So sorry it has taken me this long to put out this chapter! Life has been hectic, especially with my high school graduation in, like, two weeks. This has been the first time I have had enough free time to write something! So sorry it has taken me so incredibly long to update, but now things should be back to a somewhat normal schedule of one update a week. Well, enjoy this chapter!
Bella had plated Emmett rather quickly and the man proceeded then to shovel food down his throat as Edward sat across from her at the table, making weird faces at her occasionally. She knew that Edward knew who Emmett was, she had introduced him and what not, but, she hadn't really introduced Edward quite yet, since she was certain that Emmett was going to question her further on who this Edward guy was and what sort of involvement in her life he had, and she certainly was not looking forward to that conversation.
"Okay, Emmett, now that you have had some food, are you going to tell me about your new job? Or are you just going to sit there and concentrate on digesting first?" she asked her brother, smiling a little bit as she did so, seeing Edward looking bemused out of the corner of her eye as she sat there.
"So not funny, Bells. I thought we were past the food jokes," Emmett said, pretending to be upset by the comment she had made at that moment.
"Oh, Emmett. We will be past the food jokes the day you stop eating mammoth amounts of it," she informed him with a bit of a smile, seeing Edward shaking his head out of the corner of his eyes.
"Ouch. That really hurts me, Bells. Maybe I need to bring back the pipsqueak jokes about you," Emmett teased before Bella punched him playfully in the arm, "Hey! That actually hurt! Fine. No pipsqueak jokes then. But, I will watch you clean the dishes up while I tell you about my new job," Emmett said to Bella.
Edward interrupted then. "How about I do the dishes and you talk to your brother about his new job instead. After all, I do believe it is my turn to do it," he said, smiling a little bit at Bella, having enjoyed watching the way the two siblings interacted with one another.
"Okay, works for me," Bella said with a shrug as Emmett watched the way the two seemed to interact. Emmett could already tell that these two weren't just friends as Bella had introduced Edward as, meaning that he was certainly going to have to inquire to her about his relationship to her.
"I'm fine with whatever as long as I don't have to do any of the clean up," Emmett said seriously as he relaxed in the dining room chair he was sitting in.
"Of course, my nice and lazy brother that never bothers to contribute to the meal, making me do all the clean up work even though I tend to be the one that sustains his stomach whenever he is around," Bella said, picking on Emmett a bit before Edward started the dishes. "So, tell me about your new job," she said, actually excited to hear about what Emmett was going to get to do.
"Well, I got hired by this guy named Jasper, who runs a particular branch down here. He said he liked my attitude and life outlook, I believe. Anyway, that's not really important, but I am going to be a sales representative for their line of drugs here. So, basically, a bigger position as a pharmaceutical drug salesman. I will actually be in charge of the whole region and all the actual salesmen will have to report to me, and I will monitor all their sales as well as make some of them myself to the bigger players in the medical world. I'm really excited about it because they especially have some drugs that really do help people and have minimal side effects, unlike that other company I was working for before I got this opportunity. Anyway, it just seems like I have a lot more opportunities with this new place than I ever did at the old one, you know?" Emmett finished up as Bella nodded a little bit.
"Yeah, I know. You going to be working closely with your boss? Or is he just going to be a distant figure far off in the upper branches of the company?" she asked Emmett, wondering just how high up he would be if he was in charge of multiple actual pharmaceutical drug salesmen.
"I'll be meeting with him about once a week to discuss the state of everything and how well various employee's are working. Nothing too serious, but he said we'd do it over a good lunch or some coffee, better to talk about serious things in a better environment. It would also mean that no one from our company would be trying to overhear our conversation and spread it about the building. After all, I get to be the professional snitch on people," Emmett said.
"Wow, Em. You really have an impressive new job. I'm proud of you. Not often that you get an opportunity like this," Bella said, honestly excited for her brother, "And not to mention, you'll be able to come to any art gala's or something that I have now, instead of just hearing about the few I get now and again. Exciting, huh?" Bella said with a bit of a grin.
"Exactly! That was one of the biggest bonus' about the job. Anyway, now something far more important to discuss than my job. Can we go to your little studio and you can show me some of the stuff you've painting since my last visit?" Emmett asked, really just planning on inquiring as to the relationship she had with this Edward guy. He seemed nice enough, but he had big brother duties to fulfill.
"Sure, I've got some pretty cool stuff to show you," Bella said, standing up and walking with Emmett into the studio, leaving Edward alone to finish cleaning the dishes and then resume whatever work he had to do. Bella was completely oblivious to the fact that Emmett was planning to grill her on how she felt about this Edward guy.
Once in Bella's studio, Emmett turned around to face her and crossed his arms over his chest. "What's up with that Edward guy," he demanded right away. Emmett never was one to dance around what he wanted to find out.
"What do you mean?" Bella asked innocently, not wanting to give away what exactly Edward was to her at this particular moment in time. She didn't need her brother to be lecturing her about how to deal with a relationship or anything of the sort, in fact, she would prefer if she didn't have to deal with him at all.
"Oh, don't give me that, Bella. I grew up with you, I know when you're into a guy. And you've got that look all over your face. And don't deny that you weren't starring at his ass when he was walking towards the sink," Emmett said, looking straight at his sister, knowing that she was much more likely to spill when he was starring right at her.
"What if I didn't want to tell you?" Bella asked.
"Tough."
