Here's chapter nine! Finally, right? I thought you guys Should all see how things were going outside of Bella's sheltered little world. Next chapter will be in BPOV again, though. For now, I hope you like it! Review! Pretty please? :)
I own nothing!
APOV
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"Are you ready for your first big meeting?" Jasper asked, coming up from behind me. It was official. Just a few days ago, at 3:46 p.m., November seventeenth, a Tuesday, Tanya Denali was officially fired from this job.
And guess what! I replaced her! I always knew I would. She was the worst thing to happen to this company.
Of course I had the exact date and time memorized, as this was one of the best moments of my life. Especially in such a difficult time.
"Of course, Jasper. I'm very excited."
"Well, you sure don't sound like it. What's goin' on in that mind of yours, darlin'?" Sweet, sweet Jasper. He had the cutest accent ever, and he has been so kind to me since her disappearance.
"Just thinking about Bella again. I've missed her so much. It's like my own sister was taken from me. It hurts. It hurts so much, Jazz." I was trying so hard not to cry. Not now, anyways. I only cried in private. Jasper, Carlisle, and Esme were the only ones to see me cry over Bella. I wanted to be strong.
"Hey, none of that, sweetie. We'll get her back, don't you worry your pretty little head about it. It'll be okay." He didn't promise it, and he shouldn't because he knows that's a promise he might not be able to keep. But it's the thought that counts.
"Thanks, Jazz. You're right. Okay, let's get to this meeting."
"That's a girl, Ali." Jasper and I have become so much closer during Bella's absence. I wish I could tell her all about it. It started off with her going missing. We comforted each other. He and Bella were much closer than one would have thought. They were such good friends but maintained a professional relationship while at work. He really did love her like family, or so it seemed to me.
We walked in companionable silence to Room 3. The biggest meeting room here at Cullen Inc. The room was wide and spacious. One wall was completely windows over looking the city. The other three were solid white. There were pictures all around showing Cullen Inc. in the process of becoming what it is today. There was a picture with a label under each one showing the year and the family, with the building behind them. It was like a story, it showed how a small dream and a lot of determination can get you anywhere you want to be if you're willing to work for it. It gave me hope.
We arrived to the meeting and sat in our designated seats.
"Good afternoon, everyone."
"Hello."
"Good afternoon."
"Howdy."
"How's it going?" Everyone greeted in return.
"Good to see you all here today. I know things around here, but we need to get back on schedule. Today is a big day." Carlisle said with a big smile. We all knew what this was about.
Carlisle was in the front, ready to begin the meeting. This was a special meeting, mandatory for every head of department, and some even brought their assistants. In this meeting we were going to discuss different ideas and themes for our Christmas/New Years party. This was something I was actually excited about. It seems silly to have a meeting about this, but every year at Cullen Inc. we made sure to have a theme and costume party for every New Years, Christmas, and Halloween. It was something fun we could all partake in and everyone could enjoy. It kept the workers happy and let everyone from different departments mingle so that we all knew each other.
Carlisle and Esme were big on familiarity. They firmly believed that we should all know each other and that everyone from the company were, at the very least, acquaintances. Whenever we got a new member, we would set up in the ball room, the only room big enough for all the employees here, and would have a welcoming party. Nothing as big as the costume parties, but big nonetheless. It was another way we all got to mingle together. It was nice, relaxing, and made everyone more comfortable here at Cullen Inc. It was just one more thing to love about this family.
"So, any ideas?" I must have zoned out longer than I thought. Next thing I knew we were going down the line brainstorming for the best theme this year. Some were pretty dumb, others were okay, some were kind of funny and not meant to be taken seriously, and then there were the few that seemed to garner everyone's approval, although those were few and far between. Let's just say that the people at Cullen Inc. had a wide variety of taste in entertainment.
"Circus!" I heard someone yell. I looked down to me left and saw Jessica, one of the workers in the acting department, shout out her idea. I'll be the first to admit that she wasn't the brightest, and most of her ideas where pretty far out there. One year she thought we should do Jersey Shore theme. Like I really want to dress up as a slut for Christmas.
"Okay, Jessica. Thank you. Now, how about you Jasper?"
