A/N: To all my readers, sorry I haven't updated in five days. I love getting a new chapter to you every two days but it was a crazy weekend.
Hopefully this chapter makes up for it though. You get Bella, a bit of Alice and Jasper, and an almost-but-not-quite lemon, and lots of Bella and Alice and Rosalie being, well, Bella, Alice and Rosalie. And it's long. You also get my promise that another chapter will be forthcoming shortly – maybe not tomorrow, and then again in two days – I'm trying to get back on track.
Enjoy!
Chapter 21
After I hung up with Edward I decided to take a bath. I grabbed my bathrobe off the back of my door and then stuck my head into the living room where Alice and Jasper were watching one of the Harry Potter movies.
"I'm going to soak in the tub," I told them.
"Mmm hmm," Alice acknowledged me. Harry was on screen and no matter how indecent it was, Alice had a thing for him and had for years.
I shook my head, smiling, as I walked down the hallway to the bathroom. I shut the door behind me and hung my bathrobe on a hook, then stuck the plug in and turned on the hot water. While the tub was filling I rummaged around under the sink and pulled out Alice's box of scented bubble baths. Yes, a box. There must have been forty different scents in there. I settled on lavender and chamomile, pouring a decent amount under the running water. I stuck my hand in the tub to test the temperature and turned the cold water on slightly.
I stripped out of my scrubs and t-shirt and threw them in a pile next to the door. I'd left my dirty clothes in the bathroom a grand total of once while Alice I lived together in college and they came back to me in little pieces. Note to self – Alice is a neat freak. I'd learnt from my mistake and had never done it again. My hair was still in its ponytail from work so I twisted it up in a bun on top of my head to keep it out of the bubbles then stepped into the tub.
I sat down in the scented water and turned off the taps when the bath was close to overflowing. I lay back and closed my eyes, taking deep breaths and letting my muscles relax. I thought back over the events of the day and couldn't help smiling now at the memory of the doctors and the laundry trolley. Jazz had laughed so hard over dinner when I'd recounted my unfortunate findings.
Dinner had been a pleasant surprise. I'd told Alice I'd cook for the three of us, but when I got home there was a fantastic smell coming from the kitchen. I knew it wasn't something I'd cooked and frozen, and it definitely wasn't Alice's cooking either. I walked in to find a collection of Thai food set out on the counter, ready for eating. Alice and Jasper were just filling three wine glasses when I walked in. The food had just been delivered so my timing was nothing short of perfect.
We ate in the kitchen and talked and laughed the whole time. Alice told us about the new designs she was working on. I knew it was her dream to one day run her own company but working at Victoria's Secret was a great place to get started. She jumped up and ran to her bag in the living room and was back in a flash with a number of fabric swatches in her hand. One was a gaudy turquoise colour, one was a black lace with red trimming, and one was a gorgeous midnight blue satin with a silver fleck through it. She gave me a knowing look and I told her, "The blue and silver one." Jasper looked confused and we just giggled.
Lying in the tub, I thought back to that small piece of fabric. I knew Alice had chosen these three as her choice for something for me to surprise Edward with. The black and red lace could be fun but that was also going to be a major confidence outfit – lace just isn't my thing. The turquoise was pretty but still not my colour. The midnight blue though was beautiful – the silver fleck was subtle but was pretty as well, and the fabric was beautiful and soft.
I lost myself in thoughts of Edward. I imagined myself arriving at his apartment unannounced and him opening the door in sweats and a baggy t-shirt, with his beautiful hair all crazy around his head. I could see the look on his face when he saw it was me – a big smile and a sparkle in those amazing green eyes. I could almost feel his arms around me as I pictured him pulling me into his arms and holding me close, like he was never going to let me go.
I let myself come slightly back to reality as I thought about my surprise visit in a couple of weeks. I planned on hitting the internet to find a nice restaurant to go to for dinner – I wanted to have the reservations made before I even arrived. I was also planning on just turning up at Edward's house. I knew he lived in a two bedroom townhouse that he was renting but I didn't know if he would want me to stay or not. I was hoping he would but I figured I should research some hotels in the area just in case.
