Two in one day! Phew, what an undertaking. Hope you enjoy! (p.s. the frequency of posts is directly proportional to the frequency of reviews, it seems. I love seeing you guys' thoughts!)
Friday morning, Bella was enjoying a cup of coffee with Alice and Angela at the coffee shop around the corner from her studio. Alice, on her second cup of coffee, was nearly jumping out of her skin, begging Bella for details on Edward.
"So Victoria just 'stopped by?'" Alice gasped, including air quotes for effect, while Angela shook her head in disbelief at the ex-girlfriend's gall.
"Yep," Bella sighed. "But she didn't stay for long…Edward showed up and made things interesting." She took a sip of her mocha to hide her smile, because she knew that the Edward bit would throw the two girls into hysterics.
"What?!" They both exclaimed at the same time, flipping their heads around to stare in shock at each other.
"So what happened then?" Angela asked in a shrill voice.
"Well, we sort of made it seem like we were…a couple." Bella's voice lowered in decibel with each word, until she nearly whispered the last two words. She looked up with a cringe, wondering how the two girls would react to that information.
Silence was all she heard, and when she glanced up to her two best friends, they were staring open mouthed at Bella.
"And, how exactly did you do that, Bella, dear?" Alice asked, accentuating each word carefully. Bella blushed in response, wondering how to word what happened next.
"So, um, we, you know, kind of snuggled. And, I don't know, insinuated that we had slept together." The three girls burst into giggles simultaneously at the idea.
"And, so, she left and you just went back to work after all those charades?" Angela asked with a wry grin, arching her eyebrow at Bella saucily.
Bella glanced at her nails, suddenly absorbed with her chipped manicure. "Well, erm, there was perhaps some kissing afterwards."
Alice pointed her fork at Bella in fake menace. "Spill. All. The. Deets."
Bella stood up, looking around for the refill station. "Shame on you girls, a woman does not make out on top of a counter and tell." With a wink, she trotted away to top off her coffee, leaving her friends in stunned silence.
Just before seven that night, Bella was panicking, trying to put the final touches on her makeup with the scant few minutes left. Edward had said seven, and she knew that he'd likely be right on time. Finally, with just a minute to spare, Bella stepped back to look in the mirror, flipping her hair back behind her shoulder to give herself a once over.
Bella straightened her dress, which Alice had lent her this morning. It was simple, red, and snug to her form, and total departure from her normal wardrobe. But, according to Alice, she looked like a total "vixen," and apparently Edward would want to ravish her once he saw her. Hearing this, Bella of course blushed profusely and then donned the dress, hoping that any ravishing would happen post-dinner and not over the appetizers.
Just as expected, Bella's doorbell dinged right at seven. She rolled her eyes at Edward's lawyer-like punctuality and rushed to the door, nearly tripping over her purse by the couch. She opened the door, slightly out of breath, and the rest of her breath left her quickly when she took in the vision in front of her. There was Edward, standing tall and commanding on her front porch in a blue suit and white shirt, unbuttoned at the collar and showing a delectable sliver of chest. His copper locks were the perfect combination of disheveled and coiffed, just begging to be mussed by her hands. His own hands were tucked into his pockets, stretching the tight material of his slim cut slacks across his hips, and Bella's eyes couldn't help but linger on that area. What has gotten into me? She wondered at herself. Perhaps this dress does have vixen powers.
"Bella," Edward's lips turned up in a half smile as he said her name, "you look incredible." His eyes roamed her form for a second longer than usual, and Bella felt her skin prickle under his gaze.
"Thanks," Bella said quietly, suddenly shy in his presence. She was comfortable as his interior decorator, but as the object of his obvious affections, she felt out of her element. She scooped her purse up from its place by the door and grabbed her black trench coat from its hook. Never forget about the possibility of rain in Seattle. She then stepped outside of her house, locking the door and turning toward Edward once more. "Ready?" she asked, and he nodded his answer, offering her his arm, which was much appreciated because while her black peep-toed pumps weren't the highest she'd ever worn, they most definitely made traversing the stairs more difficult.
Two hours and a bottle of wine later, Bella was sitting back in her seat at their table, utterly stuffed from their meal. Edward had gone all out, picking a delicious seafood restaurant on the marina where they ordered crab cakes, grilled lobster, and a seared scallop salad before finishing it off by sharing a tiramisu for dessert.
