led me outside like the gentleman he was and we strolled over to his Mercedes. He opened the passenger door for me, and I thanked him before stepping inside. I put on my seat belt.

Once he was in the car and buckled up, Carlisle set off for Port Angeles. I could not think of anything to say, so I kept quiet. I mostly just watched him out of the corner of my eyes during the ride. He drove with a peaceful smile on his face while humming along to classical music on the radio. He did not speak to me that much, but perhaps chose to wait until we were eating to have our talk.

An hour later, we had arrived at our destination. Carlisle rode down a number of streets before parking in front of a small restaurant called La Bella Italia.

I laughed with pleasure. "You are too sweet, Carlisle," I stated, nodding to the building.

"Why, thanks," he chortled before getting out of the vehicle. He walked around to my side and opened the door for me. He took my hand to help me climb out.

"Thank you."

"You are welcome."

We entered the restaurant and waited by the hostess' station. A minute later, a woman who looked to be in her early 20s came to offer her services.

"A private table for two, please," Carlisle requested politely.

She bobbed her head with a grin and pulled out a couple of menus. "Right this way, sir."

Carlisle and I followed her to the back, where the private booths were.

"Here you are. A waiter or waitress should be with you shortly," the woman announced, giving us our menus. Her stare lingered on Carlisle as she left us to ourselves. I felt that familiar twinge of envy again.

A waitress appeared right away. "Hello. My name is Cassandra, and I will be serving you this afternoon. May I start you off with a glass of water to drink?"

"Yes, please," Carlisle responded.

"Sure," I added.

"Alrighty, I will be back in a second."

She disappeared, then returned with our drinks in two all-purpose glasses. "Here you go. And I will give you a few minutes to take your order."

We thanked her and she left.

Carlisle smiled at me. "You are very beautiful," he commented in a soft voice, gazing at me as if he were in a trance.

My cheeks tingled. "Uh...th-thank you. Y-You are handsome yourself," I mumbled. I opened my menu to hide my face. It was going to burn off if he kept making me blush!

"I am pleased that you think so."

Neither of us could think of what to say after that, so we concentrated on figuring out what we wanted for dinner. When I had picked something, I laid my menu aside. Carlisle did too, just as the waitress came back.

"Are you ready to order now?" she queried.

I nodded and cleared my throat. "May I have the mushroom ravioli with broccoli, please?"

"Certainly, miss. And is there anything that you would like to drink with it?"

"Hot chocolate...with whipped cream if you have it."

"Of course. And you, mister?" she asked, turning to Carlisle.

He pursed his lips. "Just a garden salad with Italian dressing, thank you, and a glass of Merlot red wine."

"May I see your identification, please?"

Carlisle pulled out his wallet and showed it to her.

"Very well, sir. I will have your food in twenty minutes or less. If you need anything, feel free to ask me."

When she was gone, Carlisle shifted his attention back to me.

"So, Bella. While we are waiting for our meal, why don't we talk and get to know each other a little more?" he inquired.

I grinned shyly. "Okay," I said.

Carlisle's POV

And now, I can see if can get the answer to some of the questions I have been asking myself, I thought. Of course, I would have to be careful and lie when answering most of the questions that she asked in return.

I leaned forward. "Is Bella your real name? Or is it short for anything?"

Bella nodded. "Yes. It's short for Isabella..." she began.

Isabella. Her name was like a song on my tongue, and music to my ears. Isabella.

"...But I don't like it when people call me that."

I was quite taken aback. "Why not? Your name is as pretty as yourself," I remarked.

Her face reddened as she shrugged. "I don't know. Bella just sounds better to me, I guess."

I stared at her for a moment. "Hmm. Not to be rude, but I like Isabella more. It suits you. Would you mind it if I called you Isabella?"

Bella's POV

Oddly enough, I wouldn't have minded it at all. I could not explain why, though. Normally, I hated it when people did, but Carlisle was different than everyone else. "Well...no, as long as it's only you calling me that. Um, Carlisle, may I ask you a question about yourself?"

"Of course you may, Isabella," Carlisle replied.

My name sounded as smooth as honey coming from his mouth...

"Well...you know where I am from and where I was born. Where were you born?" I queried.

He took a sip of his water. "I was born in London, England, but my parents moved here to the United States when I was very young."

