Late in the afternoon, Edward and I separated from the others so he could take me to dinner. We went to a restaurant with a view of the ocean, where I ate elk meat for the first time. As we left, Edward suggested I take a nap before the rest of the night's outing. "Okay, but where?" I asked. "In the car?"

He nodded toward a hotel at the end of the block. "We could rent a room."

"Just for a nap?"

"Why not? Besides, we'll likely be out quite late. We could stay here for the night, and save the drive home for the morning."

"Well...sure. Let's."

We went into the nautical-themed lobby, where the concierge frowned at our lack of luggage apart from some plastic shopping bags, but became quite cordial when Edward requested the "Gold Rush Suite" on the top floor. We stopped at the gift shop in the lobby to buy a few essentials, like a toothbrush, and took the elevator. I laughed when I saw our suite. Grabbing the Gold Rush theme and running with it, they'd decorated almost every square inch in shades of gold.

He laughed with me. "Is it okay?"

"It's great. It's like King Midas was the last one to stay here."

He grinned, looking around at the relentless goldness. "Shall we get some sleep?"

"What do you mean 'we,' Paleface?" He chuckled, and I headed for the bedroom. I wasn't at all sure I could sleep at this time of day, but I gamely removed my clothes and slipped between the sheets. Edward took his place beside me, leaving the covers between us to avoid chilling me. "You don't have to stay there," I said, curling up against him even as I spoke. "You'll be bored. You can go watch TV or something if you want."

"No, I'd rather be here. And I have my book." He held up a copy of a murder mystery he'd taken from the bookcase in the sitting room. "I'll wake you when it's time to meet the others." I snuggled closer to him. He began to softly hum, and I fell asleep in no time at all.

I woke up on my own, two hours later. "Did you sleep well, love?"

"Very well, thanks." I stretched. "Did the butler do it?" I gestured toward his discarded novel.

"No, the victim's business partner."

I checked the clock. "I'm going to take a quick shower before we go." I washed, brushed my hair, and left the bathroom to find Edward in tight jeans and a V neck, short sleeved pullover that emphasized the muscles of his arms and chest. "Wow!" He grinned at my reaction. I opened the shopping bag Alice had handed me and pulled out my outfit for the evening. "Hmm."

Edward came and looked. "I think that's fairly typical clubwear."

"I wouldn't know." Something occurred to me. "I'm not old enough to get into these places, am I?"

"No," he said indifferently. "Jasper will have your alternate ID when we get there."

"Fake ID. Look what you've reduced me to." I shook my head in mock disapproval, and put on Alice's outfit. I looked at myself in the full length mirror. "What do you think?"

He came to stand behind me. "I think I'm going to have to compete for your attention. You look ravishing."

I giggled. "I don't want to make you complacent, but you don't have any competition." I stood on my toes to kiss him. "Any more than I do."

"Very true. And I actually like complacency, at least in this area."

"So do I." I slipped on the little red sandals Alice had provided. "Ready."

We drove a little outside the downtown area, to what looked like a series of conjoined warehouses. A single neon sign identified it as Dapper Dan's. Music blasted from inside, and people, mostly young people, came and went, or clustered in the street near the club, some in clothing like mine and Edward's, some in jeans and tee shirts. Edward turned to the right. "There they are."

I didn't see anything, but a minute later all eleven came walking toward us from around the corner. "Hi, folks!" Emmett called out. "Ready to party?"

"Bella, I like that outfit on you!" Alice skipped forward, turning me around to see my clothes from all angles.

"Thanks. You look terrific, Alice." She wore an extremely short leather skirt and a red halter top with four inch heels. Her hair was spikier than usual, and her makeup a little more experimental. Surprisingly, even little Alice could pass for 21 as she looked now. I glanced around; they all looked great, naturally. Rosalie was still the most beautiful, but the three Denali sisters looked more provocative. They were already getting second glances from passers by.

Jasper silently handed me a Washington state driver's license in the name of Donna Stevens, which provided a birthdate three years earlier than my real one. I looked at him. "It will check out," he assured me.

"Thanks."

"Shall we go in?" Tanya led the way through the main doorway, and the others followed, flashing their ID at the doorman as they passed. I showed my new card to him nervously, but he merely glanced from it to me and moved on to the next person in line.

The interior of Dapper Dan's was vast; I couldn't even see the far end of the club from the entrance. There were multiple stages, multiple dance floors, and multiple bars. I clung to Edward's hand as our group wandered through the place, sizing up the options. The most distant stage was playing Motown hits, and most of the family seemed to favour that area. Everyone ordered drinks at the bar, and Edward asked what I'd like.

