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.
Thank you to the following people: Angelicwish, who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to provide this insecure writer with loads of feedback, advice, beta services and great conversations, and to my Jennay- Love you! A special thank you to Forever_Liz, Megsly, Hez and barburella, and my new ficwife SusanAshlea for being awesome in general. You guys help me work through my plot and skittle me silly. Love you all!
In case any of you are wondering, here are some fics that are completely devastating me right now (please go check them out on FanFiction or Twilighted) –Tre by my sweetie Megsly; Paper Heart by Hez_Pixie; Finding Forever by SusanAshlea; 15 Step by Jenny Jerkface; Becoming Bella Swan by BellaFlan; The Ride of Your Life by Forever_Liz; and The Misapprehension of Bella Swan (Regarding the Inferior Intellect of Hockey Whores) by hunterhunting. My list of favorites is getting ridiculous. Just read these. You're welcome.
Now, what you've all been (hopefully) waiting for!
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Chapter Thirty-one: Ready or not
Edward allowed me to walk through the heavy, wooden doors of Volturi Enterprises first, despite every fiber in my body screaming to turn tail and simply forget about my foolish idea. But no! This needs to be done, and you can do this, Bella. Get a grip, woman! His hand was lightly but firmly placed on my lower back. It was like pushing the planchette on a Ouija board – it kept me moving forward, even though he wasn't doing it with force. Edward was my own version of the ideomotor effect.
A pretty, auburn-haired woman sat at the steel and marble reception desk, a cheesy smile plastered on her spray-tanned face. Of course Aro would have a hot receptionist. How very predictable. She was typing and had a small headset on, though it was only an earpiece and a small speaker - very high-tech looking.
"Good evening. Welcome to Volturi Enterprises," she chirped. "My name is Heidi. How may I help you?"
"Yes," I croaked before clearing my throat. "Bella Swan to see Aro, please." Heidi seemed perplexed by something I said, and she nervously typed away on her computer for a few moments before reassembling her pearly smile. Definitely veneers. And possibly a boob job.
"Do you have an appointment?"
Damn it. "No, but I've known Aro for a long time, and since it was late on a Friday, and after normal business hours, I didn't think it would be a problem," I said firmly. I didn't give a shit what the crusty bastard was doing. I wasn't leaving until I'd spoken with him. "I won't be more than a few minutes with him."
Anticipating Heidi the Roadblock, I started walking away from her desk and toward the inner sanctum of Aro's empire. The doors to his private office were off the main reception area, and the ostentatious fucker had the gall to have custom doors created with gold leaf accents, again with the Volturi crest upon them. The man took excessive pride in his family name - I'd give him that. But it was much too easy to find him.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Swan, but Mr. V has requested that he not be disturbed this evening," she stammered, rising from her post. Edward had followed me through the room and my hand was poised on the heavy brass doorknob. "He's in a meeting!"
Frankly, I didn't care. Edward's concerned voiced floated through the stuffy air as I twisted the knob.
"Bella, maybe we should wait -"
"No way, Edward," I said. "We've come this far. And if Aro and Tanya can intrude in our lives, we can certainly intrude upon theirs for fifteen minutes on a Friday night."
Using all of my strength I pushed the doors open, with Edward right on my heels. Aro's office was like nothing I'd ever seen. It was opulent, grand and entirely gaudy and pretentious. It was more like his throne room than an office. An oriental rug muffled our footsteps over the marble threshold and busts stared at us from their wooden pedestals. Scalloped nooks were carved into the dark, walnut paneling of the walls and expensive-looking oil paintings hung from wires affixed to the crown molding. A Tiffany lamp illuminated the man who was like icing on this stuffy, pompous cake.
Aro was perched at a marble desk and ornately carved chair. And as I strode into the room, the look of utter shock on his face was priceless. In all my years of knowing him, I'd never seen him taken by surprise. That alone was worth the price of admission.
"Uh, Isabella…my dear," he said, in a tone I could only describe as nervous. "Edward, how nice to see you as well." Then I heard an unmistakable thunk, followed by a low curse, from a distinctly feminine and familiar voice, coming from under his desk. My mouth dropped open and I looked over at Edward to find his expression mirrored my own. What the fuck?
