Author's Note: Soooo, I'm supposed to be working on a paper right now that's due tomorrow... Anyway, here's chapter two!

Chapter 2

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose in my office at Forks General Hospital. Today was my first day as the manager of the pediatric unit, and I was already stressed out. Apparently, the manager before me had not done a good job of keeping track of the budget. The machinery used in the pediatric unit was outdated, we had a short staff of physicians, and, to top it all off, we were operating slightly in the red. This was not good. So, for the past two hours, I had been coming up with a plan to fix this, while planning for next year's budget. The joys of being a hospital manager. I still wouldn't change it for the world. This was just one big puzzle, and I loved puzzles.

I was momentarily distracted as I felt my phone buzzing in my pocket. I glanced down at the caller ID and instantly smiled.

"Hi Jake," I said, as I just finished a calculation for the budget. We can only pay our staff for twenty days if we don't improve our billing methods. Not good. Now I had to calculate how long it takes to convert our accounts receivables to monetary value.

"Hey Ashley. What're you up to?"

"Calculating the amount of time it takes for our billing office to get us revenue."

Silence. "Oh. That sounds…nice…I guess."

I laughed. "Such is the life of a hospital manager." The average time it takes for our billing office to contact patients for payment is three months. That's really not good. What were they doing down there?

"You're a hospital manager?" Jake whistled. "Sounds important."

"It definitely is. The hospital doesn't only operate with doctors, you know. In fact, we're the people who hire the doctors."

"Wow. So you're a big deal, huh," Jake said in a teasing way. I grinned.

"I thought that was obvious when you met me," I said, teasing back. I was really enjoying this conversation. Jake laughed.

"Touché. Listen, I was calling to if maybe you wanted to have lunch together? I could meet you at your job and take you somewhere?" Jake asked hesitantly. I glanced at the clock. It was almost lunch time.

"Why Jake, are you asking me out on a date?" I teased, as I opened up a word document to begin writing my findings from my calculations. When I didn't hear an immediate response from Jake, I began to panic. "I was just j-"

"And if I was?" Jake asked, his voice going deeper. I shivered involuntarily and took a deep breath.

"There's a slight possibility I would say yes." Who am I kidding? Of course I'd say yes!

Jake chuckled. "A slight possibility, huh?"

"Yep," I said, popping the p.

"And what would I have to do to increase the possibility of you saying 'yes?'"

"Wouldn't you like to know," I said conspiratorially. He laughed in response.

"I'll figure it out. So, want to have lunch together? As friends," he said, emphasizing the word friends more than necessary.

"Are we even friends, Jake? We just met last night."

"Ok, we can go as acquaintances. You know, get to know each other. I'm sure once you get to know me, you'll find me utterly irresistible and you'll be begging me to take you on a date," Jake replied. I laughed.

"Ok, acquaintance Jake. I work at Forks General and my lunch break is in fifteen minutes. I only have an hour. You think you can be here in time?"

Jake laughed. "Of course, you just be downstairs and ready to go. See you in a bit," he said, hanging up the phone.

After hanging up with Jake, I tried to get back to work, but I couldn't focus. My mind kept replaying our conversation, and I couldn't stop the smile that decided to plaster itself on my face. I couldn't deny Jake was handsome, everyone could see it. He also seemed really nice and down to earth. How could anyone ever hurt him?

I felt my smile wavering when I thought about last night and the conversation Jake was having with his friend. It sounded like Jake had just got out of a bad relationship and was heartbroken. Maybe I could help take his mind off of it? He probably wouldn't be ready to jump into another relationship anyway. Not that I entertaining the idea…Was I?

I shook my head. I don't even know Jake that well to determine a relationship status. My thoughts were interrupted as my phone started buzzing again. I blinked. There was no way he could be downstairs, not driving that old car.

"Hello?"

"I thought I told you to be waiting downstairs for me?" Came the smug response. I looked at the clock and saw it was indeed noon.

"How'd you get here so fast?"

"Hurry up and come down, and I'll show you!" was the reply before the line went dead. Sheesh, someone was excited.

I stood up, grabbing my blazer and walking out of my office and getting on the elevator. I impatiently waited for the elevator to hit the ground floor. Once it finally did, I walked out into the lobby while putting my blazer on and walked on outside. I glanced around, looking for Jake.

"Over here!" I turned towards the voice and started walking. I heard him, but couldn't see him, which was a feat in itself considering how large he was. There were more people out walking the streets during lunch hour, but I should've been able to spot Jake three miles away.

When I finally spotted him, I stopped mid-step and gawked. Remember when I said he was handsome. Yeah, well he was gorgeous now. He was dressed in a nice pair of dark jeans with black boots and a crisp white shirt with three-quarter length sleeves. Was this the same guy I saw last night? The object of my thoughts was leaning against a motorcycle, arms crossed over his chest with a smirk on his face.

