Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight characters, SM has that honor. I also do not own nor did I write any songs/lyrics/poems that may be used throughout this story. A list of any such things used and their artist/writers will be listed at the end of the chapter they are in. No copyright infringement is intended.

A big huge thank you to all of you who have read and reviewed and added Victoria's Secret to your alerts! It makes me smile every time I see one! You guys are all the best and I hope I continue to keep you coming back for more!

Thank you to my good friend and wonderfully talented beta Lynette (TheUnderStudy) she's amazing and makes me practically pee my pants with laughter!

Come follow me on twitter if you dare: I'm also RobinsFF there! I often take twitter friends as inspiration for people and places in my story! You could be next! Tweet me if you want me to follow you back! ;-)

At the end of chapter 6 Edward has just dropped Bella off at home, and told her that he's taking her out to a black tie affair- THAT NIGHT! Whatever will she do? Where are they going? Let's find out...

Chapter 7

BPOV

"ALICE!" I yell as soon as I open the door to the condo. I rush towards the living room, breathing deep before I yell, "ROSE! I NEED YOUR HELP!"

I am panicking. Edward drove off not three minutes ago and dropped a huge ass bomb on me before he left. Not only is he taking me out tonight, on a date, but this date is to a black tie dinner thing. I literally have nothing to wear for such an event.

"ALICE!"

"Jesus Christ, Bella! No need to bust an ear drum, I'm right here," my pixie sized friend says as she yawns, looking tired as all hell. "Now, what do you need help with?"

"Yeah babe, what's got your panties in twist?" Rosalie pipes in, coming out of her room. She doesn't look much better than Alice as she makes her way to the coffee maker, pouring herself a cup.

Taking a deep breath I quickly tell them about the events of the past couple of hours. I tell them everything, from all the missed calls and messages from Edward, including the rude one, all the way to the kissing in the office and promising Edward I'd get him Victoria's number. I finished by telling them how he says he's taking me out tonight, on a date.

"Oh my God!" they each squeal in unison, linking hands to form a circle as they jump around me excitedly.

So much for them being tired!

"WAIT! I'm not done yet!" I put my hands out to stop the trampoline twins. "He says I have to 'dress to impress' because he's taking me to a black tie affair!" I collapse into a chair and hang my head in my hands.

"That's amazing, Bella!" Alice says as she shoves me over in the chair to sit next to me.

"You don't understand, Alice. I have nothing to wear. I don't own anything formal. What am I going to do?" I look over at her, tears already spilling over. "It's almost four now! He's picking me up at seven! There's no time to shop!"

I'm a sobbing mess as she hands me a tissue and laughs at me. "Bella, dear, did you forget who you're talking to? Hello…," she gently knocks on my head with her tiny fist, "is anyone in there? What is it that I do?"

"Al, I can't ask you to do that! I don't want you to get in trouble for swiping dresses from work!" I really didn't. I hadn't planned on asking Alice to do such a thing, but honestly, I don't see other options right now.

Rose waltzes over, plopping her perfectly shaped ass on top of both Alice and I, sitting on our laps in the small chair. "B, Alice won't have to get anything from work," she glances to Alice, whose face lights up as she quickly nods her head.

"Yeah, Bella! Rose and I actually just finished making a dress." I look between the two of them with a questioning look.

Sighing, Rose gets off my and Alice's laps. "Okay, we'll tell you, but don't laugh at us… or hit us," she adds as an afterthought. Her eyebrows rise, waiting for me to accept her condition.

"Fine, I won't laugh or hit you," I say. "Hard," I whisper to myself.

"I heard that!" Alice says with a smile on her face. I smile back.

"Okay, um, shit. So, Victoria did so well last night. Alice and I both heard talking in the crowd about how Edward was practically salivating over her. How he was set on getting her signed to Vamp Records," she's talking a mile a minute, nervously wringing her fingers. "So, after you went to bed last night, we started talking and had a few more drinks."

"Um… okay, what does this have to do with what I'm going to wear tonight?"

"So…" Alice continues, "We may have had one too many, I'll admit that. And we may have gotten a little overly and prematurely excited. But, we started talking about how Victoria could win a Grammy Award someday, which got us talking about what we'd want to dress her in for the red carpet. So… we kinda started making a dress."

