So Right But So Wrong
So, this chapter sees our beloved pair off to London. Bella has interviews, and Edward won't let her go alone. Let's see what happens…
SM owns all that is Twilight, and Dollybigmomma tries to help me make it not put you to sleep, honest.
Chapter 28
BELLA
It had been a couple of days since our return from San Francisco, and now we were ready to be off again, this time to London. Our bags were packed, and I had all my CV information and a folder of lesson plans, lesson observations and the like for my interviews.
Edward and I had been in this dream-like state since our trip, constantly touching each other, not sexually, really, just in intimate ways. Little brushes of each other's arm or hand, a stroke on the others back when we walk by, that sort of thing. I found it all incredibly romantic, and I could not imagine ever being with Edward and not being like this. He had changed me as much and as completely as I had changed him.
Carlisle and Esme were driving us to the airport today, and once again, they had been kind enough to upgrade our tickets to first class, using some of their never-ending air miles.
It had been an expensive few weeks for me. First, the five hundred English pounds for Edward's music course, then the flights to San Francisco, the hotel, which turned out to be the most expensive, and then the helicopter ride and cruise. The money I had saved living with the Cullen's just covered it all, barely. I was really grateful when Emmett insisted he and Rose pay their own way. The check he had given me at the end of the weekend more than covered their expenses, and I was grateful for it, although I suspected Edward might have had something to do with them insisting I take it.
I had lost the argument over paying for the flights to London, though. He wouldn't even let me pay for my own, a fact that I had argued over and over, seeing as we wouldn't even be going yet if I didn't need to attend a series of interviews.
In typical Edward fashion, he had countered that with the fact that I wouldn't need to be getting a job in London if it wasn't for the fact that he was going to school there in the fall. I finally gave in, it was just much easier to concede graciously and accept him paying.
The nonstop flight was long, around nine hours, give or take thirty minutes or so, depending on wind direction. Our seats converted into a type of bed, so at least we could sleep. London was eight hours ahead, so we'd really feel it if we didn't sleep on the way over. I was out like a light, my hand in Edward's as we both slept.
Our stewardess woke us, telling us we were about to land. Feeling a little groggy, but nonetheless refreshed, I realised we had slept for a good seven hours, and as it was approaching seven o'clock in the morning UK time, we could start the day wide awake.
Landing was smooth, and we were soon awaiting our luggage at the slowly spinning carousel. Once Edward grabbed the bags, we headed out to the waiting taxis. I had booked us into a hotel on the Kensington/Chelsea border, near to all the schools I was being interviewed at. It was also close to our new flat, and I had arranged a special visit to it so we could take measurements and the like tomorrow. Edward didn't know about that yet. It was another of my little surprises.
The Kensington Close hotel was pretty central, and it would give us easy access to all the sights London had to offer, as well as being within walking distance to our flat and all the schools where I had interviews. The taxi driver spoke very quickly and in an accent I found hard to understand, but he was at least friendly and welcomed us to his country. If everyone here were as friendly, we'd feel at home in no time.
"What do you want to do first, love?" Edward asked me as we both unpacked our bags.
"I'm not too bothered, what about you?" I replied.
"Well, seeing as your first interview isn't until tomorrow, I thought maybe we should have a walk now and get a feel for where we'll be living, take in the sights, and get our bearings."
"Okay, that sounds good. Let me just freshen, up and then I'll be ready. Where shall we go first?"
"How about looking up the first school on your list and taking it from there?"
"Great!" I shouted from the small en suite.
Some ten minutes later, we walked out of the hotel hand in hand. We were free to be just us, and it felt wonderful. No more hiding, no more pretending to just be teacher and student. We were simply Bella and Edward, two young people in love.
My first interview was at The Phoenix High School, a large multicultural high school with a specialism for Sciences. Its English department was looking to expand, and with that, raise the profile of English within the school community. All the literature I had found and been sent was very impressive. It was so big in comparison to Forks High, and with so many pupils, I feared I might be a little intimidated.
