TNMC

Chapter 25

I know Ms Meyer owns the characters, I'm just playing but the story is mine.

BPOV

Seth was talking to Alex in the foyer when I made my way downstairs. I'm sure that they were looking at the stairwell before I stepped out of it, courtesy of the early warning system that was the camera outside my door, now was definitely the time to ask a question that had suddenly occurred to me.

"Evening gentlemen," I said, smiling. "Are we ready to leave?" Seth nodded and picked up the car keys.

"Have a good evening Miss Swan, enjoy dinner." Alex immediately went back to his ever present keyboard. I smiled a little harder.

"Alex," something in my voice made him lift his head. Seth paused, halfway to the external door."Do you have cameras in my apartment or just outside it?"

"Erm… I… erm… well… " For a fully grown intelligent man he was definitely struggling a little. Behind me I could hear Seth sniggering. Of course, I wasn't going to make this easy for either of them.

"It's not a trick question Alex," I said, firmly but not unkindly. "I know there's a camera covering my door. I just need to know if there's one inside," I shrugged my shoulders, "have you seen me wandering round my apartment naked?" My mouth twitched as, what had started out as a little banter suddenly became a serious question.

"No Miss Swan of course not," his face was bright red but he finally found his words. "The boss would never allow that. All we have installed is a small camera to make sure we can monitor if anyone tries to enter your apartment." He looked almost guilty so I was sure he was telling the truth.

"Is that true Seth?" He was still trying to contain his laughter at Alex's unease.

"No idea at all I'm afraid," he replied. "I don't have anything to do with that side of things."

"So you haven't seen anything you shouldn't either?"

"No Bella," he tried to rearrange his face into a solemn expression, I assure you I haven't."

Seth led me out of the building and opened the door of the Range Rover. Somewhat placated by the knowledge that what I did in the comfort of my own apartment stayed within those four walls, I happily climbed into the back and settled myself into the seat. As I stroked the leather and fastened the seatbelt I couldn't help but think about my own truck and the startling difference between the two vehicles. "Just like our lives" I said to no one in particular. Seth made eye contact with me in his rear view mirror and smiled before starting the engine and pulling away from the kerb.

The drive passed quickly as we made our way back to Edward's house, Seth made a quick call to let them know we were approaching. As we pulled onto the circular driveway I could see Edward standing in the doorway waiting for us. When the car slowed to a stop in front of him he opened the door and got in beside me. We were out of the driveway and on the road in seconds.

"Good Evening Isabella," he said, formally, "you look very beautiful tonight."

"Good evening Mr Cullen," I matched his formal tone, running my eyes over his immaculate lounge suit. "You look very dashing yourself and eager for our date I see." He looked at my face seriously and I could tell he was trying to figure out if I was playing with him.

"Of course Isabella," he replied, finally seeming to decide that I meant the comment in good humour, "we're going to one of my favourite restaurants and I have excellent company. What's not to be eager about?"

He patted my thigh, leaving his hand on my knee, and for a split second I almost reached out to slap his hand and explain in detail how inappropriate and arrogant that was. However, the smile had gone from his face and if I wasn't mistaken he was trying to hide the fact he was nervous.

"What's the matter Edward?" I placed my hand lightly over his on my knee. "Have you changed your mind about our date?"

He looked at me and then at Seth and then back to me before reaching forward and tapping Seth on the shoulder.

"Pull over and step out for a moment when it's safe." Seth immediately started to look for somewhere. A few moments later the noise of the car door slamming shut punctuated that the fact that we were now very alone.

"Isabella," he said, not meeting my eyes, "this is very hard for me to admit but in the spirit of wanting to be honest with you I will admit that for the first time in a very long time I am nervous and so far out of my comfort zone that I'm not quite sure..."

"Why are you nervous Edward," I interrupted, unable to bear his hangdog expression, "it's just dinner."

"You know as well as I do Isabella that this isn't just dinner. I can have dinner with anyone I choose to. With one phone call I could dine with the President, Hollywood greats or Russian oligarchs. This is different, personal. This is about us."

"Is there an us?" I asked.

"Of course there is, we just need to set out the agenda."

"I am not a business meeting Edward," I told him, disparagingly, "we don't need an agenda. I would just like to get to know you because I know very little about you, your family, your personal likes and dislikes. We've talked about politics, religion, books and the arts but never about you." I was determined to get inside his head and work out was going on in there.

"I'll be able to tell you more when you're my wife but until then you'll have to be happy with the censored version." He tapped on the window to attract Seth's attention.

"Hold the fuck up a minute!" Classy, I thought to myself, but he had caught me off guard with that statement. Seth opened the door.

"Seth," I said, "we're going to need another minute or two." Seth stopped and looked at Edward to check what he was supposed to do. I saw Edward nod his head slightly and Seth got back out and shut the door again. It was impossible to miss Seth's shoulders moving up and down as he took a few steps away from the car.

