Chapter Ten: Birthday Girl
Since the four men who originally started to pull out my chair had stopped once they noticed their competition, for lack of a better word, Emmett pushed in front of them with his usual exuberance and motioned me towards my seat.
"So, Birthday Girl, I have to be honest. My plan is to get you drunk tonight and see how badly you can embarrass yourself."
"Thanks for the heads up, Em," I returned, "but I think I will aim to keep my wits about me if possible."
Pulling me into a hug, Emmett replied with a whisper and a smirk, "yeah, you probably will need to be sober to juggle all the admirers behind me."
As he released me from the friendly embrace, I was practically assaulted by Leah who grabbed my arm.
"Bella, I would like you to meet my brother Seth," my co-worker beamed as she indicated the first man in line behind Emmett. Seth stepped forward and shook my hand. Fingers that were warm, caressing, and tentative all at the same time pumped mine for several beats. We exchanged a few of the normal first meeting pleasantries before another voice demanded my attention.
"So am I going to get a proper hello myself?" His tone was light and carefree, but I knew him well enough to pick up on a hint of nervousness at the edge. I quickly let my eyes scan past James and Edward, without really taking either of them in, before settling on Jake. He opened his arms once again, or maybe they had been opened the whole time anticipating a physical connection after so many months apart.
"Jake, what are you doing here?" I didn't move from my spot, so he quickly stepped forward and swept me into his taller and broader frame. As he lifted me off my feet and spun us around once, I couldn't help but laugh out loud at the absurdness of the scene.
Setting me back down, this 'blast from my past' answered with a huge grin on his face. "Did you really think I would miss a chance to be with you on your birthday? I had just arrived at SeaTac Airport when I called earlier. I was just happy you gave up the details of your planned evening so easily so I didn't have to ruin the surprise."
Jake's voice then lowered to a husky cadence as he stepped back into my body. "I meant what I said on the phone, Bella. I have really missed you, and it meant so much to me to hear you say that back."
Jake leaned in for a kiss, and it is impossible to say if I would have let him complete the gesture or not. As it were, I was reminded of where we were physically and where I was in my life emotionally right now when movement from the left caught my eye. Edward had broken out of the tighter circle around the front table and moved quickly to take a seat on the far side of the room. As I glanced around at the other guests, it became obvious that Edward was the only one not currently staring at Jake and me. I hadn't realized that all conversation had stopped.
Hoping to bring some normalcy back to the evening and take myself out of this whirlwind of drama, I addressed the group while making the appropriate gestures.
"Thanks everyone for coming to celebrate my birthday. I think most of you know each other, but in case you missed her introduction, this is Leah's brother Seth and this is Jake, a friend of mine from Phoenix." Jake's face frowned at my choice of words. What did he expect me to introduce him as? My ex-boyfriend who I used to live with and was practically engaged to at one point who I now considered a good friend that I sadly might be just a tad dependent on but who wants much more from our current relationship than I am willing to give? Yeah, that would have rolled right off the tongue. As it was, I am pretty sure most of the people there knew exactly who Jake was.
Sue, the shop's owner, turned back around from the side counter where she had been uncorking the bottles of white wine she had just brought out. She must have picked up on the tension in the air, but God bless her soul, Sue continued with her organization of the evening without missing a beat. I sat down in my somewhat infamous chair while Sue directed everyone else to take a seat at one of the four bistro tables clustered close together in the room. Jake sat at my table, which I guess should be expected since he didn't know anyone else, but Alice managed to position herself between the two of us. I wasn't complaining. Leah and Seth took the two remaining seats.
Luckily, there was little room for extraneous conversation over the next forty minutes as Sue walked the eighteen of us - she had needed to get an extra chair to accommodate the party crasher from Arizona - through the history and origin of each chocolate she presented and the corresponding wine pairing. Being a sponge for any new trivia, I loved hearing about the different varieties of both the food and drink. Even though it was suppose to be an "educational evening," there was still lots of laughter from the group as a whole. I could hear Rose berating Emmett for gulping his wine, which he answered by trying to chug directly from the nearest bottle. Luckily Jasper stopped him. Mike couldn't stop lamenting the fact that his favorite candy bars weren't really chocolate because the cacao percentage was too low. And Angela kept us entertained with stories of her summers working at the Boehm's candy factory in nearby Issaquah. I could just picture her in that famous chocolate scene with Lucy and Ethel from the 50's TV show.
Once Sue finished with the formal presentation, she invited us to look around the shop while finishing off the many open bottles of wine.
"Jake, why don't I introduce you around while Bella talks to some of her other guests." Alice pulled him away from our table before Jake could actually respond to her suggestion, so it was really more of a command. I was thankful that both had been on their best behavior during the presentation, all comments were directly related to the topic at hand and no references were made to Jake and my prior relationship or where we currently stood. But I could tell that Alice's new goal for the evening was to keep Jake and me apart. Again, I wasn't necessarily complaining. I was touched that Jake flew out here for my birthday before heading to Manhattan to start his job next week, but having my past and present merge like this left me feeling uneasy.
