The Firm

Thank you once again for all the reviews. Wow is all I can say.

Dollybigmomma cleans up this mess. She rules the world.

SM owns, I borrow and play.

Chapter 10

Bella

I found myself caressing and smelling the flowers for the rest of the day. Seth Clearwater had sent them to me. The blushing Betty Boop had given him away before I even read his message. He was an idiot, but I liked him, he was a good friend. Sitting back in my chair, I considered whether my feelings of friendship for this giant of a man could perhaps be more. Nah, I doubted it. There was no tingle, no throbbing, and definitely no damp panties. My feelings were strictly platonic for Seth. I hoped he felt the same way, I would have liked for us to be friends at least.

It was late in the afternoon when a raucous laugh broke my concentration. It definitely wasn't Emmett, I'd come to know his laughter already. Being nosey, I took a peek outside my door. Edward? It was Edward laughing, his face a picture of happiness as he had a lighter moment with Jessica. I felt sheepish for interrupting and looked down at my Jimmy Choos so he could not see my obvious embarrassment.

When he led me back in through my door, I could not speak, his touch causing molten lava to travel throughout my body. Shit, I needed to control this before I jumped him here in the fucking office. When he eventually broke the contact, I noticed once again that he was looking at his hand. A deep throb erupted through my nether regions knowing that he had felt it, too. Damn it all, this was bad. How would we be able to work together with this...whatever the fuck this was, going on between us?

Then he did what I would have expected of any man, he did not let me down. He acted like a dufus, insulted me, and insinuated that Seth was less of a man because he had sent me flowers. I dismissed him before I really lost the plot. I slumped down in my chair when he was gone, defeated, angry, and thoroughly pissed off.

I knew it was childish, but I did not want to see him so the next morning, I closed my blinds and stayed hidden in my office. Cowardly, I knew, but that was what I felt right then. I had taken Seth's flowers home with me, something I wouldn't have thought to do if Edward had not been so, so...annoying.

I heard rather than saw him leave. I was surprised as it was much earlier than usual. Good, it meant that I wouldn't have to hide; it also meant I would not bump into him later if I nipped out to get a coffee. Fucking men. I left at the usual time. Quil simply nodded and glanced at his watch as I exited the building.

Climbing into bed a couple of hours later exhausted, I settled down for the night. Then my phone chirped with a message. I was going to ignore it, but my conscience got the better of me and I sat up and turned on the lamp at the side of my bed.

Hey, Bella!

So how about lunch this week?

I miss you and your blush! :)

Seth.

The man was a buffoon, but he made me laugh and blush, and right now I could do with a dose of Seth Clearwater, he just might make me rethink my conclusion that all men were not worth the bother. I fired out a quick reply and hoped he did not start a text conversation because I wanted to go to sleep.

Lunch sounds good

Thank you for the flowers, they're lovely.

I would have agreed to lunch without them, though!

Let me know when.

Bella

He didn't text back, thank god, and so I went to sleep. My sleep was disturbed once again, however, by dreams of Edward Cullen and my vivid imagination's recreation of his enormous prowess in the bedroom. I woke up in a cold sweat at three o'clock in the morning and had to go get myself a drink of water just to calm me down. What the fuck was this man doing to me? Sitting on the edge of my bed, I wondered how best I should deal with my growing…what word should I have used to describe how I felt about Edward Cullen? Feelings? Infatuation? Crush? The hots? I did not know what to even call it. All I knew was that he had me in a flat spin and I did not know if I was on my arse or my tits most of the time. I felt like I was a physical wreck.

It was Friday before I knew it and I still hadn't heard from Seth about our lunch date. Maybe he had forgotten, or maybe he had just been too busy. Our office was certainly busy, a hive of activity, with people coming and going. People I had never seen before filtered past my door. I closed it, wanting to keep the disturbance to a minimum. I guess it was a fallacy that it was quiet on this executive floor. I did not see Edward, but Jasper and Emmett met and greeted the visitors loudly. A little too loudly for my liking. At just after four o'clock, I was unable to concentrate anymore so I packed up and made my way out.

"Heading out early, Bella?" Jessica asked as I walked past her desk.