"WHAT? You started making a dress for me to wear on the red carpet at the fucking GRAMMY'S?" I shriek. "It was one damn karaoke contest!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Rose waves her hand around, dismissing my outburst. "The point is, we didn't just start this dress, but we stayed up all night long and finished it. Like Al said, we may have been a little tipsy and overly excited. It's fucking gorgeous though Bella. More importantly, it's designed to fit your body."

I have to take a few minutes to calm down and process this information before I answer. I know their hearts are in the right place, even if it was a crazy thing to do. Not that it matters if they're crazy or not. They've managed to save my ass before they knew it needed saving.

"Guys, I think you're totally crazy for doing such a thing, but at the same time, I'm so fucking grateful for your craziness and getting carried away!" I rush over to hug them. Alice has disappeared, so I embrace Rosalie tightly.

"Close your eyes, Bella!" Alice calls from around the corner. "I want it to be a surprise!"

Huffing a sigh, I reluctantly close my eyes. I hate surprises and these two know that.

A few seconds later I feel hands unbuttoning my shirt.

"What the fuck?" I swipe at the hands. "Why are you trying to get me naked? Shit, Rose, at least buy me dinner first!"

"Oh stop, we both know it takes more than just dinner to get into your pants! Now quit being a baby. Strip to your bra and undies," Rose commands, while laughing at me.

"Fine," I mutter, doing as I'm told.

"Arms up," I hear from Alice.

Seconds later I feel the silky slide of the dress making its way down my body. Even though I can't see it yet, I can tell it's been perfectly shaped to my body, just by the way I feel it clinging to every curve. How Alice manages to do that is beyond me. The girl is really talented with a needle and thread.

The girls tug and pull, twist and tweak until they are satisfied with the way the dress sits on my body.

"Bella, lose the bra," I hear from Rose, it sounds as if she's in front of me.

A few seconds later and I'm free of my bra. My eyes are still shut tight.

"Perfect," Alice chimes. She sounds pleased.

Each girl takes an arm and they lead me away from the kitchen. I'm guessing to Alice's room, but I'm not sure. They spin me around a bit and finally tell me I can open my eyes and look.

As I open my eyes, I realize that we are indeed in Alice's room. I have been placed in front of the floor length mirror on her door. As my gaze wanders over the image in front of me, I am rendered speechless.

The dress in front of me takes my breath away. It's stunning, magnificent, and sexy.

It's Victoria.

I frown at my thought. It doesn't matter who it was made for, it's what I have to wear. There's no time to get anything else, besides, it's fucking beautiful.

The dress is an unusual shade of green, almost a dark teal. I have no clue what the material is, but it has a slight shimmer to it. It's tight around my chest area all the way to my hips, and is slightly gathered over the entire torso. There's a slight drape to the low cut neckline. Very low cut. I smile at the cleavage, as I normally don't have much. At least not without major help from a Miracle Bra.

Hello Ladies!

Seriously, I'm not used to having so much cleavage exposed, at least not as Bella.

I have to tear my eyes away from my chest in order to see the rest of the dress. The skirt flawlessly cascades down to my feet, where I notice it pooling on the floor slightly.

"Alice? Don't you think it's a bit too long?" I ask.

"No silly, you're barefoot. It's hemmed to go with these," she presents me with a pair of silver strappy stiletto heels. Bending down she helps slip them onto my feet.

"Wow. It's gorgeous!" I squeak out.

I can't believe how perfect this dress is! I twirl around a few times, like a little girl in her first fancy dress. It is then that I notice the extremely large slit up the front of my left leg. It goes all the way up to my hip bone. My eyes widen in shock as I take in the newly exposed skin.

"Alice, what is this?" I ask, pointing to the slit and my leg.

"That, my dear friend is your perfectly toned thigh," she sarcastically retorts. "Remember, Bella, this dress was designed with Victoria in mind. Victoria wouldn't mind the slit, and you shouldn't either. It's fucking hot!"

Sighing, I agree with her, "You're right. It's beautiful Alice, Rose. You two are the most amazing and crazy friends a girl could ever have!"

Both my friends hug me tight and place kisses on my cheeks. I make my way to my room to slip the dress off. I need to shower, shave and all that before I put it back on.

