Ok...really sorry for the delay...but somethings just cannot be helped, right? I was going to upload this chapter tomorrow, 8th being my lucky number, but then decided to do it earlier, reasons for which I'll give in a minute.
Thanks to all my reviewers: fcat5761, militato123, gentonic08 and twilight-saga-lover95!
Also, ADADancer, who has stuck with the story from the beginning!
And a special thanks to CrazyKate28! She is actually the reason that I uploaded earlier! She not only Beta'ed this chapter, but also made some value additions, all in a period of less than 12 hours!I don't know what I would've done without her...was going through a sort of a writer's block and and an unmotivated (?) period!
I hope you like this chapter...it's my favorite!
The week passed by pretty fast…and before I knew it, it was the 4th. I was just about to leave the office; exhausted from all of the analysis I had done with Edward on the financial data of the two branches. And all I had to look forward to was a weekend of packing …great!
I was waiting for the elevator when I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around to see Edward walking towards me. He smiled as he stalked towards me.
"Bella, do you want me to pick you up on Sunday night on my way to the airport?" he asked me.
I considered his offer for a second…I really did. But I figured that the flight was at 9.05 pm which means I would have to leave at least by 5:00 and I didn't really like the idea of Alice opening the door to Edward Masen on a Sunday – her "Relaxing day"…for all I know, she would do something criminal, and I would have to handle the entire mission all by myself, not to mention having the worry of bailing a friend out of prison!
I smiled to him and said, "That's ok Edward. I think I'll manage reaching the airport by myself."
"It's no bother really, Bella," he said smiling, "your house is on the way from mine on the way to the airport."
Now wait a minute…that wasn't true. He lived close to Charlie and to come to pick me up, he would actually have to travel in the opposite direction of the airport for a while.
My expression must've clouded over, for he hastily said, "I'm staying with this other friend for the weekend. My old roommate."
I honestly found it strange that he decided to stay over at a friend's place a day before he was supposed to depart, but I just shrugged. Men, I guess, were never worth decoding.
I reached home to be welcomed by the aroma of Rosalie's wonderful cooking. Thai today! No wonder I had gained so much weight after moving in with them!
I washed and changed quickly and entered the dining room. The food was just Yum!
While I was on my second helping of fish curry and coconut rice, Alice casually asked me, "So…what do you plan on doing in Europe?"
"Alice," Rose warned quietly.
I looked from Rose to Alice wondering what was happening. "What d 'ya mean," I warily questioned Alice.
"Oh nothing…I was just wondering what would happen in Europe, considering you are going to be there with Edward…all alone. I've heard Europe has been pretty hot these days," she smirked while suggestively toying with her fork.
" Wha…What's wrong with you?" I shrieked, dropping my fork on the plate, "How can you even think of such a thing!"
"Calm down Bella…I was only just teasing," Alice said grinning.
"Yeah, well, it's not in very good taste now, is it?"
"I'm sorry," she replied sheepishly. I didn't say anything because I was still kind of angry.
That evening, when I was washing the dishes, Rosalie came up to, "Don't mind her. She gets like that sometimes. You know how she is, right?"
"Yeah I do," I muttered, still not quite ready to forgive her as of yet.
"How are you supposed to pack light if you are going out of the country for 3 weeks?" I screamed aloud, staring at my ceiling."
I had packed 15 pairs of clothes. Plus, nightwear, shoes, toiletries, and anything else that I thought I might need. There was no way in hell this was all going to fit into one bag. Why oh why had I wasted all of yesterday reading and watching movies? And most of today too!
Alice poked her head into my bedroom. "Bella, are you all right?" she asked with concern in her voice, I was beginning to soften it was hard to stay mad at Alice for to long.
"I'm fine," I replied and got back to stuffing clothes into my bag.
"Do you need help with that?"
"Nope…I've got everything under control," I smiled.
"You want me to drop you to the airport in tonight," she asked.
"Oh would you," I sighed, "that would be perfect. I don't really trust these cabs, you know."
"Yes, I do," she said smiling and left me to my packing, I knew Alice and I were good, I think her taking me to the airport was her way of saying she was sorry.
The flight was on time, and Edward and I had seats next to each other. He had the window seat, but he decided to be a gentleman about it and gave it to me. Man, I love to be a girl!
It was almost an 11-hour flight with a stop in Madrid. Edward tried to start a conversation but there was one thing he said that made me angry and it made me not want to talk to him for the rest of the flight. He had said, "Bella, I have a confession to make." I looked up from my book. He was sipping from a plastic cup coke. I raised an eyebrow and he smiled, "That day, when we went shopping together, remember how you handed me your mobile when you went in to try on the clothes," he said slowly.
"Uh huh," I said, nodding my head.
"Well," he said, licking his lips, "Alice had called then. And I cut her call and put the phone on silent mode because I didn't want anyone to disturb us. I'm really sorry, but I don't know why I did that. I hope it wasn't urgent," he rushed through the last part.
I frowned, "You know, that was really not the nicest thing to do," I said coldly and went back to the book. I didn't speak to him for the rest of the flight and eventually he gave up and started listening to his iPod.
The flight got into Rome at around 2.30 pm on Monday. Edward was pushing the trolley and also had his laptop bag slung around his shoulder. I was just holding my own laptop bag, which was completely unfair if you ask me, considering the fact that out of the 3 bags on that trolley, 2 were mine. That had elicited a snarky comment from Edward at the airport, which I had chosen to ignore.
By some hideous joke of fate, both of us had managed to wear the same clothes – a white turtle neck t-shirt, blue jeans and a tan jacket. And Sunglasses, I mean seriously, what type of European fated clichéd joke was someone trying to play on me, what the hell!
We had just walked out of the airport when a woman came up to us and offered her hand to Edward.
"Hi…I'm Tanya Denali, the head of finance of the Roman Branch of Cullen Enterprises."
Edward shook her hand "Pleasure miss Denali. I'm Edward Masen and this is my colleague Isabella Swan."
Tanya gave me a once over and turned her attention back to Edward. Her eyes slowly drifted up the length of his body, lingering a moment where his pants met the hem of his shirt. Her tongue slightly darted out of her mouth and ever so-slightly licked her lips. She continued her inspection up the rest of Edward's body to his chest to where she let a white-toothed smile come out to play, finally meeting his eyes before she said "The car's waiting in the parking lot."
Tonya was a pretty woman I couldn't deny that. She was tall, thin, with a body that had curves in all the right places, legs for miles; her style was impeccable and flawless. Her perfectly styled locks of long strawberry blonde hair and her long lashed violet eyes that were framed with perfectly arched eyebrows. And that bothered me…I don't know why.
So, what d'ya think? Review and let me know? Also, remember the poll I've put up? Do vote! Also, check out the other fanfic I've put up...it's about Lupin and Tonks!