I'm not going to write a long A/N, I'm just going to say thank you to those still reading and reviewing. I really appreciate it.

"Your breath, your scent

Follows drifting on the vapor

I can't escape [him]"
 -Goodbye Young Tutor, You've Now Outgrown Me by Say Anything

Work seemed to drag on agonizingly slow. My eyes followed the tick of the secondhand on the clock for what felt like hours, but in reality is was only a minute. Edward was late for work that particular morning.

Angela, Alice, and I all worked in the gallery before going to lunch together. Alice had this coy grin on her face the whole time.

"You seem happy," Angela commented and Alice grinned even wider.

"What makes you say that?" Alice replied cooly.

I cocked my eyebrow, now genuinely curious as to what would make Alice so reticent about her personal life.

"Did the infamous Brandon perhaps meet someone of the male persuasion?" I chimed in.

The Alice did something I never thought she would do. She blushed.

"Alice!" Angela and I exclaimed in unison.

"I don't kiss and tell," Alice explained with a grin and then so gracefully waved her hand for the check.

Angela and I just looked at each other in shock.

"We shall speak of this, no more."

We returned to work without another mention of this mystery man that Alice met. The second half of the day didn't seem to drag on as long as the first. Finally, I was on my way home to prepare for the business dinner later that night.

I picked up my dress from the dry cleaners. It was a simple wrap dress I bought at American Apparel with Jasper last week. I pulled out Jasper's best suit from the back of the closet. It never got much action.

Quickly I got ready as the time was drawing closer to the seven o clock cocktail time. Jasper was no where in sight. I called him, but no answer.

"We're going to be really late if you don't get your ass here in the next five minutes. Bye!" I screamed into the phone for the tenth time.

I dialed his number one last time and loud music blasting in the background.

"Bella! Babe! Hey, I can't make it tonight, I'm so sorry, They won't let me leave. The band is rehearsing and they need me here. I love you, I'll make it up to you this weekend, I promise." And then he hung up.

For all the years I'd known Jasper he had only cancelled our plans once and that was when his grandmother died. He was more reliable than the postman. Rain, sleet, snow, he would show.

It finally hit me that I would have to go to this thing alone. And for some reason, I didn't mind that much.

----

The sun was setting when I arrived at the martini lounge, where we would be doing cocktails and a tapas dinner early.

I chuckled to myself. Last year I didn't even know what a tapas dinner was, let alone go to one.

His energy was all around me and I knew he was there. I took a deep breathe through my nose and opened the heavy black door. It was dimly lid inside the overly priced bar. The tables and bar were made of the same heavy black material as the door and he walls were exposed brick with old fashioned speakeasy signs hanging over every table.

Edward was sitting alone at the bar, a shot of some dark liquid sat next to a half empty martini. I glided to him and sat next to him. He turned to me and held up the shot and then drank it in one pass without even flinching. Then he downed the rest of the martini.

"Slow down cowboy, you're downing those a little to easily."

He just looked at me blankly and asked, "Where's your boyfriend, Miss Swan."

"Working."

"That's what they all say." He was bitter for no reason.

"Is something wrong?"

He rested his hand a bit too far up on my thigh, "Many things are wrong, but who am I to correct them."

Each word sent shivers down my spine. His hand grazed the fabric of my dress further up my leg. As much as I enjoyed the sensation I had to stop him from making an ass out of himself at a business dinner. I swatted his hand away and he walked away with a fresh martini in hand.

What the fuck just happened?

This was not my Edward Cullen. This was a monster that reeked of Jim Bean and Grey Goose.

I gave the bartender 100 dollars to stop pouring drinks for him, replacing all liquor with water and soda.

Other employees from the gallery arrived, like Angela and Jessica. Alice was the last to show up.

She floated elegantly into the room in a simple black dolman dress.

"Woah, what is up with Mr. Cullen? Is he an alcoholic now or something?" Alice asked me immediately after arriving.

"I have no idea, he was bad off the moment I got here."

This is going to be an interesting night.

Awkwardly we all made our way to the table for our meal of seared tuna and other assorted appetizers disguised as dinner. Alice sat on my right and Edward on my left. We began eating in silence, which I could tell was driving Alice mad. Finally, she stood and cleared her throat.

"Everyone, I just want to have a toast, to all of you for making me feel so at home in your gallery, these past few days. And I can't wait for the opening tomorrow," Alice finally broke the silence with her small speech, but only to be put down by Edward clapping obnoxiously loud.

I kicked him under the table. He misinterpreted my gesture of "shut up" for an invitation to a game of footsie. His shoe disappeared and his foot began sloppily sliding up over my calve. I had dreamed of touching him like that so many times, but I didn't imagine it like that.

I had, had enough.

"Mr. Cullen, I believe you've had too much to drink and it would be in your best interest to allow me to call you a taxi before your make a complete and utter ass out of yourself."

"Drive me home. I'm not leaving my car here." He tossed me the keys to his Volvo.

"Fine." I grabbed his hand and began dragging the lush out the door. Not before I took his wallet and paid for everyones drinks and meals on his credit card. It was the least he could do after behaving so intolerable.

The drive to his house was silent. He stared out the window with this smug look on his face. So smug I wanted to slap the smile right off his face.

"Turn here," he said and I did. "I'm the white house on the end."

His house was gorgeous. My dream house really. It was white, modern, clean, truly spectacular. I could only imagine what the inside looked like.

I pulled in the drive way and got out immediately to call a taxi for myself back to the restaurant.

"Bella," my name rolled off his tongue so eloquently, for a drunk man. "Please, come inside with me."

He placed his hand on my wrist gently tugging my along with him.

"Only for a minute," I said, more to myself than him.

I was right, the house was amazing on the inside too. Indescribably beautiful. Just so clean and modern. Sleek lines and crisp corners. It was much better than my cramped apartment. Floor to ceiling windows lined almost every wall, exposing a beautiful view of the beach in the distance.

"This is beautiful," I said, setting my purse down on the counter. His breath threatened to knock me down as it warmed the back of my neck.

"As are you." His hand grazed the side of my body, leaving a trail of goosebumps where a he touched. As badly as I wanted to just melt into his arms, I needed to retain my composure. I straightened up and pushed his hand aside.

"You're drunk." I walked over to an expensive coffee machine sitting beside his huge double door stainless steel fridge. As I attempted to figure out the foreign technology, I could feel him coming closer. His body pressed against my back and I about came right then and there. The desire evident in his touch.

"Mr. Cullen," I struggled with the next part. "Stop."

"Bella, we both know you don't mean that." It truly was the last thing I wanted him to do, but it was the right thing. I pushed him away for the final time and walked out of his house. I couldn't believe the audacity of this man. Thinking he knew what I wanted him to do. The sad thing was, he did know what I wanted him to do.