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Chapter 8 – Get Set
"We better get started," Edward addressed me, "I'm sure once Ms. Brandon gets her claws in you we won't have time to talk before we need to leave today."
Edward walked over to his door and indicated I should enter his office. I stepped inside and sat in the chair I had occupied earlier. He sat behind his desk.
"So," he started, "I wanted to give you some information about tonight's event...."
EPOV
Sitting across from Bella, I took the time to look at her as if I were seeing her for the first time, the way my associates would look at her tonight. I was pleased. Though my decision to ask her to work as my escort had been almost spur of the moment, I was honest enough to admit that I wouldn't have bothered had she been the least bit unacceptable.
Her candor and fortitude had impressed me during our first meeting. The way she held herself during our luncheon and her easy interaction with my staff further reinforced my belief that she would make an ideal date. My mind briefly wandered back to my first glimpse of Bella. The fact that she was cute, in a wholesome, girl-next-door kind of way, certainly helped. Better yet, earlier today, when I finally had time to sit down with Mrs. Cope under the guise of needing more information for a meeting, I learned that she, too, was impressed with Bella. Shelly Cope's recommendation went a long way in my book. She had served as my grandfather's Executive Assistant for almost 25 years before I inherited her along with my current position. She was an impeccable judge of character and honest to a fault.
She'd hated Tanya.
"The cocktail party tonight is small, about 200 people, all from in-house. That means no celebrities or photographers, except for those who work for Cullen Enterprises. We're celebrating moving into the top 10 on the Fortune 500 list. Most of the board members will be there, as well as higher-level executives. Since this is a celebration, employees were encouraged to bring their wives or significant other, and most are. This is why I was in need of your attendance."
"And what am I, Edward?" she wanted to know.
"I suppose 'date' will be sufficient for now, should anyone be bold enough to ask. It's unlikely you'll be accosted tonight by anyone more sinister than my brother."
"Your brother?"
"Yes." I stood up and walked over to the bookshelf where I had a few family photos and beckoned for her to follow.
"This is my brother," I told her, showing her a picture of Emmett and me that had been taken right before his bachelor party. "He's the VP of Marketing here at CE. I'm sure you'll see him around the office at some point."
Crossing the room, I grabbed the photo of Emmett and Rosalie's wedding.
"This is his wife, Rosalie, and they have a newborn son, EJ; stands for Emmett Junior. This guy, here," I indicated the tall, blond man standing next to me in the picture, "is our friend, Jasper Whitlock. Emmett and I have known Jasper forever. We grew up in the same neighborhood and attended the same college. He's the VP of Finance and Admin Services. His fiancée, Charlotte, isn't coming tonight, but I believe Rosalie is, so you'll get a chance to meet her before the Gala next weekend."
"Who are they?" Bella asked pointing to the picture of my parents taken on their 25th wedding anniversary.
"Those are my parents, Esme and Carlisle. They aren't attending the party tonight. My dad chose medicine over business. You'll definitely meet them at the Gala, as my mother runs it as a fundraiser for the hospital where my dad is Chief of Surgery."
Bella nodded thoughtfully as we returned to our chairs.
"Bella, only a few people know that you are one of my employees. I've given it some thought and would prefer to keep it that way. As I explained over lunch yesterday I'm not in the position, right now, to cultivate a personal relationship. However, as Jasper pointed out to me yesterday, if it is general knowledge that I'm single, I'm apt to be pursued. I'd prefer to avoid that. My original intention, when hiring you, was to introduce you as a contractor working with Cullen Enterprises. However, if you have no objections, I'll be more vague; obviously they'll know that you work here, but I'll not define our exact relationship. People will draw their own conclusions."
She looked at me for a moment and I could see a flicker of something in her eyes.
"Edward, do you have any sisters?"
Huh?
"No, no sisters."
She nodded.
"So, you haven't been privy to much 'girl talk'?"
I chucked. "No, there hasn't been much 'girl talk' in my life."
She nodded again. "Women and men are very different – " she began.
"I'm aware of the differences between men and women, Bella," I interrupted, not sure where she was going with this.
"I'm sure you are," she laughed, "but if you think that your associates' wives and girlfriends will be satisfied with our relationship being 'undefined,' then you are woefully uneducated in the ways of women. Unless our relationship is 'defined,' speculation will run wild. However, that is completely up to you. Since tonight's party is all in-house there probably won't be any problems."
