Without A Smile – Chapter 29
"Would you like to come up?" Bella asked Edward nervously when the car pulled up in front of her apartment.
"I would very much like to see you safely to your door if that's all right with you." Edward smiled, and even though it killed him, he added, "but I won't be coming in."
"Oh, okay." Bella was trying to figure out what she was feeling. Disappointed? Relieved? A bit of both she decided.
Edward was, of course, a gentleman when he walked Bella to her door.
"I had a wonderful time tonight Bella. Thank you for changing your mind and coming with me."
Bella blushed.
"Yeah, well, thanks for coming over and convincing me. I'm sorry I was such a mess earlier."
Bella turned away, fitting her key into the lock so she wouldn't have to make eye contact for a couple minutes. It had been so long – years – since she had been on a date that she wasn't sure what to do with all the emotions tumbling through her.
"Bella?"
Turning around Bella looked into Edward's eyes. "Yes?"
Edward leaned in, and Bella held her breath. Gently he kissed her on the cheek.
"No apologies necessary. I'll see you at work tomorrow?"
"Yes, sir."
Edward grinned and winked, making Bella feel a little more at ease even though her cheek was burning where he had kissed her.
"And that dress really is amazing. Now go inside and lock the door so I'm not tempted to stop acting like a gentleman."
Bella squeaked and quickly scooted through the door locking it behind her.
"Sweet dreams Bella." She heard quietly from the hallway as Edward walked away. Bella leaned against the door and sighed. Then she giggled at herself. She didn't think she had ever felt so giddy over someone, not even when she had teenage crushes.
When Edward reached his car, he pulled out his phone and sent off a quick text message to the VP of Cullen, Inc.
I would like to meet as early as possible tomorrow morning to discuss an important matter. Let me know when you are available. - E
The next morning Edward was sitting behind his desk watching the door. Except he wasn't waiting for Miss Swan, (which is how he spent most of his mornings) he was waiting for Alastair.
The older man had been with the company for years. He had been Carlisle's right-hand-man and was instrumental in helping Edward when he took over the company. Many other men might have felt slighted by the fact that they weren't given the role of CEO after so many years as VP, but Alastair was quite happy in his supporting role – and Edward had never made him feel anything less than validated for his faith in him.
Alastair couldn't help but wonder what was going on with his friend and boss when he received the text the night before. Last minute meetings didn't happen that often; he and Edward ran a tight ship. Plus, he knew Edward had been out at a charity function earlier in the evening, and he couldn't imagine what would have come up so suddenly that warranted a late-night text.
Increasingly curious, Alastair walked into Edward's office a couple minutes after Edward did.
"Good morning Edward, what's up?" No point in bothering with a preamble.
"Shut the door please Alastair." When that was done, Edward stood up and started pacing.
"Is Carmen still planning on retiring next year?" Edward asked. This was not a question Alastair expected.
"Yes, she is. I believe she was going to announce it right after Christmas."
"Alastair," Edward looked at his friend and mentor. "If it is all right with you I would like to have Miss Swan switched to your department. I would like to ask Carmen if she would retire early – with pay of course – and have Miss Swan come work for you."
"Really?" This was certainly news to Alastair. "I thought you loved Miss Swan – you said she was the best assistant you ever had."
Edward sat down and looked Alastair in the eyes. "You are right on both accounts. She is the best assistant I have ever had. And I love Miss Swan." Edward held Alastair's gaze long enough so the man could understand his meaning. At that moment, Bella came into the office. She noticed the chai latte on her desk and looked up. The door was closed but she smiled at Edward through the uncovered window.
Alastair noticed the smile on Edward's face during the exchange and laughed.
"I see. And how does Miss Swan feel about you?"
"Bella and I are getting closer, but I feel as though this is the last area I need to address. We don't have a no-dating policy here, but Bella isn't the kind of girl who would feel comfortable dating her boss. She works very hard to achieve her goals and she doesn't like people gossiping about her."
"Okay Edward, why don't you come up and talk to Carmen later today and see what she has to say. She wants to travel with her husband so early retirement, with the right incentive, won't be a problem." Alastair winked at Edward. "You and Carmen have nothing but good things to say about your assistant so that's enough of an endorsement for me."
"Obviously, Bella doesn't know anything about this yet," Edward said as he rose to walk Alastair out the door.
Alastair couldn't help but smile at Bella as he left the office. She was, indeed, very pretty he thought to himself. It was about time Edward noticed someone.
"Good morning Bella," Edward said after Alastair had left. "Did you sleep okay last night?"
"I did, thank you." Bella lied, thinking about how keyed-up she had been after he had kissed her cheek. It took her heart quite a while to settle after he had gone. "And you?" She asked.
"Just fine." Edward lied. He had been plagued by dreams of Bella in his arms, in that dress, out on the dance floor. He would doze off and then wake up thinking about the way she smelled and the way she felt.
The transfer to Alastair's department couldn't come soon enough.
"Could you make a lunch reservation for us today Bella? Around twelve. Anything you want."
Bella hesitated, wondering why they were going for lunch again this week. Usually, they only went on Mondays.
"Is this a business lunch?"
Edward looked at Bella in surprise. "Does it matter?" He asked not unkindly.
"It's just that I already have lunch plans today." When she saw Edward's face pale, she quickly added, "with Rosalie. It's Thursday."
"Oh, of course, How about dinner after work?"
"We have rehearsal tonight."
"Right." Edward usually went straight to rehearsal from work. In fact, Bella had gotten into the habit of bringing him some dinner from home on those nights since she noticed he would go without.