Getting my shower ready, I think to myself how lucky I really am. I was so worried about what I'd wear to this thing. Cancelling was just not an option. You don't turn down your boss, who happens to be totally gorgeous, when he asks you to a black tie affair.

Thanks to my girls, I will not only be able to attend with a gorgeous date, but I'll be stunning on his arm. As I get into the shower, I can't help but think about how handsome Edward will look in his tuxedo.

EPOV

Driving away from Isabella was harder to do than it should have been. I run my hand through my disheveled hair and blow out the breath I didn't realize I was holding.

What is that woman doing to me?

I have no clue what happened at the office. All I know is that I want more of it, a lot more of it. A lot more of her.

I can't wait to have her on my arm tonight at the fundraiser. I'm sure she'll be the best looking woman there. More importantly, I can't wait until afterwards. I totally plan to bring her home with me and ravish that beautiful body all night long. If she'll let me.

God, I hope she doesn't feel like she has to fuck me because I'm her boss.

That would totally suck. I want her to want me, for me. Not because she feels obligated to do so for her job.

My thoughts are interrupted as I pull up to the valet stand of the Sorrento Hotel. I've been staying here, in their Music Suite, since I arrived in Seattle. It was a fairly last minute decision for me to come to Washington, and I have yet to find a contractor to fix up my new condo the way I want it.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Cullen," the valet greets me.

"Hello there, Riley," I answer, slipping him a generous tip before I enter the building.

I make my way through the lobby, heading straight for Mr. Jenks, the concierge. "Mr. Cullen! What can I do for you today?" he greets me with a wide smile.

"Well, Mr. Jenks, I need a limousine for tonight, black, stretch, chilled champagne with two glasses. It needs to be here by six thirty," I decisively tell him.

"Yes, Sir Mr. Cullen. I'll have the hotel limo ready and waiting for you! Is there anything else I can do for you, Sir?"

I shake my head no, smile and slip him a tip for his help. I head up to my room to relax for a bit before I have to get ready and meet Isabella.

BPOV

I don't normally enjoy being primped and prodded and treated like a real life Barbie doll, but today was the exception. I am extremely excited for my date with Edward, and I don't think I would be able to do this all alone. Lucky for me though, I have my two best friends in the world helping me.

Alice works on my hair as Rose expertly paints my fingers a pale pink. We've been chatting about the kiss I shared with Edward when I suddenly remembered something!

"Shit! Guys!" I cry out, "I told Edward that you guys know Victoria! And I offered to get her number for him in my kiss induced bliss. What am I going to do? I can't very well give him my number!"

I'm borderline hysterical, which earns me a sharp pinch on the leg from Rose.

"Owww! That hurts!" I scowl at her.

"Stop, Bella, and the chill the fuck out before you mess up your makeup," she tells me. "I have an idea."

My hysteria subsides as she tells me how her and Alice will run to the store this evening and buy a pre-paid phone for me. They'll text me the number so I can give it to Edward before the end of the night is up. These girls are geniuses. I love them so much!

"Now, stand up. It's time to put the dress on."

Once again the gorgeous green gown is slipped carefully over my head. Once it's settled into place and I have my shoes on I turn to look into the mirror.

I gasp at the reflection staring back at me. I feel like a sexy princess, and look like one too. The dress perfectly drapes my body, hugging me in all the right places, showing off my chest and left leg. Rose had slathered me in some sort of special lotion that not only sends the gentle scent of jasmine into my nostrils, but adds a bit of shimmer and luminescence to my skin as well.

My long chestnut brown hair is perfectly curled and coifed. Alice has pulled the top section back and into a jeweled clip, the rest is a cascade of curls resting gently over my shoulders and down my back. My makeup is elegantly understated. A bit of rouge on the cheeks, smoldering eyes and petal pink lips. The only jewelry I wear is a small pair of diamond encrusted hoop earrings. A single tear dropped shaped emerald, framed in more diamonds, dangles from the bottom.

Taking a deep breath I look back at my friends. "You two are amazing!" I choke out; I'm starting to get teary eyed. "I can't thank you enough. For everything, and I mean everything you have done for me lately. I love you so much!"

We all hug for a few moments. I finally pull away and grab a tissue to gently blot away the tears that are still threatening to spill from my eyes. I take one more cleansing breath and square my shoulders. "Okay, I'm ready."

