A/N: Okay, the absolute first thank you this chapter has to go to my super awesome beta NeverHadDreams! I was so worried about the way this chapter was coming out of my head onto paper and instead she made my day...still giggling girl!! And a thank you to all my readers and those who took the time to put in a review, you guys really make me smile and encourage me to keep working on this story. I'm hoping to get ahead of the game on nightshifts this week, to get the middle part of this story written, because I am so excited to write the parts further ahead!! Here's a hint...think half-naked firefighters on stage, and then there will be a super romantic ending. Plus I'm planning some huge angst in here which has me in tears just thinking about it.

Okay, okay, I know...get back to the chapter at hand. This one isn't too exciting, but does give you a bit of background on our lovely Edward and Bella before their date...that's coming up in the next chapter! So, hope you enjoy!!

And as always, I own nothing of Twilight. I do own a Tinkerbell-skinned laptop and a shovel, which has been getting waaaaaay too much use this nasty winter...I hate snow! Grumble, grumble, grumble.

EPOV

My first day as a firefighter was surprisingly uneventful as far as work goes. I know it was asking a lot to get to see actual flames on the first day, but I had hoped to none the less. What good was all that training if you didn't get a chance to put it into action? Much to my dismay, all we got was a few medical calls and an alarm ringing that we got cancelled off just as we were pulling out of the station. Despite the lack of incidents, the guys kept me hopping in the station though, running me through the typical 'probie' routine. After introductions and truck checks, some of the guys felt the need to start me on a brutal work-out regimen and then proceeded to tease me to no end after my phone call from Bella.

Lunch dishes were relegated to me, the low man on the totem pole, but it gave me some time alone and it didn't take long before my thoughts drifted back to Bella. Even with my hands submerged in the near-scalding dishwater, I could practically feel the tingling in my fingers as I remembered shaking her hand, not to mention the feelings that coursed through my entire body every time I thought of her. I wanted to get to know every part of her, not just physically, but the real Bella, the beautiful woman on the inside. The time was passing at an excruciatingly slow pace. Yet another reason I had hoped to be busy with calls at work, to make the clock go faster.

Lost in my thoughts, I hadn't noticed Emmett come to stand beside me until he reached into the dish rack to grab a plate, which he proceeded to dry and place in the cupboard above.

"Hey, thanks man," I stated. He grinned his customary wide smile and shrugged.

"We were all probies once, and I have to admit, it sucks getting stuck doing all the grunt work," he replied. "Rosie's making me soft in my old age."

I chuckled at the last part. Emmett could only be a few years older than me, hardly 'old age' by any means.

"So, dinner with Bella tonight, eh?" He flashed a sly grin and winked at me. "Where are you taking her?"

"Well, I haven't had much of a chance to get to know my way around town yet, but there's a restaurant right by my place, Thai Sun. I heard it was pretty nice, quiet, cozy..." I let my voice trail off, hoping Emmett might have heard of the place and could offer an opinion.

"Yeah, we've eaten there a few times." I assumed he meant Rosalie and himself. "It's a good choice for a first date. Plus if you guys hit it off, you can just take her on back to your pad, right?" He nudged me in the ribs with his elbow. "Work off a little of the 'first day on the job' stress?"

Instantly my mind flashed to inappropriate images of Bella in my apartment, in my bedroom, on my bed, and I swallowed hard and shook my head, as I finished washing the last of the glasses and pulled the plug to drain the water out of the sink.

"Nah, I'm not that kind of guy, Em. I...um, well I...it's just I..." I fumbled around for the words as I felt Emmett's gaze on me. I kept my eyes down, feeling the embarassment seeping up in my throat, choking my words.

"What? You've had girlfriends before, right? Back home? In college?" Emmett asked, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Well, yeah, I've dated a few girls in college, but never anything...serious, you know?" I glanced up to guage Emmett's reaction as I leaned back on the counter. He mirrored my position on the opposite counter and crossed his arms, glancing around.

I found it suprisingly easy to talk to Emmett, and if his opinions would eventually find their way back to Bella, which I had every reason to believe they would, I had no problem with him knowing how I felt about this issue. Although I had my fair share of 'experience' with women, I wasn't into the whole one night stand thing that seemed to be so popular in this day and age, particularly in my line of work. Sheesh, I'd lost track of how many phone numbers had been slipped into the pockets of my fellow recruits and I just during the weeks in recruit training when we happened to be out socializing after class. I know some of them took advantage of the offers, because of how they boasted the following morning, but that just wasn't me, and I explained that to Emmett.

