Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight
Chapter 3
"Edward, you heading off already?"
Damn. He'd nearly made it to the elevator. He pasted on a smile and turned to see his co-star James sauntering along the corridor towards him. James was one of the designated 'bad vamps' in Bitten, and if he was being honest with himself, it didn't take much acting to portray dislike for the man.
"Yeah, it's been a long day."
"Dude, don't I know it." James reached him and clapped him on the back. "All the more reason to kick back with a couple of drinks downstairs."
The elevator doors opened with a soft chime, and James propelled them both inside. Edward half sighed, half laughed.
"I don't know …"
James leaned forward, a conspiratorial glint in his eye. "Come on man, reward yourself. I'm out to get some tail tonight."
Edward snorted before he could stop himself. That line sounded so cheesy.
"I'm going to kick back with a drink, but it won't be here."
James raised an eyebrow.
"You're not staying here?"
"Hell no."
Experience had taught Edward to avoid staying in the same hotel as the press junkets. Some of the more enthusiastic journalists tended to linger, and once word got out, the more predatory fans would begin to appear, something that James seemed only to happy to avail himself of.
"So what are you going to do with yourself? You seeing someone?"
Typical James, always fishing. There was no way Edward was going to share much personal information with him anyway.
"Nope. I'm staying with a couple of friends while I'm in town. It's been a while since we've caught up so I want to make the most of it."
James shrugged. "It's your call, more for me."
"You're welcome to it."
A moment later they were exiting the elevator and heading in different directions. Edward gave a polite smile and nod to the desk clerk, and kept moving at a brisk pace. It was another trick he'd learned. Moving with a sense of purpose meant there was less chance of being stopped. As he went through the revolving doors he was amused to see that James had already stopped to chat at a couple of women on his way to the lounge. He was definitely on the prowl tonight.
He stepped out into the afternoon fresh air with a sigh of relief, and nodded his thanks as the Doorman whistled for the car that Edward had requested earlier. The car pulled up smoothly, and Edward got in. Just as the door closed he heard a gasp of "Oh my god I think that was …"
The door closed, shutting off the excited squeal. He leaned back against the seat, glancing over to see two awestruck teenagers. Damn Twitter. Word had obviously gotten out, but thankfully he was getting away just in time. He gave them a quick wave as the car pulled away from the kerb. Good timing indeed. He was free.
"How was your day sir?"
Edward glanced up at the driver, and recognised him as being one of his drivers over the last month.
"Hey haven't seen you for a few days, how's tricks?"
A deep rumbling chuckle came from the front.
"Same as usual sir, glad I'm in this job and not yours."
"After a day like today I'm inclined to agree. And it's Edward, remember?"
"Sure thing Edward."
"Thanks man."
He leaned back against the seat with a smile. The further they got from the hotel, the more relaxed he was starting to feel.
"Am I dropping you off anywhere this evening Edward?"
"No just back to the canyon, but a stop off at a liquor store on the way there would be great."
"You got it."
A quiet night at home was all he wanted. After being surrounded by so many people, the chance to be alone with his thoughts was a temptation that he wasn't going to try to resist. He glanced over at the stack of postcards, posters and photos that the publicist had put in the car for him to autograph. He couldn't help but wonder if the fans would really appreciate the items if they knew what a chore it was for him to sign them. Still, couldn't knock the fans, they were his bread and butter after all. Memories of the conversation about fans earlier in the hotel filtered through his mind, and he couldn't help but chuckle quietly to himself. He sat lost in thought for a moment, thinking about the journalist that had managed to put him at his ease so quickly.
What was her name? He frowned trying to remember. She had a way about her, and he found himself wishing that their meeting hadn't been so brief, or so controlled for that matter. Their allotted time together had flown by, and judging by her reaction when the interview was brought to an abrupt halt, the feeling had been mutual.
Why couldn't he remember her name? He must be more tired than he thought.
Edward leaned forward and took off his jacket, leaned back again and started to pop the top buttons on his shirt. He was tempting to kick off his shoes as well, wearing suits during the day really wasn't his normal style, but again it went with the job sometimes. Running a hand through his hair he gave a heavy sigh and closed his eyes. It was going to be good to get home, such that it was.