"Well, I think it would be mighty swell if we had an eighteenth century theme. We could all dress up in our finest linens and I know that most of y'all ladies here would love to wear one o' them big frilly dresses that just look so precious."
Jasper was so adorable with his Texan accent. He really was an old man at heart. He was also really turning on the charm here.
I love his ideas, though. One year he wanted to do a...magical theme, I guess you could call it. We all agreed on it and magical was the only way to describe the feeling. The lights were dim when you first entered. They were calm and soothing. Dark blues and purples, with blue, white, purple, and silver sheets hanging from the ceiling. Everyone was dressed in fancy cocktail dresses or suits. Once everyone had arrived, the music had changed from slow to fast paced and upbeat. All of a sudden there were dancers, using the sheets to move with the music, high above our heads. The moved flawlessly, twirling and spinning with such amazing grace it was almost inhuman. On the stage the lights changed to reds and yellows, attracting the eyes of the audience. There was a magician on stage with a talent that was comparable to Houdini. He took volunteers from the audience and performed with a number of unbelievable skills. To this day I can't even comprehend half of what he did. It was absolutely spectacular.
"Thank you, Jasper, that sounds interesting. And you, Alice?" Hmm...what should I say?
"Well, how about and underwater theme? With mermaids and mermen, and water all around us?"
"Hmm...Very interesting. I like that. How about everyone else? What do you think?"
"I don't know, that sounds pretty lame to me. I like the circus better." Ugh...Jessica. She belonged in a circus. Her amazing talent? Who could possible open their legs wider than Skanky Stanely?
"How about an A-Maze-Ing theme? The entrance to the party could be a maze! Anyone who finds their way in could get a bonus check for two hundred dollars!" Emmett. His ideas always made me wonder about his maturity. Although this did sound...different. I wouldn't be opposed to a bonus.
"Thanks, Emmett, but we already give out a Christmas bonus to everyone."
"Oh, right." Silly, silly man. Or boy. Body of a man, mind of a boy. I could call him ban, or moy. Or maybe I'll just stick with Emmett.
"Oh! I know!" Lauren's turn. Her ideas actually weren't that bad. Mostly. Every once in a while she had a crazy one. Then again, we all did. Once I voted for a pie theme. It was short notice...I made it up on the spot. But who doesn't love pie? Right?
"How about a Jungle theme? We could import trees! And we could even add a maze to get in, just for you Emmett." Her grin rivaled that of the Cheshire cat. Everyone knew about her crush on Emmett. But she was harmless. She knew she couldn't compete with his amazing wife, Rosalie. She, meaning Lauren, wasn't that bad of a person. The only flaw that I could see was her friendship with Tanya. I don't know how anyone put up with her.
"Thanks, babe!" Those two were always flirting. I'd probably be worried if Rosalie and Lauren weren't friends. They weren't best buds, not even close, but they got along well.
"Or, Carlisle, maybe we could do an Around The World theme?" This came from Edward. He usually had good ideas too.
"What would that entail, Edward?"
"Well, we could come up with the top ten or fifteen countries that the employees here want to visit or have visited, and we can make different sections for each one."
"Oh, I like that! And we can combine them, too!" I was thinking of all the different ways we could bring different ideas together and make it a culturally diverse party. It would be amazing, that much I already knew.
"How do you mean, Alice?"
"Well, if we do Edward's idea, then we could also throw in Lauren's, Emmett's and mine. We could do a safari for countries that are located in South America, like Brazil. We can have a section for the rain forest part of the country and another for the cultural part. We could also have mythical places, like Atlantis, for the underwater theme. And for Emmett's idea, we could make like a map of some sort, a treasure hunt, maybe. In each country's section we could have little mazes that each dead end brings you to another part of the culture until you can finally make it through and therefore on to the next country. Nothing too hard, of course. If someone one doesn't want to participate in the maze then we could create an area where there is different foods and decorations depicting each country out by a dance floor. Everybody wins."
I sat back and let out a big breath. That was a lot of explaining and I was so excited about it. That would be perfect! The best theme yet.
