Disclaimer: Everything Twilight, including hot Jasper, and a morose Jacob, belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer. . . . All the other copyrighted names belong to their rightful owners, and couture is our small world amidst it all . . . aren't we lucky ;)
Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble
APOV
My condo was even drearier than usual; it seemed to mock me as I walked through the emptiness and closed the door of my small safe haven. I was alone every night but it was as though the memory of Jacob lingered. As ridiculous as it sounded, I missed him; at least I missed the idea of somebody.
I turned on my TV and turned up the volume, trying to drown out the ringing of the silence that seemed to follow me. This was ridiculous; I came home and did the same thing every night, but just because I knew nobody was coming over, I was being completely paranoid and needy.
I had called Shawn at Dolce and Gabbana and agreed to help him during fashion week. I had mulled over it for twenty-four hours, and I asked Bella about it at lunch today. She'd helped me make the decision and she had agreed that getting out of Seattle for week could only help me. The only down side would be running into James and his blushing bride. I didn't buy that fact that they "Hadn't worked out" for a second. I knew how his mind worked. He was looking for a quick fuck and he thought I was the ticket. Asshole.
I decided that TV wasn't something I needed right now so I headed into the bathroom and turned on the faucets of my spa bath adding a small amount of scented salts and other smelly goodness. It was the reason I had chosen this condo to begin with. If I was going to pay the price of living in the city, I was going to make sure I got my money's worth.
I strolled into the kitchen and poured myself a glass of red wine into one of the stem-less wine glasses Bella had bought me as a house-warming present and picked up my PDA with it. I hated bringing my work into the tub, but I hated getting out even more. I put them on my vanity stool and pulled it closer to the tub so I had easy access.
I let the water fill above the jets and then twisted the timer, the hum of the motor kicked in before it began turning the water in the tub; it was one of those distinct sounds that seemed to relax me. I plugged my iPod into the docking station and turned on one of my favorite albums. I'd discovered it on one of my photo shoots and it always relaxed me.
I kept it low so it was playing in the background, and pulled off my clothes throwing them in the hamper. I stepped into the bubbling water and lowered myself into the warmth of it. My entire body was submerged as I turned off the cold water and let the hot continue a steady trickle. I loved hot water but I hated having to climb into it.
I pulled my towel under my head and closed my eyes, letting every one of my muscles relax in the heat. The scented steam rose slowly from the water dancing around me as I drug in deep cleansing breaths. My breathing slowed as the humming continued, and the music played softly. This really made everything seem so much better.
I reached out and took my wine from the stool. It was my favorite, cabernet sauvignon. I hummed along with the music as it filled my bathroom; occasionally sipping on the glass of wine that was situated in the hand I had hanging over the edge of the tub.
It wasn't so bad being single; I got to do things like this without being bothered. It would be nice to have someone rubbing my feet, but I was fine without it. I almost laughed out loud at myself; it wasn't just someone that flooded my thoughts, it was one person, a his name was Jasper.
"Stop it, Alice," I sighed out loud, taking another sip of wine. I had been fighting my subconscious since the last day of the photo shoot. I couldn't let him flood my mind and consume my thoughts the way he did. It wasn't as though he had a choice, but I did, and I had to stop myself constantly as his face flooded my minds eye.
I couldn't understand how he had such a profound effect on me, I mean, sure, he was charismatic, gorgeous and had as much sarcasm as I did; but he had a girlfriend. I could have sworn he'd been flirting with me just as much as I flirted with him, that was the most confusing part of all this.
His lips were the most prevalent thing in my mind right now . . . that was the waters fault; It continually lapped up against my skin making it hyper sensitive and tingly. The heat was absorbed immediately by my damp skin.
I closed my eyes and finally just let go, in my mind, I was the only one who was going to get hurt. It's not as though he would remember any of this.
So I let my mind trail off as I recounted his features, his strong jaw, blue eyes, chiseled nose. My free hand that was resting on my stomach traveled further south. Jasper's smile called out to me in my mind, my breathing deepened as my hand traveled over my wet skin. All I could see was Jasper's face, his muscular body, and the defined v that traveled purposefully towards his groin . . .
