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"Maybe this is a bad idea."
I was alone in Edward's car, my fingers drumming against the steering wheel as I was driving back from picking up Edward's birthday present.
The incessant meowing that had started as soon as we left the animal shelter continued on, further cementing the notion that this possibly was a very bad idea.
0-0
We were finally going to celebrate Edward's birthday.
The whole day was planned out. It started this morning with me waking up early and surprising him with breakfast in bed. Waffles, his favorite, smothered in butter and maple syrup.
After a leisurely morning in bed, I finally got up and told him that I had to go by the bakery to pick up his cake.
In truth, I was picking up his cake. I just also swung by the animal shelter to pick up the kitten I had adopted the day before.
The notion of getting a pet together as a sort of practice baby wasn't new to me, but I hadn't considered it until I was left wondering what the hell to get Edward for his birthday.
There was nothing materialistic that also fit into my budget that I thought he would want.
I wanted the gift to be meaningful, and well, what was more meaningful than a kitten?
When I went to the animal shelter, I told myself it was just to look. But then I saw this tiny little kitten big, sad, blue eyes, I knew I couldn't leave without her.
According to one of the volunteers at the shelter, the kitten had come from a litter that was being fostered. All of them had been fixed and adopted out, except her.
Needless to say, twenty minutes later I left with adoption papers and a promise that I would be back the following day to get her.
Which led me to now.
I just hoped Edward wouldn't be too mad.
0-0
"Go sit down on the couch!" I told Edward, pushing him towards it. "I'm going to get your gift. Just...stay here."
Edward gave me a quizzical look but nodded and sat down. Once I got the dogs in the backyard, I went to the guest bedroom to get everything ready. I found the sleeping kitten under a chair and placed her in the box I had wrapped to put her in. With holes, of course.
Satisfied that she was still asleep and wouldn't begin meowing again, I carefully picked the box up and carried it out to Edward.
"Here you go," I set the box on Edward's lap and he immediately cringed. "What's wrong?!"
Did he have some sort of sixth sense and already knew what was in the box? Had he peeked in the guest room today and seen the kitten?
"The box is wet." Edward lifted the box off his lap and sure enough, there was a wet spot starting to form on his jeans.
"Shit!" With Edward still holding the box up, I ripped the lid off and pulled the kitten out and cradled her in both hands.
"She's not exactly litter box trained," I explained sheepishly. "And maybe the box was a little scary for her."
"You got me a cat." Edward looked dumbfounded.
"Maybe," I replied slowly, gauging his reaction.
"The cat peed on me."
"Just a little bit!" I said, defending the kitten and pulling her against my chest. "She's just a baby."
"I need to go change."
Once Edward went off to the bedroom to change, I held the kitten in one hand and with the other, picked up the box and took it outside to the garbage.
This really had been a bad idea, I thought to myself. What had I been thinking?
Right. I hadn't been.
Feeling sorry for myself, a few tears slipped down my cheeks and I sniffled.
When I walked back in the house, Edward was sitting on the couch, waiting for me.
Looking up, he saw my tears and leaned back, patting his lap.
Smiling tearily at him, I sat down, swinging my legs so they were laying on the couch.
"Why the tears, baby?" Edward asked, running his hand down my bare legs.
"You don't like the kitten I got you." I pouted. Even though he may not like her, I was growing more and more attached to her.
"I do. I was just surprised. I wasn't expecting a cat. But...she is awfully cute." He reached out and scratched his index finger underneath her chin, causing her to start purring loudly. "Does she have a name?"
I shook my head. "No, I was leaving that up to you."
"We'll have to think of a good one then."
"We're keeping her then?" I asked, unable to keep the surprise out of my voice.
"Of course." He laughed. "I like her. She's cute. And I think you're pretty attached to her too."
"But she peed on you!" I blurted out.
Edward laughed harder. "Yeah, she did. But I've raised Chester and Lulu since they were puppies. We haven't gotten to where we are without some problems.
