Somewhere To Begin Chapter 9, a twilight fanfic

Thank you to our Editor, Liz Vesper for pushing us to be better writers. We really appreciate it!

To our amazing pre-reader, Connie Hunter, thank you for helping us keep the flow of the story going.

Chapter 9: Foot Meet Mouth

Bella

Thank god it's Friday.

Today has not been my day. Aiden was late for school because he moved slower than a snail.

It was ironic since he runs everywhere.

I just barely made it to work on time myself. I drove like a madwoman, weaving in and out of traffic. I waited for the red and blue lights to flash when I drove pass the hidden cop car, which I saw at the last minute while I was going a cool 80 MPH.

Whew, that was a close one.

I pulled up to the building. I barely stopped while I grabbed my purse from the passenger seat.

"Good morning, Ms. Swan. How are you today?" Kaleb smiled.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. "Good morning, Kaleb. I'm fine, how are you?"

He tipped his hat to me and smiled. "I'm doing great. Thank you for asking."

I wasn't trying to be rude to Kaleb, but I had an important phone conference in ten minutes. "You're welcome." I handed my key fob to him with a quick wave, and power walked to the elevator.

I breathed a sigh of relief when the elevator door opened, and I smelled the aroma of my favorite hazel nut coffee in the air. I'm lucky as hell to have Angela as my personal assistant. She's always a few steps ahead of me, thinking of what I will need before I can ask. I am a javaphile, and Angela knows this.

Hey, it's a no judgement zone here!

I passed the smiling faces of a few employees and rounded the corner. Angela stood there with a steamy cup of creamy goodness and a warm smile. "Good morning, Bella."

I inhaled the smell of my coffee like the addict I was, smiled and took the cup from her hand. "Good morning, Angela. You're too good to me, you know that, right?"

"Pfft, it's my pleasure." She waved her hand. "I have the paperwork on your desk ready for your meeting…" She looked at her watch. "in six minutes." Angela held her hand out. "Here, give me your coat to hang up. I'll be in your office shortly."

Yeah, yeah, I know I'm spoiled.

I gave her my coat and grabbed her other free hand and gently squeezed it. "Thank you." She returned my hand squeeze and let go of my hand to head to my coat closet. As I continued to my office, I mentally went over the pertinent points of my imminent meeting.

My phone conference, that included Angela and Demetri, went on without any fanfare, which resulted in an impromptu meeting at Donatella Versace's office.

Demetri let out an exaggerated breath. "I'll have to reschedule my afternoon meeting now." Demetri glowered and threw himself back into his seat.

"Demetri, we're all going to need to make some adjustments to our schedules, deal with it." Angela rolled her eyes before looking down at the notes she had taken.

"Alright, Mutt and Jeff, that's enough." I rubbed my temples.

I usually enjoyed the preview of the designs that would be in the actual fashion show, but I was not in the mood today. However, to whom much is given, much is required.

"Look, we'll go to Shaw's Crab House afterwards. Does that work for you, Demetri?"

"Yes!" Demetri pulled his phone out and made lunch reservations as he walked out of my office.

"So." Angela looked over with a raised eyebrow. "Why do you think this last-minute meeting was called?"

I leaned forward on my desk. "Don't you remember that debacle her assistant, James, caused last year?" I chuckled, remembering how the show almost was ruined because he changed Donatella's theme for the show at the last minute. That's a big no-no. However, the biggest hiccup was a model's dress falling apart while she walked down the runway. James neglected to schedule the final fitting for that gown. Unfortunately, she paid for James' 'mess up' in various fashion magazines.

With this being Donatella's first show since last year's 'incident' she was nervous, and understandably so. She and my mother had been close friends since I was a little girl. She practically saw me grow up and helped to groom me into the woman I was today. Donatella was influential in my life, both personally and in my career. So, when she asked me to come and give my opinion, I went without reservation.

"Oh yeah, how could I forget that?"

"I'm sure Donatella put the fear of God in James after he pulled that foolishness."

"I'm shocked that he still has a job."

"She's really trying to work with him. He has the makings of a world-renowned designer."

"Oh," Angela said with her mouth in the shape of an O.

I waved my hand. "Anyway, reschedule my twelve o'clock appointment with Mr. Hopkins for later this week if that works for him." I paused, looking at my schedule on my computer. "Also, have the receptionist call the second round of interviewees and push the interviews back to next week."

Angela looked up from the paper as she took notes. "Consider it done. Anything else?"

"Yes, please take the mockup of the magazine back to Danielle for further art edits and let her know I expect the book back by Monday, no later than 11am. Lastly, hold all of my calls, I have to finish reviewing articles."

"Okay, I'll let you know when it's time to go." She raised from her seat and walked out of my office.

Rubbing my shoulders, I exhaled heavily and got to work. Time seemed to pass quickly. After reading article upon article, my eyes felt like they were crossed.

My office door caught my attention when it opened. "The driver is ready, Bella." Angela stood in the doorway with her hands full of portfolios.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road." I stood from my chair and straightened my clothes before I walked out of my office.

Once we were outside, I saw Demetri pouting as he leaned against the side of the limousine with crossed arms while the driver held the door open. "I still don't see why we have to rearrange our day because of James' mistake."