I wasn't surprised by how quickly she analyzed our upcoming appearance. I already knew she was intelligent, but was amazed by her conclusion.
"So, what you're saying is that unless we appear to be involved in a serious relationship, women will continue to pursue me?"
She laughed again.
"Edward, you could be married with six kids and women would still pursue you – you're rich, powerful and good looking – but a defined relationship will at least give you a good excuse when you turn them down."
Good looking, eh?
"Okay, Bella, what do you suggest?"
"Well, as I said, tonight probably won't be a problem. You say everyone is from in-house and few women have the courage to pursue the boss openly. Since we'll be appearing in public together more and more often as the holidays approach, I suggest a slow progression: business acquaintances at first, then friends, then… something more. People will assume what they wish about the exact nature of our relationship, you're right about that. But if it plays out in public, when you tell women you're not interested, there will be evidence of a relationship. Like I said before, that won't stop women from pursuing you, but you'll have some credibility when you turn them down."
"So, you're saying that we'll need to put some effort into lying about our relationship so I can maintain my credibility?" The irony wasn't lost on me. The idea of lying so that I'd seem sincere was… disconcerting.
"Yes."
"I'm not much of an actor."
"But you are a salesman. The plaque outside says 'CEO,' but you spend your days selling Cullen Enterprises to everyone you meet. If you want my presence to be any kind of deterrent you need to sell our relationship."
I was stunned. I've been in the business world for almost a decade and had met some major players. Bella's cold calculation and obvious determination left me speechless. I started to rethink my earlier assumption--maybe I wouldn't want to meet her across the negotiation tables.
I nodded curtly. "Okay. Well, since tonight we're only attending this party as business associates, I suppose my sales' skills won't be put to the test."
My intercom buzzed. "Mr. Cullen, Ms. Brandon is here for Ms. Swan."
"Thank you, Mrs. Cope. Please send her in."
I glanced at Bella but she was staring out the window. When she sensed my eyes on her, she turned to look at me. The determined look had left her face and she seemed almost nervous.
"I'm sure Ms. Brandon will keep you occupied for the rest of the afternoon. We need to be at the party at six."
She nodded and stood as my office door opened. Ms. Brandon walked in carrying a garment bag and dragging what appeared to be a steamer trunk on wheels behind her? What in the world…?
"Good afternoon, Mr. Cullen, Ms. Swan," she said bobbing her head and barely glancing at me before turning to Bella.
"Ms. Brandon," I replied, also nodding. "We'll need to leave here no later than 5:30. I'd appreciate a few minutes in my dressing room before…."
Ms. Brandon cut me off. "Not possible today, Mr. Cullen. I'm sorry. We barely have enough time as it is. I'll bring your things out and leave them in the bathroom for you."
With that, she looked at Bella and jerked her head towards my dressing room, indicating that Bella should precede her, before she followed and closed the door behind them.
What just happened here? I was tempted to go outside and read the plaque on the wall just to make sure that this was, indeed, my office. I shook my head slowly. I had a feeling that I had made a grave mistake introducing Bella to Ms. Brandon.
- - - - -
BPOV
"Okay," Alice started, "you know the routine already…."
"Strip?" I asked.
She grinned at me in response.
I slowly started removing my clothing while Alice busied herself hanging up the garment bag she was carrying and opening the trunk she had dragged in with her. I started folding my blouse when Alice stopped me.
"Cha, cha, cha…" she gently rebuked me. Grabbing a hanger from Edward's clothes rack, she hung up my blouse before grabbing my pants and folding them over a pant hanger. She placed both back on the clothes rack.
"Undies today, too, I'm afraid," she continued.
"What?"
"You can't wear the granny panty and beige bra combo under your dress, Bella. I bought you something a little more fitting for tonight. A benefit of dressing well is a well-stocked lingerie drawer. Here, these are for you." She tossed me a pink bag she pulled from her trunk.
"To preserve your modesty, I'm going to pull Mr. Cullen's outfit and bring it out to him," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Change into the new underwear and then slip this on." She held out a short, silky red robe.
