Thank you, readers, for putting up with my less than typical posting schedule these last two months. Things should be returning to normal and I'll be back to posting every two weeks for the foreseeable future. I know we all go through crazy times IRL, but I hate it when authors drop off the face of the earth so I tried to push through. Yeah, the updates were fewer, but they were there.

As always, thank you to Kristi, LisaC, Mel and LisaJ for their work on this chapter. I heart you ladies!

Chapter 42 – Down to Business

My first week as Angela's assistant went amazingly well. By the third day, I was laughing at myself for ever thinking that Edward and I couldn't work together like adults just because we had once been in a kinda' relationship.

Of course, our interactions were limited to a brief hello and goodbye every day. Angela said that Edward hadn't found a single fault with any of the work I turned in, however, and that, she assured me, was a miracle in and of itself.

When I got to work at one on my second Monday, I was surprised to find a huge floral arrangement balanced carefully on the corner of my desk.

"Who are these from?" I wondered.

Angela smiled at me as I put my things down.

"Probably from Jake," she said.

I squinted at the arrangement. It was possible, I supposed, but Jake wasn't thrilled with me working for the man he assumed was my ex, so it seemed unlikely. I picked up the small white envelope and opened it quickly.

Congrats on making it through the first week!
Love,
Emmett, Rose, Jasper and Alice

Despite myself I giggled at the card.

"What?" Angela asked curiously.

I held the card out to her. She took it from me and read it quickly before breaking into a throaty chuckle.

"They're funny," she commented, handing the card back to me.

I nodded, agreeing, and sat down at my desk just as the elevator chimed and Edward stepped off. He was reading something in a folder he was holding. He looked up and our gazes met briefly before his eyes zeroed in on the flowers on my desk. He scowled.

"From your boyfriend?" he asked.

"Uh, no, they're not from Jake." The scowl slid from Edward's face to be replaced with a look of confusion.

"Who are they from, then?"

I didn't immediately answer as Edward walked over and stopped before my desk.

"Umm…"

Before I could answer, Angela burst into a very loud and undignified laugh, startling Edward and causing me to giggle nervously.

"Bella?" Edward asked, clearly confused.

Hesitantly, I held out the card to him. He took it, glanced down briefly, and froze, a twisted frown on his face. I grimaced and wondered if I should have lied about the flowers being from Jake. Edward held the card out to me and I took it from him, our hands brushing together lightly. He snatched his hand back as if he'd been burned before turning abruptly and making his way to his office.

EPOV

Entering my office, I let the door close nosily. Leaning back against it, I allowed myself a quiet chuckle. Shaking my head, I walked over to my desk and got to work with a small grin on my face.

BPOV

Friday was the only day I had no classes and didn't work for Esme, so I worked eight to five in Edward's office. Since I usually brought my lunch to work it wasn't unusual for me to eat at my desk, as Angela and I were still working through a backlog of work left from the parade of failed assistants. Angela had already returned from her lunch when she got called down to Finance to help with a problem between our offices.

"I'm sorry, Bella, I know you're getting ready to eat. Would you hold down the fort while I handle this?"

"Sure, sure," I replied, knowing she wouldn't be going if it weren't important. Then I grimaced as I realized I was picking up Jake's informal phrasing. I'd have to be more careful.

The phones were fairly quiet. I took a message for Angela and one for Edward. He had had his door closed almost all morning. I understood that CE was making a play for one of their competitor's accounts and everyone was busy with the possible coup.

I was looking over a spreadsheet when Edward's door suddenly banged open startling me.

"Angela, I need you to come with me…"

He looked around, obviously flustered. "Where's Angela?"

"She's down in Finance dealing with a problem we're having."

"Shit." I was a little surprised by the expletive. Edward had been the soul of gentility since I started working here again.

"Umm…what are you doing?" he asked, his eyes darting around the otherwise empty office.

"Holding down the fort."

"Okay, listen, I know I'm not supposed to tell you what to do, but I need you to come with me now!"

"I can't leave the office unattended."

Edward's eyes brightened. "Call Demetri, tell him to meet us with the car outside the lobby. Then grab your stuff, we have to go." Edward spun on his heel and dashed back into his office. I called Demetri and was contemplating calling Angela when Edward returned carrying a sports coat and…my old Blackberry.

