Push
-Sell it-
Lauren watched the stupid, mousy Bella flirt with Edward and clenched her teeth in irritation. The coasters in her hand hit the table with a slap, and she smiled a thin smile at the couple that was waiting expectantly. They held hands across the table, which would be just entirely too adorable to anyone else. For Lauren, though, who had had her eye on Edward for over a year, the happy couple was just one more thorn in her already tender side.
When Edward had started working at Hospitaliano, no one really thought he was all that special. In fact, it was Tanya's acceptance of him that had opened the doors to the in crowd, if there could actually be an in crowd outside of high school. The statuesque blonde had invited Edward along to every after-closing get together at O'Malley's, every party, and even to daytime events on the weekends.
For ages, Tanya was the only person who'd talked to Edward, but he'd eventually opened up to the dumb kitchen manager, Emmett, and the hot bartender, Jasper. The three boys had become inseparable, and the rest of the girls on the staff had begun to take notice of the tall, slightly awkward boy with the red-gold hair. The more friends he made, the less awkward he appeared, until one day, he emerged a sex god with comfortable posture and a list of girls waiting to talk to him.
Bella the mousy hostess was the latest on that list, but there was something a bit different about her. Lauren couldn't put her finger on the exact difference, but it seemed to revolve around the fact that, for once, Edward wanted to talk back. He'd never been much for words, unless he was chatting with his boys or Tanya, but it looked like he couldn't get enough of the plain Jane Bella.
"Can I get some drinks for you?" Lauren worked hard to turn on the charm.
The couple at her table was entirely too wrapped up in each other to notice her immense effort.
"Water," the guy said.
"Same," the girl said.
Damn water, Lauren thought, flashing her sweetest smile. They would probably share an entrée and end up with a bill for less than twenty dollars. Three dollar tip, coming right up.
Just to be spiteful, she dropped the lemons directly into the glass, instead of perching them on the edge as she was supposed to. Edward was pouring drinks for his own table, so she took a moment to smile flirtatiously at him. The color in his cheeks was high as he turned away, and she wondered just what she'd have to do to get him back in the wine cage before the night was out. No one checked the wine cage.
Back at her table, she set the glasses of water down with a saccharine smile. "Have I given you enough time to choose?"
"Yeah. We're going to share the shrimp and crab ravioli, please. And could we get an extra bowl so we can share the salad?" the guy asked.
His date smiled up at Lauren prettily, as if she thought being nice would get her what she wanted.
"Well." Lauren put on a mask of doubt. "I'm not really supposed to do that, but I'll sneak one out for you."
"Great! Thanks so much," the girl simpered, catching her date's hand across the table.
Just remember me later, Lauren thought snidely.
As she put her order into the POS, she spotted Edward again out of the corner of her eye. He was headed toward the back door, which meant he was taking a quick smoke break. Lauren had never smoked a day in her life, but she seriously considered taking up the habit, just to get outside with him for ten minutes.
"Jess!" she called as her friend walked by with a tray of food. "Can you just keep an eye on my tables and let me know if I get a new one? I'm going to step out back."
"Whatever," Jessica said, rolling her eyes.
Jessica actually had half a mind to talk Bella into seating all of Lauren's tables at once and then leaving Lauren to flounder when she came back to four tables of angry customers.
"You're the best!" Lauren said, pushing through the doors into the kitchen.
She spotted Tyler as she was searching for Emmett to unlock the door, and she couldn't help sending him a flirtatious smile, too. He'd been second on her list until Jessica had snaked him right out from under her nose. The way he smiled back, she was pretty sure that she could make that work, after all, but she had a mission.
"What are you talking about, Lauren? You don't smoke." Emmett laughed when she posed her request.
"I do!" she insisted. "Just open the damn door!"
"Right. This should be good."
He propped the door open and immediately chuckled again at the look of horror on Edward's face. Lauren sauntered outside and plopped down onto the milk crate closest to Edward before taking the cigarette from his fingers and drawing a mouthful of smoke.
"Hold that door," Edward said, bolting from his seat. He didn't even turn when Lauren started choking on the smoke but instead rushed past Emmett.
With a shrug at the lone girl, Emmett let the door swing shut.
"Lock it," Edward said, shuddering.
"Dude, I can't leave her out there by herself!" Emmett chuckled. "What's the deal with her, anyway?"
"I'm thinking a restraining order is the only way to fix that situation," Edward said with sigh.
