CHAPTER TWO

HIM

'When I took one look at you, I knew there was no turning back' - found on internet

After maybe the 3rd distracted huh, her co worker at the salon she worked in (and was assistant manager of) turned to her and said with a pronounced smirk, "So.. Who got into you today?" which for a moment made Amie choke on her bottled water and give her a blank look as she thought back to earlier on in the day, when she ran into Jacob Black while on First Beach with her daughter. Slightly red in the face, Amie stammered and then said "I,uhh.. It's just been one hell of a day, alright? Have you ever had something you've practically been dying to have happen finally happen, and then you're so damn speechless that it has, that you completely lose your nerve in a split second?"

A nearby co-worker, Jade groaned and then asked, "God have I.. That doctor in the ER. Remember I told you I've been eyeing him for ages when he came in to get his hair cut, right?"

"Yeah, we all know that, Jade.. But what about it?" Amie asked as she studied her two friends and another co worker, Kim Cameron who was watching her with a slightly curious and knowing look on her face. Kim lived in La Push, close to First Beach a few houses down with her own husband of 2 years, Jared. Jared knew Jacob.. But Amie, in her excitement of seeing him again earlier today, completely and totally forgot all about it.

"Well, so my kid Mickey slipped in the grass at that soccer game and landed wrong, couldn't move his foot. .Scared the living hell out of me, so I took Mickey to the ER after the coach got him off the field, and finally the guy comes up and talks to me.. He gave me his number and all I could do was stare into those dark green eyes of his and stutter like a moron. It felt, and I shit you not when I say this girls, but it felt like my throat closed up completely and I was speechless."

Kim joked aloud, "And you didn't record the date of this occurrence, this rare chance that you were actually speechless, Jade?" before turning to Amie and asking "What made you ask that though?"

Amie bit her lower lip and shrugged then said casually, "Just curious, sheesh." as she got back to straightening her work station and busying herself. Which would have worked if she hadn't caught the faintest hint of his cologne in the immediate air nearby. She laughed at herself, shaking her head after it'd shot up, just like it always used to when she'd think he was around to watch without him knowing or something.

"Oh no you don't.. You opened the can of worms, Amie, you're gonna tell us what happened to you.. Or who, rather.. Because you look shellshocked, girl. The last time I saw you this shellshocked was when we took you out for drinks and that one guy did the body shot off of you."

She groaned, bit her lower lip and said quietly, "Fine.. But this does not leave this salon.. Got it?" as she looked around at the rest of the girls she worked with, raking her hands through her thick and wavy long blondeish brown hair as she said mysteriously, "He's back."

"You mean the guy.. The one you moved back for in the first place.. The one you were gonna.." Jade asked, gaping at Amie who smiled and nodding said "Yeah, one and the same.. I mean it's only for his sister's wedding, so..." while Kim looked at Amie, half tempted to point out that she knew Jacob, but smiling to herself instead, keeping that quiet. It was obvious that Amie was just that excited, she'd plain forgotten Kim knew Jacob.

"Well? How'd it go?" her friends persisted as she shrugged and said "It went.. I mean I was sort of covertly flirting.. I've gotta work up the nerve first, ladies, damn.. This has been a really, really long time coming for me."

"Work up the nerve my ass." Penny, another coworker muttered as she finished aloud, "What you gotta do girl, is shove him into a dark room and kiss him senseless.. That works in the movies."

"Penny.. Seriously.. That's a horny teenage girl move. I'm an adult.. I'm gonna be so much more subtle with making my own intentions known. But I have to be speedy subtle.. Because there's no telling just how soon he'll leave after Rachel's wedding... Doesn't really give me much time to work around, damn it." Amie pouted for a moment.

But she'd done way many more impossible things before, admitting how she felt about Jacob all along and finally making her move should prove to be a relatively easy and painless task.. Unless of course, he didn't feel the same way. And for the moment, Amie didn't particularly want to think about. Not when she'd waited this damn long for at least a halfway decent chance to come along and present itself.

