Disclaimer: All publicly recognized characters, setting, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Having said that, the story is mine. Please don't steal it. Thieves reside in the 8th circle of Hell. I'm sure SebastienRobichaud could confirm. If you're not reading his story, The University of Edward Masen, you should be.

Here it is folks, the hard opening. I'm shaking in my boots. A little feedback would do wonders.

Dedicated to martdg, who left me my 1000th review. Thank you, bb. I'm too grateful for words. Kristi & Lisa form Beta Team Extraordinaire.

Chapter 22 – This is Hard

Rose answered on the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Umm, hi, Rosalie. It's me, Bella." I could hear the baby fussing in the background.

"Bella, hi! Hold on."

I could hear Rosalie shifting around on the other end of the line. She made some cooing noises and the baby quieted down.

"There we go. All settled."

"If this is a bad time, I can call you back."

"It's fine. He's just hungry. How are you today?"

"Umm, I'm good. Thanks. I, uh, was just calling, like you asked."

"Yeah...about that. Well, Emmett told me that he talked to Edward and Edward assured him that there's really nothing going on between you two, so I guess I'm just seeing things."

I mentally sighed. "I told you that, too, Rosalie," I reminded her.

"Yes, but that kiss…in the booth, after the fight with Tanya. It really didn't look like acting, Bella. I know my brother-in-law; he's not that good an actor."

I chuckled. "He says the same thing. But he admits to being a good salesman and last night we were selling 'us'."

"Yeah, okay, I get it. Don't think that means I approve, but I get it."

I was a little surprised to find out that Rose didn't approve of me. I thought we were getting along pretty well. Maybe this phone call had been a bad idea.

"Oh, well, okay. Sorry. Umm, I really should go…." Even I could hear the uncertainty in my voice.

"Bella? What's wrong?"

Rose seemed to be the kind of person who would respect honesty. She obviously had no problem being truthful. Mentally hiking up my big girl panties, I laid it all on the line.

"I didn't realize you didn't approve of me, Rose. I thought that we were getting along really well. I'm sor-" My confession slash apology was cut off by the sound of Rose laughing loudly, immediately followed by the sound of EJ crying.

"Oh shit, hold on Bella. I mean it! Don't hang up."

I didn't know if I should pat myself on the back or smack myself upside the head for staying on the line while I could hear Rose tending to the baby's needs.

"Bella? You still there? Bella?"

"Yes, I'm still here," I said quietly.

"Great. Listen, I'm sorry, I think I wasn't clear. When I said I 'didn't approve,' I didn't mean I didn't approve of you, but of Edward's little scheme. When I see the two of you together it reminds me of the way Emmett and I were when we started dating. Hell, I even got into a fight with one of his exes just like you did with Tanya.

"I'm sorry it sounded like I didn't approve of you. Honestly, it's not my place to approve or disapprove of anyone Edward dates. If it were, however, I'd definitely approve of you. He seems happy when you're around. Emmett thinks so, too. That's why he got so mad at Edward last night."

"Edward and Emmett had an argument last night?" I asked, my thoughts going back to the tense exchange I had witnessed.

"Yeah, while we were in the bathroom." I remembered that conversation with Edward last night. He had said that Emmett wasn't happy with a business decision he'd made recently. I guess that decision was me. But if Emmett liked me…?

"Emmett didn't believe that you guys were acting either," Rose said, answering my unasked question. "He tried to get Edward to give you a different position in the company; something where you wouldn't report directly to him, so that he could date you properly."

I was silent as I digested what Rose was saying.

"Oh well, as long as you're both happy with the way things are who are we to judge?" she continued.

I shuddered to think of the possible repercussions of Emmett's line of thinking. I hoped that Edward didn't think that I wanted something more than my job. That was the fastest way to lose it, for sure.

"While I appreciate you and Emmett looking out for me, I'm really happy with the way things are right now. Don't worry about me."

"I won't. So, I understand you're having lunch with my mother-in-law tomorrow?"

"Yes. Actually, I was hoping you could give me a few pointers. She's asked me to take part in this Literacy Project she's running."

"Yes, we've talked about it. This Literacy Project is really important to her. She's working hard trying to drum up support for it. I'm sure she'll really value your input. What kind of pointers are you looking for?"

I explained to Rose my concerns about dining with Esme and she was very reassuring.

"Esme is the most down to earth person you'll ever meet. I know it's hard to believe that anyone with that kind of money would be such a normal person, but she really is. Just be yourself, Bella."

We talked for a few more minutes. The bus pulled up to my stop and I gathered my things before stepping onto the sidewalk.