Alice moved back to Edward's clothes rack and pulled a suit from the bar. Unzipping the garment bag, she held the suit up against the dress there and then returned the suit to the rack. Grabbing a different suit, which looked to be the same color as the one she just put back, she pulled a shirt from the next rack and socks and a tie from a low drawer. I was able to get a quick look in the drawer and saw dozens of ties, all rolled into loose spirals. Each was tucked into its own little plastic compartment. I wondered who had the OCD–Edward or Alice.
She quickly compared her chosen tie to the dress in the bag, grabbed a pair of shoes and zipped to the door.
"Hurry up, Bella," she reminded me before pulling open the door and leaving the dressing room. She closed the door firmly behind her.
I opened the bag and froze when I took in the contents. A black strapless bra and tiny black bikini bottoms greeted me. Also in the bag were black thigh-high hose. I pulled the set out. Each piece was so tiny, I felt almost scandalized. I considered rebelling, but realized it would only take Alice a few minutes at most to hang Edward's outfit in the bathroom. I was sure that if I were not in the bra and panties before she got back, Alice would insist I put them on in front of her.
Making quick work of the tags on the new items, I shed my underwear and pulled the panties up my legs. I was surprised by how comfortable they felt. I had just barely clasped the strapless bra behind me when the dressing room door opened. I lunged for the robe Alice had placed on the table in the dressing room and threw it over my shoulders before adjusting myself in the bra.
When I turned to face Alice she was shaking her head minutely. "It's just me," she said.
I hadn't even considered the fact that it could have been Edward opening the door. Just the thought of me struggling into my new bra while Edward stood there caused me to blush deeply.
"Your face is all red," Alice commented. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," I mumbled.
"I'll get you some ice water. I can't do your makeup with your face flaming like that. Sit there," she pointed to a low chair pulled close to the table, "and I'll be right back."
Alice left the dressing room again and I sat down. Turning to the trunk, I gazed at the contents. One side was crammed full of makeup and applicators. The other seemed to hold brushes and hair accessories. Before I could get a close look, Alice returned with a tall glass of ice water. Putting it down on a coaster, she looked at me.
"Drink!" she commanded.
I took a sip and felt the icy liquid cool my still-warm face.
"Is something wrong, Bella?" she inquired gently.
I sighed and decided to be honest.
"I've never been to a cocktail party before, Alice. I'm worried that I'll make a fool of myself or, worse yet, Edward. This job could change my life, I'm afraid of screwing it up."
As I spoke, Alice's expression changed from one of concern to one of understanding.
"If that's all that's got you worried, Bella, I can offer you some advice. I'll talk while I pull your hair up."
Alice moved behind me and rummaged through the trunk pulling out brushes, bobby pins and a silver, rhinestone encrusted comb. She laid everything on the table in front of me before taking a brush to my hair.
"Being a success at a cocktail party requires that you define your goals before going. Tonight should be easy. Mr. Cullen told me that this is an in-house party. You're not looking to network; none of these people will be a potential employer. What would you say your goal is for tonight?"
"To not fall on my face."
Alice let out a small laugh. "I think you can shoot higher than that."
"To not fall on my face and not embarrass Edward."
"Bella, everyone at tonight's event works for Edward. Even if you were to stand on the table and do the Macarena, no one would comment for fear of pissing off the boss. Try to have a little fun."
"Should that be my goal? Have a little fun?"
"Having fun is always a goal," she replied with a smile, "but I think tonight your main goal should be to get to know the people who are important to Mr. Cullen's business."
I thought about that and how that goal would relate to mine and Edward's plan of cultivating a budding "relationship." A good first step would be to become familiar with the people who work for him, as well as his brother, Emmett, and friend, Jasper.
I nodded. "I can do that," I said with conviction.
"Hold still," Alice ordered. She had been pulling the brush through my hair and now laid it on the table. Grabbing the box of bobby pins, she handed it to me.
"Give me these one at a time as I ask for them."
"Since you'll be with the host, you'll have the chance to meet almost everyone there. Always look people in the eye when you're introduced and offer a firm handshake. Most men won't offer to shake your hand unless you reach out first, so don't be shy. Also, when you are introduced to someone, take a few seconds to memorize their name; people are flattered when you remember their names."
Alice held her hand over my shoulder and I handed her a bobby pin.
"Small talk is usually good, but follow Edward's lead. If he gets into a serious business discussion with someone, look interested, but keep out of it. Since there will be spouses there, don't hesitate to engage the wives in conversations about topics not relating to their husband's work."
