Hello everyone.
I'm sure you all pretty much hate me as it has been over six months since my last update. I apologise for that. Writers block is a cruel, cruel bitch. The amount of times I have started this chapter and tossed it because it didn't sound right in my mind, or flow easily enough for my liking, are countless.
But now I'm banged up in hospital with a broken ankle and have had nothing but time to put my mind to this chapter and finally get it finished. Hopefully while I have all of this spare time on my hands I should be able to get more and more chapters written up and posted as soon as I can.
Please enjoy and let me know what you think at the bottom.
Chapter 14
BPOV
It was roughtly three months after the accident in Forks.
Edward and my dad both made great recoveries and after much blood - Emmetts, sweat - also Emmetts and tears - yes you guessed it, Emmetts, my little shop was up and running, proving to be a great success. I even had a little article in the local newspaper when I finally opened.
I had moved all of my stuff into Edwards to look after him while he healed and it seems to be working out pretty well. We make a good team.
The only problem that hadn't really sorted itself out was that Rosalie still wasn't talking to me. I had rarely seen her since the screaming fit in the hospital. Emmett barely came around to see me either but at least he still spoke to me via text.
Kate turned out to be an excellent employee and managed the front of store brilliantly while I slaved away in the kitchen making all the buns, cakes and sticky treats we constantly had on display. It was a nice way to keep my mind off of everything else that was happening.
I was in the middle of pounding out the dough for my popular pumpkin cinnamon rolls one Wednesday when Kate popped her head around the door. "Uhm, Bella? Could you come out here for a moment please?"
"What is it Kate? I'm kinda in the middle of something right now." I replied, punching my fist into the mixture on the countertop.
"It's important." She sing-songed.
I gave a deep sigh and brushed the flour off of my hands onto my apron. I ran my forearm across my forehead and followed Kate out onto the shop floor.
The shop was empty save for a couple of tall men in black suits and sunglasses.
"Kate? What's going on?" I gave her a sideways glance but she just stood there wide eyed.
"Are you Ms Bella Swan?" The dark skinned man asked.
"I am."
"Send them in." This time he spoke to a device on his wrist instead of addressing me.
The shop doors swung open and two very well dressed people walked in, followed by about eight other people dressed in similar black suits to the two already in the store.
The well dressed couple approached the counter and took off their sunglasses. It was none other than latino music mogul Eleazar Hernandez and his italian supermodel fiancee Carmen Visini.
I felt like I couldn't breathe. Two of the most popular people in the country were standing in my little bakery.
"Miss Swan." Eleazar spoke, his voice sounding rich and smooth. "I apologise for the interferance in your trading today, but my dear fiancee couldn't wait any longer to meet with you." He grasped Carmens hand and gazed at her lovingly.
Carmen blushed a little and hid her face under the wide brim of her oversized hat.
I blinked a little in confusion and finally found my voice. "Mister Hernandez, Ms Visini; to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit today?"
"Miss Swan; may I call you Bella?"
I nodded.
"Bella, we would like you-"
"To make our wedding cake." Carmen interrupted him. "Please say you will. I refuse to have anyone else design and create the masterpiece for our big day."
"What do you say?" Eleazar asked.
"I would love to, but why me?" I was so stunned and confused.
"You made the cake for James and Victorias wedding, did you not?" Carmen asked, referring to the very first celebrity wedding cake I had ever made back in Seattle.
"I did."
"Then you must make ours. We were at that wedding and the cake was pure heaven. I had three slices!" Carmen admitted.
Wow I guess supermodels do eat stuff other than salads.
"Then I would be honoured. We will have to arrange a more formal meeting so I can get ideas for designs, flavours and guest numbers. Then we will have to go over prices, when and where you'd like it, allergens and the such like."
"Excellent! This saturday at the Marble Palms hotel. We will wait for you before we fly back to New York in the evening." Carmen was practically buzzing with excitement.
Eleazar picked up my hand and kissed the back of it. "Until saturday then Bella. We look forward to a more formal and prepared meeting." With that they filed out of the shop followed by their entourage.
I waited until the limousine outfront had disappeared from view before letting out a very unladylike snort of laughter.
"Oh my god Kate. Did that really just happen?"
"Yes, yes it did."
