Thanks to R... my dearest love Robert... for indulging this hobby and letting me put some of our personal stuff into the events of this story. You are magnificent, my darling. Thanks to queenofgrey for humoring my obsession with the collaboration we're doing and for not thinking me insane. Thanks to Mac for being a quick editor and for thinking the events of this chapter are funny and not crazy. Thanks to Starrynytex, who is without internet at the moment and was my beta for this chapter in spirit. I love you, darling.
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Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer own the right to these characters. I make them find inspiration in love.
B POV
After I'd gotten to a good stopping point, I saved the file and e-mailed it to myself as a backup before shutting down the laptop. I rummaged through my suitcase, found a rubber band for my hair, and pulled it into a messy, high ponytail. I left the room and stepped into the hallway, listening intently to figure out where in the house my friends were located. After a couple of minutes, I decided to check in Rosalie's bedroom.
I opened the door and found Alice sorting a bunch of clothing into four piles on Rosalie's bed. Emmett was taking a huge mirror off the wall, and Jasper was attempting to put the lid on a plastic container filled with what looked to be all sorts of documents. I didn't see Edward or Rosalie anywhere.
"He's downstairs in Royce's office with Rosalie trying to make sense of her pre-nuptial agreement," Alice said, immediately knowing I was searching for Edward. "You can help me organize the clothing. From left to right we have the 'keep' pile, the 'leave here' pile, the 'donate' pile, and the pile of stuff I'm taking and having altered to fit me. Do you want to make a 'Bella' pile, too?"
I chuckled and replied, "No, thanks. I don't think she and I have similar tastes. Take whatever you want, Ali." I went to the closet and gathered up an armful of clothing. Alice directed which pile different garments went into, and I fell into the familiar pattern of letting Alice take the lead. I knew that I was supposed to be more assertive in regards to letting Alice make my decisions for me, but I figured this situation was innocent enough. Besides, I'd spent the first two hours of the packing expedition holed up in the guest room writing, and I knew Alice had formulated her own system for this job.
After about an hour of following Alice's directions and chatting with Emmett and Jasper about the eternal debate of Elvis versus The Beatles, Edward and Rosalie entered the room. I noticed immediately that Rosalie was almost glowing; she looked so giddy. Edward had a small, satisfied smile on his face, and I knew they'd found what they were looking for in Rosalie's pre-nup.
"Royce is such an idiot. He put an infidelity clause into the agreement, and made sure it applied to both of us. I get half of everything if I can prove he's having an affair, and because of Siobhan, I can. I'm going to call my lawyer and fax him the documents so I can get the ball rolling," Rosalie said before turning to go back downstairs.
"Did you go to law school as well as music school, Edward?" I asked. "I'm not seeing your qualifications in helping Rose decipher her legal issues."
"My mother is a lawyer. I picked up a few things from her, and I was always interested in it," he replied with a shrug. "What can I do to help?"
"You can put all of these clothes right here into a box and label it 'Goodwill,'" Alice said, pointing to the donation pile on the bed.
"Or you can help me lug this mirror downstairs," Emmett grunted as he tried to flip the mirror to its other side.
"I think I'll help Emmett," Edward said. He leaned into me and gave me a quick peck on the lips before walking over to help my brother.
We spent hours upon hours reorganizing, packing, and storing things. We took small breaks to eat or get some water, but other than that we kept our focus on the task at hand.
At seven PM Rosalie gathered up our group into the kitchen. "We're done for today. We have two options for the rest of our evening: go out, drink, and have a grand old time, or stay here and chill. Thoughts?"
"I want to go dancing!" Alice exclaimed.
"I want to chill," Jasper said, his eyes giving Alice a weary look.
"I'm game for whatever," I responded with a shrug of my shoulders.
"I'm okay with going out, as long as we eat at some point, too," Edward said as he put a sweaty arm around me.
"Whatever you want, Rosalie," Emmett said with a brilliant grin.
"I think going out wins. Let's go get ready!" she said as she darted up the stairs.
