AN: Much love to ShearEnvy for her epic beta'ing skills, and to everyone who reads/reviews. Another lame AN on the bottom. Forgive me.
Chapter 7: "Image"
"Time, which changes people, does not alter the image we have retained of them." - Marcel Proust
"You have six new messages."
Beep
"Bella, it's Angela. I have no issue with you working from Forks for a while. I consulted with the powers that be and they suggested a few ideas that might make it easier on you, like possibly reviewing some restaurants down there as a sort of out of town special. I'll do some rearranging and get back to you."
I breathed a sigh of relief and deleted it from my voicemail, moving on to the next one.
"Jezebella! Just calling to see how everything's going. Call me back."
Jake, of course. Delete.
"I haven't heard from you since yesterday. What's going on over there?"
Jake again. Delete.
"Seriously, Bella. Do you know when the last time I went twenty-four hours without having to listen to you bitch was? Call me, dammit. This just isn't right."
Delete.
"Hell, you're still alive, aren't you? No death by hugging?"
Delete.
"Shit, she's still alive, right? Please tell me you didn't kill the bitch and are trying to hide the body right now, because I'd be jealous I wasn't invited along for the fun."
I cracked a smile as I deleted the last one, shaking my head. I hadn't even heard my phone ringing- apparently the service in the area around Charlie's house was so sketchy that the calls were going straight to voice mail. It was Monday and only a little after two in the afternoon, but it was pitch black outside from storms rolling in.
I grabbed Charlie's cordless and dialed Jake's number, making a mental note to pay Charlie for the long distance fees. It only rang once before the line was picked up. "Who is this?"
"It's me," I said. "I'm calling from the land line because I have no signal on my cell."
"Land line?" I could envision his grimace. "Who the hell has a land line anymore?"
"A lot of people."
"No one I know."
"That's because you only know snobs and whores, Jake."
"I know you," he said. "So what does that say about you?"
"It says I should probably find a friend with better taste."
"There was nothing wrong with my taste until I met you, Bella," he retorted. "You're the .99 cent double cheeseburger in my caviar world."
"Ugh, I'd take fast food over fish eggs any day."
"I know you would," he said, "And how do you think your readers would feel to know their revered food critic - the pickiest bitch in Seattle - secretly loves Burger King?"
"I guess the same way your readers would feel if they found out Truth Be Told was written by a 30 year old, chronically single, gay cowboy."
He laughed loudly. "Touché. How about I won't tell if you don't?"
"Deal."
"So, tell me," he said. "Have you destroyed the evil villain and saved the damsel in distress yet?"
"Funny," I muttered, shaking my head. "But no, nothing yet. I still don't even know where to start."
He sighed dramatically into the phone. "You have what, three weeks?"
"Nineteen days to be exact."
"Nineteen days and you still have no plan?" he asked with disbelief. "Do you need me to draw you that damn diagram?"
"Yes."
He laughed but before he could say anything else there was a commotion on his end, a vaguely familiar male voice calling to him.
"Who's there, Jake?" I asked.
"No one."
"Wait, is it that guy again? That one from Vito Stella's?"
"Mind your own business, Bella."
"No, tell me!" I said, laughing. "Is it him?"
"Shouldn't you be concerned about your own love life right now?"
"Aw, come on! Did you coax him back to your apartment again?"
"No," he said matter-of-factly. "I coaxed him to your apartment this time."
I gasped, the line going dead before I could even find the words to respond. I dialed his number again, but it went straight to voicemail.
I groaned as it beeped. "If you touch my bed, you're dead, Jake. You hear me? Dead."
I grabbed the decade old notebook from the shelf in the bedroom and plopped down on the bed, pen in hand. I opened it and flipped through pages full of scribble about God knows what, settling on the first blank page I came to.
'Things I know about Tanya', I wrote on the top.
1. She probably can't cook
I shook my head. Even Charlie knew the difference between a colander and a cheese grater and he definitely couldn't cook.
2. She doesn't like alcohol
Something was seriously wrong with her on that one, that was for sure.
3. She steals shoes
Yes, I was still bitter about it, even if I hadn't liked them.
4. She can run in really high heels
If I hadn't already disliked her, that alone would be reason enough. How do women do that?
5. She's always chipper
It wasn't normal. No one was that happy all of the time.
6. She's young
She likely still needed training wheels to ride a bike.
7. She's beautiful
I wanted to smack some ugly into her. I bet she never went through an awkward stage like the one I couldn't seem to grow out of in high school.
8. She sucks
Probably literally, too. Ugh, gross.
Frustrated, I threw the pen down and lay back on the bed, already out of things to write. It wasn't helping, anyway. How was I supposed to make Edward see another side of the woman when I knew damn near nothing about her?
I'd have to learn more - it was the only way. But that meant I'd have to spend time around her, which wasn't something I particularly wanted to do. What if she just annoyed me? What if she made me sick? Even worse, what if I actually started to like her?
After a moment my phone chimed and I sat back up, grabbing it from the shelf where it lay. There was a new text and I opened it, seeing it was from Angela.
Sent you an agenda. Check your email.
