Hi kittens!
I'm back with the highly anticipated chapter: the first real meeting...
Had fun writing this, so much that I had to break it up into two chapters.
Big love and thank you to maniacalmuse, the woman who makes my writing readable and helps me get a better author on here! *loveyougirl*. Please go and check out her work, you won't be able to stop.
Thank you to MeteorOnAMoonlessNight for rec'ing my fic! Could NOT be any more honored. Having said all that, you know I don't own Twilight... But I do own several awkward moments about dating.
Enjoy!
Chapter Eight : Hello, Stranger.
As I got home, my nerves settled in. He wanted to meet me, tonight. I paced around my living room, clutching my phone tightly.
Do I get dinner and bring it there? Do we order something together? What kind of foods does he like?
I sighed and recalled my talk with Alice from earlier in the bistro. She gave me some first-class advice to ease my overactive, loquacious mind. She told me to take a long, steamy shower and wash my hair, groom my body and apply my favorite makeup. Do everything the way I liked it, so I would feel confident and composed. I had to admit, there was nothing I'd like more right now than to get out of these cursed clothes from last night.
Fleeing to my bathroom, I peeled the clothes off of my body and threw them in the hamper even though they had just been laundered.
I turned the shower on, waiting for the stall to fill with steam.
Stepping into the glass box, the water poured down on me, soaking my hair. I closed my eyes, relishing the feel of the hot splatters against my skin. I washed my hair and paid attention to every inch of my body when I lathered up, the smell of roses enveloping me. By the time I was done, I was sure there was not a single hair left on my frame.
I felt refreshed as I wiped the mirror with a towel and cracked open the window in my bathroom, feeling the afternoon air circulate in.
Wrapping a big towel around myself, I walked over to my closet in search for an appropriate outfit for my official first date with my Warrior. I frowned as I went over the options: sexy, casual, dressy — I couldn't decide.
Alice's voice chimed inside my head again, telling me to prepare for what I wanted to happen, even if it wouldn't. My frown faded and I found myself smiling, remembering her exact words: "He's seen you naked, Bella. Better wrap it up in something the man hasn't seen before."
My hands ran through my lingerie drawer, feeling around the soft and delicate fabrics until they found the muted, dusty-rose lace bra with a cutout design on the cups. I'd bought it a while back in an expensive boutique and it fit my chest perfectly, giving me a little extra lift. The lace was soft and delicate, and I looked for the matching panties in the drawer below. They were high-waisted but still sexy, the lace alternating with a few transparent patches between them and frills on the top.
Before I gave myself a speech about being too much and too straightforward, I took the undergarments into the bathroom, hydrating my body with the high-end lotion I splurged on that matched the scent of my signature perfume.
I got into my undies and strolled over to the closet once more, picking out my clothing. Fashion wasn't something that particularly interested me, but shopping trips with Rosalie and Alice luckily provided me with some good pieces.
It was still quite warm outside, so I opted for a soft, cotton dress with three-quarter length bell sleeves in a navy, checked print, hitting me mid-thigh and cinching me at the waist. Modest, yet playful with its flowy fabric allowing me to show off the art on my leg.
I looked myself over in my floor-to-ceiling mirror and decided I liked the outfit. My makeup was quick yet put-together and I finished my look with some gunmetal embellished boots.
"Breathe, Bella," I chanted to myself as I styled my blow-dried tresses into place with my fingers and fiddled with my phone, opening my texting app. Was it too early to go over there?
The alarm clock in my bedroom read 5:30 p.m. and I continued tapping the screen, writing to Edward.
Is it okay if I come over now? Do you want me to pick up food or do you want to decide later? I don't really know what you'd like.
His reply took a few minutes to arrive, making me grow even more nervous from the anticipation.
What if it was a trick?
Warrior: There's nothing I'd want more. Don't bother, we'll pick something together.
Together.
