Under My Nose

Edward Cullen sets a deadline of six months to find his true love, before he turns thirty. Leaving his successful restaurant to drive a mule-drawn carriage in the French Quarter of New Orleans, he searches for the meaning of true love, because he has yet to understand it. Will he know when he finds her or will she be right under his nose? Can bubbly, buxom Bella tantalize his taste buds with beignets and an abundant booty?

Hey Everyone: This chapter is Beta'd. I completely thought I had sent Fran this chapter and, when yesterday came and went, I realized I hadn't sent it to her. So, please, forgive my comma misplacements. I truly suck at this. And Fran took pity on me and did a lightning Beta job. She deserves a medal.

And, the recipe for the banana bread is at the end of this chapter.

Chapter Ten:

EPOV: January 2

As I watch Bella cross the street, Garrett hands me the cup of coffee and picks up a piece of bread from the tinfoil on his carriage seat. "This is really good. I didn't have the heart to tell her that my wife's bread was horrible. I kind of lied to Bella and said it was good." He silently laughs. "She would always burn it, and I would spread butter on it to make it taste better, because it was so dry." He sighs. "And it would fall apart."

He grabs for a piece with cream cheese and moans. "Now, this is good." Garrett holds the piece up to wave in Edward's face. "You should try it, Edward."

"Yeah, I'll eat it later. I'm not that hungry." I shrug.

A large group of people approaches Garrett's carriage, but he turns to me. "Talk with her." He pats me on the shoulder, walks away and greets his riders.

An hour later in the drizzling rain, I decide to call it a night. Garrett is still out on a tour and Bella is busy, and once again not any rides for us.

I return to the stables; brush Julia down, clean the stall and wipe off the carriage. By the time I finish, it's only a little before eleven. I have time to stop at the restaurant, check in with Jazz and get to Bella before she gets off work.

Jasper gives me a rundown of the receipts, and evening's tally. I don't know whether I feel good or bad about the restaurant running so smoothly without me.

I tell Jasper that I'm heading out, and he asks me where I'm going in such a hurry. I say to meet up with Bella, and he nods his head. "Ah, the feisty one."

I smile. "Yeah, I want to catch her before she leaves work."

He grins, "all right."

It's almost midnight, when I arrive at Cafe du Monde. As I park out front, Bella walks out back stepping and waving goodnight to a few co-workers. She turns around, holding my rose in her hand.

Leaning on my seat with my legs crossed at the ankles and my arms across my chest, I smile at her. "Hey."

She looks around and her eyebrows knit together in a frown. "Where's Julia?"

"I cut out early, because of the rain and no rides." I shrug.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Edward, I guess with the rain going all night, people weren't interested in tours."

"A drizzle, and the other drivers were busy," I groan with disappointment.

Bella smiles and gently places her hand on my shoulder. "I think I have an idea that will bring you business." She nods her head and wrinkles up her nose.

"You want to go get a drink? I ask.

"Sure." She smiles, again. Yeah, her smile.

"Hop on." I straddle the seat and start the bike.

I help her get behind me, and I try to give her my helmet.

"No, that's okay," she declines.

Her scent fills my head, and I lean back into her. She rests her cheek on my back, as we move through traffic. The temperature is colder, so I'm sure I'm nothing but a shield from the bitter wind.

It can rain cats and dogs, or choking big toads, and people still flood Bourbon Street. We get very lucky, as a car pulls out right in front of the bar and I easily move into the space. Bella stands with me at the meter, as I swipe my credit card and pay for parking. She carefully holds the rose.

I grab her hand and guide us through a maze of people in the outer, patio area and finally walk into the entrance. Bella excuses herself to go to the ladies room. I stand near the bar, taking my jacket off and checking the place out. Emmett goes on and on how great the service and food are here. Maybe I can get Bella to eat with me. I'd like to see for myself how good the food is.