I stood up and stretched, setting the notebook down on the desk and slipping my phone in my pocket before heading downstairs. I hesitated at the front door, staring out into the darkened afternoon. It was pouring and there was a fog lingering in the air that made it hard to see anything more than a foot away. I considered looking for an umbrella, or maybe one of Charlie's rain coats, but decided against it after a moment and just bolted out into the yard. The rain pelted me as I ran toward the Cullen's house and I hit a patch of mud, sliding and nearly falling, but I managed to catch myself before I face-planted into the ground.
By the time I made it the few feet onto their front porch, I was drenched from head to toe, water dripping from my hair. My clothes suddenly felt like they weighed a ton, the jeans uncomfortable and t-shirt clinging to me.
"Fucking Caveman Charlie, living in the nineteenth century," I muttered, pushing open their front door without knocking. I shut it behind me before starting toward the living room, my shoes squeaking on the wooden floor with each step I took.
Turning the corner, I ran straight into something and yelped, stunned when I heard Edward's voice. "Damn, you're wet," he said, holding his arms out to keep me at a distance. I looked down and saw a wet spot running the length of his white button-up shirt and grinned, realizing I'd done it.
"You're wet now, too," I pointed out to him.
"Yeah, well, you're wetter," he countered.
"I know, I got you wet."
"So? I could get you even wetter."
My brow furrowed as those words hit me and Edward tensed, seeming to realize what the hell he'd just said. We stared at each other for a moment, not saying a word, until both of us burst into laughter at the same time.
"God, you're still such a pervert."
"I can't help it," he said, shrugging. "It just comes out."
"Yeah, well, you ought to watch who you say it around," I said. "I'm not so sure your, uh... you know... I don't know if she's the kind of girl who would appreciate your humor."
"Yeah, she's not," he admitted.
I made a mental note - number nine, the sunshiny bitch couldn't take a joke.
"Anyway, did you need something?" he asked. "Or are you here to rob us? Because if so, you're a shitty burglar. You make way too much noise."
"I'm just here to steal some bandwidth," I said. "I need to check my email."
"Oh, you can use the computer up in my old room... if you want," he said.
"That's fine," I replied, following him upstairs. As soon as we stepped into the room he started up the old desktop, and I watched with surprise as it booted right up. "I can't believe it actually still works. This thing went through hell and back."
"I know, it's a miracle," he said, patting the top of the monitor. "No matter what I put her through, she never gave up on me. Kinda reminds me of you, Swan."
I laughed. "Nice to know I'm as reliable as a 1998 model Hewlett Packard."
"I used to say you were as dependable as my car," he said, smiling. "Remember that?"
I nodded. Edward had gotten a black Chevy Camaro for his sixteenth birthday. It was an older model - a starter car, as his father called it - but it ran without a hitch. He treasured the car and it survived many trips those last years in Forks.
"Whatever happened to the Camaro?" I asked, curious. In all the years we talked, he never mentioned it dying on him. I hadn't seen it there, though. Besides Esme and Carlisle's vehicles, all that was in the driveway was a small, silver Volvo.
"It's in storage back east," he replied. "Couldn't bear to part with it, even after buying a new car last month."
Storage.
"I'm as dependable as something you retired when you traded up for a newer model," I mumbled. The similarities weren't lost on me. "Nice."
He punched me playfully in the arm. "I still have it. Doesn't that count? Besides, I'd still drive it if I knew I could count on it not to leave me stranded."
"So what you're really saying is you're not so sure it's dependable, after all? This just gets better and better, Edward."
He laughed. "Shut up, Swan, and check your email. I'm going to get something to drink. Want something?"
"Uh, yeah, sure," I replied. "I'll just have whatever you're having."
He walked out and I begrudgingly opened Internet Explorer, going straight to my email. I logged in and groaned... nearly a hundred new messages.
I scrolled past those that were in response to my reviews, not even in the mood to deal with people, and opened the most recent one from Angela. There were names and addresses of a few restaurants in Port Angeles, a timeline of when to visit them over the next few weeks and when they wanted the reviews to run. The first one I was already familiar with - Bella Italia.
I was about to close the browser when a new message popped up from Jake, the subject line blank. I opened it and snorted with laughter when I saw it was another Microsoft Paint drawing. 'Diagram' was written along the top, and it was a picture of a red headed stick figure, literally on fire. Beside her was a brown haired stick figure holding a lighter behind her back, and a male stick figure was in the background, carrying a fire extinguisher.
Oh, if you only knew, Jake...
"What's that?"
Edward's voice sent me into a brief panic, and I quickly closed the browser before he could see. "Nothing," I replied.
"You're not looking at cartoon porn, are you? That shit's twisted, Swan."
I rolled my eyes. "Of course not. If I remember correctly, you're the one who looks up porn on this thing. I can't count how many times I walked in on you watching it."
He chuckled. "You always had perfect timing, though. You barged in after I was finished."
"Thank God for that," I said. "I would've been traumatized."
"Oh, it wouldn't have been that bad," he said, twisting the top off of a beer and handing it to me. "But then again, I probably wouldn't have stopped, so it might've been a little awkward."
"Awkward? That's the understatement of the century," I said, taking a drink before holding up the beer. "Thanks, by the way."
"Yeah."
"Are you sure you should be drinking?" I asked, watching as he took a long swig from his bottle. It was Rolling Rock, the kind I knew his father drank. We ended up stealing many of them from the refrigerator downstairs that last summer in Forks.
"I'm a grown man," Edward replied. "I can drink a beer if I want to drink a beer."
