Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. Everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer.

Chapter 3: Meet-cute

EPOV:

What is taking so long? I sighed my frustration out and try to compose myself a little. With all that has been happening – mom's condition, the information Jenks gave me about Alice and the new projects we are about to launch at CEE – I feel like on edge every fucking minute. I know I shouldn't get pissy with every little thing. You need to get a hold of yourself Edward. I mentally chastised myself.

But really, this flight should have left 30 minutes ago. I hate it when things are out of order and people are not on time. Yeah so I'm a little OCD and I'm not particularly a live-in-the-moment-you-only-live-once spontaneous kind of guy. I like planning and order so sue me. Har har. When you are a 26 year old CEO and a lot of jobs and families rely on you, not to mention a long-standing business legacy and reputation depend on you, you don't particularly make rash decisions without thinking.

Which is what I should have done by the way before promising mom I could bring Alice back to her. Aaaargh. What was I thinking? I wasn't thinking that's the problem. Fucking genius Edward! Ugh. Okay I can't do this again. The stress is coming back. Relax, think of a plan and a solution and don't dwell on it Edward. What's done is done.

After hearing the news from my P.I. Jenks that according to witnesses from the fire Alice probably didn't survive, I had to take the trip to Chicago and meet these witnesses and get more details myself. I should probably arrange a funeral or a memorial of some sort. I am still half-hoping that the testimonies are not that conclusive and there could be a slim chance that Alice survived. But that's just probably my wishful thinking so I can get out of this mess of a promise I gave my mother.

Anyway, I needed to check on the plans for the new Cullen Hotel site in Chicago Loop area that my team and I are fast tracking to start this year. So even if coming to Chicago always make me a little bit edgier than usual, I knew I had to take this trip.

It's a good thing that this flight is taking so long to take off, I can probably steal a couple more minutes to nap and rest on my way.

Nope. Who am I kidding? It's not a good thing. Why the hell are we not taking off yet?!

I glance at my watch and checked the time. 12:15 pm. I have a dinner meeting with the team and I will probably be heading straight from the airport from the looks of things. Now what time is that meeting again? And which restaurant was it? I remember it being a hotel restaurant but I can't remember which exactly. I know my secretary, Rosalie printed out my schedule before I left.

I rummage through my laptop bag for the schedule. I had to make sure I wouldn't be late for my meeting and know where I was going or I will stress about it the whole 4 and a half hour trip. Yeah yeah, I have OCD. Whatever. I found my 3-day business trip schedule that my ever so efficient secretary printed out. It's so detailed and organized I made a mental note to thank Rosalie for this when I talk to her.

I checked my meeting and it is not until 7pm tonight so I relaxed a bit looking through the rest of the itinerary. I also noticed that I will be flying back on the 3rd day to Forks with Jasper.

Oh sweet, like there isn't enough stress on my neck as it is. Well, yeah Jasper can be difficult at times but I am still glad I'd get to see my best friend soon enough. Despite his antics, I haven't talked to that bastard in a while so it will be good to catch up. Jasper's like a brother to me. The annoying trouble maker younger brother type.

I can feel my muscles sore from all the constant stress and anxiety of the past few days. I haven't been sleeping much lately and I have been feeling constantly tired. I stretch my arms and my neck and I could hear the bones cracking from stress as I twist my head sideways. I should probably get a massage after the meeting tonight to loosen some of these neck and back pains.

I was about to rest my head and start my nap when it happened.

She appeared out of nowhere lunging to my feet. I was so startled I almost jumped off my seat. This lady was suddenly kneeling on the floor perched between my legs, her hands clutching my knees.

What the fuck?

"Please don't leave me.. I am in love with you. Don't leave me" the girl was crying and pleading. Which of course startled the hell out of me.

What? What's happening here? I take a closer look at her face. Huh. She's pretty. And her eyes.. Wow. Those are most unusual browns I have seen in an eye. It's like liquid. Like chocolate with specs of gold dust. Those eyes are so warm and inviting. Mesmerizing. I wanted to poke them and touch them to check if they are actually made of liquid. Can I poke them? I probably shouldn't. I want to though.

I was held by those chocolate eyes and it took me a moment to try and process what the fuck is going on. Which I haven't processed still. So again.. What the fuck is going on?

I checked to look at the people around me, people on their seats started craning their necks to look at us, probably trying to figure out what is happening as well. A young security boy whose nose is a little red, probably from crying? He was standing by the aisle together with 2 girls, flight attendants, looking equally confused as I am.

"Don't leave me" the girl continued to heave and sob between my legs. Jeez. Lady. Get away from there.

Ouch! Did she just pinch my leg? what the fuck? I look at her closely. Looking past the pretty, pretty face. She was sobbing and heaving but there were no tears. Huh. Interesting.

And she looks familiar. Have I seen this girl before? I tried to recall.

I try to look at her more closely trying to place her face in my memory. Have I slept with her before? Is she one of those unfortunate girls set-up by Jasper that I have taken my frustration out on? Oh dear.

Jesus Edward! Really?! Could you be more of a jerk!?

I'm not proud of it. Those were difficult times and it was Jasper's clever idea. A string and series of girls and one night stands. Nameless, faceless girls. Is she one of those?

