Chapter 8: The Job I've Been Waiting For
"Are you sure you want to do this?" My mom asked while she watched me pack up the rest of my stuff.
"Of course this is what I want mom—I love him," I told her with a smile, making sure the framed pictures of my family were secure at the top of the box.
"But you're only seventeen!" She argued with a melancholy sigh.
I was more than sure that my moving-in with Brady wasn't the problem. It was more that my mother didn't want me to leave. I was the baby in the family, the last one to leave the nest. With me gone, my parents were going to be alone in a house that had once been filled with running children and screams of annoyance.
I walked over to her and wrapped my arms around her. "Mom, I already told you that I'm going to come and visit everyday!" I teased, hugging her tight. She relaxed against my hold and then crumpled in my arms. It was hard to see my mom so defeated, so sad and scared, but she had been like this throughout the entire year since I came back and even more so since she came back from visiting Amber in Alaska where she was taking care of Solace.
Amber had lost her baby. Alice had called my mom and Aunt Leah when it happened and they rushed to Alaska to be with her. I wanted to go see Amber, I knew that she needed me, but I was scared to see the state she was in. Amber had been ecstatic when she heard she was pregnant, but the culmination of stress and Solace's injury had been too much for her body and her baby was gone.
"It's going to be okay, Mom—I promise, everything is going to be okay," I whispered as the silent tears ran down my cheeks.
"I got her, Annie, Brady's downstairs," my dad told me walking up behind my mother and pulling her into a hug. I'd thought my moving out might be harder for my dad, but he was staying surprisingly strong.
I wiped the tears with the back of my hand and let the steel cable pull me forward. Brady was sitting on the loveseat and when I spotted him, I ran down the flight of stairs and threw myself into his arms. Brady chuckled, his chest rumbling under me. I sighed happily as his hands wound snuggly around my waist.
"Is everything okay?" He asked his voice filled with concern when he looked into my red, puffy eyes and frowned.
"My mom… she's a bit upset about the move and worried about Amber. Do you think she's going to be okay?" Brady leaned forward and placed a small, loving kiss on my lips.
"The Cameron women are the strongest in the world, Cupcake. It's going to take time, but they'll both okay." I don't know how he did it, but when Brady says that it's going to be okay, I feel like the worries around me disappear.
On my final night at home I slept curled up against my mom. I was going to have the rest of my life with Brady and my mom needed to know that even if I wasn't living under her roof anymore, I was still going to be there for her.
The next morning my parents, Tay, Mel and Brady helped me move the dozens of boxes into Brady's, now our, house.
"Holy shit, Annie! How many pairs of shoes do you have?!" Mel asked, grabbing my royal blue suede stilettos with a look of bewilderment.
I shrugged, saying, "you can never have enough shoes and plus, Brady loves them." I winked suggestively. Mel blushed and dropped the shoe faster than a hot skillet.
"How is it? You know the sex," she asked curiously, lying down across the bed then jumping up with a crinkled nose like she'd smelled something she's really rather not.
"You need to wash those sheets," she pointed out walking to stand as far away from the bed as possible.
"So how is it? Is it good? Amazing? Spectacular? What?" She asked again and I giggled.
"It's amazing, Mel. I don't even think what Amber described can measure up to how amazing it really is! Mel, it's perfect," I sighed dreamily,
She grinned at my enthusiastic description, leaning back against the wall. "I'm so jealous, Annie, but... I guess I can wait," she told me and I blanched.
"Okay but when the day comes can we promise never to talk about what you are doing with my brother behind closed doors," I begged her, "it's disturbing," I added wishing that there was a way to erase the entire scenario from my mind.
"I'm going to miss you at school. It won't be the same without you," Mel added sadly.
I was done with school. I completed one more year when I got back for my parents' sake, but I dropped out after last semester was over and swore to never go back. I am not stupid—far from it. I just don't give a damn about history, science and all the other pointless stuff you learn in a tiny classroom with a teacher who could give a rat's ass what you do with the rest of your life. I have had a good teacher here and there, but I can count them with one hand. After my abduction I realized that I needed to start living my life and school was just a waste of my time when I knew that what I really wanted to do didn't need a damn high school diploma because I could get the same, actually a better education with some real experience and the guidance of my friends and family.
Ethan and Solace had each given me a hefty amount of money for my seventeenth birthday this past May. I put all of it in a savings account at the local bank and have not touched it since, which doesn't say much because it's only been two months, but that's beside the point… I knew what I wanted to do with what they had gifted me. I was going to start my business.
I had talked to Brady about it. He was the only one that knew about my dream to start an event planning business. Weddings, birthdays, shit, even funerals, that was what I wanted to do. I have no idea what it takes to start and maintain a business, but I was willing to learn.
When my family left and all of my boxes were unpacked, Brady and I settled in to watch a movie.
"I love you, Annie," Brady whispered in my ear as the opening credits zoomed in and out across the screen. I turned in his arms and straddled his hips.
