Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just decided it was time to shake things up a bit in her characters' world. And I wanted a bitchy Bella, so here we go!
Oh, and all of the references used in this story in relation to the advertising and marketing company and accounts are only used here for entertainment purposes; no copyright infringement intended.
Enjoy and review (be kind, but honest)!
Thank you, thank you to my wicked awesome beta, Flyaway Dove (Awesome Amanda) and of course to angelicwish for helping me learn the ropes. And a special gracias to my bestie Jen, who encourages me to keep writing, as well as one to my new Newfie pal Selita – you girls are the best!
And to all of those who are reading and leaving me presents in the form of reviews – I heart you all!
Okay, so Bella is going to try the whole being human thing – let's see how she does!
Chapter Six: Damage control
Around two o'clock I managed to drag my sorry ass out of bed and looked around my townhouse to survey the damage. Thankfully, aside from my clothes strewn all over the bedroom, and a few wet towels in my master bathroom, the place was still spotless. If I had been in destruction mode when Rose brought me home, she had cleaned up after me. I took a shower trying to wash the night and the booze off my skin, and felt worlds better afterward, as I redressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. Refilling my water glass, I padded out of the kitchen and plunked down on the sofa.
I'd better call Alice and Esme and apologize. Reaching for the phone, I dialed Alice's cell phone first, and after a few rings I heard her chipper voice on the other end, asking me how I was feeling. We spoke for a few minutes and I apologized profusely, but Alice shook it off, assuring me that everything would be fine.
"Bella, please don't worry; Jasper thought the entire exchange was rather funny, and he admired your moxie," she said. "Apparently no one has ever spoken to Edward like that, and Jasper and Carlisle really got a kick out of you. Oh, and did you know that Carlisle asked for Esme's number?"
I could practically hear her bouncing off the walls in excitement. "That's great Alice. Carlisle seemed like a nice guy – the little I remember of him."
This is pathetic. I ruined what could have been a perfectly decent night out. Glad I didn't ruin it for everyone else. Except Edward – ha!
Since she was still with Jasper, Alice ended the call after that bit of news and told me she'd call me later. Then I called Esme, apologized and asked her about Carlisle. We spoke for about twenty minutes and then she excused herself so she could finish her Saturday errands. After suggesting a brief meeting on Monday morning, we agreed on an early one and said our goodbyes. What would I ever do without her? I spent the rest of the afternoon vegging out in front of the TV, watching old movies. My brain was total mush.
The weekend flew by, and by Sunday night I had this pit in my stomach that seemed to grow by the hour. Knowing I would have to face Edward Cullen made me nauseous, and all I could do was hope that with Esme there he wouldn't strangle me. And that with her there, I wouldn't be inclined to strangle him, too. Shit, this is going to be a disaster.
On Monday morning I made an effort to be extra early; Esme and I had agreed to meet at 7:30 before the day began and before my status meetings with the different exec teams. Edward would be sitting in on them, of course, but I had decided I'd phase myself out of those weekly meetings slowly, with the ultimate goal being that he'd update me weekly and I'd only have to meet with the execs monthly. Given my nerves this morning, however, I decided it would be best if I was at work even earlier than what was normal for me. I pulled into my spot and looked at my clock: 7:11. Good. Plenty of time to get settled and focus on work and not Edward Cullen.
By the time I reached the tenth floor it was 7:15; when I pushed through the glass doors the silence of the empty office greeted me like an old friend and I took a deep breath. As I walked toward my office I heard the sound of computer keys clicking and I paused outside my door to listen. Curious as to who would be here earlier than me – Esme wasn't here yet – I slowly and quietly walked down the hall in the direction of the sound. As I got closer it grew louder, and I came to a halt a few feet away from its source, unwilling to be exposed. Edward Cullen was in his office already. He got here before me!
Instantly I was pissed, but when I couldn't devise a good enough reason to be mad, I turned and walked back to my office, the pit back in my stomach and my mood soured. Well, if he wants to be more productive, I'll help him.