I got giddy reading his message. He'd used 'we' and 'together,' two words that made the butterflies in my stomach go on a rampage. Something about it convinced me he couldn't wait for this date either.
My fingers flew over the array of apps on my phone screen, opening the note I set up when he had sent me his address. The psycho in me already ran a Google search on the surroundings and found a street view of the building, erasing the last doubts I had about Edward being some kind of phony pervert.
After all, I started perving on him.
I texted him that I was on my way, hurrying to my car in the underground parkade of my apartment complex.
The engine of my Ford sedan came to life as I turned on the air conditioning in an attempt to cool down the feverish heat coursing through my body. My palms felt clammy as I gripped the steering wheel after I'd put in his info into the car's GPS.
The drive was pleasant, and only about half an hour. I silently thanked the traffic gods for no problematic traffic jams, since I hated L.A. for having those on a daily basis.
Magnolia Avenue was near Koreatown, the sidewalks and streets fairly busy yet comforting. His building caught my gaze right away since I'd been staring at it on my phone screen earlier. The outside was clean, painted a light gray color with white accents around the windows and a white metal fence. There seemed to be only two units in the building, and he said his was on the ground floor.
I parked my car alongside the road and nervously walked up to the gate and around the corner, as he told me to, toward the entrance of his condo. The big, white tiles led me to the neat, well-kept little yard on the side, three steps leading up to the front door. I took a moment to compose myself and smooth the fabric of my dress. It was then that my eyes locked with the tag next to the doorbell: 'Edward Cullen.'
Cullen, as in Emmett Cullen? It wasn't that common of a surname as far as I knew, but could he be related to the guy Rose was talking about? He did say he practically lived at Cullenary Garden, as well. At least now I had an icebreaker if things were weird and uncomfortable, something to start off with to keep myself distracted and refrain myself from flinging my body upon him.
Breathing out, I pushed the doorbell and waited anxiously for the handle to turn. My heart was pounding when it did an instant later, like he'd been waiting at the door for me to arrive. When the white door swung open, the late afternoon sun beamed on the most handsome man I'd ever seen in my life. The light reflected off his glasses, causing a sparkle in those heavenly green eyes I now peered into face-to-face. He looked so much better than on my screen, on any photo I'd seen. His hair was a dark shade of reddish brown in perfect disarray, light stubble covered a sharp jawline, and his full lips curved in a crooked smile.
My nerves disappeared instantly, the feelings replaced by something else as my attraction to him awakened.
"Hi," he greeted me, leaning against the frame of the door, gazing at me intensely, triggering a blush that settled on my cheeks. His deep and husky voice made me feel hot all over.
I couldn't help but smile at his appearance. He was much taller than I thought he'd be, a little over six feet by my guess. He was wearing dark-wash, fitted straight-leg jeans along with a simple gray Henley shirt with the three little buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up his tattoo-covered arms. I'm sure if I let myself, I'd turn into a puddle of drool at his sock-clad feet, merciless against his good looks and crooked smile. I was acting creepy as it felt like I had been staring at him for hours before I could speak again.
"Hey," I breathed, happy to see him open the door further and step back into his little hallway as an invitation for me to come in.
Edward ran a hand through his hair as his fiery jade eyes stared into mine. He liked that I was here, I could tell. I hesitated, my eyes flickering to his hair, reminding myself to not make an awkward fool out of myself.
"Your hair looks good this way," I noted, slightly jealous of his hand for being able to touch it. He laughed — a throaty, genuine laugh — and it made my panties suddenly very aware of my arousal. I loved it.
"Thank you," he began, motioning for me to come in and closing the door behind me. "After all the washing I did, I was afraid I'd have no hair left," he joked.
I looked around the inside of his condo. The walls were painted an off-white, grayish shade and decorated with black-framed, colorful art prints. Around the corner of the hallway was his living room, where sat a giant, dark wall unit with a big flat screen surrounded by shelves of books and drawers on the bottom.