Walking home, I thought about the tomorrow's lunch with Esme and Jasper's invitation to the club on Friday. Friday was also another first – my first paycheck from CE would be available. That thought put a smile on my face as I entered my building.

?POV

…

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I clicked the subscribe button and entered my personal email address before shaking my head and sighing.

- - - - -

BPOV

Despite Rose's assurances that Esme would be easy to talk to, I fretted while preparing to meet her. We were scheduled to meet her at the Country Club the Cullens belonged to at lunchtime. I spent as long as I could stand in my crappy shower and styled my hair meticulously. I applied my makeup, dressed in the outfit Alice had chosen and headed out.

I entered the lobby and approached the desk clerk.

"Good afternoon," I started. "I'm here to meet Esme Cullen for lunch."

The woman behind the desk smiled at me kindly and pointed the way, offering me simple directions. Following her path I quickly found a stand with another woman behind it.

"Hello, I'm here to meet Esme Cullen."

"Mrs. Cullen hasn't arrived yet. May I take your coat while you wait?"

"Oh, sure."

I handed over my coat and sat on an available bench near the hostess stand.

"Would you like a drink?" another attendant offered as the hostess returned with my coat check stub.

"Just club soda, please."

I saw Esme arrive just as the server was handing me my glass.

"Thank you," I murmured to the server as I stood to greet Esme.

"Bella, dear, you look lovely. I'm so glad you could meet with me."

"Thank you for inviting me, Esme. I'm excited to hear about the project."

She flashed me a wide smile. "Let's see if our table is ready."

Moments later we were seated together along a glass wall overlooking the club's grounds. Scattered leaves blew across the wide lawns. The outdoor furniture was covered and secured against the swiftly approaching winter weather. The sun shone brightly, though it offered little warmth this late in October.

I hesitated but decided that I had no reason not to start our conversation.

"I spoke with Rose about your project."

Esme's eyes widened at my statement and I wondered what surprised her.

"Do you speak with Rose often?" Her tone was curious.

"Not too often. We talked on the phone yesterday and spent some time together at Stroke of Midnight earlier this week. I only met her a few weeks ago at the Fortune party."

Esme nodded thoughtfully but didn't speak up. Despite my promise to myself not to get nervous, I found myself trying to fill in the silence.

"Umm…I had lunch with Emmett last week. He showed me some pictures of EJ. The baby is adorable."

"You haven't seen EJ yet?"

"Seen him? No. Only in pictures."

Esme nodded decisively, as if I had cleared up some confusion.

A waiter approached and we gave our lunch orders. I went with the Chicken Caesar; nothing like an old classic when you were nervous.

"So, Bella, I'd love your thoughts on the project we're trying to start. It seems that children who struggle the most with reading come from families where reading is a struggle for the parents as well. Whether English isn't their first language or they are native English speakers who didn't have the benefits of a solid education is of little consequence. We're hoping to improve the skills of those who struggle by including the parents and even the grandparents in the program."

We talked a bit about this idea as our food was served.

While we were eating, Esme outlined the overall mission of the project. I was amazed. The scope she was attempting was outside anything I was familiar with. She brought along brochures and materials that I tucked into my bag, promising her I'd read them over later and offer her feedback. She handed me a list of reading material and I glanced over it, frowning.

"Something wrong?" she inquired.

"Who created your list?" I blurted, unthinkingly. I was genuinely curious. The list was a disappointment after hearing Esme's grand plans.

"Experts in the fields of literacy compiled it."

I heard Esme's implied question. "Oh. Okay, well, I'm no expert." I offered the list back to her.

"Wait. You have a problem with the list?"

"It's not my place…." I began.

"It is exactly your place, Bella. Your opinion is why I asked you here."

I swallowed and decided to take a chance.

"The list is fine, as far as it goes, but it's pretty standard. It's a good bet that the people you are attempting to help have been exposed to these books in the past and it's unlikely their interest in them has grown. There's nothing new or exciting. It's also culturally narrow. I think you're interested in appealing to a larger swath of the population."

"Do you have suggestions?"

"Oh, sure!" I began to rattle off the names of books I knew would have wider appeal. While there were some solid classics on the list Esme had handed me, it was deficient in more recent, ground-breaking literature for children and young adults.

Esme appeared wholly absorbed in my recitation. As I wound down she smiled.

"You have a passion for this, Bella."

"I love literature. There's so much good stuff out there now. I think you'll have more success with stories like these than the old stand-bys."

Her grin broadened.