"Edward is up to something," Bella said to Rosalie as they sat in a cafe.
"What kind of something?"
"I don't know. He seemed awfully cagey this morning. He wanted to go for lunch and then when I said I couldn't, he wanted to go for dinner."
"That is definitely suspicious." Rosalie rolled her eyes. They were having lunch so they could dissect the date from the night before. Bella even mentioned the kiss on the cheek at the door and Edward's comment about being a gentleman. Edward wasn't being cagey in Rosalie's mind. Edward was being impatient. She couldn't blame him either. Everyone could tell he had been mooning around Bella for months. She and Emmett talked about it every day. Even Emmett, who announced that he wasn't ready to date yet, quickly changed his mind when his mom took Elsa for the night and Rosalie showed up with a six-pack of beer and wearing very little clothes. It turned out he was more than willing, and able, to date. In fact, they dated all over his house that night, and had been inseparable ever since.
"What would you have done if he had come in last night?" Rosalie asked. She wasn't going to rehash why Edward wanted a meal with Bella.
"I'm not sure. I mean, he looked so good. He smelled so good, and that plaid, bow-tie was really rather dreamy." Bella sighed.
Rosalie snorted into her drink. "Bella Swan, you have never called anyone or anything dreamy in your life. Please, for the sake of all of us, especially Edward, give the man a chance. He is nuts about you. Go out for a meal with him! Take him home and make a meal out of him! Just do something. The suspense is killing all of us."
"Killing who? Are you guys talking about us?"
"Are you kidding? Tanya texts me every day and asks for updates. I already know every move you two made last night because I received a running text-based commentary from Tanya. And Alice. I'm sure Esme was in on it too.
Later, when rehearsal was done and Alice left for home saying she had a headache, which Bella did not believe for a moment (she had been dancing and singing not half an hour before) Edward and Bella headed to the diner.
"What do you feel like tonight, pie or fries?" Doris asked as the two sat down.
"Definitely pie for me, how about you Edward?"
Edward was already nervously spinning the serviette holder around. "Just some tea for me tonight Doris. Thanks."
"Okay. What's up?" Bella asked when Doris walked away. "You've been acting weird all day."
Edward looked Bella in the eyes and took a deep breath. "I would like you to switch departments and work for Alastair. Carmen is retiring soon, and I would like you to be her replacement."
Bella sat stone still for what seemed to Edward, forever. She would open her mouth to speak but quickly close it again.
Finally, "I don't understand. I thought we worked really well together. I thought..." Bella refused to start crying even though there was a burning sensation creeping up behind her eyelids. "I thought we made a really good team."
"We do!" Edward shouted. "We do," he said quieter this time. "We make the best team. But Bella, I don't want to be your boss. I want to be your everything. If you won't date your boss, then I don't want to be your boss anymore as much as it kills me not to see you all day, every day. I'm willing to trade that in for nights and weekends and anything else you are willing to give me."
At some point, Edward reached across the table and grabbed Bella's hands.
"If you were to be really honest with yourself Bella, I think you would admit that you feel this way too."
Bella did. She really did feel this way for Edward but she still had a hard time believing he could feel this way about her.
"But, you still don't really know me. What if we start dating and you don't like what you find?"
"Are you kidding? You think I don't know you? You think I don't notice how your computer password is based on Les Miserables because you not-so-quietly sing Two Four Six Oh Ooooooone every time you login. I know that you eat peanut butter and banana sandwiches every day for lunch and that you wipe up the area around your desk with a wet wipe because you are worried someone with a peanut allergy might come into the office. I know that the days when you don't have a sandwich for lunch, there is a good chance you gave it away to some homeless person on the way to work that morning. I know that you probably subsidize at least half of Liam's treatments because a lot of them are not covered by insurance. I know your favourite colour is red, you love plaid, you collect hats and rescue homemade blankets and give them new homes. I know that you've told me you don't think you would ever be a good mom but you take the time to hug every single one of those theatre kids after every rehearsal, and they look at you like you are the best part of their day." Edward paused to take a much needed breath and to let Bella wipe the tears from her face.
"And Bella, I can understand how those kids feel because you are the best part of my day. Every day. I've always enjoyed working,but I have never had so much fun since you have come into my life and I don't want to be your boss anymore."
Bella got up from her seat and moved around the table, sitting down beside Edward on the vinyl bench.
"I'm scared."
"I know."
"What if it doesn't work between us?"
"It already does Bella. We already spend most of our time together. We text, we talk, we work together during the day and see each other at rehearsal in the evening. Has there ever been a time when you wished I wasn't around?"
"No," Bella said quietly. "In fact, just the opposite."
"You see. We are already halfway there." Edward took his finger and lifted Bella's chin as he spoke. "All that is missing is the good stuff."
"The good stuff?"
Edward grinned, and then he leaned forward and kissed her. It took Bella no time at all to start kissing him back.
Doris smiled and put down the pie as she sat back on her stool behind the counter.
The pie could wait.
She pulled out her phone and texted Alice.
They're kissing. You owe me $20.
Across town, Jasper was awoken by his wife squealing and jumping on the bed.
A/N: Woo hoo! It only took them 29 chapters to finally kiss. I hope it was worth the wait. ;) As always these characters are owned by Stephenie Meyer, I'm just the stage manager for this version. Words and ideas are mine.
Thank you all for reading and commenting and enjoying this little story. And for supporting me through this very scary time. SunflowerFran and Darcysmom helped clean it up after I wrote this chapter in one night when I couldn't sleep. (Which can be blamed more on an abundance of Thai food and not the cancer.)
I hope you all have a wonderful day.