"Remind me to shoot that fucker when I get a minute," Edward murmured as he sat staring out of the window looking away from me.

"Edward look at me please." He looked straight ahead. "Edward look at me." I wasn't asking nicely any more. He continued to look straight ahead. "Edward." My sharp tone made him flinch but he still wouldn't look at me. "How can we have a discussion," I said, crossing my hands across my chest, "if you won't even look at me?"

"Isabella," he said, finally meeting my eyes. "Can we please just go the restaurant, we can talk further there?"

"Why do you think I need to be your wife before you can tell me anything?" He opened his mouth then closed it again, a little like a fish. "In fact, why are you even thinking of me being your wife when you are still married and we haven't even been out on a proper date yet?"

"Isabella," he said, more firmly, "can we just go and get something to eat and talk some more at the restaurant?"

I probably wasn't going to get anything more out of him. I could see in his eyes that he had shut down, the only thing I could think of was that he thought he'd probably frightened me off. He hadn't, he'd just made me curious.

"Okay let's go," I sighed. He knocked on the window to get Seth's attention.

The rest of the drive was quiet as we sat on the back seat as far apart from each other as possible. I wanted to shuffle over and reduce the gap between us, both physically and emotionally but I sat almost paralysed as I wondered how to breakdown the divide.

The car drew to a slow halt underneath a huge entryway. I had never even heard of this place never mind been before but I could already tell I was dressed correctly. I could see the diamonds and the fake white smiles dazzling the poor valets as we waited in line to disembark.

Seth jumped out of the car to open Edward's door and Edward came round to open mine. As he held out his hand to help me I made sure to grasp it tightly and keep hold as we walked towards the entrance. He looked down at our clasped hands and the smile finally returned to his face.

"Shit," the first word out of my mouth as we stepped into the main reception. This place was so over the top it was unbelievable.

"What's the matter?" he asked looking at my face. Numbers and cards and bills were whirling around in my head, the reality of what it might actually cost to dine here finally dawning on me.

"It's my turn to pay tonight and I just maxed out my credit card on my lingerie, I knew this was going to be expensive but..."

"Isabella don't be ridiculous, do you think I would bring you out to dinner on a date and let you pay?" A person whom I presumed was the manager came rushing towards us.

"Mr Cullen, good evening sir," he simpered, shaking Edward's hand with familiarity, "how lovely to see you finally, we were beginning to think we had upset you."

"No Philippe," he replied, in a voice I was starting to recognise as his business tone, "it has just taken me a while to actually get all my plans together so I could bring my lovely date here." Turning to me he gestured towards Philippe. "You see Isabella, twice I have made reservations to bring you here and twice our plans were changed, you'll have this poor man thinking you don't want to visit his restaurant."

I laughed because I didn't know what to say. How the hell had I managed to pick the restaurant he had tried to bring me to already? We made our way through the restaurant towards the back of the room and I wondered where we were going, surely it wasn't going to be a table near the kitchen or the toilets? I had booked late but surely not. We kept going down a corridor and round a corner and into another corridor that had four doors. Outside each door were sets of chairs and it struck me that it looked like waiting rooms at a clinic. You waited outside for the doctor to call you in. As we made our way down the corridor all of the men already sat in there stood up and blocked the doorway of the room they were outside.

I saw the recognition in their eyes as they scanned past me and looked at Edward. We entered a small room with a single table set for two in the centre. It was a very fancy and ornate private dining room. I caught a glimpse of Seth and someone I didn't know take up position outside the door. Edward held out my chair for me and sat me with my back to the door.

"I'll just be a second Isabella," he said as he walked to the door.

"Seth, could you find out who is here and let me know?" Seth nodded. Edward closed the door and returned to the table.

"Now Isabella you have my undivided attention, shall we have a drink and look at tonight's menu?"

It was everything I had dreaded, there was cutlery and glassware everywhere, I had given myself a quick refresher this afternoon while I was dressing, and it's amazing what you can find on YouTube. A 'how to' on what each glass and piece of cutlery was for, I now know which one is the water glass, which was for red wine, white wine and the aperitif. I hadn't quite worked out what happened if I asked for a blush wine or champagne but I'd worry about that if I needed to.

The menu was in French and had no prices on so it was going to be a complete guess what appeared on my plate. I was hoping if I stared at the menu long enough some of the words might start to mean something but unfortunately they didn't so I just put it down. My cheeks burned.

"What would you like to drink Isabella?" Edward asked looking at me over the menu.

"I'm easy why don't you just order something for us," I tried to sound nonchalant, as if I ate at places like this all of the time.

"A bottle of champagne then?"

"That's fine," I smiled, hoping someone else would fill our glasses so I didn't have to worry about why there weren't any champagne flutes on the table. My palms were sweaty. This was stress itself. How could people find this type of thing enjoyable?

