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 "Highest Bidder" by Tractor Pull Divas.

Chapter 12 – Spending Spree

Our conversation was cut short by a taxi pulling up carrying a very sweaty Edward and Peter. Edward was laughing at Peter, who was scowling and giving him dirty looks. When they got on the bus, Edward told Peter that he could take his shower first. Peter walked by mumbling something about using all the hot water, so that Edward's dick would shrivel up into his throat, while Edward laughed.

Edward flopped down at the table and said, "Hey you, what are you still doing still running around in your pajamas?"

"I'm having a relaxing morning. I was thinking about throwing on some clothes in a few minutes and heading to the grocery store. We are running low on everything and we are down to our last roll of toilet paper. Do you want to come?"

"I think I'll pass. I've already had my ego boost for the day. I'm going to take a shower and call to check in with mom. We are heading out of here right after lunch, so don't take too long."

"Don't worry, I won't. I don't get mobbed like the famous Edward Cullen," I said, batting my eyelashes.

I threw on a pair of shorts and a tank top, slipped into some sandals, and grabbed my purse. Edward handed me a credit card and told me to use it to buy the supplies. Glenn and Aro were up by then, so I asked them what they wanted. Everyone added items to the list as it was passed around, so by the time I left, I had quite a lot to buy.

Garrett and I climbed in a taxi and headed to the closest grocery store. Since the bus was parked near the stadium, the nearest grocery store was a bit of a drive. It was Saturday morning, so the store was rather busy. I grabbed a cart and headed for the produce section first. I picked up some more fruit, lettuce, bell peppers, onions, jalapenos, garlic, cucumbers, and little grape tomatoes. I was tired of fast food and take-out. I was in the mood for a wedge salad, and I was getting enough for everyone. I grabbed some dressing, candied pecans, a bag full of avocados for making guacamole, and a multitude of other items as I walked through the aisles.

By the time I was finished, I had enough for two days' worth of meals for the guys. I planned on us having a wedge salad for lunch and chili for dinner. The following day, I'd make omelets for breakfast. I'd serve nachos, guacamole, and tamales for lunch. Dinner would be spaghetti with my homemade meat sauce and garlic bread. I even grabbed some stuff to make no-bake cheesecake for dessert.

Of course, I also picked up all of the chips, drinks, snack foods, toilet paper, and all the specific stuff people wanted. I had to make a quick stop at another store to grab a skillet and two pots, one for soups and one for smaller stuff. I also picked up some dishwashing supplies, two plastic mixing bowls, a good knife, small cutting board, a whisk, a spatula, and some cooking spoons. It was like starting a new house.

I knew that the cabinets would be completely full of chips and snacks, so I bought three large plastic tubs with tight-fitting lids so we could put the extra chips, snacks, and supplies in them and store them under the bus until we needed them. That would save some cabinet space that I could use for more important things.

The taxi driver wasn't too happy about having to load all of the stuff in his car. It completely filled the trunk and the backseat, so Garrett and I had to squeeze up front with him. When we arrived at the bus, I told everyone that they needed to help bring in the groceries. They looked at me like I was crazy. They were playing video games in the back of the bus and really didn't want to stop the game, so I gave them my best 'mom' look and told them to pause the damn game and give me a hand.

Like kids, they groaned as they got up off their asses and came out to help me. As they were hauling the stuff inside, Aro asked if anyone ordered pizza. Edward told him no, but he would do it in a minute.

I put my hands up and said, "We have been eating too much junk food on this trip. It's time we had something real to eat, so we're having salad for lunch."

There entire bus went silent as all of the guys stared at me with their mouths hanging open. I wasn't sure if they were pissed, shocked, or a little of both.

Glenn broke the silence, "I got some pots and pans here, guys! Looks like we might actually get some home cookin' for a change."

Aro looked inside one of the bags he brought in and said, "I have bacon and meat."

Marcus laughed as he pointed out, "Bacon is meat, asshole."

Everyone started laughing and the tension broke. I had the guys line the bins up on one of the couches so I could sort the groceries. I filled one bin with extra drinks and filled the other two bins with extra chips and snacks. The guys were hovering around trying to see what all I bought, so I had to send them back to their game to get them out from under my feet.