"Be nice." I got into the limousine with Angela right behind me.

"You never let me have any fun." He climbed in after us and got comfortable in his seat.

A raised eyebrow was my only response. "Okay, fine." He sighed as he looked out the window and Angela softly chuckled.

It was a quiet and quick ride.

Donatella's assistant stood by the entrance and waited as we got out of the limo. "Hello Mrs. Swan." James smiled half-heartedly. "Mrs. Versace is in the presentation room. She is ready to start the viewing upon your arrival."

"Well please, lead the way, James," Demetri said with a wide smile and much more enthusiasm than what was needed.

I forgot how big this building was. I wore the wrong shoes for this hike.

After what felt like hours, we made it to the viewing room. "Bella, darling. It's so good to see you," Donatella said with her thick accent as she kissed both of my cheeks and pulled me in for a hug. "We have so much to catch up on. Renée told me everything." She whispered before she pulled back, still holding on to my arm and gave a pointed look. "I'll be offended later that you didn't call. But now let's get to business."

Donatella had every right to be upset with me. She's like the aunt I never had. "I'm sorry Dona." I kissed her cheek and wrapped my arm around her waist as she led me to the couch. "I should have called. It was just a lot of things happened so fast. I felt like I didn't have the time to even blink."

"We will catch up later, Darling." She gently patted my hand. "Now this is a new designer who I feel has a lot of potential." She turned to Demetri. "Also, there is a model in this bunch who I feel could be the next big thing. Tell me what you think. You have an eye for these types of things."

"Of course, you know I love a fresh face," Demetri said while he sat on the other side of her and Angela sat on my other side.

"James, we are ready to begin."

We exchanged our thoughts on the collection as we watched piece after piece be presented.

"This is the girl." Donatella whispered as we watched her model a brown knee length python-printed dress.

"Well, look at that," Demetri said.

"Oh my," Angela said softly, playing with her necklace.

It was none other than Buttercup. Alec's Chelsea.

Just great.

Chelsea stumbled mid-turn when she made eye contact with me.

Dona turned to me with an expectant look. "What do you think, Bella?" Chelsea's eyes widened.

I maintained eye contact with Chelsea. Tilting my head to the left, I smiled. "She is something… special. What do you think, Demetri?" I turned my head to look at him.

"Oh." He cleared his throat. "Well, she has great facial structure. Her eyes really pull you in." He trailed off.

"Yes, I thought the same. She really reminds me of Shalom Harlow. Oh, how I adored her!" Dona mused with her hand on her cheek and a soft smile on her lips. She shook her head. "Did you like the collection Bella?"

"Yes, it was wonderful. I think it just needs a few minor tweaks, but I foresee this person doing some great things. Who designed the collection?"

"Her name is Eleonore Laurier. She reminds me of you a little." Her gaze was unfocused. "Oh, how I would love to have an Isabella original in my show." She smiled with an expected look. "It's been ages since you've designed, Sweetheart."

I smiled, holding her hand. "Between Aiden and the magazine, I just haven't had the time Dona. I'll see what I can do, but I can't promise anything for the show. Perhaps I'll design something for you." She lit up like a Christmas tree as she smiled and pulled me in for a hug.

"You spoil me, Darling." She cooed.

I cupped her cheek with my hand. "It's my pleasure." I cleared my throat. "I love the entire collection. But I have my eye on a particular one for myself."

"I already know which one." She winked. "The green silk maxi gown."

I placed my hand over my heart and grinned. "How could you have ever guessed?" I teased.

She tapped my nose with her pointer finger. "Because I know you, my love." She looked down at her watch. "I hate to rush off, especially since we haven't seen each other in a while, but I have another appointment."

"Let's do lunch or dinner soon. You haven't been to my new place yet. I'll cook."

"I like the sound of that." She stood up. "I'll cancel something if I have to. See if Rosalie can make those cannoli's you know I love." She smiled, blew a kiss and walked away.

"Well, this was… interesting." Demetri smirked.

"You could at least wait till we're out of the building." Angela leaned over me and frowned as she made eye contact with Demetri.

He leaned forward and deadpanned, "Did you forget who I am?" He waved his hand up and down his body. "I'm never one to waste a moment, Angela. We all know this." He sighed and leaned back into the couch.

"Yes, and unfortunately you're worse when you haven't eaten." I stood up. "Let get to lunch guys."

We were almost at the entrance when we heard. "Ms. Swan." We all turned around to see who it was.

"The audacity, the courage. I love to see it," Demetri said with a mischievous smile.

"Behave Demetri." Angela whispered.

"Nope." He popped the p, as we all watched Chelsea walk towards us.

"If nothing else, she has gumption." I squinted my eyes. "However, I'm not sure if I should laugh or be concerned."

"That or stupidity. But both, for sure both." Demetri chuckled.

Once in front of us, Chelsea exhaled "Hello, Ms. Swan could I talk to you for a moment?" She looked between Angela and Demetri while she fidgeted with the sleeve of her sweater.

"Hello, I'm Demetri Dallas and this lovely woman to the right of Ms. Swan is Angela." Demetri pointed to himself and Angela before he placed his hands in his pockets. "What can we do for you?"

