Chapter Ten

When the working day is done

Oh, girls just want to have fun

~Girls Just Want To Have Fun by Cindy Lauper~

At ten the next morning, I stood in the bookstore, waiting for Alice to come and get me. Jasper had been laughing non stop at the idea of his tiny girlfriend dragging me from store to store for the rest of the day. He and Garrett were finalising the paperwork for the store as I sat on the counter, feeling thoroughly miserable.

"Jasper, she's going to kill me."

"Jesus, Bella. It won't hurt for you to go out and be sociable for one day." Jasper said, and I sighed dramatically.

"If you were a good friend, you'd lie for me. Tell her that I'm sick." I said sadly and I heard a giggle behind me, Alice watching in amusement.

"Bella, don't be so silly. We're going to have fun."

"Whether you like it or not." Jasper breathed and I snorted, sliding off the counter and saluting Garrett.

"Farewell, Captain. We shall not meet again."

"Try not to injure yourself. I promised Jasper that I'd pass on all of employees in peak condition." He smirked. I stuck my tongue out as Alice seized my hand and pulled me out of The Paperback.

Shopping with Alice and Rosalie was… interesting. I am the sort of girl who is perfectly happy to go into a store, buy the nearest thing that fits and leave. Alice and Rosalie spent at least an hour in the first store , shifting through every rack and discussing the benefits of natural versus synthetic fabrics. Alice kept turning to me with various pieces of clothing, declaring that it would look incredible on me and pushing me into changing rooms.

"Alice?" I said eventually, as we entered store number eight, "Please just let me buy you a Barbie doll."

Rosalie laughed to herself as she examined a pair of deadly heels.

"I'm impressed, Bella. I figured you'd crack after thirty minutes." She commented as Alice dived into a rack, searching for her size. I shrugged, looking at the ridiculous number of bags that I had accumulated.

"It makes her happy." I said by way of explanation.

"And you want her to be happy?" Rosalie asked, looking at me with piercing eyes. I was caught off guard by her question and stammered my reply.

"I-I… w-well, it's not… I mean…"

"Stop jabbering, Bella." Rosalie smirked, "It's fine. Besides, I'm sure Jasper will appreciate you keeping her in a good mood."

I sat down, my feet aching and Alice appeared in front of me, holding a pair of stiletto boots.

"No, Alice."

"Yes, Bella. Try them on." She threw them at me and then disappeared again. Sighing, I bent to tug off my pumps and Rosalie laughed again, sliding her feet into a pair of killer red shoes.

"You're not what I was expecting." She commented and I looked over at her as I pulled on one of the soft leather boots.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Jasper had talked about you a lot. His friend Bella, so important to him that he couldn't even come home for Christmas. His friend Bella who is closer to him than his own family. Not that I blame you for that, our parents pretty much drove him away." There was no bitterness in her tone.

"What were you expecting?" I asked curiously, zipping up the boot and reaching for the other one. Rosalie stretched out her incredibly long leg, admiring the shoe for a moment before looking over at me.

"I was expecting a clingy, whining little girl who would follow my brother around like a lovesick puppy."

"Now, now, don't mince your words. Please, let me know what you really think." I said flatly and she snorted. It was an unexpected reaction from a woman as gorgeous as her.

"And then you showed up at his flat that night and I figured that you were at least sleeping together. But then you gave me that little speech and I saw just how much you loved him. It wasn't what I expected; there was no romance in it. You just looked terrified that I'd shown up to steal him away from you."

I didn't reply, looking down at the boots that encased my legs. After a moment I cleared my throat.

"I was terrified of meeting you." I admitted and she raised an eyebrow, "Jasper's the only… well, he's my family, like I said. I wanted you to approve of me."

"You shouldn't want anyone's approval, Bella." Rosalie said, removing the red shoes and reaching for a black and silver pair, "Jasper has never asked for anyone's approval when it comes to you, so you shouldn't look for it."

Before I could reply, Alice gasped beside me and pulled me up.

"Bella, those boots look perfect on you! You have to get them!"

"Alice, I will never be able to walk in these." I pointed out and she huffed.

"Nonsense. Get them off and try on these blue heels." She ordered and I obeyed. Rosalie stood, slipping her street shoes back on and looked down at me as I tugged on the new pair of torture devices. Her fingers brushed against my shoulder and despite the fact she'd told me I didn't need it, I felt like I had her approval.

~*~

Several hours later, Alice decided that she was done for the day. I cried a silent prayer to whatever god was looking out for me. Rosalie insisted on buying us both lunch and we went to a restaurant in the centre of the city, my stomach growling. Alice sighed in satisfaction and I shook my head.

