Now I'm walking on sunshine, whoa
I'm walking on sunshine, whoa
I'm walking on sunshine, whoa
And don't it feel good
Hey, all right now
And don't it feel good
Hey, yeah
Jane smiled as her pupils got their groove on the hall floor. Her eighties classes always did.
"Aaannnd... that's it! Good job girls!"
Everybody clapped, the class ended on a high note.
"Well, as I told you at the beginning, I have news. I just found out I'm pregnant..." Jane said while all the women at the dance hall clapped and cheered. "So while I can continue to give you classes, I need to lower my levels of activity. So by your next class, you'll meet my new assistant, Gianna. I'll guide the class but she's going to show you some new moves and help you with your posture. She's an excellent asset who worked previously with us, but she also had her baby two years ago and decided to take a rest from Zumba but she's ready to come back and she got the perfect timing."
After a few more cheers and a chorus of congratulations, the class was finally over.
Bella was fast to pick up her things and change, but not fast enough to avoid certain Jacob Black. She was glad he was absent lately, but maybe Edward wasn't delegating enough work to him if Jacob had time to come to the gym.
"Hi Be... Mrs. Masen. May I have a word with you?"
Bella didn't want to be rude, but she made sure Esme was right behind her. No way she would face him completely alone, he always gave her the creeps.
"Sure."
"Did Edward mention the visit to the factory to you?"
"Yeah, he's not too enthused but if it's necessary..."
"Well, hmm, do you think is a good idea for me to go?"
Bella was a bit surprised about the question. She thought he would be delighted to get a chance to stand out.
"Of course, I think so. I suggested Edward it was a good chance for you to get experience and show your worth."
Jacob beamed at her statement.
"Thanks, I'll follow your advice then." He waved to the other girls and left. His mind was busy with a very misconstrued idea... 'She asked Edward to take me! Se's thinking of my future!'
Of course, that wasn't what Bella meant. But she never got the chance to realize her mistake because the younger college girls who crushed on Jacob got jealous.
"Hey! Keep your old cougar claws out of our man!" The tallest said, trying to look intimidating to Bella.
"Excuse me?" Bella didn't know if correct her or laugh. The mere idea of trying to get closer to Jacob was ludicrous!
"You heard her. He would never go for someone like you when he can have us." A perky blond skipped to where Bella was standing.
Bella just looked at them, all naive and inexperienced. She couldn't hold it anymore, she burst out laughing.
"Oh my God! You believe Jacob and me..." she couldn't speak as she was laughing so much. "Let me clear something for you. He works with my husband, who is his boss. Whatever attention he displays for me is a mere kiss-ass for my husband."
The girls looked between themselves, didn't believing what Bella said. In their minds, it was impossible that a fine specimen like him would lust over a frumpy, fat-ass, old woman. The fact that Bella laughed at them made it worst.
"Well, if it's so, get your claws off him. If he goes for someone, it would be one of us." One brunette with freckles on her nose said, standing straighter so her boobs looked more prominent.
Bella started to tell them off when Rosalie got closer in all her bitchy glory.
"So you think you're better suited for the brawny man, right?" She walked around the girls, looking at them up and down and quirking a brow as she found them lacking. "Well, let me start saying that you don't even know his name and my friend over here has the bad luck of knowing it."
"Duh! He works with her husband." Perky blond said.
"Yet, he haven't come close to any of you, right? and you're calling her cougar when she a bit younger than him!"
That rendered the girls mute, they couldn't fathom Jacob was that 'old', as they saw Bella at least ten years older than them.
"Before you say something that could possibly embarrass you, let me tell you a secret. She has something you don't... 'savoir-faire'. Google it. And that only comes with time. Think about it." Rose winked at them and pulled Bella out of the room.
xxx
"You're crazy Rose! Now those morons will think I'm pinning over Jacob!" Bella cried in anguish.
"No. They are going to step up their game. And maybe we can kill two birds with one stone."
"Rose, you're brilliant!" Alice said.
"How?" Bella still didn't understand.
"Jacob is way too vain. Haven't you see how he looks at himself while he's doing his reps."
"Yes, he has that look that says 'I'm too hot and I know it, I would so fuck myself if I was you'," Esme added her two cents in an awful attempt at a male voice.
"So he gets those chicks to fawn all over him, they don't bother you anymore and maybe, you can get rid of an admirer if he finally put those girls out of their misery." Rose finished.
"You're devious, you know?" Bella smiled at Rose. "Can I tell you something?" Bella took Rose hand in hers. "I'm glad to have you back."
