SM owns Twilight universe... I just borrow some of her stuff.

Chapter 10

XXX Afterglow XXX

I kissed Edward Cullen.

I was actually currently kissing Edward freaking Cullen.

I couldn't believe I had my lips on his. They were so soft. Like silk pillows. So good. I completely ignored the cat-calls, most coming from Emmett, and let my body take over, leaving my mind somewhere in a gutter.

I reluctantly pulled away from him when the tempo in the music changed to something faster and searched his face for any doubt. I found none, instead, he smiled at me and took my hand into his, pulling me off of the dance floor towards our table.

I smiled to myself, still tasting him on my lips. Bliss, seriously, Mr. Perfect would be roll playing tonight pending the appearance of the real thing. Of course.

"Ya know," Emmett smiled widely at us as we joined them at the table, "you two should consider getting a room. That much PDA should be reserved for the prom or some shit."

"Emmett," I couldn't stop myself from grinning like a fool, "are you volunteering to chaperone us?"

Emmett shook his head still smiling, "Oh, hell no. I don't need to see any more of that shit."

We all laughed at his antics. I loved Emmett, he was always the life of the party and always seemed to be able to lighten any mood. Looking around the table, I noticed all of our friends seemed to have the same looks on their faces as Emmett; they seemed happy for us. Which was nice but completely not what I would have expected since Edward's separation and pending divorce was still fresh. Alice was practically bouncing off of her seat, grinning like a four year old on a tootsie roll high; Jasper seemed to be quietly assessing the situation, he was definitely the ying to her yang. Emmett, well, Emmett seemed to be just all around goofball happy while Rose smirked at us. I was pretty sure she had been the one cat-calling and yelling at us to get a room.

Yeah, like that would happen. Well, maybe. Someday. I'd hoped.

Edward and I didn't kiss again during the evening, I was afraid of making a move. The loud music made it hard for us to talk about anything. I was going to let him lead the way, and well, he didn't kiss me again. So yeah, didn't happen.

He did kiss me on the cheek as we parted ways outside the club. I headed home. Alone. But feeling light; all floaty, happy with a stupid grin on my face. Maybe I was high. Who knew what they put in those fruity drinks.

When I got home and sunk myself into bed, I thought of what had transpired throughout the evening. As expected, Mr. Perfect gave me what I needed, but he fell a little short. The "O" was there but Edward wasn't.

Yup, quite the conundrum.

XOXOXOXO

Sunday flew by since I had to get a lot of my shit together to prepare for the busy week ahead. Turns out Edward and I had a lot in common when it came to our work ethic. It was just ironic that I had more than I could handle because his wife left him. Yeah, the irony kills me too.

He worked odd shifts that left us unable to see each other much. We did talk on the phone a lot. And well, if I was completely honest, sometimes, just the sound of his voice made me all wet. I didn't dare tell him that though. I mean, we weren't there yet and well, I didn't want him to think I was a total pervert. Even if I really was.

Seriously, are you not listening?

Anyways, I ended up putting in longer hours than I had even originally intended as Lauren explained that the new hire was unable to start right away. Whatever, I didn't want to hear any excuses, I just wanted some God damned help. It was infuriating, but there was nothing I could do about it except work my pretty little ass off and cross my fingers.

Edward and I kept in contact with each other in spite of our schedules. Every conversation we had felt natural and I really hoped I would get to kiss him again. Maybe sooner than later. No, sooner, it needed to be sooner. Definitely.

God, the thoughts that came into my head whenever his image filtered through my hazy lust filled brain sent me reeling. I seriously needed to get laid. With a real dick. Attached to a real man. Maybe one whose initials are EC. Ya know cause Mr. Perfect's plastic peen, although pretty entertaining and quite honestly quite mind shattering in the past, just wasn't doing it for me anymore.

Now, don't get me started on that fucktard, Mr. Perfect. Turns out vibrators can die. Yeah, just what I needed. I decided against giving him a proper burial. I was pretty angry that he had died before fulfilling his proper duties. So when trash day had rolled around on Thursday, I took him out with the rest of the garbage.

By Friday morning, I had had enough of my seven a.m. to nine p.m. work weeks and told Lauren I wasn't staying there for a minute past five.