Leah had already left for the bathroom and Seth was thankfully engaged in a Mariners conversation with Eric, who was sitting at the table beside ours, so I was able to slip away to refill my glass from the side counter. My moment of solitude did not last long, however, as I immediately felt a presence behind me. I swung around hoping it would be Edward, who had managed to avoid all eye contact since I arrived. I wasn't sure what he was thinking, as usual, but I was desperate for any kind of connection with him. Although I had seen him at work on Friday, four days had passed since our last carefree evening together at the office. Ever since our routine started, I dreaded the long stretch over the weekends until our next dinner on Monday.
As I turned, I came face-to-face not with emerald eyes, but icy blue versions.
"Happy Birthday, Bella," James declared as he kissed my cheek. I wanted to believe it was a strictly friendly gesture, but his warm lips lingered a little too long and his fingers brushed down my bare arm as he pulled back. Without my permission, a slight shiver ran through my body. This was no where close to the current that jolted my system whenever Edward and I touched, but I couldn't deny that James affected me as well. The problem was that I couldn't shake the feeling that James wasn't really that interested in me as a person, but more concerned with how his perceived interest affected someone else in the room. He stopped by my cube at least once each day to say hi or offer advice, but suspiciously his visits seem to often precede the daily status meetings that my team had in the conference room across from my workspace. Edward and he would practically growl at each other when they passed in the hallway. Even though I still doubted Edward had feelings for me beyond that of co-workers and friends, it obviously pissed him off that I had anything at all to do with James. But since he had already warned me, Edward knew me well enough to let the topic go.
"Thanks for coming, James."
"I wouldn't have missed the evening. It is great to see you away from the office, especially looking as breathtaking as you do tonight." Cue my blush. "I must admit that I have been a little worried about you, Bella, so I am thankful for a chance to speak privately."
I frowned at James as I replied. "Do you mean the long hours? I really don't mind." I had run into James quite a few times on our floor after most people had left the office for the evening, so I knew he also stayed late occasionally.
"It's not the hours as much as the company you keep. I have noticed you having dinner with Cullen on more than one occasion. I know he is your supervisor currently, but I would advise you not to be alone with him in his office, especially when there aren't any witnesses around."
Okay, this whole turf war or whatever that was going on between those two was getting ridiculous, and it annoyed me that I was somehow getting sucked into the conflict. I didn't hesitate to let James know exactly what I thought of the situation.
"What exactly is your problem with Edward? Yes, we do sometimes keep each other company when we are both working late, just like Mike and I sometimes go to lunch together to break up the monotony of the day. I really don't see where it is any of your concern."
"Bella, I am just looking out for your best interests. Cullen sadly has a history of sexually harassing female employees." James must have noticed the shocked look on my face, so he continued, seeming to enjoy the conversation more than I would have liked.
"So I was right that you supposed friend Alice didn't warn you. That is why Cullen doesn't like me. Because I had the common decency to stand up for the last woman he harassed, something that I would have expected from anyone at this company. Of course he ended up with barely a slap on the wrist while Victoria had to find a new job. Must be nice to have friends in high places…" James glanced over to Emmett and Rose with that last statement, the bitterness very evident in his voice.
"I can't believe that Edward would do that to someone," I stated with as much conviction as possible.
"Yeah, he tends to fool most people. It started off innocently enough. Casual flirting that eventually turned into more. Victoria was receptive at first, even though she felt a little strange dating a co-worker. But then Cullen got really demanding and starting doing and saying things at work that were highly inappropriate, even between two people who had a relationship outside of the office. Victoria got uncomfortable and tried to break things off. By that time Cullen had been promoted to manager. He threatened to get her fired if she didn't continue sleeping with him. Victoria ended things anyway, so Cullen retaliated by giving her a bad performance review and assigning her all of the crap jobs on the project, basically reducing her to the status of a copy girl."
I wasn't sure at first how to respond to this revelation. Was this the story from Edward's past that Alice had referred to earlier in the evening? If so, there had to be more to it than James' water-downed and probably biased version.
"Okay, you have said your piece, but I plan on reserving judgment until I hear Edward's side of the story."
"Fine, but don't expect him to tell the truth. Of course he will continue to lie to save his own ass. I am trying to give you the facts based on an outsider's perceptive. It is your choice what do with the information," James responded angrily before turning to stalk off.
A second later he paused and faced me again, letting out a deep sigh in the process. "Look, I am sorry to dump all this on you tonight of all nights, but I thought you had the right to know. I need to take off now, but please think about what I told you." He turned again and left the store while all I could do was stare after him.
"What was all that about?" Rose asked as she approached from the other direction.
She probably had the answers to many of the questions now banging around in my head, but this didn't seem like the time or place. Plus, part of me wanted to get Edward's side directly from him, assuming he would even open up about the topic.
