Chapter 3
She can't do this. Her head is spinning, day two and she wants to quit. She needs to quit. The man is certifiable. He has his head in his own ass. She is pretty damn certain he doesn't care about another soul on the planet, only himself. She read up on his. Never knew his father, no sisters or brothers, no family, his mother died when he was 15. Other than that, she only knows his playboy image details, what most know. She is interested in the death of his mother, though.
"It will get easier"
Bella looks up from the files on her lap. "Pardon?"
"Working for Mr. Cullen"
"He is impossible" She is floored by his life, it is only her 2nd day and she has gone up town and down town to get this tie. Oh he has to have this silk tie, that is not blue, not green but it is not aqua either. He needs it for dinner tonight with Amanda…no Amy, Amy dinner tonight. "Shoot" She whips out her iPhone to see if she can get him and Amanda…no Amy into this nice little place on the water.
Emmett smiles. "You will get used to it" He has been Edward's driver for some years now. He and Edward aren't strangers but they aren't best friends either. He is there for Mr. Cullen but he does know him on a tiny personal level as well. Edward keeps to himself, very few...barely any known him on a personal level. A real personal level.
"God" Bella rolls her eyes. "I don't plan on doing this forever, not long enough to get use to, yes hello, I would like reservations for 2, tonight, well yes I really would like tonight, 7, no tonight at 7, Edward Cullen" Bella tries the name dropping. "Oh wonderful, thank you"
She didn't have time to pick out his clothing yesterday because she was too busy doing real work at the company offices. Meeting people, having people meet her as Edward's right hand woman. His go to girl. She is picking his clothing out tonight. She unlocks the door of well his pent house. Frowning she believe it but she just sort of doesn't believe that people really live like this.
It is so clean in there; she hears the hum of a vacuum. 'Cleaner, typical' Rolling her eyes a bit she rests her bag down. Emmett is down stairs waiting for her.
Walking through she gives the cleaning lady a smile and a wave. The woman does not look surprised to see her there, most likely due to all of the traffic of females that she imagines goes in and out of this penthouse.
Everything is really, very nice in here; she thinks he must have had a designer…a woman, who he had sex with after. Bella laughs at the thought. 'He is such a disgusting pig of a man' She walks until she finds the bedroom.
"Hmm" Her eyes travel around, thinking better of it she doesn't snoop. Walking to the closet she pulls the two large French doors open and her mouth is agape. "What in the world" She looks around the mounds of clothing, the rows and lines, suits, slacks, shirts, jackets, jeans, belts, ties. She doesn't even know where to start.
"Edward Cullen?" He answers his phone, smiling at her number.
"Hi"
"Hello Bella, how is it going today, better than yesterday?"
"Um" She turns away from the closet doors and kicks them shut because her head is spinning just looking at all of his things. It is so over the top. His whole life is, just too much. A helicopter, come on!
"Where are you?"
"At your place"
"Oh okay, did you get the tie for tonight?"
"Yes, I did, what was the point of spending 500 on a tie, the colour is ugly anyway" She frowns when she hears him laughing.
"It matches Amy's eyes"
"Oh" 'Fuck' She finishes in her head. "Well"
"So you can build the clothing for tonight around this colour, can you bring it with you I think I will just shower and change here, save time"
"Yes I can, but I called for a reason"
"What is that?"
"Why don't we donate something's to Salvation Army shelter?"
"What?"
"Edward" She sighs using his given name hoping to soften him up. She pulls open the double door again. "I am looking in your closet now, and you have so much, like, what….40 shirts"
"I work"
"I know, but" She frowns.
"Fine, do what you want" He rolls his eyes.
Bella grins. "Okay, great, so I will get your things for tonight, and take something's to the Salvation Army, then I will be back"
"Okay"
"Thanks, bye" She feels good about her job already.
"Oh Bella?"
"Yes?" Her voice steps carefully.
"I want to see you for a few moments when you get back" His tone very serious.
"Oh, alright"
Bella heads up to his office.
"Ms. Swan, he is expecting you, I'll take those" Jenna smiles standing to take the clothing from Bella.
"Bella please" She hands them over gratefully and shifts her shirt properly before walking into the office.
"Bella" He says without looking up. "Shut the door"
Turning she shuts it lightly. "Jenna has your things for tonight"
"Thanks, that's great"
"Um" She looks at his head looking at the papers he is going over on his desk before him. "Did you want something?"
"Sit" He mutters.
Bella mouths 'Okay' Before she does so. She sits and crosses her legs waiting. And waiting… "I do have things to do; I am not sitting here for my pleasure"
Edward lifts his head, he knows it was rude but he almost found the problem in the data. "Excuse me?" He smirks.
