A/N: Thank you guys! I know I've been lax on the replies, but I swear its for good reasons. This chapter goes out to Hollowgo and WildImagination28... you two rock!
Disclaimer: It ain't mine, never has been, never will be.
I gave new meaning to the phrase "shredding strings" for the next few days, unable to be idle in the confines of my apartment. Work was the only distraction life provided from the constant question in my head now that I had asked Alice out on a date: Where would I take her? All day after she dropped me off I played guitar, finding myself more often than not floating into some Pink Floyd song or another. She was even affecting my music. Once upon a time, that would have made me angry, however now I found it made me giddy. I had to find out more about her.
I tried subtle things to get to know her a little more, like we texted 20 Questions (childish, yes, but effective) that Monday night. I tried to be smooth and just randomly toss in "What's your favorite thing to do?" but I was surprised when she shot a text back saying Can't think of what to do Saturday night, huh? ;) The message ended in telling me that her three loves included theater, dancing, but her heart lie with shopping. That made me break a sweat. How could I take her shopping? And on the first official date? I couldn't count her breakfast as a real date. It was more like an accidental introduction, but I wasn't complaining. Dancing, yeah I could do that, but it couldn't be the only thing. We could end the night dancing, if she wanted. But that wasn't enough. I wanted this to be perfect.
She liked to take walks on the Sound. Okay, I could do that, I often watched the sun set from a park near Alki Beach. As a matter of fact... I chewed my lip on Wednesday, holding my phone as I prepared to finally let Alice know I'd made a decision about what we were doing. Hey- how does a walk in Alki park sound, around sunset? Then maybe dinner? :) and of course, a little dancing to top the evening off? I sent the next with a nervous groan, hoping that she'd be okay with the plan. Already it sounded stupid to me, and I felt compelled to text her back and tell her never mind, that I could figure out something else instead. But before I could even twitch my finger, the phone buzzed in my hand and her name appeared on the screen. I opened the text with a swipe of my finger.
Sounds great! I love Alki Beach, the sunsets are amazing. I painted one there, once. Where do you want to go for dinner?
She painted one there, once? I wanted to see it... Name your taste... within my budget lol
I know a place, and its not far from the park. So, what time will I be expecting you? she asked me, and I thought about the time the sun usually set in July.
How about seven? That would give us a few hours to walk the park before the sun set, and catch a late dinner before going to dance it all off.
She agreed on seven, but I found myself secretly hoping that she would be the one to bring C.J. in for his lesson on Saturday morning. I confirmed and said good night, and she returned the sentiment. I threw myself backwards onto my couch, releasing a deep sigh as I did so. God, this was something else. I'd never been so scared and excited at the same time, and couldn't figure out which feeling had more control over me at the moment. My head fell to the left, looking out across my living room, and my eyes fell on my guitar, sitting up against the wall near the sliding door to the balcony. I felt my palms itch, missing the weight of the neck, and the grasp of a pick. My arms felt empty for a moment, wanting of the hollow wooden body, my fingers reaching for the strings and the bump of the fret bars. I glanced at the time on my cell phone. It was nearly eleven, and I had to be at work at eight. I bit my lip, looking back at Love, contemplating. I'd been busy texting Alice for almost two hours. Love had been sitting there since.
Take a guess at what song I played before I went to my room and slipped the CD into my stereo? Yeah. I was a complete sap and played her favorite song... I had a feeling I wanted to have it literally on my fingertips, just in case she wanted to hear it. Next on my list would be "Crazy Train" for C.J. That would be the first full length rock song that boy would play, I would see to it myself. I strummed my way across my acoustic, walking past the electric Fender on the stand in the corner as I wandered distractedly to my bedroom, kicking the door shut behind me as I entered with the chorus. I finished the song sitting on the edge of my bed, just playing in the dark, my mind caught on blue eyes and a bright, dimpled smile. Slipping my pick into the strings at the conclusion, I set my guitar on the opposite side of the bed, reaching behind me and pulling my shirt off by the collar. My camo cargo shorts hit the floor hard, the buckle from my belt clinking against the dull noise of the traffic outside my window and the hum of my ceiling fan. Lying back in nothing but my boxers, I listened to the five blades above me cut the air over and over, letting the sound take me into my dreams.
"I'm sorry, Bella, but you'll have to close Saturday night, it's unavoidable," Aro was saying to me through the front desk phone at the store on Friday afternoon. "Jane has the flu, apparently, and Marcus is out of town on business for me. I would ask Caius to do it, but we both know my brother would burn the building down if it didn't suit his fancy."
