Sorry this chapter has taken so long. The plot bunnies have been stewing. Thanks for staying with me :)
Chapter 8
A month later…
Bella was in her office, her iPod on shuffle, the music of "Jai Ho", from Slumdog Millionaire, playing over her set of speakers. Her hair was down, the graceful waves that naturally occurred from her hair being in a French braid graced her shoulders and back, her black glasses setting on her face. Her fingers were clacking away at the computer, finishing the accounts receivables before they go off to the accounting firm that handles their finances. A knock on the door disturbed her from the repetitive strokes on her computer.
"Come in Alice," Bella spoke, not looking up from her screen.
"How did you know it was me?" Alice answered, setting herself in plush leather chair in front of the desk.
Bella looked away from her laptop screen, at her pixie sized friend sitting in front of her.
She answered her by saying, "It's well after closing, and you are the only one who stays to talk to me. Rosalie is normally gone by now."
Alice grinned at her friend, as Bella responded with a smirk in turn.
"What do you want Alice, just cut the crap and get to it." Bella spoke, looking back at her monitor, and started the key strokes again.
"Geez, can't a girl just talk to her best friend?" Alice asked, as Bella looked at her with her eyebrows raised, as if to say, "You're kidding me right?"
"Fine," she answered, "Jasper just helped remodel this new club off of 25th, and we were invited for the opening night. I want you to come dancing with us. It has Salsa dancing."
"I don't know…" Bella began, but was cut off by her hyper friend.
"Bella come on. It has been too damn long since the last time we have gone out. It would be you, me, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, and a good friend of Jasper's." Alice spoke her eyes, shinning like a happy child on Christmas.
"I don't think so Alice. I don't go out anymore. Plus I have done the whole going out with you guy's before, it didn't work remember?" Bella spoke, shivering at the last time they had tried to do the partying thing.
"Ok, so Mike was not the best idea. I blame Jessica for that one. I had nothing to do with it that time." Alice said defending herself.
"It's a Friday night Bella, what else were you going to do? Go home, order in some Italian, go over the last files, and perfect your lessons for next week?" Alice accused, knowing she was right by the guilty look in her friend's eyes.
"So what if that is what I was planning on doing? Staying in is not a crime, Alice." Bella challenged, not looking at her friend.
Determination played across Alice's features as she stood and closed Bella's laptop, knowing none of the files would be lost, only saved.
"Alice!" Bella screamed, looking angrily at her friend, only to be met with a look of pure and utter challenge.
"Isabella Marie Swan-Black, you are 33 years old. You are by no means ugly, and as God as my witness Jacob would not want to see you doing what you are doing right now. So stop avoiding the reality, and come out with your friends tonight." Alice growled all playfulness from her voice gone.
The words of Jake struck a chord, and left Bella speechless. It was true she was making an effort to make the pain a little bit less every day. That being much better than her wallowing in it, but she was by no means ready to go out and date again. She nodded for lack of a better response, still unsure of what she was agreeing to for the rest of the night.
A smile reclaimed her best friend's features as she spoke, "Perfect. Elizabeth is babysitting our daughter and Rosalie and Emmet's kids. We will swing by your apartment to pick you up at eight. Be ready, and please try to make an effort."
Bella nodded again, and watched Alice walk out of the door, completely beside herself with the disaster she had surely gotten herself into.
At sharply eight o'clock…
Bella walked down the hall of her apartment hearing a sharp knock at the door. She made sure she had her blue clutch in her hands, and checked to make sure she had her cell phone in her pocket. After one more nervous glance in the mirror, she opened the door to find Jasper on the other side, his mouth dropping.
"It looks awful doesn't it," Bella cried running back inside.
Jasper sprinted after her and gently grabbed her elbow, turning her around.
"Bella, I'm sorry but excuse me if you may darling, but you look pretty damn hot." He told her, his accent dripping with a bit more husk than she was used to.
She had let her beautiful chocolate hair, fall in curled waves around her face. A black, slinky, off the shoulder top sat on her upper body, lace where the sleeves opened up, it sitting just below the top of her black skirt, but if she lifted her arms a certain way, it would show a sliver of her skin. The black salsa skirt gathered at a high angle on her thigh with a large circular buckle and black salsa heels with matching buckles sat on her recently pedicure treated feet. A simple chain with a cross, that was a gift from her recently religion crazed mother, sat on her graceful neck, and silver earrings dangled in her ears. The makeup was simple, bronzer applied lightly across her skin, brown eyeliner and mascara on her eyes, a crimson apple gloss on her lips. Bella was beautiful, and Jasper knew he better go into big brother mode before Emmett did.
