DISCLAIMER: Stephanie Meyer owns all things Twilight... but I own Anthony. Aww.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I am sick today- which sucks big time. But it's given me an excuse to sit here all day and work on my new chapters. So enjoy the rewards of me not being able to talk. Lol. Much love. Enjoy!
-BPOV-
Anthony was sleeping peacefully in his crib right after lunch the next day when Edward came up to me. I was just standing there, watching him sleep. Edward snaked his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder.
"He's so beautiful." He murmured.
I nodded, smiling.
"He is." I agreed. "He looks like his daddy."
Edward rolled his eyes.
"And he's still adorable."
I frowned but before I could form a rebuttal Edward changed the topic.
"You know, I think he's going to have brown eyes."
I shrugged.
I had actually been thinking this too. Anthony's eyes had been darkening in shade just slightly and even though they were no where near the color they would be eventually, they did have just the slightest tint of brown.
"Eyes just like his mommy." Edward grinned.
I smirked.
"And he's still adorable." I mimicked.
Edward shot me a playful scowl.
I don't know how long we stood like that in silence, just enjoying each others company and watching our baby boy sleep.
"I was talking to Anthony again earlier." Edward said after a little while.
I raised an eyebrow.
"Oh yeah?"
Edward grinned.
"Yeah. He wanted to ask you something."
I frowned, turning around and he released his hold on my waist, letting me turn to face him. What was he up to now?
"Does it have anything to do with marshmallows?" I teased.
Edward pressed his lips together, trying to suppress a smile.
"No." He said, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I think he wanted to ask if you were going to go out to dinner tonight with daddy."
I raised my eyebrows. Where was all of this coming from.
"Are you asking or is Anthony?" I asked, bitting on my lip nervously.
Edward pouted his lips, pretending to think about it.
"Which one would you be more likely to say yes to?"
I sighed.
"It's supposed to be cold tonight. I don't know if we should take the baby out."
Edward nodded in agreement.
"Yeah. I mentioned that to him." He said easily. "He said that was okay because he wanted to stay with his Auntie Alice for an hour or so tonight."
He looked at me with a smug grin.
"I guess it's just the two of us."
I felt my eyes widen. Was he using our son to ask me out? Even before Anthony we had never technically gone on a date. We were only technically together for that one weekend.
"Edward. You don't have to do that." I told him.
I figured he was probably just trying to get me out of the house more or something. Trying to give me a break. I hadn't been away from Anthony at all since his birth.
"I don't need a break." I assured him. "I like being here with Anthony."
He sighed, running his hands through his hair.
"I know you don't want to leave him but he'll be fine with Alice." He said, looking at me with smoldering eyes. That just isn't fair.
"And I know I don't have to. I want to."
I didn't say anything and he nodded once, stepping back.
"Good." He said, still smoldering at me. "It's settled then. Dinner in Port Angeles it is."
"Edward-"
He grinned.
"I'll pick you up at seven." He said, walking out of his room.
What just happened here?
Anthony woke up shortly after that, a crying jag that went on for an hour and we didn't have time to discuss our sudden plans for tonight after that.
Edward came back in when he heard Anthony crying to see if he could help but he left again after we had gotten him settled down, almost as if he was afraid I was going to cancel on him if he gave me the opportunity.
I wouldn't have even if I was confused about how we ended up having plans in the first place.
"Knock, knock."
I looked towards the open door from my spot on the futon where I had been catching up on some reading. It was the first time I had had the time to read since Anthony was born as a matter of fact. I hadn't even looked at those books I had gotten at the book store that day.
"Yes Alice?"
She skipped into the room and I groaned when I saw the garment bag she had draped over one arm.
"You're going out with my brother!" She sang excitedly. "And I get to babysit!"
"How did this happen?" I asked, still baffled.
She snickered.
"No time for that Bella!" She said tauntingly. "You need to start getting ready."
I looked at the clock and raised my eyebrows at her.
"Edward said we were leaving at seven. It's five now."
She nodded, her expression reading "and??"
"Why do I need to get ready two hours a head of time?" I asked.
She rolled her eyes.
"Stop complaining Bella." She demanded, her voice holding a hint of warning. "I wanted to come up here hours ago but Edward wouldn't let me so count your blessings."
I sighed, reluctantly closing my book.
"Why do I even have to get dressed up?" I asked, eying the garment bag incredulously.
I would be so much happier in my jeans and teeshirt.
"Because it's your first date!" Alice exclaimed indignately.
"What do-"
I stopped mid thought and my eyes widened. This was our first date wasn't it?!
