Standard Disclaimer – I do not own Twilight or any of the characters from the story. All song selections have been provided by my amazing beta, NoWayWithWords. She is the greatest! She has set up a YouTube playlist that includes the songs chosen for the chapters. If you would like to check it out, see my profile for the link.
The song for this chapter is "Just the Way Your Are" by Bruno Mars.
Chapter 5 – Auld Lang Syne
Alice and Jasper invited me to a huge New Years Eve party at one of the fancy hotels in Seattle. When Alice called to ask if I would go, she said that this would be a good opportunity for me to wear that red dress again. Apparently some big wigs in the music industry were going to be there and she thought it couldn't hurt to show me off a little.
I switched shifts with one of the other waitresses at the diner so I could drive up early that morning. Alice dragged me out on a last minute shopping trip so she could find the perfect shoes to go with her dress. That woman knew how to find some incredible stuff on a tiny budget. We had to hit three stores before she found a pair she liked. In the past, I would have cringed at the idea of going shopping, but I found that I actually enjoyed shopping with Alice.
By the time we bought shoes, had lunch, got our hair and nails done, and made it back to her house, Jasper was about to jump out of his skin.
"Alice, what took you so long? No, never mind. I don't even want to know. I hope you have some kind of magic in those bags because the limo will be here in ten minutes. You both need to hurry up and get ready. We can't be late for this."
He rushed her off into their bedroom and sent me scurrying to the spare room to get myself ready. Since my long hair was already up in a pile of curls that were held on my head by about a thousand hair pins and my nails were already done, all that was left was my makeup. I put on dark smoky eye shadow, a hint of blush, and some shiny red lipstick that matched my dress and nails. I looked steamy and sexy. Since the dress was low cut and backless, I couldn't wear a bra. I was wearing black and silver strappy heels, so I couldn't wear pantyhose. All that was left was for me to step into a pair of nice panties and get into the dress.
Once I had it on, I grabbed my black and silver clutch purse, tossed in a few extra hair pins, my lipstick, cell phone, driver's license and a credit card that I reserved for emergency use only, and was ready to go. I heard the doorbell ring just as I was stepping into the living room.
Jasper let out a low whistle, "Damn, Bella, you sure clean up nice!"
"Thanks. You're not so bad yourself."
It was true. He looked great in his black tux, white shirt, and boots. Alice was wearing a sparkly black cocktail dress that made her legs look incredible.
"Turn around, Bella. Let me see the back," Alice commanded.
I spun in a slow circle with my hands out so she could inspect the dress from all sides.
She shook her head. "From the back, you can see your panty lines."
"But I'm wearing a thong."
"I know, but you can see where the straps come across your hips. Let's see how they look without the panties."
Jasper told the limo driver that we would be right out while I ducked into the bedroom and slipped the panties off. When I came back out, Alice said it looked much better so we headed out the door. Once we were all settled in the back of the limo, Jasper poured us some champagne and held up his glass for a toast.
"I say we should toast my impeccable luck and self control. Not only am I escorting two of the most beautiful women I know to the event of the century, but only I know that they are both completely naked under their dresses," he gave me a wink as Alice elbowed him in the ribs.
"Watch it, Romeo. You just might find yourself walking home," Alice teased.
As the limo pulled up to the hotel, I was surprised to see the number of reporters standing outside. The limo driver opened the door and Jasper climbed out first. Alice reached out and gave my hand a squeeze to let me know it would be alright before she got out of the car. I took a deep breath and reminded myself to smile as the driver reached in for my hand. As he was helping me out of the car, I noticed that Jasper and Alice were already half way to the door. As soon as the limo driver stepped out of the way, the flashes started going off. It was very disorienting at first. The limo driver must have noticed me losing my balance because he reached out and grabbed my elbow to steady me. Once my eyes adjusted to the bright flashes, he let me go and I started walking down the red carpet.
As I walked, reporters started calling my name, trying to get me to look their direction. One lady near the back yelled out, "I noticed you could barely stand up when you got out of the limo. Are you drunk?"
I shot her a dirty look and stopped dead in my tracks. "Excuse me. What is your name?"
"Julie Dawson, Seattle Tribune."
"Have you ever been on this side of the cameras? The flashes are really bright. I stepped out of a dark limo and was bombarded with all these bright flashes. Until your eyes focus, you feel a little unsteady. You should try it sometime."
