StandardDisclaimer – IdonotownTwilightoranyofthecharactersfromthestory.Allsongselectionshavebeenprovidedbymyamazingbeta,NoWayWithWords.Sheisthegreatest!ShehassetupaYouTubeplaylistthatincludesthesongschosenforthechapters.Ifyouwouldliketocheckitout,seemyprofileforthelink
***NOTICE – IAMPOSTINGANOUTTAKEFROMEDWARD'SPOINTOFVIEWRIGHTAFTERIPOSTTHISCHAPTERSOYOUCANSEEWHAT'SGOINGONINHISHEADBEFOREYOUBLASTMEWITHHATEMAIL.***
The song for the chapter is "So Long, So Long" by Dashboard Confessional.
Chapter17 – AllGoodThings…
Our next stop was Memphis. We took a tour of Graceland and saw a show. Edward made fun of me when I bought more souvenirs. He said that I was filling up the bottom of the bus with so much stuff that they weren't going to have enough room for everyone's luggage. I just smacked him on the arm and told him to shut up.
We visited another children's hospital and did a press conference while we were there. It went well. Edward talked a lot about the charities he was raising money for, so people didn't ask much about our personal relationship. One reporter did ask Edward if it was true that he bought dinner with me in a charity auction. He just smiled at me and said it was the best investment he had ever made. I felt my heart swell with love for him. He really knew how to make a woman feel appreciated.
Before the concert in Memphis, Edward had a private doctor come look at my ears. I had been really careful to make sure I wore ear plugs when we were performing, to reduce the irritation caused by the amplifiers. It was hard to get used to at first because with the ear plugs in, I could hear my own voice really loud and I sounded funny to myself, but if it prevented me from doing permanent damage to my hearing, it would be worth it.
The doctor said the infection appeared to be gone and my ears were healing nicely. I was relived. He told me that I should continue wearing the ear plugs while performing to prevent future flare ups. I told him that I would definitely do that.
The concert went well. Edward and I snuck off for some private time in a dressing room back stage, before the after party. On our way out of the dressing room, we ran into Marcus and Heidi. They were looking for some private time as well, so they took the room we had just vacated. I kind of felt weird knowing what they were doing in there and knowing that they knew what we had just been doing in the same room, but Edward didn't seem bothered by it.
The after party was fun. Some women from one of Edward's many fan clubs were there. They weren't like most of the stalker fans that Edward had. They were actually really nice women. They were trying to raise money for the local charities that Edward was supporting, so Edward signed some stuff for them to auction off. They asked me if I would do the same thing, so I did.
The drive to Chicago seemed to take forever. For some reason, we hit a bunch of road construction and had to take a few detours. By the time we got there, we had to rush to make it to a press dinner that we were both scheduled to attend. The dinner was actually really good. They served steaks, asparagus, and au gratin potatoes. For dessert, we had chocolate mousse. It was mouthwatering.
The reporters asked more questions about me than they did Edward. It was kind of nice being in the spotlight and not just on the sidelines, for a change. I answered all the questions with a smile. Every now and then, someone would ask Edward a question and he would answer, but the rest of the time, he just focused on me and smiled.
We didn't have much time to do anything in Chicago. We had two concerts scheduled and Edward had a meeting with the board of directors for something I knew nothing about. I slipped out and did a little shopping for Rosalie and Alice. They had a very specific list of things they wanted me to get. I also loaded up on food for the bus.
Garrett insisted that we get pizza from a specific restaurant, so we picked up several and brought them back to the bus. When we got there, Glenn said that Aro was in the other bus doing laundry and Edward and Peter had not returned yet. We tried to wait, but the pizza smelled so good, that we decided to go ahead and eat. Aro arrived when we were dishing out the slices, so he got some while it was hot. Edward and Peter showed up just as we were cleaning up our mess. There was plenty left to eat and it was still warm, so they weren't upset.
Both concerts were standing room only. Mike's group sold a bunch of CDs after they finished their set. He and his band members even slipped out to sign autographs while the stage was being set up for me to go on. I told the roadies to take their time because Mike still had a bunch of people waiting for autographs. I didn't want to come on stage and make people abandon Mike and rush back to their seats to see me. He deserved the time to be in the spotlight a little too.
It was like this for both shows. Edward and I both did really well, but Mike's group got a lot of attention. We were happy for him. He and the guys worked really hard and deserved all the attention they could get.
The only person that wasn't happy for them was Jane. Gianna told us that Jane was still refusing to talk to Mike. She had been angry with him ever since Dallas, when he ran off with Glenn's daughter, Jessica. Gianna said that Jane was acting like a spoiled child. I pretty much assumed that was how she always acted, so I wasn't surprised.