"Um." She waited to see if I would move.

"Is there something you needed?" I asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Well, then." She stood straighter and looked me directly in the eyes. "I just wanted to make sure our history," she cleared her throat, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "doesn't effect any working relationship we may have."

"History?" I let out a light, humorless laugh. "Is that what we're calling this?" I point between myself and her.

She took a step back and let out a breath. "Can we be adults about this? I know you may never like me, but this is my career, and I don't want it ruined because of a misunderstanding."

Demetri spined around to face Angela. "I know she didn't just say a misunderstanding."

"Shush Demetri." Angela said.

Chelsea's eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared as she faced Demetri. "Can you excuse yourself so I can talk to Ms. Swan?"

I held my hand up before Demetri could speak. I looked Chelsea directly in the eye. "You must be confused, Chelsea. I am a seasoned designer, editor and owner of my own magazine. You chased me down to ask me to be an adult about your career." I forced a laugh. "I know how to separate business from personal." I shook my head as I looked her up and down. "You and I don't have a history, nor is there a misunderstanding, as you say. There has not or will there ever be anything we need to discuss. Don't waste my time again." I turned and walked away with Angela and Demetri following behind me.

"Hey Nate, we're doing Shaw's for lunch today. The one on Hubbard," I said as I got into the waiting limo.

"Okay, Ms. Swan." He held the door for Angela and Demetri to get in.

It was quiet in the limo for a moment. I knew it was coming.

Any minute now.

"Well, um, that was…" Angela cleared her throat. "productive."

"Girl, please, she made an ass of herself. She may have the look, but she's clearly not working with a full deck. What would possess her to chase you down?" Demetri asked.

I closed my eyes and exhaled. There was no way in hell I'm having a conversation about Alec's Buttercup.

"Did you see her stumble a little when she saw Bella?" Angela sniggered.

"I'm sure she shit her thong." Demetri laughed. "That's what the little home wrecker gets. She has no idea the connections Bella has in this industry."

I could ruin her career before it got started. No need though, karma's a bitch.

"I bet when she woke up this morning the last person, she thought she would see is Bella at her job."

Demetri bounced in his seat. "The skank didn't see it coming." He gave Angela a high-five.

"Okay peanut gallery." I chuckled. "Have you gotten it all out now? Can we move on?"

"Give us this moment Bella, you won't laugh but we will!" Demetri laughed like a maniac for a few moments before collecting himself. "Okay, I'm done. We can move on for now."

"God, you're ridiculous." Angela laughed.

I giggled. "Demetri, you need help, you're…" My ringing cell phone cut me off.

Digging through my purse, I found my phone and saw an unfamiliar number.

"Hello."

"Hi, may I speak with Ms. Swan?"

"This is she. May I ask who I'm speaking with?"

"Yes, my apologizes. I'm Mrs. Murphy, a teachers' aide from Willow Academy. I'm calling on behalf of Mrs. Cope. She would like to discuss some things with you regarding Aiden. She is asking when you come to pick him up today if you will come to her classroom where he will be waiting."

"Is he okay? He's not hurt, is he?" I sat up, my eyebrows drawing together.

"No, ma'am Aiden isn't hurt. He's fine, but Mrs. Cope would like to have further conversation with you when you get here."

"Is there anything else you can tell me?"

"I'm sorry, I cannot. Mrs. Cope can further explain to you later."

"Well, okay then." I let out a harsh breath and rubbed the back of my neck. "I'll see you later, then."

"See you then. Goodbye Ms. Sawn."

I leaned back into my seat and crossed my legs. I twisted my hair with my finger as my foot tapped against the floor.

"Is everything okay?" Angela asked with a wrinkle of her brow.

"I don't know." I sigh and rubbed the side of my face. "That was Aiden's school, his teacher wants to talk to me but was very vague about what or if there was a problem."

"Don't worry so much B. I'm sure everything is fine," Demetri said despite the worried crinkle that appeared on his forehead.

Angela nodded her head. "Yeah, we all know how smart he is" She leaned toward me and bumped her shoulder with mine. "Maybe she wants to talk about advance placement."

"Angela is right. He's like a genius in the making."

I know Aiden is smart, but I also know that comes with his smart mouth.

I exhaled, looking up at the sunroof. "Here's to hoping for the best."

We came to a stop, and a few moments later the door opened.

"Thank you, Nate," I said as he held his hand out and helped me out of the limo.

"No problem, Ms. Swan." He assisted Angela and held the door open for Demetri.

Once we walked into Shaw's we were immediately seated. We went over our schedules and projects that were coming up. Demetri told Angela and me of his plans to see an up-and-coming designer in New York. We also discussed Alice's dinner party, and how she invited them both.

After lunch we went back to the office. I finalized the previous articles I reviewed before we left and had a brief meeting with the advertising department. I was easily distracted because my mind was on Aiden.

I pulled into Willow Academy, parked the car, and made my way inside.

Please let this be something good.

I walked into the main office to sign in and was greeted by the secretary, Ms. Robinson. We exchanged pleasantries before she escorted me to Mrs. Cope's classroom.

When I entered the classroom, I saw Mrs. Cope, Aiden, someone who I assumed was the teacher's aide, and a little girl.

