Disclaimers: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, songs, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
A/N: Thank you to my awesome beta, NotEvenTheTrees, for falling for "Bug Your Beta on Her Vacation" Day.
I never got used to the notion that New Yorkers ate so late at night, but here we were, just before midnight, seated at Katrina's. I ordered the mushroom ravioli and Edward ordered the French onion soup with a bottle of Pinot Noir for us to drink.
"My mother made the best French onion soup when I was a child. I have yet to taste its equal. I have to admit I haven't attempted to try another's recipe. I wonder if I will enjoy it as much now that I'm older," Edward mentioned, after placing his order.
"I can't vouch for today's onions, but I'm sure Laurent selected only the best Vidalias." I ventured into personal information territory. "Where did you grow up, Edward? Not many kids enjoy soup. Most kids like macaroni and cheese or McDonald's."
"I was born and raised in Chicago but I've traveled the world since I was… umm… about eighteen."
We were interrupted by Kate herself, who brought out our dishes. I introduced her to Edward and she smiled warmly to him before turning to me with a considerable grin which caused me to blush. "I'll tell Garrett that you won't be in early tomorrow Bella."
As I began to protest, I looked at Edward who was nodding in agreement. I smiled my thank you to Kate, who mentioned that the live entertainment was going to be ending soon before turning from the table to return to the kitchen.
We began to eat in silence. I never understood why, but eating in front of someone for the first time is so uncomfortable. I became hyper aware of my arms and hands and fingers, as I feared that I might bump into something or spill something. I was certain that something would end up on my gorgeous dress.
"Kate is beautiful," he murmured after a few minutes of quiet.
I blanched and snapped before I could stop myself. "Kate is married; didn't you see the ring?" I thought it was quite odd of him to say something like that, especially when he was on a date with me. I wanted to blend into the upholstery.
"You misunderstand me, Isabella. Kate is beautiful, but she knows it and is confident in her beauty. She sees you as you are usually, with your chef's uniform on, and she is not intimidated by you. Kate is unsettled by you now because your beauty overwhelms hers on her best day. She fears your potential, so much so that she is going to make sure that her husband does not look upon your form tonight." He raised an eyebrow.
I stammered. "You can't know that, just by talking to her once. Wait… she told you that I work in the kitchen?"
He tapped his fingertip on his temple, "I have a sense about these things, remember?" He smiled warmly. "Would you excuse me for a moment? If the server returns, tell him I am finished."
"Was it alright? Would you like something else?" I felt a bit embarrassed; he had hardly touched his soup. Garrett's French onion soup was usually pretty popular.
"It was fine. It just wasn't…"
"Wasn't as good as you remember your mother's being?" I finished his sentence for him, understanding what he meant. Sometimes what you have now will never be as good as what you had before. I wondered silently if he had that with someone else before me, and it made me sad.
He took my hand in his, and kissed my knuckles. "That is it exactly." He slid out of the booth and looked at me beseechingly. Assuming he'd never been here before, I pointed in the general direction of the men's restroom, just past the now-vacant baby grand piano.
I took another drink of my wine and placed my folded cloth napkin over my plate. The server came over quickly and took our dishes. I asked him to refrigerate mine. He looked at me, puzzled. "I work here too. I'll take it in the morning." He frowned, uncomprehending. "It's me. Bella. The morning prep manager?" The young man looked me up and down and smiled slyly while raising an eyebrow, comprehension dawning on him. "Thank you…" My tone invited him to leave.
BUZZ BUZZ
I reached for my clutch so I could read the incoming text message. There was none. I closed the phone and frowned. Was it Edward's phone? I looked around the table and couldn't find anything. I looked under the table in time to see the light fading from his phone on the bench upon which he had just been seated.
I picked it up to see a new text message from an Alice and I frowned. Why would a woman be sending Edward a text past midnight? I could only think of one reason and my shoulders slumped.
I waited patiently for a few minutes, thinking that Edward had taken this opportunity to make his escape. I took a sip of wine and started picking my fingernails under the table. Only when the most beautiful piano composition started did I look up. It was Edward. He was staring straight at me.
I was instantly torn. The music made me want to join Edward at the piano. How could a room so crowded feel so empty? I felt like I was the only person in the room and Edward was sitting right beside me rather than across the restaurant.
As much as I wanted to be near him, I resisted. I needed a little distance; a little perspective. I stayed put.
My mind began to wander, trying to process this new development. Was Alice his girlfriend? Or worse, his wife? Was it just the thrill of the hunt for him? The whole evening had been beyond perfect. Before I could stop it, my emotional shield was up, standing guard over my heart and me. I hated my imagination.
His composition was short, as if he was just limbering up his fingers. I began to fumble with the borrowed necklace, which was, to my surprise, cold to the touch. I attempted to recall what he had said about the properties of lapis lazuli. Something about self-confidence and inner tranquility? Mental calmness? I sure could use some of the mental calmness part. Feeling like you're losing touch? Check.