Edward pulled Jane aside after the second concert, and had a talk with her about the way she was treating Mike. I don't know what he said, but she was furious when she stomped out of the dressing room and she didn't show up at the after party. None of us really cared if she was there or not. We had a better time without her.
Columbus, Ohio was our next stop. It was the only stop where Edward didn't have any charity stuff to do. We arrived on Tuesday morning and spent the day wandering around the city. Edward took me out to dinner and to see a play that night. We slept in the next morning. When we got up, Glenn insisted everyone help clean the bus.
He pulled up to a place and handled the nasty process of emptying the tanks that held toilet and shower waste, while we all cleaned our bunks and loaded all of the sheets, blankets, and pillowcases into a rental car. Garrett and I took them to the laundry mat. While we were there, Garrett called Kate and I called Rosalie.
She told me that everything was going well. She asked about my ears. I told her what the last doctor had said. She was relieved. She told me that she was actually really enjoying acting as my manager. She had done some research and talked to some people about how she was doing, since neither of us really knew anything about the music business. She said she found out that she wasn't doing everything that she should, so she was now dedicated to working harder for me. I was glad to hear it, but honestly had no idea what else she could be doing for me. Rather than waste time letting her explain it to me, I changed the subject and asked about Emmett.
Twenty minutes later, I was finally able to get her off the phone so I could call Jasper. He was happy to hear from me. He told me that our record sales were going through the roof. He was extremely happy that our merchandise, like concert t-shirts, press photos, and posters, were selling really well too. He and Rosalie had been talking about adding a red silk scarf with my name embroidered on it to the list of items to be considered when I do my little independent tour. They had already found a supplier who could do it. They just needed an okay from me. I thought it sounded like a good idea. He only had a few weeks to get them in, so I didn't know if he would have enough time or not, but he said he thought he could pull it off.
By the time I got off the phone with Jasper, the blankets were finishing up. I was glad that the machines were efficient enough that we didn't have to dry the blankets multiple times. We were able to just pull them out and fold them, and made it back to the bus with plenty of time to spare.
I was impressed that the bus was so clean when we got back. Someone had taken the time to clean both bathrooms. They even got the toothpaste speckles off of the mirror. The kitchenette was sparkling clean. The food was restocked, and the bus smelled clean and fresh. The bus was parked in a little RV park. The guys had pulled the barbeque pit out from under the bus and were grilling burgers while they sat around in their lawn chairs and listened to the radio. Garrett and I grabbed a couple chairs and joined them.
We had a relaxing afternoon. As the sun started to set, we cleaned up our mess, put away the chairs, and had to get ready for the concert. I had been so relaxed all day, it was kind of hard to work up enough excitement for the show, but I managed. When it was over, I was wide awake. I stayed at the after party, dancing and having a good time, until Edward looked like he was ready to fall asleep. Once I announced that Edward and I were going to call it a night, everyone else seemed to do the same. Within fifteen minutes, we were all loaded on the bus and sound asleep.
From Columbus, we headed to Atlanta, Georgia. That was another long drive. We drove all day, and then slept all night once we got there. It was raining in Atlanta when we woke up the next morning. It wasn't like the light rain you see all the time in Seattle, this was a downpour. There were bright flashes of lightning and loud claps of thunder. It was coming down so hard you could barely see out of the windows of the bus.
It rained like that the entire day and most of the night, so we stayed on the bus and entertained ourselves. The next day, it cleared up just enough for a taxi to take Edward, Peter, Garrett, and I to a charity event held at the children's museum that lasted well into the evening. It had started raining hard again when we were getting ready to leave, and someone said something about roads flooding, so Edward got us a hotel room nearby. Peter and Garrett were in the room across the hall from us.
I could say that the rain kept us up all night long, but that would be a lie. Edward's stamina was the reason for the bags under my eyes the following morning. That man sure knew how to work my body. I was pleasantly achy all over and had to take a nap that afternoon before the concert. Thankfully the weather cleared up an hour before the concert, so we didn't have to worry about power outages and technical problems.
From Atlanta, we headed down to Orlando, Florida. We were all excited about this trip. We were scheduled to spend 7 days in Orlando. We were all staying in a hotel inside Disney World. It was great. Edward and I spent the first two days walking hand in hand around Epcot and Animal Kingdom. He would wrap me in his arms and kiss me every time we stopped somewhere. He was being incredibly affectionate. He didn't care if people were taking our pictures or not. Older couples that were not familiar with our music thought we were on our honeymoon. They even commented on what a cute couple we were and wished us a long happy marriage. Edward didn't bother correcting them. He just smiled and thanked them.
