A/N...I own nothing..yada yada yada...

Thanks to everyone for your positive reviews and happy thoughts. I'm glad you're liking Bella and Jakey! As always the fabulous Neutron Phantom did a bang up job beta'ing xxoo.

Table For Two

Chapter 5

Saturday at the club passed in much the same fashion as Friday, except that there was a wedding reception in the main ballroom, making our already busy staff twice as busy. And for me, that meant moving from the members' dining rooms to the banquet hall to help with the reception.

In a way, banquet work was easier than the waiting tables, but it was also a constant on your feet, clear the tables, fill the waters type of job. And it always lasted well into the night. As long as the party was going, we were there. Around eleven, Seth came to find me to tell me he was going to catch a ride with Bella rather than wait around for me.

That was another thing about banquet work: I didn't get to see Bella at all. But I knew we'd both be working brunch the next morning, so at one a.m. I dragged myself home to shower and fall immediately to sleep. This waitering job was the pits sometimes.

Seth had somehow managed a Sunday off, so the next morning while he slept in I secretly plotted his death and got ready for work. I may have stomped around the house a little louder than normal, but who's to say. I stomped into the bathroom and I stomped into the kitchen, earning a shut the hell up, and then I stomped out the door to head to work.

When I got there, I grabbed some employee breakfast and went to the break room to eat before shift. I found Bella sitting there with Angela whispering about something. I cleared my throat so that they knew I was there and didn't think I was eavesdropping. Angela giggled and got up, passing by me and winking.

I furrowed my brow and looked at Bella who was, of course, blushing, but she carried on as if nothing was up. I wonder if she even knew when she was blushing; it certainly gave her away every time. I made my way to our table to sit down and Bella held up two thermoses.

"I thought that after last night you might be able to use your own," she said as if it was nothing. As if anyone would have been so considerate and thoughtful. I was starting to put together the puzzle that was Bella Swan and I just got another piece: even when she tried to keep people at a distance, her caring nature came out.

"You didn't have to, but thank you." I took a big gulp of the caffeinated concoction that I so desperately needed.

"No problem. I remember what it's like working banquets and getting up the next morning for brunch. At least wedding season is dying down a little. You should have been here in May and June."

"No thanks, I'm glad September is only a few weeks away. I don't know if I could do this every weekend and school during the week. You want some?" I asked pushing my pancakes toward her, but she shook her head no and I continued eating.

We didn't talk about the deal we made Friday night and I wondered if she meant what she said, but I decided with Bella, it was better not to push. So, I finished up breakfast and we walked out into the main dining room together for pre-shift and to get our work assignments.

I couldn't help but notice that ever since Eric mentioned it, some of the girls on the staff watched me, like all the time. And yet none of them talked to me. It was sort of creepy. I took a seat next to Tyler who seemed to be a pretty cool guy. He hung with Eric so I assumed he was good people; we started to talk about baseball and preseason football, easily chatting it up.

I felt a small tap on my shoulder and turned, expecting that Bella sat at the table behind me. But instead I was met with beady green eyes and orange skin. Vulture alert! "Hi, I'm Jessica, we haven't really gotten to meet officially."

She looked at me expectantly so I smiled slightly at her. "Nice to meet you Jessica, I'm Jacob, but everyone calls me Jake." Well not everyone. I scanned the room to find Bella sitting with Eric and Angela.

"Okay Jake, well officially, welcome to the club," she said, and then she moved her hand to my thigh and squeezed it. "I can't wait to get to know you." She was trying to be seductive, but I was holding back the laughter well and the vomit at the thought of her touching me. I nodded at her and turned around as Mike came in the room to give us our assignments.

"Alright everyone, we've got a big brunch today. The Ladies' Golf League is hosting their end of season wrap-up, which means they'll all be in the main ballroom. Jessica, Eric, Nancy and Jacob, you've got the ballroom. Bella and Lauren, you two have main dining hall and Tyler, you've got Men's Grill. Alright everyone lets do this."

UGH! You've got to be kidding me, another banquet function? Full of old, rich ladies to boot. Oh well, at least Eric was going to be with me, but so was the vulture. I huffed out a breath and stood to go follow the others into the hall to finish set up when I felt a small hand grab my elbow. Not again, please.

"Hang in there, at least it's all the 'ladies'. They'll all try and be dainty around each other and won't eat." Bella smiled up at me, somehow knowing that I was pissy about work. "Although," she started laughing, "there may not be a drop of Bloody Mary mix left in the county by noon." She laughed again, this time snorting, causing me to laugh right along with her and instantly my mood was lifted.

