Title: Dance with Me
Rating: M
Summary: A major league baseball player with a bad rep needs to clean his image. He signs on to do a reality dance show. Will he clean his image and have the right kind of chemistry with his partner?
Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephanie Meyer I own nothing.
Comments: Based loosely on my favorite t.v. show Dancing with the Stars and because Bella/Edward are my new favorite ship.

A big thank you to everyone who is keeping up with this story. It still awes me just how many of you add this to your story alerts. So in this chapter we've go lunch and stuff.

Happy reading!

Thank you RuthPerk for beta'ing!

Edward POV

February 19th 2008

I was in trouble. Before meeting Bella, I was still apprehensive about this whole thing. I knew I had to do something like this in order for me to keep working, but I still had my doubts about participating in reality television. To me, reality television is the demise of all people. It's just seems so fake and over the top. And there are so many reality shows nowadays.

And after signing my name away on that contract, I knew there was no way out of this. I was obligated to be on the show now. After reading Bella's rap sheet, I became a little more okay with the idea of me being on reality t.v. Her resume seemed impressive. Granted, I know nothing about ballroom, but still it said champion a few times. Everyone likes a champion, right?

As I was walking up those stairs this morning, I was just a little bit nervous. I had no idea what to expect today. And then meeting Bella on the stairs was a surprise, but a nice one at that. She nearly fell, but I was quick to grab her. And I'll admit, I was reluctant to let go of her. She felt so soft and warm, and she's so tiny. There's just something about her. She was embarrassed that she almost fell, I spotted the blush on her cheeks and it was endearing.

What surprised me was that I ended up thinking of Bella more than I should. And then to my delight, she is my dance partner. I could tell she was surprised that I was her partner. But when we introduced ourselves properly, she was very nice.

She did kind of allude to my reputation. I wondered if she had read any of the gossip magazines or if she's seen TMZ. When I tried to subtly ask her if she had read or heard any ill things about me, she assured me she hadn't. Although she could have lied, I don't think she did.

And now we were walking together down the block to get some lunch. It did occur to me that I needed to eat, but I just assumed I'd be eating alone. However, when Bella broke us for our lunch break, I couldn't help but ask her if I could join her. She happily said yes.

For some unknown reason, I wanted to know everything about Bella. Where she's from, her family history, her hobbies, her likes and dislikes, every single thing.

As I watched her from the corner of my eye, I could tell Bella was different,not only her looks, but her personality and demeanor. She seemed to fall into the category of "one-of-a-kind" type of girls. They don't make them like that anymore.

We kept walking, keeping a steady pace.

"You're doing very well," Bella said.

She was talking about rehearsal. Yes, that was a safe topic.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome," she said automatically.

"You're taller than I imagined," she said.

That simple statement gave my stomach butterflies. She's imagined me? Of course stupid. I chastised myself. She probably tried to size you up and shit. It's her job.

"Oh. Is that a problem?" I asked, tentatively.

"No. But if I'm being honest, it would have been better if we matched up a little more in height. But I'll be wearing heels anyways, so it doesn't matter."

I looked down at her then. I'm 6'2 and I would venture a guess and say Bella was around 5'4, I'm almost a foot taller than her. But she'd be wearing heels like she said... And I could always crouch down a bit when we dance. No, wait. I can't crouch down at all. Bella would not like that. All morning she was fussing about my upper body posture. For ballroom, you have to be refined and stiff. Well, maybe this height thing is a trivial matter.

We reached the bakery and I stepped in front of her to open the door. I held the door for her and she raised a brow. Perhaps, Bella has not been treated so nicely? I hardly doubt she is mistreated, but chivalry is dead now. Not many young men open doors and stuff for women. God bless Esme Cullen for raising me to love women.

Bella led the way in and I followed suit. Hah. I thought. Ironic. She leads and I follow. Funny, given that it's the man who leads the lady on the dance floor.

She stopped in front of the counter and I looked up to scan the menu. There was a variety of sandwiches and soups. Bella ordered the turkey club and I got the BLT. I insisted on paying, but Bella reminded me that it was I who had wanted to join her and that it would be fair if we just paid for ourselves. I got the feeling she was an independent type of girl. I liked it, though I still wanted to pay.

After paying for our food, we found a table in the back. Bella adjusted herself in the seat and I took the opportunity to look at her. Bella was beautiful, no doubt about it. But earlier, I had thought her beauty to be subtle, but natural. And I still held on to that idea. She didn't hold a sexual fixation on me, more of a interesting type of fascination. I didn't view her as hot piece of ass but as a woman, equal and stunning.

She stopped fidgeting then. I continued to stare and I wondered if I made her uncomfortable. But I couldn't look away.

"It's not polite to stare, you know."

Damn. She caught me.

I grinned. "I'm sorry."

She smiled back. "It's okay."

Hmm. It's ok? Perhaps I should stare at her more. No, idiot. She'll think you're creepy. And frankly you're almost borderline creepy, if you keep staring. I managed to stop staring and instead played with the paper napkin dispenser.