The rest of the day remained quiet so Kate and I just joked around about how elaborate a cake Carmen and Eleazar would want. Each idea became more and more ludicrous before neither of us could top kates idea of vinyl thin layers of cake topped with matchstick model figurines. The cinnamon bun dough was left forgotten on the kitchen countertop.
/\/\/\
It was a quarter to six in the evening and I had sent Kate home fifteen minutes before. I was busy closing all of the blinds on the windows when the shop door burst open and a very fierce looking Rose stood in the open doorway. I jumped in suprise and could do nothing more than blink at her.
She stomped to the counter and helped herself to a tray of red velvet cupcakes, stuffing them into her mouth one after the other.
"Oh please, by all means help yourself. Only the first one is free though." I continued to close the blinds before shutting the open door.
"You're a really shitty friend, you know that?" She mumbled through a mouthfull of cake, spraying crumbs and frosting everywhere.
I wrinkled my nose in disgust. "How the fuck do you figure that out?! You're the one that had a screaming fit at me in the middle of a busy hospital while both my father and my boyfriend where admitted there at the same time. Then you left me and Edward stranded there with one van and no furniture for my store. Edward couldn't help me because of his injuries and I couldn't do it by myself. You refuse to speak to me for months, then just storm in here help yourself to my profits and call me the shitty friend? Where the fuck do you get off? What is your problem Rosalie?" I yelled. My chest was heaving from the force of my anger and I just wanted to slap the cake out of her mouth. I refrained from doing so because after all she had done, I still cared for her. She was still my friend.
"I needed you and you wasn't there for me." She cried.
"What are you talking about? You never needed me otherwise you would have called."
"I did need you Bee. I- I- I had a miscarriage." Her tears turned into gut wrenching sobs and I could do nothing but watch as my tall, strong friend crumpled to the floor a broken woman.
I was at her side in an instant, cradling her blonde head in my arms as she cried and cried. And just like that our friendship was mended.
We sat on the floor for quite some time as Rose let it all out. The sky outside grew dark and the street lamps came on, yet still we stayed there. It had been about five minutes since Rose last sobbed and I feared she had fallen asleep on the shop floor yet when I looked her eyes were still open but were filled with unshed tears. I shifted slightly and Rose sat up.
"Want to talk about it?" I reached up and handed her a handful of napkins from next to the till. She blew her nose on one and tried to hand it back to me. I flicked it from her palm and it skittered across the floor. I love her but I ain't touching that.
She sniffed a couple of times and took a deep breath. "I found out about the baby about two weeks before we went to forks. I'm sorry I never told you, but I just wanted to keep it between me and Em until I was further along."
I patted her knee in understanding.
"When the accident happened I was scared. If something really bad had happened to Edward I would have been stuck without a business partner and I couldn't let that happen. So I fled back here and put plans into place to buy out Edward and create a plan if something ever happened to myself and Em after the baby was born. Then you came back and I was ashamed of my behaviour but I still couldn't tell you what was wrong. So I hid when you collected your stuff and as time went on it became harder and harder to speak to you. I know I should have done and, maybe if I did, I would be sharing happy news with you instead of this.
"I was at the garage by myself when it happened. Em had driven across town to drop off some parts at Jerry's Motors and I was looking under the hood of an old Chevy pick up when the pains started. I called Emmett straight away but by the time he got back and we made it to the hospital it was too late. The docs said it was just 'one of those things' because they couldn't find anything wrong. I was inconsolable. I've been spending time speaking to a therapist, helping me come to terms with everything. She's been telling me for days to come and see you, let some of what I've been feeling out. I just had to find the courage to do so. Will you forgive my behaviour Bee?"
"There's nothing to forgive Rose. It's all been forgotten. You're my sister, that's never going to change." I hugged her close and she breathed a deep sigh of relief onto my shoulder. "Now, how about we take a tray of these caramel brownies to my office and watch some shit on Netflix?"
"Sounds like a great idea but I'm going to have to raincheck. I've got to meet Emmett in..." She looked at the clock on the wall, "Oh shit! An hour ago!" She scrambled up from the floor and brushed the cake crumbs from her top. After helping me up she hugged me once again and darted to the door.
"You still owe me for six cupcakes!" I called to her retreating form.
