Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight.
The following story may or may not be based on true events. Names, places and locations have been changed to protect amongst others me!
Station – the place or position in which something or someone stands or is assigned to stand or remain.
A high station in life is earned by the gallantry with which appalling experiences are survived with grace. – Tennessee Williams
Thank you to the lovely coastaltigergirl for pre-reading. You're the best darling! Mistakes are all mine.
I apologize greatly for the delay in posting. My favorite two year old (my niece Addy) and my brother were visiting earlier in the week and with FF acting kinda wonky yesterday I wanted to wait until it was ok before I posted. I also want to apologize for being utter rubbish (sorry just love British words) at replying to reviews, but I will I promise.
Anyway enough out of me.
S&M by Rihanna
Smack That by Akon
Chapter Twenty-One
Carving Station – Last Sunday Brunch
When we left the police station, the outside was already covered with news reporters and photographers. Guess it didn't take long for word to get out that a United States Senator had been arrested for assault and possible other charges.
We were able to escape without any notice as they were all there to get news on James, but we all knew once they got the full story and my name got out to them, my quiet little life would be hell for a while.
Just our luck when crazy hits it hits with national notoriety. Not just our front porch anymore.
Once we got back to the house and the rest of the family was brought up to date on everything, we had cake and I got to open my presents. They had all been very generous to me with their gifts. Not so much in the amount of money that was spent but in the time and thought that was put into each of them. It made me feel even more loved, which was greatly needed as the events of the night settled into my mind.
That shit really happened. We didn't just dream it.
I made sure I called Maggie and Marcus and told them everything that happened.
Well mostly we talked to Marcus. We could hear Maggie in the background banging pots around and cussing up a blue streak. Bet there are some major voodoo dolls going on in Atlanta right now.
After everyone left and the house was quiet again, everything really began to settle in. I needed to clear my mind so I began to clean. Edward told me he would handle it for me and that I should just relax but I was wound to tight to relax so I cleaned to keep my hands and mind busy.
Or so I thought.
I was picking a plate up off the coffee table when James' face flashed into my mind and well, I guess I took my frustration out on the plate by throwing it down on the ground.
Took out our frustration our ass, we lost our shit.
After I threw the plate down I went over to the cabinet and pulled all of the other plates like the first one out and threw them down on the ground, shattering them. Not sure what it was that reminded me of James but I just had to destroy them.
Edward stood by and watched me; he never said a word until I was finished with my tirade. All he said was he was glad I decided to get rid of those ugly plates because he would have hated to eat off of them for the next fifty years.
I stood there, just staring at him for a moment before I broke down and cried. Edward had me wrapped up in his arms in mere seconds. He held me until I had no tears left to give, carried me upstairs and ran a bath for me and then went back downstairs to clean up my breakdown while I soaked quietly in the tub.
All I remember was the warmth of the water around me, Edward drying me off, dressing me in PJ's and then being cocooned in his arms as I finally fell asleep.
S
Sun warming my eyelids stirred me from the wonderful dream I was having of Edward playing with our son on the beach.
Damn sun taking away our happy place, don't like you so much right now.
I flutter my eyes a little before Edward's beautiful face comes into focus. He looks so peaceful in his slumber. His long eyelashes softly hugging his cheekbone, his sultry lips set in the sweetest pouty smile, his smooth skin being kissed by the same sun that brought me from my dreams.
Ok so maybe we don't hate the sun so much. He really is so very pretty.
Piglet jumped up on the bed before he perched himself on top of Edward's side, working his way into the curve of Edward's body as he lay there. Piglet tucks his paws under him, lets out a soft sigh of contentment and then lays his head down on Edward's shoulder.
Wish we had a camera because that is some cute stuff right there.
I lay here and watch them, two of the loves of my life, my immediately little family and I breathe out a sigh of relief.
My cheek is throbbing a little and my hand is stiff and sore. I know there is probably a shit storm of reporters that will be brewing outside my door before too long. My life is about to be even crazier than I could have ever imagined.
But I have this, this moment right here, right now to make it all better. If I can have a lifetime of these, I know that I will be ok.
Yep with our Edward/Piglet security blanket we will be just fine.
S
As I suspected once the press found out my name and where I lived they took up residence outside of the house. Phil, the FBI and the local police did the best they could to shield Edward and I from all of the craziness, but some of it still managed to find its way to us.
Craziness is right. Stupid, meany head bitch walked right up onto our front porch and rang the doorbell, yelling at us through the door all kinds of questions of whips and chains and if they excited us. We're guessing she was listening to Rihanna and got some inspiration. We enjoyed watching her being placed in handcuffs as she was escorted off to a police car for trespassing. Those chains did in fact excite us.