"Why aren't you a personal shopper, Alice? You'd be great at it."

"Why make my hobby my job? I wouldn't have anything to do on the weekends!" She grinned, reading the menu. Rosalie tapped her fingers on the table, watching me.

"So, what are you going to do, now that Jasper's buying the bookstore?"

"What do you mean? It's not like he's going to fire me." I said, helping myself to a piece of bread. Rosalie frowned.

"Well, no… but are you planning on working there for the rest of your life? I mean, the pay can't be that good."

I shifted in my chair. Rosalie had a habit of bring my worst fears into the limelight. "It's not the pay that keeps me there, Rosalie. I've got… I mean, money isn't an issue for me. I work there because I enjoy it. Eventually I'll have to move on, but I don't…"

"What do you want to do?" Alice asked chirpily, swinging her legs under the table. I was feeling slightly under pressure and began to pick at my already shredded fingernails.

"I don't know. I mean, I was going to study Literature at UW but then I put off applying and I don't know what I'd even do with a degree in Literature."

"First things first, I'm booking you in for a manicure." Alice tutted, examining my nails and I tucked my hands under the table, "Second of all, a literature degree would suit you perfectly."

"How can you know that? We only meet three weeks ago?" I snorted and Alice tapped her temple.

"I know these things, Bella. Just like I know that Jasper wants to talk to you tonight."

"Jazz and I don't have plans for tonight."

"Check your phone." She said certainly.

Suspiciously, I pulled out my phone and sure enough there was an unread message.

HB – You, me, JD, Ben and Jerry. Your place or mine? – Jazz xxx

Jazz – Your place. Permission to sleep on the sofa? –HB xxx

HB – Permission granted. See you at 8. – Jazz xxx

I snapped my phone closed and shrugged at Alice.

"OK, so we're hanging out. We do that all the time, it doesn't prove that you're psychic." I said primly and Rosalie laughed.

"I wouldn't argue with her, Bella. She has a talent for these things."

The rest of the meal was filled with Alice and Rosalie chattering about their purchases and Alice's date with Jasper. He'd taken her to the island, treated her to a candlelit dinner in a little restaurant and then had champagne delivered on the ferry on the way home. Alice looked over at me, blue eyes gleaming.

"Is he always this romantic, Bella? I mean, with his other girlfriends?"

"The most romantic he ever got with Maria was a bottle of discount wine and Con Air." I assured her, "He's really crazy about you."

"My brother is such a sap." Rosalie sighed, sipping her drink and Alice beamed.

"We're just lucky to have such great men, Rosie. All we need now is to set Bella up and-"

"No. No, no, no, I let you dress me up and torture me all day, but I'm putting my foot down, Alice! No blind dates!" I said, my voice sliding in pitch and Rosalie burst into laughter.

"Jesus, Bella, calm down! No need to deafen everyone in a ten mile radius!"

"Why are you so against dating anyway?" Alice pouted, resting her chin in her hands. I shook my head.

"I'm not against dating. I just like being independent. And all the guys I've dated have expected me to be someone I'm not, it pisses me off."

"You're just dating the wrong kind of men. Do you think I let Emmett treat me like that?" Rosalie asked and I bit back a smile as I imagined Emmett ordering her to do anything. Alice tossed her head.

"Jasper would never be so patronising. He must be right about the 'you only date assholes' thing."

"Who's your perfect guy?" Rosalie asked me suddenly.

Green eyes.

The thought had flashed through my mind before I could stop it and I felt a blush on my cheeks. Alice and Rosalie exchanged a smug look.

"She's definitely got a perfect guy in mind!" Alice squealed and I scowled, ducking my head so that my hair fell into my face. Rosalie was smirking again, a habit that she and Jasper shared. Unfortunately, I didn't think I knew Rosalie well enough to slap it off her face.

"OK, I think I've had enough girl time for one day." I mumbled, reaching down to pick up my bags.

"We'll see you on Sunday." Rosalie said calmly and I looked at her.

"You will?"

"Yes, Emmett and I are having a house warming party. We'll see you then." She said it in a way that suggested it was not an option.

~*~

It was my turn to pick the movie and in revenge for letting his girlfriend kidnap and torture me, I inflicted upon Jasper the womanly delight that is Dirty Dancing. He had bitched and moaned the whole way through, although I kept insisting that he secretly liked it.

"It's a bad movie, Hells Bells."

"It's a fantastic coming-of-age piece of cinematography with Patrick Swayze. Now watch the dancing, Jazzy." I scolded him. He pulled a face, poking me in the ribs as he drained his drink. Apparently, the only way a man could get through Dirty Dancing was by consuming copious amounts of alcohol first.