No. It can't be, can it? No. I would remember a face like this. She really actually looks familiar though. I continue to stare at her, my ability to talk seem to have escaped me. I really want to just shove her away and ask her what the fuck is she doing but I couldn't because I'm not 100% sure I haven't met her. Plus, her pretty eyes and oh.. she smells good too.. is making it hard for me to shove her away.

She squeezed and pinched me again. Her big brown eyes trying to convey something to me. Like she was pleading? For what? What are you begging for lady? Tell me so I can give it to you!

Oh, did I actually just think that? Huh. Wow. What the hell was that Edward?

I shook my thoughts mentally peering myself away from those Voodoo eyes and I cleared my throat.

"I'm sorry Miss, you must have me mistaken for someone else"

And then she pinched me again, harder this time. What the fuck bitch?! Now I'm really getting annoyed because there something fishy about this girl. Is she crazy? Is she playing with me? Does she honestly think I am who she thinks she is?

She widened her already very big eyes and blinked through those beautiful lashes. Oh, those are really pretty eyes. She was pleading still and her chin quivering as her lower lip jutted out. Oh, my heart.

"Please do not leave and give our love a chance. If you go now and marry someone else, my heart will not be able to take it" she continued her tearless sobbing.

"Uh.. wait miss I'm sorry but I don't think I know you. You clearly had me mistaken for someone else" I tried to pry her hands away from my knees. I was momentarily stunned by the electric static shock I felt when I touched her hands. She was making it really difficult for me to remove her hands away.

I look to the airline staff and security silently pleading that they help me pry this crazy woman off me. Seeing how stunned they all looked it seemed that they are equally as confused as I am.

Hmm. Is this girl playing us all?

I leaned my head forward, still holding both her hands, which are still clutching me hard by the way, I bend down to a bow so my lips almost touched her ear. Wow she does smell really really good. Hmmm… Too bad she's a loony bitch. I heard her gasp and felt her body tense as I whisper ever so quietly making sure that only she can hear.

"Hey lady, I don't know what the fuck you are doing, but you better stop this before I call on security right now and tell them what I think you are trying to do here. You can fool them but not me. So if you don't want any trouble, butt the fuck off"

I whispered as coolly and as passively as I can. I heard her gasp again. I might have scared her and it is stupid that I felt a bit of guilt about it. But of course I'm not showing her that. What kind of crazy act does she think she is trying to pull here?!

She then loosened her clutch on my knees and I felt her thumbs making gentle stroking circles on my knee caps. Soothing circles. Hmm feels good. It caught me off guard and I turned to face her again. This time because my head was bent lower, her face was inches from me. Oh she was more beautiful up close. Her skin looks porcelain. And hmmm..she smells like strawberries.

My gaze travelled down to her pink almost red lips as she pouted her lower lips. No lipstick. Just juicy smooth red lips. I swallowed the urge to try and taste it.

Wait what?! The fuck are you thinking Edward?! No. Get a grip of yourself man.

"Please stay with me.." She whimpered once more and pleaded again but this plea was different, it felt like she was trying to tell me to go along with her act. I was confused and then she did this widening of eyes-batting lashes-quivering chin-pouting lips expression again. It's so heart-breakingly adorable and it's almost impossible to say no to that face. Oh poor baby. Then it hit me why she looked so familiar.

It's Puss-in-Boots. Yeah! She looks like that cartoon cat in one of those Disney movies.

I almost laughed out loud because this girl is so funny and kitten cute, but I resisted the urge to because hell I am still so pissed and annoyed as fuck at her. She is delaying the flight and bugging me to death.

I exhaled one last breath resolved on ending this nonsense when I heard a sudden commotion of noise as a bunch of old people that just came in the plane clambered to their seats. They were all sorts of worked up and relieved that they made it on time based on the expressions and conversations they were having.

The plane was in chaos as flight attendants quickly helped the elders to their seats while the captain announced that the doors are closing and we are now about to take off. Well thank fuck, it's about time ya know.

Realizing I was distracted from my exchange with the crying lady, I glanced back to my knees to confront her but then she was gone. I tried to look for her in the aisles, craning my neck looking past the old folks standing and being led to their seats but she was nowhere to be found. Huh. Where the hell is she?

I looked through the window beside my seat and saw a familiar silhouette of pale skinned brunette walking down the airplane stairs stealthily. I didn't realize that she was so tiny. Slender. Hot. She shined more beautifully under the rare unclouded sun, her long curls bouncing. And something else more supple and firm and juicy bouncing in the uhhh… chest area as she descended the flight of stairs. I tried really really hard not to focus on that. Yeah right. I didn't really try. I stared. What? They were nice boobs.

I squint harder to glimpse more of her face as she halted by the end of the stairs, looked back to the plane, in my direction. At first I thought she was looking at me but then I realized that she was just looking at the plane in general, seemingly lost in thought.

I indulged myself a last look at this beautiful girl, drank in her face and committed it to my memory as I probably would never see her again. The thought brought a slight squeeze to my chest. I didn't really understand why. And before she turned her face away and walked back to the direction of the airport, I saw her lips twitch in a wicked triumphant smile. Oh, she has those deep dimples too. Nice.

I turned back to look at the last old man being assisted to his seat. And then the realization of what just happened dawned on me. The flight delay, the crying lady, the old people catching up to the flight that conveniently left late to accommodate their late arrival.

A small involuntary smile played on my lips as I remember those chocolate eyes, strawberry lips and tearless cries.

Well played Puss. Well played.