Black, wooden Venetian blinds hung in every window, open and letting sunlight shine through the masculine yet comfortable room. He had a large, dark, L-shaped corduroy couch that looked very inviting. I could imagine spending hours there cuddling up to Edward just watching TV or watching him game. A side table with a record player caught my eye, along with a stack of what looked like comic books and a video game controller. I grinned, loving this peek into his life. His taste in interior design and pastimes was perfect; he was my unicorn in a flock of distasteful, obnoxious pigeons.
"You're too perfect. It's killing me," I sighed as he walked closer to me, my body being drawn to his like a magnet. He smiled, looking at me with a look I couldn't decipher right away as he took my hands into his. I thought my heart would give out, its ecstatic pounding making me lightheaded and electric currents running through my veins as I felt his touch.
"You're one to talk, Isabella," he said to me, his voice soft. I usually hated being called Isabella, but I couldn't find the strength to correct him. I loved the way it rolled off his tongue. He could call me anything he wanted; I didn't care.
"Do we kiss now?" I blurted out, taken aback by my own courage. His sparkly green eyes flirted with my lips, his head cocked to the side as he answered my burning question.
"I can't think of anything I'd rather do right now," he whispered as his hands pulled me closer to him. I could feel his body heat through the thin material of his shirt as my chest pressed to his, my nipples instantly hard in prospect of what was about to happen. I wanted to rip the fabric away, feeling his obviously muscle-rippled skin on mine as his arm wrapped around my waist and held me to him. This wasn't imaginary anymore. He was real and right here.
His hot breath fanned over my ear as he brushed away a strand of my hair, pressing a kiss to the sensitive skin of my neck. I suppressed a moan when my fingers raked over his tense arms and into his hair. I pulled his mouth to mine, finally getting the contact I craved.
In movies they made it look so dramatic, but I swear my mind went in slow-motion when our lips touched. His stubble felt rough against my face, his lips gentle yet demanding as his hands gripped the fabric of my dress as if to hold me in place forever.
Our kiss deepened as his grip on my dress tightened, like he wanted to be even closer to me. He groaned as my tongue caressed his lips and met his, the sound of it sparking even more desire and the urge to please him grew to unbearable proportions. The smell of Edward enclosing me made me feel like I was high, needing more. I don't know if he wore a special cologne, but he smelled like a man: comforting, sexy and safe. I moaned into his mouth as he nipped my bottom lip playfully with his teeth, making me wish he was kissing me somewhere else right now.
He was as much into this kiss as I was, the hardness in his jeans pressing into my lower abdomen, our breaths mingling passionately. I needed this, so badly. I needed this from the second I laid eyes on him and from the moment our conversations turned a little too friendly on the game chatroom. I could barely live, knowing that his home was close by, knowing he was there, and I was only a few miles away. But now that I had this, the reality of his kiss and to have seen him in person, made it impossible to go back to Skype and sexting. I lusted after this man, craved him like a drug so much it made my head spin.
Some wave of clarity carried itself through my mind and this otherworldly kiss and made me realize I wanted to do this right. I needed to know everything about Edward, what he loved and hated, what he wanted, what made him crazy. This was not just about sex and physical attraction. I've had that before and acted on it and kissing alone never made me feel this way. I needed to find out what it was about this man that made me so fucking insane.
His hands never went under my dress during our kiss, even though I wished they had. He was being a perfect, hot gentleman with this. It confirmed what I was wondering about earlier, he wanted more than just a hookup, too. At least, that was what I hoped.
He broke away from our kiss like he could read my mind, letting go of his death-grip that was bunching up my dress and resting his forehead against mine, a little out of breath.
"No, you for sure are going to be the death of me, Isabella." His eyes were dark with lust, smile wide.
I was so ready for us to be real.
I'm sorry to cut it off here, but this was getting out of hand *oops*. I just love these two adorable dorks together, you'll have part two of the date soon (probably Sunday or Monday)
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MWAH!
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