Many thanks to my betas, Kristi and Lisa who make me look like a real writer!

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Chapter 13 – Days in the Life

BPOV

The weekend was uneventful. I quickly adjusted to a more conventional sleeping schedule. I added a daily stop at the public library to my routine to take advantage of the free wifi. I also got a library card and used some of my extra time to catch up on my reading. Although I was itching to delve back into my beloved classics, I decided to pick up a few best sellers so I could discuss them with Edward's colleagues should the opportunity arise. I also picked up some fluff reading. I didn't understand pop culture's current obsession with vampires, but when in Rome….

I was pleasantly surprised to receive a chatty email from Angela on Saturday. She said that Ben mentioned running into me at lunch on Friday. She told me to let her know when I'd be around the office so we could eat together. I sent her a note back telling her I'd be there on Tuesday and hoped we could have lunch then. I was beginning to think that Angela could be a good friend.

On Sunday I went shopping at Macy's. Honestly, I hadn't purchased anything racier than cotton undies from the local supermarket in a few years. It was surprisingly fun trying on the various frilly things. I had listened carefully to Alice's requirements for Tuesday's outfit. I purchased a pale pink bra and panty set and a matching garter belt. Gazing at myself in the mirror, I felt slightly scandalous but had to admit the set looked good on me.

I stood in line at the register feeling like a fraud. I was sure the cashier would cut up the shiny new credit card I was holding tightly in my fist. When the transaction was complete and I signed for the surprisingly expensive lingerie, I sighed in relief. Then, gripping the tiny bag tightly, I scurried through the department to the escalator.

Checking the store directory, I headed for outerwear. Looking for a coat was a little more difficult than finding the underwear Alice required. I wanted to purchase a dress coat that would be appropriate for the widest variety of outfits, but nothing I could find fit the bill. I finally settled on a heavy black trench that would be fitting for my dinner on Tuesday as well as other business affairs. I could even wear it to the office. I also chose a soft, camel colored swing coat that would have been perfect had I had it last Thursday night. I chose coordinating gloves and a contrasting scarf as well. I had deliberately ignored the price tags, keeping in mind that I needed to dress the part of a millionaire's girlfriend. However, I was still taken aback when my total at the register was close to $600. Again, though, there was no problem with my credit card.

Carrying my bulky purchases home was not easy, but I eventually made it. I hung everything carefully in the closet and placed the receipts in a pocket inside my bag. I booted up my laptop and clicked on Excel. Creating a new file, I listed my purchases and their prices. I fully intended that one day I'd pay Cullen Enterprises back for my swiftly expanding wardrobe.

Tuesday dawned clear and chilly. I took the longest shower I could stand. Since I didn't know what Alice had planned for me to wear, I braved the lukewarm water long enough to shave thoroughly. After toweling off and dressing in the grey slacks and new white top I had purchased last week, I packed up my laptop and Blackberry before taking scissors to the tags on the black trench coat. I grabbed Edward's cardigan and the small bag from Macy's that held my new lingerie and headed out the door.

I rode the bus to CE juggling all my necessities. I made a mental note to ask Alice if she had a bag that would make this easier – my backpack wasn't made to hold a laptop, and digging the Blackberry out when it rang would be difficult.

Arriving at CE, I waved to Felix who was standing in the lobby. He returned the greeting as I continued to the bank of elevators. Swiping my keycard, I entered the lift and headed up to Edward's office. Stepping off I glanced around the reception area quickly. Angela's desk was still empty but Mrs. Cope was already at hers, peering intently at her computer screen. She looked up when I greeted her.

"Good morning, Mrs. Cope."

"Ms. Swan," she replied, nodding. "Mr. Cullen asked me to show you the expense report paperwork. When are you free today?"

"Whenever it is convenient for you, is fine. I'm flexible."

She nodded thoughtfully. "Perhaps we should just get it out of the way. As soon as Ms. Weber is here we can go through it. It's not complicated, but the details are important. IRS regulations, you know."

I nodded, though I had no idea what she was talking about. The idea of some bean counter from the government sifting through my panty purchases had my face flaming.

I dropped my bag on the couch and placed everything else on the coffee table. I took off my coat—what a difference a warm coat makes—and draped it over the back of the couch.

"Um, someone from Ms. Brandon's studio is supposed to drop off my clothes for this evening."

"He was already here, Ms. Swan. Your clothes are currently hanging in Mr. Cullen's dressing room."

"Oh! Can I go see them?"