"Not quite yet, Bella, wait right there," Alice tells me and darts off into her room for a few minutes. She comes back with two items in her hand.

The first she drapes around my shoulders. It's a black satin wrap. "You'll need this so you don't freeze your ass off," she says. "And this…"

She hands me a small black evening bag. "This has everything you could possibly need in it. Trust me," she says with a smile and a wink.

I hug her again, and excuse myself for a moment, heading to the bathroom to pee and double check my hair and makeup.

When I come back I can see that the duo has become a trio. Edward had arrived while I was in the restroom. I stop for a second to look at him, before they notice I'm there. He's sitting at the kitchen table with the ladies, sipping on a beer. He's looking mighty fine in his tux, but that's not what I notice the most. He's laughing at something, and I can't help but to watch as his eyes seem to twinkle with his happiness. I smile, hoping that I might be the one who makes him so happy.

Just then, he turns his head, his eyes immediately finding mine. I can visibly see his breath hitch. "Isabella…," he whispers, standing to walk over to me and taking my hands in his.

"Isabella, you are stunning," he says while he kisses my knuckles. "Would you give me the honor of being your escort tonight?"

Holy shit he's smooth. His words shoot straight to my vagina.

"Anything for you, Edward," I breathe, standing on my tip toes and leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. He turns his head into mine at the last second, causing our lips to meet in a quick, chaste kiss.

"Awwww…," I hear from the peanut gallery. I chuckle and pull Edward towards the door, grabbing my wrap and bag on the way.

"Don't wait up!" I call as we walk out the door, shutting the giggles out as we leave.

Edward takes my arm and leads me to the elevator. "You are so beautiful, Isabella. I love that dress," he murmurs into my ear. His lips are barely touching me, yet they are sending delicious shivers down my spine.

"You're not so bad looking yourself, Edward," I smile up at him as we wait for the lift.

The ride down is silent, but pleasant. We hold hands and steal quick glances at each other, trying not to get caught ogling the other.

He's smoking hot. I want to rip that tux off him.

I smile at him again, as he leads me off the elevator and out of the building. There's a shiny black stretch limousine out front. "Your chariot, my lady," he bows slightly and opens the rear door of the limo.

"Why thank you, kind sir," I quip, climbing into the luxurious car. I can't wait to get to where we're going.

EPOV

Isabella is a sight to behold. She is absolutely stunning in her gown, sitting next to me in the limo. I can't help but stare at her exposed leg as she crosses them. How can I not? The slit runs all the way up to her hip. I lick my lips hungrily, while tugging on my bowtie.

"See something you like, Mr. Cullen?" she teases me.

My dick twitches. It seems to do that every time she calls me Mr. Cullen. It stirs up fantasies of a naughty secretary being punished by her boss.

"Oh yeah, I sure do," I lick my lips again, placing my hand gently on her exposed knee. I hear her sigh quietly at the contact. I see her lean her head against the back of the seat and close her eyes. She seems to be breathing deeply.

After a moment, she opens her eyes and looks at me, pure excitement twinkling in her eyes. "So, where are we going? And what are we doing?"

"Well, Isabella, we are going to a fundraiser benefit for Music and Me," I reply.

"Oh! That's the non-profit that helps fund music programs in schools. They raise money so that the school systems don't have to cut music out of the curriculum, right?"

Beautiful and smart, that's my Isabella!

"Yes, it is. I'm impressed that you know that. It's a fairly small and new charity right now, but getting bigger and better each year."

We make some small talk and sip on champagne for the rest of the ride, while Isabella points out a few of her favorite spots along the way. I'm still relatively new to the area, so I appreciate the small tour. Plus, it gives me some ideas of where I can take her I get lucky enough for a second date.

We're at the Edgewater Hotel in no time, and soon we're escorted to our table in the Olympic Ballroom. We're seated at the head table, and have an unobstructed view of not only the small stage, but of the wall of windows that gaze out onto the quiet Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains.

"Edward, why are we at the head table? Is this work related? How could I not know about it? It wasn't on your schedule, was it? Oh God, it was and I totally missed it! " She sounds stressed.

"Relax, babe. It's okay. It wasn't on my schedule, this was last minute," I tell her, gently guiding her to her seat. "And, it's not work related either, this is purely personal."