"What if I don't want to tell you because I think you'll laugh slash be disappointed in me for the situation I got myself into …," Bella trailed off.
"Did you get you pregnant?" Emmett asked, suddenly a bit angry while a bit surprised at the same time.
All Bella could do was snort at his question. "No."
"Well, then, I won't laugh or be disappointed in you," Emmett said, keeping his arms crossed as he tapped his foot as Bella deliberated on how to word things, "I'm waiting," he sing-songed.
"Fine. I … drunkenly married him in Vegas. He claims to be crazy about me and showed up here a couple of days ago and now won't leave until it's annulled but …," Bella sighed a bit, "I don't know if I want to do that anymore. Because I am seriously actually falling for him now. You know, he say's he has known me for a long time, but I just can't remember where he might have met me before," Bella said, sitting down on one of the few stools she kept in her studio. It was, of course, paint splattered like everything else in the area.
"Are you serious?" Emmett asked, having a hard time believing that his level-headed, artistic sister would have done something so crazy.
Bella nodded. "Yeah, I am, unfortunately," she professed as Emmett tapped his bottom lip.
"And you say you think you really like him?" he asked.
"Yeah."
"Has he treated you well since he's shown up here?" Emmett questioned.
"He hasn't done anything bad to me, if that's what you mean. I would be lying to say I wasn't a bit irritated when he first showed up. But that was before I started to want him around more," Bella said twiddling her thumbs a bit.
"Well, then, as long as he isn't an asshole to you, I am okay with this. But the second something goes south, you call me and let me know and I'll come and beat up his sorry ass for you, lil' sis. If that's alright with you?" Emmett said, smiling at his sister.
"That is certainly alright with me," Bella said with a big smile on her face.
"Good, because I wouldn't have this whole situation any other way," Emmett said to her with a smile on his face.
"I'm glad. Now, I should actually show you some of my new artwork that I have done," Bella said to Emmett with a bit of a smile.
"Right. Just so Edward doesn't find out that we were making fun of him while we were hiding away in your little art studio," Emmett said with a bit of a nod as Bella got up off of her stool and walked over to where all her canvases that she had used were sitting.
"Exactly, and not that I was admitting that I was actually starting to like him. Even though I know he has already figured that part out," she said as she shook her head at herself, pulling out one of her favorite new paintings that she had done, before she had even met Edward. It was what she envisioned love being like, at least to some degree.
There were two people holding hands as they starred into one another eyes, their shapes were blurry, but there were red hearts on their chests, bright and almost blinding. Around them, it had been painting white and yellow, to show some light around them, where then black and swirling blues and purprles were every where around where the couple was standing.
Her idea behind the piece was that no matter who the man and woman were, or even if it was two women and two men, their love, which was the bright red hearts, would exude so much light that it would push back the surrounding darkness.
After Bella had shown Emmett a few more after her favorite, Emmett offering up comments on every single one of them and proposing names for each and every one of them, even though Bella had already picked out names for most of them, which she was glad to have already taken care of as she could tell that Emmett was just spewing out random titles, and she didn't need to end up naming her paintings things that were absolutely and completely ridiculous.
Walking out of the studio, they spotted Edward sitting on the couch, typing away at his computer while wearing some thin reading glasses on the tip of his nose, the whole image making Bella smile a little bit before Emmett elbowed her side before wiggling his eyebrows at her before he decided to speak.
"Well! Since it seems Edward is staying here with some permanence, I think I will be off to find myself another place to spend the night. I will call you sometime in the morning about helping me with doing some house hunting and stuff. I know I can do it myself, but, let's be honest, you know what I want better than I do," Emmett said with a shrug, seeing Edward putting down the computer and closing it carefully before standing up.
"It was a pleasure to meet you," Edward said as he moved over to where the siblings were standing as they faced one another.
"Same goes for me," Emmett said as he nodded a little bit.
"Wonderful. Now, Emmett, remember I can feed you again tomorrow, but only for one meal, because it costs too much to make sure you are always full, so you can take care of that on your own since I don't want to have to deal with it," Bella informed him.
"Fine, but I better be on my way to find a place for the night. I know there are some hotels a little way's away from here," Emmett said.
"Good. Now, don't die on your way over there, I would miss you quite a bit if you were dead," Bella informed Emmett.
"Alright, I will keep that in mind," Emmett said to Bella before pulling her into a bit of a bear hug before letting go and waving at Edward, "See you guy's later."
"See you, Em. Have a good night," Bella said as she watched Emmett walk out of her home and to who knows where.
"Your brother seems nice," Edward said with a slight nod as he streatched a bit before yawning slightly.
"He is. He wasn't as entertaining today as he usually is, but, I suppose that is alright," she said with a shrug before she felt Edward's arms wrapping around her waist as his head found residence in the crook of her neck before starting to sway them back and forth.
"That's nice. I think you and I should curl up together and watch something," he said before pressing a gentle kiss to her neck, causing her to freeze up for a second before relaxing, though she was sure Edward noticed her reaction, though it didn't seem to bother him much.
"I suppose that sounds like a good plan," Bella said, smiling a bit.
"Wonderful. You get blankets, I'll get popcorn and a movie," he said, kissing her neck again, though this time she didn't freeze.
Alright! I hope that was worth the wait! Reviews are loved if you leave one and might prompt a sooner update that not ... Especially since I will ACTUALLY be around now. :) Anyway! Have a wonderful week.