"Would you be interested in writing a list for the project? It would need to be comprehensive and meet the criteria outlined in the literature I gave you earlier. You could use the current list as a starting point and expand or excise as you see fit. I can't guarantee that we'd use it exactly, but I want to make this program as successful as possible. I can see where we might need to stray off the beaten path."

I agreed to work on putting together a list that I believed would interest a broader population.

"Well, Bella, I knew having a younger person in on the planning would be beneficial. It was nice of Edward to let you join me today. What time do you have to be back at work?"

"I'm not working in the office today, so I don't really have a time constraint."

"Oh! Do you work from home often? The workplace has changed so much in recent years. I forget that many people work nontraditional schedules."

I was anxious to get off the subject of the details of my job. "Umm, much of my work is done from home or in the field, I guess you could say. Edward has two assistants in the office; he doesn't need me there all the time, too."

"Yes, that's right; you're one of Edward's assistants. How's that working out for you?" The question seemed innocuous.

"Great. I enjoy the work and Angela and Mrs. Cope are wonderful."

"Yes, but I meant how is that working out for you personally? You are dating my son, after all." Esme arched a finely tweezed eyebrow at me, as if I were foolish to believe I could get away from this meeting without discussing Edward.

Shit.

"Umm, it's fine, really. I haven't known Edward that long. We're only seeing one another casually."

"Bella, I like you. And, I don't believe everything I read in the gossip magazines. Honestly, some of the most enduring relationships I've seen through the years have started as workplace romances. I have it on good authority that Elizabeth was part of the steno pool the first time First laid eyes on her." She smiled at me sweetly, and I knew that while she had some concerns, she wasn't disapproving.

Of course, if she knew the truth she probably would be disappointed, not because she liked me and wanted to see a relationship between Edward and me, but because we were both partaking in this elaborate deception.

I was finding it hard to look her in the eye.

"Bella, I'm sorry, I've made you uncomfortable."

"Edward assured me that you wouldn't be interested in our personal relationship. I'm not really prepared to discuss it…with anyone."

"My son seems to not know me as well as he thinks. Why in the world wouldn't I be interested in the women he dates? Feel free to tell him I said that, by the way. And really, you have nothing to worry about from me. Carlisle and I are both rather…relieved, that Edward's moved on from his previous relationship."

Esme gave a delicate shudder. Before I could stop myself I chuckled, and Esme shot me a conspiratorial smile. We both shook our heads before Esme returned to the reason for our meeting.

"So, when do you think you could have that list of suggested books for me?"

"Monday, probably. I'll let Edward know if I run into any problems."

"No need to go through Edward, dear. Let me give you my number."

Esme and I exchanged contact information and made small talk. I thanked her graciously when she covered the check and promised to get back to her by Monday about the list.

- - - - -

When I woke on Friday my body was humming with excitement. It was payday. I'd be receiving my first paycheck from CE. I had, of course, figured out what my yearly salary would be broken down into 26 pay periods, but I couldn't wait to actually see the numbers on paper along with my name.

I rushed through my morning routine and was out the door shortly after eight. The bus was crowded with rush hour riders, but I hardly noticed them.

Arriving at CE at the start of the normal workday was unusual for me. The lobby was crowded with people and there was a scrum at the elevators. I picked my way through the crowd to the rarely used express elevator to the 40th floor. I wasn't actually sure where I'd have to go to get my check, so I figured I'd go to Edward's office and ask Angela or Mrs. Cope.

Angela smiled at me when I stepped off the elevator.

"Hey, Bella. I didn't know you'd be here today."

I glanced around the room. Mrs. Cope had some sort of headset on and was typing furiously, but she smiled and nodded at me in greeting.

"I'm just here to pick up my paycheck."

Angela nodded and scrambled around on her desk before coming up with a sealed envelope.

"Here you go. You know, you should just have it direct deposited so that you don't need to come here just to get it. Not that it isn't nice to see you. Have you given any thought to moving into my place over Thanksgiving?"

"Yeah. I think I will. I'll just need a key."

"I'll give you my brother's before I leave. I'm excited about living with you, Bella. I think it will be fun."

"Me, too!" I glanced at Edward's closed door and wondered if I should say hello before leaving.

"He's in a meeting with Mr. Jenks and his brother. Now wouldn't be a good time."

"Oh. Okay. I'm going to get going, then. I don't really have anything to do here today except get my check. Was there any mail I needed to take?"

Angela held out another few envelopes. I glanced at them briefly before tucking them into my bag.