He considered himself fortunate to have a career that gave him the opportunity to travel the world, although coming home to an empty house gave him a hollow feeling in his chest that no amount of fame or adoration from the fans could fill. Still, unlike other celebrities that chose to live in hotels, he was proud of his small piece of solitude. He had purchased a home in Laurel Canyon a couple of years ago, an impulse decision at the time, and modest by the canyon's usual standards. The sheets didn't wash themselves and breakfast wasn't delivered, but it was all his, which made it priceless as far as he was concerned.
"You want me to go for you Edward?"
He was pulled from his reverie by the question, and glanced out the car window to see they had arrived at a liquor store.
"No that's fine, I got it."
He went inside and picked up a few things, and was back in the car in a matter of minutes. He leaned back on the seat and closed his eyes. A while later the car dipped and started up a slight incline of the drive. He was home.
"Looks like you've got company Edward."
"I've what?"
Edward lurched up in his seat to peer ahead. He squinted for a moment, then, eyes widening in recognition he let out a whoop of delight.
"Son of a bitch!"
The drive glanced over his shoulder in inquiry, and seeing the look on Edward's face gave a relieved grin.
"I'll take it that's a good thing?"
"You have no idea, I haven't seen these guys for ages."
The car pulled into the driveway, and Edward got out clutching a couple of plastic bags. He stopped by the drivers' side door and rapped on the window with his knuckles.
"Hey, thanks for ferrying me around – this is for you."
With that, he handed the driver a six pack of imported beer.
"No shit? I mean … thanks Edward."
Edward gave him a crooked grin that anywhere else would have caused many a frenzied squeal.
"Not a problem, you have a good weekend."
Edward slapped the car bonnet a couple of times as he headed towards his front door. Seeing the extra car parked out front was just the tonic he needed.
He keyed open the front door, threw his coat on a nearby chair and walked through the house towards the kitchen, calling out as he went.
"Emmett? Where are you asshat?"
"Out back!"
Grinning, Edward set down the extra beers and grabbed two from the carrier before heading straight outside. The house was relatively modest, but it did have a kick ass pool and patio area.
Emmett was already outside cooking some steaks on the grill, and his face nearly split in half with an enormous grin.
"You bastard! Why didn't you tell me you were coming to town?"
The men exchanged back thumping hugs, laughing in delight.
"I know, man. Rosalie and I wanted to make it a surprise, so we swore Mom and Dad to secrecy as well."
"No way, she's here too?"
He laughed as an ear-piercing whistle came from the back door. Turning, he saw Rosalie heading towards him, her arms stretched out for a hug.
"Holy shit you're as gorgeous as ever." Edward swept her up for a spinning hug. "Still think you married the right brother?"
That comment earned him a swat on the back of his head from Emmett, and a burst of laughter from his new sister-in-law.
"Damn right I did." Rosalie disengaged herself from Edward and went over to Emmett, wrapping her arms lovingly around his waist.
Emmett gave Edward a happy smirk and kissed Rosalie's head. "Sorry brother, all the good ones are taken these days."
Rosalie rolled her eyes, but a moment later wrinkled her nose and sniffed the air.
"Honey, just how well done did you want your steak?"
Emmett let go of Rosalie and turned towards the grill with a yelp, which was emitting a modest coil of smoke.
"Jesus wept." He said in disgust as he turned the blackened steaks over. He stared gloomily at the charred offering but then brightened. "They're only well done on one side, we can still save them."
Rosalie sighed. "That's my monkey man."
Emmett gave her an affectionate swat at her rump as he picked up his beer and turned back to Edward.
"So, you okay with us crashing here for a while bro?"
"Are you kidding? It's great to have you here. How long are you in town?"
Edward opened a beer for himself as they stood beside the grill.
"That depends on the little lady here."
"Huh?"
Rosalie grinned broadly. "We've put in an offer on a customised car dealership, so we're waiting to hear back. If it all goes well, do you think you can handle putting up with us for a while until we find our own place?"
Edward gaped at them for a moment as the news sank in, then a slow, happy grin spread across his face.
"You guys serious?"
"Deadly." Confirmed Rosalie. "You should have seen Emmett's hand shaking when we signed the contract of offer.
"Hey, men don't shake, it was just a muscle spasm."
"Sure, you cling to that Tiger."
Edward was looking back and forth at the two of them as they bantered.