"Tanya still here?" Emmett asked as they made their way through the dish room to the kitchen.
"She's gone on to Alaska," Edward informed him. "Her aunt passed away last week and the whole family is on the way to some tiny-ass town called Healy. She was just here for the night because the plane for Anchorage wasn't until the next morning."
"You may have screwed up pretty badly with that little visit." Emmett gave Edward a pointed look. "If you like one girl, you can't have another sleeping over, dumbass."
"I'm not so sure," Edward said with a smile. "She's been seriously flirting with me all week. Maybe it made her jealous?"
"Oh, you stupid, stupid man." Emmett clapped his friend on the back. "You really think she's flirting with you?"
"Well, yeah." Edward frowned at the question. "Haven't you seen her? Licking her lips, touching me whenever she's nearby, winking from across the room?"
Emmett was shaking his head in amusement. "You really have no clue. She's going to torture you. If you think you're getting closer to sleeping with Bella, you're sadly mistaken. She's going to make you suffer for a long, long, long time. And you're going to love every second of it. Right up until she tells you she's got a date with someone else."
Edward was silent for several minutes as he processed the new possibility. There had been a new spark to her eyes whenever she spoke to him. At times, he'd even wondered if she was still angry with him, but then she would smile her beautiful smile and his doubts flew away.
"You better step up your game, man," Emmett advised. "Make her tremble a bit. Try to keep down the innuendoes and instead go for some of Jasper's smooth shit. He's got Alice all tied up. He swears he's genuine, and I guess that's all well and good. Whatever he says to her, it seems to work. It wouldn't hurt to ask her out again. Even if you invite her to the party at Rose's this weekend."
"A party, Em? Really?" Edward shook his head incredulously.
"Yeah. Loosen her up with a few beers, stick by her through the whole thing, talk to her about stuff that doesn't involve tips and cleaning bathrooms. You know. Woo her."
"Woo her? Who are you and what have you done with Emmett?" Edward laughed.
"Hey, I can woo! Do you think I keep Rosie around by being a crude bastard all the time?" Emmett laughed. "I can be smooth, too. Just not as smooth as Jasper. Try his tricks this time."
The boys reached the front of the kitchen and Emmett started grabbing plates to set on a tray. Edward waited until he had finished the garnishes and then shouldered the food.
"Seriously, man. Step it up," Emmett called after him as he sauntered through the side door into the dining room.
The moment he had dropped the plate at Lauren's table, he set off in search of Bella. She was laughing with Mike at the host stand, and Edward felt his blood pressure start to rise. With a glance at his lone table to make sure they had plenty to eat and drink, he set off for the front lobby.
"I'd love to go," Bella said as he approached.
Mike wrapped an arm around her and squeezed, which caused a bona fide growl to build in Edward's chest.
"Where are you headed?" he asked lightly, causing Bella and Mike to jump apart and giggle.
"Rose's party this weekend," Bella said, smiling knowingly. She winked at Mike as he was walking away and he reached back to pinch her cheek playfully.
"Hot date?" Edward asked, trying to keep his tone as neutral as possible.
Bella made a sound in her nose that sounded like a snort. "Something like that?"
The question in her tone caused Edward's eyes to narrow.
"I see. Is he your type, you think?" He held his breath as he waited for her answer.
She looked at him thoughtfully, biting the corner of her lip as she contemplated just how much she should push. She could see that Edward was keeping himself in check, and she longed to force his shell to crack.
"I'm not sure what my type is, Edward," she finally admitted. "But he's nice and he'll make sure I'm comfortable on Saturday. Comfort is good, you know?"
Before he could answer, she turned her back to greet a family coming through the front doors. He could see they were a playful bunch, which usually translated to good tips. He wondered if there was some way to communicate that he would love to have that table.
She winked as she led the large group past him, and he felt his blood surge just. Then, he laughed as she traipsed straight to one of his tables and began placing menus. With a final glance at him from beneath her lashes, she left the table alone so he could greet them.
When he had completed their drink and food orders, he found Bella standing by the host stand again, coloring yet another children's menu. She didn't even look up as he approached, so he grabbed his own crayon and menu to create a masterpiece for Esme's office wall.
"Tanya is a good friend, Bella," he began seriously.
"That's what I've heard," she responded, still refusing to look away from the word search puzzle. "Do you see fettuccine in here anywhere?"
He dropped a long finger onto the paper, guiding her eyes to the hidden word. Without a word, she brushed his hand away and circled it before crossing it off the list. With a deep breath, he decided to try again.