Jasper turned to us and said, "She takes forever to get ready. And if we don't take showers immediately, she'll use all the hot water."
We all looked at each other for a minute and then dashed around the house to search for an available bathroom. Edward and I went to our room and showered together in the adjoining bathroom. Our hands roamed all over each other's bodies, and soon he was pushing me against the tile on the wall.
"Do you think we have time?" he asked breathlessly.
"We always have time," I replied as I captured his lips in mine. Edward reached behind him and switched the water from shower to bath.
"The tub's big enough for us to do this in a more comfortable position," he said with a wink as he lowered himself into the bathtub and pulled me down on top of him. We adjusted in the tub to make sure Edward wasn't blocking the drain and that I didn't bang my head on the water spout before I slid over him easily and set a quick rhythm. His hands slid over my breasts and brushed my nipples as I gave an open-mouthed moan.
His mouth replaced one of his hands around my nipple as he slipped his fingers between us and began to rub slow circles around my clit. His teeth grazed my nipple a little bit, and I gave a loud gasp of pleasure. My hips moved against his even faster, and he began to thrust up against my every downward movement.
"Dear God, Edward," I whispered as I leaned over and pressed my lips against him.
"I love you, Bella. You feel so amazing," he groaned before his mouth attacked mine, his tongue probing and prodding my tongue and my mouth as his fingers pinched my nipple and clit simultaneously. The sensation of my orgasm took me by surprise, and I rode him even harder and faster. I felt him explode hot and fast inside me as the quivering aftershocks of my orgasm began to subside. His arms circled around my waist and pulled my body closer to his, even as he stayed buried inside me.
"I'm never letting you go," he said, his breaths still coming out in pants.
"Good, because I'm not going to let you," I replied with a smile. He reached behind his head and switched the water flow back to shower, and I reluctantly climbed off of him and stood up. Unfortunately, my legs still had not recovered, and my knees wobbled and buckled.
"Bella!" Edward shouted as he caught me awkwardly around my hips and thighs. He was still trying to stand up, so we ended up collapsed in the tub with the water pelting down on my back and his face.
"Ooooowwww," I whined as I tried to disentangle myself from my boyfriend. I tried to stand up and felt victorious when I realized that I could do so without falling this time. I'd bumped my knee, scraped my leg, and bruised my elbow in the fall, and I felt like I'd been hit by a car.
"Are you okay?" he asked me as he scrambled to his feet and inspected me for injuries. "Yikes, that scrape looks bad, sweetie. Did you break anything?"
"No," I answered with a chuckle. "It's just my usual clumsiness. I should have remembered that sex with you turns my knees into Jell-o."
Edward pulled me into a tight embrace. "Please be more careful. I'm holding a lot of important stuff in my arms right now, and I don't want anything bad to happen to it."
"Yes, father, I'll be more careful, and I'll be home before ten," I teased, and he gave me a grin. "That's more like it. The serious face isn't as sexy as the grinning one." I leaned into him and tilted my face up, and his lips met mine gently.
"Come on, Bella, let's get ready for some debauchery," Edward said as he turned off the water and pulled the shower curtain open.
We dressed and readied ourselves in record time, fearing the wrath of Rose. I'd chosen a pair of dark jeans and a red, flowing shirt with a deep V neckline that plunged into my cleavage. My hair was styled in loose waves, and my makeup was glittery and gray, and I paired it with a deep red lipstick. Edward wore a tight-fitting black T-shirt and slightly loose-fitting faded jeans. He looked scrumptious, and he had to physically pull himself from my hungry embrace.
"Bella, we don't have time, and I don't want to be interrupted," he said as he grasped my hand and led me downstairs.
I whimpered, and Edward laughed. "Isabella Marie Swan, don't pout at me. It makes me want to bend you over my knee and spank you," he said.
"Um, no. I don't do the spanking thing. It's just weird and awkward to me. For future reference," I replied with a wink. We got to the kitchen and found Jasper and Alice sitting at the table.
"Oh, sweetie, you look so good!" Alice exclaimed as she popped out of her seat and hugged my neck.