He was the same way when we visited the Universal Studios parks. Of course, we had several charity events scheduled, and he was on his best behavior when we attended those together, but as soon as we left, he was all over me again. We had two concerts scheduled and they went smoothly. Over all, we had a blast. Of course I bought TONS of stuff and took TONS of pictures. Edward and I also signed TONS of autographs and had our pictures taken with TONS of fans. It was a tiny bit annoying, but well worth every minute of it.
On our last full day at in Orlando, Garrett and I went to the Magic Kingdom while Edward and Peter went somewhere with Marcus and Aro. I was signing a few autographs in front of Cinderella's Castle when a little girl named Lucia pushed through the crowd and gave me a hug. I picked her up and she told me that I was pretty. She looked like she might have been about three years old. She was the cutest little girl I have ever seen. Her eyes sparkled when she smiled. She was there with a group of kids that looked nothing alike. An old African-American man made it through the crowd to retrieve the girl.
"Lucia! You can't run off like that. You have to stay with us." He looked up at me and smiled, "I'm sorry, ma'am. My name is Clarence Johnson." He smiled and shook my hand. "Lucia is new to the family. She doesn't get out much. I hope she didn't cause any problems."
"She's no problem at all. She's beautiful. Is she your granddaughter?"
"Oh, no," the man said, "She's one of my foster kids. We have seven of them right now. She just came to us last month. She is a sweet little thing, but with six others, it's hard to keep track."
"Wow, it must be expensive to bring them all to Disney World like this. Do you live nearby?"
"Yes, we live on the other side of town. Our church group took up a collection and paid for the tickets, so we could bring the kids. The oldest is 10 and Lucia is the youngest. She just turned three a few months ago. We are blessed that we have the ability to provide for these kids when their parents can't."
"What happened to her parents, if you don't mind me asking?"
"According to the courts, her father was an illegal immigrant from Cuba who was killed in a gang shooting. Her mother is in prison for prostitution and dealing drugs. They put her with us until they find some family to place her with."
"What happens if they can't find her a family? Will you have to keep her until her mom gets out of jail?"
"No, her mother is going to be there for several years because this is her fourth offense. The courts will either get her mother to sign over her rights and put her up for adoption, or she will be moved from foster family to foster family until her mom gets out. For her sake, I hope her mom signs the papers and lets her have a new family. She is a great little girl. She doesn't need to grow up with a doped up hooker as a role model."
My heart went out to this little girl. The old man took her from my arms and gave her a hug. Before he left, I gave him my phone number and asked him if he would let me know how things were going with her. He gave me a smile and told me he would. I don't know what possessed me to do it and honestly didn't expect him to, but it felt good to do it anyway.
Along with the fun stuff, charity events, and concerts, Edward and I managed to appear on two TV shows. The TV shows were interesting. The lights were bright and we had to have someone put make-up on us, so we didn't look like we were dead. I really liked it. We also did one morning show circuit at a radio station. I had done this before, except by phone, so it was nothing new to me. It was hard to get Edward to wake up though. He was definitely not used to getting up so early. What was worse was that we had to show up at the radio station in person. I am sure that we both looked like shit, but no one complained.
The drive from Orlando to Richmond, Virginia felt like the longest drive known to man. We drove all day, stopped so Glenn and the other drivers could sleep, and then drove some more the next day. Edward and I spent two days hitting all the tourist places in Washington DC. Just like in Orlando, he was incredibly sweet and affectionate. The only time he wasn't holding my hand or giving me soft kisses was when we had dinner at the White House on the night before our concert.
I'm not one that follows politics, so I kind of felt uncomfortable talking to the President and the First Lady. Edward had no problems, though. This was not his first time to the White House, but it was his first time with the current President. I sat back and let them do the talking. After dinner, the First Lady sat with me and asked me about where we had been on tour. I told her about the places we had been and the people we had met along the way. She was very easy to talk to. I found that I liked her very much.
The concert was held outdoors. I don't even know how many people were there, but it looked like a lot. The weather was nice, so it turned out better than I expected. People brought blankets and lawn chairs. It was like a huge picnic. They had tons of security guards there, so I told Garrett that I would like to get off stage and see the people. He wasn't excited about it, but he coordinated it with the other security personnel and arranged that I could do it. I waited until my third song and walked down the steps, flanked by security guards, and wandered through the crowd. I let people in the audience sing along with me and shook hands. It was great. As I made my way back on stage, I could see Peter watching from the stairs. I knew Edward must have sent him to make sure I was going to be alright. He gave me a wink and headed back to Edward when he was sure I was safely on stage.
