AN: Obviously, I don't own Twilight. Thanks to Rachelcullen77!! xoxo.

Wow!!! Last chapters reviews were awesome. Thank you so so so much everyone! I was pleasently surprised to hear that so many people would be interested in a continuation of this story. So yeah! Good news for all. :)

So many of you are hilarious with your guesses at my foreshadowing...I REALLY wish I could say something to you! You know who you are, but -arg! I can't...yet.

Thanks for reading and reviewing as always. I love to hear what you have to say! Also, a special hello to my new readers!

*****

As Edward made his way down to the hotel lobby, his eyes were immediately drawn to wavy fire-engine-red hair.

Victoria.

She had her back turned to him, and he approached her from behind. As he closed the distance, he laid a soft hand on her shoulder. At his touch, Victoria immediately reacted; her back straightened, making her chest trust forward and her face lit up.

"Hey, Victoria. How's it going?" He smiled to her in a friendly manner and circled around to sit down next to her at the bar.

"Edward, darling, so good to see you. How we miss having you in Seattle." She leaned over to place two friendly pecks on either of his cheeks. Edward felt his cheeks redden slightly at the seemingly innocent greeting.

"Yes, well, it has been rather busy." He shifted in his seat, trying to get comfortable. "Well then, I guess tell me everything I need to know about this client," he instructed, trying to get straight to the point of their meeting.

"Always business before pleasure," Victoria rolled her eyes. "Let's get you a drink first." She waved the bartender to come over to service them.

She got herself another martini and ordered a whiskey on the rocks for Edward. Once they got their drinks and settled in nicely, Victoria spoke up again.

"So—" She leaned over playfully and placed her hand on Edward's knee. "—How's my dear Eddie?"

"Quite well, thank you," he replied shortly. He gave her a fake smile and nonchalantly crossed his legs so her hand would inadvertently have to fall from where it was rested. He shifted his body towards the bar and drew a sip of his drink quietly.

"And please don't call me that, Vicky," he emphasized her nickname, knowing all too well that she hated it too.

"Hmm." She became silent, sensing Edward's distant body language. They sat side by side for a few moments, sipping their drinks.

"So, apparently the CEO loves to golf," Victoria spoke up again, trying to ease the tension in the room.

"Oh yeah? That's good." Edward asked curiously. "What else?"

"But don't let that fool you. Sam is a… different breed, certainly not the country club golfer type. He also doesn't like to be schmoozed. He's one of those laid back-coffee shop-walks around bare foot type. He's good people though."

"Huh…well, alright then. I can do laid back." Edward thought for a moment, considering his plan of attack.

"Right," Victoria snorted at his reply. "Well, this is why I wanted to meet with you. I know you, Edward." She turned to face him and placed her hand over his. "I know you would've gone in there acting like the "suit" you are and scared them off."

Edward cringed inwardly and pulled his hand away to reach for his drink.

"I can do casual, I can," he emphasized out loud, trying to reassure Victoria, but more so himself.

"There's one other thing you should know," Victoria added.

"What's that?" he asked curiously.

"Sam, he doesn't really like to do things alone apparently. So the whole Board of Directors will be at the meeting as well, it's like four or five more guys. I'm not sure exactly who, just a little more people that we were originally expecting," Victoria told him sheepishly, and bit her bottom lip innocently. The action did not go unnoticed by Edward. He knew she was starting to pull out all the stops. His heart began to pound faster in his chest as his thoughts flashed to Bella back home in Chicago. Bella! He whipped his phone out to see if she had tried to call him.

Still nothing.

He groaned out loud and shoved the phone in his pocket.

"What's up with you, Edward? " Victoria asked him straight out.

"Huh?" he asked dumbly, and cocked his head to face her. Her lips were pursued into a fine line. She drew a deep breath through her nose, making her chest rise and fall dramatically. The cleansing breath softened the features of her face.

"You seem…different. Upset maybe," she said softly, and reached out to rub his arm lightly. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine," Edward replied shortly. He looked down at his drink and ran his hand through his hair.

"No, you're not," she replied as she caught his hand mid-air, and gently guided it down to her lap. "Do you want to go upstairs and…relax? We could order some wine and room service," Victoria asked suggestively, as she peered up at him beneath her lashes. Edward felt himself begin to blush a shade of red he never had felt before in his life. He gently pulled his hand away from her. His body was starting to feel those familiar feelings, but his mind was telling him to abort the mission. Choosing the latter, Edward made up his mind.