"Like what you see?" Jake said standing up and walking towards me. "If you keep looking like that, your face is going to get stuck."

I blinked and cleared my throat, staring up at Jake who smirked arrogantly down at me. Gaining my senses, I rolled my eyes. "I guess its ok," I said feigning boredom.

"Just okay? Is that why you have drool on the side of your face?" I immediately raised my hand to my mouth and began wiping. Jake let out a bark of laughter. I glared at him when I realized he was joking.

"You're an asshole," I said, laughing in spite of myself.

Jake shrugged while still smirking. "Sure sure. Now, let's get something to eat. I'm starving!"

"Where are we going?" I asked, walking with him over to his bike.

"There's a nice diner close to here. I thought we could maybe go there?" Diner? I wonder if it was the one I went to yesterday. Hopefully the rude duo weren't there. "Is that okay?" Jake asked glancing at me. I nodded.

"Uh, should I drive?" I asked, eyeing his bike cautiously. Jake grinned at me.

"Why, you scared?" He teased, both eyebrows raised at me. I scoffed.

"Hardly. I just don't want to get my hair messed up. I do have to get back to work, you know."

Jake eyed me suspiciously. "Whatever you say."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm serious! Next time we meet up, and you have your bike, I'll get on with you."

Jake seemed satisfied. "Okay, I'm going to hold you to that."

I led Jake to my car, which wasn't parked too far away and laughed as his knees banged against my dashboard. It was then his turn to glare.

"Karma's a bitch," I said grinning. Jake rolled his eyes in response. We were then on our way. We made small talk as Jake directed me to the diner. My suspicions were confirmed when we reached our destination; this was the same diner I had been to yesterday. Oh well, at least I had Jake here with me.

When we walked in, the waitress smiled at me and winked. "Back for more?"

I smiled politely. "You guys are just too good to resist." The waitress laughed before leading Jake and myself to a booth. We listened as she rambled off the specials. She took our orders and left Jake and I to ourselves.

"So, where are you from?" Jake asked, taking a sip of his water and looking at me intently.

"New Jersey," I replied, meeting his gaze. He turned his head to the side in contemplation.

"But you seem normal." I cocked an eyebrow at him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, slightly miffed.

"I didn't mean anything by it. It's just…you know…" Jake said trailing off, rubbing his hand across the back of his neck. "I mean, you don't act like the people from the Jersey Shore."

I looked at him straight-faced. "Not everyone from New Jersey acts like that. In fact, the majority of us don't. Besides, only one was from Jersey. The rest were from Staten Island."

Jake blinked in confusion. "Where's Staten Island?"

"It's in New York."

"So, this must be a real culture shock, huh? I mean, I'm sure we're not as fast paced as where you're from."

I nodded. "You have no idea. And there's such a weird mix of people here, I don't know what to think."

"How so?" Jake asked as our appetizers came.

I took some nacho chips and sauce before responding. "Well, as you could probably guess, I came here to the diner yesterday."

"Really? I assumed you and the waitress have known each other forever," Jake cheekily replied. I rolled my eyes.

"Anyway," I said, exaggerating the word, making Jake grin, "I came here yesterday when I was hungry, before I got lost in in La Push. There was this couple sitting on the other side and they kept staring at me," I said, picking up my water and taking a sip.

"Probably because you're beautiful." I choked in response, causing Jake to look at me in concern. Once I got myself under control, I couldn't help but feel embarrassed and tried looking everywhere else but at Jake.

"You okay?"

"No thanks to you," I grumbled, making him grin.

"I guess you just can't handle the truth."

I blushed even more. It was easier to flirt over the phone than in person. "So," I began, taking another chip, "What were you up to before you called me?"

Jake tensed slightly before forcibly relaxing. "I was just waking up."

"Late sleeper, huh?" I teased. He smiled slightly.

"Kinda. I had to take the late shift for work."

"Oh really? What kind of work do y-"

"So how are you liking Forks?" I narrowed my eyes slightly. Ok, so work was off limits.

"It's not bad. I just wish the sun would come out," I replied as the waitress came with our food. Jakes steak looked amazing…but not as amazing as my burger. If I keep eating out like this, I'm going to have to find a gym membership.

"You'll be waiting forever. The sun barely comes out here. Just be glad it isn't raining."

I took a bite of my burger before swallowing. "Yeah, I heard it rains a lot here. So, what do you do for fun?"

Jake grinned, his eyes twinkling. "Go cliff diving." I raised an eyebrow. Cliff diving? "Sounds…fun."

Jake shrugged. "It is. I can take you sometime if you want."

We continued eating our meal, making small talk and getting to know each other. I found out that Jake had two older sisters and that he lived in La Push with his dad. He was currently fixing up one of the houses there to move into. I found out that he was twenty-one, like me, and we both shared a love for superhero movies. Too soon, our meal was over. We split the check, even though Jake wanted to pay for all of it, and we were off back to my car.

