AN: Okay, so I don't know if anybody is actually reading this anymore, but if you do: I'm so sorry it took so long to update. I hate waiting for updates myself but somehow I had the chapter in my mind but couldn't find the right words - it's pretty hard to describe. Anyways, I'm pretty critical on myself and didn't want to publish a crappy chapter. Even now I'm not satisfied with the result.

I hope, my mind won't be so blocked anymore for the upcoming chapters so.. thank you so much for reading this :)

And.. maybe reviews help me finding the right words? ;)


Previously:

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.

Chapter 11

EPOV

I paced my room and wondered what to do now. My club sandwich still remained untouched on the cart just like forty minutes ago when Bambi so abruptly left my room.

"Apart from what you think of me." What was that supposed to mean? What did she think I thought of her? And even more important: What did I actually think of her? All I knew was that an apology was more than overdue. She didn't even let me say a word. She had been devastated. Because of me? I needed some answers. If she worked at room service today, I knew my chances were good I'd see her again. Quickly I reached for the telephone and dialed the number.

"Room service, Ben speaking. Good evening, Mr. Cullen. How may I help you?" I heard a voice answer after a few rings.

"Err.. hi Ben." I said. Damn, I had forgotten he was working there, too. "I.. err.. I'm done. With dinner, I mean."

"Okay, Mr. Cullen. Just put the cart outside your door. We'll remove it later." he answered friendly.

"Yes.. err.. I.. can I get something else?" I stuttered.

"Sure, Mr. Cullen." he said. "What may I order for you?"

Good question, I hadn't thought that far. "What would you recommend, Ben?"

"Well, the dessert of the day is crème brûlé. Or would you rather prefer some ice cream?" he offered.

"I'll take the crème, thank you, Ben." I said and hung up. Now I only had to contemplate what to say to Bambi. Oh no, Bambi. What if Ben brought my order? Quickly I reached for the phone again.

"Room service, Ben speaking. Good evening, Mr. Cullen. How may I help you?" I heard him answer the phone with a monotone voice again.

"Yeah.. err.. Ben. Will you deliver my order or will Bella do it?" I asked unsure.

"Bella is currently on her break, Mr. Cullen." he said. "So I would be delivering."

Dammit!

I pulled my hair. I hadn't thought it would be this difficult. "Ben?"

"Yes, Mr. Cullen?"

"Please wait with the delivery until Bella returns from her break." I said. "She.. err.. I forgot to tip her earlier." That sounded plausible, right?

"Sure, Mr. Cullen. She should be back in about twenty minutes, then I'll send her up with your order." Ben answered.

"Thank you, Ben."

"You're welcome, Mr. Cullen." he said and hung up.

Twenty minutes. I paced in front of my bed and continued brooding. How should I begin before she blocked me again? The skin on my head started to hurt from constantly pulling my hair. I looked at my watch. Ten minutes. I looked at myself in the mirror and realized, I still wore only my boxer briefs and my T-shirt. That would hardly be the appropriate appearance to apologize. I rummaged through my suitcase and had to find out that I had only brought my old jeans and some sweat pants apart from my suits. Since a suit would have been way too formal I chose on the jeans.

Twenty-five minutes later I looked at my watch again. Where was she? Maybe Ben would come after all because she refused to. Thinking about it clearly now, my excuse about the tip wasn't the wisest to choose. I was just about to grab the phone when I heard someone softly knock on my door.

I went over and pulled it open. Bambi was standing in front of my door, one hand raised to knock, the other hand held a tray, probably containing my dessert. She looked a little more refreshed than an hour ago when she ran from my room. Her make-up wasn't smeared anymore but her eyes were still red-rimmed and swollen. Had she cried even more?

"Your dessert, Mr. Cullen." she said without any emotion.

"Err.. yeah." I said. "Err.. come in." I stepped aside and held the door open for her. Hesitantly she stepped in. Standing in the middle of my room, she was looking for a place to set the tray. Quickly I went over to my desk and pushed aside some documents. "Just leave it right here, Bella." She nodded and put the tray on my desk. She turned to the cart containing my former order and started to slowly push it out of the room.

"Bella, wait!" I shouted.

She flinched but didn't turn around. I could tell from the way her shoulders moved that she was taking a deep breath as if she had to brace herself.

"Is there anything else I can do for you, Mr. Cullen?" she asked firmly.

I stepped behind her and tried to catch a glimpse at her face over her shoulder. The sudden proximity seemed to intimidate her because her shoulders stiffened and she pushed the cart a few feet further to turn around then. When she looked at me I was taken aback by the coldness coming from her eyes.

"Yes.. I.. err.." I stammered. I had no idea how to start.

"When you have finished your dessert, just put the tray in front of your door, I'll fetch it later." she said dryly, turned around and again started to push the cart towards the door.

I jumped in front of the cart, grabbed a hold of it and so effectively blocked her way out. She just stared at the tablecloth on the cart refusing to look at me. Her lower lip trembled and her knuckles turned white from the tension she must have been holding onto the cart with.

"Mr. Cullen." she said through gritted teeth. "Would you please let me go?"

"Just one moment, Bella." I said and reached into my pocket. I only had a fifty-dollar-bill so I pushed it to her over the cart. She gasped and looked at the bill as if it were a dead spider.