"We knew each other in high school." The words were stilted and unsure, as if he were reading them from a page.
"Supremely unconcerned," Bella remarked. "You have no reason to answer to me, you know."
"Reason or not, I want to," Edward said, emotion heating his words. "You're special, and I think you know that, deep down. You're not every other girl, Bella."
Slowly, she lifted her head out of her coloring page and looked him directly in the eye. "You're going to have to prove that to me, I'm afraid."
Edward's heart leapt. It was a chance. "I would love to. I know you're going with Mike to the party on Saturday—"
"Just planning to see him there," Bella interrupted, causing Edward's leaping heart to break into song.
"I'm not asking you to ditch him. I mean, he's your date, after all, right?"
Bella snorted again, but she wouldn't meet his eyes anymore. When she couldn't think of an appropriate answer, she just shrugged.
"I'm just asking you to save a moment or two for me, Bella. Talk to me outside of work just one more time. See me away from these crazy people and talk to me about your classes and your family and your friends. I want to know you, Bella. I want to hear every last thing that you want to tell me. And if you decide after the party that I'm still not worth a shot, I'll leave you alone."
At the mention of him leaving her alone, Bella raised her eyes in panic. She didn't want that at all. She just wanted to know that he didn't intend for her to be a quick lay before she let him lead her to the bedroom. His words sounded pretty, but she didn't know just how much she could trust them.
She nodded reluctantly as he backed away. As soon as he turned the corner into the kitchen, she stepped through the doorway into the bar. Alice grinned from ear to ear, and Bella knew that her friend had heard every word.
"I think he's serious, Bella," Alice said, as she dropped several glasses into the sink.
"Pretty talk," Bella said, waving it off with a half-grin. "Did I tell you that I'm thinking about doing my thesis on this restaurant? Do you know how many masks are on right now? No one is ever real in a restaurant, have you noticed? Lauren gets better tips than anyone else that works here, and she's the biggest bitch on staff. It's amazing."
"It might not be a mask, Bella," Alice prodded gently.
"Lauren? Of course it is." Bella would be the first to admit that she had deliberately misunderstood Alice's remark, but she wasn't quite ready to let Edward in. Not after the many different sides to him that she had already seen.
"Well." Alice scrunched up her nose in concentration. "Try this drink instead of worrying. I have a feeling it will all work out just fine, but you've gotta be willing to give a little."
Bella sipped the vanilla and orange concoction that Alice informed her was called Dreamsicletini. There was no doubt that it tasted just like a Dreamsicle, and it left her longing for a childhood when life was so much easier. Dealing with boys was as easy as kicking them in the shins and running away.
In fact, with the liquid courage, she considered doing the very same to Edward at that moment. She could just seek him out in the kitchen, kick him, and then he'd know exactly how she felt. With that idea in mind, she smiled wryly and waved at Alice.
"Where are you going?" Alice caught the mischievous look in Bella's eye.
"To kick someone. Hard."
Edward was having his third cigarette of the night when Bella found him. She kicked over the milk crate next to him and sat gingerly. He took out a lighter and lit her smoke before she could ask.
"I was going to kick you," she stated plainly, causing his eyes to widen in shock.
"But then I decided that I would just tell you I'll go with you to Rosalie's party. I'm just telling you up front, though. I'm not like your other girls, Edward. I won't settle for a quick rattle of the wine cage or a tryst on the piano in a practice room. If that's what you want, I'll go get Lauren for you. And, so help me God, if this Tanya chick is still in the picture, I will not hesitate to kick your ass."
"Fair enough," Edward conceded, blowing out a steady stream of smoke.
He glanced at Bella from the corner of his eye and smiled when he saw her gaze locked on his lips. He was tempted to play with her just a bit, but he didn't want to ruin any of the progress that they'd made.
They sat together in companionable silence, worshipping their respective cigarettes. Edward wondered if he should try once more to explain the whole Tanya debacle, while Bella wondered if she'd remembered to feed Zep that afternoon before she left for work.
"What are you thinking about?" Edward asked, as he dropped his spent cigarette in the urn outside the door.
"My kitty," Bella said absently, smoothing her ponytail.
Edward sucked in a gasp of air, immediately feeling the rush of blood to his groin at her statement. With burning cheeks, he realized he had entirely misunderstood, but the damage was done. The vixen had trumped him again, and she hadn't even been trying.
