Darlings, I want to clear some stuff up from the last chapter. Bella and Banner are NOT in love with each other. They are more friends with benefits. Banner is a professor at Bella's college, not her principal. And Bella doesn't have Daddy issues. She is mature for her age (22), so guys around that age don't attract her. Bella isn't in love with Edward yet, but Edward is starting to become intrigued by Bella.
Also, the ages of the characters. Bella, Alice, Jacob, and Rosalie are 22. Edward and Jasper are 28, and Emmett is 29. Banner is 55.
Sorry its late, but life got crazy.
Ok, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! And of course, I dont own. All these amazing characters belong to SMeyer.
BPOV
"ROSALIE AND ALICE!" I screamed, slamming the door behind me and dropping all my shit in front of the door. If Jake tripped over it coming in its too bad. Payback is a bitch, and he owed me. He owed me big time.
"Bella, we are in the living room!" I heard Alice call out, in her typical pixie voice.
I walked into our amazing living room, and found Allie and Rose reading magazines. Allie was reading a fashion magazine, Rose a car magazine. So typical.
Even though I had been living in this house for two years already, it still amazed me how fucking awesome it was. It was a five bedroom house a few minutes from campus, and cost a shitload of money a month. However, splitting it between four people made it easier. And it wasn't like we were broke college students. Being a stripper really brought in the tips. Of course, they were greatly appreciated. They were paying for my education after all.
Anyways, the whole house looked like a picture from one of Allie's magazines. She liked to take a drink of every shot glass in the bar, so she dabbled in everything from interior design to electrical work. Yes, that pixie knows how to use power tools, and its damn scary. Of course, when we found the house it was a given she would furnish it, because we knew she would make it look deserving of the goddess herself, Mama Oprah. And, it helped that her daddy was loaded, and he gave her his credit card and told her to "go crazy." Like she needed any encouragement.
Jesus Christ on toast, I get so off topic sometimes. I had grande news to tell Allie and Rose.
I walked into the living room and settled on the couch. This was going to be a long conversation.
"Bella, what's wrong?" Alice asked me as she and Rose looked up from their magazines at the same time. Freaky.
"Guys, my life is seriously fucked up. It can be an episode of fucking Jerry Springer, or even Mama Oprah." Oh, my flare for dramatics didn't even disappear in moments like this. Hell, I think I became an even bigger drama queen.
"Bella, just calm down. What happened now?" Rose asked, but it was apparent she was already bored with the conversation. Obviously, she was more concerned with her nails than me. God, if I didn't love her so much I would think she is a real bitch. Well, maybe she is. But she is my bestie, as well as Alice.
"Ok, so you guys remember I had that class with the author dude, the one I was totally pumped about? Well, it turns out that emerald eyes, the guy that makes ovaries sing with just a look towards a woman, is fucking Edward Cullen. The guy that saw me stripping is my professor! Oh, and it gets much worse you guys" I say, by now out of breath because I said my little rant in about two seconds.
"Bella, I think this conversation deserves a little ice cream therapy," Alice says, and Rose nods her approval. Rose goes to the fridge and takes out three small containers of rocky road. One thing that was always stocked in our fridge was ice cream. That and booze.
Rose returns and we settle in for my little therapy session. This is going to be totes fucking crazy.
"Bella, what else happened? This story is much better than anything thats on TV right now."
"Gee, thanks Allie. I am glad my fucked up life is amusing to you" I say, rolling my eyes at her.
"Ok, stop bickering bitches and lets get back to the story," Rose said, after having captured her interest with my fucked up life. Bitch was always up for a little drama.
"Ok, so I am running late because of the queen, and I am late to class. I run in, and I fucking crash into emerald eyes himself. I wanted to be like cake at a kids birthday party and disappear. When I finally get to my seat, the fucker stares at me the entire class period. By the time class is over, I am totes paranoid and run to see papa Banner. We are sucking face, when guess who comes knocking at the door? FUCKING CULLEN" I say, screaming by the end.
I look at Rose and Alice, and can't believe what I am seeing. My best friends are rolling around on the floor, like hyenas having seizures. Of course, this makes me even more super pissed.
"What the fuck is so funny, bitches?"