"Er...I don't drink."

He bent to speak into my ear, over the music. "You don't have to actually drink it. We're not going to. But carrying around a drink is expected."

"Okay, then. Order me something that looks cool being carried around."

He grinned and turned back to the bar, returning with a glass of beer in one hand. In the other hand was a cocktail glass containing an amber coloured liquid. "A Brass Monkey," he said, handing it to me. "It's fairly popular among the comparatively temperate college students. Others prefer straight tequila." I smiled and took a sip.

We stood together near the bar with the others, listening to the music, until first Emmett and Rosalie, then the other couples one by one, left their untouched drinks and hit the dance floor. It was a pleasure to watch them, all so beautiful, and all such perfect dancers. The three sisters stayed at the bar, pretending to drink, seeming to be waiting for something. Presently a young man asked Kate if he could buy her a drink, even though the glass in front of her was obviously full. She agreed, and accompanied him to the bar. I remembered what Alice had told me about the sisters' recreational activities. I started watching them with more interest.

Tanya squeezed Irina's hand as if saying 'goodbye for now,' and wandered out to the edge of the dance floor, swaying dreamily to the music. Unattached men, and even some with partners, seemed to zero in on her at once. "It's amazing. She's like a Rapala fishing lure," I mused to myself. The lure no fish could resist. Edward gave me an odd look. "What?" I asked.

"That's very apt, but how do you know about Rapala lures?"

"I happen to be the daughter of a fishing enthusiast. I absorbed a lot of unwanted information over the years."

"Of course."

Kate was talking and laughing animatedly with her young man, who had bought her something in a tall glass. Over on the dance floor, one of the fish had responded, and was swaying along with Tanya, apparently trying to make entertaining comments into her ear. She smiled at him as if mildly amused, but not quite won over. Her dance partner seemed to find this irresistible. "She's really good at this," I noted.

Irina laughed, having apparently overheard, and I turned red. "Years and years of practice, sestrenka," she said. She stood up, smiled at both of us, and strolled out to the far end of the dance floor, some distance from Tanya. She had a partner before she'd even stopped walking.

I looked up at Edward, who raised an eyebrow. "Alice told you about them?"

"Sure. It's still kind of fascinating to see them in action."

He nodded. "Shall we dance?"

I gave him a look. "You know I can't dance." I tried one more swallow of my drink.

"You can! Well enough to satisfy me, certainly." I hesitated. "It's Motown, Bella! The music tells you what to do."

I rolled my eyes, but stood up and took his hand. "Okay, but let's stay on the edge of the crowd, where I can't bump into anybody."

He led me to a dim, relatively empty corner where I danced cautiously, holding his hands. Eventually I unbent enough to move more freely, and even let him lead me into the occasional twirl or spin. I knew very well he was purposely holding back his own dancing to my level, but I also knew he didn't mind in the least. Besides, he wouldn't have to do that kind of thing for much longer. Impulsively, I flung my arms around his neck, and he embraced me, lifting my feet off the floor and swinging me in a circle. "Having fun, Mrs. Cullen?" he asked in my ear. I grinned and nodded. Anything, even dancing in public, was fun when I was with Edward. Soppy but true.

Our drinks had been cleared from the bar by the time Edward and I took a break from the dancing, so he ordered two more. He handed me a tall glass of something that looked like watered down Kool Ade. "I notice a lot of young women ordering these," he told me. I was thirsty, and the drink tasted mild and sweet, so I swallowed it in two long draughts. I looked around for the others. The Cullens were whooping it up on the dance floor, as were Carmen and Eleazar. Irina was at the bar, chatting with a very handsome, dark haired guy in his early twenties. Tanya was in a dark corner, kissing a tall, muscular young man. Kate was nowhere to be seen. Edward noticed me looking around. "Kate left with her escort about ten minutes ago," he said.

"Oh." I nodded, pondering. I knew that this kind of casual pairing up was pretty common; that I would have been exposed to a lot of it at college. I'd never thought of myself as puritanical - Renee certainly hadn't raised me that way - and I honestly wasn't offended by the three sisters' activities. I didn't feel disapproval; just a personal aversion. It was like watching someone eat liver and onions: no objection, but it definitely wasn't for me.

I looked up to find Edward watching me. "What are you thinking?" he said in my ear.

I shook my head, gesturing to indicate the noise level in the room. He sighed, but let it go. Still a little thirsty, I gestured toward the bar, and Edward offered me his own drink. I drank it down. "More dancing?" I asked. He smiled and led me back into the rhythmically moving crowd. I felt a little light headed, but much less self-conscious than I had earlier, and bobbed happily to the music. Tanya passed by on her way to the exit with her muscular friend, giving me a cheery wave goodbye as she went. "Bye, Tanya!" I called out, waving back. "Bye, Tanya's friend!" Edward seemed unaccountably amused by something or other.