"Oh my god." I breathed.
Butterflies fluttered in my stomach and half of me wanted to dance around the room singing, "I HAVE A DATE WITH EDWARD CULLEN. HE STILL WANTS ME!"
The other part, the cowardly part, wanted to call and tell him I was sick. Unfortunately that wouldn't work because I was sitting in his bedroom at and he would know I was lying.
"Alice." I said, still wide eyed, my voice holding sudden panic.
"Help me!" I exclaimed. "I don't have anything to wear. I still look like a hippo!"
"I have you covered." She said, holding the garment bag up a little. "And you do not look like a hippo!"
She rolled her eyes.
"You never looked like a hippo. You looked like a pregnant woman."
I wrinkled my brow.
"And you are definitely not a hippo now! In fact you're loosing the baby weight a little faster than most new mommies."
I looked down at my doughy stomach. I felt like the Pillsbury dough boy but I suppose it wasn't really that bad. I still had a pooch but I was no where near as big as I was a month ago right?
The dress was surprisingly simple, a blue number with thick straps. It went to right above my knee and when I was standing absolutely still it made me look graceful. The best part about it was it flared out just slightly under the bust line so that it camouflaged my tummy. (AN: Dress link on my profile. Just imagine it in blue. Thnx guys!)
I was thankful my legs hadn't gone with my flat stomach because they looked a mile long in this.
I twirled out of the bathroom, unable to contain my giggles and Alice clapped.
"It's beautiful!" She exclaimed. "You look perfect."
She smirked.
"But I knew you would."
I rolled my eyes.
"Yes, yes Alice." I sighed dramatically. "You are the goddess of all things fashion."
She nodded once.
"Don't forget it!"
We both looked at each other and busted out laughing.
"Oh!" I exclaimed, looking towards the crib. "Ssh."
She put her hand over her mouth, stifling her laughter.
"Sorry." She whispered.
I waited for a moment, listening for a sign we had woken him up but there was none so I just grinned.
"I miss this." She said.
I nodded.
"Me too."
I thought for a moment.
"Well," I corrected. "I don't miss Bella Barbie."
She wrinkled her nose and stuck her tongue at me.
"At all." I reiterated. "But I miss hanging out with you."
She looked down, shrugging.
"Yeah." She sighed, sounding sad. "Me too."
I bit my lip.
"Alice." I said hesitantly. "I'm sorry."
She looked up, one eyebrow raised.
"That we don't get to hang out like we used to much any more." I explained.
She nodded.
"No going to college and getting our wicked bachelorete pad." She said wistfully.
I chuckled.
"Afraid not." I agreed.
In our first years of friendship before we all got accepted to different colleges me, Alice, and Rosalie had talked about going to college and being roommates. I think it's a pretty good idea that it didn't work out that way anyway, even without Anthony. Because we would have driven each other completely nuts but it's still wired the way things ended up.
She sighed, a smirk creeping up her face.
"Oh well." She said. "I forgive you for liking my brother more."
My eyes widened.
"Alice-"
She giggled, cutting off my defense.
"I got a really cute nephew out of the deal anyway." She said, winking.
I just grinned, shaking my head. I had thought she was actually upset there for a moment. That would kill me. I don't want her to think I used her to get to her brother or anything, like so many others had tried.
"And this way we'll be sisters!" She added.
"Alice!" I exclaimed. "We're going on our first date. Don't start planning the wedding now!"
She smirked.
"Too late!" She sang.
She didn't give me time to even compute what she had said. Instead she whirled around and grabbed her make up bag.
"Now dance your little butt back into the bathroom. We have work to do!"
I scowled.
"I thought you said I looked perfect." I protested weekly.
She put her hands on her hips, shooting me a look that could make grown women cry.
"I have to be able to hear the baby if he wakes up!" I added as a last ditch effort.
She narrowed her eyes at me.
"Isabella Swan!" She reprimanded. "Don't you dare try to use Anthony to get out of this! We both know you'll be able to hear him in the other room. It's a connecting bathroom for god's sake!"
She huffed, pointing to the bathroom and I hung my head.
"Fine." I relented.
Turns out I didn't even need to be able to hear the baby because my son is a traitor. If I even so much as think about taking a nap he'll wake up crying. But an hour and a half of torture from Auntie Alice and he doesn't make a peep. Doesn't even stir.
"Perfect!" Alice announced, stepping back to admire her work.
I raised one eyebrow.
"Are you sure?" I teased. "That's what you said last time. You know? Before you locked me in the bathroom for almost two hours!"