"I love it Alice." This came from Edward. He and I have been talking more often since Bella's been gone. There's something about him. Something I can't quite place. Sometimes he's nice, he comes to work extremely happy. Other days he's upset. Bothered and moody. I often wonder why. But today he came in seemingly euphoric. I have no idea why but I've never seen him so happy.
Other than these weird vibes I get once in a while, there's really nothing wrong with the guy. He's sweet and caring, at least to me. I can also say that he is very glad that Tanya is gone, and therefore he's gained my approval. Anyone one who dislikes Tanya as much as me is a friend to me, no matter how strange his or her moods are.
"I agree with Edward, that was very well thought out. I like it. Shall we vote?"
"Sure thing Carlisle."
"Of course, Mr. Cullen."
Standard replies filled the office room, and we set off to make copies of the theme list to send out to all the employees. We kept the original themes like circus and underwater, just in case my combined idea was too over the top-which I doubted-and of course added the combined theme to the bottom. We had to be fair and let everyone choose.
This was why we always planned early. It took a while for everyone to receive the ballot and vote, then to return it as well. Everyone had two weeks to get it in before we started with the decorating and had the Cullen's personal chefs star preparing menus. The food was always so delicious.
"So, any plans for the rest of the day?" The love of my life spoke.
"Not really. I was just going to check in at the police station to see if they have any new leads."
"Darlin', you know they would have called you if they did. You're stressin' too much over this. Why don't you come out with me for a drink tonight? Just the two of us? Get your mind off of all these difficult things."
I thought about it. Maybe he was right. They would have called me. It would be difficult to track down anything new, too. They already did an entire sweep of the property and didn't find a single trace of evidence. How much more could they have really found by now?
"I guess your right, Jazz. Sure, I could use a break. I really want to get smashed tonight, let all my troubles leave with my sober mind."
"Now that's the spirit. Come with me to Twilight tonight. They got some of that good ol' hard liquor I think you could use. I wouldn't mind drinkin' that myself, actually."
"Sure. What time, babe?" That was a familiar term now. We would flirt and had pet names for each other. He comforted me when I needed it most, saw me at my worst, and smelled me at my stinkiest when I didn't shower for three days because I was so depressed. Cute little pet names were the least embarrassing thing we had with each other.
"How 'bout sevenish? That work for you, babydoll?"
"It's perfect."
"Great, I'll pick you up at your place."
With a smile and wink, he was on his way back to his office, leaving me staring after his retreating form.
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Six o'clock rolled around quickly, and I was on my way home to shower and dress. I felt guilty, going out like this when I should be trying to find Bella, but there really was only so much I could do. So tonight I was going to go out and drown my sorrows. I only wished I had my best friend here to drown them with me.
I got home in a matter of minutes, traffic was surprisingly light for a Friday evening, but I assumed it would pick up later tonight. I showered and shaved, then towel dried my hair before using a blow dryer. My hair was short, just below my chin, and I styled the layers into little spikes that came out around the sides of my head. Not like sharp, pointy spikes you see on the emo, goth kids these days, but more of a spiky curl. Then I put on a silver and black dress that went to just below mid-thigh, and my black high heels.
If Jasper's seen me at my worst, he might as well see me at my best.
He arrived just a minute before seven, looking amazing in his dark gray button down shirt and black slacks. Twilight was kind of upscale. A bar for the snobs, as I liked to say. But Jasper was right when he said they had the hard stuff. Nothing gets you drunk faster than the alcohol they served you. I almost thought that they drugged people with the way they all were immediately drunk.
They were probably all just light weights.
It was a quiet fifteen minute drive, with traffic slightly busier than before, but the night was still young. By the end of the night the roads were sure to be packed with cars from all over the city.
We pulled into a spot not too far from the entrance where Jasper got out then went to open my door for me.
"My lady," he spoke, bringing me back to the present.
"Why thank you, kind sir!" I said with a bit of a giggle. He was so charming.
We walked to the front where we were stopped by the bouncer.
"I.D.'s" he spoke sounding bored. He probably was, considering all he had to do was sit outside this doors for all hours of the night. He also had to keep people from rushing into the bar, but from the looks of the people and the size of the man, it didn't look like he was having trouble. He was big enough to scare people from entering just by looking at his muscles. He easily compared to Emmett, possibly beating him in physical appearance. Not by looks though. Emmett was, by far, better looking.