Close to midnight, Alice and Jasper swept by, Alice looking back at Edward as she went. "They're all going to the bar across the street," he said, "for karaoke. Shall we join them?"

"Why not?"

Edward put an arm around my shoulders and steered me through the crowd to the exit, and we followed the Cullens across the street and into a brightly lit establishment decorated with neon tubing. Inside, a dense crowd was listening to a woman in her thirties sing Stand By Your Man in the style of Tammy Wynette. She got a nice round of applause, and the emcee took the microphone to announce the next singer.

"What do you say, Bella?" Alice asked. "Want to sing something with me?"

"Me? Well..." My odd lack of inhibition was still with me, and I actually considered it for a second. "What about Esme or Rosalie? Or Irina," I added, noticing that she had followed us in.

"Irina! What happened to your swain?" Alice asked her.

"Too drunk," she said, grimacing. "I'll sing with you if you want, Alice."

"Great!" They left to choose a song and prepare. Edward got drinks for us and found two seats, and the rest stood up near the back of the room. I took a sip, noticing that Edward had brought me a soft drink this time instead of a cocktail.

Alice and Irina were introduced and ran up to the microphone, where they performed Ghost Riders In the Sky in flawless two-part harmony. They left the stage to warm applause and some whistles from the male patrons.

After two more performers came and went, Emmett and Rosalie took the stage to perform Jackson, Emmett's deep voice doing justice to the Johnny Cash part. Three college boys sang Wild Thing with great zest but not much musical ability. Esme urged Carlisle to take a turn, and he surprised me by agreeing at once. He sang a Tony Bennett ballad that had the women in the audience mesmerized. He grinned in our direction as Esme pretended to swoon at his final note, and acknowledge the applause with a slight bow before trotting back to join her.

"Jasper goes on last," Edward informed me.

"Why?"

He smiled. "You'll see."

The delay between performers became longer, and when it looked like nobody else was going to volunteer, Jasper ran up and spoke briefly to the emcee. "Okay," the man said, "it's almost time for last call, and you know what that means. Let's have a nice welcome for our last singer of the night - Chester!"

"Not Chester - Jasper!" Alice corrected under her breath. The female half of the audience seemed to come to attention as Jasper approached the microphone.

"Brace yourself," Edward said in my ear. I looked at him curiously, but he just nodded toward the stage.

Jasper sang Heartbreak Hotel, starting slowly and gradually working his way up to an intense, rather eccentric finish. The audience followed his every move, their excitement visibly growing throughout the performance. I found myself feeling the same way: as if Jasper's singing were the most exciting thing I'd ever witnessed. Only about halfway through the first chorus did I realize that Jasper himself was controlling the emotions of the people watching - myself included.

I looked up at Edward, and he confirmed my thoughts with a grin. Knowing my emotions were being controlled didn't alter the effect of Jasper's gift; I relaxed and threw myself into the role of enthralled audience member, standing up and cheering wildly when everyone else did. Every bar patron was on his feet for the final verse. A few women threw folded papers, presumably containing phone numbers or love letters, at him as he took a bow, and one or two tossed undergarments. Jasper left the stage and was called back twice to take an extra bow before the crowd could allow him to go.

"You shameless exhibitionist!" Edward laughed as Jasper rejoined us. Alice stood on her toes to give him a kiss. The bar patrons called out friendly comments and non-verbal expressions of enthusiasm, gradually settling down into a mood of quiet satisfaction - courtesy of Jasper's gift, I assumed. We waited until the crowd had thinned out, then left by a side exit.

"Dapper Dan's stays open another two hours," Irina pointed out. "Shall we go back?"

We spent another hour dancing and people watching, this time near a stage with an Eighties cover band. Irina finally left the club with one of her previous dance partners. Edward and I both seemed to have had enough at about the same time. We said our goodnights and returned to the hotel and our golden suite.

I slept in a little bit the next morning. "What time is the deadline for checkout here?" I asked Edward when I woke up, checking the bedside clock.

"Eleven, but we don't have to be out at any particular time. I took the room for two nights."

"Why?"

"In case you wanted to sleep late. Also, because it's supposed to be sunny except for a period in the mid afternoon, and I wanted to be sure we had options."

"I see."

"What do you feel like doing?"

"Honestly, after yesterday, I just want to lounge around for a while."

He grinned. "That sounds fine to me."