Alice showed no sign of repentance.
"You'll thank me." She assured me, turning me towards the mirror.
She had curled my hair and it hung in lose curls down my back, silver clips holding the sides away from my face. My eyes looked even wider than usual with a thin line of eye liner and she had done something with the eyeshadow to make my brown eyes seem smoky and mysterious. She had kept everything very simple so that I still looked like me... only better.
"Thank you Alice." I said, actually quite pleased with the way I looked.
She smeared a thin layer of gloss on my lips and winked.
"Knock him dead."
I blushed and she snickered.
She really was on her best behavior tonight. She even let me ware flats!
"Now say good bye to your baby." She commanded once I was completely ready and had spent some time with him, making sure to breastfeed before I left.
He should be fine for an hour or so now but I still bit my lip, worried about leaving him. I knew Alice could be trusted. I trusted her with my life. But this wasn't my life. It was Anthony's.
Besides that, I just didn't want to leave him and now there was anxiety building in the pit of my stomach.
"We'll have lots of fun while Mommy and Daddy are out won't we Anthony?" Alice cooed, taking him gently from my arms and placing a kiss on the top of his head.
He just yawned.
"Have fun." She said, herding me out of the bedroom.
"We love you." She called.
I bit my glossed lip once more, looking at him from where I had stopped in the doorway.
"I love you." I said, suddenly feeling like I was going to cry.
"Daddy and I are going to get some dinner baby." I sniffled. "We'll be back soon. Make sure Auntie Alice calls me if you need something."
I shot a pointed look at Alice as I said this last part.
"I will, I will." She sighed, rolling her eyes. "I promise."
I nodded, taking a step back.
"Don't do anything cute until I get back." I told him and Alice laughed.
"Get going already. It's 6:58."
I sighed.
"Love you." I said once more.
"He loves you too Bella." She assured me, sounding slightly exasperated.
I nodded, finally turning and walking down the stairs. If I didn't get out of there now I was going to end up canceling on Edward.
I brushed one tear off of my cheek as I made my way down the stairs- thankfully not tripping due to the miracle that is ballet flats.
"Edward!" I called as I got down stairs.
Where was he?
Esme and Carlisle had gone dancing. Emmett and Rosalie were out tonight too and Jasper was at the store for Alice. They were excited to babysit together. I think Alice just wanted to play house. So there was no one downstairs and it was completely silent.
I listened for him for a moment but still didn't hear anything.
"Edward!" I called a little louder.
Nothing.
"If you are blowing me off after all of this I am going to kill you." I threatened ominously.
A knock at the door interrupted my assassination plans.
I grumbled my way to the Cullen's front door. I usually didn't answer their door of course, but as I said no one was here. Including Edward!
"Hello Ms. Swan."
I grinned, wide and ridiculously I'm sure. Standing on the front porch with one long stemmed rose was Edward, dressed in a suit and an unbelievably attractive crooked grin, his hair still a mess.
"Are we still on for our date tonight?" He asked, almost bashfully.
I nodded without hesitation.
"Most definitely."
He grinned wider, if that's even possible.
"This is for you." He said, handing me the rose.
I blushed, looking down before I remembered I couldn't hide behind my hair tonight.
"Thank you." I murmured.
He nodded.
"You look absolutely breathtaking."
I blushed again and I really wished Alice had not pulled my hair back at the sides with hair clips, no matter how gorgeous they were, because I had a feeling I was going to want to hide behind my usual curtain of hair a lot tonight. Come to think of it, that's probably why she did it.
----
-EPOV-
She literally took my breath away when she answered the door. She looked like an angel. I think just the idea that she was actually coming was a little breathtaking as well. I didn't think she was going to let me get away with this. But she did and she hadn't even pretended to get sick either.
I opened the car door for her after she had gone to put the rose in water, asking me if I'd like to come in as she walked to the kitchen. That had made me chuckle. I was so glad she was going along with this. I didn't want her to miss out on the true first date experience.
The car ride was fairly quiet but peaceful. It was a companionable silence, one that we didn't feel the need to fill with mindless chatter.
I was taking her to La Bella Italia, a restaurant we had fund our first year of high school while we were hiding from Alice during one of her "Bella Barbie episodes" as Bella puts it.
"I haven't been here in forever!" Bella said excitedly when I pulled in.
I smiled.
I was glad she was enjoying herself. I wanted this night to be absolutely perfect.
As soon as she walked inside the host zoomed in on her and I narrowed my eyes at him.