"I mean" Bella stammers a bit.
"No, you are sitting there for my pleasure" He corrects her with a dashing smile, all the southern trappings in that smile.
She widens her eyes at him, and her blood boils.
"I'm sorry that one was just too easy, now, sorry about keeping you waiting"
"And waiting" She reminds him.
"You are correct Bella, and waiting for me to give you some sort of…pleasure was it?" He makes a face at her.
"I am leaving"
"No, I am joking still, see I can have fun"
"I never doubted you could have fun, I can tell you have fun, prime example, would you like an example Mr. Cullen?"
"Edward, and if you must Bella"
"Well from the number of women my job seems to be built around" Bella cocks an eyebrow up at the smirk on his face. "You are having fun"
He smiles at her. "Does that bother you, my sexual prowless?"
"Why are we really having this conversation?" She wants to just hit him, just on principle.
"I just don't want you to feel uncomfortable working for me, and closely to me"
"I don't feel uncomfortable, well I didn't until you started this conversation" She is actually not fond of his glittering smile he is throwing at her.
"Did you get us a table?"
"I did, Le Blu, 7"
"Great, and you got the tie"
"Yes, you know that is such a ridiculous amount of money to spend on a tie, for a woman…you are not even serious with"
"It could be serious" He defends.
"But it's not…and I doubt it will be"
"Why is that Bella?"
"If there is nothing else?"
"Yes, you side tracked me with your intelligence, I forgot why I wanted you in here for a moment"
"Why did you want to speak to me?"
"To tell you, it has been a good first two days, is there anything you need?"
"No, no I am good" She says quickly nodding.
"How did the clothing to the Salvation Army go?"
"Oh they were so grateful for the Jimmy Choo's and Ralph Lauren, Dior"
"What?"
"Yeah" Bella smiles. She knows he must be furious, but it is only material things.
"You gave them shoes?"
"Honestly how many pairs of black pairs can you have?"
"35, well now 34?"
"Try 30"
"If you weren't so easy on the eyes I would fire you" He is about to flip.
Bella smiles. "Well lucky me for having some good genes then" She responds to his male comment with hard sarcasm. Behind the smile she glares.
"Make a dinner date for tomorrow night"
Rolling her eyes she puts it into her blackberry then looks up. "With who this time?"
"Isabella Swan"
"Excuse me?"
"Yes, I think we should talk, go over something's in a non-work setting, you seem tense at work, binding work clothing and all" He nods with deep faux concern.
Bella widens her eyes. 'The man could use a lesson or two in professionalism!' Maybe she will bring that up on their dinner. "Fine" She mutters putting it in. 'Most expensive place in New York' She pings into the electronic device. He has gotten right on her last nerve since she first set eyes on him three days ago. He is not horrid but he is no peach to work for either. She is certain he thinks himself to be the center of women's fantasies. The man is sorely mistaken with that assumption.
"Wonderful" Edward smiles with bright green eyes.
"Oh" She stands getting her bag. Turning she looks at him and smiles. "I sent the Shelter that really great leather jacket, Dolce I think it was"
Edward's eyes widen with fury at her. He doesn't know what is going on, it seems to be a small game between them, a duel of some sort. Cat and mouse…he is not sure right now if he is the mouse or the cat.
"So you have been here before?" Bella questions with an eyebrow arched.
"Yes, of course, great place…I am surprised you know it" Edward says in a carefree tone.
Bella scowls a bit before walking through the door he holds open for her. "Thanks" She mumbles. Still she is unsure as to why he requested dinner with her. She has her phone ready so that she can take notes and orders…rolls her eyes…from him over dinner.
Edward looks at how stiff Bella seems to be. "You alright?"
"Fine" She mutters.
"Good evening Mr. Cullen"
"Good evening Laurent" Edward greets the host, he knows rather well.
"Two?"
"Yes Ms. Swan and I will be dining tonight"
"Ah very good sir, the usual table?"
"No" Edward looks at Bella looking around at the fantastic décor. "Something more private, we have work matters to discuss"
"Of course Mr. Cullen, this way" He walks ahead of the two guests. "Will this do?"
Edward looks around the semi private area of the restaurant and nods. "This is great"
Bella widens her eyes at all this.
"Madam" Laurent pulls out her chair for her and enjoys her grateful smile, laying the napkin in her lap he steps back.
"Bottle of Vega Scilia Unico, oldest you have"
"94 sir?"
"Sounds wonderful" Edward nods him off with a smile.
Once he is gone Bella widens her eyes at him. "That is like 400 a bottle, are you crazy!"