Who's gonna save my soul now
Who's gonna save my soul now
How will my story ever be told now?
How will my story be told . . ?
The haunting lyrics and earthy sound of Gnarls Barkley filled the bathroom, coupled with the annoying buzz of the vibrating on the phone. I sat upright, flustered and embarrassed as though I had been caught in the act. I guess I had to some extent, the wine glass fell to the beige carpet and spread the wine out in small crimson spurts.
"Double fuck!" Now I had to hire carpet cleaners or one of those stupid machines to do it myself. The bath-water was still rocking from my quick movements as I pulled the phone from the vanity stool and hit send.
"Hello," There was a slight aggravated tone to me voice as I called out the greeting.
"Alice?" The smooth satin tone made my stomach flip and my thighs rub together. It was the man I had just been fantasizing about. I was glad he couldn't see the blush that flared over my cheeks. That wouldn't be obvious at all.
"Hey, Jasper, I didn't expect to hear from you so soon." I slapped my forehead at my smooth words. I was an idiot, I was supposed to be making an effort at being his friend. I just sounded like some nervous teenager who'd been propositioned by her crush. Not far from the truth, granted, it didn't stop the mental image though.
"I'm sorry is it too late?"
"No, no," I smiled at his polite demeanor. "Just surprised to hear your voice."
"Good surprised or bad?"
I giggled into the phone, "Good, I'm glad you called actually, David sent me those pictures from the last day of the shoot, I wanted to email them to you, but I don't have your email address."
"Were they good?"
"I liked them," I smiled, shifting my body making the water slosh around again.
"Are you in the bath?" Jasper laughed huskily. I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of it as it clouded my mind. Life was a heartless, scorned bitch. I wonder what I had done to deserve this torture.
"It was a long day and I have one of those Jacuzzi tubs, sue me." I laughed, wishing I hadn't deposited my wine on the carpet. I could use some liquid courage about now.
"Now I'm jealous," he sighed playfully. A long paused filled the line, and I couldn't account for his thoughts, I couldn't even see his face to attempt to decipher them; but I knew mine were less than wholesome, and it included him, in the tub, naked. I shook my head to dispel the thoughts.
"Alice," The deeper huskier tones weren't lost on me, and they way he said my name almost elicited a moan from me. I was seriously loosing my mind. "I just wanted to call and thank you for the opportunity, I enjoyed working with you and I hope I can again in the future. I also hope we can be friends, I enjoy your company."
"Thanks Jasper," I shook my head and closed my eyes, wishing I could confess every thought I had ever had to him. Maybe he was put in my life to torture me for what I had done. "I really enjoyed spending time with you too, and I think after the Polo brand see what I have in store for them, you're going to be kept pretty busy."
Wow genius, you talk about work! Change the subject dumb-ass.
"So how long are you in town for?" I asked, pulling my knees to my chest. It was my natural defenses kicking in; when I felt overwhelmed I made myself smaller.
"I'm actually leaving tomorrow. Maria has to be in New York to get fitted for the designers she's walking for. I wanted to spend some more time with my family, but Maria asked me to be there, I kinda feel obligated."
Obligated? Did that mean he did it simply to appease her? It's none of my business, I told myself trying to think of something witty to say. Nothing came. Sarcasm was the main focus of my mind as I rifled through it for something to say. Maria's needy huh? Nope, that wouldn't work.
"That's what boyfriends do I guess." Friends say shit like that right?
"I guess," he laughed awkwardly. "She's got a bad reputation, I know that and I appreciate you being nice enough to skip over that, Alice." I could hear the, but . . . on the edge of his tongue but I didn't press him to say it.
"That's what friends are for Jazz," I laughed; did I really drop the f-bomb again?
Jasper chuckled into the other end of the phone, and I couldn't help but smile at the sound, his voice was crystal clear and gentle. I hated the cosmic universe for doing this to me. Why was I so attached to someone I could never have? It seemed unfair.
"So did you accept the offer with D and G?"
"I did, as a matter of fact, I called Shawn today and accepted. He sounded excited, so hopefully I can pull off whatever it is he expects from me." I laughed; my palm ran over the now placid surface of the bath water, the timer had just clicked off and the water had calmed. I watched the ripples that trailed behind my hand.