"Mr. Cullen is in the building but he's not in his office. Perhaps you should wait until he comes back."

"Okay."

I walked over to the coffee service and poured myself a cup of tea. I had just chosen a lemon poppy muffin when the elevator binged. I turned in time to watch Angela step out of the elevator. She smiled when she saw me.

"Good morning, Angela."

"Hey, Bella, how are you today?"

"I'm well."

Angela approached her desk and dropped her bag down. After unpacking she turned to me.

"We still on for lunch?"

"Absolutely!" I had calculated my groceries carefully; knowing I wouldn't need to make my own breakfast or dinner tonight or dinner on Saturday, I figured I had enough money left over to actually pay for my own lunch in the cafeteria today. I was looking forward to walking through the line with everyone else and paying with the extra cash I wasn't planning on having from Nomad.

Mrs. Cope brought a folder over to the coffee table.

"Ready, Ms. Swan?"

"Yes," I replied, walking over to the couch. Mrs. Cope went to the coffee service and refreshed her cup while I sat down and looked at the paperwork in the folder.

Twenty minutes later all three of us were concentrating on our tasks when the elevator chimed again. No one but me looked up. Edward stepped off the elevator reading something he was holding in his hand. He absently made his way to the coffee service, barely glancing at the cup he was filling, as he continued to read. I had followed his progress across the room. When his cup was full he finally looked up at the room.

"Bella!" he said. He smiled; he seemed pleased to see me.

Whoa! I hadn't noticed before how handsome he was when he smiled.

"Good morning, Edward." I smiled in response.

He looked at me a beat longer before breaking eye contact to greet Angela.

"Ms. Weber," he said genially.

"Good morning, Mr. Cullen."

He turned back to me. "Going over the expense report procedure?"

"Yes, you were right, it's not too complicated."

He smiled at me again. "Great. Stop in my office when you're done so we can talk about tonight."

"Okay."

We were almost done anyway. Mrs. Cope continued her explanation for another minute or two before handing me a set of forms with notes written on them in case I needed any reminders. She showed me how to find the forms on the Cullen Enterprises intranet and told me to always print out a hard copy and keep it for my records.

"That's all for now, Ms. Swan, unless you have any questions?"

"No, nothing right now. I'll be sure to let you know if anything comes up, though.

She smiled at me in dismissal and walked back to her desk. I refilled my tea cup before going to Edward's door. I knocked quietly.

"Come in." I heard him call.

I opened the door and closed it behind me. Edward had his chair swiveled around and was looking out the window. He was sipping at his coffee.

I paused before walking over to join him. Standing next to his desk, I stirred my tea while admiring the view of autumn in Chicago.

"You have a beautiful view."

He didn't answer for a moment so I looked over at him. He was looking at me.

"I certainly do."

I smiled at him before gazing out the window once more. We sat in silence for a few moments before I remembered something.

"Oh, I have your cardigan. Let me go get it."

"Was that your coat out there over the couch?

"Yes…." Was he going to question me on if I bought it with the company card? Did he want to know how much it cost?

"Why don't you bring it, too? You can hang it up in my closet." He waved towards a door on the far wall.

Relief swept through me. "Thank you."

I retreated back into the reception area and grabbed his cardigan and my coat before returning to the office. He was on the phone when I returned. I hung up my coat in the closet he had indicated before turning to him and holding up the sweater. He waved me into his dressing room.

I entered the dressing room intending to hang up the sweater. However, the garment bag hanging next to his tuxedo caught my eye. This must be the outfit Alice sent over for tonight. I hung up the cardigan before walking over to the garment bag. I unzipped the bag, pushed the white fabric to the floor, and gasped.

The dress I had worn to the cocktail party last week had been pricey, I knew. The outfit in front of me, however, screamed dollar signs. It was business appropriate, but so finely made I couldn't imagine wearing it to sit around an office.

A creamy silk blouse with a daring V-neckline was paired with a lovely heather grey skirt. The skirt had three wide pleats in the front, but a tiered back that would gather right below the swell of my behind. A loosely woven mohair cardigan completed the ensemble. Sequins were sewn into the cardigan giving it a sparkly look that would be appropriate for the evening. I reached out to finger the fabric gently. Glancing down I realized a box was included in the bag. I opened the box to find a pair of coordinating heels and silk hose appropriate for the garter belt Alice had told me to purchase. There was also a sequined clutch.