First checking my reflection in the mirror – hair pulled tight, suit wrinkle-free and stockings pulled up – I yanked a stack of files from my cabinet and strode back down the hall. The door was slightly ajar, so I knocked and then pushed it open without waiting for his reply.
"Good morning Mr. Cullen," I said stiffly. It took every ounce of strength I had to look him in the eye, but I caught his gaze and held it in a silent challenge. He was at his desk, leaning over a file and making notes on a legal pad to his right. In front of him was a larger pile of files; it seemed he had already been through those and pieces of paper with additional notes protruded from the manila edges. He looked impeccable, this time in a black suit, bright blue shirt and blue tie, and I bit my lip hard so I wouldn't make a face and give myself away. God, why does he have to look so good? As soon as he opens his mouth, it's ruined. His bronze hair was chaotic as usual and I had the urge to run my fingers through it. Stop it Bella! The shirt made his eyes look bluer today, like the ocean. Shit woman! Get a grip!
"Ms. Swan," he simply replied. Suddenly I had forgotten why I was in his office. After he received no further reply from me, he said, "I've finished working on the files you gave me on Friday and have spoken to all of the clients. I have also arranged meetings with them over the next few weeks, so that I can introduce myself and become familiar with their needs." He looked at me again and then added, "They all seem very happy with the change." He offered me a smug, crooked smile, and then I remembered myself and let the stack of files fall in front of him with a thud.
"Well, Mr. Cullen, since you are so adept and efficient at transitioning all of our clients to your services, I thought I'd give you more," I replied spitefully. "We wouldn't want you to be bored here on only your second day."
Pleased with myself, I turned and left the office. Take that. Those account files should keep him busy for the next week. Esme arrived at 7:30 for our meeting, and as she sat down in one of the chairs facing my desk, she offered me some advice.
"Bella, you know I love you, so I say this as your friend and business partner," she began. "You've got to ease up on Edward. I know you two aren't seeing eye-to-eye, but he just started. I don't know why you're treating him like this, but it has to stop. You know he's a hot commodity right now and any other firm will scoop him up as soon as he walks out our door." She was right, of course, but I wasn't willing to wave the white flag just yet. After all, Edward seemed just as invested in our little "game" as I was. And he was obviously no quitter.
"Esme, I know all of that quite well. I expect the best from everyone here, and our new hotshot is no exception," I said. "He seems to think he's the best thing since sliced bread, but until I see some results – and even then I doubt I'll acquiesce to that kind of behavior – I will not tolerate his holier-than-thou attitude. End of story. So until he downsizes his ego, I'm going to continue to make him back it up."
Esme was accustomed to my demands for perfectionism from our employees; I was probably notorious for it within the industry. It didn't bother me in the least; on the contrary – it was part of how we were recognized as being one of the best.
I reflected on the conversation later that morning as I sat in the second of the weekly update meetings between me and my teams. Make that Edward's teams. In an effort to keep him on his toes I had announced that he would direct the update meeting. And despite him never having sat in on one of ours, he ran it surprisingly well and with the execs eagerly offering information to him, the meeting ran smoothly and quickly. Damn him. He must have a fucking four-leaf clover in his pocket.
As I watched my employees, I was amazed at how quickly Edward was accepted, and the ease with which he collected their information and provided feedback. People were actually smiling, which pissed me off even more. I made a note of this dynamic on my legal pad, and then decided to throw them all one more curveball.
"Thank you, Jacob, for your update," I said, intercepting Edward. "Before we wrap up I'd like you all to be aware of a few new clients I have brought on in the last week." I pushed a small pile of new files to Edward. "After conferring with me and establishing contact with them, Mr. Cullen will be assigning the clients to you as he sees fit. These are huge clients, people, so please treat them as such. Mr. Cullen, I know I don't have to stress to you the importance of keeping all of our clients happy." He turned to me and nodded tersely, and I could have sworn I saw his lip twitch. Haha, I'm getting to him! Let's see who better, eh? With him silenced, I took over briefly to end the meeting. "Thank you everyone. That will be all." They all shuffled out quietly with a few hushed whispers, and as Edward got up to leave, I saw my opportunity to aggravate the small wound I had opened.
