BPOV

The store was closing and it was strangely quiet as we all cleaned up for the night. I was counting the money at the register while Alice vacuumed around the counter. I hummed slightly to myself, even over the buzz of the vacuum. Perfectly content with the lack of interaction between Alice and I and the talking because I couldn't bring myself to leave my thoughts… not when my thoughts consisted of him. When today I had just seen the most breathtaking living, breathing, moving creature on the planet-

"Okay! Spill- what happened? You're way too quiet Bella. Even for you. You're quiet and yet everything about you right now says it all. You're not talking- but you are. You're humming… Humming! When do you ever do that?? I'm surprised you can even count that money when I know your thoughts must be going a mile a minute." Alice quirked. She kicked the vacuum off with her foot and stood and watched me.

"You're right. I probably shouldn't be counting this."

"I knew it. What's got you…?? So…?" she squinted at me, trying to still figure it out.

I sighed. "It's gonna sound stupid when I say it. It's better to just leave it in my head."

"Oh no, come on tell me! It can't be stupider than my day being made cause Mr. Apple at the Apple store finally asked me if I needed any assistance."

"You mean Jasper? And what kind of assistance did he offer?" I snickered at my own immature joke. Alice rolled her eyes but chuckled a little bit at it too.

"I can't even say his name out loud… it feels like I'm jinxing it." she confessed. She hopped up on the counter in front of me and pouted.

"Don't worry about it. You guys will talk more."

"I hope so… anyway, this is about you. What happened today?"

"It's nothing, really… a really cute guy just bumped into me." I shrugged. Literally I was laughing at my self in my head because 'cute' and 'guy' were the biggest understatements of the year. He was way more attractive than cute, and the way he held himself, he seemed more befitting to the title of 'man' than to be ranked on the levels of teenage boys or high schoolers with the word 'guy'.

"Ooh, tell me about it! I saw a really cute guy today too. But he had some snotty bitch with him."

I laughed. "Oh really? That sucks."

"Well it wasn't for me! I saw him browsing around the store by himself so I went to go talk to him. I thought he was single. He told me he was. So I was thinking about him for you."

"Alice! Thanks! Genius idea thinking of setting me up with a guy who comes into the store alone, no girl to even buy underwear for. He just likes the displays." I shook my head and rolled my eyes and went to go straighten out the front displays and fold clothes. Alice jumped down and followed me.

She was laughing it up. "Who cares if he might be creepy. Trust me. If you saw him, you wouldn't care either."

"I thought you said you weren't looking at him for yourself?" I quirked an eyebrow, successfully dodging her.

"I wasn't! I just know he'd be your type. Even though your male history is nearly nonexistent… this guy was just too pretty to be missed."

"Ugh, pretty? Don't tell me he was literally a pretty boy."

"No! you know what I mean. he was handsome. Like Hollywood handsome.. Or… I don't know. Classically handsome. You would've liked him. The old soul in you, trust me, would have liked him."

"Hmmm…" I bit my lip and thought about it. That did kind of sound appealing. But oh well. He couldn't have been better looking than the man that ran into me today. But that didn't stop me from asking about him more.

"Wait, I thought you said he was single? But then he had some snotty girl with him?…"

"Oh yeah. She didn't pop up til later. She's gotta be a friend though. He was talking about his friend cause he was waiting in line to buy something and I sort of teased him about it. Then she came up and got all possessive and made a show of pecking him on the cheek and clinging to him just cause I was there. She was threatened. You know?"

I snorted. Alice continued.

"But she's just gotta be a friend. The way he looked at her. It's like he was begging her to grow up and knock it off already. So I believe him when he said he didn't have a girlfriend and that he was only holding the spot in line for someone else."

"Good work, Detective Alice."

"Always." she chirped and curtsied. She was about to dash her away to the lotions table to straighten up when a knock on our store window froze her dead in her tracks. It nearly startled her. But she melted the second she realized who it was.

There standing behind our glass locked door, was a tall blond man. He had a tentative, small, shy smile on his handsome face. His blue eyes looked a little hesitant. Alice was stunned surely. I could see the kind of spell he could have on her now. Even I stopped folding clothes to just stand and watch them.

Slowly, she stood up straight and turned to him at the door. She smiled a little shyly and waved at him. He nodded something, and there in his hands was a small cardboard box of cookies from the Paradise bakery on his side of the mall. Alice lit up as he signed that he wanted her to join him, he was clearly off work and done for the night- or maybe he had left early just to get her something. Alice smiled. She may have been blushing. I wasn't sure. I didn't know what a blush would look like on Alice. But there she was- positively gushing at his gesture.