"Aro…is there someone you'd like to introduce to us?" Thankfully Edward had found his voice; at least one of us had. His sarcastic question rightfully sliced through the tension in the room, just as Heidi reached Aro's office doors. Then things all seemed to happen all at once. It was like I was watching a soap opera play out before me on TV, and I was too aghast to change the damn channel. Heidi had obviously been unaware of the "meeting" to which Aro had referred when he told her no interruptions.
"Mr. V, I told them you were not to be disturbed, but they-"
The sentence died on her lips as a blonde head emerged from under Aro's desk. Tanya. One hand rubbed the undoubtedly sore spot on her head as her other wiped away the remnants of lipstick from around her mouth. My brain was misfiring frantically in its attempt to make sense of what I'd just walked in on, but was coming up short. Finally, some clarity: Edward and I had just been delivered our meal ticket and on a silver platter, no less, by both Aro and Tanya. It couldn't have been more perfect - or damning. Inwardly, I was doing a touchdown dance.
"That'll be all, Heidi," Aro managed, straightening his tie as if that would somehow distract all three of us from the scene that had unfolded. Apparently Heidi was a reasonably intelligent woman, because she quickly backed out of the office, shutting the heavy doors behind her.
"Tanya, you may leave as well," he said to her in a clipped tone. Watching Aro lose his cool would definitely be the highlight of my day, I decided. "Thank you."
"Oh, no you don't," I said, finally finding my voice. I crossed my arms over my chest and stepped toward the two of them. "Please, Tanya, won't you stay? What I have to say concerns you both." I watched as Tanya's blue eyes danced from me to Aro and then to Edward, before settling on her designer shoes. Tanya was Aro's whore. Well, that's one way of getting far in business, I guess. Suddenly the seductress looked like a scared kitten.
"Aro, I'd come in here to attempt to reason with you on a professional level, but I see now that maybe that was the wrong tactic," I said sarcastically, not even attempting to mask my loathing. "Since Chicago, you have continued to attempt to exert your influence over S&P in a pitiful attempt to woo Edward over to your company. Your Tanya has done nothing but stalk and attempt to cajole Edward and he's made it clear he's not interested. My guess is that you're allowing and maybe even encouraging this behavior. It stops now."
"I've never given either of you any indication that working for Volturi Enterprises interests me in the least, yet you continue to harass me," Edward added, coming to stand next to me. "And Tanya, I meant what I said yesterday - no more contact or I'm going to get a restraining order against you. I'm staying at S&P. End of discussion. And I'm not interested in anything you have to offer. Nothing."
Aro seemed momentarily flummoxed by our joint statement, but the creepy smile wasn't far behind as he smoothed his long hair, gathered himself and positioned for attack. But we had the upper hand this time, and I had every intent of reminding him.
"Isabella, Edward, surely you are not insinuating that I had anything to do with this behavior," Aro cooed, completely ignoring Tanya while she gaped at him with her mouth open. "Something like that would be unprofessional at the least, and certainly inexcusable. Need I remind you both that I operate a very lucrative business here? I think Marcus and Caius would be…disheartened to hear of your perception of things."
"And I'm sure Marcus and Caius would be equally disheartened to hear that you're engaging in elicit sexual activity in the office with an employee," I spat back at him. "And need I remind you, Aro, what Edward, Heidi and I just walked in on? I do believe that you and the others might, in theory, frown upon this sort of behavior. I want the communications and harassment to stop now, and I want you to leave S&P and Edward alone."
I wasn't foolish enough to blatantly threaten Aro, but I let the implication of that sentence hang there between us as he seemed to ponder my proposition. Tanya watched us as she bit on her red manicured nails and I wondered if Aro had paid for her upkeep. Sadly, her behavior didn't surprise me in the least, though I would have expected Aro to at least be more careful. If his wife ever found out, she'd surely have him castrated. And he knows it.