"But Bella...I don't know, man. It's like...I'm just...overwhelmed. She's so beautiful, and I just can't stop thinking about her. I know, sounds cheesy, right?" I finished, crossing my own arms, bracing myself for more teasing, but Emmett just smiled.

"Well, you just passed the test. Yep, you'll do just fine. I knew there was something different about you, man," he replied, clapping me hard on the shoulder. I returned his smile, trusting that his opinion of me was correct, and hoping he was right.

BPOV

At the rate I was going, I would be falling asleep in the middle of dinner, I was so exhausted. Alice had literally dragged me to every clothing store in the mall, but I had to give her credit, she did set me up with a beautiful outfit, shoes, accessories and all, which I did admit to looking pretty good in.

"Pretty good?!? This, my dear, is perfection, if I do say so myself!" she praised, patting herself on the back and admiring her work. "Bella, you will have Edward drooling on the floor the minute he spies you."

I smiled at my reflection in the shop mirror and secretly hoped she was right about that. My stomach started doing flip-flops as I thought of Edward, at seeing him again, and getting to know him, hopefully in more ways than one. My cheeks blushed just thinking of him, picturing his arms around my waist, wondering what his lips would taste like if he kissed me tonight, which I desperately hoped he would.

Alice and I quickly drove home so that I could shower and change, as well as let Alice have full reign on styling my hair and applying my make-up. I had long ago given over complete control to her in all matters of fashion and beauty because let's face it, I was missing that particularly gene, and Alice was only too eager to take me under her wing. I also sensed that Alice had something to do with this whole 'date' this evening from little snippets of our conversation today at the mall, like she already knew Edward, and was a little too enthusiastic about the whole affair.

Part of me didn't blame her for her enthusiasm. While I had escaped my brooding mood some time ago, I hadn't exactly been eager to jump back into the dating pool after last spring and my break-up with James. Alice had tried to comfort me and was extremely supportive every time I broke down crying. She put up with me while I went about mending my broken heart, and gently suggested that I start seeing other people, even going so far as to set up double dates with her and Jasper and various single friends of theirs, but she soon gave up, instead insisting that I still come out with the two of them. I wasn't much into being a third wheel, and as much as I loved them both, it was difficult seeing them get closer and closer. I was sure Jasper was going to ask Alice to marry him very soon. That only served as a reminder of my failed engagement, and the horror when I discovered that James had secretly started a life with another woman, Victoria, hiding it from me for almost a year before I uncovered the lies.

I sighed deeply as I stepped into the shower and let the heat of the pounding water soothe my tired muscles and wash away the fleeting memories that I had tried so hard to banish from my mind. While I sometimes faltered, overall I had done a pretty good job of taking the advice of countless friends, especially Alice and Emmett, who made me believe that the whole incident with James had nothing to do with me, that it was his severe character flaws. However, there was still a small part of me, deep down, that was afraid to trust my own judgement and instincts when it came to men. I thought I had loved James, and that he had loved me. Hindsight had provided me a clearer picture of course, but it did little to convince me that I was immune to making stupid mistakes in the future. That gene I had certainly inherited from my wonderful, hair-brained mother Renee. I smiled fondly as I thought of her, glad that she had finally settled down with Phil. He was good for her, and he made her happy. Much better than the string of worthless boyfriends she went through after she left my father, Charlie.

"Bella, you need to get out of there! I won't have enough time to make you up at this rate. Get a move on!" Alice shrieked through the bathroom door, snapping me back to reality. I quickly finished up, dried off and wrapped a towel around me before scooting to my bedroom where Alice had laid out my entire outfit precisely on my bed, lingerie included. I rolled my eyes, mentally chastising her for her thoughts that anyone, let alone Edward, would be seeing me in my underwear this evening.

True to her talents, Alice did such a wonderful job styling my hair and make-up that I hardly recognized myself in the mirror when she was finished, but seeing her reflection beside me, beaming in approval, made me smile. I didn't look overly done-up, but rather elegantly casual, and my confidence swelled.

"You are beautiful, my little Bella," she stated proudly, her voice barely a whisper. I turned and gathered her into a warm embrace.

"Only because of you, Alice. Thank you, for everything," I replied, certain that she picked up on my meaning beyond that of just this evening's work.

Just then the door bell rang. Alice squealed and squeezed my hands.

"Here goes nothing," I sighed, my stomach full of butterflies.

A/N: So? What'd ya think? Reviews make my writing world go round at the moment, so let me know those opinions!! Good or bad. And if you have suggestions or something you want to see, just let me know and I'll see what I can do (but no, I can't give you any photos or phone numbers of my co-workers, but I promise some nice, juicy descriptions in upcoming chapters).