a/n Hey all! Good to see you. Thanks for stopping by. I need to tell you that I absolutely appreciate all of the reviews. It makes my heart swell to hear what you have to say. Thank you, thank you, thank you. There are, of course, many others to thank. You know the saying that it takes a village to raise a child? Well, it takes one to get this fic posted, too! Breath of Twilight rocks my socks and pink pens the heck out of this before you see it. Thank goodness for her. RobotMoose, WickedWriterChick and BellaMadonna are also integral to getting this out. Thank you so much my bestest of best friends.
Disclaimer: You know the drill, SM owns everything Twilight. I just got to meet a lot of authors at ComiCon.
This one is a little shorter, but, I hope you enjoy Bella's take on their first date . . .
BPOV
"Thank you, Edward," I breathe out quietly as I can as he's closing the door. I can't believe that I actually allowed myself to do what I did last night. It was totally not something I would normally do. But, then again, I also can't say I'm sorry. It was an absolutely magical night.
Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, I don't have too much time to dwell on this, right now. I need to get out of here and down to the station. I'm pushing it as it is. If I don't leave in the next two minutes, I'm definitely going to be late.
Grabbing my cap and my holster, I head out to Bessie. Although I love her, it's more than time to find a replacement. I will, just not today. Cranky as always, Bessie gives me a bit of static before she fires up. But then we're on our way. I spend a little time ruminating over last night's escapades as I drive the ten minutes to the station. I confess I'm beat, but it's the best kind of tired I've been in a while. The activities that kept me up, causing me to feel this way, were well worth it. The man has magic hands . . . and a magic mouth, and . . . oh, hell, he's just magical all over.
I arrive at the station, park Bessie, and head on in. The guys greet me as usual; some a little crass, some more so. I'm one of the first female officers out on patrol. There have been, and still are, a few others, but most of the females that have graduated from the academy have opted for positions other than patrol. Me? I love patrol. Even if I do have to deal with these dipwads that think a woman's place is behind a desk rather than behind a wheel. I've proven myself to be competent often enough, they should be backing off. Dad keeps telling me they will.
Dad. Yeah, he's a cop, too. Not here. Not in Seattle. He's the Chief of Police in the little town I hail from. Forks, Washington. A tiny town about three hours from Seattle on the Olympic Peninsula. Not a lot of crime in Forks. Dad doesn't stay real busy. When I first told him I wanted to be a cop, he was horrified. Not too many Dads like hearing their baby girl wants to put herself in the path of danger. In fact, I think his exact words were, "No way in hell I'm letting you run around toting a gun." When he realized I wasn't backing down, he tried to make me say I would work in Forks. No way! I certainly didn't want the rest of the force looking at me as the Chief's daughter and not letting me do my job. So, I politely, but firmly, told my doting father that I would be applying for the Seattle PD. Thank you very much. And, here I am. Officer Bella Swan. Badge number 462. Seattle PD.
But, I digress.
The day begins with the morning roll call and announcements. A burglary here, APB there. The usual stuff. I can hardly wait to get into my patrol car and out on the road. Not only do I enjoy working toward maintaining everyone's safety, I just love driving around our precinct. It is in a beautiful area of town, pretty and calm, actually. The worst I've seen around here has been the occasional B&E and a few folks that like to speed along the residential streets. Case in point, Dr. Edward Cullen.
I smile as I think about him again. And, thinking about Dr. Cullen leads to thinking about our date. And then . . . after. He woke me up so sweetly this morning. I wish it had been a little earlier so I didn't feel so rushed. Maybe we could have had a bit of a repeat performance; my panties dampen at the thought. And then, he made me breakfast. And it was good! I chuckle to myself. He'd make a pretty good wife. Good in bed and can cook. What more could a person ask for?
The day passes rather uneventfully, as usual. I find myself recalling different moments of the incredible night before intermittently during the day. And, every time I do, my cheeks begin to burn from the huge smile that's lighting up my face, and my Fruit of the Looms get a little bit moister. I truly am looking forward to getting that phone call this evening. It can't get here soon enough to suit me.