I started some bacon on the stove and started slicing up a green apple and an avocado. I cleaned and quartered the heads of lettuce and put each one on a plate and covered each one with a generous amount of ranch dressing and fresh cracked black pepper. I added some thin sliced apple and avocado to each plate, added some heart of palm, some thinly sliced a red onion, and finally topped it with some chopped candied pecans and the bacon. The salads would have looked like something you would get at a restaurant, if it weren't for the fact that they were being served on paper plates.

The guys came running when I told them lunch was ready. I handed each one a plastic fork, knife, and napkin as they each grabbed a plate. Soon we realized that there were absolutely no tables on the bus other than the small one that I used to prepare the food, so everyone had to balance the food in their laps. This was especially difficult when they were trying to cut on a paper plate.

Once everyone finished their salads, we were on our way out of Phoenix and heading for Denver. Edward had Glenn pull over at a kitchen and bath specialty store so he and Peter could run in for TV trays, plastic plates, plastic bowls, and silverware. On their way out, they also picked up a barbeque pit that was designed for tailgating, some charcoal, two round folding tables, eight lawn chairs, and a pop-up canopy. Glenn wasn't really happy about having to shift so much crap around under the bus to fit the tables, chairs, and pop-up, but Edward promised it would be worth it.

With everything put away, we were back on the road. If we didn't hit any traffic and didn't have to make any stops, it would take a good 14 hours to get to Denver. Demetri offered to wash the dishes, so I decided to call and check on Rosalie. I hadn't actually spoken with her since I left. We kept missing each other and leaving messages with important information, so I was shocked when she actually answered the phone.

"Rose? Hey, it's Bella. How are things going?"

"Bella! I am so glad you called. Hey, I've been getting quite a few calls since you have been out on the road. Most of the calls are from reporters wanting to know what's going on with you and Edward. I told them I haven't spoken to you, so I couldn't comment… so spill it. What's going on?"

"Umm… well…" I stammered.

"OK, so you're fucking him," Rose blurted quickly. "Fine, now what do you want me to tell the reporters?"

"I don't know. What do you think?"

"Well, what have they been told so far?"

"That we barely know each other, so a relationship was still to be determined."

"Ok, we'll stick with that. I will say that you are still getting to know each other and we will have to wait and see if anything comes of it, or not. Does that sound fair?"

"Sure. Sounds good to me."

"Ok, now we have that out of the way, we need to talk business. According to the schedule, you are heading to Denver today. You've been asked to participate in the celebrity charity auction the day after the show. Basically, they are going to auction off a dinner date with you. I've read through the details, and the process is simple. You have to show up dressed for dinner. The auction is being held at a posh hotel and the dinner will be held at one of the hotel's restaurants, so you don't have to worry about some guy dragging you off in the middle of nowhere or making you eat somewhere that serves nasty food. You can bring your security guy with you, but he has to sit at a separate table. You eat and visit for a couple of hours then you go your separate ways. You don't even have to kiss the guy goodnight. Do you want to do it?"

It sounded easy enough. "Sure. I think I can handle that."

"Great. After Denver, you are heading for Dallas. You play on your first night in town, and then you spend the next 12 days on break. According to Esme, the guys have rented a beach house on South Padre Island. You are welcome to go with them there, but Jasper really wants you to head from Dallas to Austin to do a show there by yourself. He said the club is willing to pay out their ass to get you there. They are even willing to pimp your CD and merchandise. Jasper says it will be just you and your guitar on stage, totally acoustic. They don't even expect you to play that long. They are only asking for 30 minutes, but say you can stay on stage all night if you want."

"My contract with Jasper says I will do 5 concerts for him. If he wants this to be one of the five, then I'm ok with it."

"Good. He is going to flip when he hears that you agreed. Now, on to the last item of business. You've been invited to dinner at the White House on the night before you leave Richmond, Virginia, to head to New York. Do you want me to accept?"

"Wow, I don't really follow politics, so I have no idea what to talk about, but sure. I can't pass up an opportunity like that. How often do you get a chance to eat dinner at the White House? Do you think they will let me take pictures?"

"I'm sure they will. Oh, I almost forgot, Jasper is trying to work out a few concerts for your trip back. He will send his house band to meet you wherever the last stop ends up being and you can travel back with them. Nothing is set in stone yet, but he was thinking Detroit, Oklahoma City, Albuquerque, Salt Lake City, and possibly San Francisco. He is still working out the details. If you're okay with his plan, I'll let you know when things get finalized. You could get all of the performing part of your contract done on your way back home. That's not too bad. What do you think?"