"Yeah!"Alice beamed. "You're back to confident 'I-do-not-take-shit-from-anybody' Rose!"
"Really?" Rose blushed.
"Sure. I think you're going in the right direction, hun." Esme patted Rose hand too. "Can I tell you something too, Bella?"
Bella nodded with curiosity.
"This time, you're taking it better. The news of someone's pregnancy." Esme said. "Don't think I didn't notice how the smile in your eyes faded when you heard the news of Bree. I'm sorry I wasn't tactful that day, but this time, you were beaming for Jane."
"I think I'm also moving on," Bella smiled. "Irish coffee for everyone! We need to celebrate!"
xxx
Two hours later, Rose arrived at her home. Emmett was already there.
"Great. Just the day I've finally got to feel good." Rose whispered.
"Hi, baby. Look, I thought we could have dinner together." Emmett said. When he got closer to Rose and tried to kiss her she turned around.
"Hmm, thanks. Let me hang my clothes." She pushed by his side and walked fast to her bedroom.
Emmett, who usually would be claiming how inconsiderate of Rose was to leave him like this, just sighed and went to their kitchen. This wasn't the warm welcome he planned. He finally accepted they were in dire need of therapy and was about to ask Rose to schedule the counseling. But to find Rose so cold...
"Baby, how was your day?" He put the delicious tray of shepherd's pie into the oven. It was one of Rose's favorites and he was lucky enough to get the last one from her favorite restaurant.
"Good. Our Zumba instructor just told us she's pregnant." Rose answered from her bedroom, while changing her clothes.
"Oh." Emmett didn't know if it was good or not.
"She and her husband been trying for years, so we got to our usual coffee and celebrated." She said, walking to the kitchen covered in her 'period pj's'. They covered her and were so comfortable.
"Look, I brought you your favorite." He tried to hold her but she took a step back.
"Err, thanks. It was nice of you." Rose was fast to get plates and whatever she thought would get her time: napkins, cutlery, sodas. She really wasn't in the mood to talk to Emmett.
"Rose," Suddenly Emmett was right behind her, trapping her between his body and the kitchen table. "What's going on? Are you still stressed about your course? Do you really have to go to those classes? You can quit, you know? Now that this mall project is going on well, we have a little chance if you want to stay at home."
Emmett really was clueless. Rose didn't know where to start to explain how wrong were his words. Besides, he was acting like they were fine!
"Look, Emmett, I appreciate the effort. But honestly, this was the first day in I don't know how many, that you're home early. The last time we talked, we didn't leave on good terms."
"That's why I did this! I'd like to try to make things better between us." He dared to say with pleading eyes.
Rose just shook her head. "No, it doesn't work like that."
He tried to take her hands but she batted his hands away.
"Emmett!"
"What? I'm trying! I know we have problems, and I know that I've been a jerk. I'm trying to change! I'm trying to get us back to how we were before. Besides, you can't put all the blame on me. You've been awfully cold. Always busy with your 'work' and your 'classes'. You even changed bedrooms! What, you don't want to sleep with me anymore?"
Rose just looked at him with a blank face. She was just about to blurt out she knew about Lauren, but she contained herself. Emmett took her silence for something different.
"So, you don't want to sleep with me anymore? Am I that disgusting? Because let me tell you, being with you hadn't been all roses and rainbows. You're always tired or in a bad mood. You push me away at any chance you have. You don't want to cuddle anymore, you don't tell me about your day except when it's about a new promotion. You're getting too ambitious and I'm feeling left out when you always think about your career." Emmett walked around the kitchen table, kicking and knocking any chair on his way.
"Yeah, so tell me, why when I asked how you were feeling you said 'you were fine'? Eh! You were 'fine'! So don't come and tell me I was the cold one. You were rude, insensitive, plainly rude. You forgot to ask how I felt. So don't come and put the blame on me." Rose took a couple of steps closer, still wary of him.
"And what about now? I came here early, your favorite dinner in hand, ready to romance you all night long; just to find the house alone. And how do you welcome me? You push me away! I'm trying to get things right! I'm ready to go to couple's counseling! Wasn't that what you wanted? Eh?" By now, Emmett was right in front of Rose, towering over her.
"Emmett, what I want... no, need right now is space. I wanted couple's counseling a few weeks ago, now, I need time to think and space." She had her hand over his chest, trying to push him away.
Emmett noticed something different in Rose this time, something he couldn't name. So he did something unexpected: he nodded and walked back to the loneliness of his room.
So, what do you think?
The song at the beginning is 'Walking on sunshine' by Katrina and the waves.