When the water was starting to cool down and my skin was all wrinkly I pulled the plug out of the drain and stepped out onto the fluffy pink floor mat. Alice and pink, I thought to myself with a grin. I dried off and pulled on my bathrobe, cleaned my teeth and brushed my hair. I collected my dirty clothes from the floor and opened the door, turning out the light as I stepped into the hallway. There were no sounds of Harry Potter from the living room so I guessed Alice and Jasper were now in her room. I made to walk quickly past her room but noticed the door was open so I slowed down again. I dumped my dirty clothes in the hamper in my room and went out to make up some leftovers to take to work the next day.
The living room was deserted when I walked through, lit by the lamp next to the couch. I stuck my head into the dining room and it was empty too. I walked into the kitchen and saw a note on pink paper in the middle of the bench. I picked it up and unfolded it to see Alice's messy scrawl in the middle;
Bella,
Have gone to spend the night at Jazz's. If you don't want to be in the house alone just give me a call and I'll come home.
Alice.
I smiled at the caring tone in Alice's words. There was no way I was going to ruin her night with Jasper – he worked the same crazy hours I did so I was glad they could spend some time together. I pulled the half-empty boxes of Thai food out of the fridge and quickly made up a mixed container of my favourites. I stuck it all back in and turned out the light, heading back to my bedroom. I left the light in the living room on for comfort – something Alice and I normally did anyway.
I shot a quick glance at the clock and noted that it was almost 11pm – well and truly bed time. I grabbed a set of scrubs and a t-shirt out and laid them on my chair so I didn't have to get them in the morning, then set my alarm and climbed under the covers.
I snuggled down and reached under Edward's pillow for the t-shirt he had left for me. I took a deep breath and then hid it away again. I closed my eyes and saw his perfect white smile in front of me as I drifted off to a dream-filled sleep.
I nervously rang the doorbell of the townhouse and waited. I heard footsteps on the other side and then the door opened. "Bella?" he asked, confused. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to surprise you," I started hesitantly, motioning to the rental car sitting beside the gleaming silver Volvo in the driveway.
He stepped forward and wrapped his strong arms around me then, crushing me against his chest as his mouth claimed mine roughly. He pulled me into his house and I kicked the door shut. He pressed me against the door and his hand slid to my waist, inching my shirt up over my head. He started placing hot kisses along my neck and out along my shoulders as I reached down to pull the baggy old t-shirt he was wearing off. His mouth left my shoulder as he helped me remove his shirt and then I was back against the door. His hands slid down to grab my butt and he lifted me effortlessly off the ground. I wrapped my legs around him, groaning at how aroused he was.
He ground his hips up into me as I started whispering in his ear. I trailed my lips down his neck, licking and biting my way to his broad shoulders. He threw his head back as I sucked on the soft skin under his jaw and abruptly spun us around, moving us towards the fireplace on the far wall.
He gently lay me down on the rug and starting kissing from the junction of my collarbones, through the valley between my breasts and downwards towards the waistband of my cargo pants. They were gone from my legs before I could blink, the fire warming my almost-bare skin. He slid back up my body and starting grinding against me. I slid my hands down and hooked my thumbs into the top of his grey sweats, running them around to the front to untie the cord. I slid my hand inside and was pleasantly surprised to find he wasn't wearing underwear. I started stroking him slowly and he responded by sliding his pants down his legs and kicking them off. I continued teasing him gently as he reached around my back and unclasped my bra. He removed it slowly and then lowered his head to my left nipple, teasing the right one with his finger and thumb. He switched back and forth as I arched into his touch, never releasing him from my grip.
He slid his free hand down and removed the rest of my underwear, tenderly sliding his hand between my legs on his return. He started stroking me where I needed it most and I quivered under his touch. He withdrew his fingers and pulled his erection from my hand, moving it to my centre. He slowly entered me and we rocked back and forth together, our fingers entwined next to my head. We gradually increased our speed, our breath coming in shorter and shorter gasps. I felt my release building and let go of his hands, tangling my fingers in his hair as I felt myself responding to his harder thrusts.
