Prompt: cap

Your reviews have been so insightful, and honest! Thank you! No one is perfect, especially Edward, but he's trying to do the right thing, at least in his mind.

Back to BPOV

"Bella, dear!" She says as if this isn't the seventieth time she's called in the past two days.

"Hello, again Mrs. Whitlock. Did you need something else?"

"No, no. Well, yes." She titters. Doesn't laugh, oh no, Alice Whitlock is a titterer all the way. She's probably demurely covering her mouth with the tips of her fingers, too. The thought makes me smile; she's beginning to grow on me. "You see, and I wasn't made aware of this up until a few moments ago, but we simply cannot have a casino themed benefit."

There's no way to mask my concern. "Mrs. Whitlock—"

"Alice."

"Alice. I've already put a request in for invitations, which at this point we'll be lucky to have by Friday and that will give your guests less than a week to respond. A day if they go by mail. The benefit is in twelve days and the caterers need final numbers," I now say as gently and cautiously as I can muster, remembering that while Alice is insane she is my client. "May I ask why you no longer want to go with a casino theme?"

"Oh, Bella. I'm such a simpleton. Mr. Whitlock reminded me that his cousin has a gambling problem." She whispers that last part. "And it would be insensitive to expect her to enjoy herself while surrounded by temptation. Poor old girl just can't help herself. I…I don't know what I was thinking. Is there any way at all you can still make my benefit fabulous?"

"No other changes? Golf beforehand, silent auction after dinner, music, dancing?"

"Yes. All of that stays." She sighs heavily through the phone. "What are we going to do?" she cries, ice clinking against glass in the background. "People are expecting something wonderful, Bella!"

I rub circles around my temple, conceding to the loss of sleep over the next twelve days. "What do you have in mind?"

At 3:00 I call Garrett on his new cell, which he loves. He's home from school most likely stuffing his face with the banana bread Shelly brought over yesterday before doing homework so that he can go out to dinner with his dad.

On Saturday, Sam brought Garrett home by 7, just like I asked. He forgot the scrapbook, not surprising, but came back for it. Very surprising. I don't know what transpired between him and Garrett, but something clicked inside Sam. I could see it in his face; that plastic expression of his softened even if by a little bit. Sam switched flights with another pilot so he could spend an extra couple of days here with Garrett, something he's never done.

I tell Garrett I love him, ask him about his day and that I'm working late but will be home before he will. He says he loves me back and he'll bring a dessert home for me.

The Professor is so happy, and I'm glad, I really am because he deserves to be. But I'm still waiting for the moment Sam messes up again.

Angie's leg is curled underneath her, the other bouncing while we brainstorm. Alice wants something fun that will be talked about forever. She said this benefit should set an unreachable bar for all future riding club parties. Because, you know, I have time to put something spectacular together.

I put a cap on her expectations. A risky move considering the amount of money this job is bringing in, but it's my name and if the party falls flat because I couldn't pull it off I don't want to spend however long it will take to build up my reputation again. Luckily, Alice can be flexible.

"Circus," Angie says.

"What? No."

"She wants fun."

"I know."

"Circuses are fun."

"Twelve days," I remind her.

"Okay. Hm. Why doesn't she want to incorporate the riding aspect at all? It would make sense."

"Yeah, it would but Alice thinks that would be too boring."

Angie scoops her hair into a ponytail then pushes her glasses up to rest atop her head. "She needs to approve by 5:00?"

"Yep. That gives us an hour. Oh, man, Angie. This is going to be a disaster."

"Have a little faith. We're smart, resourceful women."

I smirk. "Sure, we are. Okay, let's think." Everything is just so lame. The casino idea was lame too, but at least it was an idea. And doable.

A cup of coffee and a bag of peanuts later, I start thinking about Angie's circus suggestion. "What about the circus, Ang?"

"I said that."

"No, I know. I mean, not one that'd be for kids, right? Something sophisticated and mysterious."

"Right…oooh! Like Cirque du Soleil?"

"Yes, exactly!"

I call Alice and she loves it. Angie and I shoot ideas back and forth and hop on the phone to secure performers then I touch base with the venue about their decorating restrictions. My office is utter chaos.

Unfortunately, there aren't many acrobats or fire breathers in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area to choose from, so I call Alice to approve an increase—the best performers aren't cheap. She says, "Of course, Bella, dear! Whatever it takes!"

"It's a go," I say. "Mrs. Alice Whitlock is willing to shell out a Mint if she has to."

"Hypnotic Bubble Breaker Lady?" Edward asks, poking his head around the door, and my stomach drops. "Hey, Ang. Bella, can I talk to you for a sec?"

I look to Angie for help. But she has no idea, obviously, and stands to leave.

"We're super busy, Edward. Can it wait?"

"Not really," he says.

I haven't spoken to Edward other than an awkwardly brief hello this morning. What, with all the time spent on the phone with Alice over the past two days? Regardless, I wasn't planning to seek him out anyway. I just couldn't, especially after Saturday's fiasco. It was awful. I slipped through the aisles for fear of being seen by Leah, like I was some sort of villain.

I hate this.

I want him to quit this job and get out of my life. I want him to be with me.

"Sure," I say and Angie scoots out of my office.

Edward shuts the door. "Hi."

"Hi."

"You okay?" he asks, sitting in the chair Angie has just vacated, and I nod. "Your hands are shaking."

I look down, and they are. "So it seems." I shove them under my thighs. "What did you want to talk about?"

He shifts, his eyes focusing on something on the floor as he picks at his thumb nail. "I'm guessing you wouldn't want to go for a walk, would you?"

"I don't think that'd be a good idea."

"Yeah, me either. It's just this really isn't a appropriate place."

I laugh. "Nothing is appropriate in this situation, Edward. What is it?"

"Straight to the point. Okay, ah, Leah accepted a job in New York."

Sitting as still as I can, my hands fist beneath my thighs and I stare down at them, holding back tears. He's leaving. "Huh. Did you give Carmen your notice yet?" My voice cracks.

"No."

"Why not?"

He rolls his chair toward mine and lightly, so very lightly he touches my knees. "Because I can't."

a/n Hang in there...