"Are you hungry? Bella asked.

I looked at her then. "A little."

"Well eat up, because rehearsal will take a lot out of you."

I furrowed my brow. Rehearsal was exhausting? I think not. I'm a fucking baseball player, I know exhaustion.

"I think I can handle it."

She just smiled at me and shrugged.

Our order was up and I went to get it. I carried two trays of food and drink and placed them on our table. Bella thanked me, and then we dug in.

I was again surprised by Bella. Most girls don't eat. Being a dancer, I thought she would be watching her weight or something. But, Bella just attacked her sandwich like she hadn't eaten food in days. She caught my amusement, and blushed again.

"I'm sorry for my poor dining etiquette. I don't eat breakfast, so by lunch time, I'm starving," she explained.

"You don't eat breakfast? That's the most important meal of the day?" I teased.

She rolled her eyes. "I can't eat in the morning."

We continued with our meal. As we were finishing up, I decided it would be best (for me anyway) to ask Bella some questions.

"Where are you from?" I asked her.

"Forks, Washington," she replied.

"Do you go home often?"

"That's not my home."

"What?"

She sighed. "I don't really have a home. My home is everywhere."

That didn't make sense. What does she mean? She was being so ambiguous.

"Care to elaborate?

"I was born in Forks, but after I started competing I lived everywhere."

Ahh. Now, it made sense.

"Cool. Where have you been to?"

"Oh, I started local, and then I did national competitions. I've been to San Francisco, San Diego, Dallas, Las Vegas, Portland, London, Moscow, Brazil just to name a few."

"Wow," I breathed.

She chuckled. "That's me, competing. And I've competed since the age of eight."

"How old are you?" I asked.

"Twenty-two. And you?"

"Twenty-four."

She nodded.

"So why'd you get into dance?"

"Oh." She blushed again. "I'm a very clumsy person, so my mom put me in ballet at three hoping I'd be more graceful and it worked, but only on the dance floor."

That explains her nearly falling on the stairs. I could somehow picture her as clumsy.

"But you liked dance so much that you've kept with it. Until this day?" I said to her.

"Yup. But what about you, Edward? Why did you get into baseball?"

"I've always loved sports, and baseball is my strongest one. I was scouted at sixteen, and after high school, I turned pro."

"Wow. I'm impressed!"

I grinned. "Thanks."

"Did you go to college?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No, but I take online classes when I can. College is something I'd like to do in the future, but I've given up a lot of things because of my dancing. So, to reap the benefits of all my training, is an opportunity I won't pass," she said with conviction.

I was simply blown away by her then. I understood her not being able to fully commit to school. But she didn't seem stupid, and she proved that she wasn't. She viewed education as important and therefore, she tried online classes. But she was clever. For so long, she had committed herself wholly to dance, for her to not participate on the show would be absolutely ridiculous. She deserved to show off her talents. I understood her logic.

"I think that's wonderful," I said, sincerely.

After that, we talked about our childhoods. Bella's was interesting to say the least. Her childhood wasn't a conventional one. She started ballet dancing at three years old just to gain some shred of gracefulness, but then she ended up loving it. By the time she was five, she had started ballroom. At eight, she added Latin dancing. And by ten, she was competing around the United States. She told me when she was thirteen, she went overseas to compete. At the age of seventeen, she won a major competition and it elevated her to become a pro. She said she took a six month break from dancing because she was tired. At that time, she also had enough credits to graduate high school. Bella also told me that because of her training and traveling for dance competitions, she was home schooled. After her break, she went back into dancing. At twenty, she won a few more titles and then she ended up here in L. A., working for the show.

My childhood was pretty normal. I grew up in Chicago, I have an older brother who is now in the NFL,and I have a younger sister who is a fashion designer. I started tee-ball at three years of age. I was always in Little League when I was in elementary school. In middle school, I made the team. I was bright, I did well in my studies. When I reached high school, I made the varsity team as a freshmen. And the only freshmen that year. By my sophomore year I was team captain. Some of the seniors were irked but I didn't care. After I graduated high school I made it to the big leagues. I was signed by the L. A. Dodgers, no less. And after six years, I'm out of a job and doing a dancing show.

We had shared our childhood stories and I noticed we had a lot in common. We both were good at what we do from an early age, she with her dancing and me with my baseball. It was safe to say we probably are the best in our respective fields.

I was sad, though, to hear that Bella had given up a lot just for dancing. But dancing is her passion and life. So, I guess it made up for missing out on normal things.

We were walking back to the studio now, ready to begin our afternoon session. Our morning session had gone well. At least I think it did. After we filmed our meeting, we went right down to dancing.

Bella was very businesslike and professional when she taught me. I could tell she took her job seriously, but that she knew how to have fun. She taught me the proper hold position. It was stiff and unnatural, but I'd have to suck it up. She told me what to do with my feet, and then she'd show me. She was careful to repeat herself if I needed her to. And when I couldn't get something right, even after I tried over and over again, she would literally take me in her hands and do it herself.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't relish the feeling of her hands on my body. Though her touch wasn't sexual in nature, I still felt something. I didn't want her like that, but her touch was welcomed. She had a calming effect on me, and I liked it.