"Maybe I can take you out for a drink while we're there. I know some great hole-in-the-walls. I think we could have fun."
"Sounds great, I don't get to see much of New York while I'm there, I'm usually in and out within a matter of hours. It'll be nice to finally explore a little."
"When are you leaving?"
"Um, I'll have to check my schedule, but I think I am arriving the Sunday before so I can watch the construction of the stage and do some test runs. Get some test shots. I have your number now so I'll text you and let you know if you like."
"Yeah, there's plenty to keep you occupied the entire time you're there, believe me, I've had plenty of time to explore." He laughed, almost sounding cynical about it.
"What do you mean?" I asked, wondering if I had over stepped my carefully formed boundary by asking.
"Let's just say I have a lot of free time on my hands. Maria doesn't like me to watch her working."
"But she wants you to be there?"
"Exactly, and considering she works almost the entire duration, you can imagine how tedious it can be. Anytime you got to Milan or Paris, London or Rome; let me know and I'll show you the highlights."
I bit my tongue, Jasper didn't sound as happy as I had assumed he was. Maybe being his friend wasn't a bad thing at all, I wouldn't encourage him to do anything, but listening to him vent his frustrations made me realize that this wasn't the fairy-tale romance I had assumed it was to begin with.
"I just miss my family; my sister is pregnant with her first child, and according to my new brother-in-law, I missed the exorcist part of the pregnancy. Seeing Rosie look less than perfect would have made my millennium, it was sibling torture, something to tell my nephew . . . " he laughed gently.
I laughed in response, that sounded just like Emmett. Crap! With that thought came the overwhelming guilt. He was talking about my best friends and didn't even know it. Yet I did, I should just tell him the truth, but he sounded so liberated as he vented. I was yet again torn, was now the time to come clean?
"Yeah, I can't believe I missed my sisters wedding. I told them I had a job in Milan. I didn't want them to hate Maria any more than they already did so I lied. She was the one rocking the catwalk while I sat on my ass in a hotel room. Sorry, I didn't mean to lay this on you, I think it's just been a long time coming."
"Vent away sweetheart," I said leaning forward to turn up the hot water; the water was already getting cold. "I know how it can be, it's just easier to get it off your chest so you can move on."
"I just wish she could be less selfish, I spend so little time with my family. I hate to think about how much of my nephew's life I'm going to miss out on if this keeps up."
"Can't you just put your foot down and tell her that you can't keep running around after her. I don't mean to intrude on something I know nothing about, but isn't the foundation of most relationships honesty?"
"It is, and maybe you're right. Maybe I just need to be honest with her. If she doesn't know there's a problem, she can't do anything about it."
I am such an idiot . . . did I just talk him out of leaving Maria? I leaned my forehead against my knees and bit my lower lip. I hated this, I hated that I couldn't tell him to dump the bitch and move on. I hated myself and my own morals in this one minute; if I wasn't that person I could've easily told him how I felt and what I wanted.
Even if I was able to say that and he did want to give it a try, I knew there was always a chance that he could wonder if he'd made the right decision. Whether it was a year or ten down the road. I had to just be his friend, and I could do that.
"Alice, you still there?"
"Yeah, sorry, Jasper, got lost in my own thoughts for a second."
"No problem. I must be boring you half to death, and I'm sure the water is freezing by now. So much for a relaxing bath."
"It's certainly been the most interesting bath to date." I laughed gently, closing my eyes.
Jasper laughed again making my stomach flop around in my body. I hated that it betrayed me so easily. I was just glad he couldn't see the blush crawling into my cheeks.
"I have to head out, but thanks Alice. You really helped me out."
"I enjoyed talking to you, we should do this more often."
"You have my number now," he laughed again. "Don't forget to let me know when you'll be in New York."
"I won't. Goodnight, Jasper."
"Goodnight, Alice."
I heard the shuffle as Jasper moved the phone from his ear before hitting the end button. I hit the end button on mine and slammed my phone onto the seat of the vanity stool before wrapping my arms around my legs. I was glad no one was around to witness how pathetic I was. The tears slid down my cheeks and dropped into the newly heated water that surrounded me.