I noticed Aiden's cheeks were red, and he didn't meet my gaze.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Swan." Mrs. Cope greeted as she stood up from behind her desk.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Cope." I nodded. "I have to admit I'm concerned since the teacher's aide could not tell me what this meeting was about on the phone." I walked over to Aiden and lifted his chin to look me in the eye. "Are you okay, Honey?"

He shook his head. "Yes, Mommy." Barely above a whisper.

"Please forgive me, Ms. Swan. I did not mean to alarm you, but I felt this discussion would be better in person." Mrs. Cope stepped to the side, standing by the other lady in the room. "I would like for you to meet my teacher's aide, Mrs. Murphy. Mrs. Murphy, this is Ms. Swan." She smiled.

Mrs. Murphy stood from the chair she occupied and extended her hand to greet me. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Swan."

I shook her hand in return. "The pleasure is all mine."

I sat down next to Aiden, lightly stoking his back to assure him.

"We're waiting on the other parent. As soon as he gets here, we will start our meeting." Mrs. Cope said, sitting down at her desk.

The children had been busy. I could tell by all the art that covered the walls. My eyes landed on the cute little girl with long reddish-brown hair, the biggest hazel eyes I've ever seen, with pouty lips. Was this the little girl that said Aiden stinks? The one with cooties?

I snapped out of my thoughts as the door burst open. "Please forgive me for being late. I was in a meeting when you called." He rushed out.

Damn, he fine.

Edward

The past two weeks have been mad crazy with moving, unpacking, the back-to-back meetings at work and shopping for furniture. Esme used her 'expert decorating skills' to help me pick out the family room furniture that's being delivered today. Expert decorator is just a title she gave herself to justify how much time and money she spends while shopping.

I looked around Renata's playroom with a satisfied smile after I hung up some of her art on the walls. We lucked out with this place getting a finished basement with the condo. Renata has a nice size playroom for her many toys, and I could share the space with her by setting up my home office down here to be close to her.

Luckily, Renata was going to have an extra week to get used to the new place. Gianna went to Boston to visit her parents. She said she needed to clear her mind. I'm happy I got extra time with her.

I headed upstairs, after checking the time, to make sure I didn't miss the delivery guys.

I got a bottle of water, grabbed my laptop, placed it on the island and checked my emails when the phone rang.

"What's up, Em?"

"Nothing much, little bro. I'm confirming our 12:30 meeting."

I snorted a laugh. "I told you I would be there."

"I'm making sure you won't flake out on me. You haven't been that interested in this investment."

"I told you to prove it to me. I'll be there with bells and whistle Emmett."

"Yeah, yeah. I can't wait for you to see just how wrong you are, Mr. Positivity."

"Whatever, Em." I chuckled. "Don't forget to text me the address."

"I won't. I'll see you later."

"See ya." I ended the call and tossed the phone on the counter.

I looked over our current investments to make sure everything was still going afloat. Thankfully, everything looked good except for one account. By all means that isn't a bad thing, but I strive for all of our investments to flourish.

I decide to look further into Sweet Home Reality.

Hm. That's unusual…

Real estate companies were among the quicker businesses to turn a profit. I looked over the reports that their accountant sent and found a few problems with the allocation of funds. If these figures are correct, this company wouldn't last longer than two years. I emailed Carmen so she could set-up a meeting with Sweet Home Reality. I needed to get a clear understanding of what's going on.

Just as I was about to close my laptop, an email from Carmen flashed across my screen.

Hello Mr. Cullen,

The owners of Chix on Dix would like to know if you and Mr. Cullen are available for a meeting next Thursday. You both have an open slot from 1pm-2pm. Would you like me to schedule this? I reached out to Mr. Cullen, but he has yet to respond. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything.

Have a great weekend

-Carmen

I quickly replied telling her to schedule the appointment and that I would inform Emmett about it.

I straightened up from my hunched over position at the counter and stretched when I got a call from the front desk. "Hello Mr. Cullen, your furniture has arrived. Would you like me to send them up now?"

"Yes please."

"Okay, they are on their way up now."

Moments later there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see two guys with Boca do Lobo polo shirts on with black pants and a lot of furniture.

What in the hell did Esme order?

I looked out into the hallway with wide eyes. "Is all of this for me?"

He looked down at his tablet. "Are you Edward Cullen?"

"Uh. Yes."

"Then yes, this is all for you, plus a few more items that have to be brought up as well."

"Okay…" I held the door and moved to the side so they could come in. "Right this way." I guided them to the living room and watched as they unloaded everything.

Considering how much furniture they had to unload, they finished quickly. Once the couch, coffee table, lamp, rug and end tables were set up in the correct places, they went back downstairs to grab the accent chairs, curtains, paintings, throw pillows and blankets and other décor pieces.

When everything was in its proper place and they left. I looked around and nodded. "Expert designer indeed." Glancing at my watch, I saw I only had an hour and a half until my meeting.

I took a quick shower and dressed in gray slacks with a black sweater and black shoes. When I stepped outside, the October winds reminded me I should have worn a coat. I considered going back up to grab a coat, but decided against it. I didn't want to be late for the meeting.

While driving to the restaurant, I mentally prepared myself.

