AN: So, finally, right? Their first official/unofficial date… nondate… business dinner…evening out alone together, lol. They're finally getting some stuff cleared up between them but Bella still has a lot of secrets and issues to work though. Edward's going to need some patience and I hope all you lovelies have some too and stick with me through this. I know it's been a little slow moving so far but the juicy scenes aren't too far ahead, I promise you!!

BPOV

"If it's not a date then why are you so worried about what to wear? That sounds like something a girl on a date would do."

"Alice, will you just shut up and help me? I need something suitable for a small club that says I'm gracious and amenable without being flirty."

"Well, I could always track down a nun's habit for you."

"Be serious, please."

She propped herself up from where she'd collapsed on my bed. "I am being serious. You're wasting an excellent opportunity here. A man asks you to dinner, a man who in your own words is hot as sin—"

"I did not say hot as sin."

"I'm paraphrasing. And you want to make it as undatelike as possible. Girl, if anyone needs a more active social life right now it's you. You should be putting on your little black dress and sex heels and getting him to eat out of your hand. Or various other places."

I tried desperately not to picture Edward eating food off all the various other places that came to mind.

"He's my boss. Anything more than friendship between us would be completely unprofessional, and even if I were ready to date again I am certainly not going down that road again."

Alice was looking at me with eyes that were too understanding and sympathetic for me to bear, and I turned back to the options in my closet.

"And anyway I don't have a little black dress."

"No little black dress?! Oh, we are so going shopping this weekend. Every woman needs a little black dress. It's a wardrobe essential."

I laughed, relieved she had allowed me to change the subject. "I hadn't realized I was committing a fashion crime. Speaking of dresses…how did your Red Dress dinner go? I half expected you to call me that night with a fully detailed narration."

Alice rolled over onto her back and threw her arms out with a great, whimsical sigh. "I know. I've been hording all the details to myself and wallowing in the awesomeness of it."

"That good, huh?"

"Oh, Bella. You should have seen the way he looked at me in that dress. I thought I was going to have to pick his jaw up off the floor. And then he was opening doors for me and pulling out chairs. Such the southern gentleman. Did you know he lived in Tulsa the first nine years of his life? Of course you didn't know, you haven't met him yet."

I bit my lip and held my tongue.

"Sometimes all that South slips out of him a bit and it's so sexy. And he dances! Not only does he waltz, but he two steps and shuffles and even swing dances! I think I'm in love."

I smiled. "That's wonderful. I'll bet you bowled him over. Well, no one can see you in that dress and not be bowled over, but there's also no resisting the Charm of Alice. Are you seeing him again?"

"Actually I was thinking I should call him up and have him take me out for some live music and sea food tonight."

I spun around. "Oh, Alice, don't!"

Her eyes widened. "Relax. I was just joking. Much as I'd love to see how this date that's not a date goes, I'll leave you to it. What would have been the big deal, anyway? It's not like we'd interfere with you."

"You have no idea," I mumbled. I pulled out a pair of black pants and a long sleeved white silk blouse and held them up. "What do you think of these?"

"Yeah, they're great if you want to be mistaken for a waitress."

Sighing, I tossed them aside and pulled out a sleeveless floor length dress in deep purple with an elegant, choker-style neckline and held it up.

"Wow, I didn't know you already had a nun's habit!"

I threw it down. "Damn it, Alice!"

She laughed and rolled off the bed. "Okay, okay, let's see what we've got here."

She began rummaging through my closet, pulling items out and just as quickly discarding them. A small mountain was steadily growing on the floor. I was beginning to despair that she was going to reject everything and then demand that I push the dinner back so we could squeeze in a quick shopping trip. Why didn't I just cancel the whole thing all together? I knew I should have cancelled it.

"Aha!"

I turned to find her holding up a dark, shimmery green dress overlaid with a subtle black floral design. It was the kind that tied at one shoulder and hung off the other with a black sash that knotted just under the breasts. The skirt was floaty with only a slight flare and stopped just above the knees. I eyed it skeptically. It wasn't really a provocative piece, but the slanted neckline showed off a fair amount of skin and I knew that the snugness of the top portion and the empire waist brought an emphasis to my breasts. It was one of the reasons I had bought it—back when I was proud of my firmly rounded breasts and hadn't compared them to the overly generous curves of Victoria.

"I don't know…it seems a little datish."

"Nonsense. We'll put this little black jacket over it to cover your shoulders, leave your hair down all loose and wavy, and add those strappy black heels. You'll look great! In a professional sort of way of course."

I took the dress from her. I knew better than to argue with Alice, and anyway she was right. The jacket did tame it down a bit. I let Alice have her way with my makeup, but I insisted on wearing my hair up. It was more practical that way. It wouldn't get in the way. I told myself it had nothing to do with the way James had always insisted I wear it down because he thought I looked more feminine that way. Still determined, she managed to do something with a curling iron and a handful of hairpins that swept my hair up into a style that looked simultaneously sophisticated and untamed. It was actually kind of sexy. I worried that it would look like I had put too much effort into my appearance.