"I guess I should go ahead and get it over with. Once I get home, I'm not going to feel like getting back out on the road again for a while, so tell him to go ahead."

"Will do. Is there anything you needed from me, Bella?"

"No, I think that pretty much covers it. I haven't had a chance to check my bank account and I don't have internet access right now. Apparently I'm going to have to buy something to wear to dinner once we get to Denver. Can you check on-line and see if I'm broke yet?"

I could hear her typing. She asked for my password and told me that I had nothing to worry about. I had received another royalties check, so I had plenty of money. I thanked her and ended the call.

"Talking to your manager?" Edward asked as he sat on the edge of the bunk beside me.

"Yes, we were just going over plans and details. Apparently I need to do some clothes shopping in Denver. I have to get something nice to wear for a dinner date."

"Really? With who?" He looked concerned.

"I don't know yet. Apparently, I'm going to be auctioned off for charity," I laughed, picturing multiple blind date disaster scenarios in my head. "I'm sure that is going to be a little awkward, but it's for a good cause, so I'll suffer through the dinner with a smile."

"They tried to talk me into it, but I didn't want to do it. Last time I did that, some lady used all of the money she had put aside in her son's college fund so she could spend two hours sitting at a table with me. When we sat down, all she did was stare at me and giggle. She didn't talk at all. It was creepy."

I shuddered. "I hope I don't end up with someone like that."

"You probably won't. You'll probably end up with some horny guy that just wants to smell you and sit at the table so he can stare at your boobs all night."

I punched him in the arm. "Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence."

"So, other than a shopping trip when we get to Denver and an upcoming auction, what else is going on?"

"After our Dallas show, I'll be heading to Austin to play at a club."

"Does the band know?"

"No, I don't need them. It will just be me and a guitar. That reminds me, do you mind if I borrow the acoustic you have stashed under the couch in the back?"

"Go ahead. I'll be drinking beer and soaking up sun. I won't need it."

"Thanks. After I'm done in Austin, I'll probably head down there to join you guys. Why are we taking such a long break in the middle of a tour?"

"After New York, we will be leaving for Europe for a while. We've had such a good response on ticket sales that we are stopping just about everywhere. It looks like it's going to be a four or five month trip. Peter's mom is in a nursing home in Dallas. I wanted to make sure he got to spend some time with her before he followed me to Europe for who knows how long."

I considered the plan for a minute and asked, "If Peter is going to be in Dallas… who will watch you at the beach house?"

"I thought Garrett would be able to do it, because I figured you would be at the beach house with us, but now it looks like I might have to get an agency to send someone out."

"You don't have to do that. You can take Garrett," I offered. "I don't really need a security guard anyway. People don't attack me like they do you. I'll be fine without one."

"No, you keep Garrett. I insist. I'll talk to Peter and see who he recommends. Don't worry. We'll work something else out."

Edward left to talk to Peter, so I did some more reading. A couple hours later, I went into the kitchen area and started chopping ingredients to make the chili. Once I got things started, the guys started asking what we were having for dinner. Glenn seemed especially excited that I was making homemade chili. He said he hadn't eaten a good bowl of chili in years. Once I had the chili on the stove, I started working on cornbread muffins. The little microwave also worked as an oven, so I could use it to make the muffins. The only problem was that it was so small that I could only cook 6 muffins at a time. I planned on making 16, so I had to do it in batches.

When dinner was ready, Glenn pulled over on the side of the road so he could eat the hot chili without taking a chance of spilling it all over himself while he drove. Edward pulled the TV trays out from his unused bunk and handed them out to everyone as I dished out bowls of chili. The guys kept commenting on how delicious it was between mouthfuls. Glenn told me that if I kept cooking like that, he'd marry me in a heartbeat. Aro laughed and said, "Me too!" then he realized his error and added, "But don't tell my wife I said that."

With dinner done, we got back on the road and I looked at the piles of dishes. Thankfully I cooked just the right amount, so we didn't have any leftovers to have to throw away or store in the refrigerator. The tiny sink was too small to do dishes in, so I filled the large pot with hot water and soap. Garrett took over for me and did all the washing, while Aro rinsed and dried. It was great watching everyone come together like a family.

All this teamwork inspired me to pull out my laptop and write lyrics to a new song. I typed the words that I was singing in my head then grabbed the keyboard and headphones so I could work out the music. I was so focused that I didn't notice everyone else heading to bed. When I took off the headphones and looked up, Glenn and I were the only ones still up.