"If you say so," I said, taking another sip of mine and standing up from the chair. "So where is everyone, anyway? It's quiet."
"Dad's at work, as usual. Mom and Tanya are doing wedding stuff."
"What kind of stuff?"
"Hell if I know," he replied. "They talk, I nod. They said wedding and I zoned out."
"You don't seem very enthusiastic about it."
"You know that shit isn't really important to me," he said. "Those things never were."
"Yeah, I know," I replied, "but does she?"
No answer.
He took a sip from his beer as he strolled over, sitting down in the seat I'd just vacated. It was wet but he didn't complain, although he clearly noticed. "Do you want some dry clothes, Swan?"
"No thanks," I replied, looking at the mementos still sitting around the room. I scanned the dozens of ticket stubs pinned to a bulletin board, most of them faded from time. There were some from Edward's favorite bands, and I smiled when I spotted the crinkled one in the corner. The words were barely readable anymore, but I could faintly make out NSYNC written along the top.
"You actually kept it?" I asked, surprised.
"Of course I did," he said. "I went, didn't I?"
"Yeah," I said, laughing. "Yeah, you did."
"If you wanna fly, come and take a ride, take a space ride with the cowboy, baby," I sang loudly, excitement running through me. "Why-yi-yi-yippie-yi-yay-yippie-yi-yo-yippie-yi-yo!"
"This is the most ridiculous song ever made, Swan," Edward said, pressing the 'next' button on the CD player in his car. The song abruptly stopped, but I kept singing until the next one came on.
"Oh!" I yelled as 'Just Got Paid' started. "Just got paid, Friday night; Party hoppin', feelin right; Booties shakin', all around; Pump that jam, while I'm gettin' down!"
He groaned. "I stand corrected. This is the most ridiculous song ever made."
"You're wrong," I said, rolling my eyes. "Ice, Ice Baby is the worst song."
"Or that song by Devo," he replied. "I can't stand that one."
"Du-nu-nu-nu-nu, you must whip it," I sang, laughing. "Oh! What about Ace of Base? I Saw the Sign!"
Edward groaned. "Please don't sing that shit," he said. "That song or that other one they have... what's it called? She Wants a Baby?"
"All That She Wants."
"Yeah, that's it. Fucking horrible."
"How about that Rico Suave song? That's a definite classic!"
He smirked, shaking his head. "Yeah, but Rico Suave has nothing on the Space Cowboys."
"Oh, stop being such a downer. This is exciting!" I said. "I can't believe we're actually on our way to see the band live!"
He shook his head furiously. "Don't you dare call them a band, Swan. That's an insult to every musician that picks up their instruments to play their own songs. They're a group - a pansy ass, lip-synching group, at that - not a band."
I rolled my eyes. "Fine, the group. I can't believe we're on our way to see the group."
"Yeah, we are, so why do we have to listen to them now?" he asked. "Won't you get enough later?"
"No," I said. "You can never have enough NSYNC, Edward."
He shook his head but said nothing. I sang the rest of the drive, starting the CD over once it got to the end.
My adrenalin was surging by the time we made it to the stadium, my heart pounding hard in my chest. It was taking everything in me to stay calm, when I really just wanted to scream as loud as I could.
Edward was quiet as we took our seats, looking almost horrified. His eyes darted around at the massive crowd of fans, his body tense. A girl a few seats away from us shrieked loudly, tears streaming down her face before NSYNC even reached the stage.
"Please tell me you won't act like that, Swan," he said, motioning toward her. "I don't think I could handle it."
I laughed. "I'm not that crazy."
"Good," he said. "The last time I saw a girl screech like that was when me and Jessica..."
"Oh God, Edward. Shut up!" I said, shoving him before he could finish. "I don't want to hear about it."
"About what?"
"About your, you know, sex-capades."
He laughed. "Why is your mind in the gutter, Swan?"
"Maybe because I know that's where yours lives."
"Well, not this time," he said. "I was just gonna say when we broke up."
I felt stupid for jumping to conclusions, but my embarrassment was forgotten quickly when the music started up. The crowd roared, the air filled with cheers as the concert started with a bang.
Literally.
The pyrotechnics went off, loud noises ripping through the stadium and catching me off guard because we were so close to the stage. I yelped, immediately throwing myself toward Edward, and he wrapped his arms protectively around me as he laughed. "Scared?" he asked, leaning down to whisper in my ear so I'd hear. I shivered from the feel of his breath against my skin, the smell of his cologne enveloping me in his embrace.
"I'm good," I whispered back, but I knew he hadn't heard me. He'd already started to let go as NSYNC took the stage.
The concert was a whirlwind, and Justin Timberlake was so close than I could practically see the sweat glistening on his skin. I sang along at the top of my lungs, jumping and screaming along with everyone else. During the portion of the show where they slowed it down, Justin walked right toward our area and crouched down, holding his hand out while he sang along to 'Drive Myself Crazy'. Girls tried to push by me but Edward blocked them, shoving me in front of him. I reached toward the stage, my legs like jelly and heart racing wildly as Justin touched my hand, squeezing my fingers gently. I stared at him, completely stunned as he winked before moving on to someone else.
Justin-motherfucking-Timberlake winked. At me.
I'd died and gone to heaven.