"But Aro- I have a date!" I said desperately, fighting for a lost cause, and my boss sighed into the receiver.
"Bella, again, I am truly sorry to spring this on you. But the store closes at nine, so surely you could make a late date?"
There goes all my careful planning from the past two days. "Yeah. Sure. Whatever. See you Monday." I hung up on him, secure in the knowledge he wouldn't fire me because then he wouldn't have anyone to stare at when he's in the store. That sorry piece of- I put my head in my hands, staring down at the numbers in front of me, watching them blur and merge together. How could he do this to me, on the first Saturday I actually needed off in the three and a half months I'd been working here? He'd never asked me in on Saturday before. How was I going to break the news to Alice?
I half heartedly dug in my pocket for my phone, pulling up the last text I'd received from her, sighing deeply as I started typing in the text box. Bad news. I have to close the store Saturday night. I'm sorry, it was last minute.
It wasn't long before my phone buzzed. What time do you close? she asked.
I explained to her that I would close at nine, but maybe not get out of there until ten. She suggested that she pick me up from the store after and we just grab some fast food and go eat on the Sound. We'll just hang out for a little while.
Sounded good to me. Okay, but I really am sorry it didn't work out.
It's okay, Bella! You have a job, it happens. So I'll see you around ten Saturday night?
She was amazing for being understanding, and I gave a tiny sigh of relief.
"Sooo... How're you feeling?"
I jumped at the sound of a man's voice that came from nowhere as I sat at the desk in the booth, hunched over some blank bars, filling in the notes for the juvenile version of "Crazy Train" that I was working on for C.J. I'd zoned out on the hum of the running amplifier beside my knee, and the comfortable presence of the electric guitar nestled against my side. I whipped around in the chair, catching the guitar before it crashed to the floor. Emmett stood there with a wide grin on his smooth face, and once again, C.J. appeared at his side, a shy smile etched on his little face. I felt myself break into a huge grin.
"Hey guys," I said easily, standing up and offering a hand to Emmett, which he shook, his own grin widening. "You ready for this, C.J.? I wanna show you what I'm working on."
"What is it?" he asked quietly, looking past me at the paper lying on the desk with his blue eyes narrowed.
"Hold on a second, let me talk to your uncle, and we'll get started. Go ahead and get your guitar and practice A Major and A Minor. I want you to be able to show me the difference of your finger placement on the neck, okay?"
"Okay! Uncle Emmett bought me a guitar, but I couldn't practice on it," he added, his head hanging a bit. "It was... a standard?"
I grinned, looking at Emmett, who rubbed his head sheepishly. "Sorry, little guy, I had no idea you were left-handed," he apologized, and C.J. gave him a pat on his forearm.
"'S okay, Uncle Em. Bella can switch the strings for me." And with that reassurance from a six year old, Emmett relaxed a little and C.J. walked off to claim his practice guitar, and soon mine and Emmett's conversation was hidden beneath C.J.'s attempts at playing the chords I'd shown him last week.
"So, seriously, Bella... how are you?" he asked, his eyes full of concern.
"I'm good," I said truthfully, grinning. I didn't want to tell him I was quickly becoming enamored with his magical pixie of a little sister.
"Alice told you that Edward and I lost that guy, right?" His jaw clenched, and his turkey-sized fists curled in on themselves.
"Yeah... did she tell you that there was a girl with him?"
He nodded. "I watched the surveillance cameras. I saw her. A leggy red head that he called over to talk to you. But the stuff he put in the shot, it's called MDMA, and the shot cup had copious amounts of residue. I sent it to the lab, and filed a report, but-"
"Huh?" Report?
He looked surprised. "I'm with the Seattle Police, didn't Alice tell you that?"
Note to self: Never ask Emmett if he wants a toke. "No, she didn't. But thank you, Emmett, I really appreciate it. But what is MDMA?"
"It's the chemical that's commonly found in ecstasy tablets, only this is the purest form that is available on the street. This stuff he fed you was so potent that I am willing to bet that he's the chemist that made it."
I mulled that over. "Are there lasting effects?" I asked quietly, not sure if I wanted to know.
"As long as you don't become a user, that bit he slipped you shouldn't hurt you. But he dosed the fuck out of you. Be careful, going to bars and clubs by yourself, Bella. You're a pretty girl... whatever your preference is," he added with a sly wink. Did he already know about the plan Alice and I had for tonight after I got off work? "A slime ball with a hard on will do just about anything to relieve himself."