"Nonsense," Edward had said. "You more than anyone can bring a sense of calm to the classroom, Bella. You'll do just fine, wherever it is you finally end up."
I loved his optimism, but he loved me, and I could do no wrong in his eyes. To me, I was a foreigner here, and still new to teaching. They would be interviewing all sorts of more experienced teachers than me. I had learned that in the UK, for the first year of teaching, a NQT (newly qualified teacher) went through an on-the-job assessment of sorts. I would be classed as such, so any school employing me would have to be prepared to take on the role of developing me.
Our walk to the school probably shouldn't have taken as long as it did, but we stopped and looked in shop windows and looked in awe at buildings so fabulous we were lost for words. The school looked okay, it was on a generous plot, and the buildings seemed modern and well kept. I knew I would have no trouble getting back here for my 11:30am appointment in the morning.
We headed back towards the hotel and walked past it. Edward dragged me, wanting to see Hyde Park and the Serpentine, Hyde Park's famous lake. It was huge, and we would never be able to walk around it. We compromised and agreed that I could see the memorial fountain to Princess Diana, and Edward could walk around the Serpentine.
The park was not overly busy, I assumed because it was a weekday and most people were at work, but there were other people milling about, and no one batted an eye at us as we walked hand in hand, sometimes arms around each other. Here, we were invisible, no one cared, as long as we were not doing anything wrong.
Back at the hotel, we readied ourselves for our first foray to a British pub. After a lot of research on Edward's part, we had chosen to go and eat at O'Neill's, a pub not too far away on Earl's Court Road. They served traditional food and had live music. We were both looking for forward to that.
"So, love, what are you going to have to eat?" he asked grinning at me.
"Don't rush me, Edward; I need to make sure I know what I'm ordering. Any idea what 'bangers and mash' is? Oh, wait a minute, it says here it's sausages with mashed potatoes. 'Toad in the hole' is sausages in Yorkshire puddings, how bazaar that they have weird names for these dishes, instead of just saying what they are like we would back home."
I finally decided and Edward ordered.
We talked quietly at our little corner table. We held hands, and when we didn't talk, one or the other stroked the backs of our palms. We were so comfortable together. No awkward silences, no desperate conversation about the weather.
Our waiter, Andrew, a young man in his early twenties, stopped to chat when he came to collect our plates. He, too, was a student studying law in London. He was in his third year and would be twenty-one soon. He gave us loads of tips on where to go and what to see, and we promised to meet up again when we were back for good. He told us the band playing was local, and they were not half bad. They played at this venue quite often, and Andrew said it always went down well.
He was right, they were good. Called The Pictures, they were a cross between The Kings of Leon and The Killers. We both thoroughly enjoyed every minute, but it was getting late. We had only slept on the plane last night, and tomorrow I needed to be my best for my interview. We said goodnight and returned to the hotel.
"Do you want a shower first or shall we share?" I asked him as he nuzzled amorously into the back of my neck.
"Do you really think I'll let you shower alone tonight?" he said seductively and attacked my neck with open-mouthed kisses.
"Come on then, I'm whacked and need to sleep."
I dragged him into the small en suite, undressing him as we went. We were both laughing and giggling, as we struggled to get fully naked. The shower is hot and decently powerful, nowhere near like the one in our room back home, but it was good for a hotel.
He washed me, taking his time to soap me all over, running his hands all over my now-slick body. His fingers were like ice, and I shivered as soon as he touched me, not because I was cold, but in sheer anticipation of what I knew would be coming. He worked my body his way, moving down me slowly, kissing and nipping as he went. It was painful bliss, and I loved every excruciating second of it. By the time we were joined, though, I was a quivering mess and came almost instantly. He wasn't far behind me; I guess our day had really tired him out as much as me.
"Sorry, love, I know that wasn't up to my usual," he apologised.
"Should I be looking for a younger stud to take your place then, love?" I teased, and he scowled at me adorably, so I pecked a kiss on his lips. "You know I'm just kidding, baby. We both came, and it was amazing, so I don't see any problem here." I slapped his arse, "Come on, lover boy, we're both knackered. Let's go to bed, or we'll never get up in the morning."