"Bella, don't get mad, but we knew something like this was going to happen. Since you started fucking Banner we knew you guys were going to get caught" Rosalie said, with tears streaming down her perfect face. I don't know what the girl was doing going to school. She could be a model and be making millions by now.
"You didn't let me finish the story! Banner talked to him, and he promised he wouldn't tell about the stripping, and hopefully he won't tell about me and Banner. I thought about dropping the class, but Cullen seems cool with all this shit so I am going to stay. Its too good of an opportunity to pass up."
By now, Alice had stopped laughing enough to talk. "You know Bella, just consider yourself lucky that it was Cullen that caught you guys, and not some other teacher that would go tell on you guys immediately. You could be expelled, and that would not be good."
Damn, the hyperactive pixie had a point.
"Yeah, I agree with Allie", Rose said. "Maybe its time you end it with old man Banner. You guys don't have any feelings for each other, and you guys have too much to lose if you get caught. Its time you find yourself a fuck buddy thats your own age."
Shit, now the model had a point. I hate it when they are right. They always rub it in my face for forever. I can see it now, Rose telling my grandchildren how she told me to dump my geriatric loverboy when I was in college.
"Rose, I think you are right. I will go and talk to Banner tomorrow, and just end this right now. If I continue to stress about shit like this, I am going to end up looking like Sarah Jessica Parker by the time I am 25."
"But enough about me, what happened with Beachboy and Mr. Muscles after I left the Red Dog last night?"
Alice and Rose shared a look, meaning this couldn't be good.
"About that Bella" Alice said using her sweetest voice. I can already tell she going to lay it on thick. Its the same voice she used to tell me that she melted a chunk of my hair before a show, or when she used my favorite lingerie thong as a slingshot, and sent it out a car window. I still don't know what she was doing with my thong in a car, but I really didn't want to know.
"Well, we really hit it off, and Rose and I are going on a date with them on Friday," she said, cringing as she waited for my reaction.
"Bella, we really like these guys. I am going out with Emmett, the really big one, and Alice is going out with Jasper, the blonde.
"Yeah, Bella, I think they are really special. I feel like I have been waiting for Jasper my entire life" says Alice, a spaced out look on her face. I turn to Rose, and she has the same fucked up look on her face. This getting creepy, fast. Its bad enough that their visits from Aunt Flo are in sync, but this is too much.
"Guys, its cool if you like Cullen's friends, as long as I don't have to see him outside of class."
"Well, they are more than friends. Emmett is his brother, and Jasper might as well be related to them, they all grew up together" Alice said, looking at me nervously.
"Dude, its cool you guys. Have fun on your dates. You guys deserve to be happy. Now, lets celebrate my fucked up existence and invite another participant into our little therapy session. Girls, do you agree with Jack Daniels and Don Julio joining us?"
Rose and Allie squeal in unison. Their love of booze only comes second to their love for shopping.
I go to our bar, and get all the supplies we need for an afternoon of boozing. Luckily for us, the Red Dog is closed Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, so we are free to get a crunk as we want. Its early, but fuck it, today has been a long day. And its five o'clock somewhere.
EPOV
Since I last saw her, I could not get the face of Bella Swan out of my mind, and it was making me crazy. She is a student of mine, and several years younger than me, but something about her just intrigued me like no other woman had ever before. Its been exactly 24 hours since I saw her, and I still had 24 hours until I would see her again. That time seemed like an eternity to me.
My sleep last night was plagued with thoughts of Bella, her hair, her quirky smile, and the beautiful blush that spread throughout her features whenever she became embarrassed. Needless to say, when I woke up I had a problem. The feelings Bella was stirring inside of me where making me feel like a horny sixteen year old all over again.
I took a cold shower, trying to get rid of my problem. When that didn't work, I took to solving it with my own hands, thoughts of Bella swirling inside my head.
After my shower, I decided to go to campus to work in my office there. It was located near Professor Banner's, and I hoped I would not run into him. That would be an awkward conversation.
I went into the kitchen of my spacious condo, and prepared a huge cup of coffee for myself. As I looked around my penthouse apartment, I could not help but think how empty it felt.