"Is everything alright, Mr. Cullen" I asked innocently. Now that there was no audience, he looked up at me, his eyes dark and furious. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from giggling at his obvious ire.
"Yes, everything is just fine," he replied, his jaw clenched. Before I could say more, however, he grabbed the files and walked swiftly out the door. I took stock of my "points" so far that day. Bella Swan – two. Edward Cullen – zero. I went back to my office feeling superior and then moved on to our final update meeting.
Part of me felt guilty; at each meeting I piled more work on Edward – more accounts, new marketing strategies, new ideas from our PR team for him to finesse – but he took on each task like a good little soldier. I wasn't sure if I should be impressed or enraged, so instead I stuck with perplexed. He obviously despised me – and of course he had admitted it on Friday night – but yet he remained professionally polite and obedient in the fulfillment of his duties. Damn it. He's making it impossible for me to discipline him. But I'm not done having fun yet.
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So over the course of the next month and a half, I gave him more work. And I continued to be a tyrant. And he continued to convey his hatred through his icy stares and barely restrained comments. Esme, of course, implored me to ease up, but I felt it was only fair to follow through with my expectations of Edward and the position. I knew he spoke to her often; that much was evident from their friendly relationship. No matter how she pleaded with me, however, I needed to make sure Edward knew his place – knew he wasn't irreplaceable.
Prospective employees – for all departments – were constantly sending in resumes, hoping they'd get lucky with an opening at Swan & Platte. At any given point, I was usually reviewing a stack of them, so I simply left the pile on my desk when I called Edward into my office one Thursday to see how he was making out with the ridiculous load of work I had assigned him that week. He entered my office looking weary and annoyed, and was pinching the bridge of his nose again. I motioned for him to sit in one of the plush chairs in front of my desk, and asked him how he was progressing.
"Just fine Ms. Swan," he answered flatly. "I've made contacts with all of the new accounts and have assigned them to team members as you requested. I've also met with the marketing team and have meetings scheduled with the PR team next week."
Again I was distracted not only by his voice – even though it seemed a bit tense – but also by his appearance, and had to restrain myself from giving him a head-to-toe ogle. He had on another perfectly tailored suit, this time a navy one, and it flattered his perfect skin and bronze hair. And I hated the fact that I found him attractive, so I focused on something else.
"Mr. Cullen, am I giving you too much work?" It was obviously a trick question, but I couldn't help myself. After all, I knew damn well that I was giving him a bit too much, and I wanted to see how he'd answer. And I felt sure he wasn't aware that he was screwed with a yes or a no answer. "Please let me know if the load is too heavy; this is a difficult job after all."
His whole body stiffened at my last comment, and he squared his shoulders before answering. "No Ms. Swan," he replied, his tone even icier. "I understand fully what this job includes; you and Esme made that very clear to me. Frankly I'm just surprised you were able to function with this position vacant for so long. But thankfully I'm finding my teams to be quite competent and I feel confident I'll have everything in order very shortly."
Again with the damn insult about my disorganization. He needs to learn a new trick. I smiled at the moment his eyes focused on the stack of applications on my desk. His face reddened as he asked me if I needed anything else. For you to spank me and punish me for being a bad girl? Damn it! Shut the fuck up!
"No, Mr. Cullen, that will be all for now." And with a tight nod, he left my office.
Esme sent me an email that afternoon to remind me of a conference we had coming up in Chicago at the end of the month, and I cringed when I realized who else would be accompanying me.
"You and Edward are already registered, and I'll email you your flight and hotel reservations," she told me. The idea of spending a week with Edward halfway across the country did funny things to my stomach, and I tried to suppress the fluttering.
On Friday I had Jessica make two copies of the keys to the office and elevator, and that afternoon I poked my head into his office.
