Why can't they let a girl marry three men, or as many as want her, and save all this trouble?
Dracula, Bram Stoker
Chapter 5 - Between the Lines
I ran into Jasper at the library on campus Thursday afternoon.
"Are you getting acclimated? Finding everything okay?"
He smiled and waved at a group of passing co-eds. They all giggled and waved back. What a flirt.
"Yes, thank you. This library is fabulous." I had uncovered a series of literary criticisms that, while not revolutionary, did give me a few key thoughts to noodle on.
"Alice wanted to pass along an invitation for Saturday. What was intended to be a dinner party has evolved to a night out. Apparently a band that Alice enjoys is playing at a local club. We'd love to have you and your flat mate join us if you are free."
I hadn't made any plans for the weekend on the off chance that I would somehow be able to see Edward again. He'd been on my mind non stop since he dropped me off Tuesday night. I couldn't rationalize my reactions to him, but I knew I wanted to see him again, badly.
It infuriated me to be so taken by someone that I instinctively wanted to dislike. Even more infuriating was the fact that, after one meeting, I would find myself thinking about the 'good doctor' at the most inopportune moments.
"That would be great, Jasper. I think we would both enjoy it."
He gave me directions to the club, as well as Alice's cell phone number should anything arise. I wanted to ask who else might be there, but felt awkward inquiring.
I promised myself that I'd be mentally prepared this time. There was no way he would be able to rattle me again.
After my tirade on Tuesday night, I didn't mention Edward to Rose again. She was distracted by 'The Redneck', and had come home Thursday evening spewing venom. Apparently she had a legitimate challenger for golden girl status. Rose didn't share the limelight well.
Friday afternoon, I was on my way home from campus, when my cell phone rang. I didn't look at the caller ID. I should have. I wouldn't have answered.
"Hello, Bella." I could hear a keyboard clicking in the background. I looked at my watch. It was 9 am in Chicago.
"Hello, Mike. What can I do for you?" My tone was cool. Our last conversation had not been a pleasant one, and I didn't want him to think that he was forgiven.
"How is London?" The clicking continued in the background.
"Good. I'm settled in, our flat is great, and the people at Kings College have been more than gracious."
I was careful not to give too much detail, but disclosed enough to let him know that things were good, and I was not regretting my decision.
Not that I was. But I didn't want to give him any room for I told you so's.
"I'm happy for you. I know how important this paper is to you." He hesitated for a moment. "Listen, Bella…I realize that I said some pretty hateful things the last time we spoke. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you, and I really wanted to talk."
I sighed. Too little, too late. He had four years to clue in, and he's doing it now?
"We've said all there is to say, Mike. Let's just agree that it's water under the bridge and move on, okay?"
The clicking had stopped.
"What if I don't want to move on, Bella? What if I realized that I was wrong?"
I stopped walking. A lot of things I might have expected, but Mike admitting he was wrong was not one of them. Mike was never wrong. At least not in his mind.
"Bella, look, I realize that I was being a self centered ass. I've had a lot of time to think, and I really do get it now. I wasn't supportive of you, of what you wanted. I could have done a better job."
He sounded sincere. There had to be something else going on. I stayed quiet, listening.
Waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop.
"Look, I know you just got over there, but I miss you. We haven't seen each other in over a month. I don't like that you are so far away. I just want you to be here, to be able to work through everything."
I sighed. There it was. It always came back to him, what he wanted. Me me me. I I I.
"Mike, listen, I'm sorry that you are feeling bad. But we need this time apart. I need to get my dissertation done. I've worked too hard not to see it through, and I can already tell that being here is going to do me a world of good."
"Bella, what can you do there that you can't do in Chicago? Come home, baby. I'll change. I promise I'll change. You can move in, just like we always talked about. You won't have to worry about rent, just work on your paper, and when you're done, we can pick back up with everything we planned."
I rubbed my eyes with my free hand. I didn't want to have this discussion anymore. I was tired of focusing on what he always wanted.
"No, Mike. I'll be here in London for six months. Maybe longer."
