Disclaimer: All familiar characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. No infringement of copyrights meant. Only the plot is mine©.

A/N: Sorry about the delay in updating guys! But here is a treat for all of you! My longest chapter for this story so far…I wrote this chapter during my flight and I sort of liked the outcome. I hope you enjoy it too. There might be a few errors. I have not had time to re-read it and make the corrections.

Chapter 9: Unlucky

EPOV

I had just reached their table, when Alice got up and poked her finger into my chest with a fierce look on her face. "Edward Anthony Cullen, I have never met someone like you in my life, with such a horrible timing!You were supposed to be here at 3.30PM! How could you do this to me? It's a good thing I kept it a surprise for her…" Suddenly, her eyes widened like she had given out too much information and looked at Jasper.

"Alice, are you trying to set me up with someone? Did you just forget that I am engaged?"

"No silly! I just wanted you to meet my friend."

"Just a friend?"

"Not just any friend Edward, but she is …" Jasper was cut short by Alice, who had stepped on his foot. "My best friend"…she finished, giving Jasper a death glare.

I decided to let the subject drop, knowing fully well that Alice would not give out any more information. I decided to grab a quick sandwich before making my way back to the office.

BPOV

It was 3.40PM already and I had to leave. Alice had been trying to make me stay for some more time. She had even unleashed the full force of her puppy-dog face but I told her flat that I had a meeting that I just have to go to. After spending the whole day with me, she wanted me to stay for another 5minutes? That girl was crazy.

I said goodbyes and even Jasper looked unhappy that I was leaving. I took his and Em's phone numbers and promised to call soon. Jasper asked me not to tell Edward that we had met and when I had asked why, Alice just told me that it would be a nice surprise for Edward and threatened to show me his photo before we met, to spoil all the fun and promises. I would not put it past Alice to punish me if I were to disobey her words. Well…I had nothing to lose, so I just agreed to their plan. I grabbed a take away coffee and left the food court.

I was just heading out of the mall when an idiotic guy bumped into my shoulder causing me to spill my take-away coffee on my favorite dress! I looked down at my dress after regaining my balance. There was a huge stain just below my bust and my dress looked horrible. I would have to change into one of the dresses I had bought today before going to the agency. I wanted to make a good impression with the representative here. Jake had been really nice to me and had even called to check on me yesterday to find out how my flight had been. I wanted to kill that asshole who had damaged my dress. I turned around and saw him dodging around people much like what he had done to me and all I could see was his haphazard reddish bronze 'sex-hair'. Definitely not someone I wanted to see again in my life. I hated guys who thought that walking around with tousled 'just out of bed, got laid' kind of hair… who wanted to show off their sex life to the world and think it was cool to do so!

I looked at my watch and realized it was almost 3.45PM! I called the agency, while making my way to the restroom, and told them that I will be delayed by a few minutes. The girl there told me that she would pass on the message to Quil, the guy who was supposed to manage my shoots in NYC. Jake had personally requested him to be my manager.

I changed quickly and made it to the agency at 4.07PM! I had left my car at the mall and taken a taxi, paying the cabbie double the rate for rushing through the traffic.

Quil turned out to be an amazing guy. He was a year younger than me but was one of the best in the field. He told me that he and Jake were distantly related and he had become acquainted with the field when he had spent a summer as an intern assisting Jake. He had a couple of offers for me. Calvin Klein and Dior. I accepted both the offers and they were paying much more than what I had been paid in Paris. I scheduled the photo shoots for the next day.

I told Quil that I will not be available from the 1st of August till the first week of October. That would give me enough time before the wedding and after the honeymoon to get back to work. I was hoping to talk to Esme about the boutique and start looking for a nice outlet space. Once I had the boutique running, I could spend more time on designing clothes and getting them made and have modeling as a hobby. And I also realized that after a few years I might not be able to model for these fashion products when Edward and I will start a family. I blushed at the thought of having kids.

Once the contract for the two companies was done, I left to get back to the mall to pick my car, to go home.

Edward and I talked to each other at least 10 times a day! I know, it is a bit too much! Even though he was working till late in the night to have the documents ready for the drug target announcement, he made it a point to talk to me before I went to bed. He promised to take me out this Friday night. With just a week to go for the wedding, both of us realized that it was important for us to meet! I knew that I was really falling for this guy. His personality was amazing and I knew for a fact that the emotion was mutual. The way he spoke to me was sufficient to convey his feelings, even though he had never mentioned anything about it to me, in the many conversations that we have had over the past 2 months.

Since he had a meeting in the evening till 6PM, we decided to meet in the restaurant 'La Bella Italiana'. Both Edward and I liked Italian food and he told me that it was the best one in the city. He had made reservations for the two of us at 7PM. He told me that it was a fine dining restaurant and that I would need to be in a proper dress.

I had decided on my wedding dress and was supposed to go in for the final fit tomorrow afternoon. Mine was a flowing fluffy golden ivory colored strapless dress with random golden thread embroidery work. I had picked a traditional ivory veil to go with it. Alice, already has her's ready. Alice and I went out last week to pick the wedding ring for the guys. I picked a simple ring, with brick-like patterns on semi-polished white-gold yellow-gold combination band for Edward.

