Chapter 30 – Snakes in Heels

Bella

Alice was busy finalizing her plans to surprise Jasper, so she waved me off for lunch. I knew she would be focused on her task for a while, so I left her to it. I was starving, however, so I decided to go find food on my own.

I made my way to a little diner just down the street between the DFPS Center and Children's Hospital. As I walked towards the counter, someone grabbed me, stopping me and pulling me back. "Miss Swan!"

Dr. Cheney had me by the arm. I looked behind him to see another group of doctors. With him were Drs. Black, Young, Molina, and Atkinson, who were all sitting around a large table, along with another doctor I didn't recognize. She looked me up and down with disdain before she sat up straighter and leveled me with a hard stare.

"Please, join us, Miss Swan," Dr. Cheney insisted. I tried to pull away, but before I could protest further, I was pulled into a seat between him and the doctor I didn't know. I didn't like being manhandled or cornered, but I didn't want to cause a scene, so I smiled tightly at the doctors around the table. Laxative brownies for Dr. Cheney were becoming a good possibility.

"Miss Swan, this is Dr. Jessica Stanley. She's the newest addition to our staff at Children's, specializing in Pediatric Cardiology," Dr. Cheney introduced me to the unfamiliar doctor. "Dr. Stanley, this is Bella Swan, one of our most magnificent DFPS caseworkers," Dr. Cheney said exaggeratedly, his hand landing on my arm close to my breast, making me want to grab this fingers and flip him over my shoulder before I stomped his crotch for good measure.

It didn't make me that uncomfortable to sit at a tableful of men, since there was another woman present in the group, but I got the immediate impression she didn't like me, and I had to say, the feeling was mutual. There was something about her I instantly mistrusted, and my intuition was usually correct.

"So, you're the 'Beautiful Bella Swan' I've been hearing everyone raving about. Dr. Black and Dr. Cheney have been going on about you since I got here. They tell me you're a good friend of Dr. Masen, is that right?" she asked, looking at me as if she was sizing me up. She was incredibly beautiful, and obviously intelligent, and I felt somewhat threatened by the way she mentioned Edward.

"Yes, you could say we're friends," I offered, wondering why it mattered to her.

"He's something, isn't he?" she asked, cutting her eyes at me, as she sipped her coffee. "I hear he's single and quite the catch." I was quick to get the picture of what her agenda was, and I was beginning to get very irritated. She was obviously fishing for information, and I felt the need to make myself crystal clear.

"He is amazing, actually." I looked her square in the eye, leaving nothing to question with my words. "We're dating, which I'm sure Dr. Black and Dr. Cheney already told you."

"Well, there's dating, and then there's dating," she said mockingly, as she circled the rim of her mug with her finger. "It'll be interesting to see which it is for sure. You know, time and circumstances can make all the difference." She smirked condescendingly at me, letting me know the game was on. I hated women like her, ones who loved nothing more than to interfere with other women's relationships. Somehow, I got the impression there was more to Dr. Stanley's forced introduction to me than just societal pleasantries, judging from the looks on Dr. Cheney and Dr. Black's faces. I gave them both a sharp glare, as I abruptly stood and left the diner. I didn't have time for this foolishness. These were supposedly grown-up people. This type of game playing should have been left back in middle school.

When I got back to the office, Alice could tell instantly something was bothering me. My slamming the door and the loud, angry growl I let out might have clued her in.

"Did you find a worm in your salad?" she asked, coming out of her office to see what was going on. "You look like you came across something really foul at lunch, judging by the look on your face."

"You could definitely say that," I spat, and then I told her about my unpleasant lunchtime encounter with Children's Hospital's newest slithering creature, Dr. Jessica Stanley. I was still so angry I could barely get everything out without wanting to punch the wall or scratch someone's eyes out. I wasn't normally a violent person, but it seemed Dr. Stanley had brought out the worst in me today.

"Bella, I don't think you have anything to worry about. Edward is so into you, he can hardly walk straight, much less notice any other women," Alice said, looking disgusted. "She sounds like a real piece of work. I guarantee you, she's one of those women, the kind who make a game of seducing men just because she can. Those kinds of women make me embarrassed for our gender, and they just need to be escorted off the planet if you ask me, preferably after having been snatched bald and had their eyes clawed out!"

"I know what you mean," Rose said, coming out of her office, having heard our exchange. "I was out with Emmett last night, and right in front of me, some skank slid up to him and practically rubbed herself on him like a cat in heat. I was right freaking there! She was lucky she only limped away with a bruise. Had I been wearing my warrior heels, she would've had a puncture wound to go with it," she hissed. "Some women have absolutely no clue, and no morals or class. Sounds like you might be dealing with something along those lines with this Dr. Stanley."

"Like I said, Bella, you've got all of Edward's attention. Besides, I doubt he'd be interested in someone who conducted themselves like her. You're golden, girl," Alice reassured me.

Alice and Rose helped me calm down and did make me feel better, but I knew I hadn't dealt my last with Dr. Jessica Stanley.