We fell over the edge together and lay there. The heat of the fire combined with the heat of our lovemaking had left a fine layer of sweat coating our bodies. We lay together while our breathing and heart rates settled. Once we were calm, he wordlessly rose to his feet and reached his hand down to me, pulling me to him. He took my hand in his and lead to me to the…
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!
"AARGH!" I screamed as my alarm interrupted my perfect dream. I was tempted to give it the hangover treatment and slap at it until it was quiet but instead I decided to act like a grown-up. I reached out and gently pressed the off button, then opened my eyes to a bright day. I stretched lazily and slowly sat up. I walked down to the kitchen and turned on the coffee dripper then jumped in the shower.
My mind kept replaying images from my dream, interspersed with memories of Edward's time here. I saw the fire in his house and us lying in front of it – I wasn't even sure if he had a fireplace. Then I saw us in the same shower I was in now – my legs around his waist as he held me under the shower head before slowly leaning me up against the tiles while we made love.
After spending far too long under the hot water I quickly dried off, wrapping myself in my towel and running back to the bedroom. I threw on my scrubs and t-shirt and stuck my feet in my work runners. I grabbed my towel off the bed and carried it to the kitchen with me where I poured a cup of coffee and made some toast. I ate quickly and tidied up, then took my towel back to the bathroom where I cleaned my teeth and wrestled with my hair. It wasn't going to go up, that was for sure, so I quickly braided it and secured all the loose bits with hair pins.
I grabbed my bag from the floor and fished my keys out of the basket and headed for lift. I was almost there when I realised my lunch was still in the fridge. I raced back down the hallway and let myself back in, grabbed my lunch, relocked the door and took off to the lift again.
I unlocked my truck and was just backing out of my parking space when the song playing was interrupted.
"We interrupt this broadcast to bring you breaking news," the announcer said.
I reached down and turned up the volume as I pulled onto the street.
"Virginia Mason Hospital is in lockdown after a patient allegedly carrying a rare disease was operated on early this morning. Reports tell us that the ventilation system in the hospital has failed and noone is permitted to enter or leave the building. The severity of the outbreak has not yet been confirmed. Experts from the Centre for Disease Control are en route to the hospital. Stay tuned for more updates."
I pulled off to the side of the road in shock. Virginia Mason had the best ventilation system money could buy – we had the best reputation for disease control in the state. I quickly pulled out my cell phone and called the main administration number.
"Virginia Mason, Penny speaking. How may I direct your call?" came the voice down the line.
"Penny, it's doctor Isabella Swan calling, what's going on?" I asked.
"Doctor Swan, I'm going to have to put you through to the Head of Medicine, one moment please."
I listened to the hold music for a minute or two until Dr Johns came on the line.
"Doctor Swan? Doctor Johns here, what I can I do for you?" His gravelly baritone sounded tired.
"Doctor Johns, I just heard on the radio that we're in lockdown, what do I need to be doing?" This hadn't happened since I started at the hospital and I was at a loss.
"At this stage noone can come in or go out Doctor Swan," he told me. "My advice is to keep your phone on and we'll call you if you can come in today."
That didn't sound good. "Sir? How long does it look like lockdown will last for?"
He sighed. "At this stage we may not be able to let the day or mid shift staff in. We're hoping this will be under control by the time the afternoon shift can start, but we have to wait for the CDC."
"I understand sir. If there's anything that I can do, please let me know," I told him honestly. We hung up then and I had no idea what to do with myself. Unscheduled days off weren't something I had experience with. It was only 7:45 so I knew Alice wouldn't be at work yet. Hell, she stayed at Jasper's last night so she was probably only just getting out of bed.
I thought maybe I could go visit her and Rosalie at work but Alice didn't start until 8:30 and Rose went in when they needed her – there was no guarantee she'd even be at the office today. I decided to drop by Jacob's and get a coffee and a newspaper and sit in the park.
I pulled into a space around the corner from the coffee shop and walked around to the front entrance.
"Hey Doc!" I heard someone shout from across the store.
I looked up and saw Jane smiling at me from behind the register. Petite and blonde, Jane had been working at Jacob's as long as I'd been coming here. I grabbed the local paper from the stand to the left of the door and walked over to the counter.
"On your way to work?" she asked with a smile as I put the newspaper down.