"Stop putting frown lines in my masterpiece."

"Alice, I don't want him to think I did all this for him."

"It'll be his own fault if he does. Men need to understand that women just like to have an excuse to primp. They shouldn't assume we do it all for their benefit."

"Still…"

"Bella, you're naturally beautiful. You look awesome, and it doesn't at all look like you went to much trouble for it. Besides, I am the master of the natural makeup techniques. Are you doubting my mad skills?"

"I wouldn't dare. I guess I'm just nervous. I told you about all the moments of idiocy I've had in front of him. I don't want to look like anymore of a fool."

Alice stuck another pin in my hair. "Plus you're attracted to him."

"I never said—"

"Didn't have to."

I spun on her, my eyes wide and hands pressing against the sudden turmoil in my stomach. It clenched painfully as my lungs began to labor, and I could feel the onset of a panic attack.

"Oh, my God, is it obvious? Fuck, what am I going to do? I have to call and cancel, I can't face him if—"

Alice cracked up. "Take a chill pill, Bella. I was actually fishing and you totally just confirmed it for me."

"Alice, I'm going to kill you! If you tell anyone…!"

I glared at her, breathing through the anxiety and trying to contain my irritation with her. I reminded myself that she didn't know about the panic attacks. I'd never in my life had one until the day the charges had been brought against me and I'd spent several hours in a jail cell after the company security had handed me over to the police, but they had become a frequent companion of mine throughout the length of the investigation and my court case which I had mostly spent in a Valium induced haze. This was something I had not confessed to anyone, even Jake, ashamed of my own weakness and inability to cope with my stress without the assistance of medication. Luckily these attacks had grown much scarcer since leaving Phoenix as I was aware of the potential dependence of long-term benzodiazepine usage.

"You're secret's safe with me, Bella. And don't worry, it's not obvious. Most of your thoughts and reactions might be written all over your face, but you have a remarkable talent for keeping your emotions well hidden. Must be something you picked up from Charlie. I was only able to guess because I know you so well."

I still couldn't shake off my concern over my transparency. I took deep, calming breaths, not wanting to give in to the pill bottle stashed in my purse.

"Are you sure he won't…?"

"I'm positive. I could barely pick up on it, and men are doubly blind to the ways of a woman." She handed me my black sandals with the three and a half inch heels. "Here, put these on."

I looked at them in horror as the memories spiked.

James trailing his fingers slowly up my calf. I let my eyes close as I focused on the pleasure of that soft touch. It brought the blood to my cheeks and a slow warmth to my stomach. He was a master at the art of seduction; he always knew how and where to touch me. I opened my eyes to find his staring into mine, dark with desire and wicked intentions. He had a way of looking at me that made me feel beautiful, powerful, and desirable. It was such a heady feeling.

"I love you in these shoes, babe. They make your legs look so long and sexy. It makes me think of getting you back to my apartment and having you in my bed with nothing but these shoes on."

The memory faded into another.

"Of course there are others. You don't honestly believe men are monogamous, do you?" He laughed. "God, you're so young and cute. You probably still believe in the Easter Bunny too. Men have needs, Iz babes. I have certain desires that can't be met by one woman."

"You mean by this woman," I said in a small, shaky voice. "I'm not enough for you."

"Well, you have to admit you're not exactly adventurous, are you? Always in a bed and always with the lights out."

"I'm still new to this! I can be adventurous. You can show me…" I trailed off. What was I saying? Did I honestly still want to be with him? The sad truth was that I thought perhaps I did. I was crushed and heartbroken and betrayed beyond belief, but I had loved him and it was a feeling that was not easily erased. I was not quite ready to let go. Perhaps if I convinced him of my love, showed him all I had to offer, all I was willing to do for him, it would be enough and he would see that he did not need more. That I could be all he needed. Then he laughed again. A hard, cynical laugh. My pathetic hopes shattered.

"I don't think so, babes. Some women just don't have it in them. God, you can't even walk in a pair of heels without falling all over the place. How do expect to be sophisticated in bed? But your shy innocence has an addiction all its own. Once you get this case settled I can show you just how appealing I find it…"

"No," I said to her. "I can't wear those. The pumps will work just fine."

"Bella, those pumps are so dowdy! They're fine for the office, but this dress demands elegance. The heels are perfect. You can't not wear them."

"Alice, I've already had too many clumsy episodes in front of him. I won't risk wearing a pair of shoes that I can't even walk in without falling all over the place."

Even as the words left my mouth I felt the horror of allowing James to influence my decisions and my pride swelled up in defiance. I'd show him just how well I could walk in a pair of heels! I could wallow in the triumph of proving him wrong, even if he wasn't here to see it. I grabbed at the shoes resolutely.

