DESIDERATA
A/N: I feel compelled to apologize for the length between posts; my son came down with H1N1, so we've been more than a little busy around the Kimpy household.
Things I own: I broke down and got a New Moon Edward Cullen action figure, to go with my Twilight Edward Cullen action figure. Now, I have to keep them both from making out with my Jane Austen action figure. Given that she was born in the early 1800s, a threesome is clearly well beyond her personal boundaries and the social mores of 19th century England. I also have to keep the Edwards away from each other; making out with yourself has to be some kind of taboo, even if you are Edward Cullen. Just saying.
Things I don't own: Anything Twilight, it all belongs to Ms. Meyer. "Karma Police" belongs to Radiohead. "Dr. Hot Bitch" belongs to Ninapolitan; I simply abuse the use of it frequently.
My sincere and grateful thanks go to NaughtySparkle, who has shined the sparkle to Smirkypeen for some time now. Please give her your thanks for her assistance with concocting James and Renee's "punishment."
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: KARMA POLICE (ARREST THIS MAN)
"Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo." – H.G. Wells
Rosalie and Esme's POVs take place the night that the OK website post appears (Friday night). The Jasper, Alice, and Bella POVs take place approximately 36 hours later (Sunday morning).
RPOV
I am deep into a session with Emmett when his phone rings. Or, rather, he is deep in me…
"No, baby, don't stop. I'm almost there. Let it go!" I plead with him.
He doesn't need to reply; he just keeps thrusting, making me feel like his queen.
"YES! I'm there! Fuckfuckfuckfuckmeeeee!" I scream with satisfaction.
Emmett lets out a deep groan as he finishes. We collapse on top of each other, when another chime chirps from Em's phone.
I see him reach over and review the message.
"Fuck!"
"What?"
"Alice just texted me a 911. She's never done that before. I gotta call her, baby."
"Of course, Em. Do you want me to leave?"
He leans over to kiss me. "Are you fucking serious? Keep your gorgeous ass exactly where it is!"
I can see the concern written all over his face. He is such a good guy. "What is it?" he asks Alice. "You have got to be kidding me! What the fuck?"
My eyes are locked on Emmett's, and his tone has me worried. He mouths the word "tabloids" to me.
Oh, hell no!
I motion to him to hand me the phone. He drops it, and I grab it instantly.
"What happened?" I ask, without identifying myself. I'm too shocked to deal with formalities.
Alice explains the situation to me: "Go to the OK Magazine website. There is an article leaked about Bella and Renee that says they're working together to scam the Masen family fortune."
"Fucking James! He is constantly pulling crap out of a hat, but this is the worst so far! Thanks for letting us know, Alice. I have to call Edward."
"Well, I already called Bella before I talked to you, and apparently she's with Edward, so he already knows."
"Oh, she's with Edward? Huh. I guess I need to check my texts…I didn't know Edward and Esme came back to town. Jesus, I can't even leave for a second without something blowing up!"
"Well, just tell Em that I'll be here, and will try to keep the cell and land lines open. Let me know if I can do anything, okay?"
"Thanks, Alice. I really appreciate it."
"Of course, any time. Talk to you soon."
I click the phone shut and close my eyes so hard they scrunch up.
Jesusfuckingchrist, James Masen is a dead man! His balls are GONE.
No one, I mean no one, interrupts my weekend of hot sexing with Emmett! I worked so damn hard to get this whole weekend arranged. I need something to break. NOW.
I turn to Emmett, whose handsome face is a mixture of confusion, anger, and lust.
Goddamn, I cannot resist this man! He could run around in a tutu with drool flying out of his mouth and I would still fuck him silly.
"Okay, so you understand that this is very bad, right?" I explain.
"Yeah, I kind of gathered that."
"Well, I'm going to need to make some phone calls, and I also need to head back to LA, as soon as possible." The crushed look on his face goes straight to my heart. "I promise I'll make it up to you, baby," I coo, and stroke his cheek.
"Rosie, you just got here!" he says, his disappointment apparent.
"I know, babe, I know," I attempt to reassure him. "I'm sure the plane won't be here until tomorrow morning, so that leaves us a little time yet tonight. I just need to make a few phone calls right now, and then we'll pick up right where we left off, okay?" I give him a deep kiss that seals my promise to him.
I fumble through my purse to find my own phone and speed dial Esme.
"Rosalie? What is it? I thought you were in Forks for the weekend?"
"I am in Forks, Esme, but Alice just brought a tabloid headline to my attention. I need you to go to the OK Magazine website."
