Streetlight People

by luluvee

A small town girl. A city boy. One looking for herself, the other looking for a way out. One looking to be, the other looking to be better. A story about the strangers that you meet and what they can mean to you, if only you'll let them in. Drabble-esque; AH; M for all the reasons (right and wrong).

37. Pt Four: Working Hard, Ch 10

Streetlight People
Part Four: Working Hard To Get My Fill

Chapter Ten

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"It was immature of me, I know," Bella giggled, sipping on the rum and coke Alice had poured her. "But the look on his face was priceless!"

The second Edward has stormed out of Platt's, Esme had called Alice and relayed what had happened. It had taken everything in her to not zip over to the restaurant immediately, but she had managed to wait until the end of Bella's shift.

"Oh, trust me, Alice, you missed the moment of the century," Chelsea laughed. She tipped her chair back as she sipped her screwdriver. Esme had called a "waitresses meeting" and there were five women (and Carlos) lounging around Esme's office, drinks in hand and a platter of appetizers on the low coffee table in the middle of the room.

"What did you do to him, Bella?" Fiona asked around a mouthful of mini-quiche. "I've never seen Mase… Edward… Well…" Bella caught the blonde side-eyeing the rest of the group.

"What?" she asked. "What."

"Edward was always very… Professional," Esme supplied. Her signature Manhattan in hand (though never as good as how Edward made them; she could never get the perfect amount of bitters when she mixed her own), she fished a cherry from the bottom of the glass and popped it in her mouth in order to think over her next words. "Never clocked in more than half an hour early, never stayed to hang out with the others. Kept to himself very much."

"Sexy, stuck up bastard," Carlos sighed, resting his chin in his hand with a dramatic flourish.

"Never said a word to anyone," Chelsea added.

"Barely any to me," Alice agreed.

"Hell, I told you already, we didn't even know his first name was Edward," Fiona said.

Sipping her drink slowly, Bella let the alcohol burn down her throat. "I don't know what I did to him. I didn't think I did anything to him at all, to be honest. He just let me crash on his couch that one time and he drove—"

"HOLD UP!" Carlos squealed. "He—you-what?!"

Bella looked up with wide eyes. The only one who didn't look remotely surprised was her boss. The others, on the other hand… Bella looked down into her half empty glass then downed the rest of her drink in one go.