"No, Victoria. I can't. Besides, we have a lot of work to do tomorrow." Edward stood up from the bar and took out his wallet. "Thanks for the insight; I'm sure we will do great tomorrow. I'll see you at the office," he said quickly, and threw down two twenties to cover the cost of drinks.

Dumbfounded, Victoria stared at him, her mouth agape.

"Wait a minute—" She grabbed him by the arm before he could pass by. "–Seriously, Edward. What's going on?" She looked at him, her eyes narrowed. Edward could tell she was pissed off.

He shifted his weight onto his other leg and sighed, scratching his head as he tried to think of what he could possibly say to her. He didn't exactly want to tell her about Bella just yet, especially if they were going to be working on the same project. The fact that Victoria was so competitive to the point of never giving up was a strong suit in the company, but in the game of love…Edward would rather not see how that would end.

"I…I…" he stammered. "I'm just tired," he told her, hoping she would leave it alone.

"Seriously?" she asked him, knowing he was lying straight to her face. "That's the best you have?"

Edward just frowned and shook his head. "What should I say then?" he asked.

"How long?"

"What?" Edward frowned, slightly confused.

"How long, and what's her name?" Victoria asked, finally realizing why he had his fruit of the looms in a twist.

Edward took a deep breath and blew the air of his mouth quickly, making a motor sound with his lips.

"Since…. Huh…Since I moved back I guess? And I can't tell you that, you know that." Victoria cocked her eyebrow at him and paused to consider the situation.

"So…when you came to fire James, were you seeing her then?" she asked, wondering if Edward did and was capable of cheating. She was well aware of his past transgressions and knew that he obviously didn't oppose to the other guilty party cheating, when he was the "other man", so to speak.

"Well," Edward paused for a moment. Were they together, not really? Were they even really together now? Not officially…yet.

"No, not yet. Right after that though," he admitted, the memories of the Bears game rushing back to him.

"I see," Victoria raised her eyebrow and turned to the bar to attend her drink. "Well, then I suppose you and I go back to just being co-workers."

"I suppose so," Edward replied quietly, and shoved his hands deep into his pocket. "Look…we really do have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, and today was…stressful…" He trailed off, remembering how Emmett had just been reaming him earlier that morning.

"I really need to make a few calls and get to bed."

Victoria tipped back the rest of her drink, and set the empty glass down on the counter.

"Well then, shall we?" she asked, standing up to join him.

Edward walked silently side by side with Victoria and led her to the front lobby.

"Do you need me to order you a cab?" he asked politely.

"No, that's quite alright. I think I'm going to go for a little walk." She smiled sweetly at him and held out her hand for a shake.

"Co-workers?" she asked, her mouth tipped up at the corner.

"Co-workers." Edward laughed lightly and grasped her hand for a firm handshake.

****

Bella's head swarmed with thoughts as she contemplated the situation she was in. She had a lot of questions, a lot of 'what if's?', a lot on her mind period. She fell back against her bed, and closed her eyes, she knew she would need to tell someone one, primarily Edward, what she was feeling. It was beginning to weigh her down. Bella didn't want to think about all that she needed to think about anymore. She wanted to live in the world of denial a little longer, a dreamless sleep where nothing mattered.

Her bedroom seemed unusually dark and cool to Bella; her eyes felt heavy despite the ample amount of rest her body had gotten that day. Off in the distance, she could hear the low rumble of thunder; a storm was coming in. Crawling up her bed, Bella tucked herself underneath the sheets of the bed. There was nothing better in the world to her than curling up under her covers during a thunderstorm. She nestled herself in tightly, her body curled up into a little ball. The bed always felt unusually big when she slept alone these days. She turned herself away from Edward's side of the bed, towards her nightstand. Edward's side of the bed. She smiled to herself and considered the thought. Did she want to be with him? Now that everyone knew about his intentions, what was the big deal? Did she really have a choice…she pondered. Her thoughts began to drift off into the deep spiral of 'what if's?' once more.

Willing herself into a dreamless sleep, Bella was distracted by the constant flashing of a light from beneath the thin skin of her eye lid. Squinting, Bella cracked one eye open and reached over to grab her phone.