There was no relaxing anymore. Turmoil bubbled inside of me and I all I wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep, and it was only nine o'clock.
I pulled myself out of the tub and got dressed, making sure to put baking soda on the spot where I'd spilt my wine. I hit all the lights and crawled into bed, not even bothering to turn the TV back on.
I curled into a ball and fell asleep, letting the darkness lap at my mind before it consumed me completely.
*****
I woke up actually feeling better than I had. My little pity party last night had given me more sleep than I'd gotten in months. I almost felt chipper; that was until my PDA dinged notifying me that I had a text message.
Alice; Thanks for the advice. Looking forward to New York. - J.
I smiled, if Jasper was meant to be nothing more than a friend then so be it. I would do everything in my power to be as good a friend to him as I could. I enjoyed his company enough to suffer through my little crush. If I had to listen to him talking about Maria, it was a sacrifice I could endure.
Bella would be proud. I dialed her number and listened as it rang. Her voice was hoarse and grainy when she answered. It sounded as though she was still sick.
"Hey Al," She sounded tired and weak. Something I wasn't used to hearing in her voice, it concerned me a little.
"Bella, you sound like shit. You still not feeling well?"
"Al, let me call you back . . ." The line went dead and I looked at my phone. Bella had been sick at lunch yesterday too. We'd walked into the Sushi bar and it had sent her directly to the bathroom. I sat on the sinks listening to her wretch. That was nothing new, I was used to puking Bella. I'd been with her the first time she'd gotten smashed and cleaned her up before taking her back to my house. Charlie would have seen right through her bad acting, and being the police chief, he wouldn't have been happy about the state his daughter had been in, let alone the public intoxication of his under age daughter.
I got showered and dressed, and headed to the office. I had things to do before I left for New York and I was still flying low on the radar because James was still in town. The thought of bumping into him again was enough to turn my stomach.
"Morning Alice," Amanda's bright voice greeted me as I unlocked my office door.
"Coffee?"
I grinned and nodded as I pushed my door open. The girl was a god send, coffee wasn't in her job description, but she always seemed to either have it or be on her way to get it when I arrived.
I sat behind my desk and fiddled with the mock up I'd put together. The Polo spreads were my best work to date, even I could admit that. The cool spring hues seems to jump off the page and there was never a chance the reader could simply skim over it. Jasper was the perfect poster boy for the campaign and I knew there was a chance he could land the account as a permanent face for the product.
Amanda came back into my office with two cups of coffee and a pen wedged into her ponytail. I giggled and grabbed a coffee from her.
"I went through your schedule and tried to clean up everything for fashion week, whatever couldn't be canceled or postponed, I have moved up and given them an earlier appointment."
"Thank you, I guess that'll keep me busy for a while."
"Yeah. well some people don't like to take no for an answer." She laughed, she put her coffee on the floor beside her chair and disappeared from my office. She came back with her organizer and a smallish white box. She handed me the box with a smile before taking her seat and opening her organizer.
"What's this?"
"David and I thought you might like it," She grinned and shrugged burying her nose into the organizer sat open on her knees.
I pulled the top from the box and laughed. It appeared I was highly transparent to those around me, because in the box, in a matte black frame, was the picture of Jasper and I.
"What's this?" I grinned, playing with her.
"It's adorable, Alice. We couldn't resist; even if he does have a girlfriend that picture could start a fire. You're easier to read than you think." she winked.
"He's just a friend, Amanda."
"Friends have pictures of friends. Case in point," she said pointing to a picture I had of Bella and I at one of the high school football games I had on my desk. "No big deal."
I rolled my eyes and put the frame back in the box, the frame was exactly the kind I used at home. I put the top back on the box and set it to the side. As Amanda began going through the appointments and meeting I had for the day, I pulled out my phone and began texting Jasper.
Jasper, if you want the pics I need your email. Don't forget to let me know what copies you want for your portfolio. –A
It wasn't more than ten minutes before he replied.