When our early morning call woke us at nine, I felt hung over. I wasn't of course, but what with the sightseeing, the late night at the pub, and the shower sex, all on top of jet lag, I felt like I'd had a few too many. I groaned as I rolled over. He was looking at me with a small grin on his face.
"Good morning, beautiful, I love you! Did I tell you that last night? Thank you."
"What are you thanking me for?"
"For loving me, being with me, letting me make incredible love to you whenever I want to, all of it, really."
"You're silly, good job I love you so much, too, isn't it. Come on, let's get up and get ready. I need to eat before I go."
"You do know you're going to knock 'em dead, don't you, love?"
"If I don't brush my teeth soon, then yeah."
Freshly brewed tea and a currant teacake later, I felt like my normal self…well, as normal as one could be when they had an interview for a job they desperately needed in a foreign country.
He walked me to the school and told me he'd explore some more and be back to meet me when I was done. With an all-too-sexy kiss good luck and a huge hug, he sent me on my way.
My interview consisted of me teaching a thirty-minute literature lesson. I had prepared my lesson and hoped it would be stimulating and challenging. The class was year nine, so the kids were around fourteen or so. When I first went in, they all look bored, and I wondered if I had been given a class with problems to see how I handled it. The Headmaster, Mr. Atkinson, did not stay. However, the Head of English did and sat at the back making notes.
After a brief introduction, I jumped in head on. My love of the subject helped, and I was pleasantly surprised that I had a good response to my questions, and the class seemed to be all on task. My direction was clear and concise, and I wandered around the room, helping and answering questions as I went. Five minutes before I was to end the lesson, I did a quick recap, checking to see what the class had learned and what they would take from my short visit.
One rather large, scruffy-looking boy raised his hand and said, "Well, I've learned that not all people interested in literature are old, and if there are more that look like you, Miss, then I'm interested in learning more."
I chucked with the rest of the class chuckled at his humour. I thanked him for what I thought was a backhanded compliment. They actually clapped as a left, and I feel quite choked up.
Next, I was being interviewed by the school student council, six pupils asking me a series of questions about anything. I introduced myself and asked them their names and what year they were in. I noticed one girl wrote "she's interested in us as pupils" and put a big tick next to it. Their questions ranged from my background to what I believed made a good teacher, why I loved literature, and so on. My time with them was all too short, as I could have spent hours talking to them.
An hour formal interview followed, with the Headmaster, Deputy, Head of English, and two school Governors present. I felt like I was on trial. They told me to relax, but it was impossible.
I think I answered all their questions well. I gave clear examples and handed over my folder, which showed clear lesson plans and lesson observations done at Forks High by George Bartley. They asked why I was coming to England, and I told them honestly that my boyfriend was about to start at university here, and we didn't want to be apart. They simply nodded and seemed to understand.
I told them when I was returning to the states, and they assured me I would have heard before then. Showing me out, the Head of English fed back my lesson. She had graded me good. She thought I was well-organised and had planned well, to say that I did not know the school or the children. She thought my main strength was my interaction with the children. She told me that Jeremy Brown didn't take any notice of anything, ever, so to have even gotten his attention was a big plus. I thought we would work well together. The school and the pupils as well as the staff I'd met gave me a good vibe. I would keep my fingers crossed.
Edward was sat across the road on a bench, looking rather anxious. "Are you okay, baby?"
"Yeah, I'm great now you're here. You've been so long I was worried."
"Poor baby, shall I kiss it all better?"
"You'd better, in case I have a relapse."
"Tough, you'll have to wait till we're away from here. I'm not going to be seen snogging my boyfriend in public outside the place I want a job. Come on, Casanova."
Back at the hotel, I changed into something less formal. I told Edward all about my day so far. He listened with interest, after I'd kissed him to within an inch of his life.
"Where do you fancy for lunch then?"