I could have sworn that I heard a faint British accent whenever he spoke! "Wow, that's amazing! Is it nice there? Have you ever gone back?"

"A few times, and yes, it is very beautiful there."

"So where did you live when you were a kid?"

"Here and there. My parents traveled often. I mostly remember living in Rochester, New York, Chicago, Montana, and Wyoming."

I inclined my head pensively. "Where did you study to become a doctor?" I asked seconds later in a timid voice.

"Washington State University. I graduated with a Master's degree and summa cum laude from there five years ago. Do you plan to go to college?"

"I've thought about it, but I'm not sure if I'll go. I'm not particularly good at anything except English, and I never saw myself as anything much. Not in the workforce, at least."

Carlisle frowned. "Well, if you do well in English, you should consider going for journalism or public relations."

Making a face, I let out a laugh. "I don't know about that. I don't mix with people too well."

He quirked an eyebrow. "That's not true. You get along wonderfully with my children...and with me," he pointed out.

"People other than you and your family, I mean," I amended.

"Do you get along with your father-?"

Someone cleared their throat, interrupting him. The waitress had returned. I glanced at my watch and nearly did a double-take. Did the last fifteen minutes really go by that fast?

"Excuse me. Here you go. Mushroom ravioli with broccoli and hot chocolate with whipped cream for you, young lady. And a bowl of garden salad and Merlot wine for you, sir," she declared, setting our food and drinks before us. She also placed a wine bucket on the table near Carlisle. "Enjoy your meal! Remember that you may ask me for anything if you need assistance."

We thanked her once more. I started to eat my ravioli. Carlisle tucked into his salad, sipping his wine occasionally.

As I finished chewing my third bite, he repeated his last question.

I swallowed my food before answer him. "Yes, Charlie and I get along fine, even though we don't talk much. He's busy with his job often, and I have school. Plus, I have homework to do almost every night. But we try to spend at least some time together," I explained.

"That's good. And what about you and your mother? Do you get along with one another?" he inquired next.

My facial expression became singular.

He chuckled as he peered at me. "Uh oh! I take it that the answer is not a yes?"

I glowered at the table. "We get along sometimes," I responded shortly, lying through my teeth.

"...And what about the rest of the time?" Carlisle persisted, obviously noticing the tone of my voice.

"The rest of the time we just don't. What else is there to say?" I stabbed my broccoli with my fork.

With a grin, Carlisle stated, "You know, Isabella, it is not unusual for someone not to get along with their parents every once in a while."

"Maybe. I wouldn't know if that's true for anybody else."

He looked puzzled. "What do you mean? Don't you speak to other people?"

I shook my head. "Not really. Just to Mom and Charlie, and to you and your family."

Carlisle mulled over that. "Hmm. Well, what about your friends in Phoenix? Do any of them have nice parents?"

"I didn't have any friends in Phoenix. Your children are the only friends I have and had."

His eyes grew wide. "Never, in all of those years? Not even a boyfriend?" he demanded in shock.

"Never," I confirmed.

Carlisle's POV

Isabella never had any friends while she lived with her mother! Poor girl! This certainly explained why she was happy when she was around my children. And I...I must be the only man to have shown interest in her. I don't believe that any other had made advances toward her in her entire life!

No wonder she was so sad, and timid and shy with me. But as we talked, I noticed that she was becoming slightly more comfortable with me.

Another thing. I noticed that Isabella had gotten upset when I mentioned her mother. She did not seem to like talking about her either. I wondered why, but I would ask about it when I had the chance to.

On that note, I went on with the conversation...

Bella's POV

"But you are such a kind person, Isabella," he exclaimed after a pause. "You seem like the type that would have at least a few friends."

"Maybe I would have had some in Phoenix if people didn't think that I was strange. Or if I weren't such a klutz," I muttered bitterly.

Carlisle placed his hand on mine. "That is not true. You are not a klutz, and you are not strange at all. I never thought for a minute that you were. I find you to be a sweet, friendly, kind, mature, intelligent, sophisticated, and complex young lady."

I bowed my head as a tiny smile of pleasure lit up my face. "Thank you. I think that you are the only guy ever thought that I was."

He lifted my chin so that I was looking at him. "Isabella, I cannot help but think or see that you are. It is why I want to date you. I like you very much, and I can see myself with you," he whispered passionately.