Putting the kitten down on my lap, I threw my arms around Edwards neck and peppered kisses all over his face.
"I love you, I love you!"
Edward smiled. "I love you too, baby. But tell me, why a kitten?"
I blushed. This part I was hoping to avoid.
"Well judging from how pink your cheeks turned, I really want to know."
"It's dumb," I stalled. "I just..."
"Yeees?" Edward asked. Taking the kitten from my lap, he picked it up and immediately the kitten climbed up his shirt and lay on his shoulder, promptly falling asleep.
"Chester and Lulu, they're like your dogs, you know? I may feed them and walk them but they're still yours."
Edward shook his head. "That's not true. They may have been mine, but now they're ours. You love them. Hell, they might love you more than they do me."
I smiled. "Well, then I guess getting a kitten wasn't necessary. I thought it could be ours. Like something of ours we take care of, you know? Practice."
"Practice?" He looked confused for a second, then realization hit him. "Like a baby."
"I know a cat isn't like a baby but you know. It's what couples do, isn't it? First comes pet, then comes baby? I mean, I guess I'm being presumptuous. We haven't even really talked about the future and if you want a family. I'm not like ready to have one anytime soon but it's definitely something I want in the future, you know? I mean, if you're on the same page as me."
Edward laughed, his shaking shoulders rousing the kitten. "I want a family with you, Bella. I won't lie and say I'm not ready now, because I am. I'm forty, I'm not getting any younger. But you're still young, still in college. I won't rush you."
"Really?"
"Well, yeah. In the meantime I think a kitten is perfect practice. However, we need to come up with a name."
0-0
We sat on the couch a while longer, trying to come up with names but none of them seemed to fit the little girl.
Eventually, we put the name search on hold and I brought the cake out to Edward and sang for him.
"Are you almost ready yet?"
I turned my head around and narrowed my eyes at Edward. "I don't know. I can't find anything to wear."
"Baby, you've tried on six dresses so far."
I huffed at Edward, who was sitting on the bed, his back against the headboard and the unnamed kitten in his lap. "Yeah and I don't see you complaining at watching me get undressed."
Edward shrugged unabashedly. "I'm a guy."
"I just want to make a good first impression. I want your friends to like me and not look at me like Rosalie does."
"Don't worry, Bella. I know they'll love you."
"Are you sure she's going to be okay?" I asked Edward, taking the kitten from his lap. "I feel bad leaving her alone."
Holding the kitten in my arms, I placed her in her bed on our bedroom floor. I made sure she had food and water and a litter box, just in case she decided to try it out.
"We'll only be gone a few hours. She'll be fine. Look at her, she's sleeping again." Edward nodded to the kitten and I looked. Sure enough, she was curled up in a ball, fast asleep.
"Okay. But just a few hours."
When we got to the bar, Edward's friends Eric, Mike and Tyler were already there, along with Mike and Tyler's girlfriends, Jessica and Lauren.
Edward threw his arm around my shoulders and led me to the table they were sitting at in the corner.
After greeting everyone, Edward introduced me.
While the guys seemed cool with me despite ribbing Edward a bit, Jessica and Lauren didn't seem to warm up to me.
And it wasn't just me that noticed, but Edward as well.
"I'm going to get a refill, want one?" Lauren asked, looking at Tyler.
"I'll go with you." Jessica stood up and asked Mike if he wanted a drink.
"Baby, can you get me one too?" Edward asked, squeezing my thigh.
I nodded, turning to face him so he could see the look on my face and know that I was on to him.
"Sure, I'll get you another Stella." I stood up as well and followed the two girls to the bar.
As we waited for the drinks, I stood awkwardly by Jessica and Lauren as they chatted about their jobs.
"So, Bella. What is it that you do?" Lauren asked, breaking me out of my thoughts.
"Oh, I work at my campuses bookstore," I replied, hoping that the bartender would serve us our drinks soon so I could go back to the table and to Edward.
"Right, you're in college. How old did you say you were again?" There was a confrontational tone in her voice and I wanted to tell her that I didn't say how old I was. Instead, I politely replied, "twenty-one."
