With special thanks to Frannie, I promise to work on my punctuation...
7
Bella woke up groggily. Since she had problems falling asleep, she woke up late. The house was awfully quiet. After a quick look, she realized she had it all to herself. Edward had gone to work, and Alice was in class. The girl had just returned, but she had a private tutor come to the house until she would formally start school.
After taking a long shower and putting on her makeup, Bella felt a little lost. She hadn't had a day all to herself in a while, and the circumstances in which she now had one were quite exceptional. Unfortunately, she didn't have any close friends; she had moved to New York in search of anonymity, and she got it. But the downside was starting to show. She talked to her father regularly, but she didn't want to worry him. Trying to explain her current predicament to him didn't seem like a good idea, especially since it was the result of a one night stand.
She could think of this experience as moving places. She had to do that too since her salary at Twilight allowed her to have a good one. The fact that she lost her rented studio made it feel a little nostalgic. Suddenly, she remembered something. She sprung out from the bathroom and into her new room. She looked around crazily for the boxes Edward had said came from her old apartment. She didn't even want to know how he managed to get them. The fear was rising – what if he looked through them before packing? What if someone else did? How many people?
She quickly threw the clothes that were on top and dug to the bottom of each one. In the third box, she found what she was looking for – a photo album, apparently from when she was a little girl, but it actually had photos from her high school years too. The box did not seem to have been tampered with, nor the album. She took the two intrusive photos and studied them carefully. She had to put them somewhere; she needed to hide them along with her feelings of guilt.
Last year she had entered the reservation at La Push and started a fire. She had been charged with trespassing and arson, which is a felony in Washington State. She managed to get out on parole only through her father's connections, and she was supposed to stay out of trouble. She would never forget Jacob's look of disappointment as she set the tree house on fire. And there was something else too, a look that resembled defeat. Jacob wouldn't have pressed charges if it had been for him, but Billy, his father, did not hesitate. She will not forget the look of contempt he threw her in court, just before her testimony. He was the only one who thought she had gotten off too easily.
After the trial, she moved to New York. She doubted she could have stuck on the side of the law if she had continued on in Forks. But ironically enough, trouble had followed her anyway. And today she felt the full swing of her punishment in her inability to just walk out the door and leave; in her giving in to Edward's blackmail.
In the evening, she went for her shift at Twilight. She had tossed and turned, and decided she wanted to get on with her life. It was hard to believe she had only met Edward two nights ago. She already wanted to sidestep that incident and let it have the smallest impact on her life.
When she arrived, the place seemed more packed than usual. She was just heading towards the staff entry, when Carla, one of the waitresses, pulled her in.
"What's wrong?"
"Be careful, the place is swarming with journalists tonight."
"Is something special happening?"
"They are actually looking for you," and Carla tossed her a newspaper. Bella's eyes grew wide, and her heart started beating with trepidation upon seeing a small photo of her, together with a short announcement of her engagement to Edward Cullen, one of the most desired bachelors in New York and a famous businessman.
Bastard…
Bella never thought this arrangement would end up in the papers. Now she had a choice, either go back through the side exit or step in and get on with her shift.
She was many things, but not a coward.
Not anymore.
She went into the main lobby with her head held high. Of course, she could not keep it up long as she was soon surrounded by a pool of people snapping pictures and asking her personal questions.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw three men begin to push the journalists aside. She recognized one of them as Edward's right hand, and although she was annoyed by him acting as a puppeteer, she was grateful the reporters were being herded aside. When only the regular customers were left, she resumed her work.
She felt his presence before she saw him, mostly because of the reaction of her colleagues.
"What are you doing here?" Bella turned toward Edward, annoyed.
"Hey… Is that a way to welcome your fiancé?"
"Who the hell leaked that to the press?"
"Don't swear, it doesn't become you. I might have told a few friends, and they told some others, and the word got out… It doesn't matter."
"It does when an army of reporters decide to surround me at my workplace!"
"So you've decided to continue working here?"
"Look, Edward, I might have agreed to be your… fiancée, but you're not my master. What I do in my own time is no concern of yours, and I don't want to mix my private business with work."