"Alright, but that doesn't explain why we're at the head table. What's going on?"

Damn, nothing gets by her.

"Well, I guess you'll find out soon enough…," I glance around quickly and bend my head to her ear. "Music and Me was founded about four years ago by my father, Carlisle Cullen. He started it in memory of my mother, who passed away five years ago. She was a concert pianist and was a music teacher at a middle school. Before she passed, she was let go after they lost all of their funding for the music department."

She gracefully dabs away her unshed tears with a crisp, white, linen napkin before she looks over at me and quietly says, "Edward, I am so sorry that you lost your mother. That must have been really hard on you."

"It was," I nod my head in agreement, "But, we have this wonderful charity to remember her by. She'd be so proud." I look around the room and know I'm completely correct in my statement. Mother would be extremely pleased by all that the charity has done for struggling music programs.

"But, enough of the heavy, we're on our first date," I remind her with a waggling of my eyebrows. "Let's relax and have fun."

And that's what we did. We listened as my father gave a moving speech about how much this organization has already given back to the community, and about how much more good it can do. We heard from a couple of scholarship winners from the program. Three had been chosen and given full rides, courtesy of Music and Me, to attend the University here in Seattle and study music. One of them tells us a story about how music had literally saved her life.

After the speeches were done, and dinner had been served, we are treated to the melodious sounds of student bands playing. It never ceases to amaze me how talented these kids are.

I look to my date as she wistfully looks out at the dancers waltzing around the floor. "Isabella, would you care to dance?" I ask, holding my hand out to her, gazing into her beautiful brown eyes.

I see the hesitation flash across her face as she bites gently on her bottom lip. Taking a deep breath she places her hand in mine and stands. Following me to the dance floor, she finally admits, "Edward, I don't really know how to dance."

"Silly girl, I do," I tell her gently, kissing her lightly on the lips. I pull her into my arms and look down at her. "Are you ready? All you have to do is follow my lead."

She nods her head, and I take off, spinning her effortlessly around the room.

Can't dance my ass. She's a natural!

"Isabella, are you sure you don't know how to dance? You're doing extremely well," I whisper into her ear.

"Well, okay. I suppose I do, a little bit. My best friend, Rose, owns a dance studio. Alice and I end up there at least three nights a week. We join in with whatever class she happens to be teaching that night. There may have been a few ballroom classes in there…," she smiles up at me.

I can tell she's having fun. I smile back and bend her over in a dip, crashing my lips to hers as the first song ends.

We dance for a few more songs before we hear my father announce that the silent auction part of the event is now open and eagerly awaiting bids in the room across the hall.

"Come on; let's go see what they have. You can help me pick something out," I tell Isabella.

We make our way to the other room, but not before grabbing another glass of champagne from a passing waiter. I warn her that there are usually some pretty outrageous things to bid on at these things. She chuckles at some of the items as she sees what I mean. There's a week long spa visit for your dog available, and so far that item has the most bids on it.

"I swear, some people treat their pets better than their kids," she whispers to me.

I chuckle back as we move on. There's a boat being auctioned off, as well as a helicopter and a very ostentatious diamond necklace.

That's not ostentatious, that's fucking ugly!

There are a few bids on those items, but I'm not interested. Yeah, I have money, but I don't feel as though I have to flaunt it at every chance I get.

I see several more packages available for spa weekends. I look over the different ones, making sure they're for people and not pets, and pick the one I think is best. I think about what my bid should be. Knowing that Isabella will love it, I place a bid amount substantially higher than the one before mine. I am probably way over bidding, but it's a package for two, and I really want to take Isabella. I write $10,000 next to my name on the next line, and pull Isabella clear across the room before she can see it.

We spend a few more moments looking over the final items. I hear Isabella's sharp intake as we get to the last one.

She has a frown on her face, and a single tear rolls down her soft cheek.

"Baby, what's wrong?" I ask, slipping my arm around her waist and kissing away her lonely tear.

"It's just so sad. It seems that no one gives a shit about the only important item here," she softly says, looking down at the picture for the last item in the room.

I glance down to see what it is and instantly feel my heart swell even more for her. The item is for a simple picnic and concert in the park, to be put together and performed by the music students from a local orphanage. There's not a single bid on the paper.