"R-Really?" I gasped, feeling extremely touched by what he said.

"Really, my dear. And I don't think that I am the only one who sees you for who you truly are. I am sure that someone else has before."

"Well, if someone had, I would have no way of knowing it."

"No, I suppose not."

Carlisle backed away then, and we continued to eat our food. It was going to get cold if we ignored it any longer.

When our plates were nearly empty, he cleared his throat.

"We never finished talking about your mother," he noted. "And now that I brought this up, I have a question."

I rose an eyebrow. "Yes?"

He picked at a tomato with his fork. "If you don't mind my asking, how come you and your mother do not get along at other times? You looked a bit upset when I mentioned her. Did you two...fight often when you lived with her?" he queried.

Suddenly, I did become rather angry, as well as uncomfortable and frightened. What did it matter to him what kind of relationship my egg donor and I had? I couldn't tell him the truth, not when the situation between me and that bitch had nothing to do with him! Who did he think he was to ask me these questions?!

"I don't want to talk about it. Why do you care if we got along or not, anyway? It's none of your business," I snapped.

Carlisle's POV

Bingo! Her response was definitely an indicator that there was more to this than she would let on.

I had not expected her to do this, of course. She just barely knew me. It would not be easy for her to tell me everything about her, at least for a while.

I knew that I should wave this discussion aside. However, the expression on Isabella's face worried me. I could see that she was clearly furious, but I also detected uneasiness and fear.

Why would Isabella feel this way when it came to her mother? Gathering from the few things that she had mentioned about her:

"My mom would be mad if she sees me talking to someone that I don't know."

"...She wouldn't like it if she caught me speaking to you in this chat room."

I could see that her mother was strict. But then I remembered how unfairly she treated Isabella when she asked for the teddy and some candy.

This led to a startling question, one that I did not think to ask myself before.

Had her mother been unkind to her when they lived together? Not just on that day ten years ago, but most of the time, or all of it?

The idea of my Isabella having been mistreated enraged me and made me sick to my stomach. If I ever found out that she had been, I didn't know what I would do, but I knew that it wouldn't be pretty!

Before I could think of anything to say, Isabella pushed her ravioli dish aside and stood up. She still looked considerably angry...I must have really upset her.

It took a second for me to realize that she was thinking of leaving. I couldn't let her go, not with the way that she was feeling!

I had to think quick!

Bella's POV

After ranting at Carlisle, I threw my napkin onto my plate and shoved it away.

Just as I was about to leave the booth, he grabbed my arm. I turned to see him standing behind me, looking apologetic.

"Please don't go, Isabella. I'm sorry if I offended you...I had no intention of doing that. I was only curious, but I had no right to pry. You are right...it is none of my business. Please...let us continue our date. I don't want to end things on the wrong foot. Please stay," he implored.

I melted around the edges. How could I leave him when he looked as if his heart would break if I did? Besides, I could plainly see that he was sorry, and meant everything that he told me.

With a sigh, I nodded before sitting back down. Carlisle squeezed my hand in silent thanks before letting it go.

Neither of us talked about my egg donor again as we ate the rest of our food. He asked if I wanted dessert, but I said no. The waitress gave him the bill when he needed it. He paid the desired amount of cash and hid both his tip and mine under a napkin. Then we left the restaurant.

Carlisle drove to the harbor although it wasn't far from La Bella Italia. But I knew why he did without asking; he didn't want his Mercedes to be towed. I couldn't blame him. His car was amazing, and if it were mine, I'd be pretty pissed if I had to get it out of an impound lot.

He and I were soon strolling along the walk. As we did, I told him about almost everything that went on during my first week of school. In turn, Carlisle told me about some of the things that happened in the hospital since he last saw me. We sat down on a bench to watch sailboats drifting along in the bay too.

As we were doing this, he took my hand. However, when he saw that I was looking at our interlocked fingers, he quickly apologized.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I don't mean to be so forward..." he began to say.

"You don't have to be sorry...You can hold my hand if you want to. I don't mind," I remarked. Even though his hands were freezing, I rather liked it when he held my own. Like his children's, they were as hard as marble. But there was a gentleness about them that was very pleasing to the touch.

He smiled before grasping my hand softly once more. I found myself relaxing and becoming less tense. Alice was right about him; he was an easy person to be with. He was so kind, so easy to get along with. So easy to talk to. I liked him, and as the evening crept by, I liked him more and more.