"I think a compromise is certainly acceptable, under the circumstance," he said, straightening his jacket. "We will meet in the middle." He stood from his desk and walked to the other side of it so that he was inches away from me and Edward. Tanya wisely slunk back against the wall, most likely trying to disappear all together.
"Good. Then we are agreed?" Edward asked.
"Hmmm…" Aro hummed, running his fingers over his pocket watch while he studied us. "Most of us would trade much for such a gift, and yet you…"
"Enough, Aro," I interrupted. "These are the terms. No more communication from you or Tanya to S&P or any of its employees. Tanya will cut off contact with Edward, and neither of you will ever bother us again. In turn, we will keep today's indiscretion between us."
"Do we have an understanding?" Edward asked again. Aro approached us with his hand out, and I let Edward shake it first. Then Aro looked hopefully in my direction and I reluctantly slid my fingers into his clammy grasp. After shaking I immediately withdrew my hand and let it fall to my side, an inch from Edward's. Without even looking, I knew his hand was there. The familiar electric current buzzed over my skin, tickling the hairs on my forearm.
Aro clapped his hands together and grinned, seemingly oblivious to the weight of our exchange.
"I love a happy ending," he said gleefully. "They are so rare." He ushered us out with a smile and a wave at the door, and then closed his office to us with Tanya still inside. I didn't want to stick around to see what happened when he refocused his attention on her. The thought made me shiver as we rode the elevator back down to the lobby. Edward was quiet the entire way and didn't speak until we slid into a cab and headed back to S&P.
We are born with luck
which is to say with gold in our mouth.
…we are born and that ought to be enough,
we ought to be able to carry on from that
but one must learn about evil,
learn what is subhuman,
learn how the blood pops out like a scream,
one must see the night
before one can realize the day,
one must listen hard to the animal within,
one must walk like a sleepwalker
on the edge of a roof,
one must throw some part of her body
into the devil's mouth.
"Wow. I cannot believe what just happened up there," he said, his breath coming out in a whoosh. "What were the odds of something like that happening? I'm just in shock!" Edward pulled me across the seat so that I was snuggled against his side. After kissing me, he smiled, and I finally relaxed into his embrace.
"I know," I said simply. "We literally caught Aro with his pants down." It took a few moments for all of it to sink in, but once it did, both of us doubled over in laughter. The cab driver glanced at us in his rearview mirror and smiled. He pulled into the garage at S&P, Edward paid and I slid out after him. Snow was falling again and I wrapped the collar of my wool coat tighter around my scarf-covered neck. After a quick check of the time, I motioned for Edward not to leave and gave the girls a call to adjust our evening plans. While I was speaking with Esme, Alice and Rose, Edward turned on his car and mine and cranked the heat in both of them while he waited. In less than five minutes everything was set.
"How does pizza and beer at Chez Swan sound?" I asked him as I sat in his passenger seat. "Of course, it will be with the girls, so if you feel threatened by that much estrogen, speak now or forever hold your peace." Edward pretended to consider my proposal deeply, even rubbing his chin for effect, before the telltale crooked grin and sparkling green eyes gave him away.
"Sounds great," he said, leaning over the gearshift to kiss me. "But what are the chances of me getting you all to myself at some point this evening? Hmmm?" Edward nuzzled my neck with his nose, somehow finding skin beneath all the scarf and coat, and kissed my neck until he reached my jaw. As he continued placing feathery kisses behind my earlobe and toward my lips I moaned quietly. Barely two days had passed since my sleepover at Edward's, but it seemed much longer.
"I'd say quite good, Mr. Cullen," I said, letting my head fall back to give him better access. "You know, I could come down with a freak case of the stomach flu or a migraine…and then it could just be us." Edward's lips were doing funny things to my brain again. Whose idea was it to ditch the girls?
"Uh-uh. If I'm invited to this lady's pizza and beer night, no reneging," he teased. "It would be nice to see Rose and Alice again, too. But if you want some girl time, I can be fashionably late. Isn't that what they call it?"
We agreed that Edward would go home and shower and then come over a bit later for dinner with the girls. That would give me time to intercept any curious questions and satisfy Alice's need for gossip. Edward didn't need to relive the entire Aro experience. I kissed him goodbye - a nice, long kiss - and got into my car, which was now perfectly toasty.