"Not bothered, a quick sandwich will do me, if we are eating out tonight again."
We settled for a pizza to share from a local deli. It was good, and we sat and ate it on the little tables they had placed outside.
"I have plans for us at three o'clock, love," I told him.
"What sort of plans? Do I need to be worried?"
"No, silly, good plans, you wait and see."
I left him outside the letting agents' office when I went to pick up the key. They were satisfied I was who I said I was when I produced my passport. I had already paid them a bond of £1000 and the first months' full rent of £1500, so I guess I had a little sway, and the flat was now empty.
Still not knowing what we were doing, he followed me silently. When I unlocked the door of what was to be our new home, he picked me up and carried me in.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm guessing you're showing me our new home, so I'm carrying you over the threshold."
"You're only supposed to do that when we get married."
"Well, we are in everything but on paper, right?"
"I guess, but still you don't do that."
"Do you want us to already be married when we come back here for good?"
"Not particularly, why?"
"I want to marry you, Bella, you already know that. If you want to get married before we leave Forks, that's okay with me, whatever you want."
"Oh, Edward, the romance is killing me." He looked at me like he was undecided whether or not I was teasing him. I walked over and kissed him gently on the lips. "I don't need a piece of paper and a ring to know this is real, Edward. Later, when we're both ready, then we can get married if you still want to. I love you regardless."
We walked hand in hand, from room to room, and we both loved it. I could see us here already. An hour later, we headed back to the hotel, happy and in love.
The next day was more interviews for me. Two in fact, again, both local high schools, one in Fulham and one in Greenwich. Both held similar interviews to The Phoenix, but I didn't get the same feeling of being able to fit in. In Fulham, the pupils were standoffish and rather condescending, while in Greenwich, the area was poor, with high levels of deprivation. They were relying on improvement grants relating to the 2012 Olympics, and standards here were low, with high crime and even higher truancy levels. So early in my career, did I really need the additional pressure of knowing some of my children did not get looked after properly or were abused daily? I was sure it went on all over, but at the Greenwich school, the evidence was clear. The school was in poor condition, the pupils wore no uniforms, and everyone seemed lethargic and disinterested.
Knowing my luck, this would be the post I was offered. Edward was shocked when I told him how bad things were and how I had seen houses boarded up and people still living in them, the local street full of dodgy people standing around on street corners. I would have hated to walk through those streets to get to the school.
"Well, that's that then, love, because you aren't working somewhere like that. I wouldn't be able to concentrate on my studies for worrying about you. I need you to be safe when we're not together, Bella, or else I'll go mental trying to keep up with you."
I nodded, knowing he was right. Somewhere down the line, when I was more experienced and with less considerations, I would love to take up the challenge of Greenwich and help turn it all around. Now, though, was not my time. I did not have enough experience in life or teaching yet.
My final interview was probably going to be the most challenging, and I already felt challenged. Holland Park School was classed as Outstanding at their last Ofsted (office for standards in education) assessment. English was their leading subject, and I was going to have to think long and hard about what I could add to an already exemplary team. They didn't want to see me teach, they wanted me to take part in an assembly and also give an unseen presentation with only one hours' notice of the subject and preparation time.
Assembly was a doddle. I interacted well with pupils as well as staff. They then left me alone for the hour to prepare my presentation. I had a laptop to use and/or a flipchart. I decided that using ICT skills showed I was good at that, too. The presentation, however, was another thing. It could last no more than fifteen minutes and was on how I thought the changes to the British government would effect education. Fortunately for me, this was something I had dropped upon when I was reading up before we came. It seemed to me like most schools were concerned about their budgets being cut and how they were going to be funded going forward. I decided to concentrate on this angle. I could only hope Holland Park was the same as all the other schools I'd read about.
When the head of the panel came for me, I was ready well as I ever would be.
It actually went quite well. I think I had chosen the right subject. The Headmaster seemed pleased with my knowledge, and a healthy discussion followed. The interview was very challenging, and they kept going back to the fact that I did not have much experience. I almost asked why they bothered interviewing me. I stressed over and over my potential, my first-class Literature degree, and my early success at Forks high. I had supplied them with the hard data that proved I had made a difference in my short time there.