I was in a stupor the rest of the concert, shaking and screaming the lyrics like my life depended on every single word. I'd turned into the crazy girl a few seats down, but I couldn't find it in me to care anymore.
By the time it started winding down I was utterly exhausted, my legs sore and throat hoarse. I rambled excitedly as we started out of the stadium and Edward hesitated, before grabbing my arm and pulling me toward the booths of merchandise. "You gotta get something, Swan," he insisted. "You can't leave a concert without buying a shirt."
"I'm broke," I said when we stopped in front of a seller. "You know that."
He pointed to a black shirt hanging up and pulled out some cash. "It's on me."
"You didn't have to," I said when he handed it to me.
"I know. I wanted to," he replied. "It's a large so it'll be big on you, but they're supposed to be that way."
I smiled - I wanted to kiss him for saying that.
God, how I wanted to kiss him...
I threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around him in a hug. "You're the greatest friend I could ever ask for," I said, feeling tears welling up in my eyes. I tried to fight them back, not wanting to cry and freak him out any more than he already had to be. "This has been the best night of my life!"
"You're welcome," he replied, chuckling as he hugged me back. I let go after a moment and pulled away, seeing he was giving me a peculiar look. He seemed puzzled, like I was some complex riddle and he was searching for the solution. It was like I was a stranger, like I was someone he was seeing for the first time.
It made me nervous.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing," he said, shaking his head. "It's just nice seeing you so happy."
"I'm always happy, Edward."
"No, you're not," he said. "This is the first time I've ever seen you this way. Usually you're so, I don't know... you're just there. But now you, well... you kinda glow."
My smile grew as I felt myself blushing. "I glow?"
He nodded. "Like an angel."
We stared at each other for a moment in total silence as those words hung in the air between us. People rushed past, still shrieking, but it was like we were in our own bubble where the world had suddenly stopped. Time stood still, nothing else mattering. Nothing existed anymore but us.
Edward's gaze was intense, but not uncomfortable. Almost as if in slow motion, he licked his lips and leaned slightly toward me. The butterflies in my stomach soared, my heart skipping a beat when I realized what he was doing. He was going to kiss me. Me.
And this time he was completely sober.
I closed my eyes, anxiously awaiting lips that never reached me. Instead his body collided with mine roughly and I nearly fell, my eyes snapping back open when he gripped my arms to keep me upright.
"Asshole," he muttered, turning to glare at someone who was walking away from us. "He knocked right into me."
My heart sank. Just my luck.
Edward turned back to me and smiled, the intensity gone and replaced with the usual friendliness. I wondered if maybe I'd just imagined it. Had it even been real?
"That was kinda cheesy, wasn't it?" he asked, laughing. "An angel?"
I smiled sadly. "Maybe a little."
He slung his arm over my shoulder, sighing, and the two of us started heading toward the parking lot. "Thank you again for coming with me," I said. "I'm glad you managed to survive NSYNC."
"Eh, they're not so bad," he admitted. "Not as bad as the Spice Girls, anyway."
"So are you free tomorrow?" I asked, chugging the rest of the beer before setting the empty bottle down on the desk beside Edward's.
"Uh, yeah," he replied. "I think so, anyway. Why?"
"Just wondering. I'm going to Port Angeles for work. I have to write a few reviews while I'm here and my boss wants me to start with Bella Italia."
"Bella Italia," he said, chuckling. "Haven't been there in years. Are you inviting me along?"
"Do you wanna go?"
"Depends. Are you paying?" I rolled my eyes and he laughed. "Kidding, Swan. I'd love to see you in action."
"All I'm going to do is eat."
"You're entertaining when you eat," he said. "You hum."
"I hum?"
He laughed. "Yes. I could always tell when you loved the food because you'd moan and hum, almost like you were making love to it."
My eyes widened as my face turned hot. "Are you kidding? No one's ever told me that before."
"Maybe they just don't pay you enough attention," he replied, shrugging. "You know, we ate at Bella Italia so much back in the day you could probably review it blindly."
"I don't think my readers would appreciate a review based on decade old knowledge, Edward."
He smirked, gazing at me from across the room. "Your readers," he said, repeating me. "It's a trip hearing you say that. I always knew you'd make something of yourself, you know."
"Pfft, what I do is nothing compared to you," I said. "I save people from a crappy meal. You save their lives."
It didn't escape my notice that his smile fell a little as I spoke, but before I could ask him why there was a noise downstairs. Tanya's voice called up, the tone of it like nails on a chalkboard. Edward and I both turned toward the door as her heels clicked against the stairs, heading right toward us.
She stepped into the room and hesitated a bit when she saw me. "Oh, hello! I didn't know you were here!" she said, her eyes scanning me. "And you're soaked!"
"Yeah, it was pouring when I ran over here," I said, noticing there was not a single drop of water on her. She had on a blue dress, looking just as perfect as every other time I'd seen her. "But I guess it's not anymore."
"No," she replied. "Thank goodness, too. Is it always this gloomy?"
"Yes," Edward and I said at the same time.
"It takes some getting used to," he said. "I almost forgot how much it rained around here."
"I didn't," I said. "I still deal with it every day."
"Well, it's awfully depressing," Tanya said. "But on the other hand, the flowers get plenty of water, so that's a plus."
"Yeah, maybe," I said when she looked at me expectantly, like I was really supposed to know about that. "I'm not really a flower kinda girl."
