Hi! Did you miss me? I missed you! The self-imposed hiatus did not work whatsoever so I'm going to be sending the earlier updates to Project Team Beta while I update in real time.
Sorry about that and you should thank lil hummingbird, Sam and BethanyKn0x for making me see the light! Thank you to everyone who added me on Twitter, you guys seriously rock! (If you added me on Twitter than you've probably already read part of this chapter.)
Thank you to lola92 and livelovelaugh91 for literally reviewing every single chapter (are you all early 90s kids like me?)
BelieverALEX and melissamary55 for sticking with me since the very beginning- THANK YOU!
Thank you silvaren for your sweet words, you have no idea how much I appreciate them! Same goes for everyone of you, if I missed you sorry! But you're included too :)
Btw, I've never really given you a visual on my Bella's body so if you want to see it go to my blog where I've posted a photo of who I believe shares her silhouette.
I've already told you this but HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIL HUMMINGBIRD! (her birthday as yesterday.)
I'm ashamed to admit that I've had most of the drinks mentioned in the title song... nah not ashamed at all. Okay maybe a little.
LMFAO ft. Lil Jon- Shots
2004.
My alarm went off letting Ciara tell me about her 'goodies'. I hit the Snooze button not bothering to unpeel my face from my soft pillow. I heard Kate's footsteps outside of my door as she made her way into the main part of the apartment.
She knocked lightly. I groaned again knowing she heard my alarm go off and expected me to be up. "Come in."
She popped her head in, "hey, you up?"
"I hate Alec." I groaned as answer. Thinking about last night's busy lunch and dinner service and hating the fact that our new menu was attracting so many people. I was happy for the restaurant but not at that moment.
My hands hurt from slicing, dicing, mincing, cleaning, stirring, flipping, whisking and my leg muscles ached from running, squatting, bending, extending, lifting and all around straining.
"And I Riley, but you see me up and moving."
"Go away."
"Get up, B!" She laughed leaning on the doorjamb, "we need to go to the grocery store to stock up for the Cullens, 'member? Fucking Jessica ate half the pantry in less than a week." She growled.
I ignored her quip about our annoying, roommate and focused on "the Cullens" part. I rushed out of my bed to get clean clothes. I'd completely forgotten that Edward and his family were stopping on their way to New York City to check out my new place. The last few weeks had been spent on settling in and making the rooms livable.
In between researching CIA and possible classes, Kate and I had been accepted at Bistro Alexandria. I'd gone in expecting to interview for the dishwasher position but I mentioned I had a sturdy baking menu and he'd asked me to make a few things. "Show me what you've got," he'd told me when he led me into the bustling kitchen.
The first thing I noticed is that they all wore the same long-sleeved double-breasted chef's jacket in khaki with a green neckerchief while Alec wore his in black with a red neckerchief. I guessed it was to show off his status as head chef.
The student-comprised staff gave me a side-glance and went on prepping for that day's dinner service. Apparently they'd been behind and were scrambling to catch up, it made me doubt Alec's abilities as head chef. The bistro focused in redefining American cuisine—whatever that meant, and once my eyes laid on a crate of fresh blueberries I knew I could make something out of that.
I asked one of the assistant bakers who had been applying eggwash onto perfectly cut turnovers ready to be put away until dinnertime. She dismissed me by telling me to use whatever I wanted as long as I didn't worry her. I thanked her not bothering to let that get to me and scourged for what I needed.
Remembering that Jasper loved my strawberry tartlets, and having puff pastry at arm's length I quickly made three. One for show, one for taste and one as insurance in case something happened to the other two.
Alec asked me simple questions, like where I learned to make tartlets, who'd taught me to bake, how did I know I wanted to be a pastry chef? Usual interview questions with a baker's twist to them. I'd answered being honest but remembering that even though we'd moved on the kitchen, I was still vying for a spot in the very place.
The tartlets came out well and Alec asked Riley to try the third for a second opinion. Riley raved about the pastries and commented Alec needed to hire me. I let a relieved sigh go but I didn't want to get my hopes up.
Riley seemed to be the general manager of Bistro Alexandria and as far as I knew I would answer to Alec but I didn't see Riley in the same respect. His demeanor was friendlier and less detached from the rest of the crew.
"Where are you from Bella?" He asked me when we left the kitchen, Alec stayed behind to dispatch orders. There was a little inter-room between the dining room and the kitchen to keep the noise of the kitchen as far away from it as possible.
"Washington." I answered as he led me back into the office. "You?"
"Upstate."
"You're close to home then." I smiled feeling a little jealous; he chuckled but didn't give me a real answer.
He excused himself and I sat in Alec's tiny, off-white office that only consisted of a two filing cabinets that looked like they belonged in the forties, an old desk whose top you could barely make out because of the random loose leaf paperwork that was scattered all around it and a single chair haphazardly placed in front.
The phone that stood at the edge of the desk that was also covered in paperwork, began to ring. I looked at the door wanting Alec to come back so he could answer it. Sitting down and letting it ring off the hook, I thought about calling Edward and telling him about the crazy afternoon I was having.
Okay so it wasn't crazy. More like random.