I tapped on the steering wheel as I waited at a red light. "Okay Edward, you will be open-minded. You will be fair and hear what Emmett and the owner have to say." I turned to the right and see an older woman looking at me with squinted eyes.

She must think I'm crazy.

I turned my head back to the stoplight and accelerated once the light turned green.

"Edward, you will stop talking to yourself."

Not likely.

"You will stop talking to yourself in public."

That's doable.

I pulled up to the restaurant and took note of the building. There would for sure need to be some changes to the outside. It's in a good location, but nothing stands out. People could easily pass it, not realizing this was a restaurant. I made my way inside, instantly surprised by how nice the interior was compared to the exterior. The walls were black, but it didn't make the room feel small. The wooden beams helped to open the space up and the pine wood floors added a lot of character. There were no windows in the dining area, but I guessed that's the whole point.

The décor aspect was very nice. All the chairs were rattan, with white tabletops and woven legs.

"Eddy! You're early," Emmett said, slapping his hand down on my shoulder. "I hope you're ready to eat your words. Let's take a seat until she's ready." He pushed me toward the closest table. "What do you think so far?" He asked as he sat down.

"The outside needs a few renovations, but inside is pretty perfect."

"Yeah, I agree with that. Wait till you meet Whitney, the owner. She's really laid back and funny. I think you'll like her."

"Sounds like someone has a little crush." I chuckle.

"Not in the slightest." He put his elbows on the table and leaned toward me. "She's just really passionate about her concept and I believe in her dude. This is going to be a huge deal. All you have to do is take your head out of your ass to see it." He said with an emphatic nod and unwavering eye contact.

"I'm here, aren't I?"

He took a breath and glanced down before looking back at me. "Give this a real chance though, man."

"Relax Em, I promise to be fair."

"Good." He said with a slow smile.

"Hello gentlemen." A tall African American woman with locs walked toward us. "I'm Whitney and welcome to 'Dark Dinning'. Not bad Emmett, the name is growing on me." She shrugged her shoulders, pulled out a chair, and took a seat. "Before we begin, I just wanted to explain my reasoning for creating this experience. In today's time with so much focus on the next moment, the next big thing, we as people can find ourselves so focused on what's next that we aren't living in the moment; in what's happening this present second." She tapped the table. "I figured if I created a space where the presence of cell phones and any other outside distraction weren't an option, that alone could enhance the eating experience. And like many studies have shown when you remove a sense like vison, it causes the other to heighten, which allows the person to pay close attention to the flavor, texture, and smell of food. It's so amazing!" She abruptly stood from her chair. "I have prepared some of my favorite items for your enjoyment," she said as she walked to the kitchen. "Give me a few moments and your dining experience will begin."

Of course, my cell phone rings now.

"Ed, man cut that off for now, I want you to experience this fully."

I pulled my phone out and saw it was a number I didn't recognize. "Okay, okay, calm down." I placed my phone on mute and put it back in my pocket.

Soft jazz music started playing and the lights slowly dimmed until it was completely dark.

I heard movement until I saw a dim light. Whitney walked to us with a cart of food that had a muted candle on it. "To start you all off, I have prepared a creamy roasted mushroom soup." She placed the bowls of soup in front of us along with a candle in the center of the table, which she lit. It didn't provide much light as I could barely see the food. I couldn't even make out Emmett or Whitney's faces. "While you enjoy your meal, I'll be close by to direct you as needed." She whispered.

"Thank you, Whitney." I said.

She must have read my mind. She lightly placed her hand on my shoulder. "Your spoon is to your left."

Whitney walked to Emmett's side of the table and did the same.

"Mmm, this is delicious." I said, swallowing my first spoonful. I licked my spoon since we were in the dark and I knew no one could laugh at me.

Ha!

"Why thank you, Mr. Cullen. I'm pleased you're enjoying your meal thus far."

"Please call me Edward, Whitney."

"Alright, Edward."

"I've never been a big fan of mushroom soup, but you've just sold me Whitney," Emmett said. I heard him scrapping his bowl.

I could hear the chuckle Whitney tried to muffle. "I take it you enjoyed your soup, Emmett?"

"Most definitely. I'm ready for the next course."

"Great. I'll be right back with the main course."

I heard her walk away.

"So, what do you think so far, Edward?"

"I have to admit, I'm impressed."

"See, I told ya." He lowered his voice. "This would be a great investment, Eddie."

"Have you seen any figures yet?"

Our conversation ended as we heard footstep nearing our table.

"Emmett and Edward, I'm serving you one of my personal favorites, rosemary crumbed rack of lamb, with creamy white wine and mustard sauce. It's paired with lightly buttered herb potatoes and a spring salad. I'm going to move away from your table so you can have the full experience, but I'll be close by if you need me, gentlemen."

"Everything has been great so far. Thank you, Whitney," Emmett said.

I picked up my knife and fork as I heard her walk away again. I was eager to taste the lamb since I'd just experienced the best soup I've ever had.

"Oh my god, Edward!" He whispered yelled. "Have you tasted it yet?"

"Not yet. I'm about to though."

The lamb was tender easily falling off the bone as I cut into it. "Emmett, please don't tell Ma I said this, but I've never had anything that tasted this good in my life."