"All right. Let me grab Carlisle's phone," I hear her fumble in the background, then whisper to Carlisle, go to the OK website, sweetheart.
"All right, I'm scanning through it now."
Suddenly, I hear her gasp.
"Why, that little shit! He got Bella's mother involved?"
"It looks like it. What could he possibly be trying to pull here, Esme? How is this supposed to pay off for him?"
"Blackmail, pure and simple. He's seen how attracted Edward is to Bella, and now he's implicated her into a scandal. James has embarrassed her as much as someone can be embarrassed; he gave her an unwanted and unsavory spotlight in the tabloids, and linked her with her mother. He supposes that Edward will pay good money to get the heat off of Bella. I can imagine no other reason. I was always suspicious of his hooking up with Renee, but now I understand why; he simply wanted to get Edward where it would hurt the most. He is such a devious little SOB."
"I'm kind of surprised we haven't heard from him, then."
"He's going to wait until the fallout hits, then strike while the iron is hot. I have no doubt about that."
"What angle do you want to take this time?"
"We are officially abandoning our previous game plan. James just upped the ante by turning this into libel, and we are going to take legal action. We have to. I'll get the work with the legal team started, so we can slap an injunction on him. I hate to do this, but I also think we need to bring Kate on board, to do a counter-PR move. Once her story hits, it will negate anything James has to say in the future. I'm going to talk to Edward and Bella, to get things rolling. Will you get in touch with Kate and work that magic from your end? I hate to say it, but I'm going to need you back here as soon as possible. I'm sorry, Rose. I really am."
"No, no, it's okay, I already assumed I'd be heading back. Listen, we both have calls to make. Text me if you need anything else, okay?"
"Same goes for you, dear. See you soon."
While I was on the phone with her, I got a text from Edward explaining the OK situation and asking me to contact Esme. I text him back to let him know I'm on it. My phone rings almost immediately after I finish the text. Jasper?
"What is it now, my forlorn brother?"
"I just got off the phone with Edward."
"Oh, so you know about James' shit?"
"Yeah, Edward explained it all to me. James is such an idiot…Um, I'm going to be on the plane tomorrow morning, by the way."
"Really? Why?"
"Edward convinced me to go back to Forks and win Alice over."
"Seriously, Jasper? Do you have any idea how badly you hurt her when you left? You have the balls to actually come back here and beg for forgiveness?"
"Rose, how will she ever know how much I'm in love with her if I don't tell her? I understand that I hurt her—hell, I hurt us both—but until I apologize for what I did, I'll never know if she'll let me back into her life. I have to try. I need her back in my life, forever."
"You're really serious about this, aren't you? I don't think I've ever heard you speak about another woman like this before, not even when Charlotte broke your heart and ran off with Peter."
"Damn straight. I am going to do whatever it takes to convince Alice that I was wrong and that I will be sorry for my actions for the rest of my life."
"Okay, I'm sold. I'm here with Emmett, who happens to have a bounty out on your manhood right now. I'll make him promise to take you from the airport to Alice without killing you first. If Alice doesn't buy your apology, then all bets are off as to how many ways he will filet your ass. Which means you'd better pack your most charming persona tomorrow morning, or I'll be attending a funeral in the very near future. Do I make myself clear, Baby Brother?"
I hear him swallow audibly. "Crystal, Big Sis. I won't let you down"
"Fuck letting me down—you just make sure not to let Alice down."
"I'll see you in the morning, Rose. I have a lot of things to do between now and then."
I think it's too late in Iceland for me to call Kate about the PR interview, so I send her a text instead. I include the link to the OK Magazine webpage. I'm hoping that is enough to convince her to come out of the woodwork. She's been through years of therapy to get over James, so she isn't going to be thrilled about opening old wounds. Still, I'm fairly certain that she'll be on the same page as us once she hears what James is up to.
I hang up the phone and go back to Emmett. We still have a few hours together, I'm pretty sure I can think of some ways to pass the time. I find him on the couch, watching reruns of The Amazing Race.
"You seriously watch this show? Reality television just makes my skin crawl. Probably because I know so many of the people involved, and they are all narcissistic."
"Are you kidding me? This stuff is golden! I love to see the catfights that erupt. Plus, the challenges are really interesting. Like, this one time, they had to cross a river. They could use a hanging rope swing and bungee jump for the quickest route, or they could find their own way across, which took up a ton of time. I was surprised when even some of the guys wouldn't bungee jump. I mean, seriously, for the chance at a million bucks, who wouldn't bungee jump?"