The surroundings are warm and very red, depicting the turn of the century, red light district. There are pictures of hookers on the walls of the dining room and downstairs, in the bar, there is fancy, red wallpaper with antique mirrors and faux lighting. The seating consist of red, cushion chairs with square, marble-top tables. There is a spiral stairway leading to the second floor with gray wallpaper of lips, eyes, legs, masked eyes and corsets of yesteryear looking through large keyholes.

I watch the wait staff, and they seem very quick and efficient. The plating and presentation of the food is impressive and the portions are healthy.

Bella walks towards me, and I catch my breath. Her hair is down, and it falls around her shoulders and down her back. With her coat in her arms, she wears a purple sweater that shows off her breasts that are pretty full and more than a handful, making hands ache. She catches me staring at her chest and I quickly look away. "Ah, do you want to sit at the bar or get a table?"

She smiles with an eyebrow up, "Whatever you'd like, Edward."

It's busy for a weeknight, but we do get a small table in the corner. The music isn't very loud. We can actually talk and hear one another. I hang my jacket on the back of my chair and help Bella do the same.

Bella places the rose, which is now wrapped in a damp, paper towel on the table. She looks at me. "I didn't want it to wilt."

A waitress approaches us and takes our drink order. Bella is a beer drinker. Fuck. The woman is a beer-drinking, Harley riding, and pastry baking anomaly, in a very good way.

Once we get our beers, I talk Bella into trying a few dishes. "I'm hungry. All I ate all day was your banana bread, and it was good."

She blushes. "I'm glad you liked it. Garrett said it was like his wife's. I'm glad I could make him smile. He seems so lonely."

I look at her, really look at her. "That matters to you, doesn't it?"

"He's a very nice man." She shrugs, and looks at the menu and I say nothing of Garrett's confession. "So, what do you want to eat?"

We both scan the menu, and decide on three different appetizers; jalapeno poppers, loaded potato skins, and shrimp kabobs. I want a bowl of Gumbo, a steak with sautéed mushrooms and onions, served with mashed potatoes, while Bella orders a Morning After Burger with a sunny side up egg and bacon.

"So, what's this idea you have?" I lean forward and place my arm on the back of her chair.

"Well, I know it has only been a few days, and once people do catch on about a romantic tour, you will get busy, Edward. I just think that you could stage your presentation with more hype." She says this very cautiously.

"Okay, but how?" I shift in my seat and lean closer to her as the background noise gets louder.

"You're telling a romantic tale of thievery, danger and excitement." She pauses and sighs. "But it's your clothing." She waves her hands around. "Okay, I'll say it. You look kind of sloppy." She looks at me and starts to apologize. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"My brother says I look homeless," I mumble.

"But you look clean." She bites her lip, "just disheveled."

"But most of the drivers dress like me," I defend himself.

"Edward, they aren't doing romantic tours with a two-seater. They aren't promising grandeur of the heart. You must show the dramatic history and present a story that challenges a couple to fall in love with the heritage of New Orleans and fall in love with one another again. You want the women to swoon, and the men to admire you. Bring the past into the present."

"That's a lot to digest." I sigh.

The waitress and another waiter finally show up with all of our food, and we laugh. The table isn't big enough for all the plates.

Since the hour is late and on a weeknight, and the crowd is small, the waitress moves another table closer to us. We place half the dishes on the other table and dig in to our appetizers.

Bella pulls a huge shrimp off of the stick and pops it into her mouth, moans and stuffs a piece into my mouth. "Oh God, eat this, Edward."

Her moan makes me take notice. I chew her offering and stare up at her with surprise. "It's good."

The sauce from the shrimp drips all over her fingers, and she stuffs another one into my mouth. "You have to taste the sauce."

As she licks her fingers, running her tongue up the side of her hand, I swallow a huge gulp.

She takes her napkin and cleans her hands off. "Sorry, I got carried away."

I smile. "By all means, continue."

She shoves a jalapeno into my mouth and one in hers. "Hot, too hot." She waves her hands over her mouth, grabs her beer, chugs it and coughs.

I pat her on the back. "You okay?"