I'd only ever been on two work-related interviews in my life: one for the Smart & Final in Port Angeles that I didn't get and the other for Newton's Outfitters that I did. They'd been by-the-book interviews where I'd sat across either Linda—a bucktooth, beady-eyed supervisor and a-once handsome Mr. Newton answering questions about myself and why I wanted to work in their fine establishments.
I guess I shouldn't be so surprised. This was 'the real world' and college, this isn't even out of the ordinary! I chastised myself.
That's when I had one of those weird 'I'm-actually-here' moments. I'd said goodbye to everyone that mattered to me in Forks in a half-assed way because I knew I would see them again.
Take Charlie who would come with me for a week and the Cullens who would visit in a month.
I didn't have many close friends at school and I'd already said 'have fun in college, take care!' goodbyes during graduation and thereafter so the usual pang of sadness and nostalgia hadn't hit me like Victoria's or Jane's. They'd both had nervous breakdowns after realizing they were really leaving home even though they were only going to UDub and would only be a few hours' drive away.
I looked around me feeling odd and out-of-place, as soon as Charlie goes home and then the Cullens next month I'm going to be by myself for the greater part of four years. Holy crap.
"Sorry about that Bella." Alec entered the room looking distracted and shaking his head. "It's Marcus' day off and I've been dealing with the restaurant's produce distributors." He sat down on his office chair, the only office furniture not looking over ten years old.
"It's okay Mr. Knox I don't mind." I told him easily and sitting up straight. He shuffled some paperwork in front of him, making me wonder if my resume was somewhere in that mass of sheets.
"I still need to interview four other people today but I don't have the time and quite frankly I think you're not right for the position of plongeur." I tried to save myself from the disappointment and heartbreak and mask it with unaffected neutrality before he went on, "we need a kitchen's assistant and I think you could do it."
I blinked twice, my mind tried to catch up to his words.
"If you work at it," he steepled his long fingers a la Mr. Burns, "you can move up the chain. Your tartlets were delicious and I hope to add them to my menu one day. Alistair is the pâtissier and therefore his opinion would be weighed too but we have plenty of time to show him your skills."
"I-I'm sorry," I blinked rapidly, my mood going from deep blue to bright yellow with flares of red. "Are you asking me to stay?"
He gave me a look, "that's exactly what I'm saying Bella. Do you accept?"
"Yes!" I stood up starling him, my hand shot out for him to take, "thank you so much sir, I mean it. Wow." He took my hand as he stood up and I shook it firmly. He smirked shaking it with me before we let go. "You won't regret this."
"I'm sure I won't." He laughed and went on to explain to me my responsibilities in the kitchen, my schedule and my wages. "Because it's an externship you have to notify Admissions and Records so you can receive credit towards your prerequisites. You'll be paid but as you probably already know it's not something to brag about. Especially since it's to help you with your classes and gain experience in a real kitchen and not necessarily a 'real' job; even though we expect nothing but the utmost respect and work as a five-star establishment."
"Right." I nodded feeling nothing but elation. Edward, Esme and Charlie are going to be psyched! I thought as I continued to listen to Alec.
"Come back in two days to fill out your paperwork, meanwhile study up on the brigade de cuisine. We follow CIA's curriculum and we're expected to follow the French titles, duties and expectations."
"Okay." I nodded and felt nothing but excitement to get home and ask Kate to take me to the library and get started on my homework.
"I'll walk you to the floor," he allowed me to walk out, I noticed my gait had turned more of a confident strut. We walked a few feet stopping at the mouth of the hallway into the dining room where there was only one couple visible from where I stood.
Alec looked at them, his mind obviously thinking. "We need to spice up the menu- most of the students went home for the summer but there are a few that stayed back."
"You want to rework the menu?"
"Yes. We usually do anyway." He folded his arms over his chest, "we add a few seasonal items but I don't know. I want to do an overhaul. Paul Mercer is the head chef at Patriot Adam's, our direct competition among the CIA restaurants. Their cuisine is New England-based whereas ours is general- we don't have a regional palate. Know what I mean?" He looked at me not as a commentator but as my boss.
I nodded knowing exactly what he meant and felt the weight of his dark brown stare.
"Where's Riley?" He asked himself, looking around when he looked away from me. I turned to the now-empty hostess podium and didn't offer an opinion thinking Gianna had something to do with it.
"You called?" Riley asked as he opened his door looking annoyed.
"What's up with you?"
"Gianna's gone. I warned her one too many times and she didn't listen." He walked up to us, looking at Alec as a challenge. Alec didn't answer right away and shrugged. There was an undercurrent in the simple exchange that I obviously wasn't part of hence keeping my mouth shut.
"Okay Bella," Alec extended his hand to me one last time, "see you."
"Thanks again, Chef." I said feeling my heart flutter at the sound of that word come out of my lips. It would the first of millions I would say.
"So?" Riley asked me as soon as Alec closed his office door behind me. I gave him a small, proud smile.
"I didn't get the job of dishwasher but I did get the job of kitchen assistant."
Riley gave out a bark of a laugh and clapped his hands once. "Great!" I grinned in thanks, "stay for dinner to celebrate."