An hour later, the four of us were lounging on the couch drinking wine while my Greek pizza baked in the oven. Rose's boisterous laugh filled the living room, while Esme seemed at a loss for words. Alice, as usual, said what was on all of our minds as I regaled them with highlights of Edward's and my evening.
"And you actually caught Tanya blowing him? Awesome!" she exclaimed as we all cringed with the unspoken act now unceremoniously thrown at us. "Priceless!"
"Yeah," I muttered. "Anyone have any brain bleach?" I shivered. Esme shook her head.
"I still can't believe that you guys caught them both in the act," she muttered. "Unbelievable." A knock on my door signaled Edward's arrival, and I practically ran to the door. I flung it open and threw myself at him, not even allowing him to step foot inside. Hushed snickers and giggles didn't faze me one bit as I kissed Edward openly in front of my friends.
"Well, hello to you, too," he said after I separated my lips from his. "Miss me?" Edward gave me a crooked smile and held up a 12-pack of Coronas as if they would be the key to his acceptance into the girl party.
"Of course I did," I answered, taking the case and pulling him inside. "Thanks for coming over and for bringing beer. Pizza's in the oven and we were all just talking about Aro and Tanya's mishap this evening." Gently I shooed Edward into the living room with a beer and went to check on my dinner. A few minutes later I returned with another beer, the wine bottle and some cheese and crackers, to find Edward sitting in between Alice and Esme, laughing and filling in the details of our encounter for the girls. If I only had a camera…
"Bella was great! You guys should've seen my girl. She marched her ass right in there and was not going to be deterred," Edward said, glancing at me and smiling. "And I wish I'd had a camera when Bella told Tanya she wasn't leaving the room. Fucking genius."
"But you guys, Edward was the one who came up with the perfect one-liner! I was fucking speechless, and he asks Aro if there's someone he'd like to introduce us to," I exclaimed. "Now that was brilliant!"
We talked about the fortuity of the entire adventure until the pizza was done and then Edward cut it and brought it into the living room as I trailed behind him with plates and napkins. It was a perfect end to a long week and an evening I was glad to share with my three friends and my love. As the hour grew late and the bottle of wine was depleted, my eyes wandered to Edward more and more. Here he was, sitting with a bunch of women, seemingly having a blast. Edward not only seemed completely at-ease with my girlfriends, but was thriving in the sea of estrogen and giggles.
"You're pretty amazing. You know that?" I whispered to him before kissing him quickly. "I love you." Edward's gaze softened even more, and he kissed me playfully on my nose.
"Love you, too," he whispered.
Soon, there were hugs and kisses and promises of phone calls and get-togethers for the weekend as Edward and I said goodnight to Rose, Alice and Esme. Of course, Alice couldn't leave without giving me a knowing wink and adding, "Have a nice night, you two." I shook my head as I shut the door behind her. Edward and I cleaned up quietly before collapsing on the couch together.
"Hell of a week, wasn't it?" I asked him, sipping the remnants of my wine. Edward hummed in agreement as he ran his fingers through my hair, but was otherwise silent. We sat there quietly, together, until Edward's lips on my temple roused me.
"Come on, Bella," he whispered, taking my empty glass from me and lifting me from the couch. "Time for bed." I protested, afraid he'd hurt himself lifting me at such an angle, but he shushed me and cradled me in his arms as he walked into my bedroom. After sitting me on the bed, Edward undressed me and helped me into my tank top and pajama bottoms. I scooted under the covers as soon as he pulled them back for me and then he kissed me on the lips and smoothed my hair off my forehead.
"Good night, love," he said. When I protested going to bed alone, he assured me that he'd be right back, explaining he was only going to lock up and turn off the lights. Edward backed out of the bedroom and as soon as the door shut I bounded silently out of bed to brush my teeth and wash my face. Once I was snuggled under my blankets again, however, sleep overtook me quickly, even though I was still alone.
