Chapter 16: Surprise!
Bella POV
Beep.
Beeeeep.
Beeeeeeeeeep.
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!
What in the hell is that noise?
That was my first thought when I woke up this morning. I grabbed my cell phone off the bedside table and checked the time. 6:15 am? Ugh! Throwing off my covers I slipped on my light blue silk robe and walked toward the offensive noise. What I saw well…. It had been quite the sight. Rosalie was in the kitchen covered in flour, with hair that resembled a birds nest. She was waving a towel around frantically with the window open trying to air out the smoke that was pouring from the oven.
I would tell you it's a long story but it's not.
It had all started the night after we had landed in Chicago. Rosalie was on the phone with Emmett when he had told her of a woman who had made him Cannoli from scratch. Emmett had raved about these Italian pastries a little too much for Rosalie's liking. But Rose was oh so determined to make the best Cannoli for her soon to be husband. Hence the oven full of burnt pastries. Every batch has ended in almost burning down the house. Every batch! Every Single One…
Which I don't quite understand, Rose is a wonderful cook so the whole situation strikes me as odd. But today was the final straw. After helping her get the smoke under control I sent her to go shower. While Rose took her much needed shower I called Esme.
I thought maybe Esme might know of a good recipe and see if she could help teach Rose since Rose was too prideful to ask Esme herself. Unfortunately, Esme was busy today and she told me to call Peter. I had hung up before realizing I didn't have Peter's phone number. Drat!
Doing the only thing I could think of I called Maggie, who talked to Liam, who talked to Peter, who called me and told me to come in to the restaurant at 8:30am. Apparently Liam's brother Peter owns the best Italian restaurant in the city. It's called Mia Bella if you can believe it. I mean really, what are the chances?
So its now 8:50am and we are here in the back of the Mia Bella with the pastry Chef helping him make enough fresh Cannoli for the entire restaurant for the day, along with three other different deserts. At 12:15pm we were finally finished. We said our thanks to the Chef for putting up with us. He just laughed and handed us each a box ladled with our home made confections.
A light coat of flour was covering the white bakers coats they gave us to wear over our clothes. Thankfully underneath we were clean enough to do a little shopping. On our way out we grabbed our purses and to-go boxes and threw our white coats in the bin for launder.
"I don't know about you but I'm absolutely starving. It's taking all I am not to rip open this box of goodies." I said gesturing wildly to the box in my hands.
"I know I could not agree more. Where should we do lunch?" Rose asked scoping out the area.
"I don't know maybe we should explore some of the city until we see a eatery we like. I would love to do a little shopping and sight seeing. We haven't really had time for that since we've been here in Chicago." I said looking at her. It was true. We have now been in Chicago for almost a whole week now. My soon to be mother-in-law wasted no time in scheduling a ladies luncheon for Rose, Victoria, Maggie, and I to integrate and socialize with the windy cities most influential women. But I'd like to see the city I will now be calling home.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea." She said whipping out her smart phone. She was using her thumb to scroll rapidly on her phone.
"What are you doing?" I asked her curiously glancing at her phone.
"I'm looking up all the cool things to do in Chicago. Hey, they have a building here that has a glass balcony. So it's like your walking on nothing. We should go there." Rose said smiling sweetly at me or should I say evilly at me. She knows I'm scared of heights.
"Yeah… I think I'll pass on that but thanks." I said sarcastically.
"Your loss."
"Is there anything in Chicago that doesn't involve tragic ways to plummet to your death?"
"Well I see there is some good shopping on North Michigan Avenue. Oh my gosh!" Rosalie gasped before continuing "They have a Macy's that has 8 floors! Eight! And a Bloomingdale's that has 6! Good thing I wore my comfort heels today."
GPS told us we were only four blocks away from our destination. So instead of trying to hail a taxi we decided to walk.
We walked two blocks before we came to a halt. The dark green sign and the word Starbucks caught our eye. We both ordered the same thing. White chocolate mocha frap with a double shot of espresso and a sandwich. They had a Starbucks on the outskirts of our community in Blairsville that we frequented regularly. Lunch went by rather quickly we both ate in a comfortable silence. I think we were both really excited to get to Macy's. I still had my credit card from Daddy. Although, before Edward had left for Italy he gave his mother a black platinum credit card to give to me to use. The card already had my married name printed on the front Isabella Marie Cullen. I heard these cards practically have no spending limit. Not that I would try to spend copious amounts of money. But Edward was going to be my husband and part of my job as his wife was to trust him and his ability to provide for me. Although I haven't really had time to talk to him about my monthly budget. Hmmm…. I will just use the card my daddy had gotten me until I've talked it over with Edward.
Breaking out of my thoughts I looked at Rose who was looking at me. She grabbed her iced coffee and took a sip through her straw before setting her cup down and leaning closer towards me.