"Aw, all girls like flowers," she said, waving me off dismissively.
"Not Swan," Edward said.
"Yes, even her," Tanya insisted. "We all turn into a big ol' pile of goo when a guy gives us flowers."
Edward laughed dryly to himself and I shook my head, but Tanya ignored us both and just continued to talk. "Speaking of flowers, Edward, your mom and I looked at a few different florists today. I was thinking of going with roses for the wedding, because you know they're my favorite, but your mom suggested lilies. I thought that might work, but when we got to the last florist I saw they had a great selection of..."
I could physically see Edward zoning out as she spoke and probably would've laughed had it not been so sad. I didn't get it - why was he with her? What did he see in her to make him decide that she was what he wanted for the rest of his life?
Tanya didn't seem to notice he wasn't into the conversation and continued to rattle off flower options. "So what do you think?" she asked finally.
Edward shrugged. "I think whatever you choose will be fine."
She smiled radiantly and practically skipped to him, leaning down to kiss him quickly on the lips. "Ugh, you taste like beer," she said, pulling away. She looked back at me, her eyes drifting to the two empty beer bottles on the desk. "Isn't it a little early to be drinking?"
"No," Edward and I both spoke at the same time again.
Tanya looked between us briefly as we laughed, not seeming to find the humor in it like we did. "Okay then," she said. "Anyway, I think we should go to the florist tomorrow."
Edward's brow furrowed. "You were just there."
"Yeah, but I couldn't decide then," she replied. "I know what I want now."
"Oh, well, tomorrow's not really good," Edward said. "Swan has to go to Port Angeles to a restaurant and I kinda wanted to be there during one of her, uh... meetings? Appointments?" He glanced at me, his brow furrowed. "Conquests? What the hell do you call them?"
I shrugged. "Jobs."
"Jobs," Edward echoed, looking back at Tanya. "One of her jobs."
I waited for her to object, to insist he not go, but instead she just smiled. Smiled.
Why was she always fucking smiling?
"Okay, then. The florist can wait until after," she said. "It'll be fun getting to spend time with Isabella! And she can help me pick the flowers when we're done!"
She hugged me excitedly before bolting from the room and I tensed as those words sunk in.
Wait... what?
"Table for three," I told the hostess as soon as we stepped inside Bella Italia. She nodded and picked up three menus, leading us to a table toward the back. I slipped into the first chair, while Tanya and Edward took seats across from me.
Tanya was sporting her signature look - a small, bright dress - while Edward looked, well, mature yet again. His baby blue, long sleeved, button-up shirt seemed like it could've come straight from his father's closet, and was paired with khaki pants and brown dress shoes. He looked hot, but I didn't mean that in the drop dead gorgeous kind of way. I meant he literally looked hot, like he was going to fall the fuck out at any minute.
"You do realize it's summertime, right?" I asked.
He smiled. "Yeah, but thanks for reminding me."
"Anytime," I replied. "I'd hate to see you sweat to death, especially now. I'd never get to eat if you did, and I'm starving."
He laughed. "You always did have your priorities straight, Swan."
The waitress strolled over as we settled, a notepad in her hand. "What can I get you all to drink?"
"Something with alcohol," Edward said quickly.
I laughed. "I'll just take a Coke."
"A beer," Edward said. "Heineken, if you have it."
The waitress nodded, looking at Tanya. "Water is fine," she said. "Extra ice with a dash of lemon, please."
I shook my head. She special ordered her water.
The waitress walked off to get our drinks and we opened our menus, the three of us still scanning them when she returned a moment later. "Are you ready to order or do you need a few minutes?"
"I'm ready," Edward said, closing his menu. "I want the Cioppino and an order of Calamari."
I glanced at him with surprise - it was what he used to always order. Years may have passed, and he might look a little different in his respectable clothes, but he was still the same Edward, without a doubt. "I'll have the Eggplant Parmigiana and the Bruschetta," I said. "Oh, and a small Pizza Dimare."
The waitress gave me a strange look, I assume because I ordered more than one meal, but she didn't say anything about it. "Uh, for you?" she asked, turning to Tanya.
Tanya stared at the menu silently for a moment. "Just a Caesar Salad," she said finally.
The waitress took our menus and started to walk away, but hesitated after a few steps when Tanya spoke. "So what's it like being a food critic?"
"Uh..." I started, glancing at the waitress. She gave me a confused look before something flashed in her eyes, and she turned back around, dashing toward the kitchen.
Cover motherfucking blown. Angela was going to be pissed.
"It's nice," I replied after a moment. "It combines my two favorite things: writing and eating. Doesn't get much better than that."
"I bet," she said. "But how in the world do you stay so skinny eating so much food?"
I stared at her with shock, nearly choking on my drink. "You're asking me how I stay skinny?"
She nodded. "I'd be as big as a house if I had a job that required I eat a lot! I can barely keep my figure now."
"Uh, yeah. I don't know," I said, shrugging. "I don't really eat that much, I guess. I just taste a lot of different stuff."
"It sounds fun," she said. "You're lucky to be able to do something you love, like Edward does."
Edward sighed with frustration and I glanced at him quickly, confused, before turning back to Tanya. "So what do you do? I don't think I've heard yet."
"Oh, I was in college when Edward and I met. I just completed my junior year."
