Stephenie Meyer owns – I do not.
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Day 4:
Friday
Bella
"Bekka Swan?"
"Bella," she amended, while flying completely on autopilot and battling that time moving so damn fast. The day was turning out to be a nightmare. Everything was almost done, just the last leaflet with crucial information that needed to be packed in with the rest of the envelopes. That was when the mean machine had decided to hiccup and then completely crash. It was Friday and all the packages were supposed to leave by 4 pm sharp. It was already eleven in the morning.
"Sorry, Bella. I'm Jessica Stanley. You called with a problem with your copier?"
Bella finally looked up to find a girl with a bright smile and curly brown hair. "Yes, I called." Immediately, she was out of her chair and leading the technician to the copy room. Papers were littered everywhere from Bella yanking at the machine and pulling out compartments trying to persuade the mean machine to work again. It had all been to no avail.
Bella had successfully been able to hide it from Angela so far. She didn't ask anyone, instead she just called for help wanting to fix the problem by herself. Besides, Angela was under enough stress and stuck in a caffeine driven haze as it was.
"Here it is," Bella said, when the short girl put her computer bag down. Jessica took a sturdy look, before pressing buttons expertly on the touch screen. Then she ducked down and pulled out several compartments to check on the status of… things.
"I think the problem is in the software," Jessica said, smiling like that was a good thing.
"Okay," Bella answered, pretending to understand. Though, only one thing was on her mind. "So when will this run again?"
"I will need about an hour and a half," the technician assessed.
Bella had to hide her faltering smile. She had opted for half an hour… tops. This was not good. She clearly felt the stress pumping in her veins. "Can I get you some coffee or water?"
"Gee, thanks. Coffee, please. Just black," Jessica answered, while smiling hugely before ducking into her bag pulling out her computer. Bella watched frantically as the computer was rigged to the printer. This looked serious. With what she had learned, she couldn't just send the leaflet somewhere because then the color wouldn't match the layouts that had already been done.
Coffee… she reminded herself.
Opting to avoid wasting time making a run to the coffee shop, Bella hoped the sewer spill filter coffee everybody else drank would be okay.
Efficiently avoiding Angela for the better part of an hour, Bella often ended up hovering over Jessica, who was fiddling with the printer and slowly making it complacent again. At least now, it was spitting out some prints, whereas earlier, it was completely on lockdown.
As she watched the coffee spill over and some of the contents landing on the pristine white sleeve of Edward's shirt, Bella never thought getting another cup of coffee for the nice girl talented enough to fix Bella's lifeline would cause so much trouble. If Edward hadn't hated her before, she was sure that she had accomplished now.
Bella quickly began throwing apologies left and right, while trying to wipe his shirtsleeve with her hand in sheer panic. That didn't seem to lighten his mood at all.
So for the last twenty minutes or so, she had been hiding out in the copy room with Jessica in order to avoid both Angela and Edward. To say that she was bubbly and cheerful was a bit of an understatement. She was so chatty and when Bella left the copy room to start the last set of prints, she basically knew Jessica's entire life's story… accept from one crucial fact.
"All done," Jessica said, while brushing her hands.
"Gosh, you really are a life saver."
Jessica smiled broadly, while hefting a wayward chunk of hair behind her ear. "I know. Lucky me. The last two hundred prints should be done in…" She leaned over Bella's chair, feeling her curly hair falling on Bella's shoulder. "Ten seconds." She paused for dramatics. "Aaaaaand now, they're done," Jessica said as the pop-up window on Bella's screen closed.
Jessica pursed her lips. "Bella?" she hesitated. "I normally never do this," she lowered her voice. "Are you seeing anyone?" Bella glanced over the rim of her iced coffee cup. Angela had left at her desk probably having been in need of another double shot.
Bella frowned at the rather personal question. "Er… no."
"Would you like to go out?" Jessica's voice was sweet and confident. It took a moment before all the chips fell into place. Bella looked behind her like Jessica had to be asking someone else. There was no one. Even a comical image of Bella's alter ego was staring over her shoulder.
"Who, me?" Bella then asked.
"Yeah, you."
"I need to get this straight." Bella's heart had suddenly started to do a frantic dance in her chest. Carefully, she left her iced coffee on the table. "You mean like on a… date?"
Jessica laughed and her eyes creasing at the corners. She suddenly looked so carefree. "Yeah, a date. I have these really great tickets to Tina Fey tomorrow night. I'd like to take you, if you're free," she said like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Bella blinked rapidly trying to get her bearings. "Jessica… I'm not gay."
Her brows shot up. "Are you sure?"
Pretty much. "Yeah, I mean… I don't date girls." Did she? Bella couldn't help, but wonder. Could she say that she didn't date girls when she'd never even been on a date?
"I could have sworn… my gaydar is totally picking up on you." Jessica smiled, while still looking charming, self-assured and truly not bothered. "I mean all the crowding and the chatting me up. I just thought…"
Bella had to smile. She didn't mean to crowd Jessica. She had just been hiding out and the chatting, well, that was Jessica's own doing. Besides her, that alter ego was now tapping her foot and glaring at Bella. Yeah, break your promise and stay your old boring self. Told you you couldn't do it.
Bella remembered the pledge she made to herself Tuesday morning when moping over lost chances. That day, she had taken a chance and it had paid off. So being asked on a first date, did it really matter if it was a man or a woman? Bella made a quick decision.
"I would love to go," she answered, while trying not to bite her lip nervously.
Jessica's mouth popped open. Then, she narrowed her eyes. "But you just said…"
"Forget what I said. I changed my mind," Bella countered quickly, peripherally catching a glimpse of a really irritated looking Edward pacing his office and pinching the bridge of his nose.
What was with L.A. and all the gays? Perhaps, it was some sort of club. If it was, then she definitely didn't want to be locked out in the cold. She liked this sunny side, both literally and metaphorically. As her new and more noticeable self, she was aiming to be a gold member of the club… whatever it was.
Jessica smiled, looking earnestly pleased. "Listen, Bella. I'll leave this up to you. We'll go out tomorrow, but you decide if it will be a real date or just a couple of girlfriends going out. Text me with what you decide and I'll figure out if I'm wearing my hot jeans or not."
"Deal," Bella agreed, taking Jessica's number before she left. Once more, Bella took a chance.
Angela slumped in her seat, while washing down the last of yet another coffee. "Are the final prints done?" Her voice sounded so tired and her hair wasn't as neat today as usually.
"Yeah, just hot from the printer." Bella stood, going to retrieve them. Crisis averted.
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Bella, Bella, Bella… that's all I'm going to say.
Sorry I didn't respond to comments today, family stuff.
Ever thankful to Chartwilightmom and Dazzled Eyes22.
Laters.
