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Chapter Two

I loved grocery shopping, but for some reason I hadn't done much of it in the past few years. With no one to cook for, I guess I didn't see the point. But from time to time I would treat myself to a nice home-cooked meal, and tonight would be one of those nights. My job was increasingly stressful the past two weeks since my boss added to my workload. It was enough to juggle editing and writing my own column, one that required me to read a new book every week. Now he had also given me the task of researching and writing on a trend of murders in downtown Seattle, a subject I was far from inclined to enjoying.

On top of all of that, my mind had been wandering in unexpected places. I found myself wanting to return to The Brew, and I knew deep down that the reason behind the urge was the sultry waitress I met there. Alice had floated into my thoughts more than a few times since I last saw her and I was incredibly confused as to why. It was frustrating, for lack of a better word. I guess it was because I had never really been complimented by a stranger who read my writing, and I was pleased to know someone like her could find it 'witty.' Her charisma was palpable and to think she found me at all capable of writing a coherent thought in a 'witty' way was a great compliment. ...Even with reasoning it didn't make sense.

I strolled into the grocery store and immediately went for the veggie section. I usually ate pretty healthy; I kept a bag of carrots in my office fridge and nibbled on them to keep myself from eating the chocolates on Jacob's desk. I grabbed a bag of babycarrots and then collected some asparagus and broccoli for the evening, taking more than I really needed. Maybe I'll cook salmon... Thinking about what I needed, I went to the spices and selected some basil, garlic and parsley before moving on to retrieve a few other little things I needed to stock up on. Finally making my way to the fish section, I picked up the last thing I needed before making my way to the cash register.

A small dainty figure moved into my vision and my heart stopped. The very girl who had been crossing my mind was in line with a basket full of food. She was impeccably dressed in a black pair of skinny jeans and a flowing white shirt with a cute gray buttoned vest, a black purse dangling from her shoulder.

I made my way slowly and stopped behind her. Only one register was open and there were several people in front of us waiting to be checked out. My breathing stopped and I wondered if maybe I should say something...

Before I could do anything, Alice turned around curiously and met my eyes. Her face brightened in recognition instantly and I know I must've been beat red. "Oh, hey Bella!" She grins, turning to face me fully.

"Hey, Alice. Weird bumping into you here." I smile sheepishly, trying to will down the volcano erupting inside of me.

"I know, what a coincidence. How are you? I haven't seen you back at the bar for a little while." It had only been two weeks, but it had felt like longer. All of the work I had in front of me...

"Yeah, I've been real busy since. My boss decided to dump another project on me." I rolled my eyes, beginning to feel a little more comfortable. I still spoke carefully, SOMEHOW managing not to choke, stutter or pause too long. "How have you been?"

Her smile reveals perfect teeth and I can tell (or I hope) she's genuinely happy to see me."I've been great. The bar has been pretty dead for a while so it's been easy going. I haven't worked in a bar in so long, it's been a lot of fun." Her eyes brightened and looked down to my basket. "Whatcha got there?"

I smiled at her enthusiasm. Her happiness was infectious. It even puts Jacob to shame. "Just some salmon and vegetables. I figured I would cook dinner for once tonight."

She cocked her head sideways a little in question. "Does your boyfriend do the cooking?" I saw something in her eyes I couldn't identify, but the smile was still there. She kept her eyes on my own and she chuckled as she saw the fright that creeped into them. "Ohhhhh no, Jacob isn't my boyfriend." I shook my head, trying not to choke on my own saliva. "I'm sure he would like that, but he's just a good friend."

Her smile grew a tiny bit and she giggled a little as that strange look in her eye dissipated... "Oh, I'm sorry for the mistake. I just thought..." She closed her eyes for a brief moment, shaking her head. When she opened them again her smile was back in full-force and I couldn't help but smile back. "Well, anyway. You should come by the bar tonight. I'd love to sit and chat books with you. I've gotten so many great titles from your column. I think we have similar tastes." She spoke quickly, almost nervously, stepping backward to move with the line.

The smile on my face felt like it was stuck there. She wants to talk books with me. Wow. "Sure, I'd love to. What time do you go to work?" I felt my heart skip a beat and followed her lead to move forward again as another customer finished checking out.

"In about an hour. I was just going to drop this stuff off at home and head over there." She began placing her items on the conveyer belt and pulled out a wallet from her purse. "I work till midnight. Come over any time and I'll take my break."

"Sure thing." I felt a certain... giddiness. Weird.