"On second thought."

She grinned at me. "That's more like it."

My phone buzzed, and I picked it up. Edward had sent me a text message. Two minutes away. Do you need any more time? I swallowed nervously and considered telling him I'd changed my mind—that I'd come down with the chicken pox or scarlet fever or the Bubonic Plague. Alice, reading my expression, snatched the phone away and responded for me. No, I'm ready. Pull around back. The outside entrance is behind the building. She handed it back to me and I numbly tucked it into my purse, staring at the bottle next to it, feeling the anxiety rising in me but not wanting to give in after I had managed to go almost two months without it.

"Alice, I don't think this is such a good idea. So much can go wrong…"

"It's just dinner. You make some conversation, use your fork and spoon, chew with your mouth closed. There's nothing to it."

"What if I trip? What if I spill my drink on him? What if I say something really stupid or offensive and get him all pissed off at me?"

"Would you listen to yourself? It is so unlike you to back down from a challenge. You have to stop letting him rule your life," she added softly.

I nodded, taking a deep breath. "You're absolutely right. I didn't move over 1300 miles to get away from it all just to fall into the same cycle. I can do this."

She grinned as something outside the window caught her attention and she rushed over to look out.

"Good, cause it's too late anyway. He's here."

My anxiety level spiked, and I felt the tremors start in my hands. I knew it was a ridiculous reaction to have, it was just a business dinner, but it was also the first time I had been taken out to dinner by a man since James and that brought with it far too many upsetting memories. Not to mention Edward had such a stronger physical effect on me that James ever had, and I was terrified that I would do something tonight to give myself away. My nervousness, compiled with the memories that were suddenly swarming me, was pushing me to the edge of that precarious cliff on which I continuously dwelled. I used Alice's distraction to slip two pills from my purse, hating myself for taking them but desperate for the artificial calm they would bring. I was currently a bundle of nerves and I didn't want to risk having one of my episodes in front of Edward.

"Can I meet him?"

I nearly snorted the pills back out. "Absolutely not! No way in hell am I going to let him know that I had to call in reinforcements to help prepare me for tonight."

She sighed. "All right. I'll just watch from the window!"

Rolling my eyes, I snapped my purse shut and headed for the door before he could come up the stairs to knock. He stopped halfway from his car as he watched me descend the stairs. I took them slowly, not wanting my shoe to catch on anything or my ankle to turn on those damn skinny heels. I couldn't help admiring the way his pants hung from his hips or how ridiculously sexy he looked in the black dress shirt with the collar unbuttoned and the sleeves rolled halfway up. Any woman with a pulse would notice these things.

By the time I reached the bottom he'd come the rest of the way to meet me and was offering his arm. I smiled at him and accepted it mainly for the extra support it would provide for me. He returned my smile with his own dazzling version. I congratulated myself that my breath hitched only for a short moment.

"Good evening. Beautiful night out tonight, isn't it? Almost makes me wish I'd chosen an outdoor venue."

Was there something wrong with me that I found even the smell of his breath appealing? There was a subtle cinnamon scent to it and I tried not to wonder if his mouth would taste of it as well. I failed.

"It is pleasant, but I'm sure it'll cool off rapidly. It's still early spring."

"True. So am I allowed to tell you that you look lovely, or is that something a man should only say on a date?"

I felt the blush creep over my face. "You can say whatever you like. Freedom of speech. It's in the Constitution."

"Well, then, you look very lovely tonight."

"Thank you."

He had thoughtfully shortened his stride for me, and I was immensely grateful. There was no way I would have been able to keep up with his typical long-legged stride in these shoes. I looked at his car for the first time as we walked toward it. It was a silver Volvo C70—a convertible of course, and it was a brand new model if my guess was correct. Jake had taught me a few things about cars. When we reached it Edward walked around the side with me and opened the passenger door for me. I told myself it was merely good manners and nothing to feel flattered over.

Glancing up as I climbed in I could see Alice's face all but pressed to the glass of the window and prayed that Edward did not look up and see her. I was suddenly thankful that Jake was still obliviously in the garage with his new baby. I wouldn't put it past him to come out and give Edward the third degree. He was so fiercely protective of me. I hadn't even told him I was going out tonight. Alice would likely fill him in. I smiled to myself as I wonder what outrageous tales the little minx would spin for him just to get him going.

"What's so funny?"

I glanced over as Edward finished sliding in behind the steering wheel and closed his door. I found myself closed inside the small confines of the vehicle with that sweetly spicy scent of his cologne that I couldn't quite place but was acutely aware of, and I wished that it was warm enough for him to have the top down.

"I just had a funny thought about one of my friends. No one you know." Yet.

"You must have some very amusing friends. I've often seen that smile on your face and wondered what put it there."