"I was," I told her, "until I heard about the lockdown on the radio."
"Bella!" Jacob boomed as he came out of the kitchen with a tray of fresh-baked muffins. He slid them into the display and then turned to me. "What's my favourite doctor having this morning?"
"A lockdown at the hospital," I said. I quickly explained what I'd heard on the radio, not telling them what Dr Johns had told me.
"That's awful," Jane gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "Is it serious?"
"I don't know what the disease is, or how far around the hospital it spread," I explained. "We have to wait for the guys from the CDC to do all their checks."
I was interrupted by my phone ringing. Edward, the screen flashed.
"'Scuse me, I need to take this," I apologised to Jane and Jacob as I moved over towards the windows.
"Hello?" I said with a smile.
"Bella? Are you ok? I just heard about the lockdown on the news…" Edward sounded so worried.
"I'm ok," I assured him. "I wasn't there when it happened and we can't go into the building now so there's no risk."
"What about Jasper?" he asked, sounding less worried but still concerned.
"He's ok too – he has today off. We're all ok, you don't need to worry." I couldn't help smiling at his fretting.
"I just wanted to make sure," he went on. "The news reports were vague and I couldn't remember what time you were starting this morning."
"It looks like I'm not going to start at all today," I said quietly, not wanting Jane and Jacob to overhear. "I spoke to the Head of Medicine this morning and it looks like people won't be going in for a while."
"Well, enjoy your extra day off then!" he told me. I pictured his gorgeous smile as he continued, "I have to go into a meeting in 5 but I'll call you tonight when I get home?"
"Sounds good – I'll talk to you then. Bye!"
I put my phone back in my bag and walked back over to the counter. Jacob had disappeared again and Jane commented, "That must have been some phone call Bella, you're grinning like the Cheshire cat!"
I explained about Edward and how sweet he was while she made me a tall flat white. I paid for the coffee and newspaper and then decided to call Alice and see if I could bring her anything.
"Design, Alice speaking," she answered, sounding like she was trying not to giggle.
"Morning sunshine, what's so funny?" I asked.
"Bella! You're not locked down! See Rose, I told you she'd be ok." So Rose was at work too then. Excellent.
"No Al, I'm not locked down. I also can't go to work so I came to Jacob's for a coffee. Did you want me to get you and Rosalie something? I was thinking I'd come visit," I offered.
"I'll have a tall cappuccino on skim please," she giggled again, "and Rosalie will have a tall double shot mocha and a chocolate muffin."
"Rosalie doesn't drink coffee," I said, confused. Rose had cut coffee from her diet when she got the modelling job because she read it made you bloat.
"She does this morning," Alice giggled again. "Emmett got her more than a little drunk last night and she's not so healthy this morning."
I laughed along with Alice and promised to bring coffee and muffins. I hung up and turned back to Jane, relaying Alice and Rosalie's orders for coffee and a chocolate muffin. I also ordered an apple and cinnamon muffin for Alice and a white chocolate and caramel one for me.
Five minutes later I carefully loaded the coffees and muffins into the passenger seat of my truck and headed to Victoria's Secret.
Alice was waiting in the foyer for me and signed me in as a visitor before whisking me away to her office. I walked in and couldn't help snickering at Rosalie. Her hair was as perfect as always but she had rings under her eyes and her face was pale.
"Coffee Rose?" I offered.
"Mmm," she moaned. "I miss coffee. Gimme!"
I smiled at her as I passed her coffee over. Alice tore open the bag of muffins and handed them out. We sat and ate in silence for a few minutes before they started asking me questions about the lockdown at the hospital. I told them what I knew, including my conversation with Dr Johns.
"So you're probably not going to be working today then?" Alice asked with the evil twinkle in her eye.
"More than likely," I said slowly. "Why?"
"Well, you picked a fabric last night…and the boss is out of town this week…and Rosalie has no shoots today…how about we start making you something fabulous?" she suggested.
I couldn't disappoint her and a day with the girls sounded good…even if I was in my scrubs. "Sounds perfect," I told her.
"Yay!" she squealed, jumping out of her chair and hugging me. "Rose, if you feel up to it, can you please go to our apartment and get Bella some jeans or something? I can start taking measurements and then we can start designing something!"