"As tempting as that sounds, I can't." I shook my head thinking of Charlie and Kate and a phone call to Edward. "My dad is expecting me."
"Oh." Riley gave me a tight-lipped smile, "another time then."
I laughed, "after getting the job? You bet." I said goodbye to him and thanked him for his hospitality, "that's my major isn't it?" He'd answered me when I told him.
I'd told Kate about Riley's and Alec's attention and she commented how she believed Alec was a good guy but quiet and authoritative but her comments towards Riley irked me.
"I think he has a crush on you."
"He does not."
"Yeah he does, he asked you to stay for dinner."
"Don't be ridiculous, he was just being friendly."
"Don't blind yourself Bella."
Her words reminded me of Edward's comments when we'd talked over our lover's tiff in Los Angeles annoying me even further.
I called Edward when Kate drove me home and noticed Charlie was still out. Edward was beyond ecstatic telling me how proud he was of me and how he knew it all along. I grinned from ear to ear at his praise, getting used to taking it without rebuff.
Charlie's reaction was similar to Edward's and he took Kate and I out to dinner— Patriot Adam's no less even though I felt like a traitor for eating at a rivaling eatery. Charlie heard great things about the place during his tour of FDR's house and wanted to try it out.
Knowing he would only be with me for a few days I didn't put up much of an argument. I hated to admit it but their Maine lobster salad was pretty good, Kate enjoyed her Chicken Cordon Blue and Charlie couldn't get over their baked Atlantic salmon and their choice of premium lager on tap.
Smiling at the memory of Charlie actually letting loose and drinking two large beers made me smile. Glossing over our tearful goodbye I scrambled for clothes. I remembered a promise I made to a certain pixie and looked for the article of clothing.
Another A-line dress in pink, it had a scoop neckline with capped sleeves and gold side zippers under the arm openings. The skirt hit my knees, flaring out and 'showing off' my figure. I'd promised Alice I would wear it for her visit and I planned to follow through even though it was a little out of my comfort zone.
I only wore dresses when I had to, like my interview at BA.
"You're wearing that today?" Kate asked over my shoulder.
"Yeah," I exhaled darkly, staring at it like it wronged me in some way. Kate chuckled behind me coming to touch it, "it's sexy."
"Think so?" I asked looking at it and not really seeing it.
"Not when it's hanging on a hanger. But you can tell its body-hugging and with your figure? Hell yeah it's bound to be sexy." She patted my shoulder and allowed me to get ready in private. I glanced at my now-closed door mulling over her words.
Everyone told me I had a 'great' figure, rack and ass. I looked at myself in the mirror and I just saw 'chubby' but hearing Kate say it made it different. It was almost as if I'd never believed my friends and family because they were my friends and family and they were just saying it to make me feel better.
But Kate, although I considered her a friend now, was an 'outsider,' someone who had no real desire to hide the 'truth' from me and spare my feelings.
I looked my full-length mirror that I'd nailed to my closet door and stared at myself wearing my white pajamas with hot pink and dark grey pokadots. They were loose but my figure wasn't really lost. I tightened the shirt behind me and noticed the curves that apparently everyone saw.
Okay. So I'm not as fat as I thought.
I'd never really studied myself in front of the mirror. I would glance at it not really wanting to see myself but this time was different. I actually stared at myself and noticed the concave slope that created my silhouette.
Humming slightly I turned my upper body at angle and stared at my chest. Okay so they're not saggy like I thought. Kinda perky.
I turned my body in the opposite angle and noticed the same thing. I felt the confidence budding inside but didn't let it take over into full arrogance.
I turned and looked at my back and ass pulling on the shirt in front like I had behind.
The love handles I used to have, weren't as prominent as they had been before. Did they melt away? I asked myself running my open hand down my back. "What the hell?" I said out loud, "where did they go?"
"Bella hurry the fuck up!" Kate called out to me, probably getting impatient with me. The reason for her impatience and destination came back to me. Edward! I jumped in the shower hissing at the cold water knowing Kate and Jessica had used up the hot water.
I was the early bird of the house and was not used to it but then again, I would get dibs the next day.
~.~.~.
"Who are they exactly?" Jessica Stanley asked me picking at the small bowl of fruit on our breakfast bar as I moved around the kitchen. Esme called and told me the family arrived safely at Stewart International Airport in Newbough, twenty miles away. Considering traffic their cab would arrive in less than a little over half an hour. Okay don't panic.
"Family friends." I answered Jess, annoying me more than usual. She'd been living with us for a month and had heard of them plenty of times, the cynic in me doubted her honesty in not knowing who I was expecting. "You've heard me talk about them all the time. They've called asking for me more than once." I chopped some lettuce for the simple salad I would serve with the penne pasta in tomato sauce I would serve for lunch.
Under Alec and Alistair, my technique had improved exponentially. Not that I didn't know how to hold a knife before but now I held it with precision and expertise. I was nowhere near the restaurant's poissonnier, Bryce Pierce also known as The Woodpecker because of how fast he was with a blade.