"Hey, Ang. What bank do you use? Maybe I should go set up direct deposit." No need for anyone to know I usually cashed my check at the check cashing place up the street from my apartment. And, I'd be able to save the fee by using a bank instead.

"I use First Savings," she said, "but the credit union is right downstairs, if that's more convenient for you."

"Thanks."

"So," Angela began, glancing over to make sure Mrs. Cope was still occupied. "Mr. Cullen says he's taking a half day on Friday. You two have big plans?"

"His fraternity reunion is next weekend."

"Oh, that reminds me, I was going to call you today, anyway. He wanted me to ask about the room you booked."

"What?"

"At the Hotel Monaco, where the reunion is being held."

"Crap."

"What's wrong?"

"He lives in Chicago. Why does he want to waste money on a hotel room?"

"You didn't book anything?"

"Of course not, Ang. Like I said, he lives here. Why would he pay to stay at a hotel?"

"Convenience. This way he won't have to leave early or bother with driving back and forth. You should call now and see what they still have available."

I put everything down on the table and took out my phone. I entered the phone number from the information I had in my file about the reunion.

"Hotel Monaco," a chipper voice answered.

"Hello. I need to book a room for next weekend."

"I can help you with that. I do need to warn you, however, there's not much left, we have a large party taking up most of the hotel."

"Yes, I understand. This is a last minute addition to the reunion."

"Let me see what I have left. How many people?"

"Just one."

"All of our suites are booked already, I'm afraid. I have a River View King Deluxe. It features a single king-sized bed, TV with cable access and on-demand movies, iPod dock, fully-stocked honor bar with gourmet options, iron and ironing board, hairdryer, and an in-room safe, all overlooking the Chicago River. Will this be acceptable?"

"That's fine. Thank you."

"How will you be paying for this…?"

I gave my credit card to hold the room and got check-in information for Edward, which I handed over to Angela.

"Thanks, Ang. You saved my behind here."

"No problem, Bella. Maybe we should go over your upcoming schedule and see if there's anything else you need to book."

I sat down and showed her our upcoming plans. The only other event really needing any attention was the movie premiere on November 19. Angela gave me the number for the limo company CE used. I decided I needed to talk to Edward first and find out where he wanted to be picked up before booking anything.

Saying goodbye to Mrs. Cope and Angela, I headed downstairs to the credit union. It took a surprisingly short amount of time to set up a checking account. I made an appointment to talk to someone about how to handle my taxes and headed home. I still had a few hours before I needed to be at Alice's, and I wanted to go through the mail Angela had handed me earlier.

EPOV

I paced my outer office after Mrs. Cope and Ms. Weber had left for the day.

Planning.

I had always found planning to be the key. Fifteen minutes of meticulous planning could literally save hours of confusion and wasted time throughout the day.

It was true when I was in school. It was certainly true in business. I had no reason to believe that it wouldn't be true tonight.

I usually didn't plan seduction. Honestly, it was one of the few things that was better when spontaneous.

Tonight, however, I needed a plan; a plan that would get Bella Swan out of my head. It was annoying, really, how this woman had begun invading my every thought. Over the last few days I'd dedicated a ridiculous amount of time to figuring out why I couldn't stop thinking about her, which only added to the amount of time I spent actually thinking about her. I finally concluded it was several factors conspiring to make her more interesting then she actually was. Sure she was smart, funny and beautiful, but I'd had plenty of smart, funny and beautiful women. Even Tanya had those traits, though they were overshadowed by her petty sense of entitlement most of the time.

Unlike Tanya, Bella was soft-spoken and almost wholly focused on the needs of others. Her willingness to donate her time to the Literacy Project when she was just barely one step from needing charity herself was just one example of the selflessness I had noticed. Her kindness to Jasper, when he really hadn't been accepting of her, was another.

Of course, my family liked her; Emmett and Rose especially. That was new. Except for a few dates in high school, my parents had never met any of the girls I dated before Tanya. As for Tanya, my parents, and grandparents for that matter, tolerated her more than accepted her.

Yes, so…Bella was beautiful, smart, funny, kind, selfless, soft-spoken and likeable as well as courteous, easy to talk to and, truth be told, a damned good kisser.

But that still didn't explain her pull on me.

No, there was one thing that Bella wasn't that other women were—available. Strange as it sounds, Bella's status as my girlfriend meant I couldn't actually date her, much less do her. It was her status as off-limits that made me want her so badly, I was sure.

Add to that the fact that I couldn't remember the last time I went two weeks without some relief, and Bella was becoming more attractive to me than she had any right to be.