The crowd chuckled then started asking more questions. Everyone seemed to be talking at once. I heard people asking where I learned to sing, where was I from, who was I dating, and who inspired the song, "Dirty Boy." I ignored their questions and continued down the carpet, taking time to smile and pose for the cameras.
Jasper and Alice were waiting just inside the door for me.
"Gee, thanks for throwing me to the wolves out there," I said as I stepped up to where they were standing.
Jasper smiled. "You did great out there. You're the superstar. They wanted pictures of you, not us. We just wanted to get out of your way so you could be in the spotlight. You'll get used to it."
As we approached the doorway to the ballroom, we were stopped by a photographer. Jasper and Alice posed for a picture and went over to talk to a man sitting at a desk in front of a computer. The photographer adjusted me so I would look good, then took my picture. When I approached the man at the desk, he asked my name and typed it into his computer. He told me they would hold my picture until it was time to leave. He then handed me a card with a number on it and told me to show it to the guy at the podium.
As I approached the podium, Jasper showed the guy his card. The guy standing at the podium announced "Mr. and Mrs. Whitlock with Alice Records," and the picture they had just taken popped up on four large screens positioned around the ballroom.
Alice turned around and told me they would meet me at the bar on the right side of the room before they disappeared into the crowd.
As I approached the man at the podium, I asked if I really had to be announced. He told me that I either get announced once or I have to wear a name tag the entire night. I could see that he was joking, but I was still nervous about it. Finally I reluctantly showed him my card. He typed the number on a little hand held device in front of him. My name popped up on his display. He pressed a button on his microphone and said, "Bella Swan."
Several heads in the crowd turned to look in my direction. I could feel myself blush as I stepped forward and started making my way to the bar. Jasper already had a drink waiting for me when I found them. I took a big gulp to calm my nerves before he started dragging me around the room, introducing me to everyone he knew.
I smiled and made small talk, but I knew that there was no way I was going to remember all these people's names. Waiters were walking around refilling drinks, so I lost count of how many I had. Alice and I were talking to an old man who had something to do with golf when we heard the announcement, "James Davis, In The News."
"Shit. I forgot he was going to be here." Alice leaned forward to whisper to me. "Watch yourself. James is a bloodhound. He likes to piss people off just to get them to say something incriminating. Avoid him if you can."
"Why is he here? I thought all the reporters had to stay outside." I looked around trying to see if I could locate him in the room.
"This party is linked with four others going on in New York, Chicago, Denver, and Los Angeles. Each party gets a reporter and camera crew. They will be filming throughout the night and showing it live at the other locations. That's why there are four screens around the room. Each one will be showing a different city. That way we can celebrate along with them as each time zone rings in the New Year."
I looked up at the screens. "So they will have one showing us?"
"Yup. On top of that, at different times throughout the night, the reporter for each city will come on and ask random people questions. I don't know who pulled the short stick but somehow we ended up with James Davis as our reporter. Last year we had a lady. I don't remember her name, but she was great."
I noticed the camera crew setting up their equipment. I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was only 8:00pm. That would make it 11:00 in New York. I noticed one of the screens flicker and suddenly I could see a crowd of people on the screen to my left. Across the bottom of the screen it said Chicago and had a countdown timer set to central time. Next the screen for New York came up, followed by Los Angeles and Denver. Each screen had a countdown timer set for the time zone they were in. Since Seattle and LA were in the same time zone, we were going to be going off of their timer last.
The waiters and waitresses were out in full force refilling drinks while we laughed, talked, and danced. I soon became aware that the same music was being played in each location at the same time. It really made you feel like you were at one huge party.
The reporter in New York came on and started naming famous people that were there. When he spoke, it muffled the music enough that you could understand him, but not enough that people completely stopped dancing. Alice disappeared from my side for a moment and returned with a tall blond that I recognized immediately. It was Emmett's wife. She was wearing a designer dress that must have cost a ton of money.
"Bella, I want you to meet my best friend, Rosalie Hale," Alice shouted over the music.
"I believe we've already met. Her husband Emmett McCarty was the one who recruited me when I joined Swan Dive. How are you, Rosalie?"
"I'm fine, Bella. I hear you are finally making it big in the music industry."
"I don't know about that. They are playing a couple of my songs, but it's a far cry from making it big. Where's Emmett?"
"He's at the bar with Jasper. The two of them together are more than I can handle."
