A/N: Hello, my lovelies. To my Tomorrow is Another Day and Notes on the Fridge readers – I'm back from Yosemite and working on both of those chapters. Much love to all of you.
Oh, also. It occurs to me I never told you Edward's profession. He's an architect. Mah bad.
Oh, also to answer a frequently asked questions. Edward is 32, Emmett is 24, Jasper is 22. Alice is 22. Rosalie is 25. Bella is 20.
"I want something grand," Felix said, leaning back in his chair, his feet propped up on Edward's desk. "Something imposing. I want the people of Chicago to know the Cullen building by sight."
Edward steepled his fingers, looking at his cousin, musing that he probably should be bristling at how a man with the surname Scarpinato could take on the Cullen name as his own. It bothered Grandfather Cullen to no end.
Frowning at the thought of his grandfather, Edward tried to push the uncomfortable thoughts away. Since their huge fight many weeks before, Edward the first had been ignoring Edward's existence. Calls and e-mails went unanswered. Besides making Edward innately nervous - his grandfather's silence could never mean anything good, and he wasn't stupid enough to think he'd heard the last of it - he felt very guilty. Logically, he understood the man was wrong. He'd been wrong to keep Edward away from his parents, as he was wrong for being so cruel about Bella. Still, Grandfather Cullen was Edward's father in many ways, and a son never wanted to be out of his father's favor.
"Edward!" Felix snapped his fingers in front of Edward's face.
Clearing his throat, Edward tried to focus. "I know you're thinking of height, but have you considered opting for a pavilion instead of a skyscraper?"
Felix raised an eyebrow. "A pavilion?"
"Yes. The land you have is large enough. Rather than one massive building, why not a collection of buildings around some type of green area - or even a series of fountains? Something to add to the landscape that people can enjoy being a part of rather than just staring up, up, up," Edward suggested, turning his drawing pad around to show him some sketches he'd been working on.
"Hmmm," Felix hummed, taking the pad and beginning to flip through some of the sketches, his brow furrowed in deep thought.
The phone on Edward's desk chirped and his assistant - Demetri - spoke. "Mr. Cullen? Your wife is on line 2."
"Is it urgent?" Edward asked, feeling a momentary edge of panic. He tried to calm his innate reaction, mentally chastising himself for reading too many pregnancy books. He knew too much about things that could happen - random and miniscule possibilities.
"No, it's not urgent, sir," Demetri replied.
"Then tell her I will call her back in fifteen minutes or so."
"Yes, sir."
When Edward looked up again, he caught Felix staring at him with bemusement. "Ah, your phantom wife," he chuckled. "I would think she doesn't exist, but Mother and Uncle Edward have had many a heated conversation over that girl."
Edward's shoulders stiffened, and he swallowed hard. "I don't know what Grandfather has been telling you-"
Felix held up his hands, his deep chuckle making Edward all the more irritated. "Oh, Edward. It's always obvious who you get your flair for dramatics from. Yes, your grandfather and my mother are very... opinionated. They're like to give themselves a heart attack the way they go on." He shook his head. "But neither Mother nor Uncle Edward will be in attendance next week for the company picnic."
"That's right," Edward murmured, drumming distracted fingers on his desktop. "Business in Italy."
Felix nodded. "So, you're bringing your phantom wife then?"
Edward raised an eyebrow, his lips set in a thin line.
"Come on. We have a pool going around as to why you haven't shown her off yet. Blond, brunette? Maybe you've even caught yourself a ginger." He guffawed obnoxiously. "You don't even have a picture of her for your office. What are we to make of it? Is she that hideous?"
"Bella is not hideous," Edward replied hotly. "My wife is beautiful."
"Then bring her around! Let us have a look at her."
"She's not a sideshow act to be gawked at!"
"Edward!" Felix boomed, laughing. "My God, you are defensive. The tendency for dramatics is in the Cullen blood." He shook his head. "I meant no disrespect. Why are you acting like this? It's abnormal for a man not to want to be seen with his wife."
"I'm sorry," Edward said contritely, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'm just wary. Grandfather said some very cruel things about her, and I won't let that happen again. She's pregnant, for godsakes. I just don't want her to have any reason to get upset."