It was beautifully decorated, thanks to my mother Esme's impeccable taste, but it was missing something. It had no life, no homey feel like my parents' house. They had been together for 35 years, dating for four years before they married. However, when you looked at them, they appeared to be newlyweds. Their love was as strong as the day they met.
I had heard the story of how they met so many times,i t was engrained in my memory, I thought with a smile. They met at a college party at Harvard, where they were both going to college. Mother was an Art History freshman, and my father Carlisle a Pre-med Senior, about to enter medical school. My father was being bothered by a girl named Elizabeth Masen, as my mother likes to recall, who would not leave my father alone. My mother went to his rescue, pretending to be his wife. And as they say, the rest is history.
They dated while my father completed med school and my mother finished her undergraduate degree. The day after my father graduated form medical school, they were married. The first few years difficult, but they stayed together. My father went on to become a world-renowned surgeon, my mother a well known expert in art from the Romantic period. However, they always made time to be there for me and my brother Emmett.
I realized that what was missing in my life and in my home was someone to share everything with. What was the use of being successful, if I had no one to go home to at the end of the day? For three years, I though Tanya was that woman. I had met her at a writing conference, an up and coming science fiction writer. Being a writer of romantic novels, our circles would never cross, but somehow we ended up talking. Our relationship was pure heat, passion overcoming us the day we met, and we sneaked up into my room. Our relationship continued like that, passionate at night, but empty throughout the day. I just thought we were becoming more used to each other, the nerves and curiosity of a new relationship gone. I decided it was time to ask her to marry me, ignoring the little voice in the back of my head that told me it was the biggest mistake of my life.
After I had the ring, I went to her apartment during the day while she was at work to prepare it for my proposal that night. As I walked in, I heard Tanya screaming. I ran into her room, thinking that maybe she was hurt. Well, she wasn't getting hurt. She was in bed screwing with her next door neighbor Riley. The moment she saw me the blood drained from her face, and she started talking to me, trying to explain. I walked away, wanting to hear no explanation.
She called me all afternoon, but I never picked up. When I checked my email that night, there was an email from her. I considered deleting it, but decided against it. As I read, the blindfold on my eyes began to fall. Tanya had used me, used me as a way of advancing her career. She set it up so we met at the conference, and then used our relationship as a way of networking within the writing community. She said she never loved me, just used me. She had been doing Riley all along, and was pregnant with his child. She told me she was going to tell me it was mine.
Needless to say, that was the last time I ever wanted to see Tanya. Two days later, Emmett and Jasper dragged me into the Red Dog, and I saw Bella for the first time.
As I drove onto campus, I couldn't help but imagine Bella as that person who would go to bed every night with me, who would be there when I awoke. As I got closer to campus, my imagination was running into overdrive. I imagined a beautiful baby girl with springy curls running around the apartment, and a tiny baby boy in my arms, his hazel eyes a perfect mix of Bella's chocolate colored eyes and my green ones.
I was still in my daydream as I walked into the building where my office was located, paying little attention where I was going. Suddenly, I felt something soft run into me hard. Instinctively, I put my arms around whoever crashed in front of me, steading them so they would not fall over. As I looked down to see who had crashed into me, I felt the whole tension inside of me slowly seep away.
It was Bella.
BPOV
I woke with a fuckbad hangover. We had drank and danced the night away, with Jake eventually joining us around one when he got home from a date with a guy he met at the Red Dog. Jacob Black is a real manhoe sometimes. But anyways, we drank and we danced, danced and then drank some more. Everything from Michael Jackson to MGMT was played. We even went into our own rendition of Thriller, our own drunken way of honoring the king.
Sometime around four in the morning I stumbled into my room, and passed out. Good thing I didn't have class until two today, because I woke up and had to nurse this headache, following the prescription Dr. Jack Daniels issued.
I walked into kitchen were Rose, Allie, and Jake where preparing Coffee and Jack, our little hangover cure. It tasted awful, but it worked.
"Hey Guys" I said, stumbling into the nearest chair.
"Please, Bella, don't make a sound" Alice said. I imagine pixie isn't feeling like a hotbitch right now. She drank her weight in booze last night.
Rose was slumped over the table, her blonde hair cascading over the table and her back. Even hungover, homegirl managed to look like a fucking model. Bitch.