"Put it on my tab!" She laughed, disappearing into the darkness.
/\/\/\
It was almost ten by the time I got back home. While the mess Rose had made was easy to clean up, the forgotten dough left in the kitchen was not.
"Bella? That you?" Edward called from the kitchen.
"Yeah. Sorry I'm late." I replied, kicking off my shoes and hanging up my purse. I padded barefoot into the kitchen and Edward was sitting topless at the island with an ice pack on his shoulder, the one he dislocated in the accident. "Please don't tell me you over did it again? You know what the doctors have said." I went to his side and massaged the sore area.
"I know, I know." He sounded resigned as he let out a sigh.
"I'm sorry for nagging but I don't want you to hurt yourself any more." My voice must have quavered, for he turned on the stool he was sitting on and cradled my face in his hands.
"Stop blaming yourself Bee. I don't blame you, so you shouldn't blame you. It was an accident and it happened. Now, are you going to tell me why you're so late home?"
I took the stool next to him and plucked a few grapes from the bowl on the table. "Rose came to see me." I said, popping one of the little red fruits into my mouth.
"Oh? How did that go?"
I told him everything that happened, but his expression never changed. "You already knew didn't you?"
"Em told me of their loss at the weekend. I'm sorry, but I promised I wouldn't say anything to you until Rose did."
"It's okay. I understand. She still owes me twelve dollars for the cupcakes though."
Edward laughed and stood, scooping me up with his good arm he took off running up the stairs. He laid me down on the bed and began to massage my feet. It wasn't long before his roving hands started massaging other areas and things quickly became heated. We made love, me on top as Edwards shoulder was too sore to hold him up, and after a good couple of rounds fell asleep tangled in each others limbs.
/\/\/\
Saturday came around much faster than anticipated. I had baked extra batches of our more popular lines the night before and was busy leaving Kate a list of things that needed completing while I was gone for the morning.
"And don't forget to double check everything that the suppliers drop off against the ordered amount. I'm not paying for five bags of flour when I only recieve three."
"Bella!" Kate grabbed me by the shoulders and made me take a breath. "Relax and go. I've managed the shop before and I know how to handle Garrett." Her cheeks tinged pink and I knew instantly that there was something between them.
"You're filling me in about the two of you later. Now, do I look okay?" Kate took in my outfit of a red silk blouse under a short black jacket and tight tailored pants. "You look amazing. Do you have your note pad?"
"Check!"
"Cake samples?"
"Check!"
"Then what are you waiting for?"
"I'm nervous."
"What? Why? You've done this before."
"I know, but not with people this famous. James and Victoria are Z listers compared to Eleazar and Carmen. Oh god I can't do this!" I sat down in a booth and started hyperventilating.
Kate shook me by the shoulders and stared me in the eyes. "Bella get a grip or I'm gonna have to slap you!" Her eyes suddenly went wide as she realised what she had just said to her boss. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay. I'm fine. I'm going." I stood from the booth and took a deep breath, or five, before stepping out into the bright midmorning sun.
/\/\/\
The drive to the hotel was quicker than I expected it to be. I pulled upto the front and a valet was instantly at my side, opening my door for me.
"Thank you." I grabbed everything I needed and reluctantly handed the youth my keys. "Damage my baby and you will have two very angry women breathing down your neck." The valet gulped and nodded before climbing in my car and slowly driving it into a numbered space.
I stepped into the cool marble foyer and walked over to the woman at the welcome desk.
"Reservation number?" She asked in a bored voice, without looking up.
"Excuse me?"
"She rolled her eyes and looked up. "Res-er-va-tion num-ber." She said slowly. "You know the number you get when you book a room."
"I know what one is, I just don't have one." I was appalled at the rudeness of this woman.
"Then what are you doing here?"
"I have a meeting and I'd like to speak to your manager." I was mere inches away from beating the rude cow silly when a slightly overweight man burst out of the room behind her.
"Hello Ma'am, I'm Mister Jenks the manager of this fine hotel. How can I help you today?" He wore an ill fitting suit and had a mustard stain on his tie.
So much for this being the best hotel in town. So far it looked like it was being run by clowns.
"Well first of all you need to either retrain your staff member or fire her."