"Well, as I said, I'm not one to listen to my mother and uncle's ridiculousness," Felix pointed out. "And the rest of your coworkers wouldn't have any problem that I can figure." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Unless you broke a few hearts in the bullpen when you married a complete unknown? Hmm?"
Edward rolled his eyes.
Felix smiled genuinely at Edward. "You've never experienced that picnic as a family man. It's quite nice. There will be a photo booth this year, just like last year. Even a serious guy like me got a little silly with all the props they have there. But you can take a nice picture with your pretty wife. And in years to come, your little one will like all the kids' things Heidi sets up."
Edward's lips tugged upward. He had to admit his cousin was putting images in his head that weren't unpleasant. He remembered last year, sitting with the directors and their spouses. Felix had gone to serve a plate for his wife and kissed her on the cheek as he set the plate in front of her. An odd, irrational jealousy had churned in him that day. An obnoxious man like Felix - only a year or so younger than his father - had convinced not one but four different women to fall in love with him. Meanwhile, Edward - who understood that, while he had his faults, by all standards he should be quite the catch - had not had a proper girlfriend in all his thirty-two years.
Though, admittedly, Edward had never envied Felix the wives he'd caught.
He shook his head and looked his cousin in the eye again. "If Bella is feeling up to it, we'll be there," he promised. "Now, about the building..."
~0~
"This is silly," Bella said with a groan, watching her reflection in the mirror.
She was nervous. Why she was nervous, she had no idea, but her stomach was twisting in knots that, for once, had nothing to do with Bean.
She sighed, setting her brush down and leaning on the counter, breathing in and out through her mouth.
Alice and Esme had gotten her thinking. From everything Edward said, he hadn't been one to date very much. Still, he must have occupied his time somehow before she came along. Now, he came directly home from work, or left a little early to pick her up from Home Depot. She still didn't like how much of his time she ate away - having to be dropped off and picked up - but he was adamant she not think about taking the bus, at least until they were sure Alec and James would stay away.
But in the six weeks they'd lived together, Edward had come home to her every night and seemed content to stay in on the weekends, except when they visited with his family. She liked the peacefulness, but surely he'd done something for fun before she came along.
And though Bella had been concentrating on getting her life in order - she wasn't here to sightsee after all - it had occurred to her that she did want to explore Chicago a little.
Over the last couple of days, Bella had thought up a plan. Yesterday, she'd been a little excited. Today, she just felt stupid. Her plan - between paying for the thing and for the new dress she was wearing - had eaten away an entire paycheck.
It would be worth it, though, if she could treat Edward for once. If she was going to usurp all his time, the least she could do was make it a little fun once in awhile.
So she'd taken a half day off work today, catching a ride home from Alice who had a flexible job for the summer. With the other woman's help, she'd found a dress that was pretty without being fancy - suitable enough for where they were going.
It was a nice afternoon, Bella reflected. Alice was such a warm presence, and she appreciated how she looked after Edward as if he were her big brother instead of just her boyfriend's brother. Alice was ecstatic at Bella's idea and silenced some of the fears she had that Edward would hate it.
With Alice gone, Bella was back to doubting herself, but when she heard Edward's voice calling up to her, she knew she was out of time.
Taking a deep breath, Bella quickly finished pulling her hair back at the sides with two pretty clips - Alice had insisted that every nice outfit necessitated at least a small accessory. Grabbing her purse, she headed for the stairs.
Edward was in the foyer, setting his briefcase and laptop bag down by the hall tree. He glanced up as she descended the stairs and shock registered on his face before he smiled at her. "Bella," he said, his voice breathier than usual. "You look beautiful."
She ducked her head, bashful but pleased. It was obvious that he couldn't take his eyes off her, and she reveled in that thought for a long moment.
Finally, Edward's eyes drifted back up to hers and he smiled impishly. "Hot date?"
She heard the curiosity in his voice, and so she grinned back with feigned innocence. "Yes, actually."
It was comical the way his smile faltered as his eyes widened. He recovered quickly, his hand going to the back of his neck in a move she recognized as nervous agitation. "Really? Do I know this person?" It was obvious he had to work to keep his voice steady.
"I should hope so," she murmured, feeling a little smug that she'd unnerved him. "Are your shoes comfortable?"