"I've been known to occasionally be able to dress myself, Al. You look super adorable, by the way," I said in response. She was wearing a light blue mini-dress with an empire waist. Her short hair had been curled, and her shoes were simple white flats. She looked innocent, fresh, and absolutely amazing.
"Where's Rosalie? I'd thought for sure Bella and I would be the last ones down here," Edward said, his eyes roaming around the room.
"No idea. Haven't seen Emmett in a while, either," Jasper said as a quizzical expression fell over his face.
"I'll go find them," I said as I ran to the staircase and darted up. I stood at the top of the stairs and listened, wondering if I could hear where Emmett and Rosalie were and chuckling to myself about how this was the second time I'd listened for noise at this spot today. I had a sneaking suspicion, but I wanted to believe my brother would have enough sense not to fuck Jasper's sister until after she'd finalized her divorce.
After a minute of complete silence, I decided to go to Rosalie's room and see if she was in there. I knocked and waited for her to let me in. When I didn't get a response, I slowly and quietly opened the door.
On Rosalie's bed lay my nude brother with an equally nude Rosalie on top of him. She was eating something off of his chest, and it looked a little bit like a slice of turtle cheesecake. It took me a few moments to process what I was watching before I responded.
"What. The. Fuck. Jesu Christe, guys, seriously?!" I screeched. I was almost positive that the others could hear me from downstairs, but I really didn't care at that moment. My brother is into food during sex. I didn't need to know that. No, Rosalie, don't move, I don't want to see Em's wang! Eeeeewwww!!!
Emmett placed his hands on Rosalie's thighs to keep her in place, almost as if he could read my mind. "Come on, Bells, you know I can't resist a woman who likes cheesecake," he said calmly.
"What the fucking hell?!" I shrieked. Rosalie looked absolutely mortified, and I could tell she was definitely re-thinking her decision to bone Emmett. I turned around in a daze and walked back downstairs.
"What the hell happened?" Jasper asked me once he saw my face.
"Emmett… Rose… cheesecake… I need some tequila, like now," I said. In seconds, Alice handed me a large glass full to the brim with clear liquid. I chugged about half of the glass.
"Easy, Bella, we don't want to take you to the hospital tonight because of alcohol poisoning," Edward said as he put his arms around me and led me to a chair.
Emmett and Rosalie entered, and an uncomfortable silence filled the room. I made sure to keep my eyes focused on Edward, because if I looked at Emmett or Rose, I was sure I'd start screaming again.
"So, Bella walked in on me and Rose having sex," Emmett said, breaking the silence. "There was cheesecake involved, but I don't get why she's freaking out."
Alice let out a giggle. "Wait, you were having food sex?" she asked.
"Yeah, and?" Emmett said coolly. The room was silent again for about thirty seconds. Then Jasper, Alice, and Edward erupted into raucous laughter. I almost immediately joined them after seeing the confused, slightly fearful look on Rosalie's face.
I wouldn't trade this crazy group for anything, I thought as Edward's hand clasped mine tightly in the middle of our laughter. This is exactly what my life should be.
****
E POV
Bella and I slid out of the car and waited for Rosalie to finish parking so we could go into the bar. She'd suggested a place she knew called Sherlock's Pub for our night out, and we followed her lead since she knew the city better than we did.
Granted, after the debacle with Emmett and the cheesecake, some of us were questioning Rosalie's judgment.
I personally was incredibly happy with Rosalie at the moment. After I'd found the infidelity clause in her pre-nuptial agreement, she told me that I could take the Aston Martin with me back to Los Angeles. I was like a kid in a candy store, I was so excited. In fact, she'd already taken care of the arrangements to sign the car over to me, and it would officially be my car tomorrow. I couldn't wait to tell everyone.
I looked over at my girlfriend as she shut the car door and walked towards the bar's entrance seemingly without a care in the world. She looked especially gorgeous tonight, and that color red looked positively sinful against her porcelain flesh. There was a sway to her hips as she walked that I'd never seen before, and I immediately realized that something had given her extreme confidence. I had a sneaking suspicion that something was me, and I was proud and elated to see this tiny bit if evidence that she really did love me.