"Something tells me that you'll figure something out." Kim mused, Jade nodding as she said "Yeah, you usually do, Amie." as Amie nodded and crossed her fingers quickly, then uncrossed them. She rubbed the back of her neck, turned and looked through the shop's glass window, trying to figure out where she felt the intense staring coming from.

"And again, I'm gonna ask you, Amie.. Are you sure you're okay?" Penny asked as Amie nodded and then said "Yeah.. I just.. I could have sworn I felt someone standing out in the midway watching me. But when I looked up, whoever I thought I saw was running off like they didn't want to be seen." while largely shrugging it off. Just because she felt like she were being watched and saw someone running when she looked out to confirm or dispel her suspicions, it didn't necessarily mean that she was being watched. She was a perfectly logical and independent grown woman. She didn't get spooked like this.

Just like the 3 or 4 hang up calls she'd gotten late at night when she'd just lie down in bed, sometimes with breathing in the background. She had no reason for anyone to hate her, unless you counted her twin, Bella, but she highly doubted that Bella would bother trying to harass her when Bella had her perfect little life on Esme Island.

An involuntary shiver passed through her body and she shook her head, making Jade and Kim look at her in concern then ask, "What's up girl?"

"Just got a really, really creepy feeling.. Like the other day.. Remember? It's nothing." Amie said as they all nodded in agreement, Amie stating seconds later, "Maybe I'm just still in a daze from running into Jacob earlier.. If you saw him, girls.. You'd know exactly what I mean." teasingly fanning herself as she sank down into a stylists chair and said "Yes.. He is that hot."

Kim snickered. Amie was really, really digging herself into a hole now, considering Jared was a close friend of Jake's, they were in the same pack together as shapeshifters. But of course, Kim wasn't going to say anything.. Or maybe..

She'd encourage Jacob to make a move first. She got the feeling that Amie, while brave, might just need a little bit of a push. After all, it'd been a really long time since Amie even went on a casual date.

"Hmm.. Maybe we should see him." Penny mused as Amie said hurriedly, "Oh no you two don't.. I know how you two are.. You'd shove us in a locked room and take off for higher ground." while laughing a little. "But if you're curious, let's just say grown up me definitely would not kick grown up him out of bed.. But it's not just looks.. It's the way he still manages to make my heart race, even though I haven't seen him in years.. And you all locking us in a locked room.. Especially when it's been a while.. I'd probably get all stupid and make an ass out of myself again, like the time I actually tried telling him, the last summer I came here to visit."

"And?" her friends chorused as she looked at them and said calmly, "Look.. I'm gonna make a move. You bet your asses I'm gonna make a move for what I want this time. It's just been so long since I've done any kind of dating or pursuing of a guy, I'm not even sure where to start." Amie admitted as her friends looked at her as if she'd grown a third eye in the middle of her face.

"She's joking, right?" Jade asked in disbelief as Penny shook her head and said "Hell, girls.. We're all getting old. Let's just admit it. We wouldn't know where to start if we were still single either." with Kim laughing to herself a little as she texted Jared to let him know what time she'd be off, and that Amie was practically floating on a cloud of sorts, having ran into Jacob on the beach earlier.

Sitting in his living room, Jared chuckled and then showed the phone to Paul, who'd been banned from the Black's house so he wouldn't be in the way, eating all the food and trying to spy on his bride, see her dress or just plain see her before her wedding day.

"Think I should tell him?" Paul asked, anxious to have an excuse to go and see Rachel outside of the few crazy minutes they'd been stealing with each other here and there for nearly 2 weeks now as Jared pushed him back down on the couch and said "Oh no.. You are not going over there, man. You were told not until after the wedding."

"But damn it, she's my im.." Paul started then remembered.. She had said yes, and that mean he'd see her anytime he wanted, just after the wedding. Grumbling, he dug into the bag of potato chips before saying casually, "Still though.. Someone oughta tell the guy that there's a chance the imprint did actually take."

Jared shrugged and said with a smirk, "How about we just let stuff happen as it happens? That'd be more fun than anything."

Chuckling, Paul nodded in agreement. Maybe this meant Jacob would actually stick around. He knew Rachel missed her brother and sometimes it made her unhappy.