He blinked. "What?"
"Your shoes," she repeated. "Can you stand in them for a few hours?"
"Er, yes. That's doable," he stumbled.
She smiled at him, feeling shy as she held her hand out. He took it, still looking confused. "Good," she said, ignoring the pleasant, fluttering thrill that made her skin tingle where he touched her. "Because you're my hot date."
Again, his eyes bulged, but only for a moment before his grin widened in a way that made her heart stammer. "I see," he said, squeezing her hand.
"That's okay, right?" she asked, a little anxious. "I mean, you don't have any plans?"
He chuckled. "No, I have no plans. This is why you didn't need a ride home?" he verified.
Bella blushed. "I needed to pick up a few things," she said, looking down at her dress. "Where we're going - it's not too fancy, but it's more than jeans fancy," she explained.
"Now I'm very curious," he murmured, his voice low as he stepped toward her.
Bella bit her lip, feeling dizzy in a head rush kind of way. "Tough," she managed to say, though she felt a little out of it as she stared up into his eyes. "You'll see soon."
He squeezed her hand again before he stepped toward the hall tree, taking her light sweater down and draping it over his arm. "Well, let's go then."
~0~
The red brick building was unassuming, looking very much un-fancy as they stepped up to it, so Edward was confused. "Cook Au Vin," he read aloud, amused by the play on words. "It looks like a bakery, but the name suggests it's a French restaurant."
"It's both, technically," she said carefully.
"But you said we would be standing for hours," he mused.
"Yes. It's a French restaurant, but we're the chefs."
He stopped short, looking at her, not knowing quite what to think. "What?"
"It's something I've always wanted to do," she explained in a rush.
Edward was momentarily distracted on how her pinked cheeks made him want to brush his fingertips along her skin. He blinked, paying attention again.
"Cooking isn't what I would call a passion, but I've always thought it would be, I don't know... cool, I guess, to make a super fancy meal. You know? Dishes that are hard to pronounce." The pink blush on her cheeks turned more scarlet in color.
"You mean this is a cooking class?" he asked, arching an eyebrow as he opened the door for her.
"Yes," she confirmed. "One very fancy meal." Her expression was anxious as she looked up at him. "This is silly, isn't it?" she asked quietly and bit her lip.
Pressing his thumb to her bottom lip gently, he released it from the hold of her teeth. "It's not silly," he said quietly. "They may not like if we burn the place down, though."
"You can follow instructions, oui, monsieur?"
Edward looked over to find an employee had joined them and was watching expectantly. "Oui, I can follow instructions," he confirmed.
The man nodded. "You're here for the Champagne Menu class?"
Bella stepped up then, handing him a slip of paper. "Yes."
"And do you have wine we may put on ice for you?"
To Edward's surprise, Bella reached into her bag. He hadn't noticed she was carrying a small canvas bag along with her purse. She pulled out first one wine bottle, then another. They were reds, he noted, matching the few he had in his own cabinet at home.
Edward leaned down, his lips near her ear so he could whisper. "Who are those for?"
She shivered noticeably, but she was smiling when she turned her head. "You." She opened her bag a little to show she'd brought a water bottle for herself.
"You think I need two bottles of wine?" he asked, highly amused.
"No," she said, scrunching up her nose a little. "I did the research. We have to keep up appearances. Apparently, we'd look silly if we showed up with only one bottle of wine but like alcoholics if we had four."
This made him laugh. He wasn't sure about anyone letting him near a kitchen, but he was loving the effort she'd obviously put into their night.
The restaurant's employee led them to a back room where the class was being held. A few of the other couples were already gathered, drinking their wine and snacking on a spectacular spread of bread and cheese.
"I thought this might be fun," Bella said as they sat at the stools the man indicated. "It's upscale, so I thought it might be palatable to your - er - delicate taste buds." She waggled her eyebrows playfully at him. "And they do these classes all the time, so I'm sure the kitchen is Cullen-proof."
He snorted. "We'll see about that," he murmured, picking up the menu that listed what they would be making. "Black truffle soup, sautéed shrimp with lobster and champagne veloute, linguini with shaved fresh truffle, and a champagne chocolate truffle molten lava cake," he read out loud. He sucked in a breath. "Bella, this is all very fancy."