So says the pot to the kettle. I couldn't count the times I'd glimpsed that damn mysterious smile of his that always made me wonder if he was laughing at me over one of my typical Bella moments or something. And wait. Did he just admit in so many words that he spent time watching me? What the hell was I supposed to do with that?

"I, um, like your car. Are these seats leather?"

Okay, Bella, dumb question number one for the evening. Let's try to keep those in the single digits, at least.

"Yeah." He grinned. "It's easier to clean than fabric in case I spill anything."

Well, at least I wasn't the only one with spilling issues.

"And here I thought it was just for showing off," I teased.

"Nah. That's what all the adjustments under the hood are for."

My eyebrows lifted. "Does it go fast?"

He glanced at me briefly before turning his attention back to the road, and his lips curved in that seductive way.

"It goes fast."

"What's the highest speed you've gotten out of it?"

"You don't actually expect me to confess to speeding in this to the daughter of the Police Chief, do you?"

I laughed. "No, of course not. Not a straight and narrow businessman like you."

"You make me sound stuffy and boring."

"I wouldn't know, would I?"

"Well, that's what tonight is for. So do you like riding in fast cars?"

"You wouldn't expect the daughter of the Police Chief to admit to that, would you?"

His grin matched mine. "You'll have to ride with me sometime when the weather is warm and your hair isn't done up. It's a great feeling to ride with the top down and the wind in your face."

I remained silent. As extremely tempting as that sounded I could see no reason why I would ever be in his car again. Tonight was a onetime occurrence to hopefully clear some of the awkward tension between us. The sexual tension didn't show any signs of fading, but that was entirely one-sided and I prayed that he would never be aware of it.

"Do you have something against my driving?" He was frowning.

"What? No, why would you say that?"

"I assumed by your silence that you're reluctant to drive with me again."

"It's not that. You're driving is perfectly fine, Mr. Cullen. I just don't see what reason I would have to be in your car again."

His eyes did not turn my way but the corners of his lips slowly turned up again.

"To feel the wind. What other reason do you need? And you can use my given name, you know. Last time I checked it wasn't a bad word."

I couldn't call him Edward. It would put us on a more intimate footing when I was already battling the inconvenient attraction I felt towards him, on top of which I was beginning to suspect that I'd end up liking him as a person as well. I needed the professional distance achieved by referring to him as Mr. Cullen as well as to remind myself that he was out of my reach.

"I think we both know I'm not exactly averse to using bad words, Mr. Cullen."

He chuckled. "Well, that's a very polite way of putting me in my place."

"So tell me about this place we're going."

"Like I said it's small. The tables are kind of crammed together and the atmosphere is laid back and informal. It was opened by an older couple who moved here from Boston to retire close to their kids and decided that Portland didn't know what to do with its seafood. So they opened up their own restaurant."

"Some retirement."

"They love it. They wouldn't have known what to do with themselves if they'd actually retired."

"You know them personally?"

"I'm probably their most frequent customer. Carmen likes to act like a surrogate mother to me. She and her husband, Eleazar, often sit and have a drink with me whenever I stop in."

I smiled at the idea of him chatting idly with the elderly couple. Then I realized that my fantasy was beginning to include him sitting next to a series of faceless beauties, and I lost my amusement. They were probably all blonds too. He seemed like the type to be into blonds.

"So you, um, take a lot of dinner partners there?"

There it was again. How I hated that cheeky mysterious smile!

"Actually, I usually go by myself. I like to go there to relax and soak in the mood and the music. It's like an escape for me. The wrong companionship would spoil it."

"Then why are you taking me? Aren't you afraid I'll spoil it?"

"I knew you've never been, and I had a feeling you'll appreciate it the same way I do."

I stared at him, unable to sort out the feelings that statement evoked in me. There wasn't really any reason for me to react to it the way I did. It wasn't really a compliment, just an assumption that I might enjoy the place. And yet I sensed there was a deeper meaning to his words and couldn't for the life of me figure out what it might be.

"Here we are."

We'd driven into the heart of Portland. He slowed to a stop in the middle of the street and waited as a car suddenly started and vacated its spot on the street. How had he known a parking spot was about to open up? Did luck follow this man around like a lost puppy? We pulled in and he was rounding the car to open my door before I'd finished fumbling with my seatbelt. He took my hand to assist me out of the car and I noticed his gaze slip down as I swung my legs out. I tried not to let his appraisal go my head. Nor anywhere south of my head for that matter. Looking was a natural instinct in a man; it had nothing to do with me.

We crossed the street to an older style brick building three stories high. A small staircase led down to a floor just below street level where a discreet sign labeled the place as Pier 5. I wondered that anyone even knew of the place's existence, but when we entered I saw that over half of the tables were already occupied, and they were indeed crowded together. Stained glass light fixtures that reminded me of the set from Cheers hung from the ceiling and cast the room in a dim, romantic glow. In the center of each table a piece of glass stemware was placed inverted over some kind of wildflower and on top of its up-thrust base rested a small candle. None of the flowers or candles matched. At the far end of the room a four member band played soft music on a low lit stage. It had a rustic and uncomplicated charm to it. I loved everything about it.