I tried to nod, but Alice had a firm grip on my hair.
"Hold still," she reminded me as she held her hand out for another bobby pin.
"You mean like movies and music?" I was nervous again. I hadn't seen a movie in over a year and my taste in music was hardly mainstream.
"Sure! The important thing to remember is to not talk about yourself. Ask everyone questions. People love to talk about themselves!"
Alice continued to offer me advice while she pinned up my hair. I listened and quickly got the gist of her advice. I might be able to do this after all!
I had continued sipping my ice water and my face had finally returned to its usual pale tone. Alice walked around me and held out a mirror. "Here," she said, handing it to me. "What do you think?" I stood up and walked over to the large three way mirror. Holding the hand mirror behind me, I took in the elegant French Twist. All my hair was swept off my face and secured in the back. It looked quite sophisticated.
"Alice, it's lovely," I told her.
She smiled at me. "I'm glad you like it." She grabbed the silver comb off the table and inserted it into the Twist. "This will look terrific with your dress." She looked at the watch on her wrist.
"Damn," she swore softly, "you have so much hair! That took longer than I expected."
"What time is it?" I inquired.
"Four o'clock. That only leaves us 90 minutes for your makeup and dress."
Alice led me back to the chair. I realized that she was about to sit me back down to start my makeup, but I had a more pressing need.
"Alice, that water went right through me. Can I get dressed first so I can use the bathroom?"
She looked appalled. "Bella, that dress will go on exactly three minutes before you walk out that door and not a second before! The bathroom is just on the other side of the office, hurry up. It's not like you have to walk down the hallway or something."
"I can't go out there!" I exclaimed. "Edward is sitting at his desk."
"So?" She seemed confused.
"I'm only wearing a bathrobe," I explained gripping the bottom of the robe tightly and holding it up a bit.
"Bella, that robe covers more of you than the dress you'll be going out in tonight. We don't have time for arguments. Just go and come right back." With that she turned to the trunk and started pulling out jars of various colored powders.
Realizing the only way I'd be able to sit for another hour and a half was if I used the bathroom, I made up my mind. Walking resolutely to the door, I opened it and stepped out into Edward's office.
"Ms. Brandon, could you–"
Edward had started speaking before looking up. When his gaze fell on me, I offered him a shy half smile. He quickly rose to his feet and I remembered the old-fashioned gesture from our lunch together.
"Bella, I'm sorry, I thought you were Ms. Brandon."
"That's okay. I just need to…." I trailed off and pointed towards the bathroom.
"Oh," he said, "certainly."
I walked quickly across his office and entered the open bathroom. Turning, I closed the door and locked it behind me, but not before getting a glimpse of Edward's face still turned towards me.
After using the bathroom and washing my hands, I opened the door. My eyes went right to Edward's desk, but he was no longer there. I crossed his office quickly and reentered the dressing room. Alice was sitting on the table, her legs swinging freely.
"Ready?" she asked.
"Yep."
Alice draped a small towel around my neck and began dipping an applicator into one of the pots on the table. While she worked, she offered me advice about eating at the cocktail party. After demonstrating the most convenient way to hold a plate while eating and walking, she asked me about alcohol.
"I'm not much of a drinker," I explained.
"Stick to wine, then," she recommended. "And no more than two glasses. The last thing you need is to become too relaxed at what is really a business event."
I nodded once, quickly.
"Okay," she said, "we're just about done here." She looked at her watch one more time. "I'm going to check to make sure Mr. Cullen doesn't need anything before coming back to help you into your dress. Here," she handed me a small black clutch, "put your lipstick in here." I took the purse as she walked out of the room. After dropping the tube into the purse, I sat back down and ran over Alice's advice in my mind.
A few minutes later, Alice walked back in.
"Pull your stockings on while I get your dress."
I took the thigh-highs out of the pink bag and carefully maneuvered my legs into them. When I was done, I stood up. I took off the robe and Alice held the dress for me. Gingerly, I stepped into the silver and black creation, making sure not to snag my hose on the zipper. Alice pulled the dress up and settled it on my shoulders. I turned to face the mirror as she zipped it closed.
"Well, what do you think?"
I stared at my reflection, barely recognizing myself.
"Alice, it's just…."
"I know! Right? You look fabulous!"