"That is very professional of you. Could you give me a scotch, please? On the rocks."
"Have you heard anything I've been saying?"
"Loud and clear, beautiful. I'm here only as a client, I assure you."
Bella didn't like it one bit. She could feel the stares of her colleagues, and she was thinking it herself: this was not a normal exchange, not between a customer and a bartender, nor between lovers.
She brought his drink and gave him a smile that was supposed to be sweet in appearance, but in reality, it was cold. He didn't seem to mind and smiled back.
"What brings you here then?" she started again.
He sighed.
"Can't I come and have a drink after work? Can't I just spend time with my fiancée without it becoming a scene?"
Bella laughed at this. "Can't I do my job without those wolves descending on me?"
"I'm sorry about that. I was careless. I should have come sooner or sent reinforcements with you. I will be more careful next time." He actually seemed apologetic, but what he was saying wasn't the solution she had in mind.
"How about leaving me alone while I'm working?"
"I'm afraid I can't do that. Home is too lonely without you."
"Alice is there, you can always find time to spend with her."
"True, but from now on, I'd like it to be the three of us," and he proceeded on making plans for the weekend, when they could go rafting, or to paintball. Bella drily told him she had a double shift and would probably be too tired afterward. He creased his forehead at this, but said nothing, finishing his drink.
Bella became distracted by other customers, and when she turned again a while later, Edward was gone. She sighed with relief. Work had been her constant for the past year, she didn't particularly enjoy her job, but she didn't want to lose it.
When she turned again, her signature smile disappeared. Sitting at the bar and waiting for a drink was James Hunter, one of the most disgusting clients she ever had to deal with. It was amazing that after harassing almost all of the female staff, he was still allowed on the premises, but his father, being a congressman, probably had something to do with that. He had made Bella a target of his battering and teasing since she started to work there, but lately, he had become more forward. She knew she could call security if needed, and that gave her strength to act professionally.
"Hello, darling, please give me a double martini." While Bella was preparing it, he continued the conversation. "Heard you got yourself a rich boyfriend. Is that where you were, riding him? You should have told me that's what it takes, I would have…" Bella was bracing herself for the continuation, but it never came. It was actually a punch that had silenced James, and it was from none other than Jasper.
Sensing the beginning of the fight, Bella interfered: "Please, Jasper, don't!"
Jasper did as he was told while escorting James outside.
The commotion had gathered a few of the waiters too, and Carla whispered to Bella, "I don't think James will make it home at this rate." Bella's heart clenched. This evening was getting from bad to worse.
"Don't worry about him, Bella, he had it coming for a long time. Remember the time he grabbed me, and no one wanted to help, afraid of the consequences? I say good riddance! Oh, sweetie, I will surely miss you!"
Bella flinched and laughed it off. "Do you think I'll get fired after this scene?"
"Fired? Oh no, I meant you would quit, of course!"
"Oh, I am not going anywhere, silly."
"Really? Why would you stay on in this shithole when you are marrying big? Tell me, when did you start dating? Why did you even come to work tonight?"
"Carla, I appreciate the sentiment, but please don't speak like that. I like my job, and I hope to keep it". But it was no use, she could tell. Carla was looking at her as if she were from another planet.
"Do you even know who Edward Cullen is?" Carla asked with disgust before turning away. This hit her like a brick wall. She realized then and there that no, she did not really know anything about Edward, while he seemed to know everything (or almost) about her.
She asked someone to cover for her while she took a quick break. Grabbing her phone, she went outside.
She was going to google Edward Cullen.
Thank you everyone for being so engaged in this story and reading it so carefully ;) Thank you That'sMzPeachesTYVM, LizziePaige, Pattsy1994, grandmachix for some very well made points! So... have you ever cyber-stalked anyone? (promise I won't use the confession against you lol) I can start: I googled my then boyfriend (now husband) and found some websites he was on that he was unaware of...
Also, in this chapter I mentioned that trespassing and arson are felonies in Washington State, please don't use it as legal advice, I claim creative license for all legal matters that don't add up :) Thank you for reading and reviewing!