We were all laughing when the reporter in LA started announcing some of the famous names that were at the party. I recognized a handful of actors and actresses, a politician, and a NASCAR driver. I watched on the screen as he walked around the room. He stopped and said hello to an opera singer, two models, and Edward Cullen.
Edward just smiled and waved at the camera. He looked absolutely stunning. It almost took my breath away. He was wearing a grey Armani suit that fit him like a glove. Of course he was standing with three beautiful women who seemed to hang from every word. As the reporter moved on to the next celebrity, I turned back to Rosalie and Alice.
Before I knew it, Emmett pulled me out on the dance floor. He was so much fun to be around and he could really shake it for a big muscular guy. I had enough alcohol in my system that I didn't even care as I danced to the beat with my head back and my hands in the air. I was having a good time.
Just before 9 pm the wait staff started handing out champagne so we could all toast the New Year along with New York. We counted down along with them. 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… Happy New Year! I gulped down my champagne and gave Emmett a big hug as he escorted me back to our group.
Alice and Rosalie had secured a table near the dance floor, so I sat down to rest my feet while Jasper went to find something for me to munch on. While Alice and I were running around earlier in the day, we never bothered to stop for dinner, so I was drinking alcohol on an empty stomach and really starting to get tipsy.
He came back a few minutes later with a plate of finger foods. The little bite-sized beef Wellingtons were damn near orgasmic. I scarfed them down with no shame. I think I even moaned a little while I was eating them.
About 20 minutes later, some guy came over and asked me to dance. I had no idea who he was, but he was cute, so I said yes. He stopped at the bar and acquired us each a shot of something that smelled like licorice and lighter fluid. I held my breath and swallowed down the shot before we hit the dance floor.
More people were crowding onto the dance floor so we had to dance closer to each other. I didn't realize just how close we were until I felt him grinding up against me. I politely stepped back and pretended that I didn't notice that he was starting to get a little bulge in the front of his pants. Men are so pathetic sometimes.
When the song was over, I thanked him and headed back toward the table. The tiny bits of food didn't stand a chance against the shot I had done, so I was teetering somewhere between tipsy and drunk. I grabbed some water and was sipping it when, out of nowhere, a man walked up to me with a microphone. He was tall and muscular with shoulder length blond hair tied back in a ponytail.
"Bella Swan, you seem to be having a good time tonight. I was just curious as to why you chose to wear the same dress that you wore on your album cover. Are you honestly that egotistical?"
If I were sober, I would have been pissed and probably cussed him out and punched him in face, but no… Drunk Bella had control at this moment so I just laughed. "Boy, you sure are rude. Who are you again?"
The man gave me a steely look. "James Davis with In The News. I'm your host for the evening." I could see the wheels turning trying to figure out how to get to me.
"Hosts are supposed to be pleasant, not rude."
He interrupted, "Why the same dress, Ms Swan? Did you wear it so people would be sure to recognize you?"
I giggled and shook my head in a flirty way that I tend to do when drunk. "No. Honestly, it's the only formal dress I own."
"Seriously? You are telling me that you only own one nice dress?" He gave me a nasty look like he was talking to filthy trash.
I held my head high, looked him straight in the eye and said, "It's true. I bought this dress for the photo shoot and I'm still paying for it on my credit card, so I might as well get some use out of it. You may think it's egotistical but I think it's thrifty."
Before he could say anything else, we were interrupted by Chicago's final countdown. Before he could turn his attention back to me, I slipped away and made it to the table with my friends.
Rosalie gave me a sympathetic look. "How are you doing? James can be a flaming ass. You didn't let him get to you, did you?"
I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't think so. I'll probably freak out later, but right now, I think I'm ok."
Alice reached over and gave me a hug. "I think you did great. You called him out on being rude. He deserved it. It probably wasn't the best idea to admit that you only have one dress though."
Jasper shook his head. "I disagree. I don't think there is anything wrong with being honest. You come across as being sincere and real. I think people will appreciate that."
We all sat around talking for a few more minutes before a great song came on so Alice, Rosalie, and I headed out onto the dance floor. My shoes were starting to hurt my feet so I kicked them off and tossed them to Jasper, who was on his way to the bar to get another round of drinks for the guys. He turned and tossed them to Emmett who set them on the floor beside his chair.
We danced to three more songs before the girls decided it was time to sit back down again. I didn't feel like sitting around, so I stayed on the dance floor. I noticed an older woman swaying to the music while her husband talked to some politician. I felt bad for her. She obviously wanted to dance and have a good time but she was stuck by her husband's side. I made my way off of the dance floor and headed over to the woman.