Some time later - it could have been minutes or hours - I felt the bed give under Edward's weight. My hands immediately sought him out until they found his muscled arm, his warm, naked chest and his sharp jaw, softened slightly by stubble. I kissed every part I touched, saving his lips for last. His fingers were gentle and firm against the small of my back as we kissed.
"Please, Edward? I need -" I didn't have to finish my sentence. Without another word, Edward slipped my tank top over my head and then pushed my bottoms off. I blindly kicked them away under the covers and Edward moved himself on top of me and between my legs. My desire for him cut through my drowsiness like a sharp knife and he slid inside me easily. We moved together slowly, reverently, and in complete adoration of each other. It was exactly what we both needed, it seemed. Moments after I climaxed with stars brightening my vision in the darkened bedroom, Edward followed. After kissing me passionately once more, Edward moved behind me and pulled me against his chest. We both fell asleep quickly, sated and happy.
The week of Thanksgiving had arrived and Monday and Tuesday of that week I had spent countless hours checking in with Charlie to make sure he was prepared for his houseguests. Alice and I had taken care of the food shopping, although my dad insisted on buying the turkey. I felt certain that if Charlie could have found one, he would have shot it and brought it home fresh. The thought turned my stomach and I pushed the idea out of my mind.
"Okay, Dad. We'll be there tomorrow night, around dinnertime," I told him Tuesday afternoon. Luckily, the majority of us had jobs that afforded time off for holidays and Esme and I had decided to make Wednesday a short day so that everyone could get home to their families. The gesture had not gone unappreciated. "Alice and I will pick up pizzas on our way to the house, and just pull out the turkey to defrost it, okay?"
Charlie agreed and assured me he wouldn't forget his one crucial Thanksgiving dinner task. I also double-checked with him to make sure it was all right if Edward stayed in the house while the others stayed at the town's only inn.
"That's fine, Bells," he said. I could practically feel the Dad Stare through the phone. "But he stays on the couch, okay? I know I'm old-fashioned, but…"
"Dad, it's totally fine," I said. "Actually, that's what Edward was planning on doing. He's old-fashioned, too, you know." I heard my father make a snorting sound through the phone and hoped it was only teasing. I say goodbye to Charlie, promising that I'd see him soon.
The drive to Forks seemed longer this time. Edward and I took his car, which normally would have driven me a bit batty. I had decided, however, that it would be a welcomed change. And besides, I reasoned, I'd never ridden with Edward. The others were following behind in the Land Rover. We talked amiably for a while about the long weekend, about my dad and about the probability of Emmett making an ass out of himself at dinner. I dozed a few times along the way. For some reason, riding in a car like that always lulled me to sleep.
"Bella, love, wake up," Edward said, his fingers soft against my chin. "I just drove by the sign. Welcome home." Anxiously, I looked around for any signs of change to the small town since the last time I'd been there. A shiver coursed through my body at the realization of the reason for my last visit.
"You okay?" Edward's face showed his concern, even though he kept his eyes on the road.
"Yeah. I'm fine," I said, leaning over to kiss him. I rubbed my hand along his thigh in a gesture that was supposed to be soothing, but I had trouble keeping my fingers away from the bulge in his jeans. Edward groaned and shook his head.
"None of that, now, missy," he mock-scolded. "I can't very well show up on the Chief's doorstep with a boner, can I?" The image was enough to get me to behave and I apologized. "What would he think of me then?" We laughed as Edward pulled up to the house. The SUV was right behind us and Alice jumped out of the front seat like an excited child. She practically skipped past us on her way up to the front door.
"Bella, this is going to be so much fun!" she squealed as she ran by me. Without any hesitation, Alice bounded up the front steps and I watched as she knocked at the same time she opened the front door, calling my father as she closed it behind her. Esme stood beside me, looking wistfully at the house.
"It'll be so nice spending Thanksgiving here," she said softly. "It's been too long." She gave me a warm smile and linked her arm through Carlisle's before they both headed back to the rover to get the bags of groceries. I walked over to where Edward was standing and took his hand in mine. It was a bit clammy but he squeezed mine and gave me a slightly nervous crooked smile.