As my shift draws to an end, I pull the squad car back into the parking lot at the station and walk in to finish my remaining paperwork. I notice that I'm getting some very strange looks from the other guys. What? Do I have spinach in my teeth? Mustard on my nose? Finally, one of the other officers, Tyler, gets brave enough to approach me.
"What's up, Swan?" he asks with a broad smile and a light punch to my arm.
"Whaddaya mean, what's up?" I can play this game, too. I swat him back.
"The guys and me, well, we were wondering what's got you so happy today. Usually you look, well, not sad or mad, but you sure as hell don't smile like you've been smiling today." He looks a little sheepish. I guess he was the one who pulled the short straw to try to cajole me into talking.
"I didn't realize I was smiling any more than normal." A bald faced lie. "You guys must be a little soft in the head today. Sorry to disappoint you, fellas. Nothin' special." I'm going to have to watch myself. But, I do feel a little lighter, happier, than normal. I guess being thoroughly fucked, in a good way, does put a bit of a spin on things.
Well, yeah. Edward is a good lay, but he is so much more than that. The way he looked at me this morning before he left, like I was something precious. The tingles I can still feel, all over my body, every time I think about him. The way we just . . . fit. There's definitely something special about this, and I intend to explore it to its fullest.
Finishing up the paperwork takes very little time at all, and soon I'm back in Bessie, headed home. It's nearly six, the time I told Edward I would be home. I really hope he calls early, so we can talk for a while before he starts his shift. I feel like I have so much to say. So many questions to ask. So much I want to know.
Arriving home just a few minutes before six, I throw yet another TV dinner in the microwave before heading to my room to change. A pair of sweats and a tank top later, my lovely dinner is ready and I sit down to enjoy. Yeah, right! Well, at least it fills the belly. I'm actually a pretty good cook. I used to cook all the time for Dad and me, when I lived at home. But, who wants to cook for just one person? Occasionally, I'll get a steak or some chicken to throw on the barbeque, but that's a pain, too. If this thing with Edward moves forward the way I'm hoping, maybe I'll get the chance to do a little cooking. Cooking for two is much better than cooking for one.
As soon as I put the last bite of my oh-so-wonderful dinner in my mouth, my phone rings. Perfect timing. I run to answer the phone, catching my toe on the end table just as I grab the phone. "Shit!" An automatic reflex pops out of my mouth, as I hop around on one foot while holding onto the one that is currently sending shooting pains up my leg and causing my eyes to tear.
"Well. Hello to you, too, beautiful." It's him. And I just cursed at him.
"Sorry. I caught my toe on the stupid end table, and it hurts like a bitch!" I apologize while rubbing my littlest toe, trying to get it to stop hurting quite so bad. "Shall we try this again? Hello, Edward. How was your day?"
Laughing, he answers, "My 'day' is just about to begin, Officer Swan. How was yours?"
"Meh, same old stuff. Catching the bad guys, chasing down doctors that don't know how to drive within the speed limit. You know, same ol', same ol'." I laugh with him.
We continue a light banter that seems to come so easily, until it's nearly time for him to go out on the floor. "Bella, I hope I'm not assuming too much here, but when can I see you again? My schedule is always somewhat up in the air, but I'm sure we can find some time to get together to go do something." I can hear in his voice he's a little nervous about asking, but I can also feel, underneath it all, the same draw toward him. My inner girlie-girl gives a whoop and a cheer jump, shaking her pom-poms.
We quickly compare schedules and find we both have a day off next week. We set a date for Friday, with the understanding that things can always change. Our jobs can create havoc with schedules and plans.
Getting off the phone proves to be more difficult than I had imagined. I just don't want to let him go. And, it seems, he doesn't want to, either. After several attempts to hang up get sidelined by 'just one more thing,' we finally say our goodbyes and reluctantly end the call. I sit on the couch, where I've spent nearly the past hour, just staring at the phone in my hand. It's hard to believe this man, this absolutely gorgeous man, is interested in me. Me! Mousey brown, plain old Bella Swan. I giggle to myself, hugging the phone close to my chest, then throw myself back into the cushions and kick my feet in the air like a sixteen year old girl.
e/n So? Whaddaya think? Did she like it? Did you like it? Let me know. You know how. That little button below! Thanks, everyone!