Life's A Beach
Chapter 11
A/N: It's a chilly and rainy Memorial Day here in NJ – hopefully there are sunny and warm days to come. Welcome to the unofficial start of summer!
Bella rolled over on her back, stretched her arms and legs, and wiggled her toes. She looked at the clock on her dresser, pleased to see that she'd gotten a full 10 hours of sleep. No wonder she felt so rested. Last night she fell asleep two minutes after finally chasing Alice and Rosalie out of her room. She loved her friends, and was grateful that Alice handed over her phone with no questions asked, but all she could tell them about her trip to Chicago was that Edward promised to send the ticket information in the morning. She shared the little bit of information she could with her friends, and yes, told them she was thrilled but nervous, maybe even terrified to meet his parents, but that was it. She certainly wasn't going to tell them that she knew, beyond a doubt, that she was head over heels in love with Edward. He deserved to hear it before anyone else.
It wasn't like her, she thought, to fall so quickly. She'd had a few boyfriends, never anything serious or long-lasting. So how was it that little more than a week after she met Edward, she was flying off to meet his parents and maybe, if she was brave enough, to tell him that she loved him. Bella didn't know whether that meant it was fate that brought them together, but she'd take it. Maybe, she thought, her mother had pointed Aro in her direction.
"Thanks, mom" she whispered. Just the thought of her heavenly interference made Bella smile.
She reached for her phone to see if there was any word from Edward, though she knew Chicago was an hour behind New Jersey. Chances are he wasn't even awake. Bella panicked for a second when she couldn't find her phone, till she remembered that she'd lost it somewhere between the plane and the car. She'd make one more call to the airport lost and found, and if they didn't have it, she'd make replacing the phone a priority for today. With a groan she climbed out of bed and headed for her laptop.
The first three emails were junk, and the fourth was from her on-campus job in the bookstore. She'd read that one later. She kept scrolling and suddenly, there was the name she was looking for. Edward had apparently sent her an email at 2:24AM. Guess she wasn't the only one who was anxious about her travel arrangements. Bella pulled the laptop closer and clicked on the email.
Hey beautiful,
I miss you even more after hearing your voice tonight. Anyway, I couldn't sleep until I got your tickets for the weekend. A little bit of bad news – everything Thursday night was booked so we will have to wait till Friday to see each other again, but I got you on the first flight out of Newark. Hope it's okay – you'll have to be at the airport really early but I couldn't bear the thought of losing out on any more time with you. Anyway, you'll be here about mid-morning and I'll pick you up at the airport. Looking forward to introducing you to some Chicago style pizza! Anyway, I'm counting the hours. Till then, sweetheart.
Yours,
Edward
Bella frowned when she realized she wouldn't get to see him till Friday. How early was her flight? She skimmed the flight info. 8:30AM wasn't too bad, but she'd have to leave really early to get to the airport on time. That was a small price to pay for seeing her sweet boy.
Hi Edward,
I can't believe you stayed up so late to make these reservations but I'm really excited. Yes, I'm a little disappointed that we have to wait an extra day, but we'll just have to make up for lost time once I get there. I don't know how Chicago pizza will compare to New Jersey pizza, but I'll definitely give it a try. Can't wait to see you. Talk to you soon.
Yours,
Bella
With a sigh, she put the laptop back on her desk and got dressed. As she grabbed her keys and headed out, she realized she hadn't opened the email from her job. She made a mental note to check it as soon as she got back.
L a B
Edward groaned when his alarm went off. He'd stayed up late trying every way he could think of to get Bella a Thursday night flight but Friday morning was the best he could do. By the time he finished, sent off an email with the details and got in bed, it was almost 3 in the morning. That didn't change the fact that he had to meet with his coach at 9:30. At least he wasn't skating this morning. They'd be setting up a schedule and mapping out the competitions leading up to the Olympic training camp. He felt an incredible sense of relief knowing that the arguments with his father were over. Only now that everything was resolved would he admit how much it had affected him and impacted his skating. Edward was very organized when it came to his school work and his skating. It was the only way he could balance the pressure of a heavy pre-law course load and hours of practice each day.
He couldn't wait to introduce Bella to speed skating, as an observer and hopefully a fan. She explained exactly how clumsy she could be and declined his offer to teach her how to skate. That was okay with him, as long as she was there to cheer him on. He could picture it, Bella sitting in the stands with his mom and dad, cheering for him. With her there, he knew he could accomplish anything. Edward was motivated to make the Olympic team before he met Bella. He'd always been competitive and very driven. But the thought of skating for his country, with the girl he loved – yes, loved – there to support him? It just didn't get any better. First steps first, though. He slipped on a warm up suit, grabbed some juice from his mini-fridge, and headed out.
Edward checked his phone and was pleased to see Bella's response. He shot off a quick note to his mom telling her that dinner Friday night was a "go." He couldn't wait to introduce them.
L a B
Jasper almost had a heart attack when he heard a loud crash accompanied by the sound of bottles clinking together.
"Gees, Emmett, can you take a little more care with the merchandise?" Jasper stomped over to the bar where Emmett had all but dropped a case of beer.
"Sorry" Emmett said. "I was just remembering what Rosie said when I talked to her last night. Did you know that she can…"
"I don't want to hear it" said Jasper, covering his ears. "How many times have you talked to her since they left?"
"Um, every night, so far. See, I call her once I'm in bed and…."
"I don't want to hear it" said Jasper again. "Now go get the other cases before I smack you with this clipboard."
"Lighten up, Jas" said Emmett with a smile. "I happen to know you've been talking to Miss Alice on a pretty regular basis."
"True, but you won't hear me talking about things that I shouldn't be sharing."
"I was only gonna say that she can…."
"I don't want to hear it."