"I love you too, Brady," I answered, running my fingers through his thick dark hair. In the faint background I could hear the voices coming from the movie, but I paid them no mind as I stood up and stepped back to unbutton my shirt. Brady's eyes darkened as he watched my fingers open the shirt revealing my bare breast.
"Annie…" he whispered huskily, getting up. I lifted my leg and with the toe of my foot, pushed him back. He ran his hands slowly on the outside of my thighs. I could feel myself getting wetter as his fingers skimmed the material of the lace panties I was wearing. I stopped his fingers and pushed them away torturing him by inching my denim skirt and panties off my body until I was completely naked before him.
"You're so beautiful," Brady murmured in awe, digging his fingers into my butt and pulling me forward. He pulled one of my legs up and placed it above his shoulder. I watched him, my heart palpating in desire as he scooted down and ran his tongue through my folds. My knees buckled, but Brady's fingers kept me in place as his tongue explored me.
"Ahh!" I screamed out when I felt his tongue enter me. One of his hands traveled in between my legs and replaced his tongue while he sucked furiously on my bundle of nerves, which I dubbed my pleasure friend because besides Brady's penis, it was the best part of the human anatomy. I could feel my release building and Brady sucked harder until I came with a strangled cry of pure euphoria.
"Should we continue this in the bedroom," Brady suggested picking me up and carrying me over his shoulder to our room. Our room, I was never going to get sick of saying that.
"I think that's a great idea," I teased, reaching forward and squeezing his ass. Brady chuckled and opened the door, slamming me against it once it was closed. His lips were instantly on mine and I grinned, this was going to be great.
"Welcome to Belle's Events!" I announced opening the door to my new little, and when I say little, I mean ridiculously small space in Forks.
"Well—it has potential," Amber told me walking into the shop, looking at it like an artist ready to create a masterpiece.
"Whatja thinking Ambo?"
"I see cupcakes and pastels offset with sleek modern furniture," she said walking around in a square with her peep toe heels, which clicked against the gray concrete floor as she walked.
"Uh, I don't have much money. Amber, we're starting small, remember," I pointed out uneasily. I couldn't afford to spend everything on making the shop look like a masterpiece when I had to pay for like, a gazillion other things too. My list of expenses already seemed to double in size with each passing day as it is.
Amber turned around to face me with one of her breathtaking smiles. "It's on me, Annie."
"Oh, no, no, NO!" I complained stomping my foot to prove my point. "Amber, that's a lot of money. Are you crazy?! No, I don't accept!"
"Annie, come on! Do it for me, it will distract me and plus, think of it as birthday presents for the next five years," she argued smoothly, then pouted when I didn't cave right away.
"Fine, but I am only accepting because you're damn pout depresses me!" I warned and she giggled wrapping her arms around me and planting a big kiss on the top of my head.
I couldn't help but return her smile. It was the first time I had seen Amber so excited about anything since she handed Solace the divorce papers. If designing my little shop was going to bring light into her eyes, then who was I to stop her? On the contrary, I was going to enjoy every spare second I spent with her while she worked.
And that's how it began, with a pout, then a month and a half month later my shop was complete. Amber had outdone herself and I didn't even want to ask how much the remodeling had cost. Three of my walls, the ones that were not exposed brick were painted lavender with baby pink and off white vertical stripes. The furniture was primarily clear and silver and along the white leather couch were fluffy white fur throw pillows. The windows were framed with elaborate white swirls and in the middle, Belle's Events was written in pretty cursive.
"It's great!" I cried hugging Amber and jumping up and down as I looked over every square inch of the store.
"Wow!" I heard Brady exclaim and I ran to him like I did whenever he was around, throwing my arms around his neck and linking my legs around his waist.
"Babe, isn't it beautiful!" I gushed. Brady grinned and kissed me.
"It's amazing, Cupcake. You outdid yourself, Ambo," he praised my sister and she smiled indulgently.
"Anything for my Annie," she told me with a wink.
This was one of the best days of my life. I had always known that Brady was the most important person in my life, but our relationship had changed. He was now no longer just my best friend and lover, he was also my partner.
There wasn't much business in La Push, not many people hired an event planner when they could just do it themselves, but I would still get customers from neighboring towns like Forks and Port Angeles. My dad helped me whenever I got a big event. It was our way of bonding. I learned something new every day. Helen, who I considered both a sister and mother, helped me with the books. She taught me how to keep everything organized, how necessary it is to file receipts and make sure that the bills are always paid on time. I had an amazing support group that I could turn to and I felt like my small business was growing each and every day.
As the months passed and I organized little parties and business luncheons here and there, I started getting more clients. I was slowly building my name and my dad's complimentary orange frosting mini cupcakes where the talk of the town. After a while they became something I sold over the counter and there wasn't a day that I didn't have families coming in for them.