When I left, I was drained. Edward drew me into his arms and held me tight. "They're mad if they can't see what you have to offer, Bella."
"I've said it before, love; you're a little bit biased, but thank you anyway."
"I can't believe we go back home tomorrow. It's passed so quickly, but I think we're going to love it here. Shall we do some sights now and this evening? If you keep your phone on, you can take any calls, okay?"
We bought tickets for the open-topped red bus, which took us around the centre of London. We queued for what seemed like hours to go on the Eye, and then had a short Thames cruise. We had our photos taken at the gates of Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. The Tower of London scared me a bit. The stories were horrific, and I snuggled into Edward's side.
It was well after four o'clock when my phone rang, with Greenwich telling me I had been unsuccessful. At least it saved me having to decline their offer. We were back at the hotel when I received a call from the Head of Phoenix, offering me the position. The starting salary was lower than I thought, but it was a permanent job, and I had a really good vibe. I accepted immediately and agreed to call in tomorrow before we flew home to fill in the necessary paperwork.
Edward picked me up and swung me round and round. "This calls for a celebration tonight, Miss Swan. What do you want to do? My treat."
"Everything is your treat, Edward. The pay is lower than I thought, so I can't even cover the rent each month on my own."
"So I'll help, I do have a trust fund to spend, you know, Bella. Yes, I know you hate that you feel you don't contribute, but let's wait and see what your salary will be each month before arguing over it. Okay?"
"I don't have much choice now do I? I've spent all my savings on securing us the flat and your birthday. I only have about five thousand dollars left now, so I'm at your mercy, Mr. Cullen."
"I love the sound of that, baby. I'm sure I'll be able to think of ways you can pay me back."
While I was alone in the shower, he organised our evening. He looked smug when I walked back into the room, wrapped in just a towel. I was hoping I could persuade him to stay here and celebrate, order room service and get naked. He usually didn't take much persuading. This time, however, he was not interested, or so he said. When I dropped my towel in front of him, I noticed him swallow and avert his eyes and turn away slightly, but not before I saw his erection, hard and prominent in his jeans.
Spurred on now by his obvious interest, I walked around him and stepped a little closer, making sure he got an eyeful.
"Go away, Bella, I need to get ready," he said closing his eyes tightly and making fists with his hands at his side.
"Oh, Edward, don't you want me? Don't you want to lick my clean naked body and make mad passionate love to me all night?"
"No, Bella, we don't have time. Stop teasing. Please."
Even closer now, I could feel his heart beating quicker than it should have been. I could see and hear his increased breathing. I slowly lifted his chin and told him to open his eyes.
"Edward, I want you so badly right now. I don't think I can wait till we come back later." Then I gently licked his lips with my tongue. It was all I needed to say and do. He pushed me back toward the bed and was undressing himself as we moved.
"This is not going to be making love with you, Bella. I'm going to fuck you hard and fast and make you scream my name when you come. Do you understand me, is that what you want?"
"Yes, please!"
And that was exactly what he did, in grand style I might add. We both collapsed in a heap, a tangle of arms and legs, spent, sated and now in need of another shower.
Ever the romantic and wanting to celebrate my success in finding a job, he had booked us theatre tickets. The Woman in Black was a haunting ghost story, and I loved it. The theatre was only small, but somehow that made the performance even more intense, and I loved every minute. Afterwards, we had a romantic dinner at a lovely Italian restaurant called Ciao Bella. Edward thought it very appropriate. The food was good and the company even better.
Our flight left at seven o'clock tomorrow night. We would leave with mixed feelings. I sort of wished we were here for good already, and then on the other hand, there were so many goodbyes to be said back home. Edward had received a few text messages while we had been here, all from family I'd presumed, just enquiring about our well-being. Or so I thought...
Aren't I bad, leaving it on a cliffy...
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