Alice, my email is jwhitlock (at) twilight_models (dot) com, Thanks again. I am about to get on a plane, so I will talk to you later. –J
I turned to my computer and selected some of the best shots I had from the shoot, as well as the two pics of him and I, and attached them to an email. I hit send without adding a body to the message. I couldn't think of anything witty to say.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of meetings and a long stint in the graphics department. We were putting this issue to bed soon, and I needed to have everything in order before I left for New York. Shawn had already had the tickets messengered over to the office and in true D&G style, they were first class.
I had the final proofs in my hand before I even left the office, they were perfect and after checking and double checking the product descriptions, I submitted them for approval. I was feeling proud of myself as I hopped into the elevator. The day's hard work had paid off.
The doors of the elevator slid open on a lower floor and the large frame of Jacob shuffled in. I was surprised to see that he looked tired. Dark circles framed his brown eyes. Our eyes met and a smile rose on his lips.
"Hey Alice,"
"Hey Jake, you alright? You're not coming down with this stomach thing too are you?"
He shifted uncomfortably and leaned against the elevator wall opposite me. He looked confused at my statement as his hand rubbed the back of his neck.
"Maybe," he smiled weakly. "Anything new happening in the fashion world?"
"I am headed off to New York this weekend. Dolce asked me to help out with their catwalk show for Fashion week, Couture gets the exclusive." I grinned, Jacob would understand just what that meant. He may work at a testosterone fueled magazine, but an exclusive was an exclusive.
"Look at you jet-setting already," he laughed relaxing a little. "So how are you helping the infallible D&G with their catwalk?"
"They have, and I quote, an unconventional catwalk, and Shawn insists I am the only one who can get the shots right."
"How unconventional?"
"I won't know until I get there. I am leaving this weekend so I can watch the construction. It must be pretty wild, they have reserved a space and they aren't sharing." I laughed.
"Let's just hope they're not going to put you in a harness and hoist you twenty feet into the air. I know you hate heights."
"I don't hate them," I laughed, "They just freak me out."
"That's because you've spent a majority of your life less than five feet from the ground."
"Hey," I laughed, "Just because you live it an entirely different climate, doesn't mean I'm strange, you're the anomaly."
Jacob barked out a laugh, his shoulders shook with the magnitude of his hysterics. I rolled my eyes and stepped forward to smack his arm. the doors slid open and I stepped out into the cool granite lined lobby. It was completely quiet.
"Well, be careful in New York, Alice," Jacob said as his laughter died down. "Your going to be swamped with all the tall chicks of the fashion world."
"Thanks Jake," I said, my words dripping with sarcasm.
"Anytime," he chuckled.
With that, we went our separate ways. I sighed a breath of relief, it was still easy with him. I was concerned there would be some awkwardness in the aftermath of our lunch, but I was pleased that things just seemed to go back to the way they had been before, well, as far as passing in the hall, I had yet to sit down and have a real conversation with him.
The rest of the week buzzed by in a blur. The spread was approved and my desk was almost emptied of things to do. Amanda kept everything flowing easily through the office and I was able to keep most of my meetings.
I hadn't bumped into Jacob again since I had met him in the elevator, my evening were spend raking through my closet looking for the highest fashion I had that would work amongst the giants in the fashion world. Of course my suitcase consisted of most of my Dolce and Gabbana clothes. After all, I was going to be working for them while I was there. I should certainly represent them as best I could.
Jasper and I had been texting one another daily, he was in New York, and he was bored. From what he'd told me Maria wasn't as open to the honesty as he thought she would be. I silently rejoiced that the women truly seemed to be a me monster. It made her harder to love, and easier for me to hate.
I was surprised at the ease that came with my interactions with Jasper. He'd called me twice this week and we spent a majority of the time laughing and exchanging industry stories.
He'd confided to me that he'd turned down jobs so that he could be with Maria, at least so she could have her own way. Every story he had that concerned her only gave me more of a dislike for the woman, she truly was a bitch, to the core. Yet, I never said anything to that effect.
This was a learning experience for me. I knew I had the capability to be a friend, but I had been speculative about trying it with Jasper because of my attraction to him. My attraction hadn't diminished at all since our first phone conversation, but I had a better grip over my emotions. I prioritized my thoughts so that I wouldn't get flustered and upset when he had to go.
