A/N: All right, people, here's the next chapter. Sorry it took so long to get it up; it's been a hectic couple of weeks. Could you guys do me a favor and review when you hit the story alert button? A lot of people have done the alert but don't bother to review and it bugs me. Thanks!
BPOV
Saturday night was finally here. I had about two hours before my date with Emmett, and Alice was on her way over to help me get ready. She said she didn't trust that I was capable of dressing myself for this occasion. I just figured it would be easier to spend two hours as Bella Barbie than argue with her and lose in the end anyway. I'm very curious what Emmett has planned for tonight, but I really hope he won't go to too much trouble. I'm just happy to be spending some time alone with him.
"Bella, I'm here!" Alice called out from downstairs. I had already showered and my hair was dried, so I went downstairs to greet her.
"Hey, Alice," I said. She grabbed my arm and started towing me back upstairs.
"Bella, we don't have much time to work with, so we need to get started right now," she said. "Hurry up!" I could hear Charlie laughing in the living room. She sat me down in the bathroom and yanked a brush through my hair while the straightener heated up. She straightened it carefully and left it loose. She applied foundation, powder, eye shadow, eyeliner, mascara, blush, and a clear lip gloss to my face and spritzed a light amount of freesia perfume to my neck and wrists. Then she marched me into my bedroom where she pulled out a piece of cloth that apparently was supposed to pass as a dress. It was light blue silk, strapless and about mid-thigh length. It was pretty, but there was no way Charlie would let me out of the house wearing something as skimpy and tiny as that. Alice would hear no arguments and she yanked my clothing off, allowing me, thankfully, to put my own underwear on while she turned around. She pulled the dress over my head and twitched it into place.
"There! You look gorgeous!" she said. I blushed and looked down. I had to admit, the dress looked great and wasn't as skimpy as I'd feared. "Now, for shoes." She pulled out a pair of stilettos and I nearly had a heart attack.
"Alice, those will kill me. Don't you have anything without a heel?" I asked.
"Bella, they go with the dress," she argued.
"Maybe, but if I fall on my ass and ruin this dress, won't that be worse? Plus I'll likely get skinned up and look horrible by the time it's all over with. Flats would be better."
"Fine," she sighed, pulling a pair of blue ballet flats out of her bag. "Put these on."
"Alice, were you expecting this?" I questioned her.
"Always be prepared, is the motto I live by. I expected you would try to talk me out of the stilettos and I knew that you would try to wear one of your own pairs of shoes if I didn't have an alternative." She shuddered delicately at the thought of matching any of my shoes with this dress.
"Thanks," I said drily. "Alice, why are you going to all this trouble anyway? It's not like Emmett can see what I look like. He's not going to care what I'm wearing."
"Bella," she said sternly, "just because he can't see you doesn't mean you shouldn't dress up. I know where he's taking you and you need to look decent. Besides, he'll be the envy of every other male in the place."
"Okay, okay," I gave in. "Alice, can you tell me more about Emmett's blindness? I don't know anything about it."
"Sure, I guess. He's been blind since he was a baby, I guess. Mom and Dad don't really talk about, so I don't know why he's blind, but I think Emmett knows. He doesn't talk about it much either, and Edward and I have never known him any differently, so it doesn't come up a lot."
"Oh. Alice, do you think he really likes me or do you think this is a pity date since I got so upset yesterday?"
"He really likes you, Bella. He's really excited about this date. He's liked you since he first heard you speak. He confessed that to me last night."
"I hope he's not disappointed at the end of the night then. I want him to keep liking me."
"Just be yourself and you can't go wrong. He's already seen the real you, so he won't be disappointed."
"Okay."
A few minutes later, Charlie yelled up the stairs, "Bella! Emmett's here!" I hurried down the stairs, Alice hot on my heels, and saw Emmett standing in the living room.
"Hey, Emmett," I greeted him, suddenly shy.
"Bella, you look stunning," he said. "I might not be able to see you, but I'm sure Alice did her best."
"Thank you," I blushed. He held out his hand to me and I took it.
"Now, where are you two going tonight?" Charlie asked.
"Port Angeles, sir," Emmett answered. "I'm taking her to dinner."
"What time will you be back?"
"Is eleven all right, sir?"
"Sounds fine. Call me Charlie."
"Thank you, Charlie. Bella, are you ready to go?"
"Yeah. Bye Dad, bye Alice. Thanks for getting me ready."
"Have fun," Alice said, following us out and getting into her Porsche. Emmett led me to a long black stretch limo, opening the door and helping me inside before sliding in next to me. He gave the driver quick instructions and sat back next to me as the car started to move. He opened the mini-fridge and pulled out what suspiciously looked like a wine bottle.
"Sparkling white grape juice?" he asked me, taking on an affected, elegant voice. I laughed.
"Why thank you, good sir." He grabbed some wine glasses and handed me the bottle. I poured us both a glass.