"Yeah, there are too many distractions in here today for me. I can get more done at home where it's quiet."

"Okay, I'll see you on Monday, have a good weekend," she added happily.

It was almost eight o'clock when I received a text from Seth asking me to meet him for lunch the next day. I was free so I figured why not. I had a night out planned for later Saturday with Alice and Rose, but lunch would not interfere with that.

Dressed casually in skinny jeans and a rugby-style shirt, I headed out to meet with Seth. He was already waiting when I arrived right on time.

"Hey, Seth, I'm not late am I?" I asked, but I already knew I wasn't.

"No, Bella, you're right on time, come take a seat. So, what do you fancy to eat?"

"I might've known you only got me here for the food," I joked.

"You know me so well, Miss Swan. So, how's your week been? I heard Edward's back."

"Busy, and yes, he is. Have you seen him? I haven't seen you round the office."

"Um, yeah, I went round to his place for a few drinks the other night. We had some catching up to do."

"Ah, male bonding; how was that for you?" I laughed.

"Well, I don't know about male bonding, but we talked, got some stuff straightened out. It's all good."

It sounded like Seth and Edward had needed to clear the air and I wondered if my flowers had anything to do with it. We went quiet while we ate, but it was comfortable for a while, then suddenly it wasn't; Seth looked nervous and I wondered what he had up his sleeve and why he had really invited me out to lunch.

"So, Bella, have you missed me this week? I mean after being in court earlier in the week and our breakfast meetings, you kind of have to have missed me a little, right?"

"Seth, where do I begin? Missed you? No, I've been too busy. I do miss your personality, though. It sure beats the men I'm used to dealing with."

"You've been having trouble with the men in your office? Newton has always fancied himself a ladies' man. I can't believe he's not fawning at your feet. Then there's Jazz, he's a smooth one who also likes the ladies, and there's Emmett, he's like a real live teddy bear; everyone loves Emmett."

"I wasn't talking about Mike, actually, or Jasper and Emmett for that matter."

"Who then? Surely not Edward? I mean, I know he's a grumpy bastard and a workaholic, but all the ladies seem to fall for his good looks and killer smile, and that sex hair thing he has going on..."

"Can we not talk about this, please? I want to have lunch with you and relax, not think about work and people that annoy me."

"Ah, Bella, come on, spill, what has he done? Tell Uncle Seth all about what nasty Edward Cullen has done to upset you."

"Uncle? We're about the same age, Seth, I certainly don't think of you like an uncle. More like a pesky younger brother or cousin maybe," I said laughing.

"You cut me, Isabella, you're a cruel woman," he said grinning widely but clutching his heart.

"Edward Cullen is, well, Edward Cullen, an enigma in his own right. He's pig-headed and arrogant, rude and obnoxious, and he annoys the shit out of me every time he opens his mouth."

"Wow, those are pretty strong words there, Swan. He thinks highly of you, just so you know. He told me he rates you highly, too; feels that they were lucky to snap you up so early in your career. Edward likes to run a tight ship up there; if he's singing your praises so early on, you must've made a good impression."

"It's not me that's the problem, Seth, it's him. He can't open his mouth without insulting me, or you for that matter."

"He insulted me? Tell me more. Do I need to kick his arse?"

"It was over the flowers; when I told him they were from you, he said, and I quote, 'Seth Clearwater sent you flowers?' He said it like it was something that was just not done. He also said that he obviously didn't know you as well as he thought."

"And you took exception to that did you? I don't think it was an insult, Bella, more of an observation. We spoke about it the other night. He was just surprised I sent you flowers."

"Why would he even be interested? And why did you send me flowers?"

"Do I need a reason to send a pretty lady who I happen to like a lot flowers? Oh, and Edward is interested, I think that's his problem."

"What? What do you mean?" My heart was now pounding in my chest as I waited for some sort of clarification.

