A/N: Thank you all for the awesome reviews… I am glad you are enjoying the story thus far. I hope I do not disappoint. I also hope you keep on enjoying it even though it will go on through the new year…

Chapter 3: To the Lodge for Dinner

"So what do you want to be first?" Edward asked Bella as they were getting ready to meet their friends at the lodge restaurant.

"You mean hopelessly in love, helplessly in lust, or at each other's throats?" Bella smirked. Edward chuckled and nodded. "Let's get their hopes up and be hopelessly in love. Then we can smash their dreams later on."

Her friend let out a laugh at her explanation. "You are devious."

She grinned, "Yep. That's me."

Edward cleared his throat, suddenly making the atmosphere a little more serious. "Bella, you know we will have to use some physical signs, right?"

As Bella heard the words and processed what he said, her face gradually turned red. "Yeah, I guess."

"If you feel uncomfortable, you don't have to do this. I don't want to make you feel awkward."

His friend paused, as if trying to make the decision herself. Finally she responded. "No, I'll be fine. I think their reactions will make up for any awkwardness I may feel."

Edward smiled and held out his hand. "So are you ready for dinner?"

Bella nodded as she took his outstretched hand. Inwardly, she gasped as she felt the tiny flicker of electricity run up her arm. "As ready as I will ever be."

"By the way," Edward included as he reached for the door handle. "You look very lovely tonight, Bella."

Once again, her cheeks turned a lovely shade of red. "Already practicing, are you?"

He shook his head and frowned. "No, I'm serious. You look beautiful."

"Thank you," she whispered, lowering her head. "You don't look half bad yourself."

They really did make a striking pair. Bella was wearing a pair of black leggings that was covered by a sapphire colored satin shirt. It was sleeveless with an empire waistband that hugged her curves in a seductive, yet modest manner.

Edward, on the other hand was dressed in all black. His black button-up shirt was open at the neck, exposing some of his pale skin, while his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows.

Together, observers could think of them only as a handsome couple.

When Edward and Bella exited the room, the four friends were already waiting for them. Each couple was hand-in-hand, and not one eyebrow did not lift at the sight of the two strangers with clasped hands. Not even Alice could have conceived that a relationship would flourish between Bella and Edward within a couple of hours.

Mentally, she patted herself on the back at her matchmaking abilities.

"Are we ready to proceed?" Edward asked of them without commenting on the surprised looks of their friends. He was content in letting them speculate.

As the group of men and women made their way downstairs to the restaurant, Edward made sure that he and Bella were in the front. Bella smirked at him when she realized that his plan was to make sure that their friends saw every loving gesture they made towards each other.

They conversation among them was lighthearted with banter and talk of their plans during their vacation.

"Did you hear they offer sleigh rides?" Alice was practically bouncing as she spoke. "I've always wanted to go on a real horse-pulled sleigh ride."

Bella's musical laugh floated from her mouth, and Edward had no problem faking an admiring glance as she responded to Alice. "I know. For some reason they almost don't seem to exist except in Christmas songs centered on a romantic couple."

"Exactly!" Alice agreed. She turned to Jasper. "Wouldn't you want to enjoy a romantic ride with me?"

Her boyfriend lifted her hand to his lips and gently kissed her knuckles. "Anything you want, love."

Rosalie, never a person for old-fashioned romance, huffed. "Gag me. I would as soon have a whole-day sex session than endure a ride behind animals that take a crap whenever they want to in the freezing cold."

Emmett wiggled his eyebrows. "Is that so? We can do that whenever you like."

His girlfriend rolled her eyes and playfully punched him in his stomach.

"What?" Emmett feigned shock. "You're the one who suggested it!"

With that comment and the laughter on the lips of the friends, the group entered the restaurant and settled down for dinner.

"I need to use the ladies room," Alice announced towards the end of dinner. "Girls, would you like to join me?"

Bella had no doubt that this impromptu trip to the restroom could only meet one thing: Alice and Rose were going to drill her on the sudden relationship between her and Edward. Before she could object to Alice's request, Rose had her hand that was not being held by Edward's and was pulling her out of her chair.

She knew that there was no use in resisting, so she sent an apologetic look to Edward and quickly followed her friends into the bathroom.

Alice pushed the girls into the rather large restroom with its own sitting room and shut the door. After quickly assessing the area to make sure nobody was else in the bathroom, she turned to Bella with her hands on her hips.

"Okay. Spill."

True to Bella fashion, her face quickly flushed as blood rushed to her cheeks. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Rose intervened in the conversation. "Oh no you don't, Bella Swan. You not only come walking out of your room holding hands with Edward Cullen, but you guys make googly eyes at each other throughout dinner. What's going on?"

Bella helplessly shrugged. "Edward and I just… clicked."

Her friends gave each other incredulous looks. "So what? Is it like love at first sight?" Rose asked.

"No," Bella shook her head. "It's definitely not love yet. You know I don't believe in that stuff."

Alice let out a sigh, "Then what exactly are you feeling?"

"I feel as if I'm comfortable with him, like we just fit together. I can't explain it."

Bella knew that what she and Edward were doing was only a game, but as she spoke the words, she was surprised at the truth she felt. She doubted that she would even be comfortable enough to participate in the plan if she didn't feel comfortable around him. They hadn't really discussed themselves, but she knew she wanted to get to know him more. All that she knew of him was that he was an only child and his cousin was Emmett.