"Shall we toast?" he asked.
"Sure. What should we toast to?"
"How about we toast to a good evening," he said.
"To a good evening," I replied, clinking my glass against his. The entire way to Port Angeles was spent talking about random things from music to movies to aliens in outer space.
"So where are you taking me?" I asked as we entered Port Angeles. He smirked at me.
"I'm not telling you," he said. "It's a surprise." Soon, we pulled up in front of an elegant restaurant. The name of it was C'est Si Bon.
"French?" I asked him. He nodded, and then looked slightly anxious.
"Is French all right? If you don't like it, we can go somewhere else."
"No, French is great!" I reassured him. "I've always wanted to try it."
"Good," he smiled. "Wait here." I sat while he got out of the car and moved around it to open my door. He held out his hand for me to take. I slid my much smaller hand into his and stepped out of the car. People were turning to stare at us, but my only acknowledgement of their attention was the blush staining my cheeks.
We walked into the restaurant and were immediately greeted by the host. "Bonjour, j'mappelle Pierre [1]. Do you have reservations?" he asked.
"Oui, [2]" Emmett answered. "Cullen." Pierre looked in his large book and nodded.
"Follow me, please." His French accent was a little hard to understand, but I'd taken French in Phoenix, so I understood what he was saying. He led us to a small, private table and set menus in front of us.
"Your server will be with you shortly," Pierre said.
"Merci beaucoup, [3]" I told him. He nodded to me and left.
"You speak French?" Emmett asked me.
"Only a little bit. I took a course in Phoenix. I know enough to get by with very simple conversation. Do you speak much of it?"
"I'm fairly fluent. My father took us to France to vacation for a summer a few years ago. I learned quite a bit of it from that."
"Wow. Did you first taste French food there, or did you eat it before that?" I asked him.
"Mom really likes it, so she's been feeding it to us for awhile. What would you like to drink, Bella?" I scanned the menu quickly. "Strawberry Lemonade."
"Okay." Just then, our server came up to the table.
"My name is Jacques and I will be your server tonight." He was also French. "Would you care to start off with some drinks?"
"Two strawberry lemonades, please," Emmett requested.
"Would you like an appetizer?"
"We'll have the Soupe A L'Oignon Gratinee Au Champagne, [4]" he replied.
"I'll return shortly with your drinks and to take your order."
"Thank you."
We talked until he came back and then we talked until our food came. I had ordered the roast duck, and Emmett had gotten the lamb chops. The soup was good, but the duck was amazing. Emmett had me try the lamb chops too, and they were pretty good. We ate and talked and talked and ate some more. After we were finished, Emmett paid the bill and we went back out to the limo.
"I want to take you somewhere Alice told me about," he said to me.
"Okay. Where?" I replied.
"It's a surprise." He gave the driver an address—I couldn't hear what he said—and sat back next to me.
"Bella, I'm really glad you agreed to go out with me tonight. I didn't deserve a second chance with you, but I'm so glad you gave it to me."
"Emmett, I really like you—a lot. You are worth as many chances as you want to take."
"No, Bella, I'm not. You don't deserve that from any man. Anyone that hurts you or upsets you shouldn't get a second chance. I did that, and I'm so truly sorry. I'm glad you gave me a chance because I'm selfish. We haven't known one another for long, but I can't imagine life without you. I-I love you, Bella."
My heart caught in my chest and I couldn't say anything.
"Bella?" he asked after a moment, worry on his face.
"I love you too, Emmett," I have whispered. Then I burst into tears. He looked alarmed and pulled me into his arms, rocking me and soothing me.
"Bella, baby, tell me what's wrong. Did I say something?"
"N-n-n-no," I sobbed. "I'm h-h-happy!"
"I'm a little confused," he said, sounding like a lost little boy. My sobs turned into laughs at that, which made him look even more confused. I wiped the tears off of my face and leaned against him. I didn't know how to explain my reaction—I'm not even sure I understood it.
"Sorry," I said, "I haven't had the best history with relationships, and I guess I was just overwhelmed."
"Oh. Did someone hurt you in your past, Bells?" he asked me softly.
"Let's not talk about the past tonight, Emmett. I just want to have a good time with you." He hesitated a moment, then agreed. The limo came to a stop a few minutes later.
"Where are we?" I asked, looking out the window. The place wasn't familiar to me. Emmett groped for the door handle and opened the door, stepping out. He held his hand out to me and helped me out of the vehicle.
"You'll see. Do you see a large building somewhere around with the word Kendall's on it?" he asked.
"Yes."
"We're going in there." I led him to the building, and as soon as we stepped inside, I felt my jaw drop in awe. The building was small but it was packed from ceiling to floor with books. A short man came over to us, smiling.
"Hi, I'm Rob Kendall, the owner. You must be Emmett Cullen and Isabella Swan," he said.