"You came here because it was the most expensive place, no?"
Bella looks away. "You are just such a"
"A what?" He is very interested.
"You are a very difficult man to work with"
"You have only worked for me for 3 days"
"And they have been difficult days"
"What is difficult about it?"
"I don't know, everything" She widens her eyes at him. "You are very demanding"
"I like to think of it as high expectations"
"Fair enough"
"Can you do this job?"
"I can do it, because I am doing it not for you, but for the center"
"You don't" He narrows his eyes at her in question. "-like me very much"
"I like you enough"
"Right, not very much though"
"Enough" She mutters.
"Sir" Laurent shows him the bottle of wine.
"That is great"
Bella looks at the red liquid in her glass. "I don't drink"
"You don't?"
"Not while working"
"We are not working" Edward turns his glass by the leg.
"Yes we are"
"Tell me about yourself Bella"
"What?"
"I think us working closely together, I should know something about you, and you know enough about me to form a 'like enough' opinion of me"
She looks at him and turns her head away. "I just think that you-"
"I want to know about you"
"What do you want to know?"
"Where are you from?"
"Washington, state"
"Oh far west huh?"
She smile. "Yes"
"Ah" He says grinning.
"Does this work with the ladies?"
"What?"
"You know"
"No" Edward looks at her; she is a pretty woman, very attractive, just not his type, not at all. Which is good because she works for him…not that it has ever stopped him before, but she could just be too smart to be his type, maybe. Again all well and good.
"This, playful bedroom eyes thing you have pulling"
"Am I?"
Bella makes a face at him and looks away. "Are you a true New Yorker?"
"No I am a southern gentleman" He was born and raised in the south, very small town, not worth mentioning. His slight accent still lingers but it is mostly gone.
"Ah, right, well"
"Explain yourself"
"Nothing"
"Hmm" He makes a sound and looks at her.
"I really want to know what your high expectations of me are, because I think my job is lost in translation, too much of your life in the mix"
"My life is your job"
"What?"
"I need you to manage me, and to do other things, you are very smart and clear headed"
Bella eyes him. "So pretty much I am your personal whatever"
"My go to woman"
"Why did I take this job" She mutters to herself everything becoming even clearer than before. She knew what he wanted before, but it didn't seem so much of his personal life as much as handling his office life.
Edward grins. "Shall I order for us?"
"No I can order for myself thank you"
"As you wish" He nods looking at her pick the menu up. Smiling he thinks he is one step ahead because it is all in French.
"Do you wish to order Mr. Cullen?"
"I believe my…" He makes a face of question at Bella wondering how he should address her right now. "…employee…no personal go to girl" He gives her a smile which only makes her scowl even more at him. "I think Bella would like to order for herself"
"Very good Ms"
"The duck in the lemon sauce, steamed vegetable, no pommes de terre"
"Very good" He smiles. "And Mr. Cullen?"
Edward stares at Bella.
"How is the duck?"
"Very good" Bella nods looking at him. "How did you get into this business, or is it just a family one?" She knows, she read he has no family, none that is mentioned in the internet news or Forbes magazine.
"No family, I built it from the ground up" Edward says rather proud of what he has done in very few years.
"You didn't go to university"
"No, that is why I surround myself with very academically smart people"
"That makes sense; you clearly have a huge sense of business"
"Yes I do"
She rolls her eyes.
"You are very academically smart, so I want you around"
"Yes to pick out what colour tie to wear on a date"
"And for other things" He retorts.
"Oh yes, firing people, you know I did not enjoy doing that on my first day, thank you very much"
"Well someone had to do it"
"Why me?"
"Because you seem like a person people still like even if they fire them, unlike me"
"Hmm" She hums. "So all this is yours, this company, everything"
"Yes"
"Do you plan on leaving it to family, children, and wife in the end?"
"No"
"Charity?"
"No, I plan on living forever"
Bella looks at him. Her eyes widen only when she realizes he is dead...no pun intended, serious. "What?"
"I am joking; I haven't thought that far ahead"
"Well you are 35, are you not planning on settling down?"
"I don't know what I am going to do"
"You are presently having a hell of a time"
"That I am something you seem to be lacking in your life"
"How would you know what I am lacking…I am not lacking anything" She defends herself to his accusation.
"Well you seem stiff right now"
"Because you are making me uncomfortable" She is uncomfortable being here with him, he is her boss, grant you her mouth doesn't seem to mind giving him some lashes but that is a defense to being here made to feel uncomfortable. She would rather be at home alone or doing work…not this with her boss.
"Maybe you need to have some wine" Edward suggests nodding to her still full wine glass.
AND that is it!
Edward is a peach right!
