Chapter Seven: Shake on It
Carlisle's POV
When I got back to my house… not home, it was almost five in the evening and my Saturday was just depressing. I decided to dedicate the rest of the day to making my house looked lived in and to make the arrangements for my dinner with Bella. When I first unpacked I arranged everything the way Esme would, in a functional, 'everything has its place' sort of way. I hadn't used most of the furniture. The whole house looked untouched, like a window display. The pillows on the couch were neatly propped up on the corners. The plush rug was completely clean, with no footstep indents. I noticed that a few of the lamps were missing light bulbs. The paintings on the walls looked like the ones at the hospital. This was definitely no home, this was a house.
I cringed. This house was so bland. I wanted to splash paint on the beige walls and scuff up the wooden floors.
The only part of the house that looked lived in was my study. There were books scattered everywhere, husky hair on the ground, my leather chair was already wearing out, and the trashcan was overflowing with junk mail.
I sat in said leather chair and opened up my laptop. It didn't take me long to find a store that catered what I needed. I placed an order for a few different types of meals. I remembered she had soup at the deli so I got three different flavors of that, some different sides, a few cakes, an order of poached salmon, two orders of steak (mine was ordered rare so at least I could get a little sustenance from it), some salad, and a few random hors d'oeuvres. They all had simple directions of keep at this temperature or heat at this temperature for this amount of time.
I had it all set up so that they would arrive a bit before Bella even got home.
I'd have to pick up some random bottles of wine and drinks next time I went into the city. The house was already stocked with dishes and silverware so I just had to give them a quick washing before then.
I faintly heard the crunching of gravel coming down the road. I ran to the front room, surprised that she was getting back so early. I was disappointed to see that it was just a dinged up old truck. The man stopped in her driveway and pulled out a lawnmower. I stared a bit longer, disappointed in both myself for getting so excited over nothing and for it not being Bella. Jake ran out of my house and to the limping man.
"Hey boy! What were you doing all the way up there?" The limping man said once the dog started jumping on him. "You know the drill, Jake. Go hide in the house. I don't want to hear you barking at me the whole time." The husky ran into Bella's house as the man started the lawnmower.
I sighed and walked away from the window. If I hadn't been so excited at the prospect of seeing Bella again I would have noticed the difference between the soft purr of her car and the strangled sound his truck emitted.
It was finally the night of our date and I was more nervous than when I changed Edward. All the food was delivered, the wine was breathing, and the dining room was set up.
I heard her car stereo before hearing her tires and heartbeat.
Pour some sugar on me, ooh, in the name of love
Pour some sugar on me, c'mon fire me up
Pour your sugar on me, I can't get enough
I'm hot, sticky sweet from my head to my feet, yeah
As usual I watched from my study. She was mouthing the words, body slightly swaying back and forth. When she turned the car off in the garage she started singing.
You got the peaches, I got the cream
Sweet to taste, saccharine
'Cause I'm hot, so hot, sticky sweet
(Hot!)
From my head, my head to my feet
(Head!)
Do you take sugar, one lump or two?
For a brief moment I wondered if she knew I could hear her singing all those songs, the way she made them sound so sinfully seductive. I brushed aside the idea. It was highly unlikely that she did, and by the way she shied away from my advances I doubted that she was trying to tempt me with the ideas behind her songs.
"Get it together Bella, it's just dinner." I was glad to hear that I wasn't the only one nervous. Every once and a while she flitted past an open window, moving at a fast pace. I saw her lay out a few outfits, looking between them with a discerning eye. "Too formal, too slutty, close enough." She picked a simple pair of jeans and blue long sleeved shirt that's front dipped just enough to show a bit of the lace on the cream colored undershirt.
At exactly six on the dot I heard Bella knocking on the front door.
"Hello Bella." I said as I opened the door. She scanned the area before answering.
"Dr. Cullen." She nodded in my direction. "It's nice to see you again."
"As I've said before please call me Carlisle and it's more than nice to see you again." Bella ignored my comment as she walked in and shrugged off her jacket. She handed it to me and I hung it up on a coat rack.
"I wanted to get you a house warming gift, but I had no idea what you would like." She hadn't looked at me yet, eyes still ghosting around the rooms as we walked.
"Well you're already warming my house so there is no need for you to get me anything." I led her to the kitchen. "I'm not much of a cook and I don't know your taste preferences so I just ordered a bit of everything."
"If you couldn't cook, Carlisle, we could have just gone out to eat."
"But then I wouldn't have you all to myself." I said offhandedly as she appraised the different dishes. She turned towards me with an annoyed look on her face.
"Carlisle, I'm not looking for a relationship right now, so will you please just stop all your school yard flirting?" She had her hands on her hips. "They make things awkward for me." She let out a little sigh when she saw the defeated look on my face. "I'm not trying to be mean, but I think we could actually be friends if you just stopped all your flirting."
"If that is what you want I can't help but oblige your wishes." I held out my hand. "Friends?"
"Friends." She shook my hand, and I couldn't help thinking that there was an unnatural pull between us. "Now did you get this food from Cantarellie's?" I nodded, curious. Her face lit up. "I could tell from the scent. Cantarellie's is my favorite restaurant in the city."
Song: Pour Some Sugar on Me by Def Leppard.
So they're friends. Progress or a step backwards? Send me your thoughts in the form of reviews!