"Did you just say '…chance at a million bucks'?"
"Yeah, that's the final prize."
"OH. MY. GOD. I need to make some more calls."
I flip through my address book, making my way to the "W" section.
Weinstein. Yep, that's it. I select the number and wait for the ring.
"Rosalie?"
"Weinstein, you owe me big time. I'm calling in my favor."
I hear him sigh in the background. "Why do I have a feeling I'm not going to like this very much?"
"Actually, Evan, you're going to love me."
"Okay, out with it, Hale. What do you need?"
"I have the perfect couple for the show you produce."
"Jesus, do you know how many calls I get with people begging to be on The Amazing Race? I don't have any say over who gets cast; it's out of my hands. Sorry."
"Need I remind you that I'm just a Personal Assistant, yet I somehow got speaking parts in our last film for your daughter and her hoard of friends for her Sweet Sixteen party? Do you understand how loudly 16 sixteen year-old girls are able to scream when they meet Jasper Whitlock face-to-face? Do you know how many hoops I had to jump through to make that happen? Do you remember uttering the words, 'I will owe you for the rest of eternity'? I'm calling in that favor, Weinstein, so I suggest you figure out a way to get them on the show. I don't care what you have to do, you will make this happen. I promise you, they are a very colorful pair, and they will definitely ramp up the ratings. The audience is going to absolutely hate them."
"You aren't going to let this go until I get them on the show, are you?"
"I'm assuming that is a rhetorical question."
"Fuck, we just finalized things two days ago. Why couldn't you come up with this idea sooner?"
"I'd say I'm sorry this comes at an inconvenient time for you, but I'm not even remotely sorry."
"Well, maybe we can pull a stunt where one team gets canned at the starting line. That always does well in the ratings. E-mail me their details and I will get the ball rolling. For the record, though, I no longer owe you for the rest of eternity."
"As long as you get those two on the show, I could care less about what you owe me. Seriously."
"Remind me never to get on your bad side, Hale. You're a tough cookie."
"Thanks, I take that as a compliment."
EsPOV
Once we get in the car, I'm preparing to give Volturis a call, when my phone rings first.
"News for me already?"
"Kind of. I just got a wild idea in my head, and made an executive decision to go with it."
"Well, then, what do you need from me?" I laugh. Rosalie knows me well enough to know I trust her judgment implicitly.
"Emmett and I were just watching reruns of a show called 'The Amazing Race.' Multiple pairs of couples travel all over the world, taking on all sorts of weird tasks, in an attempt to be the final pair. The winners get a million dollars."
"Okay, so how does this play into our legal action with James and Renee?"
"I'm getting there. So the show's executive producer, Evan Weinstein, owes me a huge favor. I called him on it, and now he's working to get James and Renee on the show. Can you imagine how hard they are going to fight to get that million- dollar prize? All the scheming and antics they are capable of? The other participants and the audience are just going to hate them. They're going to be the new Spencer and Heidi. The best part? No matter what happens to them, it will only be the equivalent of 15 minutes of fame, so it will be just enough to whet their appetite, but not enough to satisfy their narcissism!"
"Rosalie Hale, I am speechless. That is brilliant!"
"I know, right? So anyhow, I'm thinking we should still go ahead with the injunction and libel suit, to use it as our trump card. To entice them to take the spot on the show, we can tell them we will put the lawsuit on hold if they agree to participate. We make them sign an agreement that nullifies any contracts they have with Masen, and bars them from any future actions to get money from the family. If they attempt to do so in the future, presto! The lawsuit returns. It washes our hands clean of those two douche bags, while giving us an insurance policy against future actions. Pretty cool, huh?"
"So, you just thought all this up, got it coordinated, and worked through this plan in the last 30 minutes?"
"Uh, pretty much. Is that bad?"
"No, honey, it is the furthest thing from bad! It's genius. Edward is going to be so thrilled when I tell him about this!"
"Thanks, Esme. I guess I just have a head for revenge schemes. Oh, I also sent a text to Kate, but figured she wouldn't get it until tomorrow, knowing what time it is in Iceland."
"Right, I hadn't thought of that. Do you want to talk to Edward about this, or should I? I'm still going to get things going with the Volturis, though."
"Sounds good. Why don't you call Edward. I'll be in touch."
Carlisle looks at me with an amused smile.
"So, do you want to tell me what's going on? Hearing only your side of the conversation has left me guessing."