"So, this could really be happening. You guys might be moving to LA to live."
"Yup." Emmett grinned happily. "You think this town can take on another Cullen?"
Edward gazed into the open face of his big brother. A tension inside him that he hadn't been aware of began to loosen slightly. Family. After years of living in this soul-sucking town, he was going to have family nearby. He reached out his hand and Emmett promptly grabbed it, the two men squaring off their shoulders at each other.
"Brother, you know there's only one answer to that."
Emmett's eyes glinted. "Oh yeah."
It was a ritual that had been started in their school years, and Rosalie laughed as the two men roared out their motto.
"Bring it on!"
* * * *
Edward pushed his plate away with sigh that was replete with satisfaction.
"God that was good."
Emmett raised an eyebrow as he chewed. His plate was still piled high and he showed no signs of slowing down.
"I would have thought you'd prefer restaurant standard stuff."
"Are you nuts? Give me home-cooked anytime."
Edward reached out with his foot and dragged a spare chair his way, stretching his legs out on it with a groan. He had changed into his oldest, most comfortable jeans and a t-shirt that had definitely seen better days. Stretching his arms up, he yawned massively and reached up under his shirt to scratch his chest. He opened his eyes to see Rosalie sitting across the table from him, biting her lip and looking speculative.
"What?"
"Edward, for all that I'm forever happily in lust with Emmet here," the object of her desire leered at her with a mouthful of mashed potatoes and kept eating, "I have to say … Da-yum you cut one fine figure of a man."
"Oh come on." Edward yanked his shirt back down, crossed his arms and glared at her. "Don't you start."
"Oh honey, you deny it but phew," she put her wineglass down and fanned herself with her hand. "Those websites are you are right. You're lookin' fine."
"Emmett, help me out here."
"Happy to, when I'm done." A fork was waved at his pile of food which was slowly diminishing.
"That's all I get? Your wife is giving me the come-on, and you're choosing mashed potatoes over her?"
Emmett looked smug and swallowed his mouthful before answering. "Dickward wouldn't standard a chance against my sweet, sweet lovin', so I'm good."
"Modest much?"
"I have to say he has a point there." Rosalie chimed in. "Besides," one of her hands slid under the table onto Emmett's lap. Edward couldn't see what she was doing, but it was enough to make Emmett yelp as his knee jerked up and hit the table. "You can't miss what you've never had, and I've got my hands full just fine."
"Urgh, too much information!" Edward jumped up and headed to the refrigerator to get another beer while Emmett and Rosalie high fived.
"Ohh! Baby got back too!" Emmett chorused from the table.
"Shut up!"
He could feel his cheeks flushing at their good-natured ribbing.
After their chortles died down, and Emmett finished his meal, the dishes were put away and a bottle of wine was opened as they relaxed on the living room couches.
"So bro, I've gotta say I wasn't really expecting to see you show up alone tonight."
"You know I'm not seeing anyone lately."
"Yeah but … you know, all those journalists, publicity hounds … you must've been surrounded by women, surely one of them caught your eye." Emmett snapped his fingers and made a couple of crude gestures that had Rosalie laughing.
Edward hesitated a moment too long before replying.
"Ah-HA, I knew it! Who was she?"
Emmett leaned forward, his eyes bright.
Edward gave Rosalie his best puppy-eyed look. "Rose, how about a little help here?"
"Uh-uh". She was curled up on the couch beside Emmett, shaking her head. "I'm just as interested as he is."
"Well, there was someone today"
"And? Details man."
"Well I don't actually have much to tell." Edward paused, appalled that he had spoken the truth. "Aw crap, I really don't!"
"Huh?"
"She was my last interview for the day and there was … she had a kind of … I don't know. There was a bit of a connection there."
"I knew it," Rosalie cut in this time. "Tell me everything, what's she like?"
"I just said I don't know much about her!"
"Yeah, but you can tells what your gut reaction was, so spill."
"Well, she seemed kinda quiet, but confident at the same time. She doesn't have much of a verbal filter going on there," he paused as he remembered her performing seal comment and grinned. "She's a freelance writer, so doesn't consider herself a journalist."
"But she was at a press junket."
