Chapter 11

I went to the coffee shop alone at lunch intending to get some quiet time on my own before my holiday. Tradition maybe, taking the atmosphere away with me, maybe. All I knew was I was going away and I wouldn't see the place for a while.

I walked in and closed my eyes for a brief moment, smelling the familiar fragrances of brewing coffee and taking in the familiar sounds of cups chinking against saucers and the hiss of the coffee machine as it spewed out hot steam.

The familiar voice of my Monday morning angel rang out above it all. "Edward! Hi! I didn't think you'd be in this afternoon, well, alone at least" Leah smiled, pleased.

I opened my eyes and trained them instantly on Leah. She'd changed since the bewildering experience of this morning. Her hair was tied up showing off her long slender neck, as bronzed as her angelic face. She had a hint of make up on too. I didn't recall ever seeing her with make up on, her eyes were enhanced by a smokey brown colour, her lashes stood out, ringing her eyes making them look even bigger. The combination of that and the slight blush on her high cheek bones made her look very nearly perfect.

I stumbled for words too caught up in the lure of the siren she had become. "Yeah! Hi, umm... alone!" I grinned like a fucking idiot, this seemed to please Leah, she smiled widely and took the last missing step to perfection. I had no chance of any coherent thought let alone speech. Thankfully I managed, "usual please".

Leah nodded, still smiling and went round to the coffee machine to prepare my drink. The rest bite from having her face in view gave me the much needed time to kick start my brain again. It started smoothly enough for me to rebuild my macho veneer and to formulate a suitably stupid comment given the confrontation from the morning.

"Leah, you look stunning, you're definitely my number one girl!" As soon as the words left my mouth I wanted to shove them back in with my fist, hard.

Leah looked over the counter at me, it felt like her eyes were fishing, they were waiting for the slight tug to indicate the bite which she knew would come given patience, then she'd gently reel me into her net.

"I don't think your girlfriend would like to hear you saying that" a slight pout crossing her perfect full lips.

As soon as the word "girlfriend" passed the lips I was staring at, I had a sudden feeling of crushing guilt, why? I had no fucking idea but Bella's equally, if not more, beautiful face flashed through my mind an instant later. "Bella? No! She's not my girlfriend! She's friend but nothing more"

I hoped I was being accurate with that statement. If I was being honest with myself I didn't know, was she more? Did I want more from her? Did she want more from me? I wasn't usually stupid, until it came to the fairer sex; I was fairly naive when it came to that. My history was littered with the debris of misunderstandings about friendships. I got on really well with women but I had pretty much closed myself off to developing friendships into relationships, I'd lost too many good friends that way.

Did she want more? Bella? Her name hung in my head like an echo of a past 'could have been' name which wasn't.

"Good!" Leah broke through my thoughts, the fragile image of taking another step with Bella shattered instantly. "Then you'll meet me after work for a drink? I get off at 8, you can pick me up"

My world rained fire and brimstone for a moment. I was seeing Bella tonight. I didn't know where we were going or how late we'd be. Without a reasonable excuse, which didn't include Bella, I replied "sure, but I can't get home too late I've got an early start tomorrow."

"No worries" was Leah's simple answer as she passed me my coffee "it's a date!" She smiled widely stunning me again. I turned away, slowly ripping myself from her gaze, more powerful than the pull of a black hole. Usually I'd be puffed up with the thought of a 'date' with someone so gorgeous but something kept pulling at my heart, hanging my feelings of excitement into guilt.

That thing was Bella's face.

Shit, I didn't even know if she thought of me like that. Even if she did, she wouldn't do anything because I was her boss. Fuck, what a mess!

I looked back and smiled at Leah, hoping she had gone back to work, anything to indicate we were still a couple of friends interested in getting to know each other because we shared interests. Her eyes hadn't moved, she still held my gaze with that confident look that only a stunningly beautiful woman has.

Fuck... I was fucking annoyed now. I pondered the situation on the way back to the office and for a good portion of the afternoon. The last details to be sorted out before I left were second nature and were completed quickly with very little thought.

By quarter to four my brain had finally seized the only logical answer. Leah had expressed an interest in me, Bella had not. I'd have a couple of drinks with Bella then meet Leah but wait for her to make the moves. I wouldn't ruin another friendship by being an ass. I liked Leah a lot and we shared the same interests, so I wasn't going to mess up what could be a great friendship by jumping her after drinks. Then, I'd go on holiday and depending on what happened tonight with Leah put some thought into what to do when I got back. Full proof!

I happy penned my automated e-mail "out of office" so anyone e-mailing me knew to refer to Alice or Carlisle and when I'd be back.

I felt a massive weight lifted off my shoulders as I closed down my computer. Two weeks of solitude, blissful quiet just me and my thoughts. I felt powerful. I glanced at Bella, she looked over and, as if taking a que, she hit a button on her computer and it shut down. I smiled widely and got up grabbing my coat.

"Guys" I said to the team, feeling a bit like Moses handing out the ten commandments "I'm off, Alice is in charge, you lot give her a hard time and you'll answer to me, in about two weeks, if I come back" I grinned widely at the varied responses which ranged from "oooooo" to "lucky bastard". I waved and grabbed Bella's coat. Holding it out for her I smiled instinctively as I felt her shoulders brushed my hands and her perfume engulfed me.