Edward raised his almost empty wine glass in her direction, "I'm impressed, Bella," he said, taking his last sips of wine. "I never thought that you'd be able to stand up to me in a battle of seafood feasting, but you certainly held you own."
She smiled indulgently in his direction, finishing off her glass as well. "My dad raised me, and food was our life. I've always enjoyed a good meal, and tonight was no exception. The food was fantastic," she explained.
"And the company," Edward countered, his eyes meeting hers in a lasting gaze.
"Yes," she nearly whispered. "That too."
Edward paid the check, though Bella fought diligently to contribute. He argument lasted but a moment before Edward firmly ended it, telling her there was no way she would pay on a date he'd invited her on, and if she wanted to pay so badly, she'd have to ask him out next. That effectively shut her up, and she sat silently as she watched him pay, marveling at how quickly this business partnership had turned into something completely different.
The two of them walked outside, where Edward paused for a moment. "After I dropped you here, I parked the car over there, in the lot at the end of the marina. I can go get it and pick you up," he explained.
"No," Bella said, placing her hand on his arm to pause his retreat. "It's a beautiful night for once, and the car isn't too far. Let's walk." She donned her jacket and walked through the restaurant door onto the sidewalk that ran the length of the marina. They began walking past the adjacent buildings, which were mainly closed shops as well as other restaurants and some local bars. It was only nine, and people were passing by in groups and couples, heading into their respective locations to continue the revelry of the evening.
In true Bella fashion, she was walking perfectly until she stumbled over a slight crack in the sidewalk, catching herself on Edward's strong arm. He stopped turned toward her to steady her, asking with concern, "Are you alright?"
Bella rolled her eyes up at him with a smile. "Oh, that's a normal occurrence. I'm pretty much indestructible at this point, with all the bumps and bruises and breaks I've survived. I'm like a road map of destruction, if you follow the scars." She gestured vaguely around her body, laughing at her well-known clumsiness.
"Well, we'll have to be careful then, won't we?" Edward asked, his voice low and deep in the night air. He reached up and tucked a lock of hair back behind her ear and then let the back of his hand graze along her cheekbone. "I hate to imagine this beauty being marred in any way."
Bella's eyelids fluttered at his touch, and she leaned into his hand unconsciously. She knew what was coming next. A kiss. And this time, she was one hundred percent ready and willing for it.
Just before his lips descended to hers, Bella thought she heard a familiar voice say her name not far from where they stood, near the corner of a local bar. "Bella?" she heard again, and this time she turned in the direction of the voice, her eyes focusing on the person just feet from her and Edward.
"Jacob?" She said, first as a question, and then as an exclamation. "Jacob! Oh, hi, what are you doing here?" As she spoke, she backed slightly away from Edward, turning her body toward her friend and contractor in greeting.
Jacob, while happy to see Bella, was clearly aware of what he'd stumbled upon between Bella and Edward, and his eyes darted between them in assessing gaze. "I'm meeting some friends inside for some beers. It's Schmitty's birthday this weekend."
Bella smiled tightly, obviously trying to look interested but not really trying to continue the conversation much longer. She felt Edward's presence beside her burning a hole in her subconscious. She knew that Edward was aware of Jacob's more-than-friends feelings for her, and she knew that Jacob was newly in the loop about her and Edward's more-than-business relationship. She was just praying neither of them mentioned anything about it…
"So…" Jacob drew out the word, and Bella saw his eyes narrow on Edward beside her. "You two are awfully dressed up to discuss bedspreads and area rugs, don't you think? And it seems pretty late for a business meeting." Bella tightened her lips, annoyed at his observation.
"Bella, if you're done with your client," she cringed when he emphasized the last word, "you're welcome to join the group. You know all of them from high school, of course. I'd love to have you be my date." Jacob smirked at Edward, clearly driving the point home that he'd be happy to "rescue" Bella from her current situation with Edward, which Jacob clearly thought was necessary.
Edward stood a little taller beside Bella at Jacob's invitation. "Actually, Jacob, Bella is already on a date, with me."