Two hours and about eight hundred Bloody Marys later, I was carrying a tray of dirty plates back into the kitchen when I passed by the members' dining room. I stopped dead in my tracks as I saw Bella waiting on the Cullen men, all of whom were dressed and ready for golf. I felt my body stiffen and my fists clench when Edward leaned over to grab her by the arm so he could pull her down and whisper something in her ear.

At that point, I'd say the gods were on his side because if I didn't have a tray full of dirty dished I may have marched right over there. I went into the kitchen to set the tray down and try to calm down but it did little good because I turned right around and came back out, ready to intervene but I was stopped by a hobbit.

"Jacob," the tinkle of bells chimed in her voice, "we're getting ready to start the speeches. Do you think you could find us the microphone?" She was all smiles.

"Of course, Mrs. Whitlock." I chanced a quick glance toward Bella to make sure she was okay and the hobbit noticed.

"You know how they say you can't pick your family?" Alice asked and I turned to face her to find her staring at the same table. "Well sometimes I wish you could trade in for a better model." Then as if realizing she just said she wished Edward wasn't her brother she continued, "But he's not all bad really, what do they say about zebras not changing their spots? Edward always wants what he can't have."

"And Mrs. Cullen?" Alice was nice enough, but what was it about these rich people turning a blind eye to what they know to be wrong?

"Mrs. Cullen has known her husband since they were children. Their marriage was expected. She enjoys being Mrs. Cullen," Alice sighed in disappointment. "But no one wants to be treated like that." And I didn't know if she was talking about Bella or Tanya. I had a sneaking suspicion it was both.

"So," she turned and plastered a big smile on her face, "microphone?"

"Of course ma'am, right away." As I turned to leave she stopped me.

"Bella is a good person, you just have to give her time," she said and turned and walked away, but not before giving me that all-knowing wink she gave me the night we met. What the hell was with that strange little woman?

After another three hours of Mimosa and Bloody Marys, the drunken women of Port Angeles Country Club went to play their Sunday golf and I was exhausted and ready to sleep for days. I sat down at one of the newly cleared tables to take a break and quickly had company.

"Hey Jake," I looked up from table that I was leaning against.

"Hey Jessica, it's been a long day," and I'm really not in the mood, I finished the thought in my head.

"Yeah, you get used to the madness I guess. I'm just glad I only work weekends; I have all week to recover. Especially when classes start again, you're going to be part time too right?"

"Naw, I kind of have to work," I finally took the chance to look over Jessica Stanley, with her fake tan and designer shoes, nails perfectly manicured. She didn't need this job like I did.

"Yeah, Daddy said I couldn't keep my car and my apartment if I didn't work, and Lord knows I wasn't living in the dorms or giving up my baby."

"Right, that would…I don't know, suck." Give me a fucking break.

"Exactly," she said, smiling at me. She had no clue that I could care less if she didn't get to keep her fancy car. "So, you should hang out with us sometime. I mean, Seth never does, but he's a little younger than the rest of us, but you should. We party all the time."

"Eh, I'm not really the party kind of person, Jessica." That wasn't exactly true, but I preferred the company of people more real.

"Aw, you'd rather hang with the kids and the old sticks in the mud?" She laughed, but it was more like a cackle.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I asked, a little tired of her, and I knew what she was talking about and it pissed me off.

"Oh," she looked surprised at my anger, "I didn't mean anything by it Jake, and I just meant, you know, you're young, you're about to start school; why do you waste your time with a lifer like Bella?"

"Lifer?"

"Yeah, you know, like Nancy," and she pointed to the woman across the room clearing glasses, I didn't know Nancy but I'd been told she'd been here nearly twenty years. "In ten years you'll be out of school, you'll have a great job and well, Bella will still be waiting tables and living with her dad. Just think about it Jake," she got up to walk away but not before handing me a slip of paper, I quickly opened it and saw it was her phone number.

I watched her walk out while everything set in. She really was a bitch; I didn't trust a word she said. But she'd worked here the longest, and she probably knew a lot of things about people. Did Bella really still live with her father, at almost thirty years old? And what did she mean, 'lifer'? Why would that matter what a person does for a living anyway, I mean the only jobs on the rez were blue collar and we're all good people.

I shot out of my seat and jogged to catch up with her right before she got to the kitchen. "Hey Jessica!" She turned around with a big smile on her face, which faded quickly when she saw my face. "I just wanted to give you this," I handed back the slip of paper. "You see, my mom, she worked in the cafeteria as school. I also don't have a daddy to pay my way, and I just don't think we have anything in common."

I walked away, leaving her in my wake, feeling pretty good about myself. She had insulted me, my family, and my Bella all in one conversation, and I was done with Jessica Stanley. I smirked all the way into the break room to clock out and go home. I was surprised to find Bella sitting there picking at a napkin.

