A/N: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just make the characters do sick, twisted things.

Posting this one early, as I won't have time to do so tomorrow. Didn't think anyone would mind.

Shout out to AzureEyedI for being awesome.

WARNING: This chapter contains reference to alcohol use and mild lemons. If you don't like lemony goodness or overindulgence in alcohol… then you're reading the wrong fanfic, mate.

Chapter 11

I swirled my fourth rum and Coke and looked back out over the patio. The lights of downtown seemed brighter than before, industrial fireflies giving off their cold beaconing glow. I checked my watch.

It had been almost an hour since Edward left, and I hadn't wanted to leave in case he came looking for me. I'd walked back into the VIP area and ordered another drink, but had come back out here immediately. I checked my watch again and decided to go inside and look for Alice.

I reentered the club and the bass assaulted my ears. The dance floor was much more crowded than before, and I had a difficult time negotiating my way around. I didn't see Alice, and I moved slowly towards the bar, which had patrons standing four deep in most areas. I craned my head but couldn't see the banquette where we had been sitting earlier; I pushed around two tall men and saw the top of Jasper's head. I pressed through the outer edge of the bar crowd and saw that he was sitting alone at the banquette, drink on the table before him. An odd feeling of relief washed through me and I sat down at the other end and scooted towards him.

"Hey, Jasper!"

He looked at me and nodded.

"Do you know where Edward is?"

He started to tell me something, but the music was so loud, he immediately gave up. He held up his hands in an 'I'm not sure' gesture. I nodded.

"What about Alice?"

He pointed to the middle of the dance floor, and after a moment I saw Alice's hair in the middle of a large crowd of dancers. Her hands were above her head, the strobe lights illuminating her in staccato beats. I hope no one here has epilepsy.

I looked back at Jasper, but his eyes had returned to watching the crowd of dancers before us. I scooted out of the banquette. "I'll be back," I mouthed, and he nodded with a small, polite smile.

I made my way towards the rest room, scanning the crowd as I walked. I passed the DJ booth, and saw him, standing against the wall, talking animatedly with a tall redhead. She laughed at something he said and moved in, hand on his chest, before backing up slightly and touching her hair. I moved closer to the other wall, continued down the hallway to the rest room, but he never looked away from her face.

I spent the next ten minutes in the rest room, half hoping that he would be gone when I walked out, half hoping that he would still be there, half hoping he would just be alone the next time I saw him. How many halves do you have, Bella?

I washed my hands, straightened my clothes and tried to smooth my hair, to no avail. I sighed, took a deep breath, and walked out of the restroom.

He was still standing there, this time with another dark-haired girl and a tall black man. I tried to catch Edward's eye as I walked by, but he was engrossed in his conversation. I checked my watch; it had been an hour and a half since he had left me on the patio.

I made my way to the bar to order my fifth drink, bumming a cigarette off of a man standing next to me.

"I hope this is your brand." He smiled at he lit it for me, and I returned the smile.

I inhaled carefully. "Right now, any cigarette is my brand."

"Can I buy you a drink?" he smiled again and moved closer.

I smiled back and shrugged my shoulders. "What are you having?"

"Long Island Iced Tea." I nodded, and he turned to the bartender.

A moment later he turned back, holding a glass and a shot, and handed them to me.

"Here, I bought a shot of Stoli for my friend, but he doesn't want it." A smile.

"Thanks!" I sipped the Long Island. He cocked his head to one side. "I've seen you before. Do you go to school around here?"

I smiled and shook my head. "No, I work… at a bar, but not this one." Uh oh. What are the odds?

"I'm Colin."

I nodded. "Irina."

He looked at me again, and recognition spread across his face. "Yeah! I thought I recognized you! You're the new girl at the Platinum!" He turned to tap his friend on the shoulder. "Hey! Do you remember that chick…"

I didn't hear the rest. I backed away from him, disappearing into the crowd.

* * * * *

I carried my drinks and my cigarette back through the VIP area and out to the patio. I breathed a sigh when I saw that the patio was still empty; I hadn't realized that I actually wanted to be alone with my thoughts.