I lean over and plant a kiss on my gorgeous husband's face. "Well, our genius Executive Assistant Rosalie Hale dreamed up a plan to get James and Renee to be competitors on "The Amazing Race" television show. To make the offer even more attractive to them, we will have them sign an agreement that nullifies James' present contractual agreement with Masen and an injunction against any future claims on Masen money. Should they ever choose to break that agreement, we slap the libel lawsuit on them."
Carlisle whistles. "That Rosalie is really something, isn't she?"
I nod in earnest agreement. "I know. Who would have guessed we would end up with not only Edward's, but Jasper and Rosalie's talents as well?"
"We're a lucky pair. I should have known my life would be charmed the minute you agreed to marry me." I feel his hand on my thigh, carefully moving my dress up and away from my skin. I place my hand over his and sigh contentedly.
"You know I feel just as lucky, Dr. Hot Bitch," I purr, using the nickname the nurses at the hospital gave him. "However, I still have a few calls to make, and if you keep that up, we aren't even going to make it home."
He leans in and gives me a kiss; I feel his fingers 'accidentally' brush against my slit. "All right. I'll behave. Until we get home."
"That better be a promise, my love!" I warn, as I cup his package. Two can play at this game.
"Wait—how about I will behave as long as you behave; fair enough?"
I kiss him in reply and pull up Volturis' speed dial.
"This is Aro Volturi."
"Aro, Esme Cullen. I'm afraid I have some last minute legal work that needs your attention."
"What is it this time?"
"Well, I know you are familiar with James Masen from the agreement we drew up with him following his divorce from Kate Cullen. It seems that he has been a very naughty boy, and needs some punishment. I'm certain he's been talking to OK Magazine, and leaked a very unsavory story about Edward's new girlfriend and her mother going after the Masen fortune. It's positively grounds for libel."
"Let me look up the article. Are you sure James is the one who did it? Who is this Renee character?"
"Positive. There are details in there only James would be privy to. Renee Higgenbotham is the estranged mother of Edward' girlfriend, Bella. It appears that James hooked up with her for another shot at the Masen vault. For someone trying to be so clever, he can really be an idiot."
"So, what are you thinking? Is she involved, too? A libel lawsuit will be tough to prove. I'm assuming you want an injunction?"
"Absolutely. There is, however, a catch—Rosalie, Edward's Assistant, is working together with the producers of "The Amazing Race" to get James and Renee as contestants on the show. They stand to win a million dollars if they make it to the end. We plan to use that as an enticement, along with the promise to drop our lawsuit as long as they participate. Is there any way we can draft a contract or agreement for him to sign that outlines all of this? We want to make it so that he cannot come after Masen money, and is no longer a permanent employee of our company. I can't tell you how much revenue we eat up due to his careless mistakes."
"You know we can, Esme. This will require all of us, of course. I take it that you need this done in approximately five minutes?"
"Yes, something like that. Just work your magic, and I'll wait for your results. If you have any questions, you can call me, Edward, or Rosalie. We're all on the same page. Oh, Aro, one last thing—we'd really like for the injunction to cover all of Masen, including Bella Swan. We would all like very much for her mother to be barred from having physical contact with her in the future."
"Understood. We'll make it happen. I should have copies ready for you by 7 AM. I'll call you when they are ready."
"Thank you, Aro. You know how much your services mean to my family."
"Ms. Cullen, the thanks are all on our end. Have a pleasant evening."
My phone rings almost at once.
"Hello, my boy. What can I do for you?"
"Did you get a chance to talk to Rose? I got a text from her, but I wanted to get the details from you."
I rehash the specifics to my son, and notice that he has me on speakerphone. It gives me a silent thrill to see him pulling Bella into his life in this way. He is so obviously in love; I'm delighted that he chose a woman I'd be happy to claim as my own daughter. It fills me with so much joy. I've seen myriad relationships ruined by Hollywood; to know that these two have fought each other tooth and nail, but have finally come together, is a triumph. Bella's voice interrupts my thoughts.
"I beg your pardon, Esme, but Renee could fuck up a circle. I'm just not sure we'll be able to get her to participate in the way you expect. In fact, I've learned to limit all expectations I have of her, so that it leaves me with fewer ways to be disappointed."
I laugh at Bella's characterization; she certainly doesn't mince words. Such a good match for my say-it-like-it-is son!
"We're working on an agreement that will appeal to her financial motivations. Mark my words, Bella, our lawyers are crafting this to be foolproof; Renee and James will come out on the short end of the stick any way this plays out."