After the show, we all loaded up and boarded the bus for the trip to New York. We drove through the night and arrived in New York City early the next morning. It didn't hit me until I woke up and got dressed that this would be our last stop before we all went our separate ways. Mike and his band were planning on heading back to Texas to see Jessica. Edward, Marcus, Aro, and everyone else would be heading to Europe for a few months. Nate and the rest of Jasper's house band were going to be meeting me in New York, so we could do a few more concerts on our way back to Seattle.
Before I could get myself depressed about our pending separation, Glenn loudly announced our arrival and told everyone to get up. There was a flurry of activity around the bus as people got up and got ready. I busied myself by making omelets while people took showers and got dressed for the day. Glenn was barking orders for everyone to pack up the things in their bunks and strip the sheets and blankets off their beds. We would be checking into a hotel for two nights, so Glenn wanted everything off the bus that wasn't going back to LA, because he was going to be leaving once we finished checking into the hotel.
I finished the last omelet and told Aro it was his turn to do the dishes. Glenn had opened the storage area at the bottom of the bus so people could get to their suitcases. I went outside and grabbed my bags so I could fill them with the clothes and electronics I had brought with me. When I came back on the bus, Edward had already packed all of his stuff. He was pulling my clothes out of the closet so I could put them in my luggage. I had more clothes than I did when I left Seattle, so it was tough getting it to all fit in my luggage.
I stuffed all of my electronics and shower supplies in my duffle bag, along with my pillow, and started hauling my stuff off the bus. I was carrying my blanket, because I couldn't get it to go in the bag. Glenn pulled a piece of twine from under the bus and tied it around my blanket, so it would be easier to carry. He was consolidating all of my souvenirs into one of the plastic tubs we had been using to hold extra food supplies.
"Thanks, Glenn. I guess I'll send the tub back to you when I get all this stuff home," I told him as he put the lid on it and carried it over to sit with my other bags.
"Don't worry about it, Bella. We won't be needing it for a while. If we need one later, I'm sure the boss will just send someone down to Wal-Mart to pick one up."
"Are you heading back to Texas from here?"
"Yup. I'm heading out today. Mike and the guys are playing the concert and have a few gigs booked at some local bars here. When they are done, they are flying down to Texas. Jessica has already spoken to the bar down in Corpus Christi where they played before. She has them booked for a week. They will be flying back to LA when they are done."
"You be careful on the road by yourself, Glenn."
"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. How are you getting home from here?"
"I have another band coming to pick me up in a couple of days. We are going to play a few gigs on our way back to Seattle."
"Sounds good. You take care of yourself, Bella."
"I will." I gave him a hug and kissed his cheek while he blushed.
A limo and a large van pulled up. We loaded our luggage into the van and all piled into the limo for the drive to the hotel. We were staying in a posh hotel. The lobby was very elegant and the doorman was really nice. Edward checked everyone in and brought tags for us to put on our bags to make sure they ended up in the correct rooms. We all hovered around the van tagging our luggage as the bell hop pulled it out of the van. Once everything was unloaded, Edward tipped the driver of the van and hailed a taxi.
"Come on, Bella. I'm taking you out to buy a new dress and then we are going out to dinner."
"But…"
"No buts. I'm not taking no for an answer." He held the back door to the taxi open and climbed in after me while Peter climbed in front seat. Garrett stayed behind to make sure the luggage was handled.
I thought the stores in Las Vegas were expensive… they had nothing on the stores in New York City. I couldn't believe how much money they wanted for something that was just plain ugly. Edward made me try on everything. We laughed at some of the ridiculous outfits but he made me try them on anyway.
He ended up buying me a wrap dress that was the color of eggplant, some shoes and a purse that were the same color, and some ivory-colored faux pearl earrings and a necklace. With my new outfit over his shoulder, he led me to a shop where he picked up a new suit and some shoes. From there, we took a taxi back to the hotel to get dressed for dinner.
It was almost 7:30 pm when we arrived at the restaurant without Peter or Garrett. I was surprised that they let us go alone, but they did. A snotty looking man was standing at the door turning his nose up to people that walked by. He spotted us heading toward him and nodded his head.
"Mr. Cullen, it's good to see you again."
"Thank you. It's good to be back."
He led us to a little table at the back of the restaurant. It was incredibly romantic.
