I know that I am a horrible author BUT between school and starting a new job I have been hard pressed for time. But here it is! The new and hopefully exciting chapter of Something Unexpected!
Audrey's POV
Meditation had always been my way of keeping my gift at bay. Having the ability to see the life-story of everyone I came across at one time was something I considered exciting and allowed me to feel close to people without having to actually interact with them, but after a while it became a burden, the tragedy that is humanity started to weigh heavily on me and I withdrew from civilization almost entirely. I travelled to what was then known as "the orient" and it was there that I found the practice of meditation. I spent years at a remote Buddhist temple learning how to empty my mind in order to keep the lifetime movies at bay. Now I meditate at least once a day, if I miss a session I start feeling heavy and stressed, not a good feeling for anyone but in a vampire it makes us particularly testy. For me, meditation is a way to clear my head and relax but today was different.
The visual "blank space" I resided in during my trance was replaced with an unknown bedroom, I couldn't make out many of the shadowed features but a bed and a mirror, as I looked around in confusion. My eyes landed on the full-length glass and I was shocked by my reflection. My hair was in soft waves down my back and spilling over the red silk robe that I wore. My nude-shadowed eyes trailed down my frame taking in my dark red lip, white thigh-high stockings and gold glitter "screw-me" pumps that were hidden away in my closet back home.
With shaky hands, I went to undo the robe, hoping to glimpse at what was hiding, personal experience let me know that it was some kind of corset but before I could reach the sash, a second set of pale hands stopped me. My eyes quickly darted back to the full reflection in the mirror. I was met with blonde hair and honey-colored eyes. No words were exchanged but I felt as if we were having a conversation all our own.
His strong, steady hands slid smoothly across my abdomen and met at the knot on the sash to my robe. A slight tug undid the scrap of silk that hid my full figure from view, slowly, agonizingly so, the silk and lace was pulled down my body creating a torturous sensation, until I stood in front of the mirror and him in a gold silk corset with a white lace bust and a bow right under, looking like a present to be unwrapped. The matching thong added to the "sex kitten" look that I had no clue I could pull off.
The feeling of strong arms wrapped around me and I was suddenly spun around, making me dizzy for the first time since my turning. His once honey eyes stared into mine with such intensity it felt as if he were staring directly into my soul, they were now a piercing black that sent a shiver up my spine. I knew that the sensation wasn't from the cold, but I could tell if it was from nerves or excited anticipation or perhaps a combination of both but I knew that I didn't want the feeling of butterflies to stop. His face started moving in closer to mine and I raised mine to meet his and just before our lips touched, the room started to shake and I heard a feminine voice calling my name.
I slowly blinked my eyes open and Rosalie's pale beauty came into focus. "Alice is almost ready to go; the weather front she was waiting on moved in early so we can get started ahead of schedule." I nodded and stretched the nonexistent stiffness from my body. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and slipped on my black patent Oxford wedges, I stood to grab my black Burberry cardigan. All I could think as I slipped it and my black sparkly cross-body bag over my head and headed for the door was that I needed to find myself a gold silk corset with a white lace bust and bow.
Carlisle's POV
As I ran leisurely through the forest, Audrey's face kept flitting across my mind. What was it about this woman that had me so distracted? "You really like her don't you?" a voice derailed my train of thought. I came to a stop in a clearing where my boys were lounging.
"Who? Audrey?" I spun to face Emmett, the only one brave and rude enough to ask such a forward question.
"No, Oprah," came his sarcastic reply, "Yes, Audrey!"
I thought about his question, 'how did I feel about Audrey?' She is beautiful, smart and had an impressive history. Even from the first moment I laid eyes on her all those centuries ago, when she was human, I felt a pull toward her. Realizing I hadn't verbally responded to my largest son, so the only one who knew what I was thinking was Edward, I opened my mouth to respond, "Yes." And with that I took off at full speed, leaving a shocked Emmett, a smirking Edward, and a stoic Jasper in my wake.
Audrey's POV
Many hours and as many stores later, we were filtering into our suite with so many bags that no mere mortal could carry. "Thank God for vamp strength," I muttered and thanks to vamp hearing I got a round of chuckles in response. I started my way to my room when a voice stopped me. "What's the corset for?" I turned slowly to face my own personal firing squad.
Ness was the one to ask the question but I could tell all the others were intrigued as well because Alice, Bella, and Rose had all become statuesquely still, as only vampire can be. "If you must know," I sighed, "I had a dream, if you will, why I was meditating and the corset was in it. I've learned over the years to follow my dreams, they are after all how I ended up in Forks and why I opened my store."
"What kind of dream?" Alice's curiosity getting the better of her, "A good one? If the corset is anything to go by." She giggled and waggled her eyebrows at me.
The motion looked so ridiculous on her all I could do was laugh. Soon enough the others joined in and the corset conversation was dropped. After our laughter subsided, we all agreed to pack our things away and meet back in the main room for some quality "girl time."
I shut the door to my room and set about getting my purchases situated. I probably didn't need most of this stuff, but Alice had insisted and the family wasn't kidding when they said she could shop, that girl is a force to be reckoned with. Thankfully I had the forethought to bring only the essentials so I had plenty free space. Hopefully it wouldn't be filled to quickly, this was only day one after all and I have a feeling that we are far from done.
Carlisle's POV
Three days later, the boys and I returned to the house from our last hunt to find four out of the five girls hauling bag after bag into the house. "Missing a body aren't we?" came a southern drawl, "Where's Miss Audrey?" Jasper asked, beating me to my own question. I tried-and probably failed-to seem passively interested in the answer.
"She got a call on the way back, something about her store." Nessie answered as she passed by us into the house with her myriad of bags, "I'm gonna call Jake and see if he wants to get together ok?" She asked without waiting for an answer as she went upstairs.
"Apparently the person she got to cover couldn't make it in today and today is delivery day. So she had to go in." Bella clarified as she handed bags off to her husband. Nodding, I followed my family into the house, disappointed that I wouldn't get to see Audrey until the next time she just happened by the house, or we had a reason swing by her shop, which with our relic collection was probably never. And that's when it hit me…
"Say, Carlisle, we have a lot of furniture and other antiques in storage, just collecting dust," Alice's pixie voice broke into my thought process, "Why don't you go by Audrey's store and see if she would be interested in consigning some of it."
"You know Alice, I was just thinking the same thing," I replied, "And here I thought Edward was the mind reader." The remark earned me chuckles all around. "I'll stop by tomorrow after my shift, which I have to get ready for, if you'll excuse me." I turned and walked up the stairs with the thought of tomorrow making me smile like an idiot.