After telling Glenn goodnight, I headed for my bunk. Of course Edward was already there asleep. I changed into my pajamas and climbed over him to get in bed. As soon as he felt me climbing over him, he smiled and pulled me close. He mumbled, "Bella," then nuzzled his face into my hair and drifted off again.

We were in Denver by the time we got up the next morning. Garrett and I took off to find a dinner party dress for me while the others concentrated on cleaning the bus. Everyone in the other bus had already had their turn at laundry, so now it was our turn. Edward volunteered to get it over with. That meant he would spend the next few hours on the other bus washing and drying everyone else's socks and underwear. A laundry service picked up the bulk of the clothes as well as the towels, sheets, blankets, and pillowcases. They promised to have everything back late that afternoon.

Garrett and I hit three stores before I found this adorable little boutique that was selling clothes by up-and-coming designers. Some of the stuff was really cute. I found a royal blue halter dress that came down to my knees. It was simple but elegant, and looked great on me, so I bought it. I also picked up a pair of dark jeans that had a gold embroidered Celtic pattern up the sides. In between the loops and twists of the knots in the design, the material was cut out, so it made it appear that the design was holding the jeans together. They didn't show off too much skin and fit me like a glove, so I couldn't pass them up. I also picked up a teal colored gypsy shirt made from a thin gauzy material, a matching tank top to wear under it, and a belt made of gold looking twisted hoops to finish off the outfit.

We made it back in time for me to put my stuff away and get ready for the concert. Mike was onstage when I made it to the greenroom. I stuffed myself on finger foods because I hadn't had anything to eat all day, and then made it to the stage just in time to go on. Everything seemed to be rushed. I noticed that I was starting to feel a little light headed, but assumed it was from lack of food and that I would be fine once I had a chance to digest everything. By the time I was half way through my set, I knew something was wrong. I had to take my heels off because I was afraid I would fall over.

When Edward came out to sing with me, he could tell something was off right away. Somehow we made it through the performance without a problem, but as soon as I made it off the stage I felt like someone had stuck me in the ear with an ice pick.

I grabbed the side of my head and winced in pain. Edward was on stage singing, but he noticed as I fell to the ground holding my head. Garrett was off dealing with a creepy fan issue, so he wasn't there with me. A couple of the back stage crew ran over to see if I was alright. Edward grabbed Demetri's guitar and put it on so he could play and told Demetri to make sure I was alright. Demetri rushed over to where I was laying and wiped the tears from my eyes. He picked me up and carried me back to the greenroom.

"Bella, what happened? Are you alright?"

"My ear. It feels like someone is stabbing me and I'm really dizzy."

One of the stage crew said, "It sounds like an ear infection. My daughter gets them all the time. You should probably go get it checked out."

Demetri looked at his watch and frowned. "I'm sure all the doctor's offices are closed right now. Do you think you'll be able to wait until tomorrow?"

I didn't answer; I just winced as another jolt of pain shot through my head.

The stage hand spoke up, "There's a 24 hour health clinic a few miles from here."

Demetri looked me in the eyes. "Bella, do you want me to take you to the clinic?"

I shook my head. "No, you need to get back on stage. It's open 24 hours. We can go when the show is over. I'll just stay right here and wait."

Demetri made sure I had water and asked the stage guy to grab him if I got worse before he headed back on stage. When Edward came off stage, he ran to the back to check on me. Demetri was filling him in on my symptoms as they entered the room. Edward asked the stage guy to find Garrett and let him know what was going on. Edward popped back on stage and did the encore by himself.

Peter and Garrett got to the greenroom just as Edward came back. They talked among themselves and decided I needed to get to the clinic. Even though we all said he didn't have to, Edward insisted that he go with me.

Edward, Peter, Garrett, and I got to the clinic a little after 1:00 in the morning. The place was pretty dead. There were a few people waiting, but Edward insisted we be seen right away. Lucky for him, the receptionist was a big fan and was able to pull a few strings to get us put in a room rather than have to wait with the rest of the people.

I had to wait almost 30 minutes before the doctor came in to see me. Garrett and Peter were busy trying to calm Edward down, while I was trying to keep still and not cry. You could tell that Edward was not accustomed to having to wait on anything.

