"Did you two want anything else?" The tall, curvy, blonde hostess whose name sounded sweeter than her tone approached the table.

"Bella, would you like anything? …Dessert, maybe?"

"I don't know if I should…" I wasn't one for diets – they weren't totally necessary – but I did try to choose healthier forms of consumption.

"What if we shared?" he proposed.

I liked the sound of that. "What did you have in mind?"

"Do you like chocolate?" he asked.

Didn't every girl? It had to be a written rule somewhere. "What do you think?"

With a half twist at the corner of his mouth, he placed our order. "We'll have the Chocolate Decadence. Thank you, Rosalie."

She turned and walked away without another word. I frowned as I watched her depart, confused. "She seats and waits?"

He snickered. "No. She's just being nosy. But if she wants to work, who am I to argue?"

"Oh. She doesn't seem to like me very much."

"Don't take it personally. Rosalie doesn't like anyone very much. She's not easy to impress. But she's very protective of those she cares about, hence the nosiness."

"I see." This was obviously a very close group of people, for the hostess to be concerned about the chef and his sister to be second in command. It almost made me feel like I'd been brought on the inside, just by being with Edward. I was excited to learn more. "So, you were saying?" I prompted.

He grimaced. "Where to begin…?"

"Anywhere you like is fine," I assured. He took a sip of his champaign and I understood that whatever he was about to say wouldn't exactly be easy for him.

"I've been married before. Tanya and I divorced about three years ago." He traced the rim of the glass with his index finger, focusing on the course he was following instead of looking at me. "We met at Dartmouth, married not long after graduation, and separated just two years later. From a far, we appeared to fit well together but we were very different people. She wanted things that I couldn't give her. And in the end, she walked away."

"I'm sorry." I didn't know what else to say. It was hard to picture anyone leaving him. What could cause someone to do so? Could it have been that bad?

"Don't be. I'm not. We simply weren't meant to be. Moreover, I'm happier now. And as far as her leaving me goes, it was only a matter of time before one of us made a move."

"Still. It must have been just awful." I could easily remember my mother and father's divorce. Renee and Charlie were anything but meant for one another. And while they managed to retain some semblance of civility, things were very rocky in the beginning. Of course, having a child to share didn't make anything simpler.

"To be honest, I mostly remember feeling disappointed that I couldn't be more for her. I'm not even sure if we were ever truly in love. For a long time, I felt absolutely inept. She deserved better.

"I cared for her, certainly. We'd spent a lot of time together – knew each other well – and were great friends. But, at some point, I started to feel that it was more comfort or convenience that we'd settled for over anything else."

"If you don't mind…" I suddenly felt like I was asking too much. He'd already shared far more with me than anyone on a first date should have to.

He looked up, then. "I don't mind. Ask me anything. I won't lie and say that this is effortless, but it's been a long time and it feels good to talk about it."

"Well, what was so different? I mean, you say you couldn't give her what she wanted."

"That's truly a longer story but the short version is that Tanya is a woman of status. She wanted to be the socialite wife of an elite and prosperous business man. My father and mother lived that life and still do; hers, as well. She wanted children and committee meetings... I just couldn't make myself abide by that life style."

Even though I hadn't actually been through what Edward had, it wasn't hard to relate to his situation. I grasped that there was still a great deal I didn't know, but just having that piece of him only seemed to draw me closer. "So, you moved to San Francisco and became a chef."

"More or less."

"That was brave of you," I commended. He replaced his hand upon mine and smiled at me, in appreciation. "What made you choose here, of all places?"

"Mild climate," he ribbed. I laughed at the common and simple reason that brought so many people to California. "Really, it was just the opposite of everything I'd been around, even down to the coast."

"Did you come here right after?"

"Shortly."

I decided it was time for a lighter topic. "So, it's been about three years. What do you think of good old San Francisco?"

"Naturally, I miss the rest of my family, but otherwise there's plenty to love. Though, I have to say my favorite thing has been going to Giants games."

"You're a Giants fan?"

"I wouldn't say that. They're a fine team, but mostly I enjoy the sea salt in the air and watching a good game." Yet another completely unpredictable nugget about Edward Cullen. What would he say next?

"I have to admit, I've never really been into sports," I said, sheepishly.

"Well, that's just because you've never been to a game with me."