I took a drink of my Long Island and poured the remainder of the shot into the glass. I tapped my cigarette, putting it to my lips, drawing in a long breath. The smoke incinerated my lungs, my chest afire from within, but I held on, determined to win out over the flaming beast. I released the smoke in a steady stream, proud of my control.

Too bad you don't have control over anything worthwhile in your life.

I closed my eyes, not wanting to deal with the emotions warring within me.

Edward bailed on you, you worthless skank. You shouldn't be surprised. In fact, you should be surprised that it took him this long to blow you off.

I gritted my teeth. I knew that this was a business function for Edward, that he probably wouldn't be here at all if he didn't need face time with the investors. Another pull on my cigarette, another drink from my glass.

You acted like a stripper, not the date of an important businessman.

I was just having fun! It's a dance club, that's what people are supposed to do! Look at Alice; she's still in there, having a great time, not caring what Jasper or Edward think….

Alice is a businesswoman; it's no big deal if she cuts loose every once in a while. Maybe if you had a job that was a little more corporate in nature…

Edward knows what I do, yet he still brought me here! And he took me to lunch at the country club, he can't be that embarrassed about me… can he? Another drink.

The country club was empty; there was no one there to see you with him. He brought you out here, away from everyone else, and kissed you. Maybe if you weren't a stripper, he might actually want to introduce you to his business associates.

I slumped my shoulders. I hated trying to argue with myself, especially when alcohol was involved. Alcohol softened the edge of reason, made the blackness inviting, the pool of misery warm and comforting.

The misery was what I could not deny: I was not the kind of woman that a man like Edward Cullen wanted. I was running from my life, trying to reinvent myself into something I wasn't. I wasn't even good enough for Mike, how could I expect to have anything of substance with someone like Edward? The only power I had was when I pretended to have strength, dancing provocatively for a man that saw me as an object.

Camille Paglia would wring my neck if she could see me behaving like this…

I slid down to the cold concrete floor, cigarette forgotten, drink still in my hand, and closed my eyes. The blackness lapped at my toes, and I smiled a little. It was always so warm in the dark.

* * * * *

"Bella, are you all right?"

It was Edward's voice, but I couldn't see him. I turned my head, but still, only blackness.

"Bella! Can you hear me?"

"She's drunk." Another voice.

I turned my head back the other way, then realized the reason I couldn't see anything was because my eyes were closed. I snapped them open, blinking in the sudden light.

I was still sitting on the ground on the patio, and my ass suddenly felt very cold. I tried to stand but had a difficult time making my legs work.

Hands underneath my arms, lifting. Cool air against my wet legs.

"Bella, how much have you had to drink?" Edward's voice again, calm in my ear.

I closed my eyes. Four? No, more than that. Five? Yes. Oh, wait, did the shots count as separate drinks? I poured one shot into my drink; was that one drink or two?

I frowned as I tried to work out this problem, then just gave up and shook my head.

I felt myself moving, and I couldn't figure out how, since I wasn't moving my legs. I looked down to see the remains of my drink on the ground where I'd been sitting. That explains the wet on my legs. So I hadn't peed myself. The ground began moving beneath my feet, and I immediately felt sick. I tensed and breathed deeply. A door opened and we were inside; a moment or two later another door opened and my eardrums were assaulted by bass. I kept my eyes closed and tried not to concentrate on the movement I was feeling.

"Should we take her down the lift, or the back stairs?" The other voice again.

"The back stairs. I don't want anyone seeing her like this." Edward's voice.

A door opened into a stairwell, and I felt myself descending. At the bottom a door opened and I breathed in the cool night air.

"Bella, are you OK?" I took another deep breath and opened my eyes. My surroundings weren't spinning, and I thought I could stand on my own. I nodded.

"My car." Edward helped me into the Volvo. I leaned back into the seat and closed my eyes. I felt the seatbelt click into place and Edward shut the door. A moment later his door closed and the car moved. He adjusted the heater and then the stereo; the sound of a string quartet drifted from the speakers. I sighed and drifted off.

* * * * *

I don't know what penetrated my subconscious first, the headache or the dehydration. I had experienced enough hangovers to know that I needed three Advil, a quart of water and some eggs in my system.

I opened my eyes and saw that I was lying on my futon, covered up with my blankets. I stayed still for a moment, trying to play back last night, remembering where I'd been and what I'd done.