She must have spent a small fortune on this little excursion.
"Is that a bad thing?" she asked, uncertain.
Bella worked so hard for what little money she made, it made his heart twist to think of how much she'd spent. If she had done this as a grand gesture to make up for everything he'd done for her...
"I just wanted to share this with you," she explained quietly.
A warmth spread across his chest, and his smile was more genuine then. He reached between them, taking her hand and twining their fingers. "I just wouldn't have expected this," he murmured. "It's a good surprise."
Her smile was pleased when she looked back at him
The class was more fun than Edward expected. The bread and cheese served before any cooking was done alone made for a good night. He watched, bemused and delighted at Bella's expressions as she tried different cheeses.
"I'm going to get full just from this," Bella muttered, wrapping a bit of salami from the charcuterie tray in a thin slice of white cheese.
When the class had all gotten to know each other fairly well and had their fill of cheese, bread, and meat, they got down to business. Bella laughed and took a picture with her cell phone when he'd donned his cap and apron. He couldn't be offended when she smiled like that, her eyes lighting up. Besides, she looked adorable in her get up, and he told her so, snapping a picture of his own. She threatened to send her picture to his brothers, and he just laughed.
The chef was American, so he took great pleasure in imitating a haughty French accent for the amusement of his class. He was charming and funny, keeping everyone engaged and the atmosphere lighthearted as they all worked together. He teased Edward when he managed to spill most of the vinegar set aside on the counter rather than in the bowl.
He handed Bella a wooden spoon. "Madame Cullen, when you see your husband is not following instructions, you hit his knuckles. He will learn," the man said sagely as the rest of the class chuckled.
Pursing her lips, Bella waved the spoon menacingly at Edward, teasing him.
When Edward saw Bella eyeing everyone else's wine while she sipped her water, he poured her a glass. She looked shocked until he leaned down, whispering in her ear. "A glass of wine every now and again is fine. I promise."
"How do you know?"
"I've been reading those books, too," he admitted, smiling sheepishly.
Her eyebrows shot up. "You have? Why?"
He cocked his head, a little taken aback by the question. "Why wouldn't I?" he asked curiously.
She had no answer for that, and their attention was soon called back to the chef.
All in all, the class lasted nearly five hours, running far overtime - not that the attendees minded. Edward couldn't speak for the others, but he seemed to have slipped into a bubble space he was loath to leave.
The last few weeks, Bella had slowly begun to come out of the shell she'd been in since the day they met. The more time they spent together, watching TV or eating dinner, he'd begun to catch glimpses of the person she could be when her defenses were down - when she forgot to be a woman whose entire life had been shattered and became just her, just Bella.
That night, she was in her element. She was teasing and funny when she whispered asides to him. He enjoyed the expression of rapt attention that came over her face when the chef was explaining an advanced culinary technique. He loved the way her eyelashes fluttered when she tasted a bit of sauce to check that it was seasoned correctly and loved that the smiles she shared with him were wider than the polite smiles she gave everyone else.
When Bella excused herself to go to the restroom, a woman who had introduced herself earlier as Chelsea leaned over her empty seat, catching Edward's attention. "The way you love your wife is beautiful," she gushed in a deep Italian accent. "It's rare to see a man so attentive. It's no wonder she adores you so."
Her words made him start - not because he found them so appallingly wrong, but because as she said them, he found he was not surprised.
"Thank you," he murmured sincerely.
He was still thinking about those words when they finally left, near midnight, full of rich, delicious food and high on the humor of the evening. Though he had only drunk very little, she claimed he might be tipsy, and Edward gave over the keys, letting her drive as he tried to arrange the thoughts in his head.
But Edward found he didn't want to think. He was flying on some emotion that made his pulse race and his body warm from head to toe. The tiny hairs on his skin seemed to tingle with the charge in the air around them. When they were in the car together, the space in his head felt slightly surreal, like the world itself had truncated to just them, even though he could see the traffic just outside the window.
He was itching to touch her, he realized as he tried to name the restlessness that seemed to be just under his skin. He wanted to hold her hand over the shifter. It took all of his self control not to lean across the console to kiss her cheek when they pulled up to a red light.
