Bella's POV

"Crap." I realized two steps inside the store that I had forgotten the grocery list in the car. Pausing, I briefly considered being lazy and just shopping from memory. The sound of Alice's whining last time I tried to do that came back to me. I suppose she was justified since I'd forgotten tampons and shampoo, both of which are generally essential items. I pivoted on my foot and headed back in the direction of the parking lot with a sigh. Tonight was going to be a long night.

I genuinely hoped that Alice and Rose were having a good time out on their date and I was trying hard not to think too much about poor, reclusive Bella who was stuck at home by herself. A picture of me fifty years from now floated up into my head. I was in those flannel pajamas Rose always scoffed at, I was sitting on the couch in a one-bedroom house, and I was petting a cat. I wondered if I'd get invites from my friends for Thanksgiving and other major holidays?

I flinched just thinking about it. Since when was I some pathetic girl? Shaking myself, I tried to focus on tonight and tonight only. I set my jaw and walked toward my car with more purpose. I was just fine. I had had a blast last night with my roommates and this evening I was going to enjoy my solitude. Lord knows I got little enough as it was with Alice as a roommate.

Flinging my car door open, I snatched the grocery list off of the passenger's seat and whirled around, slamming the door behind me. I barely took one hurried step toward the lights of the super market doors before being unexpectedly yanked backwards. I heard a ripping sound as my back slammed into my car door. Looking down, it was obvious to see why I wasn't going anywhere. I'd shut the corner of my jacket in the door.

"You've got to be kidding me," I said under my breath. Trying the door handle and finding it locked, I fumbled with my keys and finally heard the click as the mechanism released. Opening the door, I surveyed the damage to the jacket. It wasn't too bad, given that the material had ripped up one of the seams. Once it had been repaired it would be good as new. Unless I wanted to go shopping looking like a hobo, however, the it wasn't wearable tonight. I shrugged out of it and looked down at what I was still wearing. It hadn't occurred to me that I would have to go without the jacket. My remaining clothes consisted of an overly tight black tank top and a pair of stretch pants Alice had given me when we started taking Ashtanga yoga classes last year.

Sighing, I shrugged and threw the remains of my jacket into my car before resuming my trek back to the store. I wasn't exactly comfortable with the outfit but neither was I about to go home to change when I was already here. Besides, it wasn't like I was going to kindle some crazy, unforeseen romance in the milk and cheese asile. Even as I thought about that, though, my mind immediately went to the deep green eyes of Edward the Coffee Guy. I suppose if I had to have a crazy, unforeseen romance in the milk and cheese asile, I'd want it to be with him. Blushing to myself and chuckling, I grabbed the handle of the nearest cart and made my way inside.

An hour later, I was standing in front of the magazines, going over everything I had in the cart versus everything that was on my list. Apart from baking supplies, everything was present and accounted for. Shoving my cart in the right direction, I put all my concentration on making it go straight despite the front left wheel that was doing everything it could to cause trouble. Why did I always get the messed up grocery buggies? I was a generally nice person and wasn't ever rude to anyone on purpose. You'd figure that karma would kick in at some point and allow me to end up with the carts that didn't exacerbate my clumsiness.

As if to prove my point, the left wheel of my buggy jerked at the last second and, before I could stop it, the edge of the whole thing clipped a can on the corner of the shelf. I clenched my teeth as I watched the can drop to the ground, along with six or seven others. The sound each made as it hit the tile was a gunshot that reverberated down the asile. Forcing myself not to look around at the store patrons that must have been staring, I circled around the cart and dropped to my knees, gathering the cans in my arms so that I could put them back where they had been.

Taking a deep breath, I put one foot in front of the other until I wheeled into the baking section. I grabbed the three or four remaining things on my list plus a bar of dark chocolate all for me and then proceeded to the checkout line as fast as I could manage it without having any more attention-grabbing clumsy moments to add to my long repertoire.

The woman in front of me was just getting her receipt from the sales boy when I became aware of someone standing in line behind me, humming under their breath. I glanced over my shoulder curiously, hoping they wouldn't notice my looking. I stiffened in recognition as I saw the same green eyes, smooth skin, and bronze hair from the coffee shop the other day.

"Hi," I blurted out, surprised, before I could stop myself. Was that too eager? Too ditzy? God, he was going to think I was a freak. I felt my cheeks heat up. His smile broadened at my greeting. Hm. Alright maybe it wasn't a total loss of a conversation yet.

"Hello," he said smoothly. "How are you tonight, Bella?" He said my name softly, almost like he could have been uttering an endearment. My cheeks heated even more.

I dropped my gaze from his and took a deep breath to steady myself. What was the question? How am I? "I'm… I'm well. How are you?"

"Doing very well," he answered calmly. Was I the only blundering idiot, here? He seemed to be perfectly fine with this interaction. Why was I freaking out so much? "Have you had a good week?" I heard the sound of the check out boy starting to run my basket of things but I couldn't turn around and give him my attention.

I took another deep breath and committed to calming down enough to have a sane conversation with this man. "It's been a little rough in places but nothing I can't work with," I said, attempting to smile. I wasn't about to share with him that work had sucked, that I'd been clumsier than usual, or that my roommates were both out on dates tonight while I filled my evening running errands and doing chores. "What are you doing here?" I surveyed his general area and didn't see a grocery cart. His hands were empty. Who stands in a grocery line with no groceries to buy?

He fumbled for a second, looking around him. I smiled a little to myself, glad to see that his show of calmness wasn't entirely without flaws. "Oh. Well. I'm uh… here for gum," he finished, grabbing a pack off of the shelf next to him.

"Gum?" I asked, doubtful.