"Whistle. She can whistle better than any girl I ever met." Emmett headed back out to the truck with a stupid grin on his face. "What did you think I was gonna say?" He whistled a little tune to reinforce his point.
Jasper laughed and shook his head. Emmett might be a pain in the behind, but he knew how to make you laugh, that was for sure. Jasper turned when he heard a little sound coming from the corner. He walked over and crouched down to scratch Aro behind the ears. "You miss Edward, don't you?" Aro put his head down on his paws, a forlorn look on his puppy face. "Hang in there for a few more minutes" said Jasper. "As soon as I know that big lug over there isn't gonna break all the beer bottles, we'll go for a run on the beach, ok?" Aro yelped and settled back to wait patiently.
Emmett walked back through the door, balancing two cases. "Hey Jasper…"
"I don't want to hear it" Jasper replied without looking up front his clipboard.
L a B
Alice and Rose collapsed onto Bella's bed, leaving her nowhere to sit.
"Hey, I'm tired too" she whined.
"Too bad" said Rose. "We found your damn phone, didn't we?"
Bella couldn't complain. Alice and Rose intimidated the lost and found guy until he actually went out and looked for the phone himself. Fortunately for Bella, someone found it on the ground near baggage claim and actually turned it in to one of the car rental places. It just hadn't made its way to lost and found yet. After thanking the guy profusely, Bella clutched the phone in her hand, so relieved to have it back and in one piece. The first thing she did was to send Edward a text so he'd know.
"Yes, you did. And I'm very grateful." Bella plopped down on the floor and took her sneakers off so she could rub her feet. "But then you made me walk all over the mall to buy stuff I don't need."
Alice sat up and glared at her friend. "Are you not meeting your boyfriend's parents Friday night? Do you not need something new to give you confidence? I know you, Bella." She poked Rose. "Won't she look great in that sweater?"
Rose didn't move. "Bella is a confident person and she would be fine wearing a brown paper bag."
"Thank you" said Bella. She took the new clothes out of the bag and set them by her suitcase.
"But" Rose admitted "That sweater will be perfect."
"Fine" said Bella, going to her laptop to check her email. Or Ed-mail, as she'd started calling it. She skimmed the list. "Oh, crap. No!"
"What" asked Alice. "What is it?"
"The email from my job. They want me to work Friday and Saturday. I wasn't supposed to start till Monday."
Rose peered over her shoulder. "Just explain it to them. They'll understand."
"No, it's that idiot Riley. He loves to mess with the schedule. Especially mine." Bella pounded her fist on the desk and grabbed her phone. "Hey Riley, its Bella Swan. I got your email about the schedule. I'm sorry, but I won't be here this…..excuse me? Aren't you even going to listen? But…" Her face fell. "I understand." She ended the call. "He says if I don't come in, I'll lose my job."
"That little….." Alice looked ready to hunt him down that second. "Who's the manager?"
"It's Mr. Clearwater" said Bella.
"Oh, leave him to me." Rosalie smiled. "This will be fun." She held out her hand for the phone. "Hello? May I speak to the manager?" She winked. "Hi Mr. Clearwater. It's Rosalie. I'm fine, thank you so much… Yes, I went to Hilton Head with Alice Brandon and Bella Swan….I know, they are lovely girls. Bella works for you, doesn't she?" She laughed. "I'm not surprised to hear she's one of your favorites. Actually, that's the reason I'm calling. Bella is supposed to go out of town this weekend. Did you know she's dating a guy on the Olympic team? Yes, really!"
Bella slapped her forehead but Rosalie kept going.
"And she's meeting his parents this weekend, but that boy, Ralph? Oh yes, Riley. He said she'd be fired if she doesn't work." She managed to sound highly offended. "Well, I can understand that the textbooks have to be unpacked, of course. How about if Alice and I come in and help her on Wednesday and Thursday? With three of us working it'll be a snap….oh, that's okay, you don't have to pay us. Alice and I would do anything to help our friend." A long pause. "Of course, if that's what it will take. Chocolate Chip or Pecan Spice?"
Bella and Alice had to clamp their hands over their mouths to keep from laughing out loud.
"Ok, Mr. C. I'll tell Daddy you said hello and we'll see you tomorrow. Thanks!" Rose clicked off. "Now, ladies, that's how it's done. Two dozen Chocolate Chip cookies and 2 days of helping Bella, and you are off to Chicago."
"You guys are the best" Bella said, hugging both of her friends. "The best."
The next two days flew by. Bella was so happy to have Alice and Rose helping her. The work went smoothly, although Riley tried to complicate things every way he could think of.
"What is his problem?" said Alice. "Does he have a crush on you or is he just a pain in the ass?"
"He clearly doesn't like me. It's just a control thing" Bella answered. They walked out of the store Thursday afternoon, their project complete.
The next morning, the girls insisted on dropping Bella off at the airport despite the early hour.
"Have fun" said Rose. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
Alice smacked her arm. "There isn't anything you wouldn't do."
Rose raised one eyebrow. "Your point?" She pulled Bella in for a hug. "You have fun sweetie, and don't worry about anything."
Alice shouted "Call us! We want details!"
Bella waved as she entered the airport.
Three hours later, she stood impatiently waiting to exit the plane in Chicago. She was too excited to be nervous. Somehow she knew this was going to be the start of something wonderful. She missed Edward terribly, and couldn't wait to see him. Finally people started moving and she made her way through the terminal. When she got to baggage claim she looked around anxiously, looking for his distinctive bronze hair.
And there he was. Before she could move, he ran to her, grabbed her around the waist and spun her around. Edward pressed his lips against hers, holding her head tightly to his while he moved his mouth gently against hers.
"I'm so glad you're here" he whispered.
"Me too. I missed you so." She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed him again.
Lips pressed tightly together, they both had the same thought.
Home.