Edward's eyes seemed to sparkle with the flickering candle light. He held my hand while he talked to me about how much money we were able to raise for all of the charities. He liked being able to help others, especially children. He didn't have any charity events to attend in New York, but half of his profit from the concert was going to Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital.
The waiter came and brought us our food, which was utterly mouthwatering. Edward laughed as I moaned and rolled my eyes with pleasure with each bite. "Oh my God, Edward, this is the best thing I have ever tasted in my life."
"I can tell." He gave me a wink. "I hope I will have a chance to make you react like that later tonight."
I smiled. "I don't know. It's going to be stiff competition."
He gave me a sexy smirk and said, "Would you like me to show you exactly how stiff?"
Before I could respond, the waiter was back to refill our wine glasses. The rest of the evening was spent playfully flirting with each other. When we finally left the restaurant, we were both so worked up that we practically attacked each other in the cab on the way back to the hotel.
While I was unlocking our room, Edward knocked on Peter and Garrett's door to let them know that we were back. Peter gave me a knowing wink and told Edward he would talk to him in the morning. In three long strides, Edward was in our room and had me pinned to the inside of the door. He was fiercely passionate as he kissed me and worked at getting my dress off. His jacket and tie were on the floor and his shirt was completely unbuttoned when he finally stepped back so he could pull the dress off. His mouth dropped open as he took in the lingerie that I had on underneath.
"Bella, you look beautiful! Where did you get that?"
"I picked it up in New Orleans. Do you like it?"
I turned around so he could see the entire thing. I was wearing a light dusty pink push up bra with ivory lace on the edges of the cups, and a little bow in the front. A wide band of the sheer ivory lace hung from the bottom of the bra along with some thin strands of ivory pearls at random lengths (fake, of course). The dusty pink thong had the same wide band of ivory lace and strands of pearls around the waist, making it look almost like a little skirt. The front was decorated with a tiny dusty rose colored bow. I was also wearing a pair of ivory colored thigh high hose with lace tops and dusty rose colored bows on the front of each thigh. Each bow had a tiny pearl in the center.
"If I'd known you had this, I would have made you wear it every night that we stayed in a hotel. I would have loved to watch you walk around in only this. I would have spent hours showing you just how much I appreciated you wearing it for me."
I stood up on my tip toes and placed a soft kiss on his lips, "Well then, why don't you stop telling me about it and start showing me."
Without saying a word, he stepped back slightly so he could get a better view. His eyes were locked on mine as he caressed my cheek with the back of his fingers. He placed a soft kiss on my cheek as his fingers slid along my jaw line and down my neck to my shoulders. His lips followed everywhere his fingers traveled, placing soft kisses, licks, nips, and nibbles along the way.
He caressed and kissed his way from my shoulder to my fingertips then switched hands and worked back up the other arm. When he reached the opposite side of my neck from where he started, he stepped around behind me and worked his way down my spine. He slowly sunk to his knees as he kissed his way down my back in a move that was so smooth I didn't even notice it happening.
I felt him kiss along the top edge of the lace as his hands turned me slowly so that I was facing him. He kissed the bows on the front of each thigh and on the front of my panties before kissing his way up my stomach as he rose to his feet. He kissed the bow on my bra as he cupped my breasts, teasing my nipples with his thumbs.
I arched forward into his touch. "Mmm…That feels good."
He kissed up my chest to my neck and whispered, "Shhhh. No talking."
He picked me up gently and carried me to the bed, placing me on my back near the edge, so my legs were hanging off. He leaned over me and kissed me passionately as his hands slipped beneath my back to unclasp my bra. As he stood back up, he slid the bra off of my arms and folded it as if it were something to be treasured before placing it on the corner of the bed.
He lifted my left foot from the floor, removed my shoe, and placed soft kisses on the tips of each toe before placing my foot on his shoulder and picking up my other foot to repeat the process. His hands slid up the front of my legs, from my ankles to the tops of my stockings. His fingertips followed the lace of the stockings, around the outside of my thighs, all the way to the back. His hand slid up the bare skin of the back of my thighs, and gave my ass a little squeeze, as he lifted me gently and continued sliding his hands up underneath me until he could reach the lace at the waist of my panties. He slowly slid the panties down, over my bottom, so he could slide them down and off my legs, taking time to lovingly caress my skin along the way. Once he had them off, he folded them and placed them with my bra.
His eyes were blazing with pure unadulterated lust as he stood at the foot of the bed looking down at me. "I have never seen anything sexier than you, lying on my bed, wearing nothing but stockings and pearls. You're every man's fantasy, Bella."
