Kudos to CoryMichael for having a freaking awesome favourites list. It kept me sane the past couple of days. And Yeah, I'm a bit of a profile creeper.
I am surprised at how many of you thought this was over! Never fear my darlings. I have mastered the locating of all wireless connections near my house. I am not going anywhere. Prison, maybe, but I'm sure they'll have a decent connection there. ...lawlz.
I'm also happy with the stories you've all told me of your cats, they're great. cats are stupid, ahah.
Apologies for the shortness of this chapter, but Edward without Bella is boring and depressed. Now, next chapter is something to look forward to, and two chapters after that.
I came up with SO many more ideas for this today. It shall be longer than anticipated. :B
Chapter Ten: Transatlanticism
A month. A whole, excrutiatingly painful month without the love of my life. Pure torture.
Waking up every morning without her made me frown and almost burst into tears, not hearing her moving in the kitch or falling over things in the living room made my shoulders sag. The flat was so depressingly quiet and empty -- cold, without her here.
The result of my gloomy morning was me, walking into work every single day looking like someone had just run over my puppy. Or, sent my 'wife' across the ocean. I'd spent the whole day at my desk, going over files and notes, scheduling meetings with various writers. Whenever I couldn't find anything to preoccupy myself with, I put my head in my hands and cried.
Dry sobbed, at least. Emmett would walk by and notice me and sit down for a mope as well. We were distraught, unable to keep living. Despite how melodramatic it seemed, Katie found it quite humorous.
"Would you two quit acting like a couple of girls and get some work done?" she asked furiously, though there was a smile evident on her face.
"Shut up Katie," Emmett mumbled, crouching down next to my chair, his head barely peeking over my desk at her. "We're heartbroken here, can't you tell? Leave us to be pathetic please." With nothing else to say to his sister he proceeded to sift through the papers in my garbage can.
"I miss Bella," I drew out in a croaky, strained voice. Katie's eyebrows rose and she stifled her laughter.
"Edward, my dear. I realise you miss Bella, but why don't you do something about it, instead of sitting around here making my job difficult?" Katie put her hands akimbo and looked at me expectantly. My head, resting in my hand my my cheek drag up to my eye and my mouth hung open. I looked at her lazily.
"But I have no more vacation time for a long time," I mumbled. Emmett held up a piece of paper and looked at it curiously before tossing it on the floor.
"I wasn't talking about vacation time, Ed," Katie said exaspertedly. She rolled her eyes up to the ceiling and muttered something I couldn't hear. "Listen. When Mr. Hann calls for meetings today, take one," she stressed. "You too, Em." She walked away without another word, glaring at us and clutching the files in her hands tightly. Emmett made a noise.
"Why did you have an appointment for an EKG?" he asked curiously, looking at the doctors' letter I'd thrown in there earlier. I sighed.
"My chest has been feeling funny since Bella left, so my doctor sent me to the hospital to get it checked up. I'll get the results back soon, I suppose..." Emmett stood up and kicked the garbage bin back in place.
"Maybe I should go for one too... my chest has been weird for about a month now..."
"Sort of like, an aching, right from the middle?" I asked, rubbing the spot lightly.
Emmett nodded and mimiced my motions. "Yeah. It eases up a couple times. When I'm on the phone to Rose or something. Other than that it hurts all the time." I nodded. We apparantly had the same affliction.
"Well, when I get my results I'll tell you what to watch out for," I said with a sad smile and he headed down the hall. "Weird palpatations, too," I mumbled, picking up the files on my desk.
Mr. Hann stepped out of his office just as I was opening the filing cabinet, pushing around the folders to find the perfect spot. "Edward," he said happily as he stepped up, his coffee mug refilled and steaming. "We're having a staff meeting in twenty, spread the word for me, would you? Just this floor though. The editors are what I'm after, but get along anyone who's up here." He smiled happily at me, his eyes bright. It was infectious, I grinned back, adopting his good mood. He wobbled for a moment and mumbled, then went back to his office.
I poured my own cup of coffee and told those left in the lunch room about the meetings, telling them to spread it on before I went and found Katie and Emmett.
It wasn't long, before everyone was sitting in the conference room, Emmett and I on the right hand side of Mr. Hann as he stood to address the full table.
"Ladies and gentlemen! The production on our America office has been completed!" There were cheers and applause, I clapped, but to be polite. He flicked on a slide, lighting up the wall behind him with a picture of the building alond with statistics, the address, population around there, square footage, everything. What caught my attention was the address, and as I turned to look at Emmett, I was sure by the expression on his face that he caught it too. Katie was standing in the back with a smug grin on her face. I glared.