"I won't tell if you don't." He said with a deep sigh.

After we ate as much as we could, Whitney approached us again with a cart. "I hope you guys have some room left for dessert." She collected our plates and set them on a table behind her. "Here is a small cup of green tea for you both. This will help cleanse your palate, to prepare you for your last course."

After we drank our tea, she cleared the table and presented dessert. "This is a customer's favorite. Here we have a dark chocolate ganache tart with fresh raspberries and a hint of mint," she said before she took a step back.

"Mmm." I hummed before I could stop myself. It was delicious. The raspberries complimented the dark chocolate very well. The sweet and slightly bitter flavor combined with the mint tasted very refreshing.

"Oh man, this is good," Emmett said. "Everything was absolutely delicious."

"Yes, it was amazing." I added.

"I'm glad everything was to your liking." She walked across the room. "We've come to the end of your Dark Dining experience, gentlemen," Whitney said as she gradually turned the lights on.

Emmett and I shook our heads and blinked until our eyes adjusted to the light in the room.

I walked toward Whitney with my hand extended. "It's been a pleasure. Give us a week and our assistant Carmen will get in touch with you to set up a meeting to discuss our business plan with you."

Her eyes sparkled with a gleam and a wide smile. "Thank you! I look forward to meeting with you all."

Emmett smiled. "I'll talk to you later, Whitney. Once again, thank you for everything."

I looked at my watch and noticed it was almost time to pick Renata up from school.

"So, what'd you think?" Emmett asked as we walked out the door.

"You were right. This would be a good investment."

Emmett pumped his fist in the air. "Yes!" He grabbed the sides of my face and kissed my forehead with a wet kiss.

I quickly pulled away from his grip and wiped my forehead with my sleeve. "Damn it, Em, that was slobbery!"

"Aww, little Eddie." He pinched my cheek and laughed. "Stop bitching, you know you loved it."

"Whatever asshole." I pulled my phone out of my pocket to turn the ringer back on when I noticed I had a voicemail. I entered my code and listened to the message.

Hello Mr. Cullen,

This is Mrs. Murphy from Willow Academy. I'm the teacher's aide in Mrs. Cope's classroom. Mrs. Cope would like for you to come to her classroom for a brief meeting, which is where you can pick Renata up as well.

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you this afternoon.

The message ended, and I clutched my phone. I looked up at Emmett. "I have to go." I pulled my car keys out of my pocket and walked towards my truck.

"Who was that? Is everything okay?"

I stopped walking and turned around. "Yeah, I think so. That was Jellybean's school. Her teacher is requesting a meeting." I looked at the time on my phone. "I'm going to be late. I have to go now." I took a few steps and then stopped again. "Emmett, we have a meeting with Chix on Dix's next Thursday."

Emmett waved me off as he walked backwards toward his car. "Okay, cool. Go make sure our girl is okay. Call me later."

"Alright" I said while I opened my car door. I hopped in and took side streets to avoid the usual traffic.

I parked in the school parking lot and rushed to the main entrance. I signed in at the main office and sprinted to the classroom.

I swung the door open. "Please forgive me for being late. I was in a meeting when you called." I rushed out.

"Thank you for joining us, Mr. Cullen." Mrs. Cope said as she stood from her chair.

I noticed the other people in the room. It was that same woman and her son who had been with the obnoxious guy I'd seen while waiting on Renata and Gianna.

What in the hell is going on here?

"We called Ms. Davis, but her phone went straight to voicemail."

"She'll be out of town for a few days." I looked at Renata as she sat at a desk looking down.

"Okay. Well, thank you for joining us. This is Mrs. Murphy." She pointed to the woman who was next to her. "And this is Ms. Swan and her son Aiden." She waved her hand in front of her. She took a seat and sighed. "Now we have some things to work out. You can sit here." She gestured to the seat next to Ms. Swan. "Renata, you can sit next to your Dad."

Renata walked to me with her eyes to the ground and quietly sat down.

My eyebrows wrinkled together. "What's wrong, Jellybean?" I asked and pulled her into my side.

"I'm sorry, Daddy." She whispered.

"What are you sorry for, Sweetheart?"

Mrs. Cope cleared her throat. "I don't mean to interrupt, but that's why I called this meeting, Mr. Cullen."

"Aiden and Renata have had trouble getting along with each other for a while now, and until recently I've been able to handle it. I went this long without notifying you of it because this isn't abnormal." She looked down at a paper in front of her. "Most if not all kindergartners have to adjust from being a home with their parent, grandparents or babysitters they've known for years. But that usually works itself out in a couple of weeks. I know there have been some major changes in both homes, so I figured if I gave them both some time to adjust, that it would work itself out in a couple of weeks."

I glanced at Ms. Swan and she listened intently with her legs crossed.

Sexy legs.

Get it together, Edward, you're here for your daughter.

"So, what I'm saying is Aiden and Renata have gone beyond the normal time to adjust and the behaviors have progressed to where I had to bring you all in today." Mrs. Coped finished with a pointed look.

"Do you mind telling us what behaviors you're referring to, please?" Ms. Swan asked.