"Here," he said, handing the phone to me. "I never had it shut off. Have the office's calls routed to your phone. Let's go!"

I stood up and followed him to the elevator. He was stabbing the button impatiently.

"Edward, what's going on?"

"I'll tell you in the car."

I'm sure we were quite the sight, dashing madly through the lobby. I stumbled a bit and Edward grabbed my arm to keep me on my feet. We both squeezed into one of the tiny compartments in the revolving door and burst onto the sidewalk, just as Demetri pulled around. Edward waved him back into the car when he got out to open my door. Edward pulled open the back passenger seat and held it for me as I slid in. He followed right behind me instead of getting into the front. Quickly giving Demetri an address, he finally leaned back and sighed.

"Edward, is everything okay?"

He nodded reassuringly. "As you know, we're hoping to pick up a few clients that one of our competitors isn't serving well anymore. I got a call that three of those clients are meeting together for lunch at the address I just gave Demetri. I'm not at all sure why they're getting together, but if we can 'accidently' run into them at the restaurant, then perhaps I can open negotiations or at least get an idea if they'd be receptive to a proposal from CE."

"How did you find out about this?"

Edward shrugged. "A little industrial espionage. A VP at one of the client firms has contacted us about a position. He has a unique perspective as to what our clients want and we've been considering bringing him aboard. I think this is his way of proving his worth to us. If this lunch turns out the way I hope then he's secured his place at Cullen, as far as I'm concerned."

"Now, don't take this the wrong way," Edward continued, "but you're very business formal today. Could you loosen it up a bit?"

"Loosen it up?" I asked, startled.

"Yeah, lose the jacket, open a button or two, take your hair down, stow the Blackberry in your bag. I swear I'm not getting fresh, we'll appear less calculating and threatening if it looks like we're out for a casual meal."

I was about to protest when Edward ran his hands through his own hair, working it into its more casual disarray. He worked the knot on his tie and slid the silken strip from around his neck and tossed it in the front seat. He undid the button stays on his collar and swapped his suit coat out for the sports coat he brought from his office earlier.

Following his lead, I unpinned my hair and stowed the pins in my bag. I removed my suit jacket and laid it over the front seat and opened the top button on my blouse. I grabbed my lipstick from my purse and applied a slightly heavier coat that I would usually use for work.

"How's that?" I asked him.

"You look good."

"More relaxed?"

"Definitely."

"Thanks, you too," I assured him.

He flashed me the crooked smile I remembered so well from our time together and I was surprised by the little tug in my chest upon seeing it.

Suddenly, my Blackberry started ringing. I glanced at the screen automatically, but since the call was only being forwarded from my office phone, I couldn't tell who it was.

"Mr. Cullen's office."

"Bella? I'll be another 20 minutes or so, I'm really sorry…"

I interrupted her. "Don't worry, Angela. I'm actually not in the office right now..." Edward held out his hand indicating he wanted the phone so I handed it to him.

"Angela, it's Edward. We're out of the office. Something came up regarding the proposal we're working on for Whelk's clients and we had to move on it immediately. All of the office's calls are being routed to Bella's old Blackberry. You still have the number? Good. I'm going to turn off my phone. When you get back to the office cancel the call forwarding to Bella's cell. Only call Bella's phone if there's a real emergency. I'll explain everything when we get back." He paused, listening to Angela's response.

"Thank you, Angela. See you in a few hours."

Edward ended the call and handed the phone back to me while looking out the window.

"We're here," he said. "Demetri, bring the car back to the office. I'll either call you for a ride or we'll take a cab back."

"Yes, sir." Demetri replied, stoically, exiting the car and walking around to let us out.

"Ready?" Edward asked me.

I nodded with more confidence than I felt and he grinned at me.

"You haven't changed," he said, with amusement in his voice, seeing right through my confident façade. "You'll do fine. Just follow my lead and be your charming self."

I blushed at the hidden compliment and Edward smiled a bit more broadly. He reached out a hand towards my face, but pulled it back at the last second. Clearing his throat, he stepped out of the car as the door opened. Extending his hand to me, Edward helped me out of the car and stepped back so I could precede him to the restaurant.