Poor Edward wasn't able to work, for reporters following him around at the different houses. He didn't want to disturb the privacy of his customers so he took some time off of work until things blew over.
Bet he was tempted to run them over with the lawn mower. Although we suspect reporter mulch couldn't be very good for Bermuda grass.
We released a statement to the press, asking for respect of our privacy while the police worked through the legal aspects of the case. That didn't stop them from hanging out by the road in front of the house though.
Bet the neighbors are just loving us right now.
We pretty much stayed tucked away in the house to keep away from the mess outside. No one other than Phil or the FBI came to see us because we didn't want the rest of the family to be harassed. We only left when there was a great need for leaving.
Although being tucked away in a house with Edward for a week wasn't a bad thing. Hopefully those photographers out on the beach didn't have too long of a range of lens otherwise there are some steamy photos of Edward and us running around out there!
Esme and Carlisle unfortunately didn't fare any better because of Jonathan's involvement. After a reporter booked a flight with Carlisle under the guise of being a tourist and proceeded to try and interview him while he was 5000 feet in the air, Carlisle worked an arrangement out with some of the other private planes to take over his bookings until things calmed down a little bit.
The reporter never got to finish asking his questions because he was too busy throwing up and wetting himself. An engine stopping and the plane dropping a few thousand feet before recovering will do that to someone. When we asked Carlisle if he did it on purpose he denied it, but then gave a quick wink before he changed the subject.
Daddy C is so bad ass!
Between the investigation and the reporters, I postponed my trip to Atlanta for another week. I didn't want to drag all of that mess with me when I went there to tie everything up. I wanted a clean break from that part of my life and I didn't need overspill from this mess hindering that in anyway.
It also delayed what was to be my last day working at the country club. Seth told me not to worry about it, but I really wanted to finish things up there on a good note. There was no doubt I would be back as a member, but I wanted to finish my time there as an employee, to see all of the wonderful people I had met there one more time in that capacity. It was just something that I needed to do. So Seth and I agreed to the next Sunday brunch being my last day.
One more day of wearing the Lincoln paper hat, yea!
S
Holy shit, we are carving that?
"Um Seth are we doing a Flintstones themed brunch?" I ask as I look at the huge piece of meat that is sitting before me. It reminds me of something a T-Rex would eat.
"No silly girl." Seth answers me with a chuckle. "It's a Steamship Round of Beef."
"What part of the cow did that come from?"
"It's the hind quarter of the animal."
"That's Seth's polite way of saying it's the ass end of the cow." Sam says as she joins us as we stare at the huge piece of meat.
"We are serving ass?" I ask.
We suddenly want to slap it while singing Smack That!
"More like a cheek and thigh." Seth says. "What a beautiful cut of meat this is. It weighed eighty pounds before we cooked it off, probably weighs about sixty now. That bone has to weigh ten to fifteen pounds alone." He proudly says.
Men and their meat!
"How am I supposed to carve that?" I ask him still mesmerized by the size of the brontosaurs thigh in front of me.
"It's best to hold onto the bone and slide your way down from there." Seth answers me as he takes the knife and begins to show me.
That's what she said!
S
"What are you carving today Bellabean?" Mr. Threadcart asks me.
He and his wife are newer members here who remind me of a couple from the movie Casino. He has slicked backed hair and always wears jackets with elbow pads and she always has big hair and lots of jewels. They are tacky chic personified and I just love that about them. They both have loud personalities, but are two of the nicest people I have ever met.
Yeah we don't even mind that he calls us Bellabean.
"We have a steamship round of beef today Mr. Threadcart." I answer him with a smile.
We have a giant piece of ass for your pleasure today.
"Well hell darling set me up with a few slices of that." He says with a huge grin on his face.
A nice piece of rare ass coming your way.
"By the way Bellabean, hell of a job kicking the shit out of the Senator. We need more people to slap our politicians around. Then maybe they could get to fixing the mess this country is in." He says to me with a huge smile on his face.
He isn't the first person to say something to me today about the James' incident but he is by far the loudest.
"Quit making the poor girl blush Pookie Bear." Mrs. Threadcart says as she comes over and joins us.
Yeah Pookie Bear quit making us blush. Hell you should be blushing at the name Pookie Bear.
"Hush now Diddles." Pookie Bear, I mean Mr. Threadcart says as he pulls his wife into him and gives her a loud kiss on the lips.