I heard his sharp intake of breath. I don't know where my comment of 'maybe longer' came from. It was a low blow, but he needed to realize that I wasn't going to come running back to Chicago and his open arms.
"Look, Mike, I need to go. I have plans this evening. Maybe we can talk again in a few weeks."
"Bella, wait…"
"Goodbye Mike." I disconnected my phone and tapped it against my chin, lost in thought.
I stood him down. I didn't give in.
Just a few months ago I would have gone running home.
Six months ago I would have never gotten on the plane in the first place.
The remainder of my walk back to the flat was spent reflecting on just how many changes I had made in a short period of time. One led to another which led to another. It all started with my decision to come to London.
To do something for myself.
Maybe Edward hadn't been too far off base in his assessment. Maybe I hadn't been living.
Saturday morning, Rose and I went shopping on Marleybone High Street. I was usually ambivalent about my appearance, but tonight I wanted the upper hand. I didn't want Edward to know just how much he got to me. And maybe, just maybe, I could look good enough to throw him off as well.
We were walking out of shop when my cell phone rang. Not to be burned again, I checked the display before answering. I couldn't help but smile.
"Hey stranger! How was your first week?"
I almost had to hold my phone out away from my ear,. Emmett's laugh was so loud.
"Interesting. I survived, and I think I am getting used to the time change. What are you up to?"
"5'3 if I stand up really straight," I quipped. Rose did a double take, eyes wide. "How about you? 6'4 isn't an answer."
"6'5 if you must know. And not much. A bunch of the things I had shipped over showed up yesterday, so I am making my new digs into a down right All American bachelor pad. I have my Titans helmet, my Nationals pennants, and my LeBron Fathead."
I had to laugh. Emmett sounded like a teenager tricking out his first dorm room, not a grown man with a successful career.
"I bet Martha Stewart has nothing on you."
"So what are you doing tonight?" He definitely didn't beat around the bush. "Hot date with a Limey stiff?"
"No, my roommate and I are going to go hear a band play. One of the guys who is helping me on my dissertation invited us to go with him and his wife."
I gave Emmett the name of the club. Hopefully Jasper and Alice would be okay with another person stopping in.
When I disconnected, Rose immediately went for the jugular.
"Since when do you flirt?"
I tried to look innocent. "I wasn't flirting. I was being nice."
"Oh no no no. That was most definitely flirting. I all but wrote the book on it. Now spill. Who was it?"
I felt the read start to creep in to my cheeks. Damn blush always gave me away.
"Bella…."
I huffed out a breath. "Fine, it was the hot guy from business class. The one with the arms."
I was never as afraid as I was of Rose in that moment. The look on her face was one of absolute glee. She rubbed her hands together, and looked an awful lot like a mad scientist.
"Is he coming tonight?"
"He might…" I didn't like her tone.
"He's not British, but it will work. Do we need to make you look fuckable?"
"Rose!" If my face wasn't already bright red, it was now. I should be used to how crude Rose could be, but it's totally different when applied to me.
"It doesn't mean you have to do anything, Bella. It's more for your mental state than his."
We stopped to get coffee. I thought about what she said. I did want to look good, and I did want to bring someone to their knees. It just wasn't Emmett.
Was I seriously thinking about this?
"Earth to Bella…" I heard Rose calling.
"Sorry, just thinking."
"You've been distracted all morning. Don't blame it on the hottie from business class, because I noticed it long before he called. Now spill. What's on your mind?"
I was distracted, but I wasn't ready to let delve into Edward. So I went with option number two, and admitted that Mike had called. Our cab ride home gave me enough time to recount the conversation. Rose, as I had expected, was pissed off. She blamed Mike for a number of wasted opportunities.
"I have to admit, Bella. I am proud of you. Last year you would have run home to him at his first request."
"Actually, let's be honest. I wouldn't have ever left Chicago."
She smiled. "At least you see it now. I know you don't want to hear it, Bella, but leaving him and coming to London was the best thing you ever could have done. You've changed so much. I mean, come on, you flirted with a guy today. Even better, a guy you hardly know."