He turned his head and placed a kiss on the inside of my ankle, as he slid my feet over his shoulders. He kissed his way up the inside of my leg as he sunk to his knees on the floor beside the bed. When he reached his destination, I could no longer be quiet. My hands were buried in his hair as I writhed at the mercy of his talented tongue.
I lost all track of time and lost count of how many orgasms he gave me before he even had his first one. I think he had three, but I wasn't sure if it were possible for guys to have that many, so I could be wrong. All I know is that I could see the sun shining behind the curtains of the hotel room as I finally rolled over and fell asleep.
I was rudely startled out of the comfort of my slumber by the ringing of the phone in my room. I glanced at the clock as I reached for the phone. It was 2:17 pm.
"Hello?" I mumbled.
"You can't tell me you're still in bed! Get your lazy ass up!" It was Nate. "The guys and I just got into New York City. We're staying in a dump on the outskirts of town. We just got settled in, so I was going to swing by and pick up all you luggage and shit before I take the bus to the storage lot for the night. Do you have your shit together?"
"Yes. I just have to get a few things out of my bags for the concert tonight. When will you be here?"
"Maybe 20 minutes, or so."
"Ok. That should give me enough time to take a quick shower and get dressed."
"Great, you do that. They are just begging for an excuse to tow this bus, so please try to hurry up. I really don't want to explain to Jasper why I had to pay a parking ticket or some stupid fines."
"No problem. See you, Nate."
"See you, Bells."
I hung up the phone and rolled over to find the bed empty. When I looked around, I noticed Edward's luggage was also gone. Edward left a note on the bathroom sink, by my toothbrush.
Bella,
Marcus, Aro, and I went to ship everyone's luggage to London. I don't trust the airlines not to rummage through my things. Last time I had to check my bags on a plane my toothbrush ended up on ebay. I don't know how long it will take to ship everything, so I'm taking my carry-on with me. I'll see you at the stadium.
Edward
I looked at myself in the mirror. I was still wearing the stockings and pearls but my make-up was smeared and my hair was a disaster. How I managed to keep the stockings from coming off in my sleep, I will never know.
I carefully removed everything and climbed into the shower. The hot water helped work the stiffness out of my muscles from the previous night's activities. It felt so good that I hated to get out of the shower. I would have stayed in a lot longer if it weren't for Nate and the other band members coming to get my things.
Glancing at the clock, I realized that I had spent much longer in the shower than I intended, so I quickly threw on some clothes for the day and dug my red dress out of my garment bag. I found my shoes, makeup and everything else I needed to get ready for the concert. I switched stuff around in my luggage, so I could fit everything I would need for the night in my duffle bag. I even kept out a pretty nightgown, since this would be my last night with Edward for a while.
I searched all over and couldn't find the bra and panties I had worn the night before. I finally gave up, assuming Edward had picked them up. I didn't mind. That way he would have something of mine while we were apart. It would have to do until he finished is European tour and could come back to me.
I was brushing my wet hair and contemplating how difficult it would be to get a passport so I could fly overseas and visit him, when I heard a knock at the door.
I ran and opened it, "Nate!" I gave him a hug. "Come on in."
Nate came in followed by a tall older man with a scraggily beard, overgrown salt and pepper hair, and a beer belly. "Bella, this is Felix. He's driving the bus for us. Twix, Bree and Riley are waiting down stairs, to make sure no one messes with the bus. Is all this shit yours?"
"Yes, it's all mine. I've already taken everything out of it that I need and put it in this duffle bag. Everything else can be put on the bus. If you can put the smaller suitcase in my bunk, I would appreciate it. It has everything I will need on the bus. I can't believe Jasper convinced Twix to come along."
"Jasper did some serious begging, but it took Alice threatening to give him a complete make-over to convince him that he didn't want to stay behind."
Twix was the sound guy. He was probably in his late twenties or early thirties, but he dressed and acted like he was in his late teens. When he wasn't working for Jasper, he was a DJ at a popular dance club. I never knew his real name. I just knew that he had a great ear for sound, everyone called him Twix, and he hated going places that he was unfamiliar with. He had some kind of fear of getting lost or something. I never really understood it.
Felix stepped out of the room and came back in with a cart to help him carry all the stuff. He must have borrowed it from the bellhop when they came in. Nate and I helped him stack everything on it and push it down stairs.
"So, Bella, are you coming back here after the concert? I mean, do you need to stay with us tonight? There are two beds in Bree's room, so you can bunk with her if you need to."
"No, that won't be necessary. I think the plan is for everyone to stay here tonight. Edward has already paid for the rooms to include tonight."