So, the plan….

I wanted someone who wouldn't remind me of Bella, at all. Bella was petite, tiny and perfect—I needed someone tall. Bella was a brunette; I took a moment to remember the billowing waves of her mahogany hair. I inhaled, as if I could pull in her clean scent though she wasn't here. Almost, I thought, I could smell her. I shook my head. Bella hadn't been in the office since Tuesday; there's no way her scent would still linger in this room.

So, tonight I was hunting a blonde or redhead. No, not red—too much like Tanya; blonde it was. Bella's eyes were brown, like pools of chocolate, with tiny gold flecks…so a leggy, blue-eyed blonde it was.

See? Having a plan was a good thing. I'd save myself all sorts of time tonight. Instead of winnowing through all the available women, I stick to tall, blue-eyed blondes. If I could find one who was loud and stupid that would just be a plus.

BPOV

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?"

Alice met my near-hysterical outburst with a calm look.

"No."

"I can't wear that in public, Alice. It's indecent."

"You're covered up from shoulder to ankle, Bella. You'll be wearing more clothes than everyone else in the room. I promise."

"But…."

EPOV

I had arrived earlier than I normally would when spending the night clubbing. I wanted to spend some time with my brother and Jasper before veering off with my prey for the evening. I'd recognized, earlier, that my plans for the evening weren't very considerate. Instead of berating myself I decided to just embrace the whole predator/prey metaphor. I wasn't looking for a girlfriend tonight; it would be easy enough to find a girl who wasn't looking for anything more either.

Though it was only around eight o'clock, the place was filling up. I leaned over the railing in the VIP section and scanned the crowd. The music was loud and I could see the bartenders hustling. Aro had a bit of trouble getting the employees to agree to costumes tonight. I shook my head and wondered how much of my investment money went to greasing the palms of the Health Inspector. There was no way the clothes our employees were wearing tonight were legal for serving. The bartenders were all bare-chested with bullwhips wound around their torsos. The servers were all elaborately made up lions, complete with manes and tails. Oh well, it was only for one night.

A hard slap on the back nearly sent me over the railing.

"Damn, bro! You look good."

Emmett had arrived, along with Jasper. The three of us agreed to matching costumes this evening. We were all dressed in authentic 1940s zoot suits in various color combinations. Mine was a classic black pinstripe with a black and white polka dot tie. Emmett was in white with a royal blue shirt. Jasper was in shiny grey with a red and black checkered vest. Our masks were simple: black for me, white for Emmett and red for Jasper. Only Emmett was wearing his mask now.

"You can take the mask off, man. We know who you are." I shook my head at Emmett's enthusiasm.

"Nah, you know I have to leave early. There was no way Rose was going to leave EJ another night this week. I told her I'd be home by 12. I'm going to enjoy this little shindig to the fullest."

I nodded and watched as Emmett made his way out of the VIP section and over to the deejay's booth. I turned to look at Jasper, who was gazing out over the sea of revelers already gathered on the dance floor.

"So, Jasper," his eyes moved towards me, "how've you been? We haven't had a chance to talk since.…"

He heaved a sigh and jerked his head towards our table, indicating we should sit. I followed him over and we sat, pouring ourselves drinks from the bottle already there.

"I'm…okay."

"Really?" My voice was skeptical. Jasper was vertical and his eyes were open, a huge improvement over Tuesday night, but otherwise he appeared to be anything but okay.

"No, but I will be. Honestly, things with Charlotte had been so shaky the last few weeks that I think I was mourning her even before she came clean."

"Mourning her? She's not dead, Jasper. And she was cheating on you. I hardly think you should waste any real emotion on her."

He looked at me and there was a surprising spark of anger in his eye.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Edward-"

"Hi, Edward!" a trio of sing-songy voices interrupted Jasper's rant. He looked at the girls who had approached our table with a raised eyebrow.

"Ladies," I grinned as I greeted the women standing nearby. Two of them turned to each other and giggled, the third gave me a hard look accompanied by a wicked smile. Nice. She was about Bella's height, though, and her eyes were definitely brown. Too bad.

"Find me later," I told them, "we can share a dance."

"Okay!" the two giggling ones said. The third, a socialite I recognized as someone from Tanya's large group of acquaintances, shot me another challenging glance before strutting away behind her friends. I watched her ass appreciatively as she walked down the stairs behind her friends. I turned back to find Jasper's hard eyes on me.

"Sorry," I said, though my tone conveyed the insincerity of the word, "you were saying?"