Silently, she picks up the pen and writes in her name and bids the minimum starting amount of $500. I can't help but smile and kiss her cheek again.

"You are such a special woman, Isabella."

"Edward, you have no idea. I wasn't an orphan or anything, but my mother left when I was a baby. I know what it's like to feel unwanted. I won't let these kids feel like that if I can help it."

I hug her closer, kissing her hair. I want to say something, anything, but at the same time, I know it's not the time to do so. "Come on, let's get out of here. If we win then Dad will call us."

She nods again, and I lead her back to our table so we can gather her items, and wish my father good night.

He hugs us both tightly and thanks us for coming, lingering a bit longer than I feel is necessary with Isabella. There's a hint of something in his expression as he hugs her, but I can't place what it is.

Once we're in the limo, Isabella settles comfortably into my side as we head back in the direction of her place. Her head seems to fit perfectly into my shoulder; she seems content as she lazily draws patterns on my thigh with her finger.

"Edward, I'm not quite ready to go home yet," she tells me quietly. Her fingers pause their ministrations briefly as she looks up at me under her long eyelashes, "Can we go to your place instead?"

My smile grows so wide that it almost hurts my face.

"Of course we can," I can't keep the excitement out of my voice as I roll down the divider glass and tell the driver to head back to the Sorrento instead.

I try my best not to attack her in the limo as thoughts of having her naked and in my bed filter into my brain. But I can't do it. It's only seconds later when I pull my beautiful girl into my lap. "Isabella…," I growl in her ear before I devour her lips, kissing, sucking and licking them every which way I can.

"I can't wait to rip that dress off you," I breathe as I nibble my way down towards her cleavage, my tongue gliding over her sweet skin. My hand makes its way down to her exposed leg, stroking from her knee all the way up to her hip bone.

Her hand continues to stroke my thigh, while her other glides down my chest and around to my back, exploring what she can over my clothing. We continue making out like teenagers after prom until the car pulls up to the hotel entrance.

I kiss her lips once more as the chauffer opens the door. "Are you sure, my lady? It's not too late for me to take you home."

Please be sure, please be sure. I want her so fucking bad.

It pains me to have to ask, but I don't want to pressure her in any way. I won't take advantage of her.

Silently she nudges me out of the open door, taking my hand so I can help her out.

She puts her hand onto the back of my neck, her fingers gently playing with the hair there before she pulls me close, her lips ghost over mine as she smiles. I feel her other hand on the front of my pants, firmly pressing against the length of my hard on. "I am so ready for you, Mr. Cullen. I am so ready for you to fuck the ever living shit out of me," she whispers on my lips, before dropping her hands and breezing past me. I watch as she enters the lobby, leaving me standing alone outside.

Oh. My. God. Why are you still standing there? GO! NOW!

With a sly smile and a shake of my head, I follow my Isabella into the hotel.

A/N

*Running to hide behind Lynette* PLEASE DON'T HATE ME!

You guys KNOW I'm addicted to the cliffy! I can't help myself! I need a support group or a Cliffy Anonymous or something! But just so you all know- not only is Chapter 8 in the capable hands of Ms. Lynette, BUT I've already written chapter 9 as well! So that's something right?

Leave me some review love and I'll send you a teaser of chapter 8! It'll be short, but I promise it'll be good!

I love you all! And I promise to work on the cliffy addiction! But I can't promise anything!

ALSO: A big hug and kiss go to Krazi4TwiSaga for the suggestion for the Black Tie Event! I made up Music and Me, but it's based on the real Save the Music Foundation!

Now- here's a rec for you to check out while waiting for your next chappy from me:

The Breakers by les16: After spending 7 years in prison, Edward gets a new start in the fishing village of Corea, Maine. Can a little girl and her mom, Bella, see beyond his past and can they all find love again...or will the ocean swallow them whole?

I am seriously addicted to this story. I don't want to give anything away by going on- but I honestly sit on the edge of my seat each Sunday until it gets updated! LOL Find it in my favorite stories list!

Also check out The Path We Choose by les16 as well- It's a completed fic about a supermodel Bella and Daddyward and his twin 7 year olds! It'll make you cry though- just a warning! It's on my favorites also!

Until next time! Read, review and pass it on please!

MWAH!

~Robin~