"I wanted to apologize, Bella." I said quietly.

She snorted and finally looked up at me. If possible, the look in her eyes had become even cooler. "Apologize." she repeated my words.

"Yeah, I.." I started.

"Excuse me, Mr. Cullen. But you can keep your 'apology'." she interrupted even imitating quotation marks with her fingers. "I can give you the concierge's direct call so he can recommend you some ladies, who accept your 'apologies' willingly."

What is she talking about?

I looked at the bill and suddenly I realized what she meant. "Oh.. oh no." I shook my head. "Bella, I didn't mean it like that." and pulled back the bill.

"Oh, I see." she said sarcastically. "That was a little too much for me, I guess. Unfortunately, I don't have any change with me, Mr. Cullen."

This woman was infuriating.

"If you would let me finish one sentence, I could explain myself more clearly, Bella." I snapped.

"I think you made yourself pretty clear. Good evening, Mr. Cullen." She answered, pushed the cart roughly against my crotch so I jerked aside and saw her disappear from my room. The door silently clicked into its lock. Again.

Dammit!

BPOV

I couldn't believe it. Who did he think he was? Just because he was a fucking VIP in this hotel didn't mean he could treat me like a slut. I didn't even know which approach was worse, Mr. Smith trying to kiss me and God knows what else or Mr. Cullen wanting to pay me off with lousy fifty bucks.

Clearly pissed I returned to the room service office. I tried not to let it show to Ben but I could hardly contain my anger when he asked smiling: "And Bella? Did Mr. Cullen tip you generously?"

I just snorted and shook my head unbelievingly. I wouldn't have thought Ben approved of guests behaving this way. Since we had no current orders, I started to polish glasses.

A few minutes later the phone rang and Ben answered. I didn't even bother listening, I was so furious, I was just hoping my shift would soon be over. Did Angela know her boyfriend helped well-paying guests to harass employees?

"Bella, we have another order. Can you deliver it?" Ben asked.

"Sure." I answered, glad to have a distraction and to get the chance to escape his traitor face.

"Okay, I'll prepare the cart and send you up." He went over to the kitchen to wait for the food and returned with a single plate containing a croissant.

I didn't say anything just raised my eyebrow. He put the plate on a cart, pushed it into the elevator where I was already waiting and pressed the button for the twelfth floor. Did the other floors actually contain rooms?

While the elevator made its way up, I looked at the check.

Room 1215, Mr. E. Cullen.

You have to be kidding me!

I contemplated between smashing the damn plate on the wall of this elevator or waiting to do it right in his face. I figured, the latter would be more fun. When the elevator arrived I didn't even bother taking the cart or a tray. I just took the plate and stomped off to his room. Arriving in front of it, I bumped my fist on his door. He instantly opened as if he had been waiting right behind it.

"Listen, Mr. Cullen." I snarled. "I don't know what kind of sick game you are playing, but I want to make it crystal clear, that I'm not some stupid little slut you can try to fuck for fifty bucks and if you.."

Before I could continue, he grabbed my wrist, pulled me inside his room and slammed the door. I wanted to scream, but he pushed my back against the door with his body and held his hand in front of my mouth. Suddenly I was overwhelmed by his intoxicating scent and for a second I forgot why I was mad at this man in the first way. I just stared at him wide-eyed.

Stupid hormones!

"Listen, Bella." he started. "I'm sorry to have to trap you like that but otherwise you won't listen to me." I tried to say something back behind his hand but it only came out as a mumble.

"I'll let you go and you can say anything you want to say after I have finished." he continued. "So, can I remove my hand and you won't scream bloody murder or do we have to stay this way until I have said what I need to say?"

Apparently, my subconscious figured that agreeing meant that he would not only remove his hand but his whole body which was currently pressed tightly against my own and raised my right eyebrow before I could do anything else.

He took that response as a no and just said: "Feisty much? Okay, then I guess, we better stay in this position until I had my say."

His close proximity had my heart racing. Suddenly, the skin on my mouth and face where his hand was touching me, was burning. Whenever I breathed, I felt his hard chest pressed into my breasts and his other hand lying on my hip. I tried to look impassively and waited for him to begin.

"Okay, Bella." he started. "I just wanted to apologize. For.. for implying that you were a slut. I mean, not from a few minutes ago with the fifty bucks, I didn't mean it like that.. I want to apologize for that, too.. if I gave you the wrong impression, but actually I meant my comment when I saw you with Jacob Black and.. well, I'm sorry. That was inappropriate and I.. yeah.. I just wanted to say I'm sorry and promise, it won't happen again."

By the time he finished his rambled speech he had let go of my face and took a step back. Now he stood in front of me, his hands in his hair again and looking anywhere but my face.

"You finished?" I asked.

"I.. err.. yeah, I guess." he answered unsure.

"Good." I said. "Could you please sign the check?"

"What?" he asked incredulously.

"Could you please sign the check, Mr. Cullen?" I asked again.

He took the check, signed it and handed it back to me. "That's all you have to say?"

"Yes. Good evening, Mr. Cullen." I answered, turned and left his room for the third time this evening.

Okay, I know it's been a short one again.. sorry :(

Reviews anyone?