I asked her what we would be doing in the afternoon session, and she said we would be perfecting what I already know. Repetition, it was.

Bella POV

Edward and I had lunch at the bakery down the block. It was convenient to eat there because it was close to the studio. The walk going there was nice enough, and I started a little bit of small talk.

He surprised me though, when he held the door open for me. Usually when guys (or people) hold the door open, they go inside themselves then I follow suit. But Edward was being a gentleman. It was refreshing.

I had caught Edward staring at me while we were sitting down. Being under the scrutiny of his gaze fazed me. It was like he was searching for something, and I was apparently a very blank slate. He saw that I had caught him, and after I teased him about his staring he played with the napkin dispenser.

Throughout our lunch, Edward and I got to know each other a little more. We shared our background and childhood stories with each other. He seemed very keen to listen to my upbringing. I had spent the better parts of my younger formative years all over the world, thrust into a world of high end competition and glitter.

Edward had a more conventional childhood. He has an older brother and a younger sister, he's the middle child. I've heard the middle child could sometimes be a problem child, but Edward didn't seem to be a big handful in his youth. At least from what he told me. He has a passion for all sports, but baseball is his strongest point. He entered the major league right out of high school, and he's been playing for the past six years.

I noticed that Edward and I didn't share intimate details about our childhood. We just basically gave a doctored synopsis of our younger days, nothing elaborate or personal. Everything was very general. I suppose we could have used Wikipedia to find out what we just shared with each other. But it didn't bother me that we just gave common knowledge of ourselves to each other. Today was just the first of many rehearsals, and we still have a lot of opportunities to get to know each other.

Our morning practice was pretty basic, I sized him up and I showed him the standard ballroom hold position. Of course he, like many men, struggled with the upper body. You have to be stiff and proper, and it is uncomfortable to be in hold. However, Edward took my instruction well. He didn't complain or fuss. And he picked up the footwork well enough. If he didn't get it right after a few times, I would continue to show him. I'd break it down and then we'd do it together. Sometimes, he just couldn't get his body right, and then I'd have to position him myself. I would place his arms here or place his chest forward or back.

It didn't go unnoticed to me that Edward was not only lean, but he has some good muscle on him. He's got to be toned, and it, of course is because he's an athlete. Suddenly, I could picture Edward in a suit, looking handsome and mysterious. He's handsome and tall, just the perfect type of good ballroom candy.

We were back inside the studio now and I told Edward to take his place in our starting point. I hadn't fully choreographed our routine, but I'd showed him enough to make up as I go along.

I turned the stereo on and the music filled the room. I placed myself in Edward's hold and together we started dancing. He only messed up a couple of times, but he was quick to get right back on beat. His musicality still surprised me. Most people who have good musicality are either musicians or dancers. They have a really fine ear for the notes, and I wondered if Edward played any kind of instrument. It never occurred to me that he would, but I was curious.

I broke our hold again to remind him of the steps.

"Remember, it's slow, slow, quick, quick," I said, while demonstrating the footwork.

"The man is the one that leads, so remember, you take off with your right foot," I stepped out with my right and glanced over my shoulder to see if he was paying attention. Edward was studying my movements, and I could tell he was trying to comprehend everything.

"I didn't think it would be this hard or this technical," he stated.

"No one does," I agreed. "But people always underestimate ballroom. They think it's easy flying around on the dance floor, but it takes a lot to look effortless," I explained.

"I think I have a new found respect for it," he grinned.

I laughed with him, "Well, good. I'm always happy to hear that people take this seriously. I know at first it sounds like a joke, but it really isn't."

For the next couple of hours, Edward and I just perfected what he knew. I choreographed part of our opening and all in all it was a good first day.

I was putting away the cd in my dance bag.

"So Edward, what time do you want to practice tomorrow? Or do you want to practice tomorrow?"

He looked at me puzzled. "I was just wondering when our next practice is. I'm still uncertain about the rehearsal times though, none of the producers told me a schedule."

"It's up to you, really, you're the star who's participating in the show. I'm here to work around your schedule."

"Oh. Well, I'm free all the time now."

"Great! So how about tomorrow?" I asked, excitedly.

"Sure. Be here at ten?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I'll see you then," he said.

I waved. But just as Edward made for the door, he turned back, "Bella?"

"Yes, Edward?"

"How many hours do you plan on practicing with me?"

"It's up to you, really. Most of the previous contestants have started out on four to six hour sessions, but it can escalade up to ten or more hours."

His eyes bugged out. "Ten or more hours?"

"Yep. The competitive drive kicks in after a while," I winked at him.

"Incredible," he breathed. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow, Edward."

What'd you think? I don't want them flirting off the bat but a little is always good. They've got a long road ahead them. So there will be plenty of flirting opportunities to come.

Till next time.

Tina