"Oh, I don't know… we're not done closing up here…" Alice said softly. She had one hand clasped over her wrist in front of her, and one foot tapping the toe of her heel on the floor behind her. She looked suddenly nervous.

"Alice!" I scolded quietly. "what are you thinking?"

"I can't just abandon my job and leave you-"

"Alice it's okay. Go! He's waiting. He wants you to. Come on, look what he did… it's so sweet."

Alice really didn't need all that reassurance. As soon as I had said the word 'go' she was already settled on it.

She unlocked the door to let herself out. Jasper stepped back to give her some room. They exchanged shy greetings and she awkwardly tried to give him a half hug for stopping by and bringing the cookies. Jasper laughed and I saw his eyes light up as he looked down at her. And she looked up at him.

I sighed and turned around. Giving them privacy or whatever. I'm sure they'd go sit somewhere remote and talk. Alice would tell me all about it later.

It was nice to see her so hopeful and cheery about someone. When Alice loved she really loved. Seeing her like that, made me wonder if I would ever have a reason to feel that way.

And then it made me feel childish for having a good day just because I ran into an attractive stranger. Because running into doesn't count. You need more real contact than that.

EPOV

"EMMETT!!" I yelled. I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose, letting out a deep breath. "I can't believe you…"

"Aw, come on, bro… it's not so bad, it's just one-"

"No. I can't believe you'd do this to me. Just stop. Shut up."

"Edward!" he laughed, thoroughly enjoying my suffering. Obviously he must enjoy my suffering much more than he's letting on to.

Because SOMEONE… caved and let their girlfriend (hopefully future fiancée) see the present they got them. And worse yet- let them try out the new fancy lingerie in advance instead of waiting to give it to them after Christmas like it was supposed to be. I officially loathed my brother.

"I can't believe you! Honestly?! How STUPID can you be?!" I shouted, turning to my brother in the car. Once again I was in the passenger seat. Of course I didn't know I'd be helping him again with his Rosalie mission in making the trip after Christmas up to Aspen the best one yet for her- that's where he'd propose.

"I didn't think she'd find it! Honestly!"

"Really?? Rosalie? Nosy, curious, meddlesome, suspicious, possessive of you, Rosalie- you didn't think she'd look to find it? After you had been acting all strange to her… you know she's a drama queen. Of course she'd assume the worse. God, I just can't believe you'd let her talk it into you…" I shook my head with disgust as I leaned my elbow on the windshield and looked out the window.

"Really." he grinned. I could tell he wasn't all that sorry. "What else would I have done? She found the box of lingerie in the closet-"

"Okay first of all, stupid place to put it. You couldn't think of a better hiding spot??" I spat.

"Let me finish!- she found it and what was I going to let her think? It was for another woman?? Come on now. I'd never put that doubt in Rosie's head…" he pouted in sympathy for his girlfriend.

"You idiot! Rosalie never thought you were cheating! She only said that to get it out of you that it was really part of her present. I don't know why though. It's pretty fucking obvious when it's hiding in your own closet gift wrapped in exactly your right size.. I imagine she only wanted the pleasure of hearing it admitted out of your own mouth, you fool." by the time I had winded down, Emmett was chuckling and snorting like an obnoxious overgrown 13 year old.

"You know what? You're right. Maybe I let her find it. Maybe I wanted… her to find it."

Emmett taunted. My eyes went wide and I turned to him.

"You mean you didn't even try to stop her?"

"Nope."

My jaw dropped.

"What can I say? It was like an early Christmas present for me." he shrugged. The smug satisfied ugly smirk on his face let me know it all.

"You're an asshole. A selfish! immature!-"

"EDWARD! Calm down!!!" he boomed, knocking me back into my seat.

"I already told you, you don't have to go looking for anything this time. I already ordered her new present and it's on hold under my name in the store. You just gotta give them our name and my card. It's as simple as that. Swipe and pay. That's it, bro!"

"I can't believe…"

"Dude, chill. It'll be alright. I just can't chance Rosie getting wind of me being there this time. You gotta do it for me."

I sighed.

Then… I remembered….

Days had past since I had been to this mall. Days since that store I was in was even mentioned. How could I forget????… I was suddenly infuriated with myself.

I shouldn't be yelling at my brother. I should be praising him.

As he pulled up to the curb, I nearly jumped out with the car still in motion.

That sales associate. The brunette one with the chocolate brown eyes and creamy skin. God I hope she's working there today. And I officially adored my brother.