1 New Voicemail.

Punching in her passcode, Bella lifted the phone to her ear.

"You have one new message and seven saved messages. First message left today at 8:38 pm."

"Hey Bella, it's Edward. Sorry I didn't call you sooner. I had to fly out of town to Seattle for a meeting tomorrow. I—I still want to talk to you though. Um…ah, just, give me a call when you have a chance I guess."

"To erase this message press seve—" Bella pulled the phone away from her ear and saved the message. She desperately wanted to talk, to hear his voice, but couldn't muster up the courage to dial him.

Feeling the heavy weight of sleep overcoming her body, Bella's heavy arm collapsed against the bed, her phone still held in her hand. She would call him tomorrow.

****

"There's just SO much to do!" Alice exclaimed excitedly as she was ushered around the clubhouse with the wedding planner, Jasper, both her parents, and his father.

"Yes, there is," the planner agreed and nodded. Jasper smiled and linked his arm with Alice's. He pulled her tightly against him and tried to bring her down a notch and ease her stress.

"It's going to be fine, Alice. Everything will be perfect and beautiful. But not nearly as beautiful and perfect as you," he muttered and kissed the top of her head. Letting out small sigh, Alice relaxed slightly in his comforting arms.

"I know, I know. I just wish I hadn't done this remotely. So many details to think of…."

"Speaking of which," Alice's mom spoke up. "We need to go pick up your dress."

"Oh my gosh, what time is it?" she asked, whipping her out phone faster than anyone could reply. "What? Mom! We have to go!" She took out her planner to check her schedule.

3:00 final walk though

4:30 pick up dress

5:30 dinner with parents

"We will see you guys at 5:30 for dinner at Ray's BBQ right?" Alice asked, confirming their dinner plans.

"Yes of course," Jasper chuckled. He pulled her small body against his for one last hug and kiss before she left. His lips brushed against her cheek until he found her ear. "I can't wait to marry you," he whispered softly to her. He pulled her back slightly and noticed the twinge of pink in her cheeks.

"See you tonight."

****

Edward had a full day. This morning consisted of him and Victoria doing several run-throughs of the presentation. He really wanted to market the company as a family company, and not so much as a large corporation; this had been one of the loops he was thrown for after he had spoken with Victoria the night before.

After he had headed up to his hotel room, he had quickly dialed Carlisle and gotten his thoughts on how to correctly market the company to this particular type of client. It was an atypical client, as they usually had to pull out all the stops to win over loyal cliental. Edward was more than used to treating people as though they were king. He did it so well, that it was part of the reason he had propelled himself quickly to the top. It was his innate knack for business development that had helped make him valuable in the company, besides his last name.

As they chatted, Carlisle did a little background research on the company and found out that the CEO was actually part Native American, as well as some of the board members. Edward took note, realizing that those connections ran deep; they were like family to each other. So, he opted to market his business as such.

When the afternoon finally rolled around, he and Victoria complied the final market packages that Charlotte's team had prepared the day before, ate a quick lunch, and then packed up their things.

"Ready for this, Eddie?" Victoria teased him as they waited for the elevator to arrive.

"Ugh, please do not call me that while we are in this meeting," he grunted. "And yes, I'm ready. The question is, are you?" He quirked an eyebrow at her, and gestured for her to enter the elevator car as the gold doors glided open.

"I'm always ready," she muttered seductively. Edward cleared his throat and stepped in after her, trying to pretend he didn't hear her, or her double meaning.

They stood shoulder to shoulder silently in the elevator. Edward counted the dings of each floor, as he waited to hit the ground floor, and walk out to their waiting cab. The meeting would be on the north side of town, not too far away, but too far to walk.

They arrived at the corporate office building, which was really an old canning factory that had been renovated, giving it that loft-urban feel. Edward made note of the juxtaposition of styles.

A roll-up door had been opened to expose the reception area to the exterior side walk, making the two spaces seem as though they were one. Out on the patio there were a few employees seated at café tables enjoying their coffee break on a nice fall day. The lobby floor was a sealed painted concrete; the ceiling was exposed with warehouse styled fluorescent fixtures, and the reception desk was centered in front of an exposed brick wall.

