Thanks so much for all the sweet PMs regarding my friend. Unfortunately, she passed away a few days ago. I apologize for not reviewing, but I do promise to from here on out. This one's short. The next one is longer.
Tuesday morning, I was a bundle of nerves. I was only working an 8-2 shift, so I had plenty of time to get ready for my company that evening. My first client of the day was one of my regulars, Tyler. He was pretty cute, and super athletic. He competed regularly in triathlons, and I always had my work cut out for me when he came in for a massage. His ninety minute sports massage always left me exhausted and drenched with sweat. I was able to focus on nothing but Ty for that ninety minutes, though, which helped soothe my nerves.
"I'm bring Jasper tonight," Alice mentioned casually as I walked into the break room. I raised my eyebrows in surprise and her eyes grew wide. "I mean, is that okay? I didn't mean to assume."
"Of course it's fine, Al. I'm just surprised. I take it your date went well?" We hadn't had a chance to talk over the past few days.
Her eyes glazed over and she smiled softly. "Oh, my god, Bella. He's so, so great. I really think he could be my one."
I rolled my eyes as I brushed by her. "Oh, lord, you sound like every chick flick I've ever seen. I have to go get ready for my next one. I'll see you tonight." I closed the door to the sound of her laughter.
By the time my day was done, I had convinced myself that there was nothing to worry about. Edward was really, really cute, yeah, but I had massaged a ton of cute guys. It had never been an issue. Also, the man hadn't said more than ten words to me during his last massage. He was probably an idiot, a definite turn-off. Yep. There was nothing to worry about.
At home, I layered the chicken, black beans, salsa, chicken broth, and sweet potatoes into the crock pot and turned it on low. Looking at the clock, I tried prioritizing the next five and a half hours in my head. "First things, first," I mumbled, and began straightening my house and making sure there were no funky smells. I scrubbed the downstairs bathroom and swept and mopped the floors. I have always had a strange fear of someone coming to my house and finding it in less than immaculate shape. I blame my mother.
After getting everything cleaned and beautiful smelling, I stood in the doorway to my closet, feeling frustrated. Everything was black. Plush's dress code was seriously screwing with my wardrobe options. I was just about to give up, when I found a tiny selection of color in the very back of my closet. Sifting through the very few colorful items, I selected a pretty blue sundress to wear.
As I buffed, shaved, and washed in the shower, I shook away the little voice that wondered why I was putting so much effort into my appearance for the evening. Applying a little makeup, I rolled my eyes. Seriously, this night was no big deal. I threw my hair up in a pony tail and went back downstairs.
The food was smelling delicious, and my mouth watered as walked into the kitchen to get a beer. I settled on the couch and turned on the TV, flipping through the channels aimlessly. As I was settling in to watch Chopped, Rose texted me, letting me know that she, Emmett, and Edward were on their way. The butterflies were immediate and fierce.
My mind wandered as I stared mindlessly at the television. I had no idea what was going on, as I was very busy giving myself a mental pep talk. "Okay," I thought. "You've never had a physical reaction like you had the other day, but it was just that. Physical. You're going to have a house full of folks tonight, so it will be easier to get to know Edward and not get carried away. You were probably just ovulating the other day. I mean, what other explanation could there be?" I soothed. My new mantra became "Get to know him." I figured once I got to know the man behind the pretty face, my infatuation would definitely lessen. When the doorbell rang a few minutes later, I was feeling pretty confident.
The moment I opened the door, that confidence was shattered.