An exotically beautiful woman with strawberry blond hair, excessive eyeliner, and dressed all in black approached us with a warm smile for Edward and barely a glance towards me. I disliked her immediately.

"Edward, it's always a pleasure to see you here. Would you like your usual table? I try to keep it open just in case."

"You're too good to me, Tanya. Please, lead the way."

We followed the over-exaggerated sway of Tanya's hips, weaving our way through the narrow pathways between tables until we reached a small table in the back corner. Edward pulled my chair out and I smiled challengingly at Tanya as I took it. I wasn't sure where this surge of jealousy had come from, I had no claim on Edward, but I wasn't about to let the woman dismiss me so easily. As far as she knew I was here as his date and it was downright bitchy for her to come on to him right in front of me as she was doing. Edward took his seat and Tanya bent down to hand him the wine menu, offering him a generous view of her abundant cleavage, her breasts all but jumping out from the lacy edges of her bra in eager pursuit of Edward's appreciation. I found myself tempted to poke at them with my fork just to see if they popped.

"Would you care for some wine?"

"Huh?" I pulled myself away from my rancorous thoughts.

"Wine?"

"Oh. Yes, that would be lovely," I practically purred, leaning toward him.

Edward raised an eyebrow at me, his lips curving slightly. "Do you have a preference?"

I trailed my fingers over the back of his hand, smiling sweetly.

"I'm sure anything you choose will be perfect."

He handed the wine menu back to Tanya without bothering to glance at it. His hand turned over to grip mine, squeezing gently while his eyes met mine with canny curiosity. I knew I was acting out of character, but Tanya's cavalier attitude was pissing me off and the Valium was making me bold.

"We'll have the Roussanne Marsanne."

She had placed a hand on Edward's shoulder and I was struck by an image of myself using a pair of pliers to pull off those blood-red fingernails one by one. I'd never realized I had such violent tendencies in me. It was a little unnerving. Tanya was now leaning into him with an implied intimacy and familiarity that Edward barely seemed to even notice, indicating that he was accustomed to the interaction. I found myself wondering if there was a history there, or even a present tense.

"Excellent choice, as always, Edward. Would you like me to bring out the bottle or do you think one glass will be enough?"

She was looking at me when she said this with a derisive smirk on her face and my hands began trembling as I realized the hidden message in her words. I could almost hear Victoria's voice. Did you actually think that you were woman enough to satisfy him? I didn't hear Edward's response to her as the memories of that incident flooded my brain and the trembling started in my hands. I pushed back my chair and rose, desperate to get away before Edward could witness my reaction to this woman's antagonism. He looked up at me with concern, and I mumbled something about needing the ladies room and to just order for me if I didn't get back in time.

My breath was coming in gasps when I burst through the doors to the bathroom, and I was grateful to find it empty. I went immediately to the sink and soaked some paper towels in cold water before pressing them to my face and neck, working to calm my breathing. I closed my eyes, forced my mind blank, and worked on the breathing techniques I had learned during my few sessions of therapy that my employers at Brodwick had forced on me after my return to work. I knew I couldn't risk taking a third Valium after having gone so many weeks without it. I'd probably end up taking a face dive into my salad bowl.

When the shaking finally passed I dried my face and stared at my reflection in the mirror. My face was still a bit whiter than usual but I didn't think it was that noticeable since I was pale to begin with. I couldn't help noticing, though, the mediocrity of my features in comparison to Tanya's. My figure left nothing to be desired—almost boyish in its lack of curves. My eyes were such an ordinary brown and much too large for my face. My cheekbones had taken on a prominence that left my face looking almost gaunt, and I determined to improve my eating habits to gain back the weight I had lost. I was only now realizing that I must still be losing weight even since my return to Portland. I needed to start remembering to eat again.

It was somewhat sobering to realize that I had begun to harbor secret hopes of Edward seeing me as a woman, and it had taken his lack of response to Tanya's devastating beauty for me to see I had no chance of ever catching the interest of a man like him. I had nothing to offer him. I was plain, boring, and slightly damaged. Gods like him did not seek out used and discarded mortals like me.

It was better this way, I told myself as I reapplied my lip gloss, that I came to my senses before putting myself into a situation where I could be hurt again. If I acknowledged and accepted this reality then it would be much easier to go back out there and interact with him in a casual and professional manner. I could be much more at ease with myself if I wasn't hoping for more and worrying about rejection. I smiled and nodded at my reflection as my anxieties drained away along with the adrenaline they'd brought and the haze of an artificial calm settled back over my brain. I returned to the table feeling much stronger and more confident in the knowledge that I knew where I stood with Edward and did not have to fear having my idealistic hopes exposed and shattered in any humiliating manner.