"I'm picking a man film next time. Just you wait."

"I'm not afraid of your film choices, Jazz." I insisted, "I am a broadminded person, unlike you."

"This is a total chick flick." He moaned and I pinched him.

"I am a chick, jackass! And this is a great film! Look, call Alice and see what she thinks. Ten bucks says she loves it too."

He muttered to himself, but made no movement to find his phone. I grinned, resting my head on his shoulder.

"You really like her, don't you?"

"Yeah."

"Is she it? The one?" I asked curiously.

"I dunno. Yeah… I think so. She's something special, Bells." He said, taking my hand in his and kissing it swiftly. I smiled widely, snuggling into his side.

"I'm glad, Jazz. You deserve special."

"So do you, darlin'. And you'll find it."

"I'm OK."

The words sounded weak, even to me and Jasper sighed, rubbing his cheek on my head.

"C'mon, Bells. You deserve more than special. You deserve extraordinary, out of this world, the 'universe is burnin' and I don't give a damn' kinda love. You deserve…" He pointed at the TV, "Johnny and Baby love."

I giggled, closing my eyes as he slid his arms around me, hugging me tightly. Jasper always gave the best hugs. I was fairly certain that if I could package them, I'd be leaving on easy street for the rest of my life.

"Happily ever after, right?" I murmured and he nodded.

"That's right. You're going to have a happily ever after. I can see it."

"You and Alice are perfect for each other; you both try to predict the future."

"No need to predict what you already know, darlin'."

We watched the movie for a little while longer and then Jasper shifted beside me as his phone began to vibrate.

"Hey." He answered and then smiled, "Hey Ali… yup, she's here. No, not yet. No, I will, I'll ask her now. Yup. Yup, yup. OK. You too, sweet dreams, beautiful girl."

He ended the short call and I eyed him.

"What do you want to ask me?" I asked curiously and he flashed me a grin.

"Well, seeing as Thanksgiving was such a success, I'm extending an official invitation to Christmas."

"We always spend Christmas together." I pointed out. For the past three years we had met up for Chinese take-out, crackers, wine and holiday television specials but I had a sinking suspicion that this tradition was about to meet an abrupt end.

Jasper stretched, cat-like in his motions and put his hands behind his head, looking down at me.

"Mr and Mrs Cullen have invited us for Christmas Dinner."

"Jazz, no…"

"They're real nice, Bella. They invited me when we had dinner the other night and when I said that you and I always spend Christmas together, they insisted on inviting you too." I looked at him in disbelief and he smiled, "I know Alice wants you to come. I'm sure Emmett and Edward would like to see you again."

"Geez, Jasper, have you been taking lessons in Emotional Blackmail from Alice?" I muttered, sinking back in my chair.

In all honesty, I couldn't imagine anything worse than being with these people at Christmas. I hadn't celebrated the holidays in a long time and there was a reason for that; I didn't feel that I had anything to celebrate. I ignored the holidays as best I could, waiting with bated breath for New Years, when people would finally get over the idea of family and love and start worrying about finances and New Years resolutions. I had a sneaking suspicion that the Cullens would be the family in a big house, decorated with holly, ivy and mistletoe, and an enormous tree in the corner, piled with presents.

I had no place in the utopian picture; the very idea of it broke my heart as I remembered my last real Christmas. Charlie had tried so hard to make it perfect, even though I had insisted that I would be happy with a chilled out day, just the two of us. He'd even gone so far as to buy a turkey, which I'd cooked. We'd eaten leftovers for days afterwards.

Jasper was still watching me and I closed my eyes, fighting the embarrassing tears that were threatening.

"OK." I whispered and he pulled me into his lap, hugging me tightly. He knew more than anyone else in the world just how hard it had been for me to say that.

A/N: Hello, my little cherry pies! I hope you are all well! Thank you for your lovely reviews – they cheered me up immensely, as I am sat here with a giant eye infection and looking mildly like Quasimodo from the Disney movie. It's very unpleasant.

Girl's Just Wanna Have Fun – Alice has fun shopping. Rosalie has fun making people feel awkward. Bella has fun forcing Jasper to watch Dirty Dancing. We all have fun.

Filler chapter, really. It's all building, but filler is necessary to pad out characters. I love Rosalie and the way she interacts with Bella. She'll get more screen time in future.

Reviewers will get their chosen Cullen/Werewolf and a copy of Dirty Dancing. Use as you see fit. Everyone wants 'Johnny and Baby' love.

Love

Katie