I shook my head at the expensive clothes. Alice expected me to eat in this? Gah! I couldn't imagine what would happen if I got so much as a crumb on it. Shaking my head again, I gently replaced the garment bag.

I walked back into Edward's office, closing his dressing room behind me. He was still on the phone, but nodded to me, indicating the chair in front of his desk. I sat quietly sipping the dregs of my tea and staring out the window. He let out an exasperated sigh when he hung up.

"Sorry about that," he mumbled as he rearranged the papers on his desk.

"No problem."

"You were in there for a long time. Was something wrong?'

"Oh, no. Ms. Brandon had my clothes for tonight delivered earlier, but Mrs. Cope asked me to wait until you were back in the office before I went in there to see them. I was just admiring the outfit."

Edward looked up, finally.

"Mrs. Cope wouldn't let you come in here?"

"She just asked me if I'd wait until you got back. No big deal."

Edward nodded thoughtfully before changing the subject.

"So, tonight—anything you're worried about?"

"Well, aside from the obvious, I'm wondering how you want to approach 'us' tonight."

"The obvious? What do you mean?"

"Well, I really have no place attending this dinner tonight. I'm sure I'll have nothing of substance to add to the conversation."

Edward rolled his eyes. "Bella, you have no idea how juvenile these dinners can be. Having a woman there will at least stop the conversation from degenerating into something you'd hear in a junior high school locker room. At least I hope it will." He muttered this last bit under his breath.

I considered what he had said. I actually hoped the men at the table would get a little silly tonight, then I could enjoy the evening without being expected to make serious conversation. Edward must have seen the uncertainty in my eyes. He stood up from his chair and strode over to the bookcase that lined the wall.

"Here. If you're really concerned read through this today. It's the prospectus we give to potential investors. It has most of the pertinent facts about CE in it. If you have any questions after you read it just ask. Now, about 'us'?"

"Yes, well, the fact that J.J. invited me as some sort of tweak for you makes me a little uncomfortable."

"Don't worry about it, Bella. There are a few ways we could play this, I suppose. I'm driving you, so if you want we can go as a couple and just forget the timetable for the building of our 'relationship'."

I shook my head. I was still concerned about people thinking I had been Edward's mistress while he was dating Tanya. A few weeks would make a huge difference in people's perceptions.

Edward nodded. "Then read the prospectus and chime in when you feel comfortable. No one is going to expect you to solve all our problems over a chocolate soufflé tonight."

"Problems? Are there problems?"

"Bella, this is an international corporation trying to not only operate, but thrive amidst a worldwide economic crisis. There are always problems. Hell, there are problems even in boom times. In general we're doing well, though."

I nodded. "Thanks for this," I said, holding up the prospectus.

"You're welcome. Want to have lunch later?"

"I can't. I already made plans with Ang-, I mean Ms.-, I mean," I made an exasperated sound. "You know, this whole calling everyone Mr. This and Ms. That is really annoying. What's the deal? I mean, we're all adults."

Edward nodded slowly at my outburst. "Well, some of it is from Mrs. Cope. She is unfailingly formal."

"I have no problem calling your assistant Mrs. Cope, but everyone else—Angela, Alice…I mean we're pretty much the same age, we all work for the same company, we're peers, and we should call each other whatever makes us comfortable."

"You're the only person, other than my brother and Jasper, to call me out on that, you know."

I hesitated. "I'm sorry if I've overstepped my bounds, but…."

Edward laughed lightly. "No, it's not a problem. You are free to call your peers whatever makes you comfortable as long as no one objects."

"Thank you. Now what else?"

"Hm?"

"You said that 'some of it comes from Mrs. Cope.' What about the rest?"

He looked at me speculatively. "You're very perceptive."

"Stop trying to change the subject."

He laughed again. "Actually, it sort of plays into the dinner we're having tonight. J.J. holds not-insignificant power around here. You've seen the way he is around me. Although he's never outright disrespectful, he can be difficult. I guess I have everyone around me refer to me formally so that they'll remember I'm not the kid from the copy room."

I was stunned. Was this the same guy who had my contractor packet ready to go before I agreed to the job? The same guy who had Angela's promotion paperwork ready before telling her she had been tapped? The same guy who made that amazingly sincere speech thanking his people the other night? Chicago's #1 Most Eligible Bachelor? (Okay, so maybe I googled him at the library one day.) Edward came across as wholly self-assured and completely capable. It was surprising to find out that there was insecurity behind his decision to be called Mr. Cullen.