"Oh, nothing much. He was just saying good-bye." I chanced a glance at Edward and found him looking at me for the first time tonight. His stare was piercing, and I briefly wondered if he guessed what James and I had been discussing. I gave him a warm smile in response, but Edward simply turned his head back towards the group he was standing beside.
Angela and Jessica wandered over after Rosalie and the four of us slipped into easy conversation. At one point though, Jake came over and looped his long arm around my shoulders. Apparently he didn't notice how my body tensed or the glare that Rose directed his way. Or maybe he did notice those things, but just chose to ignore them.
"Do you ladies mind excusing us? I have barely had a chance to spend time with my Bella here?" The possessiveness in his tone was hard to miss.
I shrugged off Jake's arm as my friends made their escape. Even if Jake hadn't picked up on my mood towards him, they most certainly had.
I suggested that we go outside under the excuse that I wanted some fresh air. In reality, I was afraid there might be a scene which I had no desire to subject the other guests to.
Leaning against the outside of the building, I took a deep breath before starting. "Jake, thank you for flying all the way here for my birthday, but I do want to make it clear that nothing has changed. I agreed that we could try and be friends, and that is still what I would like, but nothing more."
"But, Bells, I thought this gesture would prove my commitment to you, to us." He actually had the nerve to look slightly annoyed. "Look, I am here until Wednesday, so let's just spend that time reconnecting. After three days together, if you still feel that you don't want more from our relationship then I will back off."
"That plan would work in theory, but I am not sure how much time I will be able to spend with you between work and other commitments." The 'other' was dinner tomorrow night with Edward, but I figured bringing that up wouldn't make this conversation go any easier.
"Oh, that's easy to fix. I had already planned for you to take the time off. I figured we could take a ferry ride tomorrow, and I really want to visit the Experience Music Project—"
"Jake, I can't take off work right now, especially without any notice."
"Sure you can. They won't miss you for a couple of days. I mean come on, Bella, your role there can't be that important seeing as you have only worked for the company a couple of months. So someone else has to take notes at meetings, no big deal."
Okay, now he'd done it. "I really resent that comment, Jake. As hard as it may be for you to believe, I am in fact a very valued member of my team. I have been given a lot of responsibility, and I am damn good at my job." I could feel the anger building now, but decided to rein things in for the time being. "Look, we obviously have some things to discuss, but I would rather not do it here or now. We can talk more tomorrow. Where are you staying?"
Jake looked confused. "With you, of course. Sue has my bags stored here at the shop for now."
"I don't think that is a good idea all things considered. There is a hotel about five blocks north of here. Why don't you go check in and I will call you in the morning. We can have breakfast before I go to work."
"Are you trying to dismiss me?" Jake was no longer trying to contain his own anger.
"No, you are welcome to stay, but we aren't continuing this conversation right not nor do I plan on pretending in front of my friends that we are a couple."
"Oh, I get it." The venom in his voice was thick. "I saw how some of those other guys were looking at you, which is not a surprise given the slutty outfit you have on. What, am I interrupting the bed hopping that you have probably started since moving out here?"
Without any conscious thought, my hand reached back and slapped Jake hard across the face. A few people passing on the sidewalk glanced our way, but I hardly noticed through my red haze.
"How dare you? There might have been a time when I put up with your domineering attitude and insults, but not anymore. I think you need to go now, and yes, that is a dismissal. Don't even bother coming back into the store. I will ask Sue to send your bags to the Sheraton after our group leaves. You may still get a call from me in the morning, but don't hold your breath."
With that, I turned away from Jake and went back in to join my friends. Although I probably appeared relatively calm on the outside – no one even committed on my reappearance – inside the emotions were cascading through my body one after another. Hurt, angry, embarrassment, resentment. But the one that was starting to suppress the others was pride.
I walked over to the nearest cluster of people and joined their conversation about movies that were currently in the theater. If people were curious about what happened to Jake, no one asked. I am sure I would get the third degree from Alice later, but for now, I was trying to let myself enjoy the company. I didn't want to let Jake or James ruin my birthday.
Not long afterwards, Alice announced it was time to head to Twilight so the group thanked Sue and walked out into the warm Seattle evening, quickly covering the four blocks down First Avenue. Emmett and Mike each bought me a shot as soon as we got to the bar, which I agreed to drink with the understanding that those would be my last for the night. To be honest, I was hoping for a little buzz to take my mind off the two guests who had already left.
The group grabbed some tables, and the laughter and chatter continued. The shots must have done their magic quickly because I actually accepted Seth's invitation to dance. It was a fast song, so I dragged Alice and Jasper out as well. Others from the group joined us, so it wasn't long before we had our own little circle in the center of the dance floor. Angela was trying without luck to teach me a few moves when I felt the phone in my pocket vibrate. I could barely make out the text message in the dim lights of the bar.
Sorry to leave without saying good-bye in person, but I didn't want to interrupt your dance with Seth. I hope you enjoy the rest of your birthday. ~E
I frantically searched the crowd near our tables for the familiar bronze hair, but Edward must have already left. Did he realize that not only did he not say good-bye tonight, but he also never said hello?