"Bella this is serious… look at me and smile while I'm talking to you." Rose said and then fake laughed. I was so very confused but laughed and smiled like she told me too. "Do you have your compact mirror in your purse?" I nodded my head and reached in my purse to fish it out. "Open your compact and act like your fixing your hair or lipstick. I want you to be very discreet. There are two men sitting in tacky short sleeve button down shirts behind us and look to be in their early to mid 40's."
I fake laughed like Rose told a joke and opened my compact pretending to be fixing my hair and eye make up while looking for the men Rose had described. I found them in the background of my reflection. Pretending to be satisfied with my appearance into snapped my compact shut.
"What about the men?" I asked her before giggling like she had told me interesting gossip.
"I saw them when we left the apartment this morning. And I saw them earlier in the reflection of my phone while I was looking at places to go visit in Chicago. I think we are being followed Bella." My forced smile faltered as I started to feel my cheeks drain of color.
"Bella I need you to hold it together. We don't need them to think we are on to them." Rose snapped before fixing a cheery smile on her flawless face.
"Why not? Why can't we go up to them and tell them to leave us alone?" As soon as the words left my mouth I heard the scraping of the chairs against the floor as the men got up and passed our table to exit the Starbucks. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. Rose looked equally relieved and a little sheepish.
"I swear I thought we were being targeted by them."
"Targeted for what?" I asked.
"I don't know. Human trafficking. Rape. Robbery. Pick one."
"Honestly, I think you need to lay off those scary real life documentaries. You've become a bit paranoid." I told her gathering my trash to throw away.
"please…" Rose said popping the p making her please sound more like paa-llleease. "I am NOT paranoid. I bet those people who were in the, as you so eloquently worded it, 'scary real life documentaries' weren't paranoid and now they've been murdered."
"You do realize you just admitted to being paranoid. Come on Rose face it you have created a non-existent situation in your paranoid mind." I told her gathering up her trash as well.
"Not paranoid! Just cautious." Rose said grabbing the trash I had gathered neatly off the table to throw in the trash bin.
I grabbed Rose's coffee as I grabbed my own and made my way to her. Handing Rose her coffee, we exited the Starbucks and continued on our way toward Macys.
I would like to say that when we walked up to Macys our jaws dropped at the sight of the building. But honestly we walked right past it the first time. The outside wasn't much but like they tell less fortunate looking girls 'It's what's on the inside that counts.' Was that wrong to say? Probably. Is it true? Unfortunately. This world is ruled but outer beauty.
We had now been in Macys for almost four hours now and we were finishing up on the last floor. I think we would most definitely would be getting a cab back. My feet were killing me.
Grazing the rack I saw a top that I thought would look amazing on Maggie. Speaking of Maggie and Victoria. I wondered how they were doing. Since we've moved here I've barely seen them. Between spending time with their mother-in-laws and their fiancée; Rose and I have taken a back seat in their lives.
I can't say I blame them. Once Edward gets back from his business trip in Italy I hope I get to spend a good bit of time with him. I'm looking forward to getting to know my future husband a little better.
I looked over to find Rose knee deep in boxes upon boxes of designer shoes. She had a bright smile on her face as she modeled a pair of killer heels.
I looked back at the tops I was browsing when my shoulder bumped into a slim woman my height with long wavy medium brown hair and hazel eyes.
"Oh I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking."
"It's fine. No harm, no foul." The woman laughed. She spoke with a strong British accent and if I had to guess I would say she was from the United Kingdom.
"Hi, I'm Bella. Bella Swan. I'm new to the city." I smiled at her as I extended my hand outward. Smiling back at me she grabbed my extended hand and shook it.
"It's great to meet you Bella. Welcome to Chicago. My name is Hermione. Hermione Grang…Malfoy. Hermione Malfoy. Sorry I'm still getting used to giving out my new name since I married Draco." Hermione told me as she raised her left hand flashing me her stunning emerald and diamond engagement ring.
"Oh. Congratulations. Wow. Your ring is beautiful." I told her admiring her regal worthy ring. That thing had to be 6 carats at least.
"Thank you." She laughed softly. "If you think this is something you should see my mother-in-law's. But I must say your ring is quite something. I love the uniqueness. It makes a statement without being overly flashy. Don't tell my husband but I would have preferred something more inconspicuous myself."
Rose chose that moment to come up and join in the conversation.
"The bigger the better I always say."
"Sorry Hermione. This is my best friend and future sister-in-law Rosalie Hale. Rose this is Hermione Malfoy." I glanced at Hermione to make sure I had pronounced her name correctly.
After some time of chatting with Hermione, we swapped phone numbers with promises to meet for lunch later in the week.
I couldn't wait to call Edward tonight and tell him that I had made a new friend.
Shocked? I wonder if Edward will be Happy to hear about Bella having Hermione as a friend? PS if you are wondering... All Muggles here. No hogwarts. Just the characters. Review and tell me how you feel about having the Malfoys in my story. I'm curious to hear your theories as to why I wrote them in. Oh, and Edward will be back soon. I plan to start nailing down wedding plans soon and I need my grooms.
I own neither twilight nor Harry potter.