As always, thanks to MrsK81 and Megan my pre-readers. They are amazing and don't laugh at my silly mistakes.
Thank you to my beta's Marly580 and Mauigirl60: They point out my British errors and without them this story would be a grammatical mess.
Last thank you to Pattinlethr – who although can't help directly with the story, continues to be an amazing support and a great friend.
To everyone who reads, reviews and has this story on alert – Thank you.
EPOV
It's been a long week and as Friday approaches, I'm becoming more irate. I can't concentrate at work, and it's becoming increasingly difficult not to say anything about Alec to Bella. She's reassured me that I have nothing to be jealous of, yet my green-eyed monster still likes to rear his ugly head. I just never seem to have time with her anymore.
I know her work is important to her, but recently it seems to be taking over her life. She's up early in the morning and every night she's been bringing some work home. She's been late every single night—and it always seems to be that damned boss of hers that gets to bring her home.
My time with Bella is limited since I work most of the weekend, and I cherish the time I do get with her. This week has driven me crazy, but at least I know we have Saturday night to look forward to.
Friday passes quickly. It's a busy night at the club—with a line forming before the doors even open—and we work practically nonstop. I'm off tomorrow, so I hope to spend a lot of time in the office today. Early on, I know this isn't going to happen. I spend the majority of the night between bars: restocking, collecting glasses, and even helping out at the door.
Soon, we're showing the last of our customers out and locking the door behind them. As the staff starts cleaning up the bar, I finally make it back to the office. Since we had a larger crowd in tonight, Emmett stays on the floor and helps the team with the mess out front. I start the cashing out first, knowing mistakes are a lot more likely to happen once it gets later into the night and my adrenaline wears off.
Emmett walks into the office just over an hour later and throws himself into his seat with an over-exaggerated sigh.
He remains silent as I finish counting the last till. I note down the takings, put the cash into piles, and stack it into the safe so it's ready to be taken to the bank tomorrow morning.
"Good night?"
"Yeah," I nod as I read over the night's figures. "Best one in a while, actually."
"Always a good thing."
"Okay." He yawns as he gathers the paperwork on his desk. "Let's wrap this up so we can get home. I'm absolutely beat."
The office falls into silence as we get through the work on our desks. Since I don't plan on coming in tomorrow, I'm desperate to get as much of it done as possible.
I finish quickly and tidy my desk. "I'll meet you out front." Emmett grunts a response and continues writing.
The bar floor is empty apart from Riley, who's finishing up cleaning the VIP bar.
"Everyone else gone home?"
"Yeah, I sent them off since it's getting late." He shrugs. "I'm just waiting on the last of the glasses finishing, anyway."
"Oh, if that's all then you can leave as well. I'll finish up. I gotta wait on Emmett anyway, and he'll be a little while longer."
"You sure?"
"Sure, no sense in us both being here."
He doesn't need me to tell him twice.
Once he's gathered his things, I walk him out of the club, locking the door behind him, before heading back to the bar to finish up.
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Both Emmett and I are bleary-eyed and fighting huge yawns as we leave the club. We could have been finished a lot earlier, but we decided to do some of the work that's usually done on a Saturday afternoon, so that Emmett has an easier shift without me tomorrow night. As tired as we are, it will be worth it tomorrow: Emmett will have an easier shift, and I won't be worrying while on my date with Bella.
As usual, Jake runs circles around my feet when we arrive home. Emmett goes to the kitchen while I slip Jake's leash on and quickly take him outside. By the time I return, Emmett's halfway through his bottle of beer and playing his Xbox. I take the chilled bottle from the coffee table and take a gulp.
"So, tomorrow night. You nervous?"
I nod. "A little. But I'm pretty sure she feels the same, so that helps."
He scoffs. "Pretty sure? For a smart guy, you're really dumb sometimes, Edward."
I grin and take another drink of my beer. It may have been a backhanded compliment, but the fact that he's so confident about Bella's feelings for me does make me a little less nervous about tomorrow night.
As soon as I finish my beer, I decide to go to bed.
"You staying up?"
"Yeah, I just need to unwind a little more. I'm still feeling buzzed from tonight."
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow, then."
"Yeah. Hey."
I turn back to him.
"If I don't see you, good luck tomorrow night. She's gonna feel the same way."
"Thanks. And thanks for letting me have the night off."
"No problem, just remember this for when I need some time with Rose."