In the afternoon, I went to the parlor to have my pedicure, manicure done. Once I came back home, I took a nice warm shower and blow dried my hair. I made my hair sit in a bun, with random strands lining my face. I picked out a deep teal colored dress with pin-tucked upper bodice and halter with deep V-neck, showing off quite a bit of my cleavage…it would drive Edward crazy.

I put on mild, natural make-up, picking on neutral tones for my blush and lip color. After one final glimpse in the mirror I got out of the house picking up my clutch and went to the garage for my car. I was just parking my car in the restaurant's parking place when my phone went off. It was 2 minutes to 7PM and the display on the screen said that it was Edward. Why would he be calling when we are meeting in just 2 minutes?

EPOV

Life had become a marathon in the run-up to the launch of this new drug candidate. Carlisle had been hard on all of us, pushing us to have every trial data perfected. Plus, I was still working at the hospital and had been called on multiple emergencies at odd hours of the night.

Bella had been amazingly understanding about my work situation and never once did she complain about not being able to meet. I knew that it was because of my schedule that we had not been able to meet so far. In the small gaps that I got between work and surgeries, I made it a point to call her and talk about my day and ask her about hers. She told me that she had taken a break from modeling till early October.

We were going off on our honeymoon on the 21st of August, 8 days after our wedding and 1 day after the drug launch party that Carlisle and Charlie will be hosting together. I had taken a few hours off from work to make it to the final fit for my wedding suit along with Jasper and Emmett. I had picked a traditional black tux for my wedding and a black suit for Jasper's with an ivory shirt and tie. Alice had been quite angry about my choice of clothing initially but had given in when she realized that I was not about to budge…for once!

I was looking forward to spending time with Bella. We had gotten to know each other really well through our phone calls and had so much in common. We would be by ourselves for about a month. She had refused to tell me the details of our honeymoon, other than telling me that I should make sure to buy enough condoms! I blushed even over the phone and everytime I thought about that particular conversation…it was then that I realized the vixen hiding behind the cool mask of my fiancé.

I had cleared my schedule at work till the first week of October and had informed the hospital as well. I lived with Carlisle and Esme, since both my brothers had bought their own condos to move in with their girlfriends. I had not had anytime to look for a house and Bella told me that we could live for a short while with my parents after the wedding and then start looking for our own house, since she wanted me to actively participate in house-hunting and I had absolutely no time for that now. Esme had in fact squealed, like Alice, when I told her that Bella and I were planning to stay at home for a while before finding our own.

Yesterday, I had taken an hour off from the office to find a ring for Bella. Agreed that we were engaged for a long time now, but I did not want to miss out on proposing to Bella, asking her to marry me. It was once in a lifetime chance and I was not going to miss that and will not give Bella the chance to regret on having missed this part. I had had to ask Alice about Bella's preference in jewelry. She told me that Bella liked simple non-flashy elegant jewelry and would love it if it had something in it that would remind her of me.

I found a beautiful white gold ring, with tiny diamonds set in it. In the centre was a heart-shaped emerald stone. The heart-shaped emerald will remind her of the fact that she would hold my heart forever. The stone matched the color of my eyes perfectly and I knew that my eyes were one of the things that women liked the most about me; having heard it from the girls who threw themselves at me all the time. I had never met Bella in a long time but I knew that I was falling in love with her. Bella, as a person, was the most beautiful thing I had encountered in my life and I knew that I would never find someone with a heart like hers. I also picked a simple diamond ring as the wedding ring for Bella. I knew Jasper was buying a ring with a huge diamond on it for Alice, but I knew that Bella would prefer something more subtle.

Today I was taking Bella out to dinner, to propose to her. I had picked La Bella Italiana, for the simple reason that the place would be perfect for my Bella and both of us liked Italian food. I left from work at 6.10PM, driving quickly to our home to change. I showered quickly and picked a simple black pin-stripe button down shirt and flat front casual cream-colored pant, with casual black pull-on shoes.

It was 6.40PM when I was back in my car, driving towards the restaurant. I made it there by 6.50PM and decided to get a good table before Bella arrived. I was a regular customer here and the waitress immediately recognized me. I requested for a private table and she lead me to one in the far end of the restaurant. The lighting was mild and romantic. The hostess set a tapering candle in the holder and lit it. I told her I would place my order once Bella was here. I checked my watch once again out of nervousness. Another 5more minutes before Bella arrives.

My cell phone went off, startling me with the sudden noise. I nodded to the waitress apologetically before I answered my call. . I groaned internally when I saw the number. Not NOW!

A/N: I need your opinion! My vacation gave me some nice ideas for our fav couple's honeymoon ;-) But I want you guys to tell me how many chapters of their honeymoon n stuff to go. And also let me know if you would like me to take the story after the 'happy ending' where they finally fall in love or to take it further about a few years of their life together. I am undecided. I do not plan on writing a sequel for sure.