Next morning, Rosalie woke up to the smell of coffee just brewed. Emmett was kind enough to bring a cup to her nightstand.
"Good morning babe." He also brought a tray with a couple of bagels.
Rose rubbed her eyes and sat up.
"Good morning, did you bring breakfast?"
Emmett seemed contrite. "I know I've been a jerk these past days, but I promise that will change. We got the contract, baby!"
"Really?" Rosalie wasn't completely awake, so she wasn't sure what he was talking about.
"Yeah, the mall contract. My team was hired to build that new wing. That's why I was out late yesterday, the guys took me out for a few beers to celebrate. This is a really big one, Rose. I will have to hire more guys and maybe call Roberts' wife to be my assistant again."
While Rose was glad to finally know why he was so rude, she had to hurry to get to her job on time. So she munched on her bagel while Emmett babbled on his plans for the new job.
"And I remember you mentioned they're supposed to give you a productivity bonus this month, right? I'm counting on it because I need to invest on a few things. We're going to need a new trailer on the site."
That part disconcerted Rose. The way he disposed of the money before she even got it, it rubbed her the wrong way. She sighed and remembered how money was a subject of contention since the beginning of their marriage. Maybe now it wasn't the time to argue with him about it.
"It's getting late. I need to shower." Rosalie reconsidered her words, he was taking the first step apologizing and bringing breakfast to bed. "I'm so proud of you. I always had faith in you." She said and kissed him. "Why don't I take you out to dinner? We have to celebrate. Maybe that little bar with those gigantic burgers you like." See, she could also make an effort.
Emmett seemed to consider it and answered "Maybe another day. I think I'll be busy because we had to present the formal project next week. Why don't we take a weekend out after that?"
Rosalie agreed and kissed him again. She still felt uneasy and hoped that after a stressful day at work to distract her, she would reconsider what was really bothering her.
xxx
Bella opened the door to the bar where Edward was waiting with Tanya. She wanted to make a good impression so she changed into a pair of tight jeans with one top Alice gave her a month ago. She knew she looked good when one of the men around the door stopped mid-sip of his drink. She wanted to be the woman Edward would be proud to show on his arm.
Sadly, her confidence died the moment she saw Tanya for the first time. She had a beautiful face, her hair almost as reddish as Edward's was straightened but looked shiny, and when she stood up to welcome her she almost fainted. She had a killer body. Bella unconsciously looked down to her modest boobs which were enhanced by her bra. On the brighter side, she had an aspirin ass, flat as a board. Bella couldn't help but feel petty, comparing herself to the poor woman, but hey, she was only human.
"Hey Tan, this is my beautiful wife Bella. Bella this is Tan, my coworker, and partner in crime." Edward introduced them after giving Bella a kiss.
Tanya seemed a nice woman, a bit nervous about meeting her.
Once they were seated, the awkwardness descended upon them. Tanya started to munch on the popcorn at the center of the table and Bella was fiddling with the bow on her top.
"Ok, maybe a couple of beers will loosen us up. None of you have to be nervous, you have a lot in common, you'll see." Edward stood up to get the first round of beers and smoothly mentioned the one topic which will make them talk. "Tan, why don't you tell Bella what Jessica did to you today?"
Tanya blushed. That little harpy was getting on her nerves. But when she looked up, Bella had a knowing glare.
"So she is rude to you too?"
"Oh, she's evil. To the point where I never drink anything she makes for fear she spits on it. She goes the whole day ignoring me, even when it's work related. Whenever she has to deliver a file to me, she just drops it on my desk!"
"I know! I only met her once, and God, she was so rude. But Edward said he's tied to her for at least four more months."
"Yeah, there's a lot of changes going on inside the company. And I tried to get Jessica moved to another team but it's not like they listen to my suggestions these days." Tanya got sad when she finished.
Bella didn't know how to reach the subject and thought that maybe it would be better to leave Tanya's personal life for another day.
"I have a friend who just got hired, a paralegal. Her name is Leah Clearwater."
"Almost my height, with long black hair and big black eyes?"
Bella nodded.
"Well, she's one of the few who still welcomes me with a smile. I'll try to talk more to her then."
By then, Edward was back with the beers, and noticing they were chatting he added his two cents.
"Tanya also met Jasper."
"He seems so serious, but Edward said he isn't."
"No, he's hilarious. Maybe he just needs to warm up to you. It took a few reunions to get him to begin with his 'doctor, doctor' jokes to one of our friends who's a doctor. I can't tell you how much he teases Edward. He knows tons of lawyer jokes."
xxx
A few drinks later, Bella and Tanya were chatting amicably. They had a lot in common, like their taste in music or films. They both loved horror movies and hated drama because always made them cry. Edward was pleased, maybe Tanya could get into Bella's group of friends. It would help both. He got up for another round and this time, Tanya asked for a few shots of tequila. Wow! They were really bonding, Bella never likes to drink hard liquor unless she with someone she feels comfortable enough to get drunk. And she gets frisky later in the bedroom... Edward ran for the drinks.
xxx
"It's awful Bella. I mean, I thought given he's way older than me he would be more mature." Tanya was spilling the beans of her ugly break up with Marcus Volturi.
"How did she told him about the kids?" Ok, Bella couldn't hide her interest. While she loved gossip she also began to care for poor Tanya.