We did some serious lounging. We had breakfast sent to the room, then lay in bed and read together for an hour or so. Eventually, I got up, washed my hair and soaked in the giant whirlpool tub for a bit, and finally got dressed at noon.

I set up the laptop on our sitting room table, went online and checked my messages. Mom had replied to my last email, joking about the giant wheelbarrow mural and saying how happy she was I was having a good time, and philosophizing a little about honeymoons. I was relieved that she spoke generally, and didn't offer me any specific advice. She went on for a bit about Phil, the house in Jacksonville, and local politics, signing off with greetings to Edward. "Mom sends her love," I told Edward, who was sitting across the table from me, leafing through a copy of Rolling Stone.

He looked up. "How is she?"

"She's good. Phil's team is doing well." I clicked on an email from Charlie.

Hi Bells
Good to hear everything is okay. I was worried about the weather in Alaska but somebody said it's hot there in the summer just like anyplace else. I hope Edward is driving carefully. Well I know he usually does. Thanks for the pictures and the postcard. It looks like nice scenery up there. Hope you relax and have a good time because you worked hard at school, you'll probably be working hard in college, you deserve a break and some fun. Anyway Sue says to say hi and best wishes. Her girl Leah graduated this year and she's going to college in September. Also I was at Billy's and Rachel was visiting, and she said to say hello also. I guess you already email her all the time anyway, so you'll hear, but she's going to teach at the high school on the reserve. Her brother Jacob dropped out though, but Billy thinks he can talk him into going back and graduating. Too many kids around here drop out of school. Well have a good time and talk to you soon.
Love, Dad

His message pleased me immensely, even though nobody would ever want to publish the Collected Letters of Charlie Swan. I paused to write a message on the back of the Law Enforcement Museum postcard I'd bought, addressed it to Charlie, and set it aside to mail on our way out. Then I opened Rachel Black's message.

Hi Bella,
I'm so happy to hear everything went well and that you're safely off on your honeymoon. Thanks for sending the wedding pictures; you looked beautiful in that blue dress. I hope you're having a wonderful time.
I heard back from the rez school, and I'll start teaching there in the fall. I'm glad I can stay here, and be closer to Dad and Jacob. Dad's health is pretty stable at the moment. Jake's still going through a bad spell, though. He quit going to school in the spring, before the year ended, and isn't doing anything else. Well, he's kind of taken on the job of looking after the town. He and Leah are the only ones who are still regularly part of the old pack, if you know what I mean. Everybody else has settled back into normal life, but not Jacob. He does do some good, finding lost hikers and tracking down people the police are looking for, but Dad and I hoped for more of a life for him than just unpaid crime-fighter. We're hoping he'll snap out of it by September.
Thanks for mentioning the Nobakov novel. I'll definitely look it up. Have you ever read Peter Carey's Oscar and Lucinda? I think you'd like it.
All the best to you and Edward.
Your friend, Rachel

"Rachel also says hello," I reported. "She's staying on the reserve, teaching at the high school." I started composing a reply.

"Well done," he murmured. "Please give her my congratulations."

I added this message and hit Send. "Jacob's not doing so well, though. He's staying in wolf form, guarding the town like before, but not doing much of anything else, not even going to school. He was always a lot more depressed about the werewolf thing than most of them."

"I'm sorry to hear it. Jacob was a little belligerent toward us, but I suppose he had reason to be."

"Billy and Rachel are working on him. I assume Charlie is too. He's always had a soft spot for Jacob. The son he never had, I guess."

He smiled at me. "I'm sure he has no regrets in that area."

When clouds began to roll in at about one-thirty, we checked out and started driving back to the cabin. "Tanya's family asked if we'd like to come by after dinner," Edward told me. "They're planning a movie night. If you don't mind."

"Of course I don't mind. I like them."

"I'm glad," he said. "They like you too, by the way."

We got back just before the clouds moved on and the sun came out in force. It was warm enough for another swim in our miniature lake, followed by the inevitable aftermath to our swimming together naked. I cooked and ate dinner, Edward helped me with the few dishes, and we set out for the cousins' house.

"Where are your family staying while they're up here? I keep forgetting to ask."

"Our family," he corrected with a smile. "A second house the Denali family own, just down the road from their current home. They only bought the property to prevent any neighbours from moving closer than a few miles away; but it's also useful as a guest house." I nodded. "May I ask you again what you were thinking about?"

"Thinking about? When?"

"Last night, while you were watching Tanya, Kate, and Irina. Your expression was very serious."

"Oh, right. I remember. It was nothing, really. Just flow of consciousness stuff."

"Even so, I'd love to hear you describe it." He looked at me encouragingly.