"His name sounds like he belongs in a British slash Victorian novel, hidden away in a dilapidated manor house wounded over the loss of his lover as he drinks himself into his oblivion." Alice commented over the phone when I recanted the first time I'd seen chop an onion.
I'd laughed at her verbose yet oddly realistic description of Bryce Pierce. "He certainly looks like he belongs in the pages of a Brontë novel."
"Heathcliff or Edward?"
"Edward. Definitely Edward." I grinned to myself replacing Bryce with my Edward in Alice's dramatization. She laughed at my comment, "you take Rochester and I'll take Heathcliff." She acted as if she didn't know where I was getting at.
"Nah," I answered her playing along, "I prefer Cullen."
"Did I hear my name?" I heard the far away voice of the boy that made my heart flutter like a hummingbird. "Go away Edward, you already spoke to her and slung maple syrup at her."
I giggled into the receiver, blushing at Alice's outing of my previous conversation with her brother where he told me he loved me over and over again to see when I would get annoyed. I didn't.
"I prefer sugar to maple syrup, actually."
My blush deepened, biting my lip hard and wanting to kiss him that instant. It was our inside joke and I reveled in it. Alice obviously didn't get the joke, "you guys sicken me." She told me after she managed to shoo him away.
"No leeway with Jasper?" I asked for various reasons, but mainly to gauge where my little southern gentleman was at in his 'conquest.'
"He gave me a peach rose from Mom's garden out back."
"Oooh." I winced knowing of Alice's secret hatred for the flower. "Is that a dealbreaker?" I joked.
"No but I would have preferred a red rose."
"At least it wasn't yellow."
"Because it means 'get well'?"
"No because in some cultures it means 'friendship' and you don't want friendship from Mr. Whitlock do you?"
"Really? It means that?"
"I don't know." I shrugged over the phone as if Alice was there with me, "why don't you research it?"
She squealed, "I can look it over my new laptop!" I laughed rolling my eyes at her excitement. Alice had gotten the brilliant idea of getting herself a laptop so she could get an America Online! account and screenname so she could stay in touch with everyone.
"Bella," Kate entered the main room across the kitchen as I finished my thought, "what are you making for lunch?"
"Penne pasta in a light tomato sauce with side salad."
Kate laughed like a teenage boy, "you're serving penne pasta to your boyfriend's parents?"
"Shut up Kate." I groused, "they don't speak Spanish and I hope to fucking god Alice, Rose and Edward keep their mouths shut."
"This is too funny." She chuckled, shaking her head and helping me stir the sauce over the flame.
"What's so funny?" Jess asked from her seat on the wicker chairs eating a banana.
I gave Kate a look and she laughed even harder, the phallic symbols are everywhere today. "Pene with one n is Spanish for dick," I answered her as she deep-throated the fruit looking at me as if her actions didn't resemble anything else. I grinned, "and it's pronounced the same."
"Oh." She nodded as she bit off half the banana. I winced, definitely one wouldn't do something like that. Not that I knew from personal experience but the pornos and general commentary from my more experienced acquaintances had hinted as much.
The doorbell rang making me forget about all kinds of phallic symbols and sprinted for the door. I swung the door open and was greeted by the Cullens, the Hales and Jasper.
Edward stood in front of everyone, smiling broadly as his eyes met mine. I squealed loudly jumping on him and he, thankfully, caught me. "You're here!"
He laughed stepping forward and spinning me around, "I missed you."
"I missed you too!" I slid down his body awkwardly but I ignored myself focusing solely on my boyfriend who stood right in front of me. Not far, far away. I grinned wider feeling his hardening muscles underneath his light blue sweater and white t-shirt.
He bent down, putting his hand on the side of my chin and kissed me. I wrapped my arms around his neck clutching on for dear life. His woodsy, spicy scent filling my senses, his lips were soft yet forceful, sweet yet demanding.
I'd been away from Edward for longer periods of time but this time it felt different. This time I'd been the one to travel away from him instead of the other way around.
"I still find this weird." Alice commented off-handedly. We pulled away suddenly remembering we had a huge audience. I looked at his family and Rosalie's and then at my roommates. All of them except Alice and Rose stared with identical looks of shock and... pride?
"Oh shut up Alice." Edward said keeping his hands around my waist but turning his body towards his family.
"Sorry." I blushed a deep red and bit my lip. I felt Edward begin to run smoothing circles around my hip looking down at me with a small smirk; his green eyes danced and sparkled when I looked at him through my lashes.
"Edward let our Bella go so we can greet her properly and show us around." Esme chided as she made her way in with her arms extended to me.
After saying hello to everyone, Kate and I introduced them to Jessica and we ate lunch. I'd thankfully made more than enough as everyone found seats at the breakfast bar, the sofas, easy chairs and Dr. Cullen and Mr. Hale were gracious enough to sit on the floor at the foot of the sofa next to Edward and everyone else. Esme, Rose and Cathy sat at the breakfast bar, they were the only ones with traditional seats.
"I want to check the sights." Jasper announced after we finished cleaning up, "I read a bunch of brochures and I want to go to look around."
"I want to go too!" Alice piped up jumping up and down.