I took Bella's arm and turned back to the team. With a flamboyant bow from me accompanied with a grin and an embarrassed smile from Bella we left.

The weather outside was starting to turn cold however the skies were clear for now. Bella moved a little closer and shivered.

"So where to m'lady? Coffee, drinks or food, the choice is yours" I asked casually. I realised I'd asked her out for a drink but it was ladies choice tonight.

"Definitely not coffee" she smiled "how about food first? CheChes? You never did take us all out there" her smile turned into a grin

"Ah, m'lady has a good memory, I will remember that" I prodded my head and smiled. "CheChes it is then, let us away!"

"Your nuts Edward, do you know that?" Bella's smile widened even more giving her the look that first captivated me. I refused to get drawn into the wanting I knew I felt for her, knowing that she'd never made an overt move that signalled anything from her side I was determined to keep our blooming friendship even if I could have nothing else. I would live, I would move on, she would be in my life and we would be friends.

"Indeed I am, but be assured, only when in good company" I matched her smile as I took her arm. She seemed a little uncomfortable for a moment then relaxed into me as our strides began to match pace and length.

We were in luck, CheChes had just opened for late afternoon/evening service which meant two things, one, we had our pick of tables and more importantly, two, the food would be fresh. One more than one occasion I'd been convinced they'd heated up an old order to save time, the dish having arrived at the table within two minutes of being ordered.

We got a couple of draft beers and then when they arrived Bella ordered mushroom ravioli I ordered a steak. The reassuring delay between ordering and receiving our food was filled with relatively idle chat, how was work, was she settling in OK etc. We quickly got onto personal lives, neither of us found work particularly interesting.

"So is there a Mrs Edward then? Anyone squirreled away?" I had a déjà vu moment. I was sure she'd asked this before, but by someone else.

"Nope, just me, would there be a problem if there was?" I grinned, stupidly

"I just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to make someone angry, keeping you out after work!" She blushed

"Nope, no one" I said having completely forgotten about Leah, to enchanted with Bella, my... friend...

"Good" Bella said, she choked on her beer before hastily qualifying with "I mean good you won't be in trouble" she hung her head blushing madly, a nervous smile pulling at her lips.

"And you? Do you have Mr Bella hidden in a closet?" I asked, which was only a natural extension of the conversation.

"Me?" She asked as if shocked by my suggestion that anyone could want to be with her. I was fairly sure there was a long long queue waiting for her. "No, I'm not seeing anyone" she mumbled

It was my turn to choke on the beer "Huh? Why? I mean you can't short of requests! Look at you" I blurted out stunned. Stupid fucking mouth. "Sorry Bella, none of my business" I said as if I could take it back

"No, no, it's ok. I've just never met anyone who's umm... mature enough, I guess, I'm usually attracted to men who end up acting like boys for some reason." She sighed "I answered honestly, now your turn, why are you single? You're not exactly a bad umm... package" the last part was mumbled so low I hardly made out what she said.

"Ok, honestly? I have problems finding someone who I could date and keep a friendship with" maybe honesty wasn't a great idea... "What I mean is I've tried relationships with people I've been friends with first, the two have never been a successful mix, it has always been one or the other, never a balance" maybe I'd drunk my pint to fast. I was feeling light headed and my mouth seemed to have a life of its own.

"That's... horrible" oh fuck! What had I said! "I'm sorry Edward, it's a difficult balance but I know what you mean, I guess it's the same problem I've always had, just a different way of looking at it" Jesus fucking Christ, my heart slowed down again.

"Yeah, I guess it is" I said in relief. I waved over the waitress and ordered another beer and one for Bella. Apparently she was matching me drink for drink. At least she'd be too drunk to remember this conversation soon and hopefully I would be too.

"So" Bella started after downing nearly a quarter of her new drink and more than a little flushed for it "what do you look for in a girl?" she smiled

I took a long drink, matching her quarter before answering "are we being honest?"

She nodded, my head was buzzing slightly from the beer so, well why not be honest?

"She needs to be funny, caring, honest and above all she needs to be a friend, through anything. Oh, and pretty would help too" I realised I'd just described her, well the her in my head but she didn't know that, thankfully "and now that I've answered you, it's your turn" I grinned in an attempt to mask my genuine interest.

"Well, he needs to be a bit nuts, but not too much, we'd need to share the same interests but also bring new ones to each other, a good, or at least stable job would help and like you, above all be a friend through everything..." She looked at me, I couldn't figure out the emotion on her face, guilt? She looked down the silence that followed was not uncomfortable but felt charged with some unknown thing. Finally the food arrived breaking the silence as we oo'ed and ah'ed over it, still Bella matched my drinks. By the time I asked for the bill we'd had four draft beers each and we were chatting animatedly with each other. I was really enjoying myself, the strange atmosphere that had built up before food having dissipated.

We left CheChes, arms linked still chatting and laughing. "Where to now" I said, glancing at my watch surprised to see it was only six. That reminded me with a jolt that I was seeing Leah at eight. With the addition of the food the beer buzz had mellowed to a merry, happy feeling.

"Somewhere quiet, I'm enjoying talking to you" Bella flashed her stunning smile at me, I melted at the sight of it and at that moment if she'd told me to kill myself I would have done it without another thought. Happily she hadn't so I racked my brains.

"I know just the place" I grinned as I dragged her to the left holding her tightly. Just so she didn't fall, of course.