Once we were inside, Edward did a quick scan of the dining room.

"There they are," he noted to me in a whisper. He tilted his head towards a group of men just being seated. He slipped something out of his wallet and approached the maitre d', speaking quietly to the man.

"Of course, sir," the maitre d' said, shaking Edward's hand. I remembered Edward's attempt to bribe the host at the diner we ate in so long ago. The memory brought a smile to my face. Edward, catching my expression, grinned and winked, also remembering.

"Miss, Sir…" the maitre d' said, "right this way, please." He grabbed two menus and led us slowly on a circuitous route through the dining room. By the time we passed near the table of men he was interested in meeting, they had been staring at us for a few moments.

"Cullen," the oldest man said by way of greeting, standing and offering his hand to Edward.

"Bob," Edward answered smoothly, "good to see you."

"You know Jose and Harry?" Bob asked.

"Yes, we've met. Gentlemen," Edward said, inclining his head at the other two. "Let me introduce you to my assistant, Isabella Swan. Isabella, this is Bob Banner, Jose Molina and Harold Greene."

The men stood as they were introduced and I offered my hand to each in turn.

"Call me Harry," Mr. Greene said, when I shook his hand, "Everyone does."

"It's lovely to meet you Harry, and you as well," I said, nodded at the other two men.

"Why don't you join us, Edward," Bob said. "We were just about to have some lunch."

"Is that alright with you, Isabella?" Edward asked, as if I really had a choice. He turned to Bob, "I've kept Isabella working through her lunch all week. I promised her a decent meal to make up for it."

"Certainly," I replied with a smile.

Bob told the maitre d' to set another two places at the table they were sitting at, and the man waved down a nearby busboy to take care of it. Once we were all settled Edward and I were seated next to one another. I was across from Jose and next to Harry, who sat at the foot of the table. Bob was at the head with Edward on his right.

Bob immediately commanded Edward's attention. I smiled at the two other men and opened my menu.

"Isabella, Isabella…you look familiar. Have you worked for Cullen long?" Harry asked.

"I started last October, but took some time off this year to return to school. The semester is almost over so I'm back, helping out Edward's First Assistant.

"What do you go to school for?" Jose asked.

"My undergrad degree is in English, but I'm currently working towards my teaching certificate."

"Noble profession, teaching," Harry commented.

I sighed, thinking of the torture my classes were. I smiled and offered him a noncommittal, "Mmm…" as an answer. Both men turned to their menus. I glanced at Edward and noticed him frowning at me slightly. When he noticed me looking at him, he forced a smile.

"Any idea what you'd like?" he asked.

"It all looks so good."

A server approached our table with drinks the other men must have ordered earlier. He offered Edward a drink.

"Just water for me, thank you, and a club soda with lime for the lady."

It was silly, but the fact that he remembered my preferred beverage made me smile.

We were quiet for a few moments until one by one, everyone closed their menus.

"So, Edward," Bob began. He seemed to be the most forward of the group. "I imagine you're aware of the problems we've been having with Whelk?"

"Of course. Whelk's been a formidable competitor, until recently. I can't say I'm sorry to see them stumble."

"Well I'm sorry," Jose interjected. "Every time one of their damn machines goes down I lose production time. Time is money and I don't like to lose money."

There was a general murmur of agreement from the men at the table, interrupted by our server's return.

"Is everyone ready?" he asked politely.

The men turned to me.

"Oh, yes," I started, "I'd like the porcini and ricotta ravioli."

"Certainly, miss, and you sir?" the server asked Edward.

"The grilled octopus and roasted beet salad."

The server went around the table with practiced efficiency before leaving us to restart our conversation.

The men went back to discussing business, though they'd ask me an occasional question. I listened intently to everything they said and tucked away a few tidbits to ask Edward about later. Our meals were served and the general conversation waned as everyone ate.

I had to admire Edward. His bold appearance at this lunch certainly derailed whatever industry business the men had planned on discussing. His sales pitch was so subtle as to be almost subliminal. I watched as he planted seeds in the minds of the men at the table.

"Excuse me," I said, standing to use the ladies' room. The four men at the table rose until I walked away. As I made my way to the bathroom, I dug my Blackberry out of my purse and quickly dialed the office.