"Are you ready to order?" he asked as I picked up the menu again.

"Edward," I decided just to come out with it. "I don't speak French so I have absolutely no idea what is on the menu, why don't you just order something for me." The colour from my previous blush drained away as my resolve took over and I felt better for being honest. I might as well start the evening as I want it to go, honesty and openness.

I could see the realisation spreading across his face as he took in my response. Don't get me wrong I am a confident woman. Had I been here for a business meeting I would have done my research and looked at the menu beforehand. When I'd have realised it was in French I would have used Google translate and been ready. For some reason my normal thoughts had flown out of the window today, all I had thought about was lingerie and actually getting here.

"Isabella don't worry about that," he smiled. "I don't speak French either, it's just I've been here numerous times before and I've had the menu explained to me. Would you like the chef to come in and take you through everything he has so you can choose whatever you'd like?"

That surrounded even more mortifying that not understanding it in the first place. The poor man must be busy enough cooking food for all these people never mind standing here trying to make me understand what all his creations actually were.

"What are you having Edward?" I asked him. "If you have eaten here before what do you recommend?"

"Well I usually have the crabmeat and langoustine terrine to start," he said, putting the menu down. "Then tonight I think I will have a steak."

I could deal with that, what wasn't to like, I loved crab cakes and they really couldn't mess up a steak so that should be safe territory.

"I'll have the same then." I put down the menu and pushed it away from me, the first hurdle sorted. A waiter walked in, made quick work of the champagne cork and pouring us a glass each, took our order then disappeared as quickly as he had arrived.

"So, can we get back to our discussion form earlier?" I asked as I took my first swallow of the delicious pale bubbly liquid. I recognised it as the same stuff we had drunk at our indoor picnic.

"Ask away and I'll answer you as honestly as I can," he took a large swallow of his champagne and it almost distracted me. I had the strangest urge to lick his throat.

"When is your divorce final?" I might as well start with the big issue.

"According to Jasper the divorce is imminent," he smiled and I could see the relief on his face.

"Have you heard from the soon to be former Mrs Cullen lately?"

"No and I don't expect to either," his voice hardened at the mention of his ex-wife.

"Why do I need to be your wife before you can tell me about yourself?"

"You must know the law Isabella, a wife cannot go on the stand and testify against her husband," he took a large gulp of champagne. "I would need the security of that before I could trust you with all my dirty secrets." he was trying to make light of it but I'm not stupid, it looks like my daddy was right.

"Are you the boss?" It was a very ambiguous question but I was interested to see how he would answer it. He looked me in the eyes and answered without the slightest waiver

"You know I am Isabella." I was a little taken aback. Did I?

"So," I soldiered on, scared that this moment of honesty would end too quickly, "you are the boss of the clubs and the businesses or you are The Boss?" He smiled and I knew I'd given him an out.

"I'm the boss," he replied. Wow, he hadn't taken the out. Slightly shaken, I took the opportunity to take a sip of champagne. Before I could ask anything else someone knocked on the door and the server delivered our first course.

The food was delicious. I'd never had langoustine before but the taste was delicate and went well with crab and the salad leaves and fancy savoury crackers they served with it. We talked about my work and the penthouse we'd had lunch in and he asked me if I'd seen Alice or Rosie again. The conversation was safe.

Once the course was cleared away I tried to get back to our previous conversation

"So Edward, if you are just escaping one bad marriage why are you so eager to take another wife?" It seemed a fair question to someone who had been trapped for so long.

"I'm not eager to marry just anyone Isabella. I'm eager to get to know you and to see if we will be as good together as I've imagined we'd be." His face was serious but I couldn't help but see the double meaning in what he'd said. It was too good an opportunity not to tease him a little.

"Really Edward do tell," I lowered my voice and leaned in a little closer across the table, "what have you been imaging us doing. I wonder if it's the same sort of things I've been thinking about?" The smile on my face was a mile wide and I actually saw him blush.

"You have no idea what I've imagined us doing Isabella," he said as he took another swallow.

"Oh, I do Edward," I fluttered my eyelashes and leaned over a little further, giving him a good eyeful of cleavage, "why do you think I spent a grand on some new lingerie?"

His reaction was instant, the liquid he was swallowing met with the cough my comment had caused and he started to choke. The door swung upon.

"Get away from him Miss Swan!" Seth rushed in and made his way to Edward putting himself between me and the choking figure of Edward.

"Why?" I yelled indignantly, "what the fuck do you think I was doing to him?"

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Thank you to Ladyletters for her polishing on this chapter, I have played a little so any mistakes are mine.

I need to say a massive thank you to all of you who have taken the time to review, I try to answer all of them, if I have missed you I'm sorry but I do read everyone. xx