"Hi, I'm Bella. Would you like to come dance with me?"
The lady blushed as she looked up at her husband. He didn't even look back at us.
"I probably shouldn't."
"Why not? He probably won't even notice you're gone."
"But if he does, he'll get upset."
I stepped up so I was practically between the two men. "Pardon me, gentlemen, do you mind if I steal your wife for a few minutes?"
The man looked at me from head to toe, then glanced at his wife and said, "Sure. Is everything ok?"
I batted my eyelashes and said, "I needed another woman to dance with. Don't worry, I'll return her in a few minutes."
The man gave a slight nod so I took the lady by the hand and led her out on the dance floor. She giggled and said something about not believing she was doing this as we found an open space near the edge of the floor and started to move with the music. For an older lady, she did a great job. We only danced for a few songs before she had to head back to her husband. They were bringing out the champagne for the Denver toast.
After we toasted Denver, the LA reporter did some impromptu interviews. First he stopped a model that had an accent so thick you could hardly understand her, and then he caught Edward Cullen. Edward was standing at the bar waiting for his drink to be made.
"Edward Cullen, are you having a good time this evening?"
"I am, John, thank you for asking."
"I hear rumors that you are considering going on tour again. Can you confirm that?"
Edward smiled and said, "I can confirm that I am hearing the same thing." He chuckled. "I'm just kidding, John. Actually I did a rather extensive US tour a few years ago, so my team has been toying with the idea of doing a small US tour followed by a much larger tour abroad."
"Do you know which cities you will be playing yet?"
Edward shook his head. "Nothing is set in stone yet, but I'll let you know once the details have been ironed out and we have a game plan."
"Thank you for your time. Is there anything you would like to say to the people out there that are still partying?"
He looked into the camera and held up his drink, "To the beautiful lady in red, dancing barefoot and carefree among the masses of stuffed shirts and hidden agendas… Don't let anyone bring you down or make you change. You are an inspiration to us all."
I heard a round of people saying "Cheers" and clinking glasses coming from around him. He clinked his glass with someone who was just off screen and then emptied it in one swallow.
As the reporter thanked him again and ended the interview, Alice turned to me. "Did you hear that, Bella? Edward Cullen was talking to you!"
I shook my head. "He wasn't talking to me. There are plenty of women wearing red tonight. He is probably talking about someone there in LA."
"Look around, Bella. How many people in this room are wearing red dresses?"
I looked around and noticed only one other woman wearing red, but it was a red blouse that she was wearing with black pants. "Still, Alice, he is probably talking about someone in LA."
She squinted her eyes as she concentrated on the screen of the LA crowd. I knew she was looking for someone wearing a red dress, but I didn't care to look. I didn't want to know what blond goddess with a fake tan and overinflated boobs happened to catch his attention for the evening. I was here to have a good time and by golly I was going to go out and do exactly that.
My drunken state from earlier had long worn off, so I headed to the bar for a drink. I ordered two, drank one immediately and started heading back toward the table with my other when I was stopped by James Davis.
He shoved a microphone in my face and said, "Bella Swan, what do you have to say about the message from Edward Cullen? How well do you know each other? Do you have a message for him for the New Years?"
I gave him a steely look and said, "What makes you think he was talking to me?"
James laughed as he counted his reasons off on his fingers, "One, you are wearing red. Two, you have been dancing all night. Three, you act like you don't have a care in the world. Four, you are beautiful. And last but not least, you are the only woman I know that would dare take off her shoes at a high class event like this."
My eyes must have looked like they were going to pop out of my head and I could feel the blush on my cheeks. He was talking to me. My mind was racing trying to remember what advice he gave me. "Don't let anyone bring you down or make you change. You are an inspiration to us all." That's right.
James continued, "So, Bella, how did you meet Edward Cullen?"
I quirked an eyebrow and said, "I assaulted him in a restaurant here in Seattle and he upgraded my tickets to his show. A few months later I did something that I shouldn't have, but he forgave me and didn't press charges. Those are the only interactions I have had with the gracious Mr. Cullen, though I seriously doubt he remembers either incident."
"Do you have a message you would like to send to Edward Cullen while you have a chance?"
I lifted my glass, "Thank you for your kind works and heartfelt advice. Do what makes your heart happy. Don't let people's preconceived notions guide your life. Now… Take off your socks and shoes, Edward. It's time to dance."