Jasper sighed. "I was saying that you don't know anything about a real relationship, Edward, so you can't imagine what it feels like when it ends."

"I've been in real relationships, Jazz."

"Yeah, right. With Tanya? C'mon, Edward that's the longest relationship you've ever had. Are you trying to tell me that you were in love with her?"

"No, I wasn't in love with her-"

He cut me off again. "Do you miss her, at all? If you were to never see her again would that bother you? Can you not get her out of your mind? When she wasn't around did you ever get that feeling that you just had to see her, to touch her? Did you ever lose sleep in anticipation of her visit? Did you ever get a sick feeling in your stomach when you saw her talking to another guy? Was everything just a confusing mess until she walked into the room?"

I just stared at Jasper as he ranted. I couldn't imagine needing anyone that way. It didn't even sound healthy or sane, really.

Jasper had run out of steam and was just staring down at his glass. I stuck my hand in my pocket and pulled out Charlotte's ring. I held it out to him.

"Here." A small frown appeared on his face.

"Where'd you get that? I gave it to Bella."

"Yeah, and she gave it to me to give back to you. What were you thinking, man? Bella's not the kind of person who would accept something like this. What was she supposed to do with it?"

"I don't know. Sell it? Whatever. I misjudged her and felt that I should make it up to her."

"And handing her $20,000 worth of diamonds and platinum was the way to do that? Do you remember what you said when you gave it to her? 'I bought it for a woman who doesn't want it; it's fitting that a woman who doesn't want it should have it.' What kind of bullshit is that?"

Jasper just shrugged before holding out his hand and taking the offending piece of jewelry. Then he gave me a hard look. "She'd probably get a nice buck for it. She could use the money; maybe go back to school so she could get a real job."

It was my turn to offer a hard look.

"What's that supposed to mean? She has a real job."

"A real job being a fake girlfriend? She deserves more than that, Edward."

"More than what? I pay her good money and the job is easy enough. You sound like fuckin' Emmett. She told me that she's going to use her salary to go back to school, get her teaching certificate, so that she'll never be unable to support herself again. She has goals and working for me is helping her achieve them. What else can I give her?"

Jasper opened his mouth to answer when we were interrupted again.

"Hey, Edward," a voice purred in my ear.

I turned to come face to face with Gianna, a fixture on the local party scene, dressed in a revealing cat costume. I offered her a small smile which she took as invitation to sit down next to me.

"I heard about you and Tanya. So sorry." The expression on her face belied her words as she laid a "sympathetic" hand on my arm. I looked at her closely. Gianna was a local stage actress. She was tall, nearly six feet, with startling blue eyes. Her brown hair was cropped short. Two out of three, I mused.

I looked at Jasper who was looking at me incredulously. He scowled when I met his eye.

"What?" I asked him.

"Nothing. You should probably know, I…." Jasper was cut off by the arrival of our server.

"Would you like anything, Gianna?" I asked.

"Rum and diet Coke."

The server left. I asked Gianna about her latest show and she spoke briefly about being cast as Madame Thénardier in a revival of Les Miserables.

Jasper poured himself another drink which he quickly drained.

"I'm going to find Emmett," he announced. Gianna offered him a smile while I just nodded. Gianna's drink was delivered, and we continued discussing her play while she sipped at it. When it was almost gone I leaned in close to her ear letting my lips brush the lobe while I asked her if she'd like to dance.

"Thought you'd never ask," she answered, her eyes flickering down my body and back to my face.

She stood and stepped back while I slid from behind the table. I took her hand as we made our way to the dance floor. The music was loud and the beat frenetic as we began to dance.

After a few songs the beat slowed down and I reached out for Gianna, pulling her toward me. She moved against me eagerly. Through the layers of my clothes I could feel the hard lines of her body, so unlike Bella's soft curves. Gianna was statuesque, her limbs long, nearly gangly, though she was infinitely more graceful than Bella. At nearly six feet tall her face was right next to mine while we swayed together.

I ran my hands up her back, feeling each vertebra in her spine under the skin-tight cat costume she wore. The action reminded me of feeling the laces from Bella's corset when we danced at the Gala.

Thinking of that corset and the way I reacted when I first felt it affected me the same it did at the Gala. Thinking I was reacting to her, Gianna turned her face to mine, her brow arched, a small smile on her lips.

Good enough.

Her eyes closed and she leaned forward. I was about to touch her lips with mine when a loud squealing sounded right next to us.