Diddles? Pookie Bear? We can only imagine what sex sounds like at their place. 'Oh yes Pookie Bear right there, harder Pookie Bear, harder! Diddles likes it when her Pookie Bear pounds her like that doesn't she?' Now that's some crazy porn right there!
"I was just giving our lovely Bellabean some praise." He says as he smacks her on the butt.
The power of the ass meat speaks through him now. Bet he was singing Smack That in his head when he did that.
"Now go get Pookie Bear some rolls to go with this meat will ya?"
"I got some rolls for your meat Pookie Bear." She says as she wiggles her ass at him before walking away.
She stops to look at me before she is completely away from us. "Good job there Bellabean!" She says with a wink before she heads to the chaffing dish that holds the bread.
High class white trash at its finest. Got to love it .We'd watch their realty show if they had one.
"You doing ok over there?" Tyler asks me after Mr. Threadcart walks away.
"I'm ok." I answer him with a smile.
"Of course she is ok; our girl doesn't take crap off of anyone." Aro says as he walks over to my station and pulls me into a hug.
"Caius and I are so proud of you sweet girl." He says as he kisses the top of my head.
"Thank you." I say with a smile.
"Save some loving for me darling." Caius says as he walks over to join us. "We hear today is your last day working here. We are going to miss you." He says as he takes me away from Aro and gives me a hug.
"You'll still see her Caius; you know she is dating that handsome Cullen boy so we will still get to see her around the club."
"He's good to you?" Caius asks as he pulls away from our embrace.
"He's very good to me." I answer him.
"He better be I would hate to have to mess up that pretty face with a beat down."
"Caius darling you are too white and too gay to talk like that." Aro says with a chuckle. "Besides we both know you would never touch one hair on that boy's head."
"A priss can dream Aro, leave me my fantasies."
Edward fantasies really are wonderful. We are willing to share them cause we know we are the only one who gets to act them out for real.
The two of them kiss me on the cheek and hug me one more time before they head back to their table to eat.
The rest of brunch goes by with additional praise for handing James' his ass and well wishes for my future. When it is all said and done and I have wrapped up my last Sunday brunch and my last time wearing this chef's coat and white paper hat, I stop and take a last look around the kitchen.
Last time wearing them unless of course Edward wants to roll play. We'd gladly tenderize his meat any day!
I have learned a lot of little things that I never thought I would.
Like the fact all burns hurt but a sugar burn hurts the worst.
Damn scars on our hands and arms to prove our research on this subject matter.
Dipping petit fours is tedious and a pain in the ass, but dipping strawberries is calming and therapeutic.
Dipping Edward in chocolate is sexy and dreamy.
Handling foods like cucumbers and carrots cause the guys I worked with to make crude comments that I couldn't help but laugh at.
Silly boys and their penises.
Chefs can gut a fish, break down a lobster and remove the insides of chickens without batting an eye but a simple broken nail that's bleeding makes them want to throw up.
Simple broken nail our ass that sucker broke well below the quick and hurt like a mother fucker.
I have also learned a lot of big things that will forever shape my life while I have been working here as well.
We sense some deep reflection coming.
Money does not make you a good or bad person, nor does having it or not having it make your station in life.
But Seth does tell you what station to work. We know, we know, no humor while in deep reflection.
Money does not define who we are.
Money does not make you happy.
Money is not permanent.
Love helps make us a good person or a bad one by not allowing it in.
Love makes you happy.
Love helps us define who we want to be.
Love is permanent, even if the person who gives us that love is only in our lives for a short period of time, what they give us stays with us forever.
Yep deep deep reflection!
I think I am a better person now because I saw life from all sides. I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly. I have gained invaluable knowledge that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I can walk out of here with my head held high knowing that I have grown in so many ways these past few months.
Knowing that I am closer to being the me that I was meant to be. I can walk out of here with a sense of pride because I worked hard, because I helped others and because I made friendships that will carry me into the future.
Wow that was some deeeeeeeeeeeeeeep stuff there. Ok enough of that, let's go find some sexy Edward, jump his bones and then get on the wide open road with our man! On to conquer Atlanta!
A/N
Bit of a shorter filler chapter I know, but a few things needed to be resolved before going back to Atlanta and I didn't want the chapter to be huge.
A steamship round cut of any type of meat is the back hind quarter of the animal. It really is an impressive looking cut of meat when it is cooked (especially when it is beef because it is huge). It has pretty good flavor too because there is a great deal of fat there but it is not the most tender part of the animal because it is also a much worked part as well.
Should be back on schedule for Wednesday and again apologies for delays.
Much love and thanks to you all!