I downed my drink and skipped off to the dance floor as the next song was starting. I could see the LA camera focus on Edward and the group of guys he was sitting with. They were laughing at him as he bent over and untied his shoes. Once he had them off, he held them up for the camera and placed them on the table. The camera pulled back on the crowd again as he got up and headed for the dance floor.
As the camera in LA started scanning the crowd, I lost sight of Edward. I knew he was somewhere on the dance floor but I couldn't see him, so I closed my eyes and let the music move me. Before I realized it, I was joined by the rest of my friends. Alice and Jasper were dancing on my right and Rosalie and Emmett were dancing on my left. They were laughing and singing along with me as the countdown began.
19… 18… 17… 16… 15… 14… People were starting to pair up. 13… 12… 11… 10… 9… I suddenly realized that I would be the only person on the dance floor alone. 8… 7… 6… I tried to discreetly slip off the dance floor so I wouldn't look like a fool. 5… 4… 3… I was trapped by bodies and couldn't get free. 2… 1… HAPPY NEW YEAR!
People cheered as the confetti and balloons poured from the ceiling. Everywhere I looked, people were kissing their partners. I smiled because I was truly happy for them. Someone handed me a glass of champagne. I looked at the screens on the wall and noticed Edward holding his glass up for the camera. He blew a kiss and took a sip. I noticed the camera man filming me. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much but I blew a kiss back and waved before taking a sip of my own drink.
They started playing that strange old song that always gets played on New Years. Everyone on the dance floor swayed with their arms around each other making long curvy lines of people as we all mumbled what we thought were the words to the song, but really made no sense if you stopped to think about them.
Once the song was over, they started playing slow songs so couples could dance. Alice and Jasper looked like they were ready to head home for a long, loud, night together so I suggested we leave. I grabbed my shoes and purse as we headed for the door. We said goodbye to Rosalie and Emmett, then waited for the limo to pull up to the curb before we headed out into the snow that was just starting to fall.
As the chill bit into my skin, I chastised myself for not wearing a jacket or underwear, but I still stopped to admire the beauty of it as it drifted from the sky and settled into my hair and on my eyelashes.
"Come on, Bella, it's freezing!" Alice shouted from the car.
Yes, it was freezing, but it was also refreshing. Fresh falling snow always made me feel like the world was clean and innocent again. I closed my eyes and tilted my face up to feel the flakes hit my cheek when I heard the pop of a flash off to my right. I opened my eyes and looked over to see one lone reporter shivering by the door.
"You look beautiful, Ms. Swan. Can you smile for me?"
I gave him a flirty smile while he took two more pictures. He thanked me as I slipped into the warmth of the car.
"That was a nice thing you did for him, Bella," Jasper said. "If he hung around this late just for celebrity pictures, I bet he's probably a freelance photographer. They only get paid if they sell good pictures. For him to be out in this weather, I bet he's probably pretty hungry or has some serious bills to pay. If those shots come out decent, you may have just put food on his table or made sure his bills got paid."
A/N: So, we finally got a little dose of Edward. (Collective sighs may now commence.) I like the idea that Bella is not afraid to be herself. So many people feel that they have to put on a show when they are in a group. I think you should always be yourself, whether you are with your best friend, your significant other, or a large group of people. That's just my philosophy.
Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews. I just got in from out of town, so I have not replied to any of then yet. I'm honestly not trying to be unappreciative. I am just really busy all the time. My free time is pretty much nonexistent right now. I wouldn't even have these chapters to post, if it weren't for the fact that I wrote most of this story last year. I have put off posting it until I was closer to finishing it. I know that I hate it when writers wait months between posting chapters. When you wait so long, people forget what was happening in the story.
OK, I'm off my soap box now. On to another little soap box… I just got back from spending a few days at a casino in Louisiana called Coushatta. I love that place. Anyway, it never ceases to amaze me how many elderly ladies with white hair add highlights that look like orange sorbet, or cotton candy in either pink or baby blue. Come on, ladies! White is beautiful and goes with everything. You should not look like someone is going to shave your head and weave it into a baby blanket. This goes back to what I was saying before. Be yourself! Now, if you have a fun and funky personality that justifies pink hair, than by all means, go for it! But if you are a conservative lady who is only doing it because some beautician talked you into it, just say no!
OK, I'm done now. See you next week!