I laugh. "You got it." I make my way to the bedroom with Jake hot on my heels. He takes his normal spot next to the door as I enter as quietly as possible.
The room is almost in complete darkness; only a soft glow from the bedside lamp lights the room. The covers are haphazard on the bed, with half of them dangling off the side. I can't see much of Bella—only the top of her head— but I can still hear her soft snores telling me she's sound asleep.
I tiptoe around the room, trying to be as quiet as possible as I get ready for bed. I'm not sure why I bother. A marching band could be playing in the bedroom and she wouldn't even notice.
I crawl into bed, trying to get as much of the covers as I can without disrupting her, quickly falling asleep.
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I'm disappointed as soon as I wake up. She is meant to be next to me in bed. The day is to start with me making us breakfast in bed, followed by a lazy day of chilling before we get ready for our night out.
Instead I wake to a note lying on top of her pillow:
Edward,
Work called with an emergency and I had to go in. You got in so late last night and looked so peaceful, I didn't want to wake you.
I'm sorry – I'll be back in time for tonight.
I can't wait.
Yours,
Bella xox
I huff and roll back to my side of the bed. Work. Again. I know I had only mentioned evening plans, but surely she knew I wanted to spend the whole day with her. Especially since I took the whole day off.
I glance at the clock—just after ten—and contemplate whether to go back to sleep. The house is silent, meaning Emmett is probably still out cold, so I decide to make the most of the peace and quiet and reluctantly drag myself out of bed.
I quickly shower, grab something to eat, and take Jake on his morning walk before returning home and finalizing my plans for the evening.
I haven't planned anything too over-the-top—knowing Bella will hate it—so I've kept it simple, but tasteful. I want to treat her the way she deserves.
On my mother's enthusiastic recommendation, I've booked dinner at one of the nicest restaurants in town, Canlis. It was an easy decision, as the restaurant is well-known for its delicious food and impeccable service. And since I really want tonight to be special for Bella, I've gone a step further and booked one of their private dining suites, 'The Cache'.
Since the restaurant is on the other side of the city, I've also hired a car to take us there and bring us back home. Tonight will hopefully be a night of celebration, and I want to be able to drink with her instead of being the designated driver.
First on my list of plans is calling the car company and letting them know my plans for the evening. The second Bella walks out of our front door I want her to feel swept off her feet, so she remembers everything about this night.
When all the details are settled, I thank them for their help and hang up, a small smile on my face. As everything falls together perfectly, I can't wait to finally tell Bella how I feel. It's taken a while to get here—for me to overcome my relationship fears—but I now feel I can tell her, without any doubt, that I love her.
Before I can call the restaurant, Emmett enters the kitchen, still in his pajamas and looking sleepy.
"Hey," he mumbles as he makes his way to the cabinet and pours himself some cereal.
"Morning."
"You're up early."
I shrug. "Yeah, I couldn't sleep and I have some things to finalize for tonight, anyway."
"Oh yeah, date night. How's that going?" He takes a spoonful of his cereal and sits opposite me at the kitchen table.
I gesture to the phone, now sitting on the table. "Good, I suppose. I was hoping to have the whole day with her, but she unexpectedly had to go into work, so that's not gonna happen."
"On a Saturday?" he questions.
"Yeah. Weird, right?"
"Did she say how long she would be?" He finishes his cereal and rinses the bowl in the sink.
"No, but she'll be back in time for tonight."
"Cool. Well, I gotta hit the shower and get ready for work. Enjoy tonight." He grins and leaves the kitchen.
I ignore his attempt to wind me up and pick the phone back up. With the car sorted, all that's left is a phone call to the restaurant to confirm some of the smaller details for tonight.
I'm able to speak with the restaurant manager and finalize the arrangements for the room. I let them know our expected arrival time, what champagne I want chilling and how I expect the room to look. Once they confirm my plans, I give them my credit card details and pay the deposit for use of their exclusive room.
With everything booked and confirmed, I finally sit back and relax in my seat. The nerves are starting to appear, but now that I know the main things are taken care of, I can relax a bit. Feeling a little lighter on my feet, I leave the kitchen and make my way to the shower. The easy part of my day is done—now I just have to figure out how to tell my girl that I love her.
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With his second "good luck" of the day, Emmett leaves for work not long after we have lunch. It's now early afternoon and I still haven't heard from Bella.
I try her cell, which just goes straight to voicemail, so I send a quick text asking what happened and how long she's going to be. I wait for her quick reply—preferably telling me she's on her way home—but there's nothing. The light on the screen dims before fading to black and doesn't lighten up again.