"Ready or not," I said to him, smiling back. "Charlie's gonna love you. Come on." Gently I pulled him up the stairs. Before I could even turn the doorknob. However, Charlie was standing there, all smiles and nerves. Good old Dad. Already a bit overwhelmed. He looked quickly from me to Edward and then back to me.
"Hey, Bells," he said, hesitating for only a moment and then pulling me across the threshold and into a hug. I gladly embraced him and eyed Alice over my shoulder, already sipping some tea. I pulled away from him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Dad, this is Edward Cullen," I said, stepping aside to let him into the entryway. "Edward, this is my dad, Charlie Swan." The two shook hands firmly and I watched them. Their expressions were both unreadable. Were they sizing each other up? Shit. Come on, guys.
"Chief Swan," Edward replied after a few moments. "Thank you so much for inviting us here for the holiday." Slowly, the non-expression on my father's face was replaced by a warmer one. It was a slight change, but one I could recognize: his mustache twitched and his eyes crinkled in the corners. A hint of a smile was concealed under his facial hair as he nodded to Edward. Alice came to the rescue, just as a knock on the door cued Charlie in to the rest of our entourage.
"Charlie, why don't you, Edward and Bella go relax in the living room?" she suggested, pushing past us as we clogged the entry. "I've got hot tea on the stove and I'll help Esme and the others with the bags. Go. Sit!"
Rather reluctantly, Charlie led the way and I stopped to fill three mugs with hot water before following them. It was what I supposed was a typical scenario of the boyfriend meeting the father for the first time - my dad was sitting in his recliner, eyeing the shotgun over the mantle like he wished he could be cleaning it, instead. Edward sat uncomfortably on the edge of the couch, looking everywhere but at Charlie. It was precious and infuriating at the same time.
"Dad, been fishing lately?" I asked as I handed him a mug and then another to Edward. "How's Billy?"
"Yeah, went last weekend," he replied, blowing on his tea before taking a drink. The tension left his shoulders a bit as he answered my questions. "Billy's good. Still a pain in my ass, but he's good." He took another sip and then shocked the shit out of me. "So, Edward, tell me what you do at Swan & Platte. You're head of something, right?" Smooth, Dad. Real smooth.
"Ah, yes, advertising and marketing, sir," Edward answered. "It's been great. Um, it's been wonderful working with Esme and your daughter. They've both taught me so much." It took all of my inner strength not to roll my eyes and bury my face in my hands. I could almost hear my dad's thoughts. Oh, I bet you've learned a lot from my daughter. Thankfully, Charlie surprised me again.
"Do you like to fish, Edward?"
"Ah, sure Chief Swan," Edward answered nervously, glancing at me as if to say, help.
"Why don't we go early tomorrow morning, then? A little early Thanksgiving celebration. Just us men." Charlie seemed proud of his idea. "Do you think the other guys would like to join us?"
"Dad, I'm sure Emmett, Jasper and Carlisle would much rather sleep in tomorrow," I said, patting Charlie's shoulder and hoping like hell that my expression told Edward he was much better off in a smaller "hunting" party. "Besides, they're all staying at the inn and that means they'd have to get up even earlier to meet you here." Edward, for his part, didn't hesitate to back me up.
"You're right, Bella," he said. "Let them sleep in. I'd be happy to go with you, Chief."
Charlie put his arm around my waist and nodded with a smile before standing up. The others had put away the groceries and entered the living room.
"Good, then it's settled," he said cheerily. "You and me, Edward, 4 a.m., nothing but our poles, fish and maybe some breakfast sandwiches." He walked over to the men and women, hugged Esme and then met Rose, Emmett, Carlisle and Jasper. "Oh, and Edward? Call me Charlie."
A/N: So…what did you all think of the might Aro? *wink* This chapter featured excerpts from "The Evil Seekers" by Anne Sexton. I took out some lines and smushed them together.
Don't forget to visit the HtS thread on Twilighted to submit your ideas for the one-shot! http:/www(dot)twilighted(dot)net/forum/viewtopic(dot)php?f=44&t=9356
Please leave me your thoughts and comments. I love them like Edward and Bella loved Aro finally getting his karmic bitch-slap.