I hear Edward patiently explaining about the impeccable legal strength of the Volturis to Bella. He's so attentive to her.
"Thanks for taking care of all this, Mom. Bella and I are going to call it a night. We're both pretty exhausted."
"Good night, you two. I love you."
They both chortle a "We love you too!" to me.
I hang up the phone, loudly plunk it into my purse, then slide my free hand up my husband's leg. "Now, my dear Doctor, what is it we were discussing earlier? I seem to have forgotten…"
"You really shouldn't have said that, my dear. We're home."
*****************************
JPOV
I wake up in a tangled mess of Alice and sheets. Alice's head is burrowed into my chest, so I give her a kiss on the top of it. Her scent is so bewitching, it adds to my serious case of morning wood. I breathe in deeply and let out a long, contented sigh. I can tell Alice is waking up as well when she cuddles her body even closer to mine. I'm still half asleep myself until I feel her little hand close around my cock and gives me a few solid pumps.
Shit, I need to pee.
"Alice, I hate to say this, but I need to make a bathroom stop."
I hear her sigh loudly. "Yeah, me too. Let's go together."
The little dynamo springs out of bed, grabs my hand, and runs down the short hallway of the house with me.
"Do you want me to go first? Do you get stage fright?"
At first, I'm not quite sure what she is talking about, so I don't answer immediately. She takes that as a yes, and hops on the toilet. Oh, that kind of stage fright.
"Well, baby, I don't have anything to be afraid of, now do I?" I tease, as I stroke my hard cock a few times. Her eyes nearly bug out of her head.
"As much as I love to see you touch yourself, Jasper, you're not doing anything that's going to make it easier for you to pee, you know."
She's right, of course. I groan to myself while she giggles.
"Okay, I'm all done. I'm running back to bed, because I'm freezing my ass off. Do your business and hurry back!"
"Yes ma'am," I answer heartily.
When I'm done, I run back to her room, shutting the door behind myself. I hop into bed and scoop her into my arms immediately. It feels so natural, so right to have her here with me. I slide my hands down to her ass, cupping the smooth curves. I pull her into my hardening cock and lean in to kiss her. She utters no complaint about my actions, and goes so far as to hook one of her legs around my hip to bring us even closer together. I break from her lips for a moment to ask if she has a condom nearby. She starts sorting through the clothing amassed at the end of her bed until she finds what she's looking for. She rifles through her pocket and pulls out the last condom.
"We'll need to re-supply ourselves after this," she says, grinning at me.
While I didn't mean to get this serious with Alice so soon after reuniting with her, I can't help myself. I'm caught in the moment, and blurt it out before I even have time to think about it.
"Alice, will you please come back to LA with me?"
She gasps, puts a hand on my cheek, and just looks at me, saying nothing. I can't tell if that is good or bad, and it's driving me to distraction.
Why the hell do I do shit like this? Why couldn't I just wait and ask her later?
"Baby, you're killing me. I gotta know what you're thinking here."
"There are so many things to think about, Jasper. It means I have to close down my café. We've all worked really hard to build it up into its present form. It would mean giving up everything."
I try earnestly to sound accepting and not the least bit judgmental. "I understand, Alice. It is asking a lot; it's also pretty soon to think about living together. I'm just all wound up about reconciling with you…"
"Jasper, you misunderstand…I'm not saying no, I'm saying yes. I'm simply trying to work the logistics out in my head. Plus, it will really disappoint Emmett and Bella; I'm not just thinking of myself here."
"You mean it? You could really imagine yourself coming to live with me?" I ask, laughing like a madman. "Oh, and by the way, I don't think you need to worry about Bella. Edward isn't planning to let go of her any time soon, and I imagine she will be calling you soon to tell you the news."
"Really?"
"Absolutely. When we discussed my coming here to win you back, he was employing a similar strategy with Bella. He even used words like 'fate' and 'don't over think things.'"
"Wait, Edward Cullen said fate? The Edward Cullen, Masen Masterworks Director?"
"The same."
"WOW. He really does love her, doesn't he?"
"I can safely say I've never seen Edward so smitten with a woman before. I barely even recognize that it's him."
"I need to call her to let her know our news."
APOV
Bella doesn't even say hello as she picks up the phone, she launches right into a conversation.
"Oh, Alice, I have so much to tell you! You're never going to believe what happened…"
"Bella, I need to stop you right there, because you have to know what's going on. I'm closing the Wonderland Café, and I'm moving to LA to live with Jasper."
