We eventually made it to our destination, a small Italian restaurant called Mamma May's Italian Bistro.
He carefully parked in one of the empty parking spaces, before shutting the whole down.
I slowly unwrapped myself from his body, before undoing the buckle on the helmet and slipping it off. My hair fell once more down my back as I climbed off. As I did, he silently took my hand and led me into the small bistro.
Delicious smells mixed into the air as we walked in, making my mouth water and my stomach rumble.
A thin, short, blonde woman was waiting for us as we walked in. I knew she would completely ignore me, as I stood there next to Masen when her eyes landed on him.
"Good evening, welcome to Mamma May's Italian Bistro, how many?" She asked, biting her over-glossed lower lip.
"Good Evening, table for two, please." He replied, politely, before looking over to me.
She nodded, before turning and leading us into the establishment, towards a table in the middle of the restaurant.
Masen shook his head, before looking at her, "Do you have something a little more...private?" He asked, slipping a twenty into her hand.
She tried to keep the scowl from her face as she nodded, turning to lead us towards the left side in the back of the restaurant.
"Is this better?" She asked, in a bored tone.
Masen nodded before turning towards me and gesturing for me to sit down.
I took off my jacket before slowly slid into the booth, before looking down at the menu.
I smiled as I saw the variety of the menu, before deciding I wanted to order the small bowl of lobster bisque, then a bowl of mushroom ravioli.
My mind quickly wandered to my dad before, I shook my head to clear it. Not wanting to ruin the evening before it had even begun.
"So, how long have you known Jasper and Alice?" He asked after he put down his menu.
"Oh, I've known Alice since we were in kindergarten. I was there when she started dating Jasper and knew she met her match when he got her through 'the big spring line' fiasco back in 2010." I replied, smiling at the memory. "How long have you known Jasper and Alice?" I asked as an over-eager waitress appeared at the end table.
She had wild curly black hair, a pair of wide brown eyes, and a shirt that plunging neckline. Briefly making me wonder if we would get dinner and a show if she sneezed.
"Good evening, my name is Serena, I will be your waitress for tonight. May I interest you in an appetizer while you wait? Maybe take your drink orders?" She asked, taking out her notepad while eyeing him hungrily, batting her over exaggeratedly long eyelashes at him.
He looked over at me, silently asking me to go first. "Sure, we'll have an order of mozzarella sticks…" he said, as I nodded in agreement.
"Can I get you anything to drink?" She asked, leaning down a bit.
"Sure, I'll have a Coca Cola, and she'll have…?" He turned towards me in question.
I quickly ruled out drinking alcohol for the night and decided to go with a fountain drink instead. "A Sprite is fine. Thank you." I replied, placing down the menu.
She nodded before walking away with a nick in her hip.
Just as he turned back to talk to me, my phone began to ring. I quietly excused myself embarrassed, before getting out of my seat, and heading to the bathroom to take the call.
It was Carl, one of my bakers, calling to inform me that he wouldn't be coming in for a while because his father passed away. I told him it was alright, to take all the time he needed and call before he came back.
I sighed as I finished the call, that meant I needed a replacement for him and needed to inform my other two bakers of the occurrence.
I slowly exited the bathroom and made my way back towards the table to see Masen tapping away on the phone before he noticed my approaching form.
"I'm so sorry about that. It was an important call from one of my workers. I had to take it…" I informed him apologetically.
"It's alright, it happens to everyone, every now and then. To answer your question, I was Jasper's college roommate." He replied as he removed his jacket, slowly setting it down next to him.
"Ah… so you're a lawyer too then?" I asked, biting my lip again.
"Yes. Well, I have a law degree and took the bar, but I like to dabble in other business ventures…" he explained, with a shrug.
I nodded, looking down at my fingers, as I twisted the small ring on my middle finger, that my father gave me for my eighteenth birthday, before looking back at him.
That explained a few things. Like why Alice insisted I go out with him in the first place, and why Jasper was tight-lipped when I asked him about his friend.
Those damn snoops!
As the rest of the night progressed, we became more and more comfortable with each other. Sharing childhood memories, and personal information as we did.
I ended up ordering the lobster bisque, and the mushroom ravioli. While he ordered a bowl of clam chowder, and a plate of fettuccine, in pesto sauce, covered in goat cheese.
All in all, we had a great time. It was amazing, much to my surprise.
So amazing, in fact, that we somehow ended up in bed together, and while the details are still a bit hazy, I do remember us walking to the bar that was across the street from the bistro to have a few drinks.
Then everything else becomes hazy, and confusing.
When I woke up the next morning, Edward was gone. I was at his apartment, alone, confused, and naked.
Figuring that he didn't want to deal with the whole 'morning after' thing. I quickly got out of bed and went to the restroom to relieve myself before I washed my face of all the makeup and to get dressed. After I cleaned up after myself, I left the place locking the door behind myself.
I quickly made my way down the steps, and I exited the building before I found a taxi , taking it home.
When I walked into my house, I quickly stepped out of my boots and headed into the bathroom to shower.
After that, I made myself a quick bite to eat, before heading back into the room to change out of my pajamas before leaving to see my baby.
My beautiful cherry red, Jeep Cherokee, parked on the curb in front of the condominium where I lived.
I had mixed feelings about everything that happened the night before. So, I decided to ignore all my friends' calls for the first few days after everything happened. Even going as far as to hide out at the bakery to avoid unexpected visits from the girls.
It worked for a while. Until it didn't.
After weeks of all of them pestering me, and ignoring them. They finally cornered me at the bakery and forced it out of me.
I told them what happened, and why I was avoiding them, in hopes of them dropping it, but they didn't.
Well, Alice and Jasper didn't.
Her reaction surprised me just as much as Jasper's. He was pissed, to say the least. I almost cried as they apologized to me for not listening to me when I warned them before.
I also felt the need to remind them that if they ever felt the need to set me up again, to at least set me up with a nice guy instead of an asshole. To which they readily agreed.
I could only plead to them and hope that they understood why I said so.
Yet, I knew she would do it again. Because Alice simply isn't someone who can be deterred.
Soon after that, Alice announced that she and Jasper were finally expecting, and while I was happy for them to finally be having a baby of their own, I didn't want to ruin it with my life-changing news.
So, I kept my news to myself.
A/N:
Thank you for you kind words. Also for reading the story, following it, taking the time to leave a review. Also for give my little story a chance.
Much love! Stay safe, and humble! Until next time!
~Izzy.