"Batman or Superman?" Jake asked as we walked to my car. I squinted in thought.

"Batman."

"Seriously? Superman can kick Batman's ass any day!"

"Not if Batman has kryptonite in his belt! He has everything in there," I replied, taking my alarm off of my car. I turned to Jake to ask him the next round of questions, when I saw his body tense. His head was turned to the right and I swear I heard a deep growl coming from him. I turned to see what had his attention, and I saw them. The rude couple who kept staring at me yesterday.

"Jake," I started, "remember I told you about the couple that kept staring at me?"

Jakes head snapped towards me, his eyes wild with fury. I flinched at the intense gaze. Jake must've noticed, because his eyes immediately softened, yet his body remained tense. "They were the ones staring at you?"

I nodded slightly causing Jake to glare in the couple's direction. They were making their way towards us now. Clearly Jake knew them, and if his body language was anything to go by, he didn't like them.

"Jacob," the woman breathed. I instantly disliked the way she looked at Jake and the way she said his name. The pale male grasped her hand possessively. "You haven't returned my calls."

Jake looked away sadly before replying. "I've had nothing to say to you." I looked between Jake and this woman. This was probably the woman who Jake and Embry were talking about last night. I suddenly felt protective of Jake. If she said anything to hurt him I was going to hurt her.

"Who's your friend?" The male asked. His eyebrows furrowed in thought before his eyes widened slightly. He glanced between me and Jake before offering me a crooked smile. This time Jake growled loudly before standing before me and blocking me from view. What the hell is going on?

"None of your goddamned business, leech," Jake said in a deadly calm voice. I was suddenly afraid for the pale man. I peaked from behind Jake and saw the man glaring at him. These two looked about ready to kill each other.

I finally decided to step in before there was a fight. "Uh, Jake," I started. He turned his head to the side to show that he was listening. "Maybe we should go. Besides, I have to get back to work." Jake nodded once before turning back to look at the duo.

"By the way, tell that big oaf to stay off our land. Or else," Jake said, letting the threat hang in the air. Now I'm confused. "Let's go," he said quietly. Jake backed up slowly towards my car as I made my way over to the driver's side and got in.

"Jacob, wait!" The woman said. Jake glanced at her, his face guarded. "I – I miss my best friend."

Jake shook his head. "I told you your decision would have consequences, Bella," he replied, opening the car door. The woman looked sadly at Jake as he got in and closed the door. I promptly pulled off, leaving the couple behind us.

I glanced at Jake and my heart instantly went out to him. His head was lowered slightly, his eyes hollow. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Jake sighed, and I swear it was the most pitiful thing I had ever heard in my life. "It's a long story."

"I love stories. I don't mind listening," I offered.

Jake laughed bitterly and shook his head. "There's so much to tell."

I frowned slightly as I pulled into a parking spot in front of Jakes motorcycle and turned off the ignition. I glanced at Jake who now looked bitter.

"Listen Jake," I started. He glanced at me, his eyes finding a little life to them, "I know we just met and we don't know each other all that well, but I want you to know that I'm here for you, you know, in case you need a friendly ear."

Jake eyed me before smiling softly. "Thanks Ashley. I really appreciate it. I just – there's so much back story to tell, you know? It's kinda emotionally draining. I promise you though, one day I'll tell you everything."

I smiled encouragingly. "I can wait Jake. Just let me know when you're planning on telling. I have to make sure I have the Ben and Jerry's ready, along with a copious amount of chocolate."

Jake laughed. "Sure sure. And then we can stay up all night, watch chick flicks, and do each other's hair while bashing our past significant others."

"Just remember, you said it, not me," I said laughing while exiting the car. Jake followed my example. "Well, this was fun, Jake. I should probably get back to work. I have a bit of a mess to clear up in the office," I said walking towards the hospital.

"Wait!" I turned around and found Jake walking towards me. "Thanks for cheering me up," he said sincerely, looking me in the eye. I felt my heartbeat speed up as we gazed into each other's eyes. Once again, he had that look of adoration mixed with a bunch of other emotions in his eyes. I broke eye contact, looking to the side. My head snapped up as I felt warm lips on my cheek. There was a tingling sensation where his lips had been on my skin and I felt my face heat up.

"So, I'll call you later?" Jake asked, stepping. I nodded, not able to speak. He walked backwards towards his bike, still holding my gaze. Jake then straddled the machine and revved the engine. He smiled at me before waving and pulling off. My fingers touched the spot where his lips had been, and I couldn't stop the smile forming on my lips. I turned and entered the hospital with Jake on my mind. Yes, Forks was not bad at all.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed/favorite/alerted. You guys rock! Next chapter, we get to see Jake's POV and we also have an encounter with the Cullens. See you guys in the next chapter!

Now, back to writing this goddamned paper…