I followed quickly after her and slid my arms around her waist. She leaned back into me and sighed as we walked together into the bar. We didn't see anyone in the front room, so we moved around to the back and found that our friends had snagged a table right in front of the small stage. There was a band setting up on the stage, and I was curious as to whether they would be playing original music or cover songs.
"I've heard this band a few times," Rosalie stated when we approached the table and sat down on the stools closest to the stage. "They play decent covers of current alt rock stuff, and they tend to play some Tool towards the end of their set."
"Really? I love Tool. Well, anything Maynard Keenan does, really. I'm a tiny bit obsessed," gushed Bella, and I looked at her incredulously.
"You never told me that," I said softly. "I happen to be a huge fan myself." Bella flashed me a brilliant smile, and her eyes looked electric. Granted, her eyes could have been like that because of the tequila she'd consumed at Rosalie's house, but I liked to think it was because she was excited to find out we had even more in common.
"I love Tool!" Emmett exclaimed, ruining our moment.
"Yeah, well, you also like cheesecake sex, so your opinion is skewed," Jasper quipped. "Plus, you decided cheesecake sex with my married sister was a good idea. Not cool, dude."
Emmett looked away sheepishly, got up from his stool, and walked towards the bar, mumbling something about not letting the haters keep him down. Alice and Bella started laughing, and Alice called to him, "Remember drinks for everyone, Em! You know what we like!"
After a few minutes, Emmett came back, followed by a waitress holding a tray of drinks. He'd gotten Bella tequila on the rocks, Alice a Midori sour, Jasper a Jack and Coke, Rosalie a cherry Sprite, me a Coke, and himself a Corona. He'd gotten every single order spot on to our tastes, even those of us who'd opted out of drinking so we could drive home.
Bella gave him a hug and said, "Thank you, Em. You're the best. I promise not to tease you anymore about your weird sexual preferences. Well, tonight, anyway."
He hugged her back and said, "Thanks, little sis. Besides, we all heard you and Eddie going at it last night when we came home. And again earlier tonight while you were showering. We have plenty of ammo stored up in case we need it."
I felt my face grow hot, and when I looked at Bella I saw that her cheeks had turned tomato red. "Fuck," she whispered, and she gripped her glass tightly in both hands and brought it to her lips. The liquid inside was gone in seconds.
She waved over a waitress and ordered another two drinks, and I began to worry. "Isabella, are you okay?" I asked her quietly, trying not to let the rest of the group hear.
"I'm fine," she answered. "I just don't like knowing that everyone heard us having sex. It's embarrassing."
"Yeah, and you walked in on Rose and Emmett food fucking, which is definitely worse. No worries, babe. Besides, I love you, and you love me, and together we'll light the world on fire. Trust me?" I said, extending my hand to her.
She looked down at the table, then at my eyes. She nodded as she took my hand. "Yes, I trust you. And I love you too."
"What did you just say?" Alice asked, her voice reaching pitch levels only dogs and small children could hear.
"I said I love him," Bella responded loudly. "We're in love; get over it, fuckers." She grabbed the back of my neck and pulled my face to hers roughly, her lips and mine colliding together in a deep, passionate kiss. Catcalls and whistles erupted throughout the bar.
"Fucking finally!" Jasper said as he high-fived Emmett. Alice was clapping her hands like a little girl who'd just been given her dream Barbie playhouse. Rosalie just smiled.
"Huh?" Bella said, breaking our kiss.
"You two have been in love from almost day one. We could all see it, but for some reason you two idiots couldn't. We've been taking bets as to when you'd realize it. Jasper just won," Alice explained before taking a sip of her beverage.
"One of these days, Jazz, you will wake up with a shaved stripe down your head," I muttered and I wrapped my arms around my girl. She giggled as she brought her glass to her lips and swallowed a small sip.