"We can take you around the town, there's great shopping around." Kate told her knowing how much Alice liked shopping. Ali watched for a second but then nodded, "okay!"
I looked over at Edward who'd been giving me looks ever since we pulled apart and I knew I looked at him the same way. We wanted to be alone.
My wet panties definitely wanted us to be alone.
"Mom, if it's okay with you I would rather stay with Bella so we can talk?" Edward told his mother who was asking Kate about Hyde Park.
"You want to talk?" She asked studying both our faces. I tried to keep the lust away from my face as we said yes.
"Okay, we won't be long though." She told us before everyone, meaning the women, got their handbags. Alice, Rose, Jasper, Jessica and Kate gave us bloated looks to which we just returned with neutrality. The adults told us to behave and left.
I noticed Kate lock the door from the inside as she walked out making me thank her silently.
I looked at my boyfriend who sat on the opposite side of my loveseat. He grinned patting the space next to him. I was sitting on the edge, scooting closer to him.
Edward grabbed my thigh and draped it over his own while simultaneously propping his elbow on the white sofa's edge. "Hey baby, nice to meet you." He said in a ridiculous Barry White voice, "I was hopin' you and I could get acquainted over a nice glass of orange juice."
I snickered slapping him playfully, "don't be stupid."
"Not an orange juice person?" He didn't drop the deep, stupid imitation. Instead he quirked his eyebrow and jutted his thick lower lip out, "let's go crazy then with a glass of Welch's finest grape juice."
"You are an idiot." I told him between laughs, he leaned forward, his chest touched mine.
"I bet grape juice will have you opening up those creamy legs of yours, baby doll."
"Edward!" I tried pulling away but he held on to me, pushing me into the sofa.
"Say it again, baby, say it again!" Déjà vu hit me; sudden memories of him requesting the same thing came back to me.
"Why do I feel like I'm reliving something?"
He shrugged speaking normally, "I like it when you groan my name."
"You mean moan?"
"No I mean groan."
"Groan sounds like a complaint."
"A sexy complaint." He wiggled his eyebrows and I slapped him lightly again, "I love it when you're rough." He pushed himself on me a little bit more, soon enough I could feel hardness near my inner-thigh.
"You like it rough baby?"
"You know it." He leaned forward and ran his nose down the length of my throat, making me exhale suddenly.
"Stop playing around Edward." I groaned, hoping he didn't think I was trying to be sexy. I wanted to hear the frustration in my voice instead.
"I'm not playing around," he countered as his hands traveled up my thighs. Even in jeans, his touch burned my skin in delicious ways.
"Yes you are," I grabbed his jaw and forced him to look at me. His green eyes met my brown ones. I flicked to his pouty lips and up again, swallowing in the process. He literally made my mouth water.
"Looks like you want to lick something." His sweet breath gently fanned my warm face. I couldn't help the slight shiver that ran through me at the sound of his natural, throaty voice. His bedroom voice.
"I want to lick you." I told him boldly trying to keep his gaze.
"Do it then." He encouraged me, his voice dropping ever so slightly.
"You want me to lick you?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because I want you to mark me."
His words shook me. They literally shook me. I subconsciously clenched deep inside, eyes still glued to his viridian ones. I swallowed again, feeling my heartbeat quicken and my palms begin to feel clammy.
"You want me to… mark you?"
"Yes." His eyes flicked to my lips, lingering a bit. The flick of his red tongue caught my attention as it moistened those deep pink lips.
"Okay." I said going back to his eyes and inching towards his neck. He leaned back slightly, inhaling sharply as he waited for me to make contact with his taunt skin.
Another flashback came to me, this time it was when he stole my first kiss. A blurry fourteen-year-old Edward came to mind as his eyes closed coming at me in slow motion.
I flattened my tongue at the base of his throat and slowly made my way up. He grasped my arms tightly but I didn't complain nor pull away. Instead it fueled me further.
I'd licked Edward before but that had been out of pure lust and aggression after being misled by Tanya. It felt different the second time around.
Better. Powerful. Mine.
I enjoyed the smooth skin under me, curving upwards once I reached his jaw. He hissed when I puckered my lips and added a little bit of suction to my progression. I got to his chin and pulled away because my tongue had dried out and I wanted to see his face.
He groaned in disappointment, his eyes closed and still holding on to me tightly.
I wet my tongue tasting him. It wasn't strawberries and crème but definitely Edward. I grinned at myself, proud at the fact that it took him a few seconds to open his eyes.
When he did, they were stormy and lust-lidded. I clenched again, biting my lip roughly.
"Do that-" Buzz buzz!
We looked at the front door in surprise, someone was ringing the bell. Edward looked at back at me questioningly. I shrugged answering his nonverbal question. His family was out enjoying the sights and FDR's house and had let us know they wouldn't be back 'til a few hours later.
"Maybe they're early." Edward read my mind and answered me.
"You think so?" I asked back, getting up once he got off me.
It was his turn to shrug, "maybe."
I made my way across the room and opened the door to find Garrett, Kate's possible-probably boyfriend and Riley. "Garrett? Riley? What are you doing here?"