Pretty soon, the sky began to darken over the clouds. Carlisle exhaled deeply. "I am afraid that we have to go back to Forks now. I don't want you to get home too late," he murmured wistfully.

"Yeah," I sighed. "I don't want to leave, though. I was really enjoying myself."

"So was I, especially because you are here with me." He stroked the back of my hand with his thumb.

"Even though I snapped at you? I'm sorry that I did, by the way."

He waved his hand. "Don't worry about it. I wasn't upset that you did. But yes, I did enjoy my time with you. I would love for us to have another date. That is, if you would like to."

I grinned at him. "I would like to very much, Carlisle. I...I like you, and I would love to go on more outings with you," I admitted with a blush.

"Well, then," he stated with a pleased smile as we walked over to the car. "If that is what we both want, then we shall."

The ride back to the mansion was as quiet as the one to Port Angeles. That was only because Carlisle and I had silently chose to revel in the peaceful contentment surrounding us.

Before I knew it, he was speeding up his driveway. As he parked the car in the garage, his children came to greet us.

"Hi Dad! Hi Bella! How was your date?" Rosalie demanded eagerly as Carlisle helped me step out of the vehicle.

"It was splendid, honey," was all he would tell her.

She was not satisfied with his answer, and neither were the others. They bombarded us with questions as I went to Alice's room, and he to wherever he was going.

As I changed into the clothes that I was wearing earlier, Alice inquired, "So did you like your first date? Did you have fun?"

"Yes, I did. We had very nice time," I replied.

She beamed brightly. "That's wonderful. I'm glad that you two went out. I really am. I haven't seen Carlisle so happy ever since he filed for divorce. And you look happier than I have ever seen you since we've met. You must really like each other."

I just smiled at her. But deep down inside, I was overjoyed that he was happy. And it was I who made him feel that way! I was glad that I did. I wouldn't have wanted him to be miserable.

Alice and I chatted for several more minutes, then I had to leave. She walked to the front door with me and we embraced each other.

"Come back soon!" she mumbled.

"I will," I promised her.

She let me go and I headed for my truck.

Just as I had reached it, however, I heard Carlisle yell behind me, "Isabella, wait!"

He came over to me and took my hands. "I just want to thank you, Isabella, for such a beautiful evening. It was one of the best that I have had in a long time. I hope that our next date will be soon because I honestly want it to be. I really want to spend more time with you," he said.

I squeezed his fingers. "Well, when you are given another day off, let me know. I'll try to make time for you. And you're welcome," I added.

He smiled gently at me. At the same time, the moon broke through the clouds. One of its beams landed on his face, making him look even more god-like.

Carlisle must have been thinking something similar about me because he whispered, "Isabella, you are so divine in the moonlight. Did you know that?"

He caressed my cheek. Then he bent forward, and his lips met mine.

He was kissing me.

Carlisle was...kissing me.

I just stood there, struck dumb with almost overwhelming shock. I couldn't believe that he was actually kissing me! Me, of all people!

It took a moment for me to recover from my astonishment. When I had, I started to kiss him back. I did so clumsily at first, but as we continued, my lips became more skilled. Carlisle pulled me into him and slipped his tongue into my mouth.

Oh God, he tastes heavenly! I thought as his tongue explored it hungrily. When it retreated, I glided mine along his before sliding it into his own mouth. He moaned, and it was all I could do to keep myself from losing my mind. That strange electric that I felt whenever I touched him crackled on my lips. I did not care, though.

We broke apart for air after what seemed like days. Carlisle kissed me briefly one more time, then moved away.

"Good-bye, Isabella. See you soon," he said.

"Definitely. Bye, Carlisle," I returned.

That was when I heard banging on the mansion windows. We turned to see Alice, Jasper, Edward, Rosalie, and Emmett jumping around and cheering. Carlisle waggled his finger at them. I laughed, feeling partly embarrassed.

"All right, the show's over! Go to your rooms," he called to them.

They stuck their tongues at him and disappeared. Emmett paused to make kissy-kissy faces at us before joining them.

Carlisle rolled his eyes and smiled at me. "Well, I believe that I kept you long enough, Isabella."

"Yeah. Bye."

"Good-bye, sweetheart."