And I didn't.

I had made the decision to call Alice and have a girl's night. Jasper worked late on Friday's so I knew she'd most likely be alone and Edward was still on the six p.m. to six a.m. shift, so seeing him was out of the question. God, I couldn't wait for him to change shifts. He was supposed to get six a.m. to six p.m. for the next four weeks. That would give us some time to see each other and neither of us could wait. Every time it was mentioned it almost felt like he was getting released from prison or something.

I'd give him some release. My girlie bits were desperate for the man.

So Friday, after work, I met up with Alice at the coffee shop. I didn't care what we would be doing as long as it didn't involve Photoshop or color samples.

Alice practically pounced on me when I sat next to her at our usual table. "So, Bella, are you ever going to tell me what's going on between you and Edward?"

I sighed, shaking my head. "No, it's not really any of your business."

She giggled. Fucking Pixie. "Yes it is. As your best friend, it is my duty to know all and see all. How about we go over to my apartment and have a glass of wine?" She grinned, "We could order Chinese and have a movie night."

"Resistance is futile, oh perky one. Sure," I nodded, "but I am not watching that Desperate Housewives marathon again. Those women are crazier than I am."

She stood up and wound her arm around mine, "Yeay, oh Bella, you know very well you're the queen of Crazytown." She giggled at her own statement as she led me outside, towards her apartment.

XOXOXOXO

As we drank our wine and enjoyed the wonderful take-out, I spilled the beans about what had been going on between Edward and me. So I told her all the texts, e-mails, Facebook stalking, the library, and even the undeniable spark. To which she giggled and got a little too over excited, kind of like a Chihuahua on crack.

"Calm down, woman, you're going to have a heart attack. I mean, it's not like we've even had a real date." I sighed dramatically.

She giggled, "Well, you kissed, that counts for something."

"Once, Alice. Only once and as much as I liked it and would love for it to happen again, I don't want to push him into anything, so I'm waiting for his next move. Besides, I feel like I'm in high school, ya know, where kissing was a big deal. I need to get laid." The alcohol had clearly altered my brain filter, but Alice didn't even blink at my statement.

She eyed me curiously, "And you've spoken to each other since then, right?"

"Of course, you know this. Like I just told you, we've been chatting every day for weeks. He's very busy, and well, you know how work has been for me." I shook my head and took another sip from my second glass of wine.

She cocked her head to the side, examining me intently, "You really like him don't you?"

I sighed, staring at the glass in my hand, noticing the soft hue of the wine against the linen tablecloth, "Yeah, too much, I think."

"Then, my sweet Bella, you need to make the next move. Edward hasn't been with anyone other than her. Well, unless you count Jessica Stanley when they were in like ninth grade, and, well I don't. It was very short lived and he started dating Tanya shortly after that." She cocked her eyebrows and her eyes widened, "Bella, Edward is practically a virgin."

I giggled, not entirely sure if it was the statement or the wine. It might have been both. "He did mention that he had, and I quote 'no game'."

Alice let out a loud snort, "Oh, my God, that is just sooo him. He got the looks and the brains but when it came to girls, Edward had always been on the shy side."

I smiled, thinking about how much I loved his cute way of blushing at some of my word vomit. "I love the way he blushes, it's the cutest thing."

"I'll take your word for it." She giggled.

We picked up our empty food containers and put them away, and then we cleaned up after ourselves in the kitchen before retiring to the living room with our re-filled glasses of wine. I was getting plastered, and quick. But it felt nice to just be with Alice this way since we hadn't had a chance to do that in a long while. Well, truthfully, since Edward's wedding.

Settling ourselves on her overstuffed sofa, the mood took on a serious note as I contemplated the thing that bothered me the most about this whole Edward-Bella thing. "Seriously, Ali, do you think he's really ready? I mean, he says he is, and you guys say that too but, is he really?"

"Hmm, well hun, I know he's been really happy lately and when you're around he just seems more alive. The other night, when we were all here playing Pictionary, he didn't take his eyes off of you for a second." Alice then leaned over and whispered, as if we weren't the only two people in her apartment, "He says you fascinate him." She giggled, clearly having had enough to drink, "I've never heard anyone say something like that. It's so," she flailed her arms around, "so romantic."