"Mr. Cullen's office, Angela speaking…"

"Angela, it's me."

"Bella, what's going on?"

"Edward got some information about a bunch of Whelk's clients meeting today and we rushed over to invite ourselves to lunch with them."

"Sneaky," Angela breathed.

"Edward's doing great. He's selling Cullen like you wouldn't believe, but has barely mentioned business at all."

"He's good," Angela said, as if it went without saying. "Where are you?"

"Um, Park Grill?"

"Nice place."

"Yeah, the food is good."

"Well don't go feeding each other in the middle of the restaurant," Angela said with a laugh.

Although I was alone in the bathroom, I blushed to the roots of my hair. "Ha. Ha." I said to cover my embarrassment.

We talked for a few more moments before I disconnected and returned to the table. The men all stood when I approached.

"Please sit down, gentlemen," I insisted.

"Ah, it's not often we dine with such delightful company, Isabella," Harry insisted.

"I'm very much enjoying lunch, as well," I assured him.

"How much you paying her, Cullen? I could use someone this sweet as an assistant," Harry commented.

"I thought your wife was your assistant?" Jose interjected.

"She is." Harry responded, like he was telling the punch line of a joke. The men at the table chuckled appreciatively. I looked down at the table.

"Your dessert," the server interrupted, setting a small plate before me.

Edward leaned over. "I hope you don't mind," he said quietly, indicating the plate before me, while the other men were served their desserts. It held two cookies, two pieces of what seemed to be mint candy and two squares of chocolate. "I thought we could share."

My Monday night class has its final tomorrow and only sheer stubbornness was keeping me studying. Angela and Ben were spending the unseasonably warm Sunday together leaving me alone in the quiet apartment.

Quiet, except for the insistent buzz of my Blackberry. It seems I made a mistake telling Jake that Edward had returned my Blackberry to me. He was making liberal use of its ability to receive text messages.

whatcha doin?

studying

4 what?

my first final is tomorrow night

when will u b done?

i'll be here all day i'm sure

where's here?

i'm home

want some company?

better not i really need to get thru this

i can help

thanks j, but its better if i study alone. i need to do well on this test

i'm bored

go out with the guys

there all out with their gfs

sorry jake. next weekend is better

next weekend? what r u doin all week?

studying mon & tue for final on wed. working thu & fri. maybe fri nite?

k. maybe we can hit a club, celebrate finishing school

we can talk during the week. i gotta study, j. ttys

I sighed as I laid my phone aside, hoping he'd stop texting. Thankfully the phone stayed quiet. I returned to my text book, only to find my mind wandering. Jake wanted to go clubbing. I hadn't been to a club since…the last time I went with Edward. New Year's Eve. We had gone with Jasper and Alice. Edward and I had already been arguing about the issues that eventually led to me quitting.

Remembering that night made me feel out of sorts. It had only been a few days earlier that we were exchanging gifts and considering a real relationship.

My Blackberry rang. Jake! He could be so annoyingly persistent! I grabbed the phone and hit the call button without looking at the screen.

"I told you, I need to study!" I growled in my best no-nonsense voice.

"Bella?" Edward's warm voice washed over me.

"Edward! Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you were J…someone else."

"Am I interrupting something important?"

"No. I'm just studying for my final tomorrow."

"I won't keep you then. I was just wondering if you could get in contact with Angela. I need to ask her something but she's not answering her phone."

"She must have turned it off. She's out with Ben. Should I tell her to call you?"

He sighed. "No. I'm in the office and can't find the hardcopy file of the Stinson account. I made some changes and wanted to pull the pages with the old data."

"I'm sorry, the hardcopy is here. Angela and I have been bringing work home on the weekends to help with the backlog."

Edward let out a sound between relief and annoyance.

"If you tell me which pages…?" I offered.

"I really need to look through it," he interrupted. "I know that there are some receipts in there I could use to justify the changes to the board. Are you going to be home for awhile?"

"Um…yeah, I'll be here all day."

"Would you mind if I stopped by to pick up that file in an hour or two? I'll be in and out so as not to disturb you for too long."

"That's fine." I glanced around the apartment quickly and decided it was neat enough for guests.

"Okay, I'll see you shortly."