I swallowed hard at the thought of what could have happened to me, had Jimmy Neutron not saw that fucker tip that shit in my cup. "Thank you, Emmett," I said again, glancing at C.J., who was now shooting impatient looks at me, and glaring daggers at his uncle for detaining me. "And tell Jim- Edward that I said the same. He might have saved my life last week."
"I'll pass it on," Emmett said with a nod, patting my shoulder; my knees nearly gave out under the pressure. "Oh, and my wife will be by here to pick him up." He paused, awkwardly, his face reddening a bit. "Look, if she... if she isn't the... nicest to you, don't take it personally, okay?"
My brow furrowed. "Okay..."
Emmett sighed glancing at C.J. briefly before leaning closer to me and lowering his voice to a whisper. "Alice hasn't shut up about you. We know you two are going to end up seeing each other, and... Alice hasn't had it easy in her romantic life. Rosalie is just super protective, and Alice likes you. We don't want to see her hurt again."
My face shot through with crimson, and my throat tightened with the nerves that shot through me. My collar felt hot and scratchy all of sudden, and I tugged at it as I nodded to Emmett. "I- I wouldn't-"
"I hope not... and I don't see it in you. But, I had to give you a heads up about Rose..." His voice trailed off as he peeped at his cell phone for the time. "I've got to jet. I have a three mile run and a two hundred dollar bet that I can do it in less than forty-five minutes." There went that toothy grin again. "Wish me luck."
"Good luck," I replied, laughing.
"Good luck tonight with my sister," he answered with a playful bounce of his eyebrows that made me blush again. What was it with these Cullens making me blush all the frigging time?
"Thanks," I said, not meeting his eyes again, utterly embarrassed.
"Bye, kid!" he called to C.J., who waved from where he sat with his guitar in his lap, looking back down and replacing his fingers on the frets carefully.
"Okay, C.J," I said with a sigh as I crossed the room and Emmett closed the door behind him. "Show me that A Major..."
C.J. was an easy pupil. He was quiet, attentive, and demonstrated the knowledge he gleaned with near perfect mimics of my own strokes and finger positions. He took in everything I told him. When I showed him the sheet music I was toying with for "Crazy Train", he squealed and jumped up and down excitedly for a second, forcibly reminding me of his true age.
"When do I get to try it?"
"Soon, hopefully. Don't forget to tell your mom that I need to switch the strings on your guitar so you can practice at home," I told him, looking at the clock to see that his time was almost up, and Emmett's wife would be there to get him soon.
"I won't," he promised. "I'll make Aunt Rosie call her as soon as we're in the car."
"Call whom, as soon as we're in the car?" a light, feminine voice asked from behind us, and I turned around to see the supermodel that had spoken.
She was tall, maybe 5'10, 5'11, with long blonde hair that cascaded down her back in large, elegant curls, and she had power-blue eyes that appeared amused as she gave her nephew a smile.
"Hey, Aunt Rose! I was just promising Bella that I would tell Mommy that I need my strings switched."
At the sound of my name, the woman's eyes shifted to me, and her eyes dimmed, then narrowed. I gulped. This must be what Emmett had warned me about.
"Are you ready, sweetie?" she asked C.J., after decidedly ignoring my presence.
"Yeah. I'll see you next Saturday, right Bella?" I looked down at his face, and he looked up at me with such admiration that I felt that blush creep up my neck. I wasn't used to being someone's hero.
"You got it, dude," I said in a parody of Michelle from Full House, giving him the customary thumbs-up that came along with the famous line.
He threw his little arms around me and gave my middle a squeeze before turning quite red himself, and then bolting for the door. I couldn't help but chuckle. He was so cute.
"Hey, you."
I turned my attentions back to his aunt as the door clicked closed behind C.J. In two quick strides, the blonde lowered her face to mine. "Alice is one the kindest, most generous, loving people with the tenderest of hearts. If you break it, so help me God, I will rip you limb from limb, and throw you piece by piece into the Sound. Are we clear?"
I nodded, struck dumb and mute by the intimidation rolling off this woman in waves. She didn't wait to see if I would collect my brain, either, she just whipped around and left me standing in the booth by myself, my mouth open in shock. At least Emmett had given me the heads up.
A/N: Yay for an update! Sorry guys, I really have been trying to get around to this, but as always, life is one big distraction! It might have been up sooner, had it not been for a certain reader with a bouncing tendency... :P