Riley was the first to answer, "what a way to greet us, Bells." I blinked a few times not being able to get over the fact that he was wearing painted-over khaki cargo shorts, a ratty green I Love New York shirt and sandals. Ok then…
Garrett on the other hand wore light washed jeans, an old grey CIA threadbare shirt that showed off his nice pecs and white Chucks. He and Kate had met when she and Mr. Denali visited CIA, they stopped to ask him for directions and ended up with Kate's phone number.
She claimed Garrett was just a friend but I knew her hangouts with him were a little friendlier than normal.
"Bella?" Edward called out to me from behind, I turned to him over my shoulder somewhat forgetting he was there. He walked over watching the guys at the door, "who is it?" He asked me even though he was staring at my surprise visitors.
"Kate's… friend and the manager at Bistro Alexandria." I told him, grinning slightly. Garrett smiled easily but Riley gawked at Edward.
"Hey." Edward waved awkwardly but not unfriendly, digging his left hand into his jean pocket.
"'sup dude?" Garrett smiled making me think of Emmett for a second.
"I'm Edward." He leaned forward and shook his hand, Garrett took it grinning broadly.
"I'm Garrett and this is my roommate Riley." He jutted his free thumb at Riley who watched Edward intently.
"Hey man." Edward turned to him and extended his hand, Riley took it after a beat making Edward cock his eyebrow in question. "What's up?"
"We came to see if the girls were free." Garrett told him looking at me. Edward turned to me questioningly. I could tell there was something hidden in his pleasant smile. I gave him a small smile and looked at Garrett.
"Sorry guys but the girls are out with Edward's family and he and I planned a night in." I explained.
"Are you together?" Riley asked lightheartedly.
"Very much so." Edward answered him, smirking.
"Yeah, unfortunately Edward is a lost puppy that tagged along and I haven't been able to shake him since childhood." I jabbed him lightly with my index finger.
He let out a deep laugh, throwing his head backwards, "you can say that babe but you know you love me."
I sighed dramatically, rolling my eyes at my visitors, "cocky bastard isn't he?"
"You would know." Edward returned my jab with his elbow before taking my hand lightly. I blushed looking away and not able to meet their eyes.
Garrett laughed and Riley chuckled after coughing slightly. "Too bad, we were going to tell you to join us in going over to Luke's and try out their new menu options. Apparently they're all the rage in the common rooms."
"Luke's has new menu items?" I groaned.
"Yeah, a blue cheese Angus burger, a Swiss cheese avocado burger and a Jack Daniel's burger with onion rings instead of regular onions."
"Shut the fuck up."
"Yeah, it could be bad."
"Baby?" Edward looked at me in question, he didn't follow.
"Luke's is another one of the five student-run restaurants in Hyde Park. They go for the sports bar vibe while Bistro Alexandria goes for demi-formal American cuisine."
"Oh." He nodded slowly.
"The burgers sound great but are they any good?" I asked the guys once Edward answered me.
"I'm telling you the common rooms are buzzing." Riley told me, shaking his head in horror.
"Do they have new desserts too?" I wanted to know in case it meant trouble for our pastry team.
"Blueberry tartlets, chocolate cake with salted caramel sauce and raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake."
"Oh no." I groused covering my face, "Alistair is going to flip."
"Tell me about it." Garrett agreed, "didn't you make blueberry tartlets for Alec during your interview?"
"Yeah and they were superb." Riley agreed, his eyes glazing over in thought. I grinned remembering how Alec had forced him to try one of my tartlets during my impromptu kitchen visit and rise from possible dishwasher to femme de cuisine.
"That sounds kind of fishy." Edward commented, off-handed. I looked at him questioningly.
"What do you mean?"
"Isn't it weird that you make blueberry tartlets, succeed and then your competition adds it on to their menu?"
I scoffed, "you mean to say someone stole the idea?"
He shrugged noncommittally, "you never know. I'm just saying that it sounds fishy to me, baby."
"I doubt it." Riley commented, "we're all part of the same school; I mean where not in the middle of a restaurant Cold War of sorts."
"Dude," Edward looked at him pointedly, "I'm not saying you are. I'm just saying that I find it odd that my girlfriend bakes something amazing and then bam! Your competition gets the same idea a month later."
"Blueberries are in season." I tell him, thinking he's watched too many spy movies.
"So are apples, cantaloupes and apricots." He told me turning around and walking over and flopping down on one of the black easy chairs. He moved over a throw pillow, leaning back and putting his palm behind his head.
I'm not going to lie. I was slightly impressed that he knew what fruits were in season. Edward talking about food facts was chef porn to me. I almost wanted to say "yeah baby, tell me more. What would you add to give consommé a little more body?" or "oh Edward, tell me again about kitchen utensils and their proper place in the cupboards and drawers."
Yeah I was weird.
"I doubt it." Riley laughed at Edward, suddenly my feathers were ruffled. I gave him a side-glance not making a comment but wishing he would leave me alone with my boyfriend, whom I was currently lusting over.
A part of me was already imagining ways of seducing him and actually succeeding.
"Whatever dude, First Amendment and all that crap," Edward told him, clearly losing his temper. I moved quickly to remove the visitors and salvage his deteriorating mood.
