Previously:

Jacob Black was gay. Who would have thought. But if he was gay, he couldn't be Bambi's boyfriend. But why did they hug in the park then? And what about him trying to protect her after my snappy comment in the lobby?

I was even more confused than before.

Chapter 10

EPOV

By 8 p.m. I decided to head back to the hotel. After Emmett's revelation about Jacob Black I still couldn't stop brooding. I figured I could also brood in my hotel room instead of being constantly interrupted by my assistant, so I took a cab back to the hotel.

I wasn't in the mood for sitting in the restaurant, so I ordered a club sandwich and a coke over the room service. The guy on the phone, Ben was his name, told me it took about twenty minutes. I took off my suit and tie and laid on the bed in my white T-Shirt and black boxer briefs.

I assumed that I owed Bambi an apology. Not for everything I had said or done, but at least for implying that she hit on Jacob Black. The difficulty was, when would I see her again and would she even let me talk to her? But would that even change anything? I tried to kiss her and she probably already told Victoria, so would apologizing to her seem like I admitted hitting on her?

Damn, my head hurt. I raked my hands through my hair und turned on my bed.

There was a soft knock on my door pulling me from my thoughts.

Perfect, eating something would at least keep my mind occupied for a few minutes. Maybe thinking was easier with a full stomach. I shouted: "Come in, Ben." and switched on the TV while sitting up on my bed. The door opened and I heard the cart being pushed inside my room. I switched through the TV channels and rummaged in my pants' pockets for some change so I could tip Ben.

Someone cleared their throat and when I looked up I saw Bambi standing in my room. The cart stood between us and she looked at the carpet. Was she crying?

"Oh." I just said. "Hi Bella. I.. err.. I didn't expect you here."

She didn't even look up at me. She just stared at the carpet, her lower lip trembling as if she was trying to keep from sobbing and handed the check for me to sign.

"What.." I got up and took a step closer, bending my body so I could look at her face from underneath. Her eyes were shining with tears and her make up was slightly smeared as if she had already whiped some tears away.

"Hey, are you alright?" I asked concerned. I didn't know my behaviour from this afternoon's encounter would cause this kind of a reaction from her.

She closed her eyes for a brief second, pressed her lips together and nodded slightly, her eyes shifting from the carpet to the wall. She looked far from alright.

"Bella, I.." I started and walked around the cart and reached out my hands to her. I couldn't stand seeing her like this. I just wanted to hold her in my arms and comfort her.

She raised her hands in a defeating manner and took a step backwards.

"Could you please sign the check, Mr. Cullen?" she asked through gritted teeth, still not looking at me. She looked so pale, so weak. I was afraid, she would faint any second.

I took the check from her and signed it, putting it back on the cart. "Would you like to sit down? You don't look well."

She made a snorting sound and took the check. "As if you would care." She looked at me and her eyes were so full of hate, I didn't know what to respond. "And no, apart from what you think of me, I don't want to sit down."

With these words she turned around abruptly and left my room, closing the door behind her quietly.

I stood there dumbfounded. So much for my apology.

BPOV

I ran to the staff elevator, furiously pressing the call button. My tears were flowing freely now and I tried not to sob too loudy.

This was by far the worst day I ever had. I didn't even know if I would return to the room service office now or simply take the elevator to the basement, change into my comfortable jeans and T-Shirt and leave this goddamn place for good.

After my encounter with Edward Cullen in the elevator, I had tried to push him into the back of my mind to do my work properly.

Working with Ben was fun, we talked easily and I found out that he was my colleague Angela's boyfriend. We served the orders by turns and shared the tips we got equally. Two more orders arrived and I suggested I'd serve both of them because the rooms were on the same floor and then go on my break afterwards.

Ben helped me prepare the carts and I took the staff elevator to the twelfth floor.

The first order was for room 1223, Mr. J. Smith. I rememered Mr. Smith from the check in and as he was very nice to me, in spite of Jessica telling me that he was the rather snobbish kind of guest, I assumed it wouldn't take long.

I pushed the cart to his room and knocked. He opened the door for me and his whole face lit up when he saw it was me delivering his order.

"Well, hello there." he grinned. "Bella, right? How are you?"

"Good evening, Mr. Smith." I answered politely. "Thank you, I'm fine. I have your room service order here, where may I place it?"

He held the door open and gestured for me to come in. "Right next to the bed would be great, thank you." I pushed in the cart and he closed the door behind me.

"I didn't expect to see you again so soon, Bella. Usually, Victoria keeps her treasures to herself." He said while he walked up behind me.

I smiled. "I'm just getting to know the departments in my first week, Mr. Smith. After that, you will only meet me at the reception." I removed the cover from his plate to reveal his filet mignon and started to open his bottle of red wine.

"Aw, what a shame." he answered and took a step closer. I could feel his breath on my neck and it made my skin crawl. "I think, room service would be a perfectly suitable department for you, little Bella."

I took a step to the side to gain some space between us while fidgeting with the bottle. "No, I prefer working at the reception as I'm usually very clumsy and would break too many plates." I laughed nervously.

"Oh, I don't think anyone would care about you breaking plates. I bet you can make it up to them otherwise." he said and again closed in the distance between us. His hand was on my hip now and he said: "Would you like to sit down, Bella? The Merlot is so delicious and I might even share a bit of my filet, if you ask nicely."

I cleared my throat and pulled the corkscrew a little to hard to the cork came free with a loud POPP! I poured in his wine and from the bottle I could see my hand was shaking. "Err.. I'm sorry, Mr. Smith but I have another order to serve." I stuttered.

