DISCLAIMER: THE STORY DOESN'T BELONG TO ME; THE CHARACTERS ARE PROPERTY OF S. MEYER AND THE PLOT BELONGS TO ANN ARSTON ARA.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LETTING ME SHARE YOUR STORY IN ENGLISH!
¡GRACIAS ANN, POR DARME ESTA OPORTUNIDAD!
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Chapter 7
The harpy, the dinner and the press
POV Bella
"PREGNANT!?" Rose shouted looking at me intently and with eyes like saucers.
"Who's pregnant?" Edward asked behind me. I turned around and met him. He was staring at me, but not my eyes, he was staring at my stomach. I raised my eyebrows as his eyes roamed over my torso and stopped on my breasts. He blushed when his eyes met mine, noticing that I had noticed his scrutiny.
"I'm not pregnant," I clarified quickly, not wanting any confusion. "Moli Stevens is. Six weeks." Edward frowned and looked at Rosalie, who rolled her eyes as she let out an exasperated sigh. She turned back to her desk, where she opened a drawer to grab a folder and open it on top of her desk.
"Moli May Stevens. Blonde, twenty-four years old and she is one of the dancers for the video. -Edward took, what I assumed, was the girl's resume, examined it and then turning to Rosalie, as if asking for coffee, blurted out:
"Fire her." Fucking caveman nerd. Iugh. I walked up to him and tapped his forehead with my fingers.
"What the f…?" He didn't finish because I looked at him furious (I even wanted to stick my tongue out at him, but that would be too childish and I'm an adult. An adult who eats cookies).
"You can't fire her. Don't be an idiot."
"How come you always end up calling me an idiot?" he asked indignantly.
"Because you are one," I half shouted in exasperation. This man was impossible.
"You can't fire her. She can continue, the pregnancy will not show until she is about fifteen weeks pregnant and by then, the video will be finished and public..." Edward looked up, staring at something behind me, and blanched.
I turned around, like a worthy busybody, and then I saw her. A beautiful blonde was walking down the hallway as if it were a catwalk. She was wearing a pair of white high heels, a pair of pants so tight that it would surely be a problem to take them off; they looked like a second skin, black, and a white blouse with gold decorations. When I saw her face I almost shrieked. Lauren Lefevre was here, surrounded by four huge bodyguards and a petite woman in a suit who looked like a midget man.
"Eddie you look…" I frowned as she paused and a strange grimace came out of her perfect face-...well," I grunted low, and her green amazon eyes looked at me coldly, examining me from head to toe.
"I thought we were meeting tomorrow, at the dinner," said Edward behind my back catching her attention. (So he's going to see her at a dinner... Edward likes blondes… poof).
"Technicisms, Eddie. Can we talk ... alone?" she asked, looking at Rosalie and me. Rosalie smiled broadly.
"Come on Bella, it's starting to stink to bottle blonde in here." Lauren looked at her for a moment as if deciding what she could or could not say.
"Rosalie, you're still as... funny as ever."
"And you're just as stupid." I opened my eyes in astonishment, but Lauren didn't even flinch at her words, she just smiled and, if I were a lesbian I would have lost my panties by now because, let's face it, she's got her own thing. Imagine me putting my hands on my breasts and enlarging them, then you'll understand. Oh, and the size of her ass, I think Kim Kardashian and Jenifer Lopez would cry and be left without a throne.
"How's Emmett?" Lauren's question brought me back to reality. She was looking curiously at Rosalie, who looked as if she had been stuck with a needle, because she tensed up and answered in a very curt manner.
"Married, to me," Lauren smiled again and waved her hand as if the information didn't matter to her at all.
"Yeah... you two are a match made in heaven, aren't you?" Oh fuck. Rosalie's eyes cut her throat with fury and Lauren instead skirted around me without a glance, walking towards Edward's office. But before she went in she turned and looked at me carefully again.
"Nice jacket." Without further ado, she walked in and closed the door behind her. I looked down at my dark orange jacket and Edward, well, he just sighed heavily before turning to enter the office.