"Sure." She opened her notebook and read from it. "The first week of school they didn't want to share crayons with each other. They shared just fine with the other students. I gave them both time and continued to teach everyone about sharing, as some students are the only child in their family."

I nodded so she could continue.

"Then during recess Aiden and some other boys in my class interrupted the girls jumping rope, which Renata was doing as well. Now, in that situation, the other little boys and girls walked away as I walked towards them, but Aiden and Renata continued to argue, and I had to break it up."

"Arguing about what exactly?" I asked before she could continue. I glanced at Renata before turning back to Mrs. Cope.

"What I overheard was an argument over who had cooties and whether boys stink." She paused before she exhaled. "Unfortunately, the nitpicking, and the arguing have persisted. However, it was the incident today that called for this meeting."

"What exactly is the incident, Mrs. Cope?" Ms. Swan asked.

"They came into the classroom today, antagonizing each other. They were sticking their tongues out at each other and both of them were throwing crayons."

Little Jellybean is in class throwing crayons? This is new…

"During their lunch period while they stood in line for their food, they argued again, calling each other names while the other kids laughed. Mrs. Murphy had to break that one up." Mrs. Cope took a breath and turned the page in her book. "One of the playground monitors had to come get me while I was working on my lesson plan. The monitor told me the girls were playing hopscotch, and the boys were playing soccer. Someone kicked the soccer ball over where the girls were and messed up their game." She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not exactly sure about everything that was said, but in the end Renata kicked Aiden and in return Aiden pulled Renata's hair." Mrs. Cope finished with a wavering smile.

I was silent for a few seconds because I was completely at a loss for words. My daughter was acting like this at school. I know she's not a saint. Hell, me and Gianna weren't so innocent when we were young, but not this soon.

I opened and closed my mouth a few times before words actually came out. "Mrs. Cope I am so sorry. I had no idea any of this was going on."

"As I said earlier, Mr. Cullen, I am aware there have been some changes at home and I figured some behaviors came from that, but this has gone on for long enough." Mrs. Cope said.

"So, where do we go from here? What course of action will be taken by the school?" Ms. Swan asked.

Mrs. Cope folded her hands together on her desk. "Actually, I haven't reported this. I didn't feel it was necessary right now. I wanted to see if we could work this out together."

"I appreciate you reaching out to me before you reported this to the office, and I'm sure Mr. Cullen agrees. I wasn't aware the changes at home were affecting Aiden's behavior at school. I can't apologize enough for you dealing with this, while still teaching your class." Mrs. Swan turned and looked at Aiden. "I will tell both of your grandfathers about your behavior."

"I'm sorry, Mommy." Aiden sighed heavily.

Renata side-eyed me and fidgeted with her hands. I set my gaze back to Mrs. Cope. "Do you know how all of this even started?"

Mrs. Murphy held her hand up. "I know how it started. The first day of school, one of the other boys yelled out that boys should not play with girls because they have cooties. I try to discourage it, but unfortunately, this is fairly common among kids this age." She sighed.

Mrs. Swan blew out a breath. "Aiden, didn't we talk about this? So, it sounds like you listened to another little boy, but you're the one in trouble, right?"

She's a fiery one.

"Just to let you know, I've spoken to the other student's parents as well and handled it accordingly, however there is still some…" she trailed off, her eyes searching around the classroom, "tension between these two. Both of your children are bright, and I see them excelling well here at Willow Academy. They're both shining stars in my class." She pointed to a bulletin board on the wall with the names of everyone in the class.

Ms. Swan and I turned our heads to the wall Mrs. Cope motioned to and walked over to the board. I studied the board for a few minutes and saw there were varying amounts of stars next to the students' names, but Aiden and Renata each had several stars by their names, more than most of the others.

Maybe Carlisle is right about getting a therapist.

I backed away from the board and walked back to my seat next to Renata. "So, where do we go from here?" I asked.

"Well, that's where you and Ms. Swan come in. I know both of you have some delicate situations at home. However, we cannot continue to go down this road." Her eyes shifted from Renata to Aiden. "If they can come to class, starting Monday, share with each other, stop arguing with each other and learn to get along, then all is forgotten. We can start fresh Monday morning." She smiled.

I took Renata by the hand and pulled her to stand in front of me, while I sat in the chair. "Sweetheart, we're going to talk about this when we get home."

She covered her face with both hands. "Okay, Daddy."

I felt like crying seeing my baby girl like this.

I sat her on my lap and held her, nuzzling her hair. "It's okay, Jellybean. We'll talk it all out. I got you, Sweetheart. Daddy loves you, always." I whispered in her ear.

She turned to look me in the eye. "Always Daddy?"

I shook my head. "Always."

I picked Renata up as I stood from the chair. "Once again, thank you Mrs. Cope for allowing me to work this out with Renata. I apologize for everything and I assure you this won't happen again."

I grabbed Renata's bookbag from the back of her chair and walked toward the door.

"Excuse me, Mr. Cullen." I turned around to give Ms. Swan my attention. "May I speak to with you before you leave?" She asked.

"Sure." I stood next to the door to wait.