"That's cool. This is a nicer hotel anyway. This is the only time we're going to be staying at a hotel for the rest of the trip, so enjoy it while you can. We are booked solid. Jasper and Rose did a pretty good job of marketing, so almost every show is sold out."
"That's great!"
"Bree's a little nervous, though. She's afraid that she might forget something. I told her she's being ridiculous, but you know how she is. Jasper has been making us practice a lot, to drill it into our thick skulls, but she's still scared."
Bree could go a little overboard with emotions sometimes. Jasper gave her a job not long after he hired Nate. She was a fantastic bass player, but she was young, so no one took her seriously. From what I understood, her mom was in prison for killing her second husband, who was a drunk. Bree never knew her real father, and had no other living relatives. She had just graduated from high school when her mom was put in jail, so the courts didn't feel the need to put her in foster care. She worked a few minimum wage jobs and couldn't pay the bills, so she ended up on the streets at the age of eighteen.
Riley found her sleeping in an alley in Seattle and felt sorry for her. He found out she could play and brought her to Jasper, who listened to her play and hired her right there on the spot. He let her help him with filing and general paper work, while he helped her fine tune her skills a little. Once he was happy with her, he started letting her play in the band. She did well enough that Jasper let her play on my CD.
Riley was an ex-junkie who spent two years cleaning up in jail. He was also really young. From what I understood, he was arrested when he was eighteen and got out on his twentieth birthday. His probation officer knew Jasper from some community work they had done together, so he asked Jasper if he would mind helping Riley find a job. Jasper was impressed with Riley's skills on lead guitar, so he kept him around. He had been working for Jasper for a couple years before he brought Bree in.
I always thought that Bree and Riley looked so cute together. I could tell that Bree had a crush on Riley, but he avoided spending any time alone with her. I asked him about it once and he told me that she was too young. He was 23 and she was 19. He didn't want to date a teenager. I wondered how he would feel after she turned 20.
Just as I was pondering that thought, Twix, Bree, and Riley came knocking on my door. I gave them each a hug.
Riley said, "We got everything loaded up, and Felix headed out with the bus, so we figured we would come up here and see how you're doing."
Bree was giddy with excitement, "How has the tour been, so far? Anything crazy happen yet? You and Edward Cullen are all over the tabloids. Is he as hot in person as he is in pictures?"
I laughed, "Hotter!"
"I wish I could meet him," Bree said dreamily.
"Hey, I can see if I can get five extra tickets, if you want to see the show."
Nate said, "You may want to make that four. Felix doesn't like loud music and I'm pretty sure he won't want to leave the bus unattended."
"Ok, let me make a call, really quick."
I picked up the phone and called Garrett. Instead of answering the phone, he just stepped across the hall and knocked on my door. I introduced him to everyone and asked him if we had enough spare tickets for them to see the show. He said we did, if they didn't mind sitting with Caius. I told him that I didn't expect it to be a problem at all. He picked up his phone and made the necessary arrangements while they talked excitedly among themselves.
Garrett checked his watch and asked if I was ready for dinner. As soon as he asked, my stomach started to growl. I hadn't eaten anything all day. I was surprised to see that it was already 6 pm. We had all been sitting around talking for so long that I didn't notice the time. Mike was supposed to go on stage at 8 pm, so we needed to eat something quickly.
We all walked down the street to a little pizzeria for dinner. It was completely different than the pizza I had in Chicago. Honestly, I couldn't tell you which one I liked better. After I stuffed myself on pizza, Garrett and I headed back to the hotel, so I could get ready for the concert, while everyone else hung out at the restaurant.
It took me longer than usual to get ready. I felt like I was completely disorganized. I couldn't seem to get my act together. Garrett kept checking his watch and reminding me that New York City traffic was horrible, so we needed to leave early. That just made me even more nervous, so I bumbled some more.
It was 8 pm by the time we climbed into taxi and headed for the stadium. The taxi driver took some back roads to avoid some of the traffic, but he couldn't miss it all. Garrett and I just made it back stage when someone announced that I was to go on in two minutes. I had just enough time to check my hair and make-up one more time before the music started and I walked out on stage to perform.
I saw my band mates sitting in the front row, with Caius. They all seemed to be having a good time. I may have hammed it up a little for my friends a little, but the crowd seemed to like it, so I guess it wasn't too bad.
I thought Bree was going to pass out when Edward came out on stage with me. We did the same routine we had been doing the entire tour. Nate laughed, Bree drooled, Riley blushed, and Twix was too busy flirting with the girls around him to notice. It was great!