"Fucking blond rat," Rosalie growled, collapsing into her chair. I sat across from her and watched the door, wishing I had x-ray vision eyes so I could see what was going on in there.
The beautiful blonde long legged model had just locked herself in with Edward!
I liked her before she locked herself and Edward in the office, but now she topped my future kill list.
"So you think we don't need to fire Moli?" Rosalie asked, watching me and bringing me back from my homicidal reverie. I nodded with conviction.
"It's not necessary. She is one of the best dancers. Her body hasn't started to change, and my work here ends in a few days so the video shoot would be in a little over a week. Moli's pregnancy won't be noticeable at all. The only thing is that she needs a little bit of care, a break every hour because she can't exert herself too much and she will be fine." Rosalie nodded and the door opened abruptly, making us both jump.
"You insolent fool! stupide!" Lauren exclaimed in what I think was French, walking like a tantruming child, walking so hard you could feel her footsteps and muttering something I didn't understand. Edward came out to watch her go Rosalie raised an eyebrow and looked at him expectantly.
"What?" Edward asked fixing his glasses. Damn, how handsome he is and thank God my filter is working properly today.
"How do girls, any of them, end up calling you stupid, idiot or brainless insolent while dating you?" Rosalie laughed at that, and Edward instead just rolled his eyes then looked at me and said in a whisper, which I'm sure was in a burst of bravery on his part that he didn't usually feel:
"You're not dating me, yet." And with that he turned around, leaving me with my mouth hanging open. The fucking nerd.
.
.
.
.
POV EDWARD
I had said it, I had hinted to Isabella that she was going to go out with me someday. Ha! As if that was even possible. It was my turn to pick up the mess that Lauren in her tantrum number...I'd already lost count, made. Rosalie walked in as I was lifting the last folder off the floor and rolled her eyes.
"And the diva throws another tantrum," she muttered. I shrugged, saying nothing since I had nothing to say, and tossed the folder onto my desk.
"She wanted us to get back together."
"You're kidding me, right?" Rosalie exclaimed sitting in front of me. I denied and that made her snort. When I first met Lauren she was a stunning blonde, her green eyes were beautiful springs and she had humility, she was looking for a way to become famous, by trying hard.
There was nothing left of that woman anymore.
After I helped her sign with Victoria Secret everything changed, and I walked away from the harpy who wanted to control the world and the only woman my mother accepted as her daughter-in-law. The one who hid behind a facade that didn't take long to bring to light. The two are made for each other.
"Are you going to tonight's dinner?" asked Rosalie pulling me out of my thoughts. I sighed heavily. Troy would burn that night at my house, or well, let me correct myself, at Elizabeth's mansion. Still I nodded, I had no choice but to attend.
.
.
.
.
"Can you believe Naomy Campbell gifted it to me? It was a total offense, of course." This was the umpteenth time I'd heard Lauren complain about a gift so expensive that if we sold it we'd be feeding several orphanages.
"I saw that watch at an auction. It was Yelena Bashkirova's," said my mother without smiling.
"Who is this Yelena Bashkirova?" Lauren asked with interest.
"Exactly, no one has ever heard of her!" Elizabeth exclaimed. I got up from the table and grunted, annoyed at the amount of nonsense they could say per minute.
"If you people didn't read only Cosmopolitan you would know that Yelena Bashkirova is a famous pianist." My mother's eyes widened in shock and looking at me, she ordered me as if I was still a five-year-old child.
"Anthony, sit down!"
"I'm leaving. I am not going to take this any longer," I blurted out. The truth is, I had been listening to stupidity after stupidity all night and I couldn't wait to get out of here.
"Anthony! Don't be rude. We're not done yet."
"You may not be finished, but I finished my dessert over half an hour ago," I said as I started to put on my jacket.
"But Eddie, we're having a great time," Lauren whispered in what she thought was a seductive voice. It just made my hair stand on end and I was thanking God that I had escaped that harpy.