"A table for two?" I said, trying to sound polite as the jerk ogled my Bella.
He reluctantly looked to me and sighed.
"Right this way." He said icily.
He led us to a table for five right in the center of the restaurant, which just so happened to have a nice view of the podium where he stood.
"Maybe we could have something a little more private?" I suggested, wrapping my arm around Bella's waist before she could make a move to sit down.
He raised an eyebrow and I smiled tightly.
"Fine." He sighed, sounding like I had just made his job tremendously more difficult.
He led us to a table for two on the other side that was behind a small petition.
"Much better." I said, smiling. "Thank you."
He nodded curtly.
I pulled Bella's chair out for her and she sat down, looking at me suspiciously the whole way.
I just smiled at her.
"What was that about?" She asked after he had walked away.
I tried to look as innocent as I could manage. I didn't want her thinking I was a possessive Neanderthal.
"You're not going to tell me?" She asked, sounding annoyed.
I sighed in defeat.
"I didn't want to spend the night watching the host ogle you from the podium while we ate." I admitted.
To my utter surprise she just laughed at me.
"That's ridiculous." She said, still giggling.
"Why is it ridiculous that I want to keep my beautiful date all to myself?" I asked, leaning forward slightly.
Her eyes widened.
"Uhm. That's. no."
She shook her head as if to clear it and looked down at the table.
"That's not what I was talking about." She mumbled.
I furrowed my eyebrows.
"Then what did you mean?" I asked curiously.
She looked up then, rolling her eyes as if the answer was obvious.
"He wasn't 'ogling' me."
I scoffed.
"He wasn't!" She insisted.
I didn't make any attempt to look convinced and she sighed.
"Look at me." She said, which really was ridiculous because I already was. I hadn't been able to tear my eyes away from her all evening.
"I just had a baby." She said. "I look like the Pillsbury dough boy."
I couldn't help the look of shock that I'm sure was visible on my face.
"Pillsbury is making some improvements I see." I teased.
She narrowed her eyes at me.
"Bella." I sighed. "You don't see yourself very clearly. You are ravishing. Every man in here tonight is ten shades of green, wishing they were me."
She blushed a delightful shade of red but before she could say anything that same host came back.
"I'm back." He said with what he thought was a seductive smile at Bella.
She nodded curtly, looking down at her hands. Great. He was making her uncomfortable.
"Anything I can get you?" He asked, still looking at her.
He was the host. Wasn't he supposed to be seating people? Since when did he become the waiter as well?
"I'm still looking." She said, picking up her menu and effectively hiding behind it.
"Edward?"
The man grudgingly turned to me.
"I'll have the mushroom ravioli." I said out of habit. That was always Bella's favorite.
"Mmm." Bella murmured, probably remembering the dish that she always used to get.
I smiled.
The scum bag of a host licked his lips as he turned back to Bella.
"Thought of something you'd like?" He purred.
Yes, he actually purred. Where was the cat nip flavored squeaky toy when you needed it?
"The same please." She said. "And a coke."
"Two cokes." I added.
The man shot an exasperated look towards me before turning his attention back to Bella.
"Anything else?" He asked suggestively.
She shook her head without looking away from me and I couldn't help but grin a little.
"That was interesting." I mumbled when he had walked away.
She giggled.
"That's so wired!" She said in a stage whisper.
I wrinkled my nose.
"Not completely unexpected but it was very rude." I corrected.
And not just to me. It was rude to Bella! He looked at her like she was something to eat.
"So where did Rose and Em go tonight?" She asked, not so subtly changing the subject but I let it drop.
"They were going to that car exhibit."
She nodded.
"Oh good! Rose has been wanting to go to that for months."
"Emmett too." I agreed.
We made a little small talk for a while, talking about memories from all the other times we had come here and we laughed when we realized ninety percent of those times were because we were hiding from Alice.
"Poor Alice." She sighed. "Always having to hunt us down."
The host was back then, carrying two plates and already smiling that ridiculously cheesy grin.
"I'm so glad my sister could watch the baby for us tonight dear." I commented idly as he approached our table.
Bella looked at me with one eyebrow raised in amusement.
"Oh yes." She said, smirking. I'm glad too Honey."
The host looked between us with wide eyes and I winked at Bella. Bella giggled. And the host didn't bother us for the rest of the evening.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: So, what do you think? Please review. I am so excited for the next chapter which I wrote today as well. I can't wait to share it with you guys so please review and I'll post it a little later. It's part two of the dinner date. Thanks guys! You're all amazing!