Jake, on the other hand, was totally fine. He might be hungover, but he didn't show it at all. I guess thats one of the advantages of weighing twice what I weigh.
"Hey Bells, are you going to talk to Banner today?"
"Yeah, Jake. I need to end this shit before it gets even more twisted. Like I was telling you last night, my fuckhot professor walked in on us, and this shit is getting out of hand. I think Banner will be cool with it. He knows we are only friends with benefits."
"Well Bella, I hope it goes well. I have to go to the gym now, but I will see you girls later."
"Bye Jake" I said. The girls simply emitted sounds that resembled rhinos mating.
Turning to them, I said "Girls I need your help."
With that, their heads picked up a little.
"I need you guys to make me look hot for breaking it off with Banner. I need help with my hair, make up, and clothes."
At this, both of their heads popped up, and suddenly they were looking very cheery.
"OMG Bella, lets go into my room. I have all my supplies to make you look totally fuckable!"
"Alice, I am going to go stop fucking with Banner, not fuck him some more."
"Whatever, there is still a lot of work that has to be done before you can leave this house."
We made it into her room, where she messed with me for about an hour. It felt like she was caking the make up on me, much like when she did my makeup for a show. I could not go to class in full on stripper make up! Rose curled my hair with like five different curlers, and I was sure I would look like the women from "Dallas", with hair adding half a foot to my height.
However, after they were done, I was totes surprised. My make up was very natural, and all the signs of a hangover where gone from my face. Alice had put drops in my eyes, eliminating the redness. She had added blush to my naturally pale face, making it look alive. She added a shimmering bronze on my lids, and curled my eye lashes, making my eyes pop. Finally,she topped everything off with a layer of mascara.
Rosalie had also totally rocked. She curled my hair, soft curls with a little volume on top. It totes looked like just fucked hair. Needless to say, I loved it.
"Girls, today you have totally outdone yourselves! I was doubting my decision there for a minute, but you girls pulled it off!"
"Well, I am insulted you doubted me, but thanks anyways" Rose said, sarcasm dripping from her voice.
"Whatever, Bella. We still have to pick an outfit for you. I am thinking a sexy cami, tight skinny jeans, and fuck me heels" Alice said.
"Are you crazy! You know I only where heels during my show, and thats because there is a pole I can hold on to if I start losing my balance. Alice, if I wear heels, I will end up in the hospital before I even see Banner."
"Fine Bella, whatever. You can wear nice flats, not your nasty TOMS."
"Alice, do not diss the TOMS. They are the socially conscious shoe."
"Shut up Bella, its time to get you dressed."
I ended in skinny jeans, a maroon cami that flared out at the bottom, and a black short cardigan. For shoes, I borrowed some black pointy toe flats from Allie, and with than my outfit was complete.
I left for school, thinking the entire way how I was going to break up with Banner. I hope he doesn't flip the shit out on me. I don't have the will to deal with an angry Banner right now. Or even worse, a crying Banner. How fucked up would that be?
I walked into the building where his office was located, hoping the whole way I wouldn't see emerald eyes. His office was in this same building, and I don't think I could handle seeing him outside of class.
I walked slowly towards Banner's office, finally making it to his door. It was now or never. I lifted my hand, and knocked gently.
"Come in" I heard from inside.
"Hey Banner, I need to talk to you" I said, slowly sitting into the chair in front of him.
"What is it Bella?"
I was silent thinking of how to go on with this. Did I want to ease into it, or get over fast, like ripping a band aid? As Banner looked at me, I decided. Fuck it, I am going with the band aid method.
"I think we should end it now, before either one of us gets hurt. Imagine if it would have been another faculty member that discovered us, and not Cullen. Right now, I could be expelled and you would be unemployed."
"Bella, I was thinking the same thing. I have put a lot of thought into this decision, and totally agree with your decision. However, I still want to be involved in your life, even if it is only academically. I know you have great potential, and I would like to continue to be your mentor."
Relieved, I sighed. He was taking this better than I thought he would. "I would like that very much Banner. I promise that when I write a New York Times Best Seller, I will thank you in the acknowledgments, maybe even base a character after you."
I got up and walked towards Banner, giving him a huge hug. I loved him, but was not in love with him. He had helped me so much during my time here, never once judging me for what I did for a living. He saw me as an up and coming writer, not a stripper.
