~!~
"What do you mean a bonfire?" I asked Jake as we climbed into my car to head home.
"What do you mean, what do I mean?" he countered incredulously. "A bonfire, Swan. You do know what a bonfire is, don't you?"
I gave him the stink eye.
"Saturday night, Halloween. Emmett said they're having one at his parent's house at the farm, and he invited us."
He wiggled his eyebrows.
"He said you can bring someone if you want."
I laughed out loud before looking both ways and pulling out of the driveway.
"And just whom would you suggest I invite?"
Jake looked out the window, an innocent expression on his face.
"Oh, I don't know … how about Mike?"
I turned to him in disbelief, watching his body shake with silent laughter before he raised his hands in a supplicating gesture.
"Kidding!" he let out between guffaws. "It's a joke, Bella. I'm fucking kidding!"
Mike Newton was the bane of my existence. We'd worked together for nearly nine months, and there wasn't a day he didn't try to hit on me. Normally I wouldn't have minded. I mean, every girl needs an ego boost now and then. The problem was that Mike was married, and his wife was the sweetest person in the world. He insisted they were separated, but I didn't buy it, and it took all I had not to call Heidi and tell her what a shitbag her husband was.
"Funny," I ground out as I stepped on the gas and pulled onto the street.
"You could always just come by yourself and hang out with Edward," he said with a grin.
I felt my heart kickstart at the mention of Edward's name but didn't reply, and Jake leaned over and pinched my leg.
"Stop it!" I laughed, pushing him away from me. "Get your grubby hands off me!"
He chuckled. "Girl, don't even try to tell me you weren't looking for a ring. We both know those fingers were bare."
I let out a snide "hmmmphh."
Just because he wasn't wearing a ring didn't mean he wasn't married or didn't have a girlfriend. This wasn't my first rodeo - not by a long shot.
"He's single," Jake said. "He had a girlfriend, but apparently, they broke up about a year ago. I don't know the whole story, but I do know he initiated it."
His head lolled on his shoulder, and he batted his eyelashes at me.
"He's footloose and fancy-free…" he sang. "Faaaaaaancccccy freeeee."
I smacked his arm.
"Shut it."
"So, does that mean you'll come?" He asked.
I mulled over his request as I lowered my visor against the sun and drove down the rural dirt road.
"Maybe," I replied noncommittally, but I knew I would go deep down. I wanted to learn more about Edward Cullen, and this might be my chance.