"I have a lot of things to do" There was no way I was going to stay any longer. Not even dead.
I saw how my Elizabeth wanted to object to something, but I hurried more and by the time I started to hear her voice, I was already at the door, almost safe. My car seemed like the best place in the world right now, so I walked - almost ran- to it and as soon as I sat down and started it, I breathed easy. I had survived.
.
.
.
.
POV BELLA
"Oh Bella, you don't know how grateful I am to you," said Moli hugging me, choking me. Fuck, how much strength could a happy pregnant woman have? She let me go and jumped on her feet before kissing me and leave. Alice smiled mischievously and I shook my head, I'm not that good!
"Don't say it," I asked. She held up her hands defensively and we both saw the door to the dance studio open abruptly. Alec, Edward, Rosalie, Jasper and Emmett walked in.
"What…?"
"Did you talk to anyone on the way in?" asked Rosalie with several newspapers in her hands.
"… is going on?" I asked with a frown. Rosalie spread the newspapers on a table in the study and I approached when Alice opened her eyes and looked at me strangely.
'From pole dancer to choreographer.'
I gasped and felt my hands go cold when I saw a picture of The Dolls' Salon all over the papers.
"Fuck," I whispered, picking up one of the newspapers strewn across the table.
"Reliable sources claim that who teaches the new choreography for the new video of Edward Cullen's composition is none other than Isabella Swan, daughter of a famed pole dancer at the club known as The Dolls' Salon where Isabella or The Angel currently dances as the main star..."
I didn't finish reading because Edward snatched the paper from me in annoyance. He was upset, probably with me. Alec came up to me and grabbed my arm tightly. I wanted to let go of his grip, but the fucker had me in a tight grip.
"If you talked to someone, you better..." I'm going to break this fucking asshole's balls in 3...2...
"Alec!" Edward's biting voice made us both jump in fright, so focused were we on each other. Only then did I notice Alec's purple cheek. I frowned as he stepped back pale and stared at Edward, who nodded and threw the newspaper on the table.
"Bella and all of us have been surprised by this, so let's rule out the possibilities. I need to talk to Ray. I'm sure he won't mind if we tell him we're ready."
"Ready?" I asked confused looking at Edward.
"It is necessary to implement security measures so that no one leaks information until the video is released."
"What about the press?" Rosalie asked. Edward sighed and looked at me before answering
"The press doesn't matter. We can ignore them for the moment and avoid making statements."
My phone started ringing and I answered without looking at the caller ID.
"WHY THE FUCK IS THE ENTRANCE OF MY HOUSE FULL OF ISABELLA SWAN JOURNALISTS?" I put my cell phone away and frowned at him. My grandfather's fucking scream was heard even in China!
"Hey you don't need to shout. I can hear you perfectly well," I shouted into the phone, turning away from the boys who looked at me with concern.
"Cut the crap and start explaining to me, brat," he shrieked. I heard him slam the windows shut.
"Charles, listen to me, I need you to let me explain, you're talking without stopping." I heard him breathe and then he was silent waiting.
"Well, yes I'm doing the choreography for Edward Cullen's dance pa," I told him affectionately to calm him down, but Alec snatched my cell phone looking at me with a very bad face.
"Did you just confirm the news by phone?" I rolled my eyes and walked towards Alec, taking my phone from his hands, since my grandfather was talking like crazy '... Bullshit you're signing a movie with Chris Evans...'. I didn't even know what he was saying.
"We'll talk when I get home." And I hung up. I knew I was going to get a fucking caning from grandpa, but it wouldn't be the first time. I put my phone away and then grabbed Alec's hand surprising him, turned him around and left him pinned with his face on the table.
"I'm going to tell you this very slowly, as one would say to the brainless idiot that you are. You touch me again or even try to touch me and I'm going to finish you." I let him go and Alec adjusted his jacket, looking at me furious.
"I can be a fucking pain in the ass when I want to be, and you've had it up to here with your childish bullshit. I confirmed the news to my grandfather, you stupid, not someone in the press," I clarified, since everyone was looking at me like I had two heads.