My best friend was clearly drunk. Probably as much as I was.

"Oh, Ali, he fascinates me too." I sighed dreamily laying my head back against the soft backrest of her sofa.

Conversation turned to Jasper and how perfect their life was together. Alice had never thought that living with him would be so much fun. But it was and they were happy. I really thought they were true soul mates, which, in turn, made me think of Edward. It was strange how our conversations always ended up with him as the subject matter. I really had him on my mind.

By midnight, Alice and I had drunk three bottles of wine by ourselves. Jasper had gotten home and had made fun of us for being so giggly happy. He also made fun of us for watching some bad vampire movie in which the vampires sparkled. The lead actor was fuck-hot, even when he was all broody and sparkly. When you're drunk, that shit makes ya laugh. I wondered if his dick was sparkly too. Then, I thought of Emmett's comments about sparkly peen and couldn't stop laughing. Jasper cut me off shortly after that and I was sent home in a cab.

Who could blame the poor guy?

It might have had something to do with the fact that Alice was exceptionally horny when drunk. I shuddered at the thought.

I walked into my apartment and locked the door before making my way to my bed, fully clothed, and throwing myself on it. I kept thinking of Edward.

You were always on my mind...

That Elvis Presley song kept filtering through my brain. So disturbing.

Apparently Alice wasn't the only drunk horny girl I knew.

When I peeked at the alarm clock on my nightstand and it said that it was already two a.m., it occurred to me that Edward was awake. From conversations that we had had, I knew he was currently held up in an office doing some tedious paperwork.

So, without even thinking twice or berating myself over it, I picked up my phone and called him.

"Hello."

"Edwarrrd?" I slurred into the phone.

"Bella, are you okay?"

"I'm greeaat, Edwarrrd. How are you?" I giggled uncontrollably. So giddy to be hearing his voice.

I was probably going to regret this whole conversation in the fresh light of the morning. But his voice was all sexy and nice and I wanted to wrap myself with it and listen to him lull me to sleep.

He laughed, "Are you drunk?"

"Ehmm, well, Alice and I had some wine earlier." I rolled over on my bed and laid back with my head on the pillow.

"That explains a lot." I could hear him smile over the phone, his voice playful in spite of the time of night.

"I just wanted to talk to you. Your voice is sexy. I missed it."

"Oh, did you now?"

"Oh, yes, Mr. Perfect has gotten so much action lately that he had a heart attack and dropped dead." I deadpanned into the phone.

I heard him drop something then clear his throat, "Shit, Bella, don't tell me stuff like that."

I huffed, taken aback a bit, "Why? Does it bother you that I use it while thinking of you?"

I heard him mutter something under his breath, his voice deeper, "No sweetheart, it doesn't bother me in the least. I just," he then let out a huge breath, "fuck, Bella, what are you doing to me?"

I crossed my still fully clothed legs, seeking some friction cause his voice was getting to my hooch, "I don't know, Edward, but every time you're around, I want to get you naked and take advantage of you."

I heard him swallow, "Bella, how much did you and Alice drink?"

"I don't know, Edwarrrd, I think we finished up a few bottles."

"Hmmm, well sweetheart, as much as I'd love to tell you what I'd love to do to your body, and believe me, the list is pretty long, I think you're going to regret this conversation in the morning."

I giggled, he wanted to do things to my body. So hot.

"Oh no, Edwarrrd, I won't. Alice said I should make the next move so if you're not working or doing anything tomorrow night, would you like to come over for to my house for dinner? Do you like lasagna?"

"Okay sweetheart, how about I call you tomorrow and we make plans?"

"Sounds greeaaat, talk to you then."

"Good night, sweetheart."

"Good night, Edward."

I hung up my phone and instantly drifted off to dreamland.

Oh, I would so regret drunk-dialing him in the morning.

A/N: Thank you all for reading and reviewing. Reviews make me happier than drunk-dialing Edward. Well, no, but you get my point! :o)

Sorry if this chapter is a bit short, but it needed to end where it did.

Thanks to WitchyVampireGirl and Scrimmy for their support and for making this story a bit more legible.

And thanks to WitchyVampireGirl for the fuckawesome idea of drunk-dialing! LOL