Chapter Tre

A/N: Hey guys! I've got a new chapter here for you all... Also, thank you all for reading! Although this might sound pathetic to some of you, some of you might understand why getting 8 reviews (compared to the usual two) and a bunch of Faves/Alerts for the last chapter excited me. That made me pretty darn happy, let me tell you. Anyways, keep it up! I appreciate it more than I could ever say!

He spoke, and the deep, smooth tone stunned me further.

"So, I take it, you were forced here against your will, as well?"

BPOV

Holy you-know-what.

Had I just found the hottest man in the known world? It wasn't impossible.

Composure, Bella. He just asked you a question. "No, um, my friends dragged me here, actually." I stuttered smoothly, and tried to smile charmingly.

He nodded, accepting my answer.

But why was he still staring at me? I had given him a suitable answer, right? Wasn't it his turn to speak? Oh god, was there something on my face? Was there something wrong with me?

Was there something wrong with him?

I scoffed inwardly. Nope. There was absolutely nothing wrong with him. He was normal, if you could really apply such a word to someone so... extraordinary.

Was he even staring at me? I looked behind me quickly, but there was no one. When I turned back around, he was smirking, but still staring. What other reason could it be? Could it be the unthinkable? That this stunning guy was showing even an ounce of interest in moi?

However unlikely it may be, deep down, I wanted it to be true. So badly. So, I rolled with it.

I cocked my eyebrow, attempting to look suave, yet alluring.

But wait, I couldn't pull that off! I was neither of those things. Most likely, I just looked ridiculous. But his green eyes continued to fix onto mine, boring into me with evident curiosity.

I tried another approach.

"So..." I said.

He grinned an adorable crooked smile and said, "So."

Oh wow. I couldn't get over it: even his voice was amazing.

"So, um... You come here often?" I was still having a hard time thinking clearly.

He laughed at that. Loudly.

I realized how the had sounded, and I blushed. Crap. Stupid cheeks! I tried to redeem myself quickly. I smiled at my mistake and laughed along with Mr. Gorgeous, staying calm. "Um, sorry, I really, really didn't mean for that to sound like some cheesy pick-up line..." I explained smoothly.

"Oh, it's alright," he chuckled. "It was rather cute, actually."

I blushed deeper. He pulled out another crooked smile, and returned to silently staring at me.

"So, where are the friends you spoked of before?" he asked.

Glad for the distraction, I swiveled in my chair to scan the crowd for them. It took me a while, but I eventually found them dancing with some guys. I pointed them out to the mystery man beside me.

"There's Alice, over there with the blonde guy. The little, black-haired one. She's a rampaging shopaholic," I laughed. "She's like a more excitable version of the Energizer Bunny. Alice is the one who got us three invited tonight. We share an apartment not far from here." He made a "hmm" noise, acknowledging my description and nodded his head thoughtfully.

"And the other?" he questioned.

"Rosalie. Rose, that is. She's over by the stairs, dancing with that big, tall guy. Her parents are filthy rich and choose to travel the world without her. Personally, I think that might be why she has some 'people' issues. She's a journalist and has an attitude, but she's one of my best friends. She's also supermodel-perfect." I looked over at Random Hot Guy.

He made another approving noise, but it sounded sort of like it meant, "Yea, she is beautiful, but not really my type,", which really threw me for a loop. I scrunched my eyebrows at him, trying to figure out what it meant. He looked over at me, saw my expression, and, confused, said, "What?"

I shook my head and turned back to look at the dancing club-goers. "So, where are your friends?"

He barked a low laugh. "Jasper and Emmett. Jasper is 'the blonde guy' with Alice, and Emmett is the 'big, tall guy' with your Rosalie. Weird, huh?" He looked at me, smirking.

I laughed. "What a coincidence."

He smiled. "Anyways, Jasper has been my best friend since... well, as long as I can remember," he laughed. I smiled at him. He looked at me. "He's a good old Southern boy. He is tall and strong, but he's also more in touch with his feminine side than any other guy I know."

"Well I can see why Alice was drawn to him, then." At the moment, the two were dancing closely, off in their own little world.

He grinned and pointed to his other friend.

"Emmett's a good guy, despite being twice my size and probably able to wrestle a grizzly bear." He smirked. "He's really a softie, and he likes to joke around."

I considered that. They sounded perfect for my best friends. Like good-looking, male versions of Alice and Rosalie.

"Well, I suppose I approve, then," I allowed.

"Good, good," he replied.

I made a happy little "hmm" noise and spun around on my barstool. I picked up my glass and put it to my lips, but it was empty. Even though I was having a surprisingly not-so-miserable time, I let the bartender refill it. I noticed that The Man Beside Me asked for another glass, too.

"So," the man said, after taking a drink, "are you a student?"

I took a sip. "Was. I graduated NYU last year."

"Really? How old are you?" Then he looked at me, suddenly flustered. "Oh, I mean...sorry! I know you're not supposed to ask a lady her age...uh... You don't have to answer that if you think it's rude... That was extremely careless of me..." A large grin had grown on my face as he ranted and stumbled on. He finally looked down and over at me, and stopped abruptly. He exhaled loudly, looking embarrassed. He just shook his head.

"I'm 23, by the way," I said, then took another drink.

Okay, I'm sorry this is short, but I've been busy. I promise to post another chapter very soon, though! Now, I'm off to see My Sister's Keeper, which is an excellent book, if anyone's interested. One of my all-time favorites.

Review, pretty please! And, remember to put me on Alert to get my updates... Bye!