Appetizers with Edward. Check.

Dinner. Check.

Whisky opening. Check.

Dancing with Alice. Check.

Making out with Edward on the patio. Check-fucking-mate.

After that it was fuzzy, and I had a feeling that I didn't want to know what had transpired.

Brief flashes of Edward, the Volvo, and the stairs up to my apartment. I closed my eyes, said a quick prayer, and lifted the sheets to look.

I was wearing my blue bra and the skirt I'd been wearing last night. It appeared that Edward had decided not to take advantage of my inebriation. Half of me was relieved; the other half disappointed.

I crawled off the futon and into the bathroom, checking for signs of vomit. Nothing. A small sigh of relief. I saw Edward's jacket on the floor; I must have taken it off after I got home last night. I held it to my nose, but all traces of his fragrance were gone, replaced with the smell of dried booze and stale cigarette smoke. I held back a gag and turned back to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I caught a whiff of my hair and decided to take a shower right away. I should have that cleaned for him. Along with Alice's clothes. I remembered that I'd Hulked her t-shirt. Well, I'll have the skirt cleaned, anyway.

Fifteen minutes later, scrubbed clean and dressed in a tee shirt and jeans, I wandered into the kitchen, hoping to find that eggs had miraculously appeared inside the fridge. I noticed a card on the small table next to the door. I picked it up.

Call me tomorrow when you get up.

—Edward

I reached for my cell and dialed the phone number he'd written on the back of his business card. He picked up on the second ring.

"Edward Cullen." Was he ever not businesslike?

"Hi, it's Bella." I paused, unsure of what to say next. "Um, I got your note."

"How are you feeling this morning?"

"A bit hung over, but not too bad. Listen, I'm sorry—"

He cut me off. "Have you had breakfast yet?"

"Um, no, I just got out of the shower and was debating whether or not I should eat something."

"Would you like to meet me for coffee? At the café?"

"Sure."

"I'll see you there in a half an hour."

* * * * *

Twenty minutes later I was sitting in my truck, parked in front of the WiFi café. Someday maybe I'll actually bother to learn the name.

I waited until I saw the Volvo pull into a parking spot. I got out and stood by the door, waiting.

"Good morning, Bella." I tried reading his face, but his expression revealed nothing. He hugged me as he had last night when he'd picked me up at my apartment. How could he not be repulsed by my behavior last night?

He held the door for me and I walked inside. He motioned to the table by the window, and asked me for my order.

Five minutes later he sat down across from me, two cups of coffee and two bagels with butter and cream cheese. I smiled wryly.

"You don't happen to have anything to spike the coffee? A little Jamieson perhaps?" I rubbed my temples, wishing the Advil would kick in already.

He smiled. "Didn't you have enough last night?" There was no reproach in the smile, only an edge of teasing.

Not nearly enough of what I really wanted. "I suppose so." A sigh.

I stirred my coffee. "Well, I wanted to apologize. I let myself get a little carried away with the alcohol. I try not to do that, as a rule, but…" I shook my head, not wanting to finish.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Bella… what were you going to say?"

"Nothing, it's not important."

"Bella." He put his knife down and looked into my eyes. I stared back; his seemed lighter brown today, with flecks of green. "If you have something to say, then it's important. Please continue."

"You aren't going to let it go, are you?" I asked, hopeful.

He shook his head with a smile.

I sighed. "Sometimes I tend to drink a little more when I'm feeling down about something." No need to go into graphic detail.

"So you were upset about something last night?" He prodded.

I shrugged and took a drink of my coffee. "I thought you weren't coming back."

"I wanted to apologize for last night." He said this before I could say anything else.

"For what?"

"For leaving you by yourself while I attended to business."

I shrugged. "It's OK."

"No, it's not." His brow furrowed, and he looked at the table. "I left you alone for almost two hours. Anything could have happened to you…" He shook his head and looked up at me, eyes piercing.

"We had a difficult time with the zoning board when we were working on the club, and the Ward councilman was instrumental in helping us work out an acceptable compromise. He is someone that we want to have on our side, and it was imperative that I discuss a few other issues with him last night. He can be very… demanding. We need to maintain an excellent relationship with him, as we have several other projects in the works, and he holds sway on the council.

