Once her angry red beaver had gone sufficiently numb, Bella felt it was safe to step out of the bath. After drying every inch of herself, scrubbing the tub from top to bottom, wiping it dry, and brushing her hair exactly 100 strokes, she was ready to face the shopping bags that awaited her in her room.
Once they had successfully raided Heidi Fleiss's closet, Bella had felt it was her best bet to head home. It had killed her to leave those shopping bags on her bed, but for once she had put her pussy before cleaning, sorting, and perfect order.
Emptying the bags on her bed, she stared at the pile of lacy, gauzy, barely there pieces of fabric. The thought of scooping it all up and tossing it off the balcony was quite appealing. Sadly, her bank account had taken a large hit today and couldn't afford another. She'd have to make do with what she bought.
Bella quickly set to removing tags and placing her new slut-wear in its color coded and temperature appropriate order in her immaculate closet. The tension melted away as everything was sorted into order.
Grabbing a glass (re: bottle) of wine, Bella sat down to review her to do list.
To Do List
Buy a welcome mat for balcony.
XPickup some sexy lingerie.
XGet girly bits waxed.
XGet sexy new clothes.
Learn to be sexy
Buy condoms.
Clear out unicorns and teddybears from bedroom.
Figure out who is the man behind the mask.
It was getting late, and she was too tired to head out to do any more shopping. Guess I should figure who the hell it is that I'm doing all this for.
Bella wasn't lieing when she told Rosalie she didn't believe this man was ACTUALLY Batman. She wasn't that coo-coo for cocoa puffs. She returned to her original hypothesis...it had to be one of her neighbors.
Had she been thinking clearly from day one, her mortification in the hallway would not have happened. Unfortunately for Bella, in her worked up state she had been unable to recall who her neighbors were. She had lived in the same apartment for a few years now, but she always kept to herself. Thanks to her pants-less jaunt in the hallway she knew that to one side lived Dr. Carlisle Cullen, to the other Officer Edward Masen.
Dr. Carlisle Cullen was a handsome man, with blonde hair and a sweet smile. He was tall, pale, and sexy. Following in his father's footsteps, he was the favorite to take over as the chief of staff at the hospital Bella frequented. She had never been fortunate enough to have Carlisle's hands upon her in the E.R., but perhaps that was for the best. Knowing her, she'd finally find some way to maim him as he stitched up her latest battle wound.
Officer Edward Masen was almost his complete opposite. He was also tall and pale, but that's where the similarities ended. Edward was sex on legs, and he knew it. He was the kind of man you mama warned you about. He used his devilish good looks to win the hearts and get his way.
She remembered seeing her friend Alice washing his laundry once when she had first moved in. She hadn't acquired her own washer and drier yet, and was forced into the bowels of hell known as the community laundry room. She noticed her tiny friend Alice struggling with a huge hamper of smelly clothes. Dropping her own sack, she rushed to the small girl's aid. Once they both had started their wash, Bella had inquired about the massive load the pixie had tried to pack mule down to the basement.
"Oh, its just Edward's laundry."
"You're boyfriend?"
"Heavens no! Edward that lives next door to you silly!"
"Okay...So why do you have Edward-who-lives-next-door-to-me's clothes?"
"Oh, he's just such a nice guy and so terribly busy...I just thought I should help!"
"What exactly is he so busy doing that he let this mountain of laundry pile up?"
"Well he...um..." Alice let out a giggle. "Honestly, Bella I have no clue. He just smiled at me and my mind went blank and my mouth opened offering to do it for him."
No, Bella didn't like the idea of being used by Edward Masen. She knew he worked as a vice cop, and she knew she had no interest in finding a man like Charlie. She saw how unhappy he made her mom before she left. Edward was broody, gruff and...and completely gorgeous...and totally fuckable.