"Oh yeah? What's your major?"
"It was theater," she said. "I wanted to be an actress."
An actress. I wished I could say I was surprised, but I wasn't.
"Was?" I asked. "Is it not your major anymore?"
She shook her head. "I've decided not to go back."
I stared at her with shock. "You're dropping out of school your senior year? Why would you do that?"
"Why not?" she asked. "Things change. It's just not for me anymore."
Her answer made absolutely no sense to me and even worse, Edward didn't react at all. He didn't seem upset by the fact that the woman he was supposed to marry in less than three weeks was giving up and dropping out of school for the hell of it. After how much he used to push me to do something with my life, his lack of reaction left me dumbfounded.
Was he that blinded by love?
The thought brought back memories of Jake and what he'd said to me before I left Seattle. 'Love may make you blind, but the rest of us can still fucking see.' It was true. I could see, and what I saw was that she was turning Edward into someone he wasn't, someone I knew he never wanted to be.
He was becoming her Edward, but I wouldn't stand for it. There was nothing wrong with my Edward, and I refused to let him completely disappear.
The waitress arrived with our food promptly, piping hot and perfectly garnished. It didn't escape my notice that the portions were larger than what I was used to, and a complimentary bottle of their most expensive wine just happened to come with it. It was the exact reason why we did everything possible to make sure the critiquing was done in secrecy - once the staff found out, the entire review became skewed. It was like someone calling to say they were coming right over and instead of actually cleaning, to make it presentable, you just threw all of your shit in a closet and only let them see what you wanted them to see.
And what Bella Italia wanted me to see was that they were quick and generous, aiming for a review that said the same.
Again, Angela was going to be pissed.
"Can I get you anything else?" the waitress asked, looking at me. "Anything at all?"
I shook my head. "We're great, thanks."
She walked off but didn't go far, deciding to linger in our area. It was obvious to me that she was hovering, but I tried to ignore it.
"Oh disgusting!" Tanya screeched unexpectedly. Edward and I both looked at her, caught off guard, and I saw she had a look of horror on her face. "Why are there little fishies on the table?"
I smiled in amusement as she pushed the small bowl of anchovies away from her with just the tip of her nail, almost as if she were afraid of even touching them.
"They come with your salad," I said.
"Ugh, why?" she asked, sounding almost panicked about it.
"In case you want to eat them."
"Why would I want to do that?"
"A lot of people like anchovies," Edward said.
"Well, not me," Tanya replied, shaking her head. "I want nothing to do with those things. Get them away from me. They're like, looking at me!"
Sighing, I grabbed the bottle of wine and poured myself a glass as Edward covered the bowl of anchovies with a napkin for her. There was no way I was going to make it through dinner without drinking. I was certain of it now.
I took a bite of the bruschetta and it was fresh and toasty, the perfect combination of crunch and softness. Edward chuckled from his seat across from me. "Must be good."
I rolled my eyes but felt myself blushing. "It is."
He nodded and grabbed the bottle of ketchup, clearing a space for it. He poured some, covering at least a fourth of his plate, and starting dipping his calamari into it.
"You and your ketchup," I said, reaching across the table and snatching a piece of calamari from his plate. I popped it in my mouth, sans ketchup, and didn't realize what I'd done until I was already chewing. Edward didn't flinch that I was eating off of his plate, but from the corner of my eye I could see Tanya watching me.
"What is that?" she asked, reaching over to grab a piece herself. She held it up and examined it before taking a small bite of the coating.
"Calamari," Edward said, smothering some in the ketchup before eating it.
"Yes, but what's calamari?" she asked, popping the rest of it in her mouth. She started chewing, her expression shifting to disgust. Edward just smirked at her question, continuing to eat in silence.
"It's squid," I said, trying to hold back my laughter when she looked at me with shock, her eyes as wide as saucers. She grabbed a napkin from the table and spit it right back out, before downing half of her glass of water.
"Ugh, that's disgusting!" she said. I just shrugged, reaching over to grab another piece of calamari, and Tanya narrowed her eyes as she looked at our plates. "Does everything here come with fish?"
I glanced around, seeing Edward's soup filled with seafood and my pizza topped with the same. "Pretty much," I replied. "I mean, it is the Pacific Northwest."
Tanya scrunched up her nose, taking a bite of her salad. Number ten on the list - she obviously wasn't a fan of fish.
Bingo.
"So are you going to take Tanya out to La Push while you're here?" I asked Edward. "A trip like you and I used to always take?"
Edward shrugged, but I could see it caught Tanya's attention. "What's La Push?"
"It's a reservation not far from here," Edward said. "Swan and I used to go out there all the time for camping and stuff by First Beach."
"There's a beach?" she asked. I nodded and she smiled brightly. "I'd love to go! We should do that, Edward."
"You sure?" Edward asked. "I don't know if it's really your kinda thing."
"Why? You said Isabella always went."
I cringed when she said my name and Edward sighed. "Yeah, well, it's more Swan's scene. She can handle roughing it. She's tough as nails."
Tanya's eyes narrowed, and for the first time, I actually saw a spark of anger. We'd obviously pushed her buttons.
Score one for me.
"I'm tough," Tanya insisted. "If she can do it, I'm sure I can, too."
Edward shrugged. "If you say so. We'll go if you want to go."