"Well...I was watching the sisters - you know."

"Do their impression of a fishing lure?"

I laughed. "Exactly. I was thinking, this way of, er, getting together is not that unusual. There were human couples in the bar, doing the same things, meeting and then leaving together. It made me think of how I felt about that, and that reminded me of the way I reacted in the shop earlier." I thought a moment. "I wondered if I was being judgmental, but I don't think I am. It's not that I mind anybody going to that store, or picking up guys. I don't object, or look down on them, or anything. I just realized that it isn't for me." I looked at him. "I'm kind of boring in that department. I only want one guy - my husband. No other men; no equipment; not even dirty movies." He was grinning. "And...what works for me, that way, is you; that you're with me, and that you love me, and I love you. It's the way I am, and I don't think I can change."

"I wouldn't want you to." He took my hand. "Do you remember, soon after we met, when I asked if you'd ever been with anyone?" I nodded. "I pointed out that love and lust don't always keep the same company; and you told me that for you, they did - at least, now that you had any experience with either."

"I remember."

"Then you'll also remember that I said it was one thing we had in common." He looked very pleased. "I'm the result of early twentieth century upbringing. There's no reason to expect we'd be in such perfect harmony on this subject, but we are." He laughed. "Esme's quite right: you're old fashioned, traditional through and through."

"About some things." I hesitated. "So...I don't need to worry about being more, er, adventurous?"

"Not for my sake, certainly. And please don't ever refer to yourself as boring in this regard. You could not be more appealing, more endlessly alluring to me than you are. And, given my nature, that will never change." He said that last part casually, but I was struck by the truth of his statement. After my change, we would both be perpetually frozen in honeymoon mode. No gradual cooling of the marital ardor for us.

"Okay. But...if there is anything you'd like me to change, or to try, you'll tell me, right?"

"I promise. And you'll do the same?"

"Yes. Alice doesn't think I disapprove of her and Jasper going in that store, does she? I didn't, honestly; it was just seeing everything so public..."

"Things that ought to be completely private?"

"Exactly."

"Precisely the way I feel. No, they don't think that at all. Alice...well, she barely knows how to be embarrassed." I laughed, nodding in agreement. "And Jasper tends to view things in an objective, scholarly light. Most things, that is. But neither of them took offence at your reaction. They know you're naturally modest."

The Denali and the Cullens were together at the big cedar house when we arrived. Alice had described my flight from the sex shop, and Emmett teased me about it, and Kate and Rosalie joined in. They ignored Edward's interventions and my red face, but when Tanya said, "Enough. Leave the poor girl alone!" the joking stopped immediately. I shot Tanya a grateful look. The conversation moved on, splitting into multiple two- and three-person discussions, as before. I was getting a little better at coping with that.

The movie Tanya had referred to earlier was Amadeus. "I thought it would be good preparation for the opera this weekend," she explained as we gathered in the media room. "Especially for Bella, who'll be attending her very first opera. Have you seen the movie before, Bella?"

"Once, but I've always wanted to watch it again."

The most comfortable seat was set aside for me and Edward - which I didn't try to refuse, since it was only logical - and I was offered popcorn, which I turned down. The movie was even better than I'd remembered, and afterward everyone talked about Mozart and the opera we were going to see, moving on from there to reminisce about past performances they'd enjoyed in New York, in Paris, in Venice and Milan, and on one memorable occasion in Madison, Wisconsin. Carmen was asked to relate, for my benefit, the story of her brief encounter with Maria Callas outside a shoe store in Rome.

From there, the talk moved on to music, and to movies. The conversation continued as Edward, by general request, went to the piano and accompanied Eleazar on the violin. "What instrument would you like to play, Bella?" Tanya asked me at one point.

"Oh, I don't play anything. I've never had any aptitude for music."

"But that will change," she reminded me.

"Well...yeah, I guess it will."

She grinned at my surprise. "Pick an instrument. Make it a difficult one, if you want. You'll be able to master it. What's the hardest instrument to play? Do you know, Carmeneska?"

"I'm not sure," Carmen said.

I laughed. "I don't have to choose the hardest one, do I?"

"No, but you can take it into account," Tanya said. "It gives you more to brag about."

"The oboe is said to be difficult," Carmen said, "and the French horn."

"Didjeridoo," Emmett suggested.

"The theremin," Carlisle said. "Although there is very little reason to even try."

"I think Bella should choose an instrument because she likes it, not just because it's challenging," Irina said.

"I'll have to give it some thought."

We left at about eleven. It was still light outside, the sun close to the horizon, and we swam in our little lake once more before going to bed.