"You look exhausted, Annie," Brady told me while rubbing my feet when we were in bed one night and I smiled.
"Not too tired for you," I answered feeling drained, but ready for bedtime with my mate.
"Before you distract me," he chuckled. "Amber called today. She said that she just finished a house in Seattle, it's owned by one the firm's biggest clients. They're going to have a party to celebrate and Amber wants you to plan it."
"What?" I gasped jumping up and looking for my phone. Once I found it, I called Amber and paced around the room until she answered.
"Hey, Annie—"
"Tell me more about this job you have for me," I cut her off, I couldn't contain my excitement and she laughed.
"His name is Mr. Henderson. He's a huge real estate mogul in the metropolitan area and he owns at least five of the best rated restaurants in Portland and Seattle, so they will be doing the catering. I just finished decorating his new mansion and he wants to throw one of the biggest parties Seattle has ever seen. He was looking for new talent and I told him about you, he agreed immediately. So the question is… do you want the job?"
"AMBER! Oh my god! I promise not to make you look bad," I rushed to assure her feeling myself getting more keyed up by the second, but then Brady pulled me onto his lap and I relaxed immediately.
She giggled. "I know you won't, Annie. Get dad to watch the store tomorrow. I have a client in Olympia, come meet me for lunch and we can hash out the details. I'll bring his client file."
"I'll be there! I love you Amber, thank you so much!"
"So you got a big job?" Brady asked knowingly while placing kisses on my collarbone. I turned in his arms and pressed my body flush against his.
"I got the biggest job!" I screamed out excitedly making him chuckle.
"Congrats, Beautiful," he told me leaning up and kissing my lips.
"This is the one, Brady, I know it. This is the job I've been waiting for," I murmured against his lips.
Brady pressed his hands against the small of my back and pulled me closer. "You're going to be amazing."
My stomach clenched as I responded, "I hope so."
"Uh, where's the punch bowl?! I need the damn punch bowl!" I screamed out wildly. The party was in an hour and we were prepping in the main kitchen of the biggest house I had ever seen.
Amber was around making sure all the posh decorations were up and the house looked its best. I had watched apprehensively the entire day as men carried tables and chairs out into the huge backyard. The florists I hired had made huge bouquets of orchids, hydrangeas and roses. White lights had been placed around the centerpieces and around the backyard, there were about twenty tables each seating ten, making me feel light-headed—they were expecting roughly two-hundred people.
My dad, Randy, Taylor and Brady were with me, helping me in probably the biggest day of my small career. Amber tried to calm me down, but my nerves were on edge with absolutely no hope of easing up until she forced me a eat a marijuana gummy and drink one of the many glasses of champagne being poured for guest who were about to arrive.
Not long after people in fancy dresses and shoes that made me drool descended.
"Don't let them intimidate you, Annie," Amber had told me, but it fell on deaf ears, I was very intimated.
My nose was practically glued to the window as I watched the guests milling around, taking in the sights of all my hard work.
"Do you think they like it?" I asked quietly.
My dad chuckled, answering, "it's beautiful, Honey, what's not to like?"
"Maybe it's too much, maybe I went overboard with the lights," I muttered fearfully.
"Cupcake, trust me—it's amazing!" I heard Brady say, I turned around and smiled, he was at the counter, indulging himself to extra canapes.
"Annie!" Amber screamed out waltzing into the kitchen in a simple black cocktail dress. Even when she wasn't trying she wound up looking like a damn high-end model. "Annie, Mr. Henderson wants to meet you."
"He does?" I squeaked causing her to grin.
"Yes! Come on," she commanded and I took off my apron and slipped on the red heels that matched the belt on my navy dress. Brady grabbed my hand and pulled me into a kiss.
"He's going to love you," he assured me and I smiled in relief.
"Thank you." Amber held my hand and led me to a table where a handsome middle-aged man was sitting with his family.
"Mr. Henderson, may I introduce you to my sister Annabelle. Annabelle Cameron, this is Mr. Spencer Henderson," Amber introduced after he stood up to greet us.
"It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Henderson," I said as steadily as possible. Mr. Henderson offered me his hand and I grabbed it, shaking it firmly like Helen taught me.
"You are very talented Ms. Annabelle. Everything went off without a hitch, beautiful. I hope you will consider taking charge of the parties I throw seasonally," he requested with a grin.
"Really?" I asked in shock.
"Yes, my dear. Give my dear Amber your card and I will have my assistant call you. And do feel free to leave your business cards in the sitting room for the other guests," he directed.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Henderson!" I couldn't contain myself and hugged him. Amber chuckled behind me, Mr. Henderson was surprisingly very accepting and hugged me back before returning to his handsome husband.
We had our own celebration in the kitchen. I hugged and showered my family and Brady with kisses. I was on a high that I never wanted to come down from.
That night Brady and I celebrated privately as well. I wore my best lingerie for him and left my red heels on.
IIt was the perfect ending to a perfect day.