"Great!" she said, smiling once more. "It'll be fun!"
"So, Tanya," I started, figuring I ought to keep going since I was on a roll. "Do you cook?"
She looked at me apprehensively. "Yeah, of course."
"You know, we used to have this tradition when Edward and I were growing up," I said. "Every year for our birthday, we'd make something for each other. We started doing it when we were young - I think I made him some cookies in my Easy Bake Oven the first year."
"It was chocolate cake, Swan," Edward interrupted. "I told you it tasted like it looked."
"Like shit?" I asked.
He smirked. "Close. I said dirt, since I was only six at the time and your father would've knocked my teeth out for saying shit. I ate it, though, because you made it and were watching me like a damn hawk."
I shook my head, laughing. "Do you remember everything?"
He glanced up from his food. "Yes," he said, his tone serious.
I didn't move for a moment, just sat there staring at him. He said nothing else, but his expression spoke volumes. He clearly did remember everything, and I wasn't sure whether that was good or bad.
Tanya cleared her throat. "You were saying?"
I looked away from Edward, sighing. "Oh, yeah. I was going to cook for Edward's birthday, for old time's sake, but I figured since you were his fiancée you could do the honors this year."
She stared at me. "Yeah, great," she said. "That sounds, uh, good."
"Awesome," I said. "I was just going to make his favorite food, since it's his birthday, but I'm sure you can handle it. That's not a problem, right?"
"No, of course not," she replied, glancing at Edward with confusion, her eyes drifting to his plate. I nodded, turning back to my food. Just as I suspected... she had no idea what that was.
Score two for me.
We continued eating, the conversation friendly. Tanya talked mostly, but about what I wasn't sure. I just ate my food and took a few bites from Edward's plate as I somewhat listened, while Tanya devoured her salad and complimentary bread sticks between words.
Somehow during the meal, the bottle of wine magically evaporated. I tipped it over to pour some more and only a few drops came out, filling my glass about a quarter of an inch. Edward grabbed it before I could, tipping the glass back and downing it.
"That's cruel," I said, pointing the empty bottle at him. "You stole it from me. Thief!"
"You snooze, you lose," he said, smirking lazily. He was clearly a little tipsy, having gotten a wine glass of his own while we were eating and helping me finish it on top of the beers he drank.
I reached over and snatched his bottle of Heineken, tipping it back and drinking what was left of it. It wasn't much, a few swallows at most, and was warm and bitter.
Gross, backwash.
I sat the bottle back down with a thud when it was empty, trying not to grimace. "I never lose," I declared.
He laughed. "Since when?"
"Since I said so."
"And that was what, about ten seconds ago?"
I rolled my eyes. "Why you gotta be technical?"
Tanya sighed and I glanced at her, suddenly realizing she'd gotten very quiet. "Excuse me," she said, pushing her chair back and standing up. "I need to use the ladies room."
She grabbed her purse and walked off as the waitress came over for probably the tenth time, making sure everything was fine. "Yes. I'd like the check now, though," I said.
She nodded and walked off, returning a second later with it. Edward tried to take it, but I grabbed it before he could. "Come on, let me pay," he said.
"No way! I invited you," I said, shaking my head. "Besides, I get reimbursed for it, so technically the newspaper is paying."
I picked up the bill and glanced at it - $91.16. "Holy crap, when did this place get to be so expensive?" I asked, pulling out my credit card.
"It's always been expensive, Swan," Edward said. "This is just the first time you ever paid."
"True," I replied. Growing up we'd always survived on just Charlie's income, as my mother never paid a dime toward helping to raise me. Edward, on the other hand, came from a well-to-do family with a hefty allowance and a trust fund to boot. So whenever the two of us went out, Edward always insisted on paying. I hated it, feeling so dependent, but I was never able to keep up with the Joneses. "So, tell me something..."
"Uh, in the movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, they used real live trained squirrels," he said.
My brow furrowed. "What?"
He shrugged. "You told me to tell you something."
I rolled my eyes. Smartass. "I don't even remember any squirrels being in that movie, Edward."
"It's in the new one, the one with Johnny Depp," he said. "Now you know."
"Well, thanks for telling me," I said. "One can never know too many facts about squirrels... I guess."
"You're welcome," he said, chuckling. "But what did you want me to tell you?"
I hesitated. "Oh, I was just going to ask if Tanya could really cook."
"Ah well, I can't tell you that because I don't really know. We're so busy that we eat out most of the time. She just moved in with me like three weeks ago," he said. "I certainly hope she can, though. I guess we'll find out."
I shook my head. They'd only been living together for three weeks. He was being such an idiot. He didn't even know this girl! "Yeah, I guess we will."
I paid the bill and Edward lingered by the table while I slipped off to the bathroom. The moment I opened the door, the sound of dry-heaving hit me and I froze. Under the stall the noise was coming from was a pair of familiar black heels... my black heels.
Well, now we knew how she stayed skinny.
"Tanya, are you okay?" I asked, knocking gently on the stall door. There was a rustling inside, followed by the sound of the toilet flushing. The door opened and she stepped out, grabbing a paper towel to wipe her mouth. She pulled some lipstick out and was reapplying it, smiling at me in the mirror.
"I'm okay," she said. "The meal just didn't settle well with me. No biggie."
"Are you sure?" I asked. "Maybe we should head home if you're not feeling well."