The band began to tune up, and my ears immediately slipped into discerning musician mode. After a few checks to make sure all the speakers and lights were working, the band introduced themselves as Audio Adrenaline Takeover. I immediately groaned.
"Issues with the name?" Rosalie asked sweetly. She gave me a slightly devious look, and I realized that I was probably not going to like this band very much.
After the first couple of songs, I knew for a fact that this band was terrible.
Bella, however, didn't realize this. She'd finished the two drinks she'd ordered and was on another one. She'd stood up and was swaying wildly back and forth while the band played "Tyler" by The Toadies. Alice finished off her drink, asked Jasper to get her another, and hopped off her stool and walked over to Bella. Bella grabbed Alice's hands and led her to the small dance floor the bar had in front of the stage. They kept their hands entwined as they moved in close to each other and began to sway their hips in the same undulating patterns. I was mesmerized by the way Bella's ass looked in her jeans and by the kind of trance the two girls were in while they danced. Their eyes stayed focused on the other's eyes, never once straying to look back at the table or around them. They both sang the song, mouths moving in sync like they were casting a spell. Maybe they were, because the entire bar had stopped what they were doing and started watching them.
When the song finished, the lead singer of the band said, "Thank you, and give it up for these two lovely ladies dancing right here!" He pointed to Bella and Alice, and the crowd applauded thunderously for them. The applause for the girls was twice as loud as the applause for the band.
I saw the guitarist wave Bella and Alice over, and he leaned close to Bella's ear to tell her something. I prepared myself to kick his ass, because I was positive that he was asking her to meet him later or something. How could he not, after the sexy show she and Alice had just put on?
"E, chill, he's not asking her out. Look at her, she looks like she's singing something at him," Jasper said. Upon closer inspection, I realized Jasper was right.
"Thanks, J. I was ready to go stake my claim," I replied.
"Like a barbarian. Bella can handle herself. I've known her all of two days and I could see that," Rosalie said from her spot next to Emmett. They'd started the evening sitting far apart, and as time wore on, they scooted closer and closer together, almost as if they were magnets. They couldn't fight the attraction if they wanted to.
"As your pseudo-lawyer, Rosalie, I have to advise against sleeping with Emmett again. You don't want to be unfaithful before the divorce proceedings have started, because you'll lose your claim on your half," I said matter-of-factly. She looked over at Emmett, pleaded to him with her eyes, and looked back to me. Emmett sighed and moved his stool away from Rose.
"Cock-blocking motherfucker," Emmett mumbled as he downed the rest of his beer.
"Cheesecake-eating sister fucker," Jasper responded.
Bella and Alice bounded over to us, and Bella threw her arms around my neck and kissed my face all over. "The guys in the band have accepted a few requests. I hope you like them!"
The singer of the band said into the microphone, "The next three songs are dedicated to Alice and Bella for dancing so nicely together for us." The opening melody of the song "Chop Suey" by System of a Down began, and Bella grabbed my arm and pulled me to the dance floor.
We jumped, gyrated, shook, and head-banged like two teenagers. Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and even Rosalie joined us on the dance floor, and we all slammed around each other, screaming the lyrics. I sang the harmony over everyone, and Bella joined me after a second.
The song ended, and we all stopped our jumping so we could catch our breaths. The next song started off slow, and I couldn't figure out what it was for a few seconds. Bella sang every single word, and she, Alice, and Rosalie began to dance together in a circle, arms twirling in circles above their heads. Once the song picked up, though, I realized that the band was playing "All These Things That I've Done" by The Killers. Emmett, Jasper, and I backed away from the girls and returned to the table, watching the three women hop, sway, and swivel to the music. At the breakdown in the middle, the girls fanned out into a line facing the rest of the bar as they did hip dipping moves back and forth. It looked like they'd choreographed it, but I knew for a fact that they'd never done this before. The entire bar sang, "I've got soul, but I'm not a soldier" with them.
"Rose fits in great with them," Jasper mused, and Emmett and I agreed with him.
"She was the missing piece of the group," I replied.
"Jasper, I like her. A lot," Emmett said.
