AN: Thanks for reading!
Chapter 1
I was already running late for work. I spilled some hot coffee on my skirt as I was rushing into the elevators.
"Shit!" I said, exasperated. I had a lot of work ahead of me and I think there was a staff meeting this morning. I was 24, but I still had the coordination of a two year old.
I dropped my messenger bag and purse into my office and buzzed for my personal assistant, Angela.
"Hey Angela, is there a meeting today?"
"Uh, I think so, Miss Swan. Let me check," said Angela. I heard some papers being shuffled around, crusty mugs being relocated, and her fingers skimming the pages of my schedule. "Miss Swan?" she asked. I hummed in response, "there is a staff meeting today, in five. Conference room three."
"Thanks Angela! Gotta go," I said on my way out.
Conference room three was on the same floor of my office, thank God, so I managed to squeeze into the room before it officially began.
"Bella! There you are!" I turned to the source of the voice and saw Aro, my "mentor" of sorts as he was the one who guided me as I climbed my work ladder. He was smiling cheesily in my direction. He reminded me of a lion just before pouncing on a gazelle or zebra or something, laughing at the animal before him, amused by its feeble attempts to escape its fate.
"Hey Aro," I responded. He was nice enough, but he gave me the creeps. He was full of bullshit.
"I've been looking around for you. The meeting's about to start," he said with a friendly smile. I smiled back just to let him know I heard and gingerly made my way to my seat. I was the senior supervisor of my department, which was a pretty good job if you ask me. I had plenty of income now and I had the liberty to indulge every now and then.
Ms. Hale took the center seat of the head table as the head of the Seattle based Pencil Works Publishing Inc. I was one of the many editors that worked here. I was actually lucky to have been able to snatch myself the position I have here. It was all luck and coincidence how my English Lit professor liked me and had connections and talked to a few people here.
As soon as Ms. Hale stood up, the whole room shushed.
"I am going to make this month's meeting short and sweet," Ms. Hale cleared her throat and went on, "The only thing I am going to announce today is the fact that Aro will be leaving us." A murmur of exited whispers swept through the room.
I looked to the right of me. The whole east wall of this conference room was transparent glass, and I looked at all the hustle and bustle going on, nine floors below me. Seattle was a crowded city and it never ceased to entertain me. I saw a tiny cab stop abruptly, a tiny man thrown out of the vehicle by the driver, and the driver himself get out. The tiny driver began yelling words I couldn't hear. He got in the cab again, slammed the door shut and drove away angrily. Then the tiny passenger staggered about and clumsily made his way toward a little shop. I allowed myself to smile a little.
By then, Aro finished with his speech, all about starting here thirty five years ago as a PA, then becoming an editor, and finally a supervisor. It was all lies, how he said he loved the atmosphere, loved his co-workers, and how deeply he would miss the people here. All bullshit.
Ms. Hale dismissed us shortly afterward and I slipped out of the stuffy room while everyone else crowded around Aro.
I took a sip of my now luke warm coffee when I sat down in my office. It tasted off, something foreign. Like the fist time I tried coffee, over ten years ago. I let my brain drift off, and I began remembering how Alice brought two cups of coffee, cups labeled with the familiar Starbucks logo. I remember bits and pieces. Like how I took a sip. Then how I felt like throwing up later. My contorted face as I desperately tried to keep it down. How Alice's belly laugh lasted for over ten minutes. How every time my name and coffee were mentioned in a sentence, Alice would start cracking up.
They were bits and pieces, but enough to bring back a familiar feeling of loss in the pit of my stomach.
I stood up quickly and went to the staff lounge so I could dump the rest in the sink. When I turned around, I ran smack into Ms. Hale.
"I am so sorry," I stammered. I felt my face begin to warm up.
"It's not a problem, Bella," Ms. Hale said with a genuine smile. I was stunned. She actually remembered my name.
I must have been standing there like an idiot because next thing I know, she's inviting me to come along to-
"Hold on, Ms. Hale. What did you just say?" I wasn't trying to be rude. I was just spacing out from shock.
"Bella, call me Rose. And I said why don't you join me tonight for some drinks at the R Place. My brother and his girlfriend are flying in from New York City in a few hours. I like you Bella." And with that, she turned and left.
I was still shell shocked. Drinks. Tonight. With the head of the company I work for. She likes me? What's that supposed to mean? Does she swing both ways. No, that can't be. She's gorgeous, I have to admit. Mile long legs, amazing curves, looks a super model would kill for, not to mention the platinum colored hair. All in all, she's hot.
After I thought about it for a few minutes, I beeped for Angela and asked her to connect a line to Ms. Hale's office for me.
"Bella!" Rose sounded intrigued, humored.
"Hey Rose," I was still uncertain about how casual my relationship with my boss was, "I think I'll be joining you tonight. I'm pretty excited to meet your brother." If he looked anything like his sister, he would be more than gorgeous.
"Alrighty then. I'm happy you accepted my offer. But really, you don't have to do this. I wanted to humor my brother because he always fusses about how I never have a male date. If I bring a pretty girl like you, he would freak! But hey whatever, I'll stop by your office around five thirty-ish?"