"My partner, Mr. Michaels is well equipped with some very good workers, but I thought that to start him out properly, a few english representatives were in order. So, I'll be having some meetings with you, interviews, if you will," Mr. Hann explained. He caught my eye for a moment and I grinned. "I'll admit, there is some preference as to who the job would go to, if they be willing to take it, and a raise is in order. Your trip will be paid, your lodging paid until you can find your own place, and the expenses for moving you things will also be handled by us. So, no worries, you will be compensated. First class flights. Nice hotels. You know. All that jazz." We stood there, shocked. There were a few murmurs here and there, but for the most part, silence.
Mr. Hann looked at us all expectantly, waiting for anyone to ask any questions. "I'll be in my office, waiting for you. And you really should make a point of seeing me, I hope to have you flying out by the end of this week!" He finished with a flourish of his hand and turned around, heading towards the door into his office. I stood there, mouth agape as Katie and everyone else left through the main door.
"Emmett," I gasped. "Do you realise what this means?" I turned to him and he looked ecstatic.
"Edward, I haven't had sex in a month and that could be resolved in one week!" I grimaced, and felt my face heat up. I didn't want to let him know how long I'd been without sex.
"Besides that, Em. We could get back to the girls, like-- permanently! We could be living right down the street from them!" I exclaimed, jumping out of my chair. Emmett stood up with a wicked grin on his face.
"Do you think you're ready for that kind of commitment, mate?" he asked. I froze. Bella was everything I'd ever ask for. I knew she was it. This pain I was feeling from our separation was too strong. My body didn't feel right without her next to it at night, I felt so empty, like I was cut in half. And by God, whenever I saw her on that screen or heard her voice on the phone, my blood started pumping faster than I could keep up with. I'd often excused myself from conversations with her to take cold showers. I needed her near me, so badly.
"Of course I am, Emmett, are you insane?" I said. He laughed with me, but I adopted a serious face and placed my hands on his shoulders. "But are you ready to chase one girl 20,000 leagues across the sea, or whatever, even if it means a complete change in job location, not to mention-- country, no! Continent?" I rose an eyebrow at him, daring him to answer. He swallowed heavily and thought for a moment.
"I most certainly am," he said seriously. "Rosalie is all I've ever wanted." I grinned, feeling it reach my eyes for the first time in weeks. With Emmett close by my side we stepped up to Mr. Hann's door and tapped lightly on it, before opening it up to peek inside.
"Mr. Hann?" I asked softly. "You're not to busy, are you? Might we have a word?"
Four days.
Four days was all it took for me to pack up all of my valuables and necessities, and things that could possibly be used in two different continents, and packed it into the truck the company sent over. I drove over to Emmett's house, following behind the moving van. Emmett was waiting in the driveway with his few boxes packed up in front of him. I pulled in next to Katie's car. Emmett passed his things up to the workers and sent them on their way before climbing into the car with Katie and myself.
We drove in silence on the way to the airport. Katie concentrated on the traffic around us and on not getting into an accident, after nearly witnessing one. She was going to sell our cars and my flat while we were gone, and send over the money as soon as she could. I'd called my mother the night before. She was pleased with my 'promotion' of sorts, and she said she was hoping to hear from Bella and I soon. Katie struck up a conversation with Emmett about Rose. I stared out the window, absently rubbing the spot on my chest where it used to hurt, but now it was feeling a bit more at ease. We both hugged and kissed Katie goodbye and she wished us luck on getting our girls.
I was ecstatic, on the plane. I did not want to sleep. I did not want to eat the meal they offered me. I wanted to watch the movie they were showing to get my mind off of Bella for two seconds.
I ate the meal. I put on the headphones from my iPod, to a playlist labelled "Lullaby". I took a blanket and pillow offered to me. I shut the window and curled onto my side, letting my full stomach lead me into sleep.
I woke up when we were landing. Emmett was snoring softly next to me. A baby cried from somewhere behind the curtain. I nudged him awake and he awoke with a grunt. We both tried to wipe the sleep from our eyes, but had no problem when the plane started skidding to a halt. That jolted us awake.
Someone screamed behind us, surprised by the impact. Emmett and I laughed, passing back the pillows and blankets. I unbuckled myself and hurriedly took our things out of the overhead compartment.
We were the first off the plane.
Out front a car sent by the company was waiting for us. I grinned widely, grabbing the keys while Emmett politely asked for directions. He came back, after listening to the old lady a couple of times, still not understanding where to go. I snickered and pulled out my new phone, dialing a number I was sure to become accustomed with.
I'm thinking I'll close the poll soon. Haha I forgot about it. I should probably work on that, get everything clued up. Someone go yell at LL.ove and Twifan to update their ridiculously awesome stories.
AND VJGM! YELL AT HER TOO!
Um. No update tomorrow. Monday night, perhaps. I have my last midterm monday, so I should praaahbably study. nighty night!
THANK YOU FOR NEARLY 800!!