We hung up and I went to Angela's room to pull the file from the bag she used to carry the extra work home. It took me a few minutes to dig through the stack, but I found it easily enough. I laid the file on the table with my notes and went to the kitchen to make some tea.

I had just settled back in my chair with my drink when there was a knock on the door.

Wow, he'd gotten here fast. Maybe he was in the car when he called? No, he had said he was in the office.

I went to the door and swung it wide. The smile on my face turned to surprise when it turned out to be Jake, not Edward standing there.

"Jake?" I exclaimed with what I'm sure was unflattering surprise.

"Hey, Bella. I know you're busy, but I figured you had to eat." He held up a bag of what was obviously Chinese take-out.

"Thanks, Jake," I said slowly, nonplussed. "Uh, c'mon in."

Jacob brushed past me, stopping to admire the bonsai he'd given me when I moved in all those months ago.

"You're treating it well. It's thriving," he commented, "that's not easy. I can't tell you how many of these things I've killed."

"I think it just likes that spot," I commented. Jake grunted noncommittally and made his way to the kitchen. I could hear him rummaging in the drawers before he returned to the living room with two plates and a set of silverware. Jake didn't like eating with chop sticks.

He quickly set out the food on the coffee table, handing me a container of wonton soup. We ate side-by-side while he shared Quil's latest get-rich-quick scheme. Quil and Embry, though well-off by any standards, were pie in the sky kind of guys who were always trying to invent the next big thing.

Realizing that Jake hadn't brought glasses out for the bottle of wine he'd brought, I got up and went into the kitchen. Neither Angela nor I had had a drop since we'd overdone it a few weeks ago. I dug the glasses out of the cabinet and rinsed them, before wiping them dry. I grabbed the corkscrew and was heading back towards the living room I heard Jake call out.

"Bells? You've got more company."

More company? Who…? Oh. Oh!

I hastened my step to find Jake standing at the open door with Edward still in the hallway.

"Hey, Edward," I said, "why don't you come in?" Jake was staring at Edward, a frown on his face.

"Thanks, Bella," Edward answered, ignoring Jake. He stepped inside and I realized what he was wearing for the first time.

"You rode the Ducati?"

"Yeah," he replied with a casual smile. "The weather is finally comfortable enough to take her out for a ride. The jacket is great, by the way. Thanks again."

"You're welcome," I murmured, inexplicably embarrassed.

"Would you like a drink?" I asked to cover the awkwardness. "We were just going to open a bottle of wine."

Edward's eyes darted around the room quickly, taking in our meal.

"No thank you," he responded politely. "I didn't mean to interrupt; I just need that file…."

"Oh, right. Hold on."

I dashed back to the dining room and snatched the file from the table before returning to the living room. Jake had settled back down at the table and was working the corkscrew into the bottle, Edward was standing just inside the door.

"Here you go," I said, holding the file out to him.

"Thank you." He riffled through the file briefly before closing it back up.

"How's the studying going?" he asked.

"Slow. My final is tomorrow, though, so I'm in the home stretch."

"Great. That's great. Will you work during the day more when you're done for the summer?"

"That's the plan. Unless you have an objection…?"

"Why would he object?" Jake interrupted before Edward could answer. "I'm sure he enjoys having you around the office."

"Bella's an excellent assistant," Edward replied, "I have no objection to working around her school schedule."

Since when, I thought, mentally rolling my eyes. If he had been this supportive originally, we might not be here right now.

"I'm sorry that we had the file here," I told Edward, "do you need anything else?"

"No, this was it. I'll see you tomorrow. Good luck on your test."

"Thanks." I closed the door behind Edward and returned to the table where Jake was no longer eating.

"Done?" I asked him.

He turned to look at me. "I thought you were too busy for visitors today."

"I am. Edward just needed a file that we had here. He was only here for five minutes."

"If I wasn't here he would have stayed a lot longer."

"Well, you were here and he didn't stay."

Jake grunted again. He poured the wine and handed me my glass.

"Thank you."

We sat next to each other in silence for a few minutes, drinking our wine.

"Thanks for dinner," I said, finally, in an effort to break the silence. "I probably would have just had a sandwich or something if you hadn't stopped over."

I looked over at him when he didn't answer. He was staring at me intently. He leaned toward me slowly. I closed my eyes as his lips pressed to mine, softly at first and then with increasing pressure.