These things felt strangely natural. Second nature.
It was exceedingly difficult to fight nature.
They were mostly silent on the drive home. The silence was not uncomfortable, but there was something heavy about it, the invisible weight of something waiting to happen.
That silence continued as they went inside the house and climbed the stairs, still side by side, their fingers brushing. He'd held her hand earlier that evening, but somehow, if he tried, it would feel different now, mean something else - something he hadn't thought out yet.
Outside their doors, they lingered in the middle of the hallway. It was late, he thought, and he should let her retreat to her room, but he simply wasn't ready to let this night end.
And, it took him a moment to notice, she didn't seem to be in any rush either.
The light in the hallway was low but enough that he could see the faint flush of her skin as she looked up at him. Edward couldn't quite comprehend how she could look at once so innocent, so pure - her features still smooth and achingly young - and yet so utterly and completely like a woman - the curve of her hip and the slight swell of her belly making his fingers twitch with the longing to draw his hands along the fine lines of her body.
"Bella," he murmured lowly, breaking the silence between them as he took a tentative step forward.
"Hmm?" she hummed, the sound pitched slightly higher than the way she spoke. Her eyes were frozen on his.
He lifted a hand his fingers hesitant, hovering in the air for the space of a few heartbeats before he drew them down the petal-soft skin of her cheek. He breathed in heavily, the sound stuttering in his throat. "Have I kissed you before? In Vegas?" he asked, suddenly curious and irrationally jealous of himself. "Sometimes, I think I remember kissing you. Did I that night?"
He'd been too embarrassed to ask before, chagrined at the fact he couldn't remember such a momentous occasion - foolish though it may have been. But somehow, he couldn't not know anymore.
Bella blinked and dropped her eyes but only for a moment. "Yes," she whispered, her voice stretched thin. "You kissed me. More than once."
Cupping her cheek, he struggled to remember. He'd thought about it before - had randomly wondered what it would feel like to kiss her. Now he wondered if those idle fantasies weren't fantasy at all but memory.
"Tell me about the first time," he asked, stepping closer to her again. "Please."
Surprisingly, she laughed, the sound almost a giggle. Beneath his palm, he could feel the blood warm her cheek. "You were following directions."
"Directions?" he echoed, furrowing his brow.
"'You may now kiss the bride,'" she quoted, one side of her lips quirking upward, though he thought the smile was a little sad.
His lips tugged downward, dissatisfaction permeating the heady emotions that made his thoughts feel thick. "Really?" he rumbled, displeased. "That's..."
There were no words for how wrong that was.
Shaking his head, he stepped forward once more, his body swallowing the last bit of space between them. The hand that he didn't have cupped at her cheek drifted to the small of her back, and he pulled her up against him gently. Her eyes were wide, but her head tilted up.
It was strange because, on the one hand, there was a thrill he had never known before. Still, there was something so completely old about this moment.
He'd once heard a song that claimed all souls, at the beginning of time, were joined, two to a pair, before they were ripped asunder and spread to all parts of the world. It seemed so plausible just then. What else could explain how he knew exactly where to put his hand that it fit just so at the divet of her back? What else could explain the way their bodies lined up? Surely she had been a part of him once, and now that he'd found her again, he saw he'd been missing something essential.
Maybe that's what loneliness was: the quiet, nameless ache of a soul looking for its lost half.
The emotion, the innate rush he felt simply touching her cheek, was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. It was new, and yet...
What he felt for her seemed as old as time itself. The sun set in the west. The sky was blue. Edward was meant to touch Bella, to hold her just like this.
He tilted his head down, catching her lips between his, the movement as flawlessly executed as if it had been choreographed. She whimpered against his mouth, her lips moving with his, her arms going around his neck as he wrapped both of his arms around her. He could feel every line of her body against his.
It was like taking his first breath, though he wasn't breathing at all, too caught up in kissing her at no one's direction, and for no other reason than it was what he was made to do.
A/N: Le sigh.
Many thanks to barburella and GinnyW, and to Shug for pinch beta!
And, as always, thanks to all of you.
Only a few of you got the Bean reference. It's from Ender's Game, hence why Bella comments she prefers Bean to Ender. :) Great series. Check it out!