Alice grabbed a box from the bottom of the garment bag and held it out to me.
"These shoes will just be the icing on the cake."
I took the shoes and opened the box with some trepidation. I was somewhat relieved to see that the heel wasn't too high. Tiny rhinestones dotted the black straps that crossed over the top. Slipping them on, I sighed in relief. They were surprisingly comfortable for a dress shoe.
Alice handed me a wide, silver bangle and my clutch.
"When you get back tonight, put the bangle in the purse, and the purse and the shoes into the bottom of the garment bag. Leave the comb on the table. Hang the dress up before you put your clothes back on. I'll pick it all up tomorrow sometime. Keep the lipstick; it's a good color for you."
"Thank you."
Alice opened the dressing room door and stepped into Edward's office. I followed her.
Edward was standing to the side of his desk watching the sun set through the huge window. I couldn't help but notice how nice he looked in the dressier suit. He turned and his eyes fell on me immediately.
"Doesn't she look great, Mr. Cullen?" Alice asked.
"I knew I could count on you, Ms. Brandon," he answered, not taking his eyes off me.
He approached the two of us. Reaching out, he took my hand and raised it to his lips before kissing my knuckles lightly.
"You look lovely, Bella."
"Thank you," I replied dropping my hand as he released it.
"I'll be by tomorrow to pick everything up," Alice told Edward.
"I'll see you then," he replied.
"Goodbye, Ms. Swan," Alice said with a wink and a grin.
"Good night, Ms. Brandon," I replied returning the grin.
Alice walked out of the office. Edward walked to the couch in the middle of the room and retrieved what I assumed to be my wrap. He returned to my side and held it open for me. I turned my back and he slid the heavy material over my shoulders.
"Shall we?" He offered me his arm. I smiled as I slid my hand through his arm and rested it lightly in the crook of his elbow. We exited his office and walked through reception. The elevator was already waiting for us. Edward hesitated to allow me to enter the lift first. He held my right hand in his as I stepped over the threshold. He stepped quickly in behind me and pressed the button for the lobby. We shared an amiable silence on the ride down.
When we reached the lobby, he again offered me his hand as I stepped out of the lift. His confidence in the social niceties made it easy for me to accept his superfluous assistance with grace.
"Right this way." He guided me to the doors and onto the sidewalk in front of the building. I glanced up and down the street but didn't see his Volvo.
"Are we taking a cab?" I asked.
"No," he replied, pulling a set of keys from his pocket and pressing the unlock button.
The locks on the car right in front of us popped up. I stared at the obviously expensive car before asking, "What kind of car is this?"
"It's a Vanquish," he answered, before reaching down to open the door.
"I don't speak Car & Driver."
He grinned at me.
"An Aston Martin," he replied. I nodded. I'd heard of that.
He offered me his hand again, as Demitri had yesterday when he had helped me into Edward's Volvo. Once again, I took his proffered hand and slid into the low seat. Edward closed the door and walked around the car. Getting in, he started the car and pulled out into traffic.
- - - - -
FF netters – the Twilighted folk are kicking your collective butts in the review department. Just sayin' ;) Hope you liked this chapter. Next up is the party FINALLY. I know, I know. I really thought that their first outing was going to be chapter 4, not chapter 9. I'd tell you that I only have one chappie planned between the tonight and the Gala next weekend, but WTF do I know? I was five chapters off on the cocktail party.
I've been golden in replying to reviews. I have every intention of continuing the trend. One reviewer made a prediction and she and I had a lovely little PM powwow. It was fun! Of course, the fact that her prediction was correct helped.
Twilighted folk – any Twilighted veterans out there? The first chapter of this story on ff dot net includes a prologue that IS NOT on Twilighted. I have no idea how to add it. Can someone tell me how? 10Q veddy much.
I have oodles of recommendations, BTW, and will share without provocation. Emacipation Proclamation. Read it. MafiaPrinceWard, 'nuff said. What Happens at Charlie's Wedding. Only read this one on laundry day as you're going to need many changes of panties. It's a Bella/Carlisle fic (for now, anyway), for cryin' out loud. No one beats the canon drum harder than me, but.... Ah, who am I kidding? I read a -- wait for it -- Esme/Edward one shot the other day. AWESOME, if you can tamper down the feelings of incest long enough to appreciate it. It's called Taking Chances.