Edward rose quickly when he saw me approaching and pulled out my chair once more, an expression of concern still on his face. I smiled and thanked him before taking my seat, but it didn't erase the worry from his eyes.

"Are you all right? You looked a little odd when you got up and I got kind of worried when you didn't come back…"

I laughed and prayed it didn't sound too forced. "Did you think I was trying to escape out the bathroom window?"

"No, of course not, I was just afraid that maybe you were ill or something. You looked kind of pale."

"I'm always pale," I joked. "Really, I'm fine. I'm sorry if I caused you any concern." I racked my brain to come up with a quick excuse. "There was a girl in there crying over a fight with her boyfriend and I took a few minutes to talk to her."

He nodded, but I couldn't tell if I'd actually convinced him of the lie or not. Either way he let it go and I was thankful.

"I ordered us both the wood grilled lobster and parmesan shrimp. I hope that's okay?"

"That sounds great, thank you."

An awkward silence fell over the table and I noticed that the bottle of wine had been brought out and that Edward had filled both our glasses. I picked up my glass and sipped idly at it as I wondered what kind of conversation I should come up with. Should we focus on work related topics, talk about the restaurant, try to find common interests? There was always the ever fallback movies/music/hobbies topic but that was generally something that people on a date would discuss.

"So what do you think of the band?"

I glanced up at the stage where the band was still playing softly. They had switched instruments since the last number and now a saxophone crooned out the melody to the beat of the percussion and accompaniment of a bass guitar while the lead singer alternated between singing into the mic and blowing into his muted trumpet. It was a tragically romantic piece and almost moving in its haunting beauty. I was surprised that such a talented group was still playing at such a remote place.

"They're really good. Do they play here often?"

"They're one of the regular groups. Sometimes they play up on Seventh Street too. Carmen and Eleazar like to rotate the talent and give opportunities to some of the other local artists."

"They have a really nice setup here. Why's it so well hidden? I probably never would have known about this place if you hadn't shown me."

He smiled. "It's kind of like an escape from the tourism. A little oasis for the Portland residents."

He made it sound like some underground fraternity where only a select few were sworn into its ranks and permitted into its privileged lifestyle. I smiled at the thought and the relief I felt as the tension that had been rebuilding between us began easing away again.

"Wow, I almost feel like I've been let into some select secret club. Is there a blood oath I should be signing somewhere?"

He shook his head, once again emitting that soft chuckle that made me think of bell choirs from heaven.

The food arrived and I noticed that Tanya was much more subdued as she placed the plates in front of us. She barely looked at Edward the whole time, and I wondered what had brought about this sudden shift in her attitude. Just as she was asking if there was anything else we needed Edward leaned over and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. I saw her eyes narrow and her jaw clench and I couldn't resist leaning into his touch in juvenile retaliation for her earlier behavior toward me. I knew there was no sentiment behind his gesture, but I didn't mind letting her think there was more to it. His eyes met mine and he smiled almost as if he knew what I was doing and I blushed and dropped my gaze in embarrassment.

"Thank you, Tanya, that will be all for now," he said.

I took pleasure in her irritated huff and the stiffness of her gate as she strode away. We picked up our conversation about the restaurant and he told me a little more about the people who owned it and some of the musicians that came here to play. I relaxed further as the conversation began to flow with a much more comfortable ease between us. He was surprisingly easy to talk to.

"And has the food lived up to all my boasting?"

"And then some."

I took another succulent bite of lobster, closing my eyes as it all but melted in my mouth. It truly was magnificent and very obviously not some frozen deal prepared by the instructions of a chain restaurant empire. This was definitely all fresh and made up right in the kitchen here. I opened my eyes to find Edward staring at me with an intense heat in his eyes. He blinked and it was gone.

"So tell me something about yourself."

I swallowed. "About me? There's not much to tell."

"Sure there is." He took my hand and stretched my arm across the table, lightly tracing the faint scar on the tender skin on the underside of my arm. "Like this. I've been wondering where you got this."

I tried to pretend that his touch wasn't sending my pulse skyrocketing. His finger was still tracing the jagged line across my skin, and the tingles were running all the way up my arm and down into my stomach. I casually pulled my arm away with the excuse of picking up my wineglass before my skin could break out in gooseflesh.

"Oh, it happened one summer when I was twelve. My dad got hung up at work and I got bored, so I decided I was going to play in the backyard even though he'd told me to stay in the house."

"So you've always had a willful streak."

I smiled. "'Fraid so. Anyway a stray dog wandered into the yard and I tried to tempt it closer with a piece of bread. I'd always wanted a dog. Unfortunately it decided my arm looked tastier than the bread."