The doctor checked me over and looked in my ear. Yes, it was a nasty ear infection. He said it was fairly common. Children get them all the time. He wrote me a prescription for antibiotics and made me promise to take them for ten days. He was just about to leave when Edward stopped him. He made a big deal about us being in the middle of a busy concert tour and not having ten days to wait for the infection to go away before I had to get back on stage and perform in front of thousands of people who paid good money for tickets to the show. The doctor tried to argue that there was nothing he could do, but Edward wouldn't accept "no" for an answer.

Finally the doctor gave in. He gave me a shot of some heavy-duty antibiotics, to give me a head start, and told me to take the antibiotic in pill form for ten days. He wrote me a prescription for pain, one for nausea, and one for sleeping pills. I didn't think I needed any of those, but I took the prescriptions and shoved them in my purse anyway.

The shot that he gave me knocked me out, so I slept like a log all night long and half the following day. It was almost 3:00 pm when I finally woke up. I was feeling much better, but my balance was still a little off. Edward had somehow gotten my prescriptions filled for me while I was sleeping. I took my pills and got dressed for the auction. Edward couldn't believe I was still going to go through with it. I told him that I had promised I would do it, bought a dress specifically for the occasion, and I was feeling better, so I was going to the auction.

Garrett and I arrived at the hotel and were escorted to a small room. I was given a sheet of paper to fill out about myself. It was just asking general information, like my name, age, profession, what I was most famous for and some things of interest about me. I had to ask what they meant by things of interest. They said it was some things that I was comfortable talking about with a stranger, like hobbies, favorite TV show, or places I've traveled.

When I finished filling out the paper, I was given a wrist band with a number on it and a "thank you" basket filled with great stuff, like makeup, a digital camera, some lotion, a bottle of perfume, a travel bag for jewelry, a pair of nice sunglasses and gift certificates for spa treatments, shoes, and a gift certificate for a haircut.

While I was waiting for them to call my number, I started talking to a guy that was sitting next to me. He was a basketball player for the Denver Nuggets. We compared basket contents. His was filled with stuff to detail his car with and a certificate for a round of golf rather than spa treatments.

According to the lineup, he was going to be the last one auctioned off. I was going right before him. We waited while they auctioned off the rest of the people. Finally a woman came to retrieve us. She said that we were going to be next. As we followed the lady down the hall to the ballroom where the auction was taking place, the basketball player wished me luck. We came in the room behind a screen, so no one could see us.

The auctioneer said, "Next up on our auction block is item 14512. This 21 year old female musician was born and raised in Washington State. She has never been outside of the continental US. She enjoys nature walks, meeting new people and cooking. She is most famous for her saucy lyrics and breathtaking stage presence. Ladies and gentleman, I give you… Bella Swan."

I walked out on the stage and was surprised to see hundreds of people sitting at tables around the huge room. Everyone was clapping as I walked on stage. It was definitely a different feeling than walking out on stage to sing. For some reason, this felt more like standing up in front of a firing squad.

The auctioneer started the bid off at $500. People were holding up little signs with numbers on them as the auctioneer went wild calling out dollar values. "I have 600, 700, 800, 900… Do I have 1000? The man in blue bids 1100, 1200 up front…"

It just kept going and going. Soon we were at $1800. Two guys in the front of the room were bidding back and forth. Finally one guy gave up so the auctioneer said, "Okay, we have 1800 to the man on the end. Anyone else? Very well then, $1800 going once…. $1,800 going twice…"

Suddenly a voice at the back of the room called out, "Ten thousand dollars!"

I heard gasps from the crowd as they all turned around to see who bid such a large amount. The bright lights shining in my face kept me from being able to see that far back.

The auctioneer said, "We have a bid for $10,000. Do you have a number, sir?" He wrote a note down on his paper and said, "Very well, $10,000 going once…. $10,000 going twice… Sold to the gentleman at the back of the room. You may come up here and collect your dinner companion."

A/N: I don't know about you, but I'm glad Bella is feeling a little better. If you've ever had a nasty ear infection, you know just how painful those things can be.

I am going to try to keep it short this time. I was only able to reply to about half of the reviews I received last week, so if I missed you, I apologize right now. I did have good intentions of replying to everyone and I did read them all. As I explained before, the reviews are sent to the blackberry that my work provides me. I can not reply to them using the blackberry, so I have to wait until I am at home and can get on my real computer. Unfortunately, I don't spend much time at home. I have things going on almost every night. I am trying though.

Ok, I really have to run. My family is waiting on me. They are headed to the car, so I'm going to post this really quickly and run out the door. See you next week, I hope.