"And…?" Alice tried to pry some more information from Bella.

"And what?"

"And do you feel anything physically?" Rose joined in the interrogation.

"Well," Bella looked at her hands. "I feel attracted to him. We haven't exactly kissed yet. But I want to."

Boy did she want to. Every time that they shared a "loving" glance, her heart started pounding so loudly in her chest, she was sure Edward could hear it. And although she was typically not the type of woman to take the initiative with men, she had to fight herself from closing the space between them to kiss his lips.

"Well, go on and do it!" Rose encouraged. "That man obviously wants to as much as you."

Bella only blushed a deeper red.

"Come on," Alice started walking towards the door. "Let's go before they guys get into too much trouble." Just as she reached the door, she turned towards Bella and glared at her. "I expect an update every day, Bella. No exceptions."

With that, she turned dramatically and led the girls back into the restaurant.

The men watched as the women left the table. Once out of earshot, Emmett began the questioning.

"So you tapping that?"

Edward rolled his eyes. "Is that all you think about that?"

His cousin pretended to think for a moment. "Nah. I think about cars, too."

Jasper shook his head slightly while chuckling behind his napkin. Edward could not help but laugh as well.

"Seriously, man. What's going on? I haven't seen you this happy in a while," Emmett asked seriously.

Edward shrugged. "I don't know. I just knew when I saw her that we could have something."

Jasper questioned, "Like love at first sight?"

Emmett snorted. "Oh please, Eddie. Please don't tell me you turned into a sap."

Edward glared at his cousin. "No, not like love at first sight. She's just fascinating. We get along."

"Is that all?" Emmett raised an eyebrow. "Don't you think this happened a little fast? It's not like you."

His cousin mimicked Emmett's expression and looked at both of his friends in the eye. "I thought this is what you guys wanted to happen."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jasper tried to lie.

"Oh come on!" Edward rolled his eyes. "Do you think that Alice just accidentally booked both Bella and me in the same room?"

Emmett and Jasper remained quiet for a moment before the former asked Edward a question again. "But it actually worked?"

His cousin smirked, "It appears to. It's not like we're ready to elope or anything, but we're ready to explore what could come of this."

"Wow," Jasper whispered, surprised that Edward finally stepped out of his shell to attempt a real relationship with a woman.

And for once Emmett was just plain speechless.

Dinner did not last much longer. The six individuals were all tired after the day of traveling. So soon after the bill was paid, the couples separated to go back to their rooms.

"Well, that was interesting," Bella commented as she climbed into bed. As soon as they arrived back at their room, Bella got ready for bed. By time she left the bathroom, Edward already had settled himself on the couch.

"Yeah," her roommate smirked. "I take it that the girls interrogated you in the bathroom?"

Bella chuckled as she settled into her pillow. "Yeah. They wanted to know what was going on."

"The guys did, too."

"Did they seem to believe your story?"

Edward nodded. "Yeah. They were a little incredulous, but it seemed that they believed me."

"Same with the girls."

There was a moment of quiet between the two new friends before Bella spoke out her concern. "Are you sure you are okay on the couch? It looks so uncomfortable."

"This couch is probably one of the most comfortable seats I have ever laid on," Edward comforted Bella's concern. "It's really okay, Bella. Don't worry about it."

"Okay," she conceded but continued before she even thought about offer, "But if you can't sleep, you can always sleep on the other side of the bed. It's rather large."

"Thanks, but I'll be okay."

Once again silence settled in the room. Suddenly, Edward's need to know Bella more overruled his need for sleep.

"What do you do?"

"Hmm?" Bella answered.

"What do you do, like for a career?"

"Oh. I'm a teacher."

"What do you teach?"

"English."

"What grades?"

Instead of getting aggravated at the continuous questions, Bella smiled. "Seventh and eighth."

Edward made a sound that suspiciously sounded like a snort.

"What?" Bella asked.

"How do you manage teaching kids during their most difficult time in growing up?"

She laughed lightly. "I'm extremely patient, but surprisingly tough when it comes to discipline."

This time, it was Edward that laughed. "I can't imagine you being tough."

"I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult," she pouted.

"A compliment, of course," he quickly elaborated on his point. "You seem so sweet that I could see you giving in to somebody just to please them. And I know middle schoolers can definitely try to persuade people to their own way of thinking."

She sighed, "I guess you are right about kids wanting to persuade adults. But I also know that, so it makes it easier for me to not give in." She paused before asking, "What do you do?"

"I'm in med-school."

"Really? Where?"

"Northwestern."

"Is there a specialty you want to pursue?"

"I want to be a surgeon, just like my father."

"Oh. Does he live in Chicago as well?"

There was such a long silence, that Bella almost believed that Edward had fallen asleep. "Edward?" she whispered.

"He passed away five years ago."

"Oh!" she gasped. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I'm used to the questions."

"Do you mind telling me what happened?" Bella leaned up on her elbow on the bed, resting her head in her palm.

Once again, Edward paused before continuing, "Both my father and mother died in a train crash."

"Oh." There was nothing more to say. Bella was afraid that anything she said would bother Edward, and Edward was taken back to his memories.

Soon after, they fell asleep, both dreaming of their most unusual day.