"Vanessa, my office now!" He barked. The girl slowly got up from her seat and went into the office in a huff.
"And secondly, I'm here for a meeting with the Hernandez/Visini party."
The mans face paled and he mopped at his brow with a hankie. "SETH!" He shouted at a bellhop walking past, making everyone in the vicinity jump. "Please take this fine lady up to the penthouse suite, pronto!"
The poor lad looked like he was going to shit himself in fright if he didn't move asap and almost fell over his own feet trying to get to me.
"Clumsy boy!" Jenks shouted. "Stand up straight and walk like a respectable human being."
Not being able to stand near this man any longer I went and met Seth halfway, giving him a reassuring smile. He lead me over to a set of extravagant looking elevator doors and allowed me to enter first. The ride up was pretty silent and I could tell Seth was really nervous so I tried making small talk.
"Do you like working here?"
Seth looked shocked that I had spoken to him and his mouth open and closed a couple of times before any sound came out. "It's okay, I guess."
"If you don't like it, why do you do it?"
"My father passed away a few months ago and my mother has been struggling. I guess I'm just trying to help her out in any way possible until things sort themselves out."
"I'm sorry for your loss." My heart panged for this poor boy. He couldn't be much older than seventeen and it seemed like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.
"Thank you." He said quietly. The doors to the elevator pinged open and Seth lead me down a corridor to a set of doors that matched the elevator. The two men from my store were standing outside.
"Thank you for the escort Seth. Here," I handed him one of my buisness cards and a spare piece of cake. "If you fancy a change of scenery and a decent manager, come and give me a visit."
Seth looked like he would cry. I gave him a smile and patted him on the shoulder before turning to the two body guards outside of the room who ushered me in without a second thought.
The room was not as extravagant as I expected a penthouse suite to be. In fact it looked pretty bland. The only sign of extravagance in the room was a large marble palmtree statue in the middle of the room.
Who the hell owned this hotel? An idiot with no eye for taste or decor?
I found Eleazar and Carmen lounging out on the balcony. Both were wearing pale colours, showing off their remarkably tanned skin. Oh how I envied the italian and spanish for their warm olive tones. I go outside for too long and I almost burst into flames for my skin's so pale.
"Miss Swan for you sir, ma'am."
"Thank you Trent." Carmen waved a dismissive hand. The bodyguard nodded and went back inside.
I took a seat furthest away from the balconys edge. Never was one for heights.
"Mister Hernandez. Ms Visini. Pleasure to meet with you again." I placed the items I had brought along with me on the glass table top and removed my jacket, before crossing my legs and putting pen to paper.
"Bella, welcome." Eleazar got up from his lounger and came to join me at the table, buttoning his shirt as he did so. Shaking my hand he sat down opposite me, leaving a space for Carmen between us.
Carmen slid her incredibly long legs off of her lounger and stood, pulling on a short cotton kimono as she did so. "Thank you so much for doing this for us Bella." Carmen leant down and gave me air kisses both sides. Needless to say I was a little shocked. She took her seat between Eleazar and I and leaned over so she could see my notepad. "We postponed our wedding for almost a year after we heard you had sold up shop in Seattle. I was devastated to begin with. Had to get people to ask around, see where you had disappeared to. Then we heard about the fiasco with your fiance. Sorry about that by the way."
"No problem." I was a little intimidated that they had gone to such lengths for a wedding cake.
"Then two weeks ago one of our wonderful staff was browsing through an old newspaper they found in a waiting room and came across the article about your grand opening."
"It wasn't that grand." I blushed and lowered my eyes a little.
"Nonsense." She smiled. "It was all I needed to get the wedding ball rolling once more and wallah, here we are." Carmen pushed her sunglasses up onto her head and rested her chin on her hand. "Where shall we begin?"
I spent almost three hours going over every last little detail for their cake. I was exhausted and my brain was spinning. Almost ten pages of notes to go over and come up with a design to send to them by next friday. My head was so preoccupied on the drive home that I ended up taking two wrong turns, making my journey that much longer.
I was ready for a nice, long hot soak in the bath and curling up with a book afterwards. No such luck though. As soon as I got in the door Edward was at my side.
"Honey, my parents are here."
So what do you think? Is this chapter good enough for me to be forgiven?
As always, leave a little love x