Breathlessly, she gasps, "I caught a seed." She exhales with bulging eyes. "Like swallowing fire."

"Eat a potato skin." I grab one, place it by her mouth and she takes a bite. I watch her tongue lick her lips, as she chews and smiles.

She pats her chest. "Thank you, Edward, you put out the fire."

And without thinking, I carelessly blurt, "I was hoping to keep you burning."

We stare at one another and then ... we laugh.

Bella hands me my bowl of gumbo and my entree plate, as she takes her burger.

"I can't eat well-done meat." She waves her arms all around. "I like my cow still mooing. I know, it's not healthy, but I hate dry, well-done steak."

"When I was a kid, I ate raw hamburger," I confess.

"Really? Aunt Sally makes a hell of a tartar." She smiles.

"So, you like raw meat?" I ask.

She turns bright red and spits out her bite across the table. Bella grabs her napkin and coughs into it. She takes a deep breath, exhales slowly and stares at me with her wide, chocolate eyes. "You are full of surprises, tonight."

"I seem to have no control over my mouth with you," I shamefully admit.

Bella rolls her eyes. "We both seem to have verbal diarrhea of the sexual content."

"You do bring out the erotic innuendos hidden in me," I laugh, and catch myself. "See?"

"Hmm, playful porn, voluptuous vaginas and provocative penises, carnal clits and killer cocks. Bet you can't say that three times?" She spits out quickly.

"I don't think I could say it once," I choke.

"Flirtatious phallics, and titillating tits. Sorry, I had to get those out." She's a she-devil and I love it.

Bella takes a bite of her burger, and I place a mouthful of steak into mine, and she playfully admits with pursed lips and croons, "I love raw meat!"

And my steak does hurl across the room.

We clean up most of our platters, so when the waitress walks over and asks if we want dessert, we scan the menu again.

"Edward, where are you going to put dessert?" Bella asks.

I rub my stomach. "Right here, Baby. If you haven't noticed, I'm a sucker for sweets."

I look at the waitress. "Would you mind bringing us a Red Hottie Velvet Cake and a Bordello Bread Pudding with extra whipped cream." As the waitress walks away. I look at Bella, "unless you want something else; coffee, tea?"

"No, thank you, I'll watch you gorge yourself." She looks at me with a challenging face.

I lean forward. "You'll have to try a taste."

Her eyes get wide, and I realize what I just said and clear my throat. What the fuck is wrong with me?

"Haven't you seen enough food hurl, tonight?" she giggles.

"Like I said, I always have room for dessert." I pat my stomach.

"Isn't that, 'There's always room for Jello'?" she taunts me.

"Hey, don't knock the Jello!" I kid her.

The waitress brings me the desserts with two forks. I place both the plates between Bella and me. I scoop up some of the cake and extend the fork to her. "Take a bite."

She leans forward, eyes on me, opens her mouth and wraps her lips around the fork. I watch ever so closely with my mouth open.

She moans.

I squirm in my seat.

"This is so bad, it's that good, but I can't eat anymore." She shakes her head.

I make a pouty face. "Just try the bread pudding." I scoop a small bite and feed it to her.

"Hmmm, yum, that's really delicious. You eat, Edward." But she dips her finger into the whipped cream. I can't take my eyes off of her, as she pops her finger into her mouth and smiles. "I love whipped cream, it has so many uses."

I think I stop breathing.

Every sound goes silent.

And Bella quickly gushes, "Facials, I meant facials. God, we are so bad." She blushes.

We just laugh.

I finish off the cake and pudding in record timing and lean against the chair, stretching my legs. "Now, I'm full."

The waitress comes back, asks if we want anything else and I pay the bill with protests from Bella wanting to pay for her own meal. "Hey, I asked you out!"

She retorts, "But that doesn't mean you pay for me!"

"A gentleman pays that's the rule," I adamantly state.

"Rules can be broken, Edward." She crossed her arms over her chest, and I try not to stare.

