"Okay, Edward. What was this girl's name?" Emmett was really letting me have it tonight. He socked me in the shoulder, slammed a beer and placed the mug on the bar he was leaning against.
"I told you, I didn't get it." I snarled. What the fuck was I thinking? Hello, my name is Edward, what's yours? That should definitely have come before searching her mouth with my tongue. Just thinking about it filled me with regret. I gulped half my beer, then turned to look at the dance floor.
"Okay, Em, I think he's had enough." Jasper to the rescue. He was always the one to smooth things over.
"Alice gave me the scoop on this new Bella chick starting on Monday." Jasper looked smug.
"Do tell!"
"Let's hear it!" Emmett and I spoke at the same time.
"She has been over at Black and Associates since law school, they go way back. Bella has been dating Black Jr., I think his name is Jason."
"Jacob," I interrupted. I had gone up against him in a couple of court cases. He was the type of person who grated my nerves just by being in the same room as me. He was predictable. I doubted I would be too impressed by a woman who dated him.
Jasper continued, "As I was saying, they had dated since high school and were supposed to get married this fall. The invitations went out. Well, out of the blue Bella gets cold feet. She calls off the wedding and goes in search of a new firm. And now we have her." He paused. "Makes you wonder doesn't it? Maybe she'll come after you, Edward. "
"Why would she come after me?"
"Her career could soar if she had the right person on a leash." Emmett made the picture clear. I had no intention of being on this Bella's leash. No fucking way.
"How the fuck does Alice know all of this?" Emmett chimed in.
"They were roommates in college. She's still her number three on myspace. I have to admit the she is beautiful." Jasper looked at his feet.
"You've seen a picture of her?" I still had to see why every guy who saw her talked about her beauty.
"Yeah, when we get to the office on Monday we can pull up her picture on myspace."
"Fuck that, when we get to the office Monday, I won't need you to. Let's go to your place now and see that picture." I was motivated, I guess. I suppose I wanted to keep my mind off of Thief.
"Okay, Edward, Alice would kick your drunk ass out in a heartbeat." Jasper smiled. "I'm going home alone tonight. You'll have to find yourself another date."
I looked around the bar, checking to see if anyone was worth my time. Right! I didn't want to take home a woman who didn't know what was appropriate to wear out of the house. I could swear that half the woman in there were wearing lingerie. No. None of them would do. I decided that when Jasper and Emmett went home to their women, I would go home and look for Bella on myspace.
"Hey Edward, I have my laptop in the car. I'll go get it." Emmett was out the door.
Cool, a distraction. We could oogle the new girl, see what the fuck everyone saw in her. Emmett set up his computer on the bar. Jasper logged into Alice's myspace and scrolled down.
The picture came into view. Bella! Thief was Bella. Holy Fuck. I was getting busy with Bella this morning.
"That's her."
"Yeah, that's her," Jasper answered.
"No, Jasper. That's her. She's the woman from today, from jury duty. Call Alice. She needs to get Bella here now."
"I don't know if that is such a good idea." Jasper clicked on her picture to open her page. "You haven't really thought this through. I'll set it up for tomorrow so you know what you are going to say."
I waited in anticipation to see her pictures, my heart racing. The reward was amazing. There was picture after picture of her smile, hair, and lips. She really was beautiful. But… What the fuck am I going to do now? She was coming to work with me on Monday and then she would be off limits. No. I couldn't wait. I had to see her now.
"Jasper, call Alice." I insisted.
"Okay, so don't think it through." Emmett rolled his eyes, but Jasper agreed.It had been an hour since Jasper got off the phone. Alice was pissed that he woke her up, but she still agreed to get Bella there. Emmett called Rose, and she had already been there for 10 minutes.
I was nervous. "Hey Rose, do you have anything to eat?" I didn't know why I would pick that moment to want something to eat, possibly I just needed something to do while I waited. And I assumed that those purses should carry food in them.
"Edward, all I have are these cookies Alice made earlier." She held up a baggie of chocolate chip cookies.
I grabbed it and started munching on the first one. It was sweet and buttery. I focused on the taste and crispy texture. Yes. This was helping my anxiety. I stuffed the next one in my mouth whole. "Hello, Edward," a heavenly voice said behind me.