Of course I was losing touch! I was creating all sorts of scenarios wherein this beautiful, talented and secure man was interested in me. And obviously I wasn't the only person thinking these thoughts about him; he could be pursuing other women during his various travels. Who the hell is this Alice?!?
But, I am damaged goods, after all; not someone worthy of affection in general.
Stop it, Bells.
With a deep sigh, I resolved to just try and enjoy the rest of this evening. I hoped that Edward wouldn't question my now weary eyes.
As he finished his song, I began applauding only to realize that there were only three people left in the dining area. The two of us and Kate, who was in the other corner booth wrapping cloth napkins over silverware.
Edward's eyes met mine as he walked towards our table. Try as I might, I couldn't look away. It was then that I realized that I didn't actually know the color of his eyes. They were always so dark and we were in low light situations every time I was close enough to see them. Had I never actually seen him during the day?
"Tell me what you're thinking," he requested, sitting down.
Of course I couldn't tell him what I was thinking. My thought patterns were all over the map. Instead, "I'm thinking of having dessert," I stated simply. "What about you Edward, what are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking I'd like to play a game while you have dessert." His smile was coy.
Kate approached our table. "Did I hear something about dessert? How does an espresso gelato sound?"
Edward's smile widened. "Whatever it takes to keep her awake sounds good to me."
I looked at him and cocked my eyebrow. Kate excused herself and walked towards the kitchen.
"The game I would like us to play has very simple rules. It's called 'Two Truths and a Lie'. Have you ever heard of it?"
"Is it like Truth or Dare?" I immediately hoped not. Because I would always choose truth over dare and I wasn't sure if I could reveal more details than I already had. I'd always been a horrible liar.
"It's an adult version of that, without the daring. We'll play a little differently since it's just you and I. We will each make three statements about ourselves, one of them being a lie, if you so choose. Traditionally, someone will guess which one is the lie. We'll leave the lie a mystery. What do you think?"
As Edward described the game, I came up with a series of the most trivial facts I could think of on short notice. "That sounds like… fun." I wasn't enthused about talking about myself, but, on the other hand, I was very eager to learn something about him.
"Ahem," Garrett cleared his throat as he handed me the espresso gelato. I smiled at him, surprised that he was still there so late. It was then I saw something in Garrett's demeanor that I never had before. I couldn't put my finger on the reason for the shift.
Kate bound out of the kitchen. "Garrett, I said I'd take the gelato…" Kate stopped short and smiled again, albeit more forced than before. I introduced him to Edward who was eyeing Garrett warily.
"Dinner is on the house," Garrett whispered to me.
"I insist," Edward offered Kate a crisp bill. "No change, thank you."
Kate took the bill quickly and grasped Garrett's hand firmly. "We are leaving for the night, Bella. Would you mind locking up?"
I nodded, feeling uneasy at the prospect in being completely alone with Edward, so I said to no one in particular, "I'll be sure to disarm the panic button before setting the security system."
"Goodnight Bella, Edmund," Garrett mumbled.
"It was nice meeting you Gabriel," Edward replied, pursing his lips and turning back to me. As soon as the kitchen door swung shut, Edward whispered to me, "See?"
I shrugged. "Garrett was just surprised at how I was dressed, that's all. Being a produce manager isn't as glamorous as being, say, a doctor."
"Yes, because navy blue scrubs trump a white chef's uniform any day of the week," Edward countered. I smiled in spite of myself. "Now, are you ready to play?"
"Yes, I think so. You go first so I can eat this before it melts." Edward smiled patiently, waiting for me to take the first bite. His eyes lingered on the spoon, making my face turn crimson.
Breaking from his reverie, he began, "One, my parents both died when I was seventeen and I was adopted by the Cullen family." My spoon clattered into my bowl, shocked that he would start with such a personal statement. He continued, "Two, I moved to Europe after turning eighteen and lived there for six years."
"That explains your accent. You said you grew up in Chicago and they don't have English accents in Chicago," I interrupted. "Oh, sorry." I had forgotten that he was allowed to lie.
"Three, I am over a century old."
I laughed. "That explains why you have a driver. No way would they allow someone over 100 years old to have a driver's license." At that he pulled out his license, which was plainly from the state of Washington. I knew this because mine used to look exactly the same before I traded it in for a New York license at my twenty-first birthday the year before. He put the license away before I could get a better look at it.
"Your turn."
I pushed my bowl away and rested my arms on the table. I thought for a moment before beginning. "Okay, one, my mother and her husband live in Florida where he is a minor league baseball player. Two, I received a certificate from a local culinary school but I prefer to be a produce-slash-prep manager." I forgot to lie, so I made one up quickly, "Three, umm, Eric is my twin brother." Good thing we weren't playing strip poker. I'd have lost all my clothes by now.