"Well, not with me. I invited you, so I pay. Besides, you've made lunch and multiple desserts." I huff. "One good turn deserves another."

When I turn into the driveway, I shut the motor off, and grab Bella by the hand helping off of the bike.

We walk up the stairs in silence.

Bella takes her key out of her purse, and she is still holding the rose with care, as we approach the front door. "Thank you for dinner. Well, a huge midnight snack." She giggles.

I grab the screen door, open it and lean my back against it. "Thanks for going with me. We'll have to go back there again."

She smiles up at me. "Sure."

I hesitate, but ask, "So, what about the clothes thing?"

"You need to have a makeover, Edward, if you agree." She bites her lip. I stare. "A polished appearance will attract the people. Julia is getting all the attention. We … I mean, you, need to turn that around."

She leans up against the door with her hands behind her back, and I place my hand above her head. She fits right under me.

"So, what should I do, Bella?"

She stares up at me and bites the inside of her cheek. "You need to trim or shave off your beard. If you want to keep your hair long, then maybe a ponytail, depicting the hairstyle of Jean Lafitte's era. Maybe a costume of a driver, or you dress as Jean Lafitte, the pirate," she suggests.

I sigh, back away and lean on the railing. "You really think that would work?"

She smiles. "It's worth giving it a try. What have you got to lose?"

I look up at her. "I don't want my looks to be an issue."

She stands in front of me and scratches my beard. "Apparently, there is a man of little scruff under all that fuzz."

She catches herself and pulls her hand away. "And why should it be a big deal to use your good looks to attract customers? You're not pimping, Edward. You're advertising your tours."

She jokes, "Unless you are using Julia to find you women."

With shock, I quickly glare and spit, "Of course not!"

She backs away with her hands up. "Okay. Okay ... I'm sorry."

She turns towards the door. "Well, guess I'll see you tomorrow night." She opens the screen door, and I grab it from her.

"Look, I'm the one who's sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you," I apologize. "Will you help me?" I bend down to her short level and give her my best puppy dog eyes. "Please?"

There is a hint of a half grin on her lips.

I grab her shoulders and play those eyes up. "Please?"

She sighs. "You're not playing fair."

"What pirate does?" I broadly smile.

She smiles, and I surprised myself, and I hug her. I wrap my arms around her shoulders, resting my chin on her head, as she wraps hers around my waist. I don't want to let go.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO … An intimate hug ... close bodies … What next?

A/N: Thank you to my Beta, Sunflower Fran. I appreciate her time, her proper grammar and quick pen. Another great find by PAD!

To Robseve and Postapocalypticdepository (PAD), my pre-readers that give their unselfish time and creative input. Both of these ladies are inspirations and true friends.

Now, let me rec Postapocalypticdepository stories, since she so graciously rec'd mine.

Never Judge by the Cover: 9056924

Boys Will Be: 8868006

Rude Awakenings: 8876785

It's a New Dawn, It's a New Year: 8862243 (complete)

And thank you to all the readers, whether you review or not. (Ah, but I wish you would review!) I enjoy every comment and suggestion. Yes, NOLA (New Orleans, LA) is an exciting place to live. And to combine the old world with the new is a challenge, but the humor is quite a serious business. My objective is for all of you to smile, after each chapter.

Bella's Banana Bread recipe for Edward:

1 ¾ Cup sifted all-purpose flour ⅓ Cup shortening

2 teaspoon baking powder ⅔ Cup sugar

¼ teaspoon baking soda 2 eggs, well beaten

½ teaspoon salt 1 Cup mashed ripe bananas

1 Cup brown sugar

1 sliced banana

1 Cup chopped almonds

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Mix dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, cream shortening with sugar. Add eggs and mashed bananas, beat until smooth. Add chopped almonds.

Place half of batter into a greased, loaf pan. Sprinkle ½ Cup of brown sugar and place sliced bananas on top. Fill the pan with the rest of the batter and top with brown sugar and the rest of the banana slices. Bake for 1 hour. Yields 1 loaf.

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