"How did you get away from it?"

"Oh, the neighbor came running out and chased it away before driving me to the hospital. Charlie about flipped on me. I think I was grounded for the rest of that summer."

"You were lucky it didn't have rabies."

"So he still reminds me."

My story brought up tales of some of the mishaps he had gotten into with Jasper and his brother as kids and before I knew it we were one-upping each other on the number and severity of our ER visits. He showed me the scar he still had just under the hair line from the time Emmett had busted him with a baseball bat. I showed him the faint line between my eyebrows from the time I'd taken a face dive into the corner of our living room coffee table. He regaled me with the tale of his "Superman" jump from the second story balcony that had put his leg in a cast for six weeks. I told him about my four-year-old escape from the backseat of a moving car that landed me with a broken arm and thirty-seven stitches. In the end we were laughing over all our calamities and I had won with a grand total of twelve ER visits to his seven.

"Okay," he said. "This one didn't put me in the hospital but I think it should count for sheer stupidity. I was running a track race and trying to impress this girl I liked who'd come to watch, so of course I was looking at her instead of the course and almost didn't see the hurdle coming. I jumped too late, clipped the top, and literally somersaulted over it. Not only did I land on my face right in front of her, but I also knocked out the runner beside me who just happened to be her brother."

I laughed. "That does get points for stupidity but it doesn't quite top my softball incident."

"Softball incident?"

I nodded, taking another sip of my wine. "I can be fiercely competitive. It was the bottom of the ninth and we were tied. I knew I should have stopped at third but I decided to go for home anyway. I went for the slide at the last minute and ended up out. Literally. I slid right into the catcher. Her knee connected with my head and knocked me right out. But that's not the worse part. I came to after only a minute or so, but the smell of the blood from where I'd ripped my knee open put me right back out. I didn't live it down the whole rest of the school year."

"You passed out from the smell of blood?"

I grimaced. "Yeah. You'd think after all those ER visits I'd be used to it, but even today I get lightheaded at the first sign of blood."

"Wow. Okay, you win. I'm still impressed by those twelve visits. I had an adventurous best friend and a fearless older brother. What's your excuse?"

"Well, my mother always said that gravity likes me better than most people."

He smiled softly. "I can see why."

I grew silent, my gaiety fading a bit. He was flirting with me again and I couldn't come up with an appropriate way to discourage it, especially when that rebellious voice inside my head that I was constantly trying to quell insisted that I did not really want to discourage him. The hurt and rejected woman inside of me wanted to be desired by a man as magnificent as Edward, but the rational part of my being demanded that I keep my professional life professional and regain some semblance of the control I had lost.

I realized very suddenly that over an hour had passed and my stomach was feeling warm from what must have been my third glass of wine. I hadn't even paid attention to the casual way Edward had kept topping off my glass, but now that I thought about it I could not remember seeing him refilling his own. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. Was he trying to loosen me up and lower my guard? I set my glass very decisively on the table and his lips curved knowingly. Yes, that was exactly what he had been doing and the sly bastard wasn't even ashamed of it!

I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms, determined to get the evening back on the right track.

"Shouldn't we be talking about work?"

"We can talk about work any day of the week. I thought tonight would be a good opportunity to get to know each other a little better and hopefully form the basis of a friendship. It seems to me people on friendly terms don't usually jump to think the worst of each other and make all sorts of offensive comments."

I couldn't discount his logic, but nor could I shake the feeling that there was more to this dinner than simply improving our work relationship. But perhaps I was just being paranoid and presumptuous again. Perhaps he was just naturally flirty and I should stop flattering myself that it had anything to do with me. After all, he seemed to have too much respect for his position to consider a dalliance with one of his employees, let alone assume all the complications of an actual relationship with one. I was jumping to conclusions again. Much as my battered ego might want to believe that a man of his raw magnetic appeal would be interested in me, I had to just accept his words at face value and acknowledge that he was simply looking for a better understanding between us. There was no way he could want me in that way. Not when women like Tanya existed.

Resolving those doubts helped me to relax and I found myself slowly sipping my wine again as we resumed our conversation of childhood adventures. I learned that Edward's home had been on the outskirts of Portland and that he and his brother had spent a lot of time exploring the woods that stretched out behind their property. He talked of the creeks and the wildlife and the games they played. It made the woods seem mysterious and even almost magical so that I wished I could see them for myself. In return I told him of the "robots" we had built with the scrap parts in Jake's dad's garage and all the trouble we had gotten into going along with Alice's schemes.

"So you and this Jake guy are pretty close then?"

That nagging little suspicion crept into my brain again. "Billy and Charlie are good friends. I practically grew up with Jake. He's like a brother to me."

"You really make me feel like a heel for what I said that day."

"It was an easy assumption to make." I grinned. "Even if it wasn't any of your business."