"Look, just don't shoot the messenger, okay? I think, first of all, I need to tell you what I've seen, or rather observed, from both of you. Bella, you like him, Edward that is. Jesus, every time I mention his name, you blush and look at your shoes. You wouldn't have used such strong words about him if you didn't feel something. I know you're not interested in me. Sure, you like me, using your own words, like a younger brother or cousin, but you don't blush when you talk to me, and I can see pretty clearly that the 'like' you have for me is different from the 'like' you have for Edward. Bella, if you like him, talk to him. But also know that I'm an option."

I gulped down the panic that was starting to rise in my throat. Did Seth just say he wanted me to consider him as a possible suitor? Shit, no way, I mean I liked him, a lot, but as a boyfriend, um, no, just…no. At least I didn't think I could think of him like that.

"Don't be silly, Seth, he's my boss," I threw back at him. "Besides, there's a strict no-fraternization policy in place that coincidently he insisted be put in everyone's contract. He's not interested in me, not like that, anyway."

"How do you know? Has he said so? And stop trying to hide behind the no-fraternization policy for fucks' sake. Just like fucking Cullen," he added quietly.

"No, he doesn't need to, why would he be interested in me? I mean look at me; I'm hardly in his league now am I? Look, I think he's probably not used to having someone challenge him in his domain, that's all it is. Jasper and Emmett seem to let him have his way most of the time from what I've observed so far. He's nothing but a spoiled chauvinistic pig."

Seth shook his head at my little rant. "Bella, can I be honest with you? Even though you might not like what I have to say?"

"Of course you can, Seth. I'm a big girl; I can handle whatever it is you have to say," I held up three of my fingers like a girl guide.

"Okay, so, from an outsider looking in, this is what I see and what I've witnessed. You're a beautiful young woman, Bella, confident in the workplace, less so outside of your comfort zone. I think that you have little experience with men, probably because you've given all your attention to school and then your career. Am I right so far?"

I nodded, but wanted to correct him about the being beautiful thing.

"I think you're attracted to Edward, a man who can have any woman he wants and it's thrown you. I'm guessing you've not had a reaction like this before and it's making you act differently than usual. You need to talk to him, Bella. Look, if I tell you this, you have to promise me you'll do something about it. You won't let this...opportunity go to waste."

"Just tell me, Seth; I'm not making you any promises, though."

He sighed deeply before carrying on. "He's struggling just as much as you are. He's attracted to you because you're beautiful and brilliant and totally on his wavelength when it comes to work. You're his equal, Bella; you challenge him and he doesn't know how to handle that. In all the time I've known him, he's never had a girlfriend. Sure, he's taken loads of woman out, fancy dinners, social events, but they were just dates of necessity, Bella. He doesn't do relationships. Like you, he's married to his work. Enter one Isabella Swan and bang, he's a goner. He told me about the spark, Bella. He's not wrong is he, telling me that you felt it, too?"

"No, I felt it, too, on more than one occasion," I looked down at my now-empty plate.

"See, Bella, he's not the arrogant idiot he's making himself out to be. He's running scared. Why do you think he went to Paris? I'll tell you what I told him. You need to talk to each other. Jesus, if this thing, whatever it is, is so strong, then I think you both deserve to explore it, give it a chance, give each other the chance. I know what you're going to say, the fucking no-fraternization policy, and yeah, he's worried about the same thing, too. But you're both professionals, Bella. Even if this doesn't work out, I think you can both deal with the working together thing."

"Did he ask you to talk to me?" I asked him wanting to know the truth.

"No, he didn't, I offered. This is messing with his head, Bella, he's all over the place and he hates it. I've never seen him like this before, ever. I recognised that someone who knew you both needed to help you along a little. I was going to see if you felt like he did, report back, and let him take it from there. I'm right, though, aren't I? You like him, too, and you're feeling all the things Edward is feeling."

"Yes, Seth, I admit it. He has me in a flat spin, so much so that I've even confessed to my girlfriends about him. Believe me; I wouldn't do that if this were not throwing me a curveball, too. So what now?"

"Well, I guess I should tell him it's game on."

"Believe me, Seth, this is no game."

"I know; sorry, bad choice of words. I'll talk to him and let him know it's up to him now."

I thought things over for a few minutes before responding. "No, don't tell him, leave it to me."

"Bella, what are you up to?

So what do you think she'll do?

Let me know!

Until next time…