I watched her as she paid and gathered her things. She turned... and caught me starring again, and it didn't help that my blush would have given me away if she hadn't. That knowing smile was back and I could feel my stomach do a back-flip. She winked and sent me a small wave. "See you later, Ms. Swan."

I made my way to The Brew, half of me excited to talk to Alice and the other half wanting to speed right back to my house out of an unidentified fear. This strange feeling inside of me was beginning to get on my nerves since I couldn't place why it continued to grip me. My instincts were trying to tell me something, but I was absolutely clueless to what that something was.

I tried to ignore it as I sat in my truck, the same old rusty thing I inherited on my 16th birthday from the junkyard. In the passenger seat sat a pile of work I hadn't completed at the office and I figured since Alice might be busy when I got inside I would finish it up while I waited. It gave me another reason to leave the house, I guess. It was impossible for me to do any of it there with all of the distractions. I once tried to write a review on the living room couch and ended up falling asleep with my laptop open, a game of Spider Solitaire glaring at me when I woke up.

I picked up the stack and finally opened my door to go inside. I had changed into what I thought was more suitable attire, getting out of my skirt and blazer to exchange them for a pair of comfy skinny jeans and an old baseball shirt. Remembering suddenly what Alice was wearing at the grocery store, I suddenly felt under dressed...going to The Brew, of all places. Please, Bella, stop being so anxious.

I walked inside...and immediately tripped over a loose floor board, my folders flying from my hands as I steadied myself. I somehow managed to not land on my face, stumbling and staying on my feet. Ugh, clumsy Bella strikes again. I sighed and dropped to my knees to gather the papers that had fallen loose.

Footsteps came from my side and soon two familiar pale hands were helping me gather my mess from the floor. I looked up and saw that familiar smirk paired with those striking golden eyes starring back at me. "Bella, what are we going to do with you?" Alice's voice was low and soft and almost rumbled in her chest. "You're in here two seconds and you're already throwing things around. You haven't even had a drink yet." She giggled a little and we both stood up. She handed me a stack of papers, the smirk still on her face.

"I think my balance improves after I drink more so than the other way around, actually." I smiled back at her, putting the papers back into their assigned folders. "Thanks, I'm probably the clumsiest individual you will ever meet in your life."

"I don't know about that, but you sure know how to make an entrance." She turned her body, her head still facing me. Her smile was a tad mischievous as she motioned for me to follow her. The bar was almost completely empty, aside from a patron sitting at the bar chatting with Martha, who's expression was of unconvincing interest. When it wasn't a game night, the place was usually vacant. I was glad for that. Small spaces filled with a lot of people always made me nervous and claustrophobic, but that's no surprise. My anxiety was always making me uncomfortable.

Alice led me to a table furthest away from the noise of the television. I slid into the booth-style seat and looked up to see her pull out her notepad, giving me a silly look. "Now what can I get for the beautiful Ms. Swan?" She bowed slightly, putting her pen to the pad and giving me an expectant look, a twinkle in her eye.

I rolled my eyes and grinned, hoping I didn't stumble over my words. "I'll take a... hmm... What do you recommend? I don't really know your selection."

Aureate eyes met the ceiling as Alice drew a finger to tap her chin, contemplative. Her gaze moved down to meet mine again a moment later, her eyes unsure. "Do you like hefeweizen? We have a new beer called Franziskaner on tap. Martha's been getting better about the selection." She warmly smiled at me and tapped her foot as she spoke.

I didn't know the first thing about beer. As long as it wasn't Miller or Budweiser, I was happy. "I'll take one of those, then. I hardly ever drink." I looked down to the stack of foreboding paperwork and sighed. "But tonight I might need it."

She giggled and started to walk away slowly. "Poor thing." She narrowed her eyes playfully and smirked, making me blush hard. "I'll be back in a jiff. I'll get you your beer first, but I have some dishes to wash before I can come out here and chat. Is that okay?"

I nodded, gulping down my insecurity. She was so much more attractive, even in her waitressing uniform and it was hard not to stare. "I'm not going anywhere."

She winked, my blush deepening. "Good. Stay put."

My mind was in a daze. Was she flirting with me? Why would she flirt with me? I picked up the first folder and pretended to leaf through it as my mind wandered. Did I want her to flirt with me? My sexuality was never something I really thought about, oddly enough. The innocent Bella who would have once questioned herself had...well, she was gone. This Bella, the one who kept most people at an arm's length, was unconcerned with romantic interests...right? Anything remotely close to that in the past few years had been 'flings' at best but nothing more. The sex was mediocre, they were too nice, they were too attached too fast, they were...always something. I could never find anyone who could retain my attention for more than a couple months.