He laughed. "You're a hard woman, Bella Swan. Perhaps, as a way of making atonement, I should ask you to dance."

I threw a panicked look over at the tiny dance floor where several couples had already begun moving to the music. "You already made atonement. The books you gave me were more than generous."

"I'd still love to dance with you."

"Honestly, Mr. Cullen, I don't dance. It never turns out well when I try."

He leaned in close to me and offered me that dazzling smile and I almost forgot what we were talking about.

"It's not that hard. All you really have to do is stand and sway a bit. There's nothing dangerous about it."

There was everything dangerous about the thought of being held in his arms. I might shamelessly throw myself at him and ruin everything, and even if I managed to restrain myself the nervous tension alone would have me tripping over my already uncoordinated feet. Especially in these heels Alice had talked me into….which I just realized I'd slipped out of at some point during the evening. I must have been much more relaxed than I thought.

"Edward, there you are! Tanya just told me you were here. And just why didn't you come back and say hello to me?"

Edward stood and embraced an artlessly attractive woman with a head full of gray curls. There was an open friendliness to her face and a spunky light in her eyes. My first impression of her was here was the inspiration for that Old Lady Maxine cartoon. She seemed like the type to take everything in stride and view the world with a dry and worldly sense of humor. The kind of woman you couldn't help but like.

"Carmen, how good to see you. Have you decided to drop that dead weight of yours yet and run off with me?"

She hooted and slapped his shoulder. "Ooh, boy, if I was thirty years younger I'd give you a run for your money! And who is this lovely young thing you're with?"

Edward turned to me with the most adorably boyish grin. "Bella, I want you meet Carmen, one of the owners I was telling you about. Carmen, this is Bella Swan."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. You're restaurant is fantastic."

I held my hand out to her and she clasped it warmly between both of hers. "It's about time Edward brought a date in here."

"Oh, it's not—"

"I've been bugging this boy for years now to find some nice girl and settle down. I'm glad he brought you in with him tonight. You seem like such a sweet thing, and so pretty too!"

"Thank you, but I'm not—that is this isn't—I mean, we're not—"

"Don't make it too easy on him, now. A girl's got to make a man work for her hand a little. Got to get our catering out of them while we can."

Speaking of hands she was still holding onto mine even as she continued to mow me over with her assumption of mine and Edward's relationship. I glanced wildly at him for assistance, but he was just watching with amusement written clearly across his face. I wasn't about to get an inch of help from him. I needed to gather my wits about me—she was rapidly robbing me of them and my brain usually worked much faster than this.

"So has this scoundrel bothered to take you out on my dance floor yet?"

"Oh, I don't—"

"I've already asked her but she refuses to be swayed," Edward put in.

I shot him a reproving look. Carmen propped both her hands on her generous hips and looked at me sternly.

"And just what's wrong with my dance floor?"

"Nothing! I'm sure it's wonderful. It's just that—"

"Don't like the band?"

"No, they're really great—"

"Then, get out there!"

Before I could protest any further she'd pulled me to my feet and thrust me over to Edward and I wondered vaguely if she was related to Alice in some way. His eyes were still full of laughter and I glared at him in frustration.

"You may as well go along with it," he whispered in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. "She doesn't take no for an answer."

I sighed in defeat. "Can I at least get my shoes on first?"

His eyes slid slowly down my legs and lingered on my bare feet.

"Certainly," he murmured.

I sat back down and tried to subtly slide my feet back into my shoes, but I discovered that it was much easier to slip out of all those straps than it was to slip into them. Before I could reach down and pull them up Edward was squatting in front of me, those long lean fingers guiding the straps over my heel and around my ankle, lingering just a moment too long. My breath caught at the sensation of those fingertips grazing my skin. I felt ridiculously like Cinderella. His eyes looked hotly up into mine and I swear the world stopped spinning for a moment. The heat from his eyes spread through my body so that I thought my internal organs might bake actually from it. My breathing accelerated and this time it had nothing to do with anxiety.

Then he was standing again and offering me his hand and I convinced myself that I had imagined the intensity of that moment. I felt entirely too flushed and realized too late that I was beginning to feel the unwise effects of the wine and Valium combination as I took his hand and stood, the room tilting just the slightest bit. I stumbled once, but he had a strong grip on my arm and I quickly righted myself. He smiled down at me as he led me to the dance floor, causing my head to spin and fog that much more, and I was more certain than ever that I should not be going with him. A sense of foreboding mingled with the undeniable thrill of his touch, and it roared through my head like the freight train of an approaching tornado.

Yeah, I know this chapter was a little bit longer than the rest and I still didn't get the whole date in but I wanted to lay the tracks for the story a bit more and felt it would be better to break the evening into two chapters. Plus I kind of want to write the rest of the date from Edward's POV so you'll get to see a bit of what's going through his mind during all of this. Thanks for reading, I'll update soon!