"Grandfather"? Emmett asked with a frown. I rolled my eyes and nodded.
"Yes, you know, a little old man with a heart of cotton clouds. He's my mother's father and the man who raised me," I smiled as I remembered my old man. I left out the fact that my old man is one of those who loves and spoils his granddaughters the most although, I think sometimes he spoils Renesmee, my little sister, the most, but he loves me. Emmett smiled strangely.
"Well, speaking of security measures, Edward, your mother is on the line." We were interrupted by Rosalie holding her phone up with a frown on her face. Edward took Rosalie's phone and walked out of the study without looking at us. Alec followed him right away, exiting the room dramatically as Rosalie checked her tablet and Emmett talked on the phone. Jasper, on the other hand, was looking at Alice with a silly love-struck look on his face.
"Mary Alice," he said, wanting to sound attractive. IUGH! Alice frowned at him.
"Gaspar…" she growled lowly. Jasper smiled and looked at me for a while before asking teasingly.
"Do you want to be my friend? Gaspar wants to be friends with everybody."
"Or he wants to get into everyone's panties," Alice punctuated, walking towards me. Jasper gasped like a fish out of water, and I looked at Alice questioningly, but she ignored me.
"Weren't you and I leaving?" she asked. I nodded, unable to say anything. I was too overwhelmed by everything I had seen in the papers, plus my grandfather was at home in a panic. I had to get there and see what I could do. Without saying goodbye to anyone but Jasper, well I correct myself, I said goodbye to Jasper, Alice just growled at him, we left MusiC in Alice's old car. Thank heavens no one noticed us.
When I arrived at the building there were more than fifty journalists surrounding it.
"Look how many idiots there are," said Alice looking at me with concern. Someone knocked on the window making us jump in fright and, only then, we noticed the look on Jacob Black's face, who seemed to be upset too. I got out of the car and thank heavens no one noticed me.
"Charlie's upset, Angel. Who did you mess with this time?" he asked, holding back the amusement he felt, even though he looked annoyed. I knew him well enough to know he was not. I rolled my eyes and played it down before saying goodbye to Alice, who hates Jake. why? Well, he stole her cookies in preschool, and they've hated each other ever since, though they talk to each other sometimes, just to insult each other.
"How am I going to get into the building now?" I sighed, crossing my arms. Jake grabbed my hand in surprise, and we walked around the building to an alley where there were stairs that I had never seen in my life. Fuck, I need to get out more.
And it wasn't so hard to get in after all.
"You're in trouble, brat," said my grandfather as soon as I entered through the window. I pouted and Grandpa laughed as he shook his head and ruffled my hair. I told ya, the old man loves his granddaughters.
Jake instead looked at me with a raised eyebrow.
"Since when are you here? I asked looking at him. Jacob is a big kid with too many muscles and scary black eyes. If you didn't know him you would think he was a bully. He shrugged his shoulders as if downplaying it.
"A few hours. Paul and Quil came back with me." I nodded and sat down next to him. Jacob was always one of those renegades who traveled the world on his Harley and smoked cigarettes in the open air, but when I met him he was a kid who followed me everywhere to give me mud pies.
"Are you seriously teaching girls how to dance?" I snorted and nodded my head.
"It's a long story," I said. Jake settled back and looked at me for a moment before pulling my hair, saying:
"I have time, you know?" I smiled and settled into one of the armchairs in the living room. I told Jacob how I had ended up teaching eight girls to dance, one of whom was pregnant and the other seven of whom were crazy brainless girls.
My friendship with Jacob is a unique friendship that only comes back every so often, as my friend would only come to see his father for a few days and then get lost aimlessly on his motorcycle.
A curious fact: Pole dancing, today, is considered one of the best aerobic exercises and is being included in many gyms as a fitness routine.
So, this chapter is longer than usual AND has introduced new characters... What are your thoughts?
Read you tomorrow! xx