I rolled my eyes but I was secretly excited too see what Alice was going to come up with. I was normally a plain cotton girl, with maybe a few bright colours thrown in. Alice occasionally bought me stuff but this was going to be the first time I let her go wild.
We finished our coffee and muffins and I handed my keys over to Rose. Once she left, Alice declared, "You! Into the change room and strip down to your underwear!"
I stepped into the large cubicle and untied my runners, stuffing my socks inside once they were off. I took off my scrubs and folded them, thinking I could wear them the next day. Last off was my t-shirt. "Ok Alice, I'm ready!" I announced.
She threw a plush pink robe (what else?) over the door and I wrapped myself in it before unlocking the door and stepping out.
Alice motioned me over to a step so I climbed up and stood still while she made her measurements. I understood why she was doing my bust, waist and hips but didn't get why she was measuring my leg length and the distance between my boobs and hips.
"Alice?" I asked. "What exactly are you making for me?"
"A whole set, of course!" she replied. "You're inspiring my new design. I'm calling it 'Seduce' and it's going to come in different colours. The blue you picked is going to be called 'Bella', I'm going to make a red called 'Rose' and a few other colours."
I loved the idea and told her so. "What does the company think?" I wondered aloud.
"That's the thing…" she said. "The company doesn't know. I've decided I don't want to work for the old hag any more and I'm going out on my own. This is going to be my signature range. Rosalie has built up enough contacts to be able to get jobs away from here, and I have contacts for fabric and stuff until I get up and running."
Wow – Alice's dream was so close! And my relationship with Edward was her starting place. "That's so exciting Al!" I congratulated her. "But is it such a good idea to be doing this here when it's not going to be their design?"
She scoffed. "The amount of new designs I've pumped out for them since I started here should last them till next season. When Victoria comes back on Monday next week, my two weeks' notice will be on her desk…along with Rosalie's!"
"Where are you going to work from?" There just wasn't enough room in our apartment.
"Jasper has offered me his spare room, and so have Rose and Emmett. Since they're in the same building, I think I'm going to use Jasper's as my sewing room, and just use Rosalie's for storage for now. Once I'm up and running I'll look at leasing some space somewhere…" she trailed off with a twinkle in her eye.
"You'll be great," I assured her. "And if you keep finding material like you picked for me, you'll be a hit!"
"Thanks Bells," she replied. One more measurement and then, "Ok, you're done. You can wrap up again but don't get dressed – I want to try some straps and stuff."
Rosalie came back about half an hour later with jeans and a shirt and jacket, along with shoes for me. Alice was just about done with her first prototype, as she was calling it, when my phone rang.
"Hello?" I answered.
"Doctor Swan, it's Doctor Johns," the gravelly voice came down the line. "I'm calling to update you on the situation at the hospital. The CDC have done their base level investigation and have quarantined the area for at least 24 hours."
"That's awful sir!" I was shocked. I had no idea who was working and was immediately concerned for my colleagues as well as the patients.
"It is indeed," he replied. "No staff or visitors will be permitted to enter or leave the building until at least 12pm tomorrow. If the situation has not improved someone will contact you again then."
"Is there anything people can do?" Even it was something like giving blood I'd do it.
"At this stage there's nothing. If something comes up we'll get it out to the public through the news broadcasts." He sounded even more tired than he had earlier in the day.
"Yes sir. Hopefully I'll see you tomorrow," I said as we hung up.
"Still not going in?" Rosalie asked.
"Not until at least 12 tomorrow," I told them. We chatted for a few minutes about how awful it was, then Alice reminded me that meant I had a free day for the rest of today.
"Now go try this on," she said, throwing a flimsy bra to me. I gaped at the lack of material in my hands. "It's just a test run to check the sizing," she told me. "That's just cheap cotton, nothing like what the finished product will feel like."
I tried it on and the fit was amazing – I could tell straight away it was a custom fit by the way it hugged me in all the right spots. Alice squealed when she saw how well it fit and then I was directed to take it off again.
We repeated the process forty minutes later with a bikini brief, a g-string and pair of boyshorts. After a few tucks and snips Alice was happy with the morning's work and I was allowed to get dressed so we could go out for lunch.