"There you are, Edward!" The girls who had approached Jasper and me earlier in the VIP section were all around us. The music had shifted again and a pulsing beat pounded through the speakers. The three girls danced enthusiastically, bumping into us and one another. Their frenetic activity pushed Gianna and me apart slightly. I saw anger flicker in Gianna's eyes as an ugly expression flashed across her face. Her obvious aggravation amused me and I couldn't help the smile that broke out. The aggressive blonde slid her arm around my waist as best she could with Gianna's arms around my shoulders and rocked her hips with enough force to move me a step or two further away from Gianna.

Giving up, I threw back my head and laughed. Gianna shot me a look of pure venom before spinning on her heel and stalking away.

I danced with the girls for a few songs. We were joined by a few others, and before I knew it we had our own little dance party happening right in the middle of the club. Different girls, some I recognized, some I didn't, would dance a few beats with me before moving away to be immediately replaced by the next. It was actually fun, but exhausting, and not getting me any closer to my goal. Most these girls were barely legal and, honestly, some shouldn't even be here. As the group got larger it was easy to slip away and return to the VIP section. I continuously scanned the crowd looking for another possible plaything, but no one in particular struck me.

I climbed the stairs to find Emmett standing a table to two away from our seats craning his neck to look over the crowd.

"What's up?" I asked him.

"Don't go over there," he replied, absently.

"Over where?"

"To the table. Jasper's…busy."

I was shocked. "What?!"

"He's got some girl over there."

"Who?"

"I have no freakin' idea. She hasn't come up for air since I stumbled across them 10 minutes ago."

I strained my neck trying to see what was going on in our booth, but it was too dark and his broad back blocked my line of sight. All I could see was a pair of well-formed legs draped across his lap. She was wearing some sort of sparkly black dress.

Fuck. Even Jasper could find someone tonight.

"Did you see the naked girl?"

Emmett's question got my immediate attention.

"Someone got naked already? It's a little early for that level of inebriation, isn't it?" I asked, glancing at my watch. Just after eleven. "Did the bouncers take her out?"

"I think she came in naked, man. Oh! There she is!" Emmett pointed across the floor to the bar. Standing there, surrounded by a whole group of guys, was a woman just slightly shorter than Gianna was. Her incredibly long, blonde hair hung to just below her knees. She had on what had to be 4-inch heels. She wore an elaborate mask with feathers bobbing over her head. And nothing else.

Fuck! A real life Lady Godiva.

I shifted my attention to the guys near her and was surprised to recognize one of them.

"That's Jacob Black; he's the grandson of a friend of First's."

"You should see if he'll introduce you," Emmett laughed. "I want to hear all about it tomorrow. I've gotta' get out of here, or I won't make it home before 12. Tell the naked lady I said, 'Hi'."

I nodded thoughtfully before telling Emmett goodnight.

"Hey, Edward, watch Jasper, okay? He's not in a good place right now. Don't let him do anything stupid."

I mumbled a quick, "Okay," but saw Emmett shake his head at my obvious distraction.

I moved slowly through the crowd in the VIP section, watching the tall blonde talking with Jacob. Body language told me she wasn't with him…yet. I slipped on my mask and made my way closer, shouldering my way through the crowd around her.

I stood before her and lowered my head to catch her eye. She was a little shorter than Gianna, but still taller than Bella. Her blonde hair draped across her body, hinting at full breasts and a narrow waist. I watched as her eyes widened in surprise behind her mask. Like so many of the other women here tonight, she recognized me.

I saw her lips form my name, but couldn't hear her over the music. I wondered briefly if she was a friend of Tanya's. Then I decided it didn't matter.

I held my hand out to her as I leaned over and spoke into her ear. "Dance with me." It wasn't a question.

She put her empty glass on the bar and placed her warm hand in mine. She leaned towards Jacob and said something. I tugged lightly on her hand. He gave her a small smile and nodded as I led her away.

As soon as we reached the dance floor I stopped and pulled her against me. I wrapped my arms around her burrowing my hands through her hair until I touched her back. Although I knew that it was unlikely she was naked I felt a small sting of disappointment when my hands came into contact with a silky, skin-tight camisole unitard. The disappointment eased immediately, however, when she pressed her body against mine as if we had done this before.

Damn, she felt good. Unlike with Gianna, my body responded to her immediately. I slid my hands down her back and over her curvy ass, pulling her against me tightly and letting her feel exactly how much I liked her costume.

Her arms slid over my shoulders in what could only be termed a lovers' embrace. It would take no effort at all to lift her off the floor to encourage her to wrap her legs around my waist.

This girl, whoever she was, was as physically different from Bella as could be. This is what I needed. But first….