She looked at her best friend's husband, and smiled. He was in a deep blue button down, a few buttons left opened at the top, and black slacks hung on his built but lanky frame. Black dress shoes on his feet.
"Your feet are going to kill you, you know that?" Bella asked, as she looked at his feet.
Jasper nodded, "Don't tell Alice, but I have my Doc Martins in the car."
Bella laughed as she followed behind him, locking the door behind her, after checking one more time that she had everything.
Jasper made sure to walk behind her after she shut the door, it being courteous, and on top of that, he was instructed to "herd" Bella to the car. This simple action was a precaution because she was known to make up an excuse as to why she could not go. He knew she knew better, because Alice would most certainly hunt her down and kill her, if she did not attend. They got down to Jasper's Mercedes, and got inside Alice turned around and chatted animatedly with her friend until they got to the club.
Upon arriving, Jasper paid the valet to take the car, and went around letting the girls out of the car by opening their doors. This is the first time that Bella had a chance to see Alice's outfit. She was wearing a Black shirt, a deep v in the front the fabric glittering in the light, a black tube dress that sat right above her knees. Her heels were Salsa as well, simply because it was the most comfortable shoes to dance in.
"Alice you look great." Bella commented, suddenly feeling like an ugly duckling next to a beautiful swan.
"As do you Miss Swan, now let's go knock those guy's socks off," Alice said, grabbing Bella's arm, "Jasper you coming?"
"Coming love, you girls get inside, Emmett, Rosalie, and my friend and his date are already inside." Jasper spoke, collecting the necessities from the valet person.
Alice nodded and they strode past the bouncer at the door, much to the grumbles of the crowd around them, Jasper shortly following suit. The music of Jennifer Lopez's "Let's Get Loud," was on in the background. Bella clung tightly to her friend's hand, trying to breathe to avoid a panic attack due to the amount of people around her. Alice led them up two flights of stairs to a private room that over looked the floor, and let go once they were at the top.
"Bella! Damn girl you look hot!" Emmet spoke, giving Bella the once over.
She looked at her dear friend and laughed. Rosalie had gotten a hold of him, and currently he was in a deep red button up, with black slacks and a white tank underneath. Brown shoes were on his feet. Rosalie looked stunning in a bright red off the shoulder dress; it was made of materials similar to Bella's, the dress cutting at an asymmetrical line, to mid thigh, a dangerous height considering the length of Rosalie's gorgeous legs. Red Salsa heels on her feet, perfecting the outfit.
"You look pretty smoking yourself there Em." Bella commented, walking towards the pair to give them hugs.
She whispered in Rosalie's ear, "Good work there."
Rosalie laughed in acknowledgement and spoke back, "It only took three hours shopping."
Bella shared a hearty laugh, and sat with the four of them, as the waitress brought them their drinks. Emmett explained how he ordered ahead, knowing their drinks like the back of his hand. Having once been a bartender at the bar they frequented back in college, he knew their drinks pretty damn well. A Cosmopolitan was put in Rosalie's hand, a Long Island Iced Tea in Alice's, and an Appletini in Bella's, while the guys all took their beers of choice.
"Where is…" Emmett started questioning Jasper, but was interrupted as the object of the questioning came into view.
Links to Clothing
Bella's Shirt, Skirt, and Shoes:
.?main_page=product_info&cPath=123_129_104&products_id=1412
.?main_page=product_info&cPath=123_129_120_121&products_id=1359
.?main_page=product_info&cPath=6_17_83_32&products_id=233
Alice's Top Shirt and Shoes:
.com/frame_3?mf=.com/dancewear/style_?pid=5499&Shop=Style&TopCat=TB&cat=ALLTOP&SID=88265488
.?main_page=product_info&cPath=6_17_83_32&products_id=235
Rosalie's Dress (Think in Red) and Shoes:
.?main_page=product_info&cPath=123_129_111_114&products_id=1229
.?main_page=product_info&cPath=6_17_83_21&products_id=515
Thank you so much to my Beta and my dear friend DracoLHermione. They helped tons!
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Love you all!
Ballerina