"Yeah well, sorry guys another time." I tried sounding apologetic and polite.
"Yeah Bella," Riley smiled tightly at me, "another time."
"Tell Kate I stopped by, okay?"
"Sure Garrett. Bye." I heard them give me their goodbyes as I closed the door on them. I turned to Edward, raising my eyebrow. He looked at me with his own tightly knit.
"Nice friends."
"Yeah."
"Are they gay? Because if they are I totally support them."
I gawked at him, "what the fuck?"
"Yeah Bella," he leaned forward, there was an edge to his voice but I doubted it had anything to do with Garrett's and Riley's nonexistent homosexuality. "I totally support the LGBT community, even though it's not the norm."
"Edward, Garrett and Riley are not gay." I half-laughed, half-chastised. "But I'm proud of you nonetheless." I grinned, admiring his open mind.
"You sure?"
"Yes."
"Damn."
He and I put my impromptu visitors aside and went back to where we were before we were rudely interrupted.
I expected Edward to forget about his fucking promise to Charlie but noooo he kept it above the fucking waist.
Did I sound angry? I fucking was. Angry and fucking sexually frustrated.
I was begging for it and I didn't give a flying fuck.
Between our PG-13 making out, Jasper called the apartment two hours later telling us that Esme and Alice had decided to go to dress shopping two towns over after hearing about a great dressmaker.
"Hey Bella?"
"Yeah Jasper?"
"You're welcome darlin'."
"You did this on purpose?!"
He chuckled and told me they wouldn't be home until late only to drop off Kate and Jess and check into a motel for the night. "Carlisle expects Edward when we go back to Hyde Park."
"Okay." I told him I would relay the massage, thanked him one more time for being a sweetheart and hung up the phone.
A stupid, horny, desperate, whorish plan beginning to form in my mind.
"That was Jasper." I told him as he looked at Kate's photographs. They were various shots around Forks and the La Push area all in black and white.
"Oh really?"
"Yeah." I wrapped my arms around his middle resting my chin on his arm since his shoulder was a little high for my chin.
"Your Mom wants to go to look for a dressmaker a thirty minute drive away and won't be back for the rest of the day. They'll drop Kate and Jess but your Dad wants you to go to the motel you're staying at."
He turned around and hugged me to him, I sighed contently. "So we have the day to ourselves?"
"Yes." I bit my lip hoping that meant something more.
"That's good." He whispered kissing my head tenderly. I loved Edward don't get me wrong, but I craved Pirate Edward like no fucking tomorrow.
I needed that sexy, demanding mountain lion to come back otherwise I would burst at the seams. Where the fuck did this new me come from? Holy shit.
Biting my lip and the proverbial bullet I pulled away, "Kate and Jess have some drinks stashed away. Want one?" I asked innocently.
He cocked his eyebrow, "you drink?"
"No but the girls won't mind. We have an open door policy." I shrugged feeling myself buzz with anticipation and nerves. I am a smooth criminal, yes I fucking am.
I guess I want to fuck hence the dramatic rise of my mental spew of 'fucks.'
Geez I really was nuts.
I'd gone down the deep end and there was no turning back. That was a lie, I could still pull the car in reverse and drive away from the cliff but right now I wanted to be Thelma and Louise but not literally.
Shaking my head and feeling the old sense of dread at my mental state I walked over to the laundry closet where Kate and Jessica stashed the alcohol. I gave Edward a knowing look as he chuckled obviously catching on.
Kate and Jess wouldn't run the risk of their parents coming unannounced and stumbling into the booze.
"Are you going to drink with me?" Edward asked his voice dropping slightly as I opened the small door and bent down to the floor. I pulled out two fluffy brown towels and grabbed the Patrón, the Smirnoff and Jack Daniels.
"Yes." I nodded deciding on the spot even though I hadn't thought of that.
"You sure?"
"It's not good for you to drink alone."
"I don't mind." He shrugged, "I've never done it but I don't want you to decide on it just because you're being polite."
"Edward-"
"If you're going to drink I want you to do it because you want to and not because I inadvertently forced you to."
"Ed-"
"I'll have one shot and that's it." He told me coming to help me with the bottles. "Tequila's easier for me to drink aside from JD but I'm kind of sick of it."
"Of the whiskey or the tequila?"
"The whiskey."
"Okay," I told him putting back the vodka and whiskey. "The tequila is Kate's; she loves margaritas." Edward laughed at this, "I know she does. She used to steal all of Tanya's Cuervo and do shots with some of the girls from the rez."
I quirked an eyebrow, "say what?"
"Oh yeah." He ran his hand through his hair as we made our way to the kitchen, "she was really good friends with two girls named Emily and Leah."
"I met Leah at the reservation Christmas Day."
"What? Really?"
"She's a bitch, I can't believe Kate's her friend." Edward took the bottle and silently asked for a shot glass, I went to the pantry and took out a hidden shot from behind our glasses. I washed it and handed it to him.
Distraction is the best way. He'll lose count quickly.
"They got along much to Tanya's annoyance; she wanted Kate to be a loner." I opened the fridge for some limes.