"Yeah, that's what I said. She was helping out a friend …"
Edward kept talking, not realising how his tiredness had fallen away as he spoke about his encounter. He recounted her performing seal comment, and their discussion about his fans, and how he'd made her laugh about Paul Newman's comment. Throughout it all, he laughed and spoke more about the journalist and he did about himself. When he finally finished, there was a thoughtful silence from the other two. He raised an eyebrow as he considered them.
"What?"
Emmett and Rosalie exchanged a glance, and then without saying a word they each sipped at their wine glasses.
"Interesting." Commented Rosalie.
"Very" replied Emmett.
"What is?"
"Oh, just the fact that you met someone that has you lighting up like a Christmas tree, you've just told us every single detail of the interview, how she looked, what she said, how she said it, what she wore … and you think it was just a bit of a connection."
"Well …" having just gushed like a teenager with a new crush, Edward suddenly felt he'd said too much. What the hell was he doing? It was like a verbal tsunami and he hadn't been able to stop himself.
Emmett nudged Rosalie with an elbow.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"I think I'm thinking what you're thinking."
"You think I'm right?"
"Oh I know you're right."
"What is this, some sort of marriage-speak?"
Emmett leaned back expansively, his arms stretched out along the top of the couch. Rosalie took advantage of this, and promptly snugged up against him. They both beamed at Edward.
"What? Just tell me what the hell the two of you are going on about?"
Emmett looked down at Rosalie?
"You ready?"
"You bet."
They both beamed at Edward, took a deep breath and in a sing-song voice chanted "Edward likes a girrrrrrrrl!"
Edward groaned and dropped his head in his hands.
"What the hell have I done?"
"Oh it's not what you've done dude, it's what you're going to do that matters."
"Huh?"
"Oh honey," Rosalie shook her head pityingly at him. "For a smart man you're a dumbass sometimes. You're going to call your publicity people and find out who that woman was, and then you're going to go get her."
"I am?"
"Damn straight." Replied Emmett. "Or we will."
"Oh really? What's your motivation?"
"Getting you laid might get mom off our case about grandchildren. So batter up!"
Later that night, Edward peeled off his clothes and fell onto his bed with a groan. He'd consumed more alcohol with his brother than he'd had in the last week. No doubt his head would remind him of that in the morning.
Hours after the journalist had been mentioned, Emmett and Rosalie still wouldn't drop the matter. Even when heading off to his room, Rosalie had peppered his retreating back with suggestions.
"Call the magazine, get her number, and then call her!"
He rolled onto his side and punched his pillow into a more comfortable shape. If only it were that simple. When would he have the chance to give her a call? Chances are she was already seeing someone, women like her were never single.
He snorted.
Right. Women like her. He barely even knew her. He didn't know her. Still, he couldn't get her warm eyes and quick smile out of his head. Her hand had felt so farm. In a world that seemed full of cold, sharp edges, her warmth and flowing curves were impossible to resist.
He closed his eyes and sighed heavily, wanting sleep. As he felt his body relax, a vague word association flashed through his mind. The word 'seal' and a vision of dancing brown eyes pulled his sleepy lips into a smile, before he relaxed into sleep.
* * * *
"Morning bro, have you called her?"
"Shut up."
It was a week later, and not a day had gone by without some sort of comment about the object of his affection, now dubbed 'Edward's Mystery Woman'. For all that he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her, he felt strangely shy at the prospect of getting in touch.
"Honey, give him a break." Rosalie looked up from her coffee. "He'll probably call her after breakfast." She fixed him with a beady glance. "Won't you." It wasn't a question.
"We're out of cereal."
The empty packet was shaken for emphasis. Emmett paused in the act of spooning more cereal to his mouth and had the grace to look sheepish.
"uh,"
Edward sighed. "Mom called the other night and warned me about your eating habits. You do know you're not a growing teenager anymore, right?"
"Hey, you think muscles like these," he flexed, getting an appreciative whistle from his wife, "grow on nothin'?"
"Okay muscle man, I don't need a demonstration." He snatched his keys off the counter. "I'll go stock up."
"Now?"
"No time like the present."
"That's what she said!"
"Argh!" Edward laughed and headed for the door. Getting out of the house would at least give him a break from the teasing.
They had a point though. He'd called the Bitten publicity department, and gotten copy of the interview schedule. He'd flicked through the email impatiently when it arrived, arriving at last on the name that had haunted him for the last week.
Bella Swan.