Ms. Swan said something to Aiden I couldn't hear before walking over to Mrs. Cope's desk.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Also, please contact me immediately if anything like this happens again." Mrs. Swan said as she shook Mrs. Cope's hand. She turned around and faced Aiden. "Okay, Honey, get your bookbag." He picked his bag up from the floor by the chair he was sitting in and put his hand in Ms. Swan's outstretched hand.

"Have a good evening everyone." Mrs. Cope said as we all piled out of the classroom door.

"Thank you, you do the same." I replied from the hallway before Ms. Swan shut the door.

We walked in silence down the hallway. Being the gentlemen that I am, I opened the door for Ms. Swan to walk through first.

Yeah, right! You just wanted another peek of her legs.

She waited for me to walk out and stood directly in front of me. "I won't keep you long, Mr. Cullen, as I'm sure you day as already been long, but I felt like we should talk."

Now that she was in front of me, I got a better view of how gorgeous this woman was with her long, wavy brunette hair. She was short but curvaceous and she carried it well.

I smiled at her. "It's okay. We can talk for a minute. I agree we should."

"Okay, good. Where did you park?" She pointed to a black Bentley truck. "That's me right there. I want to put Aiden in the truck and hopefully we can talk then, if that's okay. Little ears and all, you know?" She smiled.

"Yeah, I get it. Actually, my truck is parked next to yours."

She ran her hand through her hair. "Perfect." She looked down at Aiden, who was holding her hand. "Sweetie, here's my phone. You can finish watching the movie you had on this morning and I'll be right outside the car talking to Mr. Cullen."

He nodded his head. "Okay, Mommy." Once her truck was unlocked, Aiden opened the back door, climbed in and quickly closed the door.

I unlocked my truck, put Renata in her booster seat, and handed her my iPad so she could play a game. "I'll just be a moment, but you'll be able to see me, okay?"

I saw the first smile from Renata since the meeting started. "Okay, Daddy." I smiled in return, feeling a little lighter.

I walked to the front of my truck and met Ms. Swan's gaze.

Was she checking me out?

I cleared my throat.

I think she realized I caught her.

"Mr. Cullen," She said.

"Edward, please."

"Edward." She smiled. "You can call me Bella."

"Bella."

"I wanted to apologize for Aiden's behavior towards Renata. He's never done anything like this before. I'm not excusing his behavior in the least bit, but as Mrs. Cope mentioned, we've had some changes in our family and obviously it's affected him more than I thought."

I put my hands in my pocket. "There's no need to apologize. I certainly understand, as we've been working through some family things ourselves. A few days ago, my mother mentioned Renata's behavior being different lately. But I was totally unaware of her arguing and kicking other students."

She rubbed her hands over her arms, as if trying to warm herself. "Both of our children were wrong. Neither one of them can point a finger at the other. We… I didn't raise Aiden to put his hands-on girls or anyone else for that matter." She sighed. "I'm so sorry, it will never happen again."

I rocked on my heels. "I hear you. We didn't teach Renata to kick people either." I chuckled. "We as parents have to be careful what we do around our children because they're little sponges and pick up everything."

She furrowed her brows. "Yeah, I agree with that, Edward." She smirked. "Maybe I'm misunderstanding you and I'll ask because I don't like to assume anything. Are you implying something?"

"No! Not at all, I was just trying to say that sometimes kids can surprise you by how many of our behaviors they pick…" I rubbed my neck as I looked down at my shoes. I cleared my throat before looking back at her. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I noticed you, your son, and who I assume is his father on the first day of school. He was loud, not to mention his unique exit I can imagine that behaviors like that…" I abruptly stop talking when I see the look on her face.

Why the fuck did I say that?

Her eyes went from warm and inviting to hard and cold. She stepped closer to me with her chin held high. "What did you just say?"

I held my hands up in surrender. "I didn't—"

"That's right, you didn't think, Mr. Cullen." She quickly glanced at her truck where Aiden sat. "Who the hell do you think you are implying what I need to be careful about regarding my son, as if I'm oblivious what he's picking up, as you say." She glared.

"I think you misunderstood me, Bella. I didn't mean to offend you."

She curled her lips. "You didn't mean to offend me? Did you think about what you were going to say before you said it, or do you just let anything that comes to mind roll off your tongue?"

Oh shit.

She shook her head, taking a step back and put her hand out. "Alright." She said in a calmer tone. "As I said, I apologize for Aiden's actions and it will never happen again," she said before she turned on her heels and walked to her car.

"Bella, wait. I didn't mean to say that. I wasn't…" I wanted to apologize.

She waved her hand as she continued walking. "It's fine. Goodbye, Mr. Cullen" she said as she got into her car and drove off seconds later.

I watched her taillights until they disappeared.

Foot meet mouth.

"Ugh." I groaned as I looked up at the sky. "Smooth Cullen, real smooth." I muttered while I dragged my feet to the car.

A/N: Recs: Consequences of Miracles, by Travis Birkenstock. Great story, dark adult themes but definitely worth the read.

Sideline Collison, by Nolebucgrl. Humor & Romance. Awesome story! Get comfy and get lost in the wonderful story.

Were you expecting this type of meeting? *smirks*

Any feelings about Chelsea?

Who has or would like to experience Dark Dining?

Tell us your thoughts about this chapter, we'd love to hear them.

See you next chapter!