"I will see you around Bella."
"Yeah, see you around Banner." With that, I walked out of his office. I was so enthralled in what had just happened, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. Everything had gone on so quickly, yet so chillaxed. It was most def my best break up to date. Suddenly, I felt myself smacking head on with something hard. I could feel myself tipping backgrounds, and I braced myself for the fall. Suddenly, I felt a pair of warm arms wrapping around my waist. I looked up, and I stopped breathing.
Fuck me gently with a chainsaw. It was emerald eyes, AGAIN. This is getting old. It seems he is everywhere, always saving me when I am about to fall or something. It was like he was my own personal Prince Charming.
"Well Bella, it seems we are always running into each other."
"Yeah, it seems to happen quite often Professor Cullen. As much as I enjoy running into you, it would be nice if you let me go."
"God Bella, I am so sorry."
I felt his arms unwrap from around my waist, and I shivered at the loss of the heat of his arms. I looked at him, and I saw he was looking down, a blush on his cheeks. I wonder why he was blushing?
"Well, its a good thing I ran into you. I have been wanting to talk to you about something."
"I have been wanting to talk to you about something too, Professor Cullen. But you go first."
"OK Bella, I have been wanting to talk to you about what happened on Sunday night. I promise you that I will never tell anyone that you work at the Red Dog. I don't know why your work there, but you must have your reasons, and I am certainly not one to judge you, after all, I was a patron there."
"Professor Cullen, can I ask you a question? What were you doing at the Red Dog that night?"
"Um..I actually was taken against my will. My brother and my best friend were determined that I go, and actually had to force me inside. I really would never go to a strip club on my own accord, its not my ideal form of entertainment."
"So you are not like all the other men in this world, who enjoy to see a woman dance naked around a stage?"
"No Bella, I don't like to see women naked dancing around. Women should not be objectified that way."
Well slap me around and call me sparky, ole emerald eyes doesn't like to see women naked? As much as I wanted to sit around and ponder this bit of info, I had more pressing matters to get to with Cullen.
"OK now that we talked about that Cullen, I have to talk to you about something else. I know you know about me and Banner. And I just wanted to tell you its over, but I would really appreciate it if you didn't talk to anyone about it. I don't want Banner to get in trouble. He is a really good friend, who has helped me out a lot since I started school here."
"Did you just come out of Banner's office" Edward asked, his eyes turning a darker green. Well, that was freaky. What is up with that?
"Yeah, I just broke it off with him. Anyways, I have to head out Cullen."
"OK Bella, I will see you tomorrow morning in class."
I turned around, heading towards the door. I don't know, but the conversation with Cullen had left me feeling weird inside. It was like a leprechaun was doing and Irish jig in my stomach. Not a pleasant feeling. I was almost to the door when I heard my name being called out.
"Hey Bella."
I turned back, and saw that Cullen was still standing in the same spot.
"Yes Professor Cullen?"
"You can call me Edward. After everything we know about each other, I think it would be appropriate."
"OK Edward, see you in class tomorrow."
I turned around, and thought about Edward as I walked out to my car. Even though he had only been in my life for a few days, so much had happened between us during that time.
As I drove to the house to take a nap before I had class, I thought some more about emerald eyes. Though I didn't know much about Edward, about three things I was absolutely positive about.
First, Edward would never tell anyone about my job as a stripper at the Red Dog.
Second, he would never tell about Banner and I being fuckbuddies.
Third, Edward Cullen was gay.
What kind of man could go to a strip club and not enjoy seeing the girls dance? The gay kind, that is. Also, he wrote the most incredible romantic novels, going so far as being compared to Jane Austin with a little Shakespeare mixed in as well. My gaydar never failed me, and it was pointing straight to Edward.
Of course, the hot ones are always gay or taken.
DUM DUM DUM!
Well lovelies, what did you think of this chapter. I know A LOT of you are reading this story, but no one is leaving reviews. So honeys, please review.
The song for this chapter is "Under Control" by Parachute. I think it perfectly describes Edward's feelings right now. He is completely infatuated with Bella, but he can't do anything about it. You should listen to this song, its really good. And all the guys in the band are cuties :)