In the few phone calls we'd shared, the ending of the conversation was always the same. Maria's here, I should go. It ended that way because we would always lose track of time. It was easy to waste four hours just talking to him.
It was Friday night, and I was catching the flight out tomorrow, I was stretched out on my bed watching the breakfast club. A bottle of wine and Chinese take out was on the bench at the end of my bed. It was a ritual of mine before I flew.
I had many a ritual, I seemed to gain more with age, not that I minded, I liked having something to look forward to. My phone buzzed on the bench impatiently and I picked it up and looked at the caller ID. Jasper.
"Hey Jasper,"
"Oh, it's you." A nasally voice filled my ear and made me cringe. I could hear the music in the background, it was why I hadn't expected to hear from Jasper, he was having a night on the town with Maria.
"Maria, how are you?" I asked in a sugar coated voice.
"You don't want to know, it's insane around here. Everybody wants me to walk for them and there just aren't enough hours in the day. Not to mention Jasper's being a royal pain in my ass with the family shit. I heard you will be at Dolce this week."
"Eh yeah," I sighed, I couldn't believe she had the audacity to bitch at me about Jasper. She was the most selfish, conceited, self-centered bitch on the continent. I really didn't want to talk to her at all so I cut to the chase. "What can I do for you Maria?"
"Nothing," she spat, "Jasper left his phone on the table and I was going through his phonebook, all he had for this number was an A. Maybe it's for fucking A, I got another job." she laughed spitefully.
I refused to take the bait and bite back so I bit my tongue, again. I took a deep breath and listened as Maria chatted comfortably with whoever was in earshot. I couldn't stand to listen to her voice anymore so I went for the easy out, made it about her.
"Well, you sound busy, so if you don't need anything, I will talk to you later." I said as loudly as I could.
"Hello?" Jasper's voice filled the earpiece of my phone and I smiled.
"Hey,"
"Hang on, Alice, I can't hear you." I heard shuffling and movement and the sound of the music dying away. "You still there?"
"I'm here," I smiled, picking up the remote and pausing the movie.
"I'm surprised you called," he laughed, I could hear chatting in the background and realized he must be outside.
"I didn't." I laughed, I couldn't always be the bigger person. "Maria was going through your phone and wanted to know who A was apparently."
I kept my voice light, I wanted to let him know that I wasn't upset or offended by her actions. That I was being the bigger person, that I adored him . . . I'm pathetic.
"She was going through my phone?" There was a tension in his voice, it was something I'd never heard before.
"That's what she said." I confirmed unsure. I hoped I hadn't started something between them.
"What did she say to you?"
"She was telling me about her week, and that she was going through your phone. That was about it." I laughed, again, this time it was nervous laughter. I was beginning to wonder if I should have just kept my damn mouth shut, I could hear how upset he was every time he spoke.
"I'm so sorry, Alice." he sighed, in resignation.
"No harm done, I think she was just curious."
"Hmm, still, I don't appreciate her doing shit like this. I mean it's almost two in the morning, you have a flight tomorrow and . . ."
"Jasper, honey I'm three hours behind you, and I was up anyway. Honestly, it's not a big deal."
"It is to me," he said almost under his breath.
"Well, I should get to bed, and you're out partying, you should be having fun. I'll be arriving tomorrow around noon New York time. You can call me then if you wanna talk."
"Shit, Alice, what time is your flight?"
"Early," I laughed. I had opted to take a five am flight so I could get there early, New York was three hours ahead of Seattle.
"Okay, Al, goodnight." He laughed.
"Night, Jazz."
I let out all of the air in my lungs and fell back on the bed. I was looking forward to seeing Jasper again, but I couldn't help but get the feeling that the shit was about to hit the fan.
A/N: I hope all of you dislike Maria as much as I do. The reason he endures her BS will all come apparent soon, in fact I believe it's the next chapter :) We're not making this easy on our characters are we?
Thank you so much to goldentemptress, an awesome author, and an amazing friend. Her Bella is amazing.
Thank you to all of you that have reviewed, you give us so much encouragement and often make us laugh and smile too. So a hug thanks and a ton of love to you guys.
Until Monday - Much love and big hugz - L -