After I was finished, I went back stage and said goodbye to Mike, Eric, and Tyler. They were not planning on staying for the after party. They were heading straight to the airport. Mike said Jessica was going to pick them up. He was excited that he was going to get to spend more time with her. We all wished each other luck and exchanged contact information before they left. I hadn't gotten really close to them, but it was still sad to see them go.
Garrett came by and told me that there were going to be some reporters at the after party. He suggested I freshen up my hair and make-up because he knew they would be taking pictures. I was glad that he had thought to grab my makeup bag before we left the hotel, because I really did look like crap.
Edward came off stage just as I was finishing up in the dressing room. He was sweaty but still looking incredible. He took off his sweaty shirt, used a wet washcloth to clean up the sweaty areas, applied some fresh deodorant and cologne, then put on a clean shirt and was ready to go.
"I'm jealous. I don't get to change clothes." I said with a playful pout.
He pulled me in for a kiss. "Don't worry. I'll help you change later."
Garrett and Peter were waiting outside the dressing room. They led us to a bar across the street from the stadium. The entire place had been reserved for the party. There were several varieties of food available on beautifully decorated table in the corners of the room. The bartenders were working at lightning speed, making drinks for everyone. There must have been at least 100 people in the bar.
Quite a few of the people mingling around were celebrities that I recognized, and friends of theirs that I didn't know. There were some reporters and photographers. I even saw a few politicians. Whoever set up the party also provided a number of police officers to work as security. They were talking to Peter through a headset. Peter would then relay information to Garrett.
A waitress delivered our drinks when Caius, Twix, Nate, Bree, and Riley came through the door. Garrett had added them to the guest list when he arranged for their tickets. I introduced them to Edward and his band. In no time at all, Marcus, Aro, and Demetri were in deep conversation with my friends. Edward hung around for a few minutes then told me that we needed to mingle.
I took his lead and excused myself from the table, so I could wander around the room and talk to people. Edward kept me close to his side, but spoke to different people than I did. Everyone was really quite friendly. Most of the photographers asked before they took my picture. Even some celebrities asked if they could have their picture taken with me. It really made me feel good.
I had plenty to drink, but was careful not to get drunk. I didn't want to take a chance of doing something stupid or saying something I shouldn't. Edward seemed to be doing the same thing. I noticed that he was alternating between drinking alcohol and water, so I started followed his lead.
The party seemed to last forever. No one was willing to go home. I was dead on my feet. Finally I managed to corner Edward alone to ask him how much later we were going to stay. He told me we would leave in ten minutes, so I went my own way and mingled some more. Ten minutes ended up turning into an hour. I was sitting at a table with Garrett and Peter when Edward finally came over and asked if we were ready to leave. I was so tired that I was starting to get cranky so my response was, "Duh!"
We slipped out of the bar and piled into a taxi for the ride back to the hotel. Garret sat up front, so I was sandwiched between Peter and Edward in the back seat. Edward put his arm around me as we pulled away from the curb. I slept all the way to the hotel. I briefly woke up to walk through the lobby, but just barely. I fell asleep in the elevator, so Edward carried me to the room. I awoke again as Edward was undressing me and putting me in the bed. I snuggled up under the blankets and felt him kiss my forehead before I passed out for the night and slept like a rock.
The phone started ringing at 10 am. It was the front desk. "Ms. Swan, this is the front desk. We were asked to give you a wakeup call at 10 am. Check out is at 11 am. If you find that you need additional time, please let us know."
I mumbled a thank you and rolled over to tell Edward that it was time to get up, but he wasn't there. His side of the bed looked like it had never been slept in. I was a bit confused and disoriented. I looked around the room to see if maybe he fell asleep in the chair or something, but he was nowhere to be seen. There was no trace of him in the room at all. He was gone. I felt my stomach lurch and ran to the bathroom to throw up.
With shaky hands, I reached for my toothbrush and found his note.
Bella,
Sorry I couldn't stay. I had to get to the airport, but I wanted to say thanks for joining me on this leg of my tour. I enjoyed performing with you. Maybe we'll do it again someday. Good luck with the rest of your shows.
Edward
A/N:Iknow… Youdon'twantthischaptertoendlikethis.IpromisethatthisisNOThowthestoryends.Wearen'tevenhalfwaythroughtheentirestoryyet,sopleasebepatient.Therewillbearoughpatch,butit'snotalldoomandgloom.Trustme.
Now, a lot of you were wondering what is going on in Edward's head, so I wrote a small outtake from his point of view. I'm going to post it now, so go check it out…