"You've got to be kidding me! I swear to God, you are a psychic. I'm just lying here with Edward, discussing how I'm going to be moving to LA with him, and wondering how to break the news to you and Charlie. Looks like you already beat me to the punch, Tom Thumb!"
We both scream into the phone for approximately an entire minute. I'm sure Edward and Jasper will have some form of short term hearing loss as a result. It's amazing to think that just 48 hours ago, I felt like my life was over, that nothing would ever make sense to me again. Now, I'm sitting naked in a bed with Jasper, screaming with my best friend, because we're both going to change our addresses to 90210 and don't even have to screw Brandon or Dylan to make it there. In fact, we'll be screwing the men of our dreams instead. This feels like the kind of karma we deserve.
My thoughts are interrupted by Bella's giggle—yes, giggle!—and I hear Edward in the background saying something about an "attack." That's more than enough information for me to say goodbye.
"Okay, Bella, I'll let Edward have you back, but you better believe that I want to hear every last detail of what went down the next time I see you, all right?"
More giggles. Who is this girl? "Yes, Alice, I promise. Bye!"
When I look at Jasper, he has the most amused, incredible smile on his face that I've ever seen. I can't not kiss it. Which reminds me that I have an unused condom in my hand…
BPOV
"I can't believe Jasper convinced Alice to move to LA with her! I never would have guessed she'd close the café. It's been her life for years now."
"Jasper is one suave dude. I knew he could charm the socks off of Alice."
"Yeah, well it sounds like he charmed a whole lot off of her besides her socks. Plus, we all know the socks don't even count, right? When it comes to stripping?"
Edward is suddenly on top of me, and I'm silenced by one of his signature kisses. He always makes me forget what the topic at hand is, what day it is, what's the date…he's better than any sedative, because I'm no longer oriented to person, time, or place. Unless the person in question is Edward. That's the only thing I'm aware of anymore.
I feel Edward's amazing cock react to our make out session—his hardness is jutting into my stomach. I need it to be lower. Much lower. I start moving my hips to encourage him to move south, when suddenly, I sit up straight, in a panic.
"Oh my God! Edward! We were drunk last night!"
He looks at me, concern etched all over his face. "Yes, we were, Bella. What is it? Do you regret what we did because of that?"
I try to swallow, but my throat is too dry. I manage to squeak out the words, "birth control."
His eyes register my panic at once. "So, I take it you aren't on the pill?"
Another squeak. "NO."
Now comes the part when I'm certain it's over. Nothing makes a guy leave you quicker than a pregnancy scare.
"Do you want to get a Plan B?"
"What?"
"Plan B—you know, the Emergency Pill?"
"Oh, I hadn't thought of that. Do you want me to do it?"
"What I want doesn't even matter right now. This is all about you, your body, and what you want. I will make it clear to you, though, that I support whatever it is you need from me."
I can't help the tears that start to fall. I'm incapable of stopping them. Is it possible that he can honestly be this sweet and caring?
"You won't leave me?"
"Jesus, Bella, no! I thought I made that clear to you—I'm not going anywhere. Ever. You're stuck with me. That's what you do when you love someone."
The tears start flowing in earnest.
"That's the kindest thing anyone has ever said to me. I can't believe you're for real," I tell him through my tears.
"No matter what challenges we face, we face them together, from now on. Deal?"
"Deal."
"Not to put any pressure on you, but the Plan B pill has to be taken within 72 hours, just so you know. You don't even need to see a doctor, you can get them directly from a pharmacist. Again, though, the choice is yours, and I will support whatever you decide."
"You seem to know an awful lot about it."
"I'm a director. Believe me, onset dalliances are very common. These things happen. I've had to calm my actors down more than once."
I feel my cheeks flush. "Oh, I guess I didn't think about that. Have you ever thought of having children?"
"With parents like mine? Of course I have. It never made sense for me until I met the right woman, though."
"Is that me?"
Smirky leans over and gives me another one of those too-good-to-be-legal kisses, then whispers, "What do you think?"
END NOTE: Join our friends Ninapolitan, Lolashoes, and TBY789 in giving childhood cancer a kick in the nuts: more information at http://bit (dot) ly/6KcOf
As a pediatric ICU nurse, I see the effects of childhood cancers up close and personal almost every day, and I encourage you to join the fight.
The "Renee could fuck up a circle" quote is a bastardized version of one given to me by loyal reader and reviewer, DICATAKADD.
Yes, I originally said there would be 25 chapters plus an epi; No, I am not mean enough to end things on this note. Yes, there will be another chapter, then the epi. Then that's it. I swear.