"We just moved together for two or three weeks. He chose a monstrosity of an apartment because his kids had to have their own bedrooms. I just got out of the lease of my old apartment, one pretty small but comfy. When one night we came home from a business dinner, the bitch just left a message on the answering machine. She threatened his rights to visit the kids if he didn't break up with me! She made it sound like I was the cause of their divorce when in reality it happened way before I met him!"
Edward was shaking his head. "And the kids aren't so little. Janine is seventeen, for Christ sake!"
"But then they could seek their father even if she doesn't want it, right?"
Tanya denied it. "She's the one with the money. While Marcus is rich now by his own way, he's not on Didyme's level. He's also very strict with his kids. Didyme spoils them as long as they follow her crazy rules. And I knew it as soon as the message ended. Marcus is really a devoted father. He tried to make it sound like we wanted different things but I knew."
"What I don't understand is why you didn't quit," Edward asked. He was the only one sober in the table.
"It was my first thought. I wrote that same night my letter of resignation. My pride made me plan to leave town and shove this apartment on Marcus ass. But sadly, pride doesn't pay the bills. Marcus left the apartment's rent paid for five months, so I took it as my time to find a new one. I discussed it with him, and he gave me everything that was inside, so after a very long night cracking numbers I decided to sell the furniture. I finally found a nice apartment close to the office, so I just moved last month."
"But they also made you change your work team, right?" Bella wondered.
"Not really. It was they just were cold and only talk to me when it was necessary, and they left me the toughest part of our cases. I was the one who asked to be changed. This one, " she pointed to Edward, "was supposed to work with one new guy. Jacob Black." Tanya giggled when she mentioned his name, which sparked curiosity on Bella.
"It isn't funny. He looks terribly young but he's not," Edward assured Bella.
"Oh, he still has that baby fat on his face. The first time they pulled an all-nighter when the other guys sported a shadow of a beard, poor Jacob had like three sad hairs that tried to be a mustache." Tanya sobered up. "Anyway, I'm feeling bad for him because while he may learn a lot, he's lacking experience and they have him doing menial jobs. My old team is ruthless." She smiled when she looked at Edward and Bella. They shone with love, but underneath their eyes, there was a hint of sadness. "Go home, I can see how your hand is getting closer to the promised land. We'll talk on Monday."
xxx
Esme loved to go grocery shopping alone. Carlisle was more of a burden whenever he accompanied her. He was like a kid, roaming from aisle to aisle, picking whatever trinket calls his attention. They always ended with tons of useless things like the wand remote controller that lasted a week before he threw it because it wasn't working, or the special set of screwdrivers he bought to finally assemble a little coffee table. Both are still packaged. But when she went by herself just as today, she finished in no time. Now all she had to was to store the goods.
She got curious when her husband didn't come around to pry.
She heard the alarm of her little kitchen timer, but it was coming from upstairs.
"I hope he wasn't trying to make it run faster like the other time. He always breaks my stuff." Esme huffed.
The noise stopped but she knew it came from their bathroom. When she came closer she heard a grunt followed by a string of curses.
"Carl probably stubbed his toe."
She opened slowly the door, thinking Carlisle was reclined on it, but he wasn't. What she found shocked her.
Carlisle had orange hair!
He turned around and took a wary glance at her. Esme really tried to keep a solemn face, but the moment Carlisle opened his mouth and said shit, she lost it. She burst out laughing.
"Oh, God! Carlisle, what happened to your hair?" Esme gave the sink a look and realized there were lots of orange dye plastered on it. "You dyed your hair? Why?"
Carlisle kept muttering curses and gave her the most pathetic puppy eyes. "I have gray hair. A lot."
"Oh, baby. But it makes you look so distinguished." She got closer and messed with his hair. He had already washed the remanents of the dye, but his hair felt different.
"And yours is still all caramel and glossy. You still have that golden hue that I loved when I met you." He said.
"And it's because Miss Chantelle takes care of it for me. I dye it. Why do you think I have to go to the hair salon every three weeks?" Esme explained. Clearly she had to take him with Miss Chantelle, whose real name was Beth Anne Pankowsky and was her old high school friend. She was a master of coloring and if she couldn't fix Carlisle hair, no one could.
"Let me make a call and we'll fix it. What did you use?"
xxx
Esme was giggling. Carlisle was seated at Miss Chantelle's hair salon; he was contrite. Miss Chantelle was checking his hair and was about to give her verdict.
"Hmm, I can fix it." She said and Carlisle turned happy. "But it won't be in one session. I'll take the orange tone now, but I want you to come back in three weeks."
Esme clapped, Carlisle huffed.
"No, don't argue. And you're the doctor, you open people to set them right but you can't handle a drugstore five dollar hair dye?" Miss Chantelle chastised.
"Hey! It said to use the whole bottle if you had a lot of hair. Just the proportion of gray surpasses by much the blond ones."
Esme was still giggling. Carlisle was so blond his white hairs almost went unnoticed.
"So, you think you have more salt than pepper? What's the problem? You are a handsome man with a gorgeous wife. Now you look like Ronald McDonald's old cousin."
Carlisle gave Esme a desperate look and she came to hold his hand. "You are really handsome, I love your hair just the way it is. Do you still want Miss Chantelle to give you blond hair?" To which he silently nodded. Esme was beginning to worry. Something was wrong with her husband.