Jacob scoffed at Edward's words. "Bella, you've got to be kidding me here. You're out with this guy? He's your client." Jacob was getting louder by the word, which was contrasted by Bella's mortified silence. Jacob took her lack of response as affirmation, and this time grew angry. "Well, fine, Bella. You want to go on dates with your clients? It's your decision to be inappropriate. Just remember this before you jump into bed with him: he's paying you." And with that, Jacob whirled around and stalked through the barroom door, leaving a shocked Bella and a fuming Edward in his wake.
"That bastard," Edward growled, pacing around the sidewalk. "I can't believe he said that to you, Bella." He turned to look at her, and his angry gaze softened at her crushed expression. "I'm so sorry he talked to you like that. He's just jealous that we're out together, and that it's not the two of you. I promise, this isn't inappropriate."
Bella could hardly make her lips move, still reeling from the disbelief of one of her oldest friends publicly shaming her like that. No matter how she felt about Edward, Jacob's words echoed in her head, pressuring her to deny her true feelings. "Maybe you should just take me home, Edward."
Edward clamped his lips tightly and sighed, willing to do whatever to make Bella feel more comfortable after that encounter. He finished walking them to his car, opened her door, and helped her inside, before striding around to the driver's side. They rode in hesitant silence back to her wanted so badly to talk, to clear the air, but she couldn't make herself form words. Edward was clearly holding something in, but he kept silent out of respect for her.
They finally pulled up outside her home, and Edward jumped out of the car to run around and open her car door. Bella rose from the seat and accepted his arm as he walked her up the lit front steps to her porch. She lingered, not wanting to end the night like this, but unsure of how to resolve it. Instead, she stared at her hands as they fiddled with her keys.
Out of nowhere, Edward exclaimed. "Enough of this!" Bella nearly jumped out of her skin at the unexpected exclamation; at least Edward had the presence of mind to look ashamed for scaring her. "I'm sorry. But, enough. Here, sit down please. I need to say something."
Edward led Bella to the wicker love seat that stood next to her front door. They sat down, knees touching as they faced one another. Edward placed a finger under Bella's chin and lifted it slightly so that he could look into her eyes.
"Bella," he began in a much softer voice, "I know what is happening between us is confusing. You're my interior designer, and I'm your client. I'm your friends' cousin, and you were a stranger to me just two weeks ago. But I don't care about any of that. I like you. I like the way you treat others. I like your taste in books. I like the silly jokes you make. I like that you're far more beautiful than you realize. I like you, Bella, and I'm not going to stop just because some jerk with a grudge tells me to."
Bella's eyes widened at his declaration, taking in his sincere expression as he spoke. Once he finished, his gaze refocused on hers and she felt compelled to respond.
"I, uh," she started off roughly, before clearing her throat and starting again. "I feel the same. You're right, I'm confused and anxious and excited and uncomfortable all at the same time, which is a new mix of emotions for me. I take my job really seriously, Edward. And similarly, I take new relationships seriously as well. So mixing them is hard, especially when my feelings are so new, and so strong. But I honestly don't know how to deny them any more. Not like I've been doing a good job of it up til now anyway." She finished her response with a helpless shrug, and both Edward and Bella chuckled at the comment, both thinking of their two passionate kisses thus far.
"But I'm nervous, Edward," Bella continued. "I don't date often, and I never date clients, so I'm navigating uncharted territory here."
Edward nodded, understanding Bella's hesitancy. "I would say we should just wait until you're done with my place, but honestly, the selfish part of me says to hell with professionalism. We've already shared two unbelievable kisses, which I would like to recreate over and over again. Plus we just returned from date, so there goes that notion anyway."
Bella laughed at his explanation, more at ease with the idea now that she was fully aware that Edward could give a damn about putting on any sort of professional airs. Though it was uncharacteristic of her, she was so tempted to throw her own insecurities out the window, especially as his hands cupped hers and his fingers traced along the insides of her wrists.
"All I'm asking is this: just be brave with me, Bella," Edward pleaded. He placed a hand against her cheek, tracing his thumb against her lips, which parted easily at the touch. Bella sighed lightly, turning her face into his hand and kissing his palm lightly. She turned back to him and gave him a thoughtful stare before standing up. At first, Edward looked defeated. She was denying him. But then, she extended her hand out to him, and he accepted it, standing up beside her.
"Let's go inside, Edward. I want to be brave."
One chapter closer to sexy time. Stay tuned soon to see what happens when they go inside!