"Hey you," I said loudly and happily. She shot her head up and smiled at me. I couldn't figure out what she was doing. She had her bag and thermoses with her like she was ready to go. "You're still here? I assumed you'd be done a lot earlier than me."

"Yeah," she shrugged, "I was I was just sort of waiting… I mean, I was wondering if…" She stopped and looked up at me as her brown eyes quickly scanned my face. "I wanted to make sure that we…" I smirked at her and sat down waiting for her to keep going.

"You're a jackass." I laughed when that came out of Bella's mouth. "Would you just say something? You're dealing with a social retard you know." She was cute when she was frustrated and I would have let her keep going but she might just get up and leave so….

"Bella, I was wondering, are we still going to get together and do something tomorrow?" I asked, giving in for her. I had this feeling I would always give in for her. The bright smile on her face made it worth it, and that mouth of hers.

"Well, if you're going to be all needy, I can't really say no," she smirked at me, smartass. "But, I've got some things in the morning, but maybe afternoon, three o'clock or something?"

Right, afternoon, friends hang out in the afternoon I guess. "Sure, did you want me to come to Forks?"

"No," she said almost too quickly, " I mean there's more to do here, plus I have some errands in town. I'll just come by when I'm done?"

"Sure, I'll be waiting," I answered and she got up to leave. I watched her fumble with her thermoses and bag with a smile; she had a clumsy quality about her that was very endearing. She walked to the door and then turned around.

"Hey Jacob, just… thanks. You know, for the hang out invite." I nodded, she had no idea how badly I wanted this too. She thought I was just inviting her as a favor for her or something.

~~**~~

I peed three times and I changed my shirt twice. I fiddled with the television, my keys, my phone and anything else I could. I even cleaned up my room. Where the hell was she? Two thirty, god, thirty more minutes? Get it together Black, you sound like a girl.

Just as I was about to go to the bathroom for the fourth time I heard a knock on the door. I ran to open it but stopped short and took a few deep breaths. I opened the door to find a nervous Bella playing with the strings on her bag.

"Hi," I said breathlessly and she smiled in return as I moved out of the way to let her in. She carefully looked around my apartment, almost studying it.

"I didn't get to look around much last time I was here. You know, just the living room." Then she blushed.

"Oh so, the other night, was the first time you were here?" Mentally facepalming myself I tried to shake it off, "I mean, I thought you and Seth you know, friends…"

She laughed at my discomfort becoming a little more at ease, "No, I mean we are friends, but we've never hung out, I mean he's young enough to be…well I guess my kid brother. Nice though, the place I mean."

"Yeah, it's alright. You look nice by the way, never seen you without your uniform on." God damnit Jake, could you try and keep your foot out of your mouth? "I mean, in different clothes…other than your uniform." Right, smooth.

"So," Bella said, ready to change the subject, "what's the plan for today?"

"Well, I sort of have an idea, if you're up for it. It's a surprise though." She quirked one brow at me curiosity officially perked. "Can we take your truck though? I sort of let Seth drive the car to work."

"Oh, sure no problem." I led her to the door and held it open and we walked to her truck. I held out my hand, waiting for her and she just looked at me.

"What?"

"Keys."

"No, what?"

"Keys," I said again leading her by her elbow to the passenger side and opening the door. "I need your keys if I'm taking you."

"I can drive Jacob," she sarcastically snorted at me.

"No, it's a surprise…please?" Bella handed me her keys and huffed into the passenger side scowling at me the whole time. What a stubborn ass.

I quickly moved around the truck and got into the driver's side turning toward her, "You know you're quite stubborn, you should learn to let people do things for you. What's that?" I asked as Bella was picking up papers from the truck bench to make room.

"Oh, schedules, bills… I signed up for my classes today."

"Classes? At the college?"

"Yeah Jacob, you know, college, where people go when they want to learn…" So for the third time today I unintentionally tasted my foot. Just put me in the corner with a big cone dunce hat.

"Oh, I just didn't know you were taking classes is all, that's cool." She just nodded and I roared the truck to life. Loud noise, less time for talking!

Before I knew it we were pulling in to our destination, I parked and turned off the engine while Bella ducked her head to peer through the windshield. "Really? This is where you go to raise hell?"

"What, who doesn't like miniature golf?" I got out of the truck and ran to her side before she had a chance to open it.

"Well," she said letting me get her door, "I guess it does say 'adventure' in the name."

"Would you just come on," I offered her my elbow, which she hesitantly took, and I lead her toward our first date, unofficially.

KK...next chapter is the date and I promise to get some of your Bella questions answered...some of them, can't hatch all my eggs at once right?! lol