"That sounds great."
I let out a loud sigh when the line went dead. So Rose was going to use me to scare her brother? Ah who cares? At the end of the day, getting smashed outweighed anything.
Now I had to prepare myself for the date, or get together, whatever you want to call it. I had a polka dot patterned black and white pencil skirt with a white blouse on top. I didn't have time to really do my hair in the morning, so it was hung loose in my natural curls. I was decent. I hope.
Now all I had to do was wait. There were a bunch of documents I had to go through and correct. It was tedious work, but time passed quickly. Before I knew it, it was a quarter past five.
I applied a fresh coat of lip gloss and used a bit of eyeliner. There, perfect.
"Here we go." I whispered encouragement to myself. I could do this. C'mon, one night of drinking with my boss and a few strangers.
Right on cue, the door swung open. Low and behold: Rosalie Hale. Successful, beautiful, man eater, or should I say woman eater. I gathered up my things and after greeting Rose, headed out.
"I'm curious," I said as we stepped out of the building. "Why me? I don't want to be rude or anything but-" I was cut off by her laugh.
"I told you. I like you. I have a feeling we could be good friends. Plus, Jasper would be insanely jealous that I get to tap your sexy ass." She smiled at me and broke into a fit of laughter.
I couldn't decide if she was serious or not. But then I thought Fuck this! I'm going to have fun tonight!
Rose flagged down a cab and we made our way to the R Place. Once we got in the cab, Rose whipped out her Blackberry and called someone.
"Jasper! Jasper can you hear me? Okay good. Mmm hmm. Yup. Yeah, come to the R Place….yes that is the name of the club…..no wait…..actually yeah. Okay, see you later." Rose then smiled at me.
"Just so you know, my brother's name is Jasper."
"Cool name." I probably sound like an idiot right now. Good job Swan. "So he's flying in from New York?"
"Yup. I just told him to meet up at the R Place. I go there sometimes and it's an awesome place."
The cab pulled up in front of the club, and Rose paid, at her insistence "After all, I am the one who invited you", and we stepped in.
The bouncer waved at Rose in recognition and waved both of us in.
It was a chill place. I squinted a little to get used to the sudden dimness. It was still before six o'clock, so the evening crowd wasn't here yet. I went and sat down by the bar and saw that Rose joined me.
"Gimme two shots of margaritas. On the rocks!" shouted Rose. "I hope you don't mind me ordering for you."
"It's no problem," I assured her. I was still a bit jittery with anticipation and I decided that a little bit of alcohol wouldn't hurt.
An hour, a variety of drinks, and a phone call later, I knew both me and Rose were far past a "little tipsy". We were drunk, and I just enjoyed the feel of the alcohol coursing through my body, making me someone I wasn't. Someone with courage. Someone who let loose and had fun.
"Roossiie, where is your brother?" I slurred out. My arm tipped over my current drink, Sex on the Beach. Or was it an Appletini? Whatever, I lost count around drink number five.
"What? I can't hear you!" I shouted over the loud, pounding music. A bigger crowd began making its way through the club. Most of them went up to the second or third level, but a decent number stayed on the main level.
Rose leaned in close to my ear and said, "I said, he just called. He saaiid that he was on his way. He was loost." Rose snickered into my ear and I smelled her breath. It was tinted with alcohol, something sweet, and something minty. Mmmm. Wait, hold on, last time I checked, I didn't really do that, you know, get a little more friendly with girls.
Then I felt some suction on my ear. "That feels sooo good," I let slip out. Rose had her full lips around my ear lobe and was sucking seductively. "That is hot, Rosie, but I don't swing that way," I breathed out. Was it me, or was the room getting hotter by the minute.
"That's okay, honey. Maybe I can change you mind?" she purred and I shivered. God damn it felt good. Maybe I'll regret it in the morning, but right now I was in the moment. Nothing else mattered and I just let myself go. Stopped trying to hold it back. "Yeah Bella, don't think, just feel."
Rose slowly dragged her lips across my cheeks and stopped at the corner of my mouth. "Bella, you are so fucking sexy. You know that?" She talked against my skin and I'd be lying if I said that what's happening wasn't hot.
I was sure she was a second away from aligning her lips with mine when I heard a squeal from behind me. I didn't bother turning around. Shit happened all the time in busy clubs like these and I bet the bouncer already took care of the problem. Right now, all I concentrated on was the softness of Rose's lips.
I froze in shock when I heard a very loud and confused sounding, "Rosie?" It sounded male. Maybe it was the mystery brother, Jasper, finally making an appearance. I was annoyed that Jasper ruined the moment between Rose and me, but at the moment I felt like I was shaken awake.
Because I was shocked when I turned around and looked at Jasper Hale. And saw what was by his side. More like who was by his side.
It was dark in here, but I was sure my eyes weren't fooling me.
"Alice? Is that you? Is it really you?" I asked tentatively. I felt the tears welling up.
/
AN: And here is the end. I hope you liked it!