"Excuse me, Mr. Cullen. I wanted to give you these." I handed over the two keys and ring. He looked puzzled, so I continued. "You'll need these to get into the building during the weekends. And this weekend is one of them. I'm going to need you to come in to get some work done on the new marketing strategies. We will be attending a conference at the end of the month and we'll need to have some visuals, brochures and other finished products available by then. Esme has taken care of the arrangements."
He looked at me for a moment like he was debating whether to smack me or quit, but then he sighed and nodded. The look on his face, for some reason, compelled me to apologize, but I caught myself before opening my mouth. Why the hell would I need to apologize? It's work – simple as that. Instead, I offered a meager, "Thank you," and left him.
On Friday afternoon, I discussed the marketing ideas with some of the team members, independently, so that when I came into the office the following day I'd be up to speed on them so Edward wouldn't have to brief me. Toward the end of the day, after I had lunch with Esme, I checked on Edward again and asked that he be at the office by eight. He ran his long fingers through his hair and agreed.
"Sure," he said.
"The earlier we get here, the earlier we can leave," I offered lamely, and his eyes grew wide.
"You're…um…also working tomorrow," he asked skeptically. He must have assumed I was punishing him, forcing him to come in alone on a Saturday. What a jackass.
"Yes, Mr. Cullen. You and I both need to work on these projects, since we will be bringing them to the conference in Chicago."
He swallowed hard at my comment, and I couldn't help but notice the panic on his face. Or his strong neck and how his Adam's apple bobbed when he swallowed. Shit. In an effort to erase the thoughts from my head, I said I'd see him tomorrow and excused myself.
Before I left I added, "Oh, and Mr. Cullen – you don't need to wear a suit tomorrow. I don't hold my employees to a dress code on the weekends."
Walking down the hall toward Esme's office, I figuratively patted myself on the back for being fair and diplomatic. That went well. I popped my head into my friend's office and she smiled in greeting, turning back to her phone conversation. She wrapped it up quickly and then sat to face me. I told her that Edward and I would be working tomorrow and that it had gone well – without incident at least – and that I had also informed him of the conference. She applauded me for not being nasty – hey, one day at a time, right – and offered to come in the next day to provide moral support and to keep us from fighting, if the occasion should arise. I laughed at her, and shook my head.
"You're ridiculous, Es," I said. "Thank you, but no. Enjoy your Saturday. It's supposed to be nice, so do something outside – for me, okay? He and I will fine – promise. Hey, maybe I'll even be nice to him, since he's working for me on a weekend."
Esme clasped her hands and the hope in her eyes made my gut clench. Damn, am I that bad? I patted her hand, told her to have a great weekend, and walked back to my office.
Later that evening as I was getting ready to leave, my cell phone started buzzing. Alice. Realizing I wouldn't be seeing her or Rose all weekend, I sighed, and pressed the send button.
"Hey Alice. How are you?" I listened to her chat excitedly about her week and about her date with Jasper that evening. Then she asked me what my plans were for the weekend, and I told her.
"Wait. You're working on a Saturday – with Edward? Oooh, that should be interesting," she squealed. "Try not to rip his head off and eat him for lunch, okay?"
Sometimes Alice disgusted me, and I shook off the mental image of a praying mantis eating her mate. Eew, totally gross bug sex. Now with sex on the brain, I asked her how she was progressing with Jasper, and of course she didn't disappoint me.
"Holy shit, B, the man is a sex god! The things he does to me – ahh, he can make me come with a simple touch!" Before she got too graphic I cut her off. I was happy for her but didn't really feel like hearing about her sexcapades; especially since I was in the midst of a sexual drought. More like the Sex Dust Bowl of 2009.
"That's great Alice," I said with as much enthusiasm as I could muster. "Listen, I hate to do this, but I gotta go. It's getting late and I need to get out of here. I'm going to try and enjoy my Friday night and relax a bit before turning around and coming right back. Take care, have fun with that man of yours, and call me tomorrow, okay?" She agreed and we hung up.
I grabbed my coat and briefcase and walked out the door, not even looking behind me to see if Edward was still there. If he was, it would be a waste of his Friday night. As I walked out of the stairwell and into the garage, however, I asked myself why the hell I cared.