I nosed my way through her hair to her ear. "You're so fuckin' hot," I told her. I knew she heard me. I could feel the rumble in her chest as she moaned against me. I inhaled deeply. Her scent wasn't wholly unfamiliar, but different enough that I knew I hadn't been intimate with her before. I kissed her ear and sucked lightly on the lobe. She shuddered.

I moved one hand up and brushed the long hair off her shoulder, baring it. Dropping my head I placed a kiss on her exposed skin and ran my lips lightly back and forth from her neck to her shoulder and back. Her hand, which had been resting on my back, crept up until she could caress my neck. I could feel goosebumps erupt across my back.

She threaded her fingers in my hair and tugged, turning my face towards hers. I watched her eyes slide shut behind her mask as her lips parted slightly—an irresistible invitation. I captured her mouth with my own, sliding my tongue easily past her parted lips.

I could taste the alcohol she'd recently consumed along with the fruity tang of cranberry juice. Her tongue tangled with mine almost immediately. An uncontrollable moan bubbled up from my chest only to be captured by her eager mouth. The hand she didn't have tangled in my hair slid over my shoulder and down my chest. She pushed aside my jacket and grabbed my tie pulling it hard, keeping me plastered against her.

I could feel her breasts pressed against me. My right hand left her ass to slide up her side until I could graze the side of her breast. The gentle touch had my intended effect. I could feel her nipples harden against the thin fabric of my shirt. My lips slid from her mouth to her throat. I could feel the rumble there as she moaned, further inflaming my desire.

I broke off our kiss and grabbed her hand roughly. Pulling her behind me, I stalked away from the dance floor. I could see her, feel her, smell her and taste her, but I wanted to hear her, too. When she moaned into my kiss or screamed my name I wanted to hear it. I moved quickly until I felt her stumble. Slowing down, I snaked an arm around her waist. Once she was secure against my side I picked up the pace again. I took her down the hallway reserved for the offices. At this hour most of the rooms would be deserted. There was a small conference room where we had held meetings before the opening; no one would be in there tonight. If I remembered correctly, there was a low couch and a large table in the room. Either would do. Or both.

Reaching the door I pushed it open before practically flinging the girl in. Stepping into the darkened room myself I closed the door behind me and turned the lock so we wouldn't be disturbed.

A breathy "Edward-" was all she got out before I was on her again. Plastering my mouth to hers, I walked her backwards across the small space until I had her backed up against the couch. I reached down and grabbed her behind the knees, lifting her up and pushing her back simultaneously so she plopped down, as I dropped to my knees in front of her.

I kissed her hard and rough. Whenever I moved away from her mouth she would try to say something. Our obvious connection rendered us both incoherent. She made no move to stop or escape me. Our moans filled the air and I reveled in the sound of her. I was kissing her neck when I was simply overcome; I bit down hard where her neck and shoulder met. She cried out, a sound of pleasure mixed with pain.

I couldn't wait and judging by the heat I could feel where her hips were rocking into mine, neither could she. I moved down her body, kissing the exposed swell of her breasts. Her breath caught and she let out a whimper. My hands wandered down her perfect body, along the sides of her breasts, across the flat expanse of her belly before traveling back up.

I wanted to see her face. I pulled off my mask and flung it away from me. I slowly raised both my hands to her obviously expensive mask and gently pulled it up, taking care not to damage it while intensifying the anticipation. The feathery confection came loose easily, and I dropped it to the floor gently before turning to the girl still gasping on the couch.

The air in my lungs came out with a whoosh as recognition of her familiar face struck me like a physical blow.

Bella.

- - - - -

So, thanks to those of you who made it to the end of this chapter. Readers have been threatening mutiny ever since Edward concocted this plan to get laid. How do you feel about him now? Come to the thread and tell me!

twilighted(dot)net/forum/viewtopic(dot)php?f=44&t=7258&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

I will tell you, however, that you might want to go back and reread what Jasper said to Edward in this chapter. Just sayin'.

Please review, cause I'm needy that way.

Author extraordinaire, mskathy, is spearheading the fandom's efforts to help in Haiti. A $5.00 donation gets you a file chock full of outtakes, one shots and drabbles from 175+ of your favorite fanfic authors. I made my donation. Go here before 1/24 to make yours:

mskathyff(dot)blogspot(dot)com/2010/01/haiti(dot)html?zx=323f5439cb22ea08

Links on my profile include all the costumes 'cept Bella's, though her mask is there. The outfit she wears to lunch with Esme is there, though. Thanks, Kristi, for polyvoring for me.