I smiled. "If he's so big on the bar scene, maybe you should offer him a deal on one of the new lofts you're building. That's all in the 4th Ward, right? He's close to the action and looks dedicated to his constituency."

Edward looked thoughtful. "That's not a bad idea, Bella." He sipped his coffee. "At any rate, there is no excuse for leaving you alone for so long… it's just the explanation. I am very sorry."

"So you didn't blow me off because I was acting like a club kid with Alice?" I took a bite of bagel, relieved.

He laughed. "No, not at all. I admit that I overreacted to your and Alice's little stunt, but it was because I was nervous about the media being there."

"You didn't want them seeing the girl you brought taking her shirt off on the dance floor." I felt myself cringing inwardly as I remembered our little show.

He shook his head, smiling. "No, not really. Well, I admit, I hoped that no cameras were capturing that moment… but I was more concerned with the columnist from the Entertainment section of the Courier being impressed enough to write a feature on the opening."

"Which one was that?"

He cocked his head to one side. "What do you mean?"

"I walked by you on the way to the restroom and saw you talking to several people. Which one was the columnist?"

"Kate Brown."

"The redhead?"

"Yes, I believe she has red hair." No trace of anything but honesty. He really hadn't noticed her gorgeous body, her flawless skin, the way she watched him?

I furrowed my brow and took another bite of my bagel.

"What's the matter?"

I shook my head. "It just seems like one minute you were pissed off that I was stripping on the dance floor with Alice, and the next you were turned on by it, practically attacking me on the patio. I just don't get it."

It was his turn to shake his head. "I don't know what it is, Bella. There is something about you that intrigues me. I cannot put my finger on why I am so drawn to you… but I am."

I smiled and tossed my hand in what I hoped was a flippant gesture. "All the boys say that, Edward." My heart rate increased twofold.

He leaned forward in his chair. "I don't know what it is about you…" he trailed off, eyes trained on my face. I watched him watching me, his eyes, his lips. I licked my lips and picked up my coffee, busying myself to keep from reaching across the table towards him. How is it that he keeps doing this to me?

He straightened. "So, I would like to make up for my transgression. Would you have dinner with me?"

I looked at him warily. "Where?"

He shrugged. "How about my cabin?"

"OK, sounds good."

"We'd better get going, then."

I checked my watch. "It's only noon, Edward."

He smiled. "It's a three-hour drive to the cabin. I thought perhaps we could relax for a while before dinner."

I shook my head. "I can't. I'm covering Rosalie's shift for her tonight."

"Why don't you just blow it off?"

I looked at him, surprised. "Well, I promised Alice and Rose that I would."

"I'm sure I could call Alice and she'd find someone else to cover."

I frowned. "I need the money, Edward. I'm not doing this because shaking my ass for horny truckers gets me off." Geez, dude, get a clue!

"How much will you make tonight?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, Saturdays are supposed to be busy, so probably two-fifty."

"If I gave you five hundred dollars, would you blow off tonight and come to my cabin for the weekend?"

I bristled, shame and anger shooting through me. "I barely know you, and you're offering me five hundred bucks to come spend the weekend with you? You don't think that sounds maladjusted?" I shook my head.

He looked startled, and I realized immediately that he hadn't meant to offend me. "No, I just meant, if you need the money… I thought you might rather spend the time with me than work at the club, especially if it's something you don't like to do…" he trailed off uncertainly.

I was angry. I couldn't help it. Does this guy have some kind of Pretty Woman complex going? No fear of heights, just strippers?

He sat, looking down at his coffee cup, grown cold. "I just… I'm sorry." He shook his head. "I seem to be saying that a lot to you, don't I?" A small, humorless smile.

I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "You know, I think we've both got some major issues to work through before this," I waved my hands back and forth between us, "has the slightest chance of working out."

He nodded but didn't say anything.

I picked up my purse. "Thank you for the breakfast."

I walked out and got in my truck, my thoughts in a jumble as I waited for a clearing in the traffic. When I pulled away, he was still staring down into his cold cup of coffee.

* * * * *

A/N: Boy, Edward is really going to need to divest himself of this looking-at-relationships-as-business-transactions-thing.