"Good afternoon," Edward said as he approached the receptionist manning the desk. "I'm Edward and this Victoria. We are with Cullen Designs, here to see Sam."

The stout, round woman smiled at him, and picked up the phone. "I'll page him to let him know you are here. Please, take a seat." She gestured to the seating area with 2 sets of dark chocolate leather chairs.

"Thank you," he replied. They sat down and waited as the woman spoke softly into the phone.

After a few minutes she perked up again. "Sam is ready to see you."

She sat up and walked around her desk to lead them the way. They walked down a short hall, and turned to the left, into a large conference room.

"He'll be right down. Can I get you any coffee?" she asked nicely.

"Yes please, black."

"I'll have mine with a little cream in it," Victoria told her. Seizing the opportunity, Edward and Victoria took a few minutes to set up their presentation, and lay out their brochures. Just as they had set the last one out, the door swung open.

Four dark skinned, dark haired, tall and built young men strode confidently into the room. The first and tallest walked up to Edward and reached out his hand.

"Good afternoon, I'm Sam. Thank you for coming."

"Thank you, I'm Edward Cullen. This is Victoria, she works locally out of our Seattle office here." Edward gestured towards her.

"Ahh…the infamous Victoria. Emily has told me so much about you." He smiled at her.

"This is my team." He gestured to the other three men who had helped themselves to seats around the conference room. They all settled in comfortably, one leaning far back in his chair, rocking back and forth. "Quil, Embry, and Paul." They nodded, and gave a polite hello. Sam took his chair at the head of the conference table, and leaned forward, his forearms resting on the table.

"I'd like to thank you all for giving us the opportunity to talk with you today. Before we dive in, I just want to give you a brief background on our company as a whole, and who we are as a company," Edward began.

"Cullen Designs was originally founded by my grandfather in the early seventies in Chicago. He opened up some of our branch offices here in the states while he was CEO. However, it wasn't until my father, Carlisle, took over in the mid eighties that the C. Designs really began to take off and become what it is today. We now have several offices here in the US and around the world. I believe that the fact that we do have a wide spread reach, and are integrated into many markets will be beneficial to a working relationship with your company, as being a corporation that reaches many cities and markets as well. And although our company can operate on a large scale, we are also very connected. We have frequent staff meetings with all of the offices, and work together through our Chicago office."

"How does that work exactly?" Sam asked.

"Our Chicago office operates as a "home base" for all of the other offices, and supports the staff with our production group. This helps ensure that all branches, large or small have the support they need to service our clients for every need they might have.

"I see… is it hard to operate like that at times? With different times zones?"

"Not at all. We are fully connected with our offices on the highest level of technology. We have specific staff that works different hours to support some of our office locations. The full integration and easy connectivity that we have with all of the other offices makes what might seem like a large disconnected powerhouse company;, really, like a large family. "

"So who will be working with us on this, if we should choose to pursue a business relationship?"

"That's a great question. I will be very involved in this project personally. Victoria will be the main contact for you here in Seattle, and will also be the local project manager. She will be supported by the Chicago office. One of our principals, Emmett, is the head of all national corporate accounts. He will be the manager of all future locations of The Coffee Room, implementing your standards with our company to insure that the same level of quality is met every time. He will be supported by his colleague Bella Swan as well."

"Can you explain that a little more?" Paul asked Edward, squinting his eyes cautiously.

"Essentially, this first project will probably take the longest, in terms of establishing design standards, etc…however, as we do that, our company will set up an in house set of standards, a template if you will, that the next time you have a new location or ten new locations, we are already five steps ahead in the process. We would not need to start from square one every time you have a project. This helps your overall cost immensely, because by saving that time, you save money on design fees," Edward concluded.

Sam nodded in agreement.

"I see your point, that would be beneficial to us," Sam told him. "I feel confident that your company would be able to support us from a production stand point. I also like the fact that your offices work together. We also try and make our employees feel as though they are a part of one large pack. I think our companies would work well together."

"That's great. I think so too." Edward smiled at the gentlemen seated before him.

"Tell me one more thing, Edward," Sam said as he rose from the table.

"Do you golf?"

****

lakdjflsdkfjasl!!! ---that's me being excited! okay next chap is done and beta'd so will be posted soon. Squeeee!!!!!

Next chap teaser: Smut (finally).

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