I laughed. "We know. We figured you wouldn't have shared your dessert otherwise," Jasper quipped.
"Fuck, guys, lay off!"
The song ended, and the last of the ones Bella and Alice had chosen began. After the first few notes, I recognized that it was "Somewhere a Clock Is Ticking" by Snow Patrol. Bella, Alice, and Rosalie came back to the table only to pull us guys from our stools, grab the stools, and move them towards the edge of the dance floor in a spaced-out line. They began to dance again in the center of the floor, a hypnotic circling of hips as their arms slid up and down their bodies. I sang the song under my breath, wondering how accurate some of the lyrics were in terms of Bella. After a little bit, the girls danced over to us and began to move in front of and against us.
Bella leaned over and pressed her lips to my ear. "I could do most anything to you," she sang in breathless, seductive tones. Her hands were sliding up and down my thighs, and I wanted to throw her down onto the dance floor, rip the jeans from her body, and take her in front of the entire bar. The little minx definitely chose her music well.
Her body dropped down towards the floor, and I realized she'd done a little dip, her knees spread wide as she slowly slid back up my body. She turned around and did the same move again, but this time her ass was sliding up my body at a torturously slow pace.
At the quiet interlude of the song, Bella moved away from me back to the center of the dance floor. She, Alice, and Rosalie began to grind on each other, mouths so close together they looked as if they might start making out with each other at any second. They were definitely putting on a show for the entire bar, and everyone in the crowd was eating out of their hands.
I looked over at Jasper and Emmett and noticed they weren't as affected by this scene of pseudo-lesbianism as I was. The fact that they each have a sister participating might have something to do with it, genius.
The song ended, and the bar was silent. Then the cheers and applause started. The girls bowed and waved, then quickly returned back to the table. The band announced they were taking a five minute break, and they left the stage.
"Let's get out of here," Bella said. "After that, I'm pretty sure that if we stay, we'll be obligated to keep dancing."
"I agree. Let me say goodbye to the guys in the band and let them know I'm not coming back for a while," Rosalie said as she walked away.
"I'm coming with you," Emmett declared, and he followed her quickly.
"You're pretty fucking amazing, you know that, right?" I said to Bella.
"Of course I know. And you're lucky to have me. Now let's get out of here so I can fuck you silly," she said as she downed the last of her tequila.
She didn't have to tell me twice.
A/N: The title for this chapter comes from the poem "The Night Dance" by Thomas Moore.
In the debate of Elvis vs. the Beatles, I always argue Beatles. However, I'm also a big believer in the "To Each His Own" philosophy.
Sherlock's Pub is a real place. I go to the one on West Gray near the River Oaks Theatre in Houston frequently whenever my Robbie's in town. It's a decent bar, and the bands that play there tend to do decent covers. Except the band that played on Halloween. They were just abysmal.
I am incredibly obsessed with Maynard Keenan. His voice does interesting things to me. Everything in the A Perfect Circle catalog is recommended.
"Tyler" by The Toadies, as well as their song "Possum Kingdom", have special places in my heart. I grew up with these two songs in the background of various childhood events. My mom is a fan.
"Chop Suey" by System of a Down is great to slam around to when you have a bad day. Or a good day. Or just feel like slamming. I'm eagerly awaiting the lead singer's Prometheus Bound musical written with the librettist who did Spring Awakening.
"All These Things That I've Done" was a part of the soundtrack for my high school graduation and my college graduation. I love The Killers.
"Somewhere a Clock Is Ticking" by Snow Patrol is another favorite. It's also probably one of the sexiest songs in the world to me.
For those who are wondering... yes, tequila is my alcoholic beverage of choice.
Thanks to the Edwardville lj community for their continued support of this story. Thanks to the Skype girls and the Twitter gang (you all know who you are.)
Special thanks to those of you who are still sticking with this story. Your kind words and encouragement make my heart sing.
P.S. - I'm on Twitter. My name there is rhpsfaerie. I post sometimes about writing, but more often about my job and the stupid things my students do. Come check me out!