"Right this way, Mr. Whitlock, Ms. Brandon." We were led down a dark hallway and finally into a huge, open room, filled with people dancing and loud music bouncing off the walls. It was a great sight to see.
"Thanks, sir." Jasper led us to a table in the back, a booth, then went to the bar. No need to ask what I wanted. He already knew that I planned on getting wasted.
He came back shortly after, and had a who tray of shots and two bottles of beer. I reached for a shot and downed it.
"Hey there, Missy, don't go to fast. We don't want you getting sick."
"I don't care. I wanna get drunk."
"Trust me girl, so do I."
"Then let's drink."
So we did. We drank shot after shot, beer after beer. Before too long we were laughing like crazy at the dumbest things, unable to sit still or talk right.
"And he...he said. He tolded me thats I was gonna be, like, the besht person. Ever. He...he told me. He said 'son..Yer gonna be the besht. Haha!"
"No way, Jasss, he not woulda said that. Not Carlisles."
"He did! And he...hahaha...he saids to me, he said...you are teh besht."
"Haha! Oh my goshnesh! He's so funny! Haha!"
"Hey..hey, Alice. I gotta pee."
"Haha! Then go pee! I won't look!'
"Not here! I can't pee in a bar! All the mens will stare at my penis. They loves it more than the womens do."
"Not more than I do."
"What?" Oops. Did I say that out loud?
"Yous wasn't supposted to hear that."
"You like my penises?"
"Haha! You said penises! Do you.." hiccup. "Do you have more than one? 'Cause that would be, like, super awesomness!"
"Well, I could show you!"
"Really?"
"Yeah. Wanna come to my place?"
"Of course, babe. I would loves to come over to my place." Why wouldn't I want to go to my place?
"No, not yers, mine!"
"Oh! You meant mine!"
"No, Alish, mine! Just come with me."
He grabbed my hand and pulled me outside. I kept falling though, because I was wastemaded. So he was gonna be too. He said so.
"Where we goin' Jazper?"
"We...We're going..to Narnia!"
"Yay! I always wanted to meet those sparkling vampires!" Haha. What vampires would actually sparkle? Giggles.
He somehow got a cab to take us back to my place, but we got there faster than I thought.
"Wow! This driver is soo fast! He was, like, fast!"
"I know! Now we can go to my place!" Wait...I thought it was my place? Oh well, as long as I get to a bathroom soon, because I really have to pee.
"Jazzy, I gotta pee!"
"Okay babe, just in here. My place has lots of bathrooms, I promise. It has more bathrooms than all of Narnia."
"Wow. Narnia has a lot of bathrooms. There's four people there who has to pee, and here there's only one, so you must have a lot of bathrooms."
"Of course I do. I'm the king of bathrooms!"
I laughed. I laughed so hard I almost peed my pants. Which reminds me, I need a bathroom. I walked around until I found one, which wasn't too hard since the place seemed kind of small, but then again the walls kept turning. I felt like I was at Hogwarts. This place kept transforming and I kept getting lost.
When I finished I made sure to flush it, then wash my hands, because clean hands is good hands, and then I walked until I found a bed. I was so tired.
I jumped on the bed, which made an 'oompf' sound. That was weird, beds shouldn't make sounds.
"Shhh! Bad bed! You might wake up Jasper!" I rolled over onto my right side and closed my eyes. Letting out a big sigh, I relaxed into the mattress and closed my eyes. The walls were still being mean and wouldn't stop moving, so I had to stop looking at them.
I remembered I was still in my dress, so I wiggled out of it and kept on my strapless bra and underwear. My shoes fell off somewhere near the bathroom I think. The walls probably stole them, I saw the way they were eyeing my heels.
Oh well, I'll just look for them in the morning. For now, sleep sounded much better.
I was almost asleep when I felt arms circling around me, which was odd, since I was the only one at my place. Oh well, it's probably just my imagination.
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So..? What did you think? Please review! Hope You all enjoyed it and sorry for such a long wait! Life has been crazy lately. I'll try to update sooner next time.
Thanks for reading!