"Yes," Emmett answered. "Thank you for keeping the shop open for us. I knew my girlfriend would love to see it."
"Not a problem. It's always so nice to see two young people in love. Now, I've tracked down the copy of the book you requested, and it's in the back. I'll give you two some time to explore, and just let me know when you're ready."
"Thank you," Emmett said.
"Thank you very much," I echoed. We browsed the store for an hour, and I picked up a few books that I didn't have yet and wanted to read. I bought the books, refusing to allow Emmett to pay for them.
"Sir, would you like to purchase the book I have on hold for you now, or would you like to pick it up at another time?" Mr. Kendall asked.
"Now, please." Emmett groped his pockets for his wallet. "Damn, I think I left my wallet in the limo. I'll have to run out and get it."
"I'll get it for you, Emmett," I said and hurried toward the door.
EPOV
When I heard the door close behind Bella, I pulled my debit card out of my pocket and handed it to Mr. Kendall.
"Hurry and ring it up. I don't want her to know how much it costs, or she won't accept it." He rang the book up and swiped my card through. I had to sign for it, but I've learned over the years how to write my name. As long as I don't pick the pen up, I'm okay. Mr. Kendall was slipping the book into a bag when Bella came back in.
"Hey, Bells, I found my card in my pocket. I must have put it in there after the restaurant," I said. "I'm sorry you went all the way out there for nothing."
"It's okay," she said, squeezing my hand. "What book did you get?"
"I'll show you when we get out to the car," I said teasingly.
"Okay." She sounded a little confused.
"Thank you again, Mr. Kendall," I said to him.
"Yes, thank you," Bella agreed with me.
"You're most welcome, both of you. You two have a good night now."
We left and got into the limo. I asked the driver to take us back to Bella's house.
"Aren't you going to show me what book you bought?" she asked.
"Yes, keep your pants on," I teased. She lightly smacked me on the arm. I held out the bag to her. "It's for you. Alice told me you said it was your favorite book, so I thought you might like to have this copy."
I heard her slide it out of the bag. "Wuthering Heights?" she said. "Emmett this is very sweet of you, but I already have this book."
"Look in the front cover," I told her. She opened it and I heard her gasp.
"It's signed?" she managed to get out. "By Emily Brontë! Emmett, this must have cost a fortune!"
"Not that bad," I laughed. "Besides, you're worth it."
"Emmett, this is amazing, but I can't accept it, as much as I want to."
"Why not?" I pouted.
"Because it's too much. Besides, what if it doesn't work out between us? I can't keep something as valuable and expensive as this."
"Please, Bella, keep the book. I want you to have it, even if you break up with me right now. The expense doesn't matter, it was pocket change compared to what I have access to. Please, Bells." I didn't usually have to beg so hard to get someone to accept a gift. She sighed and relented.
"All right. Thank you, Emmett. I love you."
"I love you too, Bells." I brought her hand up to mine and kissed it gently. The rest of the way home was spent in peaceful quiet, with my arm wrapped around Bella, and her leaning against me. We arrived at her house and I walked her up to the front door.
"Did you have a good time tonight, Bella?" I asked.
"Yes, it was a wonderful night," she said. "Thank you, Em, for everything."
"Thank you for agreeing. I'd better get going home so you can go to bed. Can I call you tomorrow?" I asked.
"Yes, of course."
BPOV
Emmett is such a sweetheart. I can't believe he got me a signed copy of Wuthering Heights! On impulse, I reached up and pulled him down a little so I could give him a light kiss on the lips. He was a little surprised at first, but he kissed me back.
"Good night, Emmett," I said shyly, blushing.
"Good night, Bella. I love you."
"I love you too." I watched him walk back to the limo, and then watched as it pulled away before going inside the house. Charlie was waiting up, watching the game.
"How did it go?" he asked.
"Amazing," I said dreamily. "He took me to a really nice French restaurant in Port Angeles, and then to this little bookstore that had a ton of amazing books. He got me a signed copy of Wuthering Heights."
"Well, I'm glad you had a good time. I'm going to head off for bed now that you're home."
"You didn't have to wait up for me, Dad," I said.
"Yes, I did," he replied. "I'm your father and it's my duty to make sure you're home safely."
"Yes, Daddy," I relented, kissing him on the cheek. "Good night." I headed up to my room, took a shower, changed into pajamas, and climbed into bed. It was a good thing tomorrow was Sunday, because I was awake until three in the morning, thinking about Emmett.
A/N: I hope you all liked this chapter! I'm sorry it took so long to write. I've been otherwise occupied. Hopefully the next update will come much sooner. Reviews are always good incentive!
[1] Bonjour, j'mappelle Pierre. Hello, my name is Pierre.
[2] Oui. Yes.
[3] Merci beaucoup. Thank you very much.
[4] Soupe A L'Oignon Gratinee Au Champagne. French onion soup.
I might have added more French, but I'm lazy.