His other hand pushed my hair from my neck and I felt his cold lips on my neck. "Oh, I think that guest can wait for a few minutes." he breathed. "Maybe there was a delay in the kitchen."

I shuddered, took a step forward and turned around to face him. My father always told me to face my enemy and look them straight in the eye so they would clearly get the message. "Mr. Smith. I should go now. Would you please sign the check?" I asked and handed him the check.

"Hm.." he grinned. "And if I don't sign the check? You have to stay here until I sign it, right?" He took it from my hand and put it on his desk, unsigned.

"Err.. no." I stammered. "Mr. Smith, please. The other guest is waiting for his order, too." I took a step toward the door but he followed.

"Oh, you'll get your signature. And even a generous tip." he smiled. "If you are generous with me, too, Bella." And with these words, he grabbed my arms and pulled me towards him roughly. Suddenly, his lips were on mine and he forced his tongue into my mouth. I pushed with all my might against his chest but his arms were like stone around me, I couldn't move an inch. I started to panick and tried to remember the self defense course, my father once made me attend. He was too strong for me.

His lips and tongue kept working my mouth and he let out a groan as if my struggling was even turning him on more. I tried to kick him but my legs were trapped between his and the bed and I couldn't even get my foot up. One of his hands wandered down my back and grabbed my ass and I freaked out. I did the only thing that came to my mind. I opened my mouth a little further to grant him more access and when his tongue was fully in my mouth, I bit it hard.

That did it, because he started to scream and let go of me all of a sudden. He held his mouth and his eyes shot daggers at me. He shouted at me: "You bill pay for bis, you bibble bish!" and tried to grab me again. I bolted for the door, pulled it open and ran for the elevator. I didn't turn around until I stood in front of the closed doors. My breath was coming in short little rasps and little by little my brain processed what had just happened to me. I turned around but the hallway was empty. He didn't follow me. I heard the faint click of his door falling into its lock. I pressed my hands to my mouth to contain the loud and panicked sob that tried to escape and let myself slide down on the wall next to the elevator.

I didn't know for how long I sat there but eventually I figured I had to get back to work. I sniffed and tried to clean my face the best that I could. I would just deliver this order and then take my break to clear my head.

I took the check from the remaining cart and looked at the room number and name.

Room 1215, Mr. E. Cullen.

What have I done to be punished like this?

I took a deep breath and decided to postpone my vow of kicking Edward Cullen's ass to a day when I didn't escape rape only a few minutes before. I just wanted to get this over with, so I pushed the cart to his room and knocked.

"Come in, Ben." I heard his voice mumbled through the door. Even though I was still angry at him, his voice had a comforting effect on me. I took a shaky breath and opened his door with my master key card.

I entered the room and saw him sitting on the bed in a white T-Shirt and black boxer briefs. His hair looked as unruly as usual and the whole room was drenched in his scent, the scent I still remembered all too well from our dance in the club. He sure wasn't expecting me because he kept on switching through the TV channels and didn't even look up. He looked stunning even in his casual clothes. I cleared my throat and looked at the carpet, figuring as he didn't even want to hear me talk in the elevator, he wouldn't appreciate me looking at him in this appearance.

"Oh." I heard. "Hi, Bella. I.. err.. I didn't expect you here."

"What.." I heard him get up and saw his feet, still in his black stockings he probably wore at work appearing in my periphery. Suddenly, I saw him bending down and he looked up at me to see my face.

This was so mortifying. I looked like a complete mess and he was rubbing it right in my face by trying to make me look at him.

"Hey, are you alright?" he asked.

I remembered how I had stood in a similar room only a few minutes ago and how that had almost ended. The traitor tears tried to break through again and I just wanted to go on my break to cry freely. I closed my eyes, pressed my lips together and willed the tears back to their place. I nodded slightly and as he was still bent over trying to look at me, I chose to look at the wall instead, hoping he would get the hint and just let me be.

"Bella, I.." he began and started to walk around the cart towards me. Although the situation was a bit different, my whole body screamed no and went into defeat modus. I raised my hands and took a step backwards.

"Could you please sign the check, Mr. Cullen?" I asked, trying my best not to cry again. I had to get out of here. Now.

To my surprise, he took the check, signed it and put it back on the cart. "Would you like to sit down? You don't look well."

This was too much. I made a snorting sound and all my emotions threatened to break free. "As if you would care." I tried to stop myself from saying anything else but since I had apparently the word 'slut' written on my face, I figured it wouldn't make any difference so I added: "And no, apart from what you think of me, I don't want to sit down." I turned around quickly and left his room.

Finally the elevator arrived and I immediately pressed the button for the basement. I ran into the locker room, grateful I was alone there and let my tears fall freely. I didn't even know why I was crying. There were so many reasons. Edward Cullen ignoring my try to apologize. Mr. Smith attacking me. Me for not seeing what he was about to do and being so weak. Mr. Smith saying that I was a bitch. Edward Cullen faking concern for me. Edward Cullen implying that I was a slut. It was all too much for me.

I sat there for the complete hour I had my break and felt a little relieved afterwards. I checked myself in the mirror and after washing my face with cold water, I almost looked normal apart from my puffy eyes. I could easily tell Ben, I was coming down with a cold or something. I took a deep breath and returned to my shift.

I'm sorry to end this chapter at this point, but I didn't want to keep everybody waiting.

I'll try to update ASAP.

Thanks so much for reading and reviewing :)