I wasn't sure what to say. I stood slowly and began walking to the door. I stopped when I got there. Turning back, I looked at Edward before speaking. "Respect commands itself and it can neither be given nor withheld when it is due." I opened the door and walked into the reception area. Sitting down on the couch, I started reading the prospectus.

EPOV

"Respect commands itself and can neither be given nor withheld when it is due."

Bella closed the door behind her when she left my office. Did she just quote Eldridge Cleaver at me? Again I was taken with her intelligence. And she was concerned that she wouldn't be able to hold her own during dinner tonight? I hadn't been kidding when I said these dinners were often exercises in asshattery. Emmett was always up for a bit of sophomoric humor, and it didn't take much to drag J.J. down to that level. Jasper tended to be more stoic, but even he often went along with the nonsense once it became clear that we'd moved past shop talk.

I sighed. Maybe Bella was right. Perhaps I was reading too much into what people called me. As long as they were respectful with me and each other what did it matter if I was addressed by my first name? I'd have to give this some more thought.

BPOV

I sat on the couch and started reading the prospectus. I'd be lying if I said I understood it all. A lot of the financial information was past my simple understanding of accounting and the technical aspects of everything that CE was involved in were way over my head. However, I found the section on their charitable contributions engrossing. Cullen Enterprises gave back a lot.

Included in the prospectus were biographies of all the major players here at Cullen. I was fascinated to learn that Emmett held both an MBA and a masters in art history. Who would have known? Now I wondered if he was the one who picked out the art in Edward's office. Jasper wasn't just some guy who worked in the finance department, thought I guessed that from his large office on Friday. Turns out he was Vice President of Finance and Administration. He held degrees in both finance and business administration.

And then there was Edward. Turns out he was some sort of prodigy. He graduated college at 20 and held advanced degrees in technology and business. If it weren't for Edward's assurances that the guys got a little foolish when dining together I'd be completely overwhelmed in their company tonight.

Angela and I headed down for lunch a little before noon. It was the first time in recent memory that I had any quality "girl time." It didn't take long for me to get her to open up about Ben.

"He's just so—gah!—I can't even think straight. He's smart, and funny and good looking. Bella, I just want to yank those glasses right off his face and kiss him. I don't think he even knows that I'm alive."

I snorted. From what I'd seen Ben was more than aware of Angela. If his reactions were anything to go by, he was just as into her and she was into him. Matchmaking wasn't my thing, usually, but this seemed almost too easy.

After a few sighs of longing Angela told me about her family. She had twin brothers, Isaac and Joshua, who were two years older than her. The guys had lived in a terrific apartment together until Isaac got married. Angela moved in with Joshua, but now she had a problem. Josh was getting married in a month and would be moving halfway across the country with his new wife.

"I can't afford the apartment by myself, but the idea of finding a roommate is overwhelming. No one I know is looking for a place. Interviewing people is a scary proposition. I hate to give the place up, since the lease isn't up until March, but when that December rent payment is due it will be almost impossible to make ends meet without dipping into my savings."

I could feel for Angela. If my rent suddenly doubled I'd be out on the street.

"I hope you find someone soon. Is there a company bulletin board or something you could post on?"

"Yeah, but then I get back to that whole interviewing mess. What if I decide I don't want to live with someone and I have to see her at work every day? It would be awkward to say the least."

I nodded.

"I'm sorry I can't help you, Ang. If I hear of someone, though, I let you know."

"Thanks."

We cleaned up our plates and headed back upstairs. Ang settled at her desk while Mrs. Cope excused herself to get something to eat. I knocked on Edward's door but there was no answer. Opening it I went to the closet and took out my coat. I returned to the reception area.

"I'm going to run a few errands, Angela. Could you let Edward know if he's looking for me?"

"Sure." She hesitated. "Hey, Bella, I just realized we spent our whole lunch talking about me. What about you? Any special guys in your life?

I laughed. "No, Ang, no one special."

She pursed her lips and nodded thoughtfully.

"Okay," I said. "I'm off. I'll be back shortly."

"Where are you going?"

"Drug store. I'm doing my own makeup and hair tonight. I have to pick up a few things."

"Alright then, I'll see you later."

"Bye."

- - - - -

So Bella finally noticed that Edward isn't the most unfortunate looking guy on the planet, especially when he smiles. Of course, she's still so insecure in her position she's not thinking that way about him at all. Edward on the other hand….

Chapter 14 was sent off to the betas tonight.

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