We ate at a nearby café and the meals were fantastic. I had a toasted BLT with fries on the side, Alice had a turkey and cranberry foccacia and Rosalie had the all-day breakfast. After we were all stuffed we headed back to Alice's office.
Throughout the afternoon she whipped up a camisole and a nightgown for me to try on, telling me the camisole would have a little bit of silver lace and silver straps, and the nightgown would be entirely silver satin.
At 5 on the dot she stuffed it all in her over-sized bag to play with at home. We walked out into the foyer and Jasper was leaning against a pillar waiting for her.
"Ladies," he drawled. Jasper lived in Texas for a grand total of nine months when he was four, and did the worst Texan accent imaginable, but it still made Alice swoon.
"Jazzy!" she squealed, running across the foyer to plant a sloppy kiss on his cheek.
Rosalie and I both made the gagging noise and received a death stare in return from Alice.
"We're going to get something to eat…you guys wanna…" she trailed off, staring out the window.
"Emmett drives a Jeep!" Alice and Rose chorused at the same time.
"Huh? What's that got to do with food?" I asked, confused.
"It drives Emmett nuts," Rosalie explained as we walked over to join Alice and Jasper near the windows. "When he bought his Jeep, he was so excited he kept telling people. So now when a Jeep drives past, I shout 'Emmett drives a Jeep' just to annoy him…but it's so common now I do it when he's not around."
I laughed at Rose's little game. Emmett's Jeep Wrangler was his pride and joy – no wonder he got annoyed at people making fun of it.
"I'll have to remember that!" I said once I stopped laughing.
"So anyway," Alice picked up where she'd left off, "Jazz and I are going to get something to eat. Did you gals wanna come?"
"Emmett's cooking tonight," Rosalie told us with a fake scared expression on her face. "He didn't have any clients this afternoon so he wanted to cook for me."
"That's sweet Rose," I told her, thinking about cooking for Edward again. "I think I'll pass too guys, I wanted to go get some groceries and have an early night so I can nap tomorrow before work."
We all said our goodbyes and headed to our cars. I stopped off to grab a few things to make dinner for myself and walked in the front door just as the phone stopped ringing.
"Alice, this is your mother." I smiled as Esme's voice came through the speaker on the answering machine. "Your father and I are planning on coming to Seattle in around two weeks and we'd like to have dinner with you and Emmett. Call me back to let me know when you're free. Love you!"
Esme was really sweet. She and Carlisle were currently living in Utah. Carlisle was one of the most highly respected neurosurgeons in the country and had been called in to consult on a case three months earlier. They'd decided to keep their house in Olympia and found a nice place to rent while Carlisle was working. Emmett drove down every second weekend to check the Olympia house was still standing and the neighbours were collecting the mail. I knew Alice would be over the moon that her parents were coming to visit. She was so used to them only being a couple of hours away in heavy traffic, and having them in another state was awful for her.
I was just getting dinner on when my cell rang. "Hello?" I answered.
"Bella! I have some news!" It was Rosalie.
"Really? What?" I was hoping Emmett had finally proposed.
"Carlisle and Esme are coming to visit!" Rosalie loved Emmett's parents dearly – she had lost her own parents in an accident when she was 16.
"Really? I had no idea!" I couldn't hold in the giggle.
"They already called Alice, huh?" She knew me only too well.
"Yep. We should plan something for when they're here – maybe even convince Edward to come visit!" I was thrilled with that thought. "Do you know exactly when they're coming?"
"They're arriving on the third and going back on the sixth," she told me. "We should do some sort of fourth of July shindig."
I quickly looked at my roster on the fridge. "Argh! I'm working every single day that they're here! But I'm on days so at least I'll be around in the evenings. We could do a dinner?"
"Where do we have that's big enough for eight people though?" Rosalie mused.
"Tell you what, you find the space and I'll do the food," I said. "And I'll talk to Edward tonight."
"It's a date! Gotta go, Emmett says dinner's ready…" Rosalie sounded less than enthused.
"You'll survive," I told her as we hung up.
Hmmm…I mused to myself. Dinner with the boyfriend's parents…