Edward raised an eyebrow at my last submission. Eric was Asian. I sure the heck was not. He cleared his throat, "Okay then. One," I didn't realize we were continuing and I hoped we were done. I'd have to come up with more to say. Then again, perhaps Edward would reveal more as well. "I cannot go out into direct sunlight and have, um, circulation problems, hence my cold skin. Two, my irises are red and change color depending on how hungry I am and the mood I'm in. I wear dark contacts or sunglasses so I don't alarm anyone." I stifled a laugh, as this was the obvious lie. He allowed me a moment to laugh until his demeanor changed to something infinitely more remorseful as he said, "Three, I have been in love only once, but she died years ago."
My face fell immediately and I instinctually reached for his hand. I didn't want to pry, but they couldn't have been very old if it was years ago. "I'm very sorry Edward," I offered. I was surprised at myself for reaching out to touch him for the first time. He'd been the only one to make that effort thus far.
"I just wanted you to know, I suppose. I know what it's like to fall in love. To have that feeling of, well, immortality, for lack of a better word. I just know…" His voice trailed off. I wasn't sure if he wanted to continue so I waited. "Isabella, your turn."
What could I say after that? It was so unfair, what he'd had to go through in his short life. The deaths of his parents and the love of his life in quick succession were unconscionable to me. Lamely, I began with my lie, "I love rap music." That brought a smile to his face. But what could I reveal? I don't think he'd be dishonest about death, so I continued, "Two, um, oh! I traveled through Europe the year after I graduated high school with my best friends Angela, Ben and Eric…"
"You mean brother Eric," he corrected with a grin.
"Oh yes, brother, right." I returned his smile. "And three, umm, I work at a bookstore for their discount and recently bought a book on World War I to do some research on a family member. Do you remember?" I took a sip from my glass.
His face fell slightly, "That's been weeks ago now. I've already finished it and given it to my little sister Alice," he said, just as I swallowed the wine.
Coughing, I managed, "Edward, would you excuse me for a moment?" He nodded and I practically sprinted to the restroom. I stepped inside and looked at myself in the mirror, unable to hide my beaming smile.
Alice? Alice! That was his sister, not another love interest!
I made a high-pitched squeaking noise, I was so excited. My insecurities, my negative thoughts, my so-called emotional shield, they could take the night off! He was honest with me. Alice was his sister. He had not tried to harm me in any way. I was safe, I was fine.
I looked again at the mirror and saw the lapis lazuli as it lay on my collarbone. Edward was right about its magical healing abilities. In that moment, I felt completely healed. And, for a reason I couldn't comprehend, I wanted to tell the truth too. Something deep down told me he would stick around to hear it. I smiled widely at my reflection, instantly seeing Charlie's smile in my own.
That's right, Bells.
I walked back out of the restroom and found that Edward had returned to the piano. I stood there for a moment, allowing myself to drink him in a little more than before. His eyes were dark and while there were the softest of shadows beneath them, he did not appear tired. He saw me and finished his song. As he sat facing the piano, I sat beside him on the bench with my back to the keys.
"One more round?" He asked. I nodded. "You can begin this time."
"All right." I sat for a moment, knowing that these last two truths would have the most implication. "One, I love to dance." Of course that wasn't true. I tripped just turning around. I paused again, wanting to phrase this correctly and get it off my chest at the same time. "Two, I thought I was in love once, until I returned home from Europe to find that love means different things to different people." I bowed my head as Edward reached for my hand.
"Three?" He asked, encouraging me to continue.
"Charlie, whose guitar you saved, is my father. He died the day before I graduated from high school. In the almost four years since I have yet to visit his grave." Tears pooled, but I tried to force them back down. He placed his finger under my chin and looked into my eyes. His held no surprise, only understanding. A choked sob escaped me and he held his arms out, cradling me to his cool chest. He rubbed small, soothing circles on my back and I finally let out all of the tears I'd been holding in for far too long. After several moments, my heightened emotions were sated. I sniffed one last time before righting myself.
I smiled a weak but true smile at him. "Your turn Edward."
He closed his eyes at the sound of his name. When he opened them again, he tenderly brushed a stray tear from my cheek. I blushed. "Since you have correctly deduced that I saved Charlie's guitar, you must also know that I am a vigilante, a philanthropist, and a non-practicing doctor who moonlights, quite literally, for UNOS."
"A vigilante philanthropist, like Batman?" I teased.
"Something like that, but Bruce Wayne does not work in the human organ business," he replied coyly.
"Oh, that's true," I smiled and shrugged my shoulders, which made the necklace shift. The motion did not escape Edward's attention.
"Two, I am seated next to the most beautiful woman in Manhattan."
My breath hitched as he looked me straight in the eye. Compliments were rare, and this one was undoubtedly genuine.
"And finally, I am currently working in a family business that I would now like to leave." I thought of the Cullen family that had adopted him, and his sister Alice. "But leaving this business is difficult and has to be for a very good reason."
"And do you have a very good reason?" I whispered inquiringly.
"I do now." He looked in my eyes and then at my lips. "Shall we go?"
A/N: The playlist is updated on my profile. Bella's outfit and necklace are also on my profile.
p.s. I heart reviews. Leave one?
p.s. pt 2: sjones5199 has started a forum for my little story over on twilighted. The link is on my profile! Thank you!