Jake's arms snaked around me and I slid my hands around his neck. He continued to kiss me, leaning in further. His hands traveled up and down my sides. He continued to press forward until our balance was upset and I fell back on the couch, Jake's heavy body lying atop me. His hands hesitated at my hips before slowly rising, this time under my shirt.

I stiffened slightly but Jake didn't notice. His hands continued to travel, pulling my shirt up in the process. When he reached the band of my bra, he ran his fingers along it lightly. When I didn't protest, he became more bold, allowing his thumbs to brush over my satin-clad nipples. My breath caught, but not in anticipation.

Misunderstanding my reaction, Jake groaned and slid his hands behind my back, quickly unhooking my bra.

"Jake, wait…" I tried to stall him.

"Shhh…" he hushed me. "I'll stop whenever you want. It's been two months, Bella. Let me show you how good we can be." He halted my protests with a searing kiss. His tongue plundered my mouth, running over my teeth, stroking my tongue.

His hands had returned to my breasts, under my loosened bra. He cupped my flesh gently, squeezing lightly, running his palms over my nipples

While his ministrations were not clumsy or unskilled, I didn't find them at all soothing. The more he touched me, the more tense I became. My thoughts whirled. Instead of the mindless bliss I should have felt, there suddenly wasn't enough room in my head for everything I was thinking.

I wrenched my mouth from his. Instead of stopping, he moved his lips to my neck and kissed me along the side of my throat.

"Jake, stop. No, I don't…Please. I'm not ready for this."

Jake released a shuddering sigh and I felt his body go limp on mine for a moment, before he slowly sat up.

"Don't tell me you're waiting for marriage," he said, more incredulously than cruelly.

"No, I just…I don't…"

"You don't what? You don't feel that way about me? What are we doing here, Bella? We're not kids. Either you want me or you don't."

"There's more to it than that."

"Like you're not over your ex yet?"

"Edward?"

"Yeah. Do you still have feeling for him?"

"It's not like that, Jake."

"Then tell me what it's like, Bella."

"I…I do like you, Jake, but as a friend. I thought…I thought if I spent more time with you, I'd come to feel about you the way you feel about me, but it's not happening. It's wrong of me to stay with you when I'm not as invested as you are. You should be free to find someone else."

"You're breaking up with me? I knew this would happen when you started working for him again. He's not good for you, Bella. He left you once, he'll leave you again."

I shook my head. Jake and I had never discussed my break up with Edward.

"Jake, Edward didn't leave me. I left him." I sighed. "I'm not the one for you, Jake. As long as you're with me, you're not looking for her. You should find her."

"I already did," Jake responded in a heavy voice.

Standing, Jake pulled on his jacket and walked slowly across the room. He looked so dejected I almost wanted to call him back. Almost. He paused when he reached the door.

"This doesn't have to be over, Bella," he said without turning to look at me. "If you change your mind…."

I swallowed so my voice wouldn't crack. "You'll be snatched up in no time, Jake. You're really quite the catch."

He chuckled mirthlessly, as he opened the door.

"Take care, Bells."

He stepped outside and closed the door softly behind himself.

"Bye, Jake," I whispered.

Angela came home an hour later to find me unmoving on the couch, silent tears still running down my face.

A surprising number of you were all Team Jacob. Hope you're not too disappointed.

Well, well…Edward and Bella have dined together again. I swear it was serendipitous that the real Park Grill in Chicago serves a dessert they call "Cookies, Candy and Chocolate." It consists of two pieces of each confection. Perfect for sharing. *sigh*

Did you recognize Bob, Jose and Harry? Hmmm?

Just to show you how even the smallest detail and suck up all your time, check out this article on button-stay collars I read to see if it was at all possible that Edward would be wearing a button-stay collar at work.

knol. google. com/k/understanding-the-men-s-button-down-collar#

Yeah, I'm a tad obsessive.

To answer your question…no, Kathleen does not know that Bella is once again working in Edward's office. Yet. She doesn't know yet. That'll be fun, right? *muahahaha*

Fic recs – let them know that Ironic Twist sent you!
No Holds Barred by jayhawkbb and To the Highest Bidder by rainygirl1978