"Gum," he said matter-of-factly. "I had a gum emergency, so here I am."

"Oh, ok." I wasn't going to embarrass him by prying any further. The check out boy gave me the final cost and I paid, watching Edward out of the corner of my eye. Awkwardly, I paused once I had my receipt. Should I wait for him? What would Rosalie do in this sort of situation? I gritted my teeth. I already knew exactly what she would do. She'd flirt shamelessly until Edward was a puddle on the floor. I'd have to call that plan B, though, because her type of flirting wouldn't go well for me.

"Hey, wait for me, Bella," Edward said, reaching out and touching my arm. Warmth shot through me and settled in my stomach at the contact. I smiled a soft smile as I looked at him.

"Alright," I agreed without thinking.

Edward's POV

I set my hand basket on the ground as I pulled the grocery list out of my back pocket. There were only ten or twelve things on the list so I shouldn't need it but I wanted to triple check that I had everything. The last thing I wanted to do was forget something and have to come back. I was scanning down the items when the sound of cans hitting the floor made me jump. Wincing, I looked up at the poor person who'd knocked them over. It was like a scene right out of a cheesy TV show where some unfortunate person crashes into a pyramid of cans and the whole thing comes tumbling down.

I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw her. I'd been kicking myself since I left beautiful Bella sitting in that coffee shop without asking her for her phone number or contact information. I'd been planning on haunting that particular Starbucks in the hope that she would reappear. It had never occurred to me to hope I'd run into her anywhere else, but here she was on her hands and knees chasing down cans of tomato sauce.

The surprise I felt was like a physical blow and I sucked in my breath as I looked at her. She'd just been wearing a t-shirt the other day, which wasn't enough to tell a lot about her body. Sure, she was slender, but how much can you honestly tell from a loose-fitting shirt? Her tank top tonight was tight-fitting and clung to every exquisite curve she had. My hands ached to circle her waist and pull her close. Her hair fell over her shoulders and hid her face from view as she stood back up and placed the cans back on the shelf before hurrying off with her cart.

Barely pausing to question whether my next move was wise, I stuffed my grocery list back into my pocket and chased after her, not sure what I was going to say when I actually caught up.

I peeked around the corner of each aisle before hurrying on to the next one, finally finding her in the baking area. I felt foolish as I stood there, watching her, not sure how to approach without looking like a stalker. What else was I supposed to do, though? When life hands you such an excellent second opportunity to get a pretty girl's number, you don't let something like creepiness get in the way, do you? I shook my head at my logic as I watched her continue on down the line of shelves toward the checkout counters.

My footsteps echoed loudly as I hurried after her. I was going to regret it forever if I didn't this a shot, at least. Seeing her standing in line, I jumped behind her before someone else could. I shifted my weight from one foot to another as I waited for her to glance behind her. Should I just tap her on the shoulder? What if she didn't look behind her? I started humming softly, hoping it would get her attention. For some reason, it seemed way less creepy if she noticed me instead of me actually speaking first.

The humming did it. I watched her turn her head slowly and try to casually glance back. I watched her kind brown eyes go wide in shock as she recognized me. "Hi!" She said before clamping her mouth shut again. I couldn't help but smile. She had clearly surprised herself but I was glad that her speaking to me was an involuntary thing.

"Hello," I replied, glad to have the beginnings of a conversation. If I was going to ask her for her number, I probably had to talk to her first. "How are you tonight, Bella?" I hadn't said her name out loud since I met her. It was so wonderfully appropriate for this lovely woman in front of me.

"I'm… I'm well. How are you?" She was smiling but the deep brown of her eyes flattened a little bit and I knew she wasn't telling the truth. I wondered what was wrong but couldn't come up with a polite way to question her further.

"Doing very well. Have you had a good week?" That was really all I could think of in the way of appropriate questions without prying into her life.

"It's been a little rough in places but nothing I can't work with," she shrugged and her smile twitched slightly. Again, I knew she wasn't telling the whole story but I let it go. She barely knew me and it wasn't my right to keep asking. "What are you doing here?" She asked. I watched her glance around, looking for something.

I glanced around myself, realizing at the same time she did that my basket was no where in sight. Great. What was I doing here, if not to buy groceries? I couldn't very well tell her that I abandoned my stuff to stalk after her.

"Oh. Well. I'm uh… here for gum," I said lamely, snatching some off of the shelf in front of me. I involuntarily made a face. Gum was the best I excuse I could come up with? Anything would have been better than that.

"Gum?" She asked disbelievingly. She had every right to not believe me, since I'm being a total idiot right now…

I sighed, realizing it was too late to change my story now. "Gum," I said with as much confidence as I could muster. "I had a gum emergency, so here I am." A gum emergency? What is wrong with me?

"Oh, ok," she said, turning and giving her attention to the checkout guy.

I sagged in relief, glad she hadn't pressed the subject. She kept glancing at me out of the corner of her eyes and there was still a beautiful blush on her cheeks so I knew that I wasn't out of the game just yet. Maybe I can salvage this completely awkward encounter?

After she got her receipt, she paused and I saw her eyes dart from the door then back to me. She was trying to decide if she wanted to wait for me! That was a very good sign and my heart sped up just a little at the thought that she might find me as interesting and attractive as I found her. Screw Emmett and Jasper on their date tonight! I'd rather be standing here in the grocery store with Bella any day.

"Hey, wait for me Bella," I said, reaching out to touch her before I could help myself. Her soft skin felt wonderful under my finger tips and I turned my gaze from her before I lost myself, focusing on paying for my gum.

"Alright," she said softly. My heart rejoiced at the slight hint of relief that colored that word.