She threw her arms around me and squeezed. "My little girl is growing up!"
"Don't go getting all gushy on me, Carol Brady. I admit, I am coming out of my shell a bit, but I am still me."
We paid the cab driver, and claimed our bags from the boot. I was slowly picking up British colloquialisms, and had to admit that I was enjoying them. The other day someone declared "Bob's your uncle!" I had to run home and google it so I could understand what they meant.
"So, little miss butterfly, are we going to vamp you out tonight? Pun intended."
"Ha ha. Very funny." She worked in vampire jokes wherever she could. She even gave me black nail polish for Christmas one year. It was fun to explain the difference between goth and vampire.
Rose and I met in our senior year of college. She had been fixed up on a blind date with one of Mike's fraternity brothers. The date had been an absolute disaster, ending in the guy having a frozen margarita dumped on his head. When I asked him if I could stick the paper umbrella behind his ear, I made a friend for life.
On the surface, you wouldn't think that Rose and I would have anything in common. Our looks, interests, and aptitudes were all totally different. Tall and blonde vs. short and dark. Mathematics vs. literature. Cars vs. museums. Yet for some reason, we just clicked. Maybe it was because we were so different; we complemented each other so well.
We lived together for two years in Chicago. She saw me through more than her share of Mike blow ups. In return, I saw her through more bad blind dates and fix ups than I
could count on the national debt clock. In the end, it always came back to the two of us. Our friendship was the bedrock. If one of us didn't approve, the guy didn't stand a chance.
Mike never got that. In the end, it may have been a large contributor to our demise. To me, friends are just as important as family.
Rose, unfortunately, had yet to find a guy that could even be deemed "meet the friend' worthy status. She had so much going on, but relationships seemed to evade her.
"Did I tell you that I called Mr. King?" Rose called from her bedroom. She over annunciated on his name, mimicking the accent that we were becoming so accustomed to.
"No! When!"
"Yesterday. I needed to blow off some steam after another go around with The Redneck. I swear that man lives to goad me. Anyway, he asked me out for tonight. I told him I had plans, but might have given him the name of where we would be. I hope that's okay."
"Rose, if I told Mr. Business Class to come, why wouldn't it be okay for you to invite Royce? The more the merrier."
I picked up the remote and cycled through the satellite channels until I found the one I wanted. Might as well start the evening with a little good ole fashioned rock and roll.
Before I could turn the volume up to eleven, there was a knock on the door. I opened it to find a delivery man holding a box.
"Rose Hale?"
"She's occupied. Can I help you?"
He pulled a large bouquet of violets, wrapped in trails of yellow ribbon. "That would be for Miss Hale."
He also handed me a small white cardboard box. "And this was propped against your door. Have a lovely day."
I thanked him and closed the door. "Hey Rose, you got flowers."
She sprinted into the living room and grabbed the bouquet out of my hand.
"Who are they from?"
She tore open the card, and smiled.
"Royce. To match my eyes. He's good."
"How did he get our address?"
"I told him where we lived." She looked up to see me holding the white box. "What's that?"
"I don't know. The delivery guy said it was propped against the door. My name is written on top."
I opened the box. Nestled inside was a branch that had been pruned from a wild rose bush.
"Ouch!" I pulled back my hand to suck on my thumb. The thorns hadn't been removed, and one of had embedded itself deep enough to draw blood.
Still sucking on my thumb, I retrieved the note stuck inside with my other hand and awkwardly shook it open.
Superstition says that wild roses can immobilize a vampire. Not sure if you had run across that in your research yet. Thought having one handy might be helpful should you run into one, benevolent or not. You never know when you might need to stop one in their tracks.
There was no signature. I didn't need one. I knew exactly who it was from. He's good indeed.
"So? Who is it from?" Rose pulled the note out of my hand and studied the message. "Leave it to you to find a man who is actually interested in Dracula. So is this good?"
I thought about her question. As infuriating as Edward was, he had indicated that he would see me again. And he did send me flowers, albeit in a rather unorthodox manner.
"Come on, Rose. You get your wish. Let's go vamp me out."