"Why?" He poured himself a shot passing on the limes and salt and taking it neat.
"Tanya hates Kate's guts." He looked at me for a moment, raising his glass. "To you and your success at Bistro Alexandria and CIA."
"Thank you." I smirked and feeling flattered but feeling impatient for him to take the shot. "Drink up." He drank that shot like a pro giving me a great view of his prominent Adam's apple and thick neck.
Mmmm... I want to see another prominent bulge...
He winced slamming the glass on my breakfast table, making me squirm and showing me how fucking hot he looked when he drank.
I squirmed a little feeling my body begin to wake up, my mouth watered again and my heart beat faster.
"Why did you take it straight?"
"Tequila was meant to be consumed like wine, baby." He informed me looking at the fancy Spanish label.
"Really?"
"Uh huh, poured into wine glasses and all that. But somewhere along the lines we changed the way people drink it and the limes and salt came into play."
"We?"
"American college students." He chuckled, "do you have a wine glass?" He asked looking around at the cupboards.
"Yeah." I went to get one Kate kept "for her mother" who'd never step foot in the apartment because she'd been too busy with work at a Port Angeles department store. She was some senior manager there and never had time for anything other than work.
It sort of reminded me of Renee.
I handed him the newly-washed glass hoping he didn't notice my hand shake as he took it. He poured some tequila filling it halfway and swirled it for a moment before breathing it in. He smirked, "it does something to the body."
"Human or alcohol?"
"Both. You don't mind? I wanted to see if it was true." He looked at me sheepishly, I couldn't help but laugh letting it out like a weird yelp. You don't realize that you're helping me.
"Not at all, go for it." I smiled clenching my teeth trying to kill the building tension around me. Before I could stop myself I said, "I bet you, you can't drink all that like a shot."
"Really?" Edward was cocky and confident, I knew he wouldn't be able to decline such a 'simple' dare.
"Yes."
"I'll take that bet." He put down the glass and extended his hand to me, "what is your wager?"
"If you can I'll give you a strip tease." His eyes bugged out and swallowed hard, I smiled widely looking his reaction. "And if you don't you give me the strip tease." I was really thinking with my clit then.
"Okay." I nodded once looking nothing but determined. We shook on it and he literally drank half a glass of genuine one-hundred percent agave tequila in two gulps.
My mouth dropped on the floor. He pounded the glass on the bar and I was surprised the stem didn't break from the force.
"Strip." He told me between winces, half-closed eyes and heavy breaths.
"Let's go to my bedroom." I told him feeling breathless myself. "And bring the bottle."
~.~.~.
"What's the capital of Austria?" I asked him, we were on my bed and naked. Mostly.
I was naked and he was shirtless and still wearing his jeans with no shoes or socks. Not for long...
"Z-zurig!" After my strip tease we'd moved on to playing What's the Capital if he got it wrong he would take a shot. He wouldn't let me drink though somehow annoying me.
"Wrong." I told him, he mumbled something unintelligible and took the shot. He was on his fourth shot counting the one before the half-glass he drank in the kitchen.
One more and we're done. Give him something easy to test where he is...
"What's the capital of England?"
"London!" He yelled happily and sloppily. I laughed at how cute he was, and feeling a morbid sense of elation when I realized he was plastered.
"Edward I'm going to ask you one last thing before we finish."
"Waz dat?" He leaned forward on the bed making our noses touch. His eyes were glossed over but still bright and alive.
"Is this the most you've ever drank?"
He snorted looking away, "nos even. I drank a whole bottle once." He told me rather proudly, "diz is nothing."
"So you'll remember this tomorrow?"
"Yes." He nodded solemnly.
"Really?"
"Yes." He nodded again violently, "I swear."
"That's all I needed to know." I threw myself at him taking him by surprise and letting him drop the bottle. I should have been angry at myself for letting him drop it but I didn't give a fuck. Or rather I was too busy trying to get get a fuck.
As a formal culinary institute, I suspect CIA uses the French kitchen hierarchy otherwise known as brigade de cuisine. Something that would leak into their student restaurants. (I researched this and found no credible research to prove my theory but I'm sticking to it.)
Bella was applying was applying for the position of plongeur- 'cleans dishes and utensils, and may be entrusted with basic preparatory jobs.' But instead got pushed up to femme de cusine.The official term is garçon de cuisine- the kitchen boy—'someone who performs preparatory and auxiliary work for support.'
But Bella is obviously a girl so I switched it to femme.
Other titles:
Poissonnier: Fish chef; a chef assigned to the fish and seafood dishes in a formal kitchen.
Pâtissier: Head pastry chef; a chef assigned to run the pastry division in a formal kitchen.
If you want to read teasers, talk to me about anything fandom or otherwise add me on Twitter at ilithyae or visit my blog at iithyae dot blogspot dot com!
Disclaimer: She is not going to rape him. So before you hit the Review or PM button telling me how I might be promoting rape, I'm not. He's drunk but I've dropped enough hints throughout the story that show how Edward can handle more than half a bottle of pure tequila. I even had him mention it. The question is if Drunk Edward will let Horny Bella defile him...