"Wow, young. I'm surprised you'd want to be with an old man like Edward." Jessica laughed.
"Edward's not that old," I defended. "Besides, I don't care about his age."
Jessica shrugged. "Whatever."
I groaned internally. Seriously, what was it with these women? Why couldn't they just accept me and move on?
The bartender came up to us and set our drinks on the counter. Picking Edward and mine up, I turned to Lauren and Jessica and with a saccharine smile on my face, I replied. "Look. You're not the first to have your doubts about my sincerity and judge me, but when it comes down to it, what Edward and I do is really none of your business. If you need to worry about something, worry about yourselves."
Glancing over at where Edward sat, I turned back to the girls again. "Or, you could just worry about those girls that took your seats at the table."
Both women's heads whipped around to where I was looking and saw that three girls had joined the table and were sitting on either side of the guys.
Not waiting for them to follow I walked back over to Edward and handed him his beer.
"Oh, you're back." Edward sounded relieved. When I moved to sit down next to him, he instead pulled me into his lap.
Jessica and Lauren showed up a few seconds later and stood in front of us at the table. "Here are your drinks," Jessica said, shoving her drink at Mike as Lauren did the same. "Who are your new friends?"
"Oh, uh, this is uh, Renata, Maria and uh, Kim." Mike stumbled over the words, clearly feeling guilty and caught.
"Well, two pissed off looking girlfriends, that's my cue to leave." Eric stood up and turned to Renata, Maria and Kim. "Ladies, care to accompany me elsewhere?"
They looked to each other and then shrugged and nodded.
Pleased, Eric turn to Edward and me. "Bella, it was great to meet you. Make sure your keep this old man in line, eh?" he said, shaking my hand and then slapping Edward on the chest.
"Bye Lauren, Jess. Try to not be too hard on my boys, okay?"
The women rolled their eyes at him, but sat back down in the seats the other three had left.
Shortly after, the night came to a close. Jessica and Lauren's moods were still sour, causing Mike and Tyler to call it an early night.
"Did you have a good time?" Edward asked, starting the car.
"Yeah." I yawned. "Mike and Tyler seem like good guys. Eric..."
"Is an idiot," Edward finished for me. "He's a good guy, but I think he forgets he's almost forty. The eternal bachelor."
"What was the deal with those girls he brought over?"
"When you guys went to get the drinks, Eric went to the bathroom. I guess he managed to pick up three girls on his way back." Edward shrugged.
"But three?"
"You may not have been able to tell, but Eric isn't very fond of Lauren and Jessica. In his eyes, they took away his partners in crime."
"And you weren't one of them?" I asked.
He shook his head. "I was in a relationship for a long time. He knows I'm not the kind to pick up girls at bars, anyway."
"Oh." I thought about what Edward said and then asked, "Is that the only reason he doesn't like them?"
"Well, they aren't really the nicest girls, are they?"
"That's one way of putting it," I muttered to myself.
"They give you a hard time?"
"You could say. Thanks for throwing me to the wolves, too." I sank down in my seat and crossed my arms over my chest.
Edward's head turned briefly to look at me before going back to the road. "I'm sorry. I just thought that you could maybe get to know them. Make some new friends."
"Thanks, but I really don't need you to find friends for me." I winced, realizing how harsh I sounded. "Sorry. I just mean that they were passive aggressively rude to me for no reason. I'm tired of getting that. It's whatever though, you know? Besides, I think I showed them up when their boyfriends were talking to those girls."
It wouldn't serve any purpose to be angry with Edward. He was just trying to help me out and I knew it was important that I get along with his friends and by extension, their girlfriends.
But it just wasn't gonna happen.
More importantly, I finally decided to use the credit card Edward gave me and bought a ridiculously skimpy (and expensive) slip from Agent Provocateur.
And I planned on making damn good use of it tonight.
Hope you guys liked it!
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Also, I have no idea what to name the kitten, so help me out!
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