"No way. I'm much better already," she insisted. "No need to concern Edward about it."
She walked out and I frowned. This was getting worse and worse.
"Aren't they absolutely magnificent?" Tanya asked excitedly, linking her arm with Edward's and snuggling up against him.
"They're alright," he said, shrugging. "They're flowers."
Tanya looked at me. "What do you think, Isabella?"
"Bella," I corrected her for what felt like the fiftieth time. Was she that damn flighty that she couldn't remember? "And they're, uh, nice."
"Which ones do you like best?"
"Um, the white ones?"
She laughed. "Which white ones? There are so many!"
I glanced around at the hundreds of flowers in every color imaginable, having no clue what most of them were called. "How about those?" I asked, pointing at some.
"Orchids? Those are beautiful," she said. "They'd be gorgeous paired with..."
She listed some other flowers, but they were all lost on me. I just stood there, vaguely listening as my mind wandered. I caught Edward's eye after a moment, and he smiled softly.
"Miss Denali!" the florist said, coming out of the back. "What a pleasure to see you again! And this must be the groom."
Edward smiled politely and held out his hand. "Edward Cullen," he said, introducing himself.
"Shelly Cope," the lady said. "It's wonderful to meet you. Have you two settled on anything?"
I felt like the third wheel, awkwardly standing there by myself while they made arrangements that I hoped would never really be needed. I almost felt bad about it, wanting to tell the florist she was wasting her time, because there was no way in hell he was marrying that woman.
My phone rang after a moment and they all turned to look at me, their conversation coming to a halt. I apologized and stepped away, breathing a sigh of relief when I saw it was Jake. Tanya and Shelly went right back to their conversation, but Edward's attention lingered on me.
"Hey," I said, answering the call.
"Hey, Beautiful Bella," he said. "How's Operation Gank-a-Groom going?"
I smiled. "It's going, I guess. Not much happening right now."
"You only have eighteen days," he said. "What's the hold up?"
"I don't know," I replied. "I guess I'm just a little confused about it all."
"Confused? What's there to be confused about? Was my diagram not good enough for you?"
I laughed, strolling further away from Edward and Tanya into the sea of flowers. The perfume rolling off of them made my nose twitch. "It was wonderful, Jake, but it seems like a last ditch effort kinda thing."
He gasped dramatically. "How dare you doubt my plan?"
"Well, this isn't Four Weddings and a Funeral," I muttered, shaking my head. I wasn't trying to hurt the girl... I just wanted her to go away.
Far, far away.
"Did you even see that movie, Bella?" he asked. "It has a happy ending. The girl stops the wedding and gets the guy."
"Really?"
"Yes, really," he said. "If you watched any romantic comedies you'd know how this is supposed to go. Sweet Home Alabama, Pretty Woman, Bridget Jones' Diary, Two Weeks Notice... they all end with the girl getting the guy. Maybe you ought to watch a few, honey. Research. You don't want this to end like Titanic and have everything around you sink into oblivion with the boy in tow."
"Yeah, no," I said. "We definitely don't want that."
"Although, you know, the end of Titanic is sorta my personal dream," he said. "I certainly wouldn't mind Leo DiCaprio going down on me."
I rolled my eyes. "Oh, gross! You're sick."
He chuckled. "You know you love me, Jezebella."
"I do," I mumbled. "God help me, but I do love you."
"Good," he said. "I love you too, harlot. So I heard you were going to a restaurant today for a review and I have to admit, I'm a little offended."
"Why?"
"Why? Because I'm supposed to go with you to these things," he said. "You're supposed to be gallivanting around town with me so I can eat for free."
I smiled. "Jealous much?"
"Absolutely!" he said. "I had to pay for dinner tonight!"
"Wow, that's horrible. I'm so sorry you had to go through that," I said, laughing. "Today was sort of a disaster, though. I had my cover blown before I even got the food."
"Oh, Angela is going to be pissed," Jake said. "She's going to chew you up and spit you out for wasting time and money."
"Ugh, I know. Don't remind me. They even went so far as to send a free bottle of wine with the meal. It was the good stuff, too. Drank the whole bottle."
He groaned. "You drank? I can never get you to drink when we go out!"
"Yeah, well, it was sort of necessary this time."
"Well, now I'm really jealous," he said. "You knock that shit off, Bella. No more fun without me."
He hung up and I turned back around, instantly meeting Edward's gaze as I put my phone away. He was staring right at me while Tanya stood a few feet beside him, still chatting away with the florist. "Are you okay?" I asked quietly, approaching him. There was a far off expression on his face, a look in his eyes that I couldn't quite place.
He nodded slightly, like he wasn't entirely sure of the answer. "You?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine," I said, glancing around. I felt the tingle in my nose, a loud sneeze echoing through the room before I could try to stop it. Edward chuckled as I blushed, my eyes starting to water. "As soon as I get away from these flowers, anyway."
AN: This chapter was weird to write, considering I used to write NSYNC fic back in the late 90's when I was a young teen. It was my first "fandom". I'm not ashamed to admit it. My very first story, an NSYNC/Tales from the Crypt crossover oneshot, won a contest. I still have the NSYNC blanket that was my prize. I was so lame. Now that I've told you mine, feel free to share your embarrassing stories with me lol.
What do you think is the most ridiculous song ever made?