I had never been with a woman before, however. And I really had no idea if that's what I was into, but by the strange feeling in my stomach... Nah, you don't need to be thinking about that. I blocked myself off. You're too screwed up to be in a relationship with anyone. Period.

Alice returned with the beer, gracefully sliding in across from me. "Here you are." She smiled brightly and gently set it down on the table. "Martha's doing the dishes for me. I think she needed a break from that guy...he's been talking her ear off all afternoon." Alice rested her head on the palm of her right hand. "I'm so glad you came. This place has been a complete bore for a few days now." She sighed and picked at the table with her free hand, her eyes steady on me.

I looked at her curiously. Someone like her could be a supermodel, but she was sitting across from me in a small town bar in a waitress uniform. "How did you come to work here?"

Her eyes flickered slightly before she glanced down at her finger nails. "Well, I guess I just needed a change of scenery." She looked back up to me, one eyebrow raised coupled with her characteristic smirk. "I kind of like it here." Straightening up, she ran a hand through her hair and settled in her seat, sitting sideways with her back against the wall and her legs resting on the bench. "My family used to live here some time ago because my dad took a job at the local hospital. They needed doctors pretty badly." The story seemed well-versed, as if she was reading from a book. "After I finished up my degree, I just wanted to get a normal, small job for a while before I looked for something more...concrete, I guess." She twiddled her thumbs gently in her lap. She was a fidgeter.

I couldn't help the reminiscent smile I wore. "My mother used to do that..." I looked at her hands, not even realizing that I had said it. Once I found my mouth had moved, I shook my head a little to clear it... What was wrong with me? "Fidget I mean." I smirked at her this time, forcing a confidence I didn't feel. "So where did you attend University?"

It turns out we both went to Seattle for college and graduated at around the same time, her a semester after me. She earned a double major in literature and fashion design, which explained her well-chosen outfit earlier today. Eventually the conversation became almost comfortable, my unease unwinding to it's usual level. We talked about books and our shared obsession with the very twisted Dennis Cooper, an author I didn't think anyone else could appreciate in the way I did. I also somehow confessed my strange addiction to science fiction novels by Drew Karpyshyn, making Alice chuckle. We ended up laughing a lot and it was so nice to talk to someone who I felt was on the same page I was.

By the time midnight rolled around I hadn't done any of my work and it was time to leave. Martha let Alice off the hook and began cleaning the place up herself, despite Alice's protests. It was interesting seeing the old lady from my high school days pick on Alice and playfully push her out of the door just behind me. I smiled at Martha and gave her a small wave, ignoring the look of sympathy hidden in her own returning expression. Why can't anyone here just let it go? I tried not to think about it, instead focusing on the good time I was having with my new friend.

Alice walked close behind me and poked me in the back for my attention. I turned around, seeing the moonlight shine off of her face. It made her look like she was glowing, in a way, and I thought I noticed her eyes... They seemed darker than before. In fact, they were completely black... It's dark, Bella, nothing unusual about that.

"Thank you so much for visiting me. I would have died of boredom if it weren't for you." She poked me in the ribs.

I smiled down at her. "I actually had a great time talking to you. I don't really know many people I can get along with so easily..." I looked down at my feet nervously, a little embarrassed at the admission. "Thanks for inviting me."

"I find that hard to believe, Bella. Who wouldn't want to get along with you?" Her cheery voice sounded more serious than before. "I would love to do this again sometime, maybe when I'm not on the clock?"

For the first time, Alice appeared unsure of herself and kept her eyes on her feet before shyly bringing them up to me to see my reaction. It was endearing, but uncharacteristic and I couldn't ignore the warmth in my stomach from the sight. I gave her a small smile and a shy nod of approval. "I would like that. A lot." I admitted. Her face brightened. "Great." She took the cell phone peeking from my front pocket so quick I hardly noticed what she was doing. "Here's my number." She typed it in, letting her phone ring. "Just so you know I'm not faking," she explained with a grin before placing it back in my pocket in a flirtatious manner. It made me shudder on the inside. Really, what is going on with me? She pulled her own phone and showed it to me. "You're stuck with me now." Her smile was wicked and I swear I could feel a bead of sweat develop on my brow.

We waved a small goodbye to each other after I promised to call her when I was free.

When I got home, I placed my cell phone on the coffee table and forced myself to stay awake to finish up some work, a big mug of coffee to aid me. I ended up going to bed at two o'clock and set my alarm for six. Tomorrow was Thursday, my last day for the week and I couldn't wait to sleep in Friday morning. Maybe I'd call Alice tomorrow night... I tried to keep the smile off of my face as I settled into sleep.