With nothing to do but wait, I turn on Emmett's Xbox and try to kill some time.
Frustration takes over disappointment the longer my phone stays silent. I know this job is a huge chance for her, but she knew we had plans.
Why didn't she say no?
After what feels like hours, my phone finally beeps.
I'm sorry. I was hoping to be home by now, but this is taking longer than I thought. I'll only be a few more hours. B xo
What happened? Why did they call you in on a Saturday? E xo
There's some huge breaking news about a prime-time TV show. Two of the contestants got married in secret last night, so Alec wants us to write a huge piece on it, and have it written in time to go at the start of next week. We're almost there; we'll be another two hours, max. B xo
As long as you're back for our date. The first part starts at seven. E xo
The first part?! I like the sound of that. B xo
Plan to be spoiled, Miss Swan. E xo
Looking forward to it. I'll see you soon. B xo
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Four o'clock—she's still not home.
Five o'clock—she's still not home.
I've spent most of the afternoon getting ready for Bella to get home from work. The whole place is now spotless, I have a bottle of champagne chilling in the fridge, and I've just added the finishing touches to the first of Bella's surprises. Candles now fill the corridor leading to our bedroom, and the pathway is covered with rose petals. My plan is to be waiting in the bedroom for her, with champagne and the dress that Alice delivered earlier.
By the time five-thirty comes around, I'm a little nervous—and really pissed off.
Bella's phone is going straight to voicemail, so I try calling her office. Of course, as it's a Saturday, the receptionist isn't in to direct calls, so mine go unanswered.
Thinking that she may have tried Alice or Rose, I call them. Neither of them has heard from her but tell me not to worry; Bella's told them both how excited she is about tonight.
I keep trying her phone and I finally get through.
"Bella? Where are you? You were meant to be home hours ago." I force myself to remain calm.
"I know, I know. Edward, I'm so sorry. I just noticed my phone had died, so it's charging now. We're just wrapping things up. I'll be home within the hour."
"Can't you leave now and ask the girls to finish up? We have plans, and getting in at six-thirty is cutting it close."
"I know it's not ideal but I'll just need to be quick at getting ready." She sounds rushed and I can hear the shuffling of papers through the phone. At least that means she really is getting ready to leave now.
I glance at my watch and try to think how I can salvage tonight. It's not ruined—yet. Our driver is due to arrive at seven, so I could try calling and ask them to come later and then let—
"Edward? Are you still there?" Bella's voice cuts through my thoughts.
"Yeah. Sorry, I got distracted." I sigh. "I'll just change a few things around, but can you please hurry home?"
"Of course. I'm sorry about today, baby. I'll make it up to you…" Her voice turns playful and it automatically brings a smile to my face.
"Looking forward to it," I reply, my voice suddenly hoarse.
She giggles and we say goodbye before she hangs up.
Knowing she's now on her way home, I go to the bedroom to get changed. I quickly pull on my suit pants and one of my blue shirts—one that I know is a favorite with Bella. Once I'm ready, I start lighting the candles.
It takes longer than I thought, which makes me glad I set them out earlier this afternoon. After I light the final one, I take a step back to admire my handiwork. The hallway looks amazing; the soft glow from the candles creates a romantic atmosphere, which is highlighted perfectly by the red rose petals scattered on the floor.
A quick look at the time tells me that Bella should be walking through the front door any second now, and then our night can really start. I turn all the lights off and make my way to the bedroom to wait.
My excitement soon turns to anxiety as I continue to wait without any sign of Bella. The champagne is no longer perfectly chilled and the flames on the candles are starting to burn out, yet nobody enters the apartment. The silence speaks volumes as I remain in the bedroom, desperate for Bella to arrive.
As six-thirty approaches—exactly one hour after I spoke to Bella—my cell starts ringing and I know exactly who it is before I even glance at the screen.
Bella.
I sit on the end of the bed and stare at the screen, but don't answer. The phone goes to voicemail before immediately ringing again.
"Hello." My voice is flat, and I don't even try to hide my disappointment.
"Edward." She sighs my name. "I'm so sorry—"
"Let me guess, something has come up and you have to cancel?"
"Edward, please don't be mad. Our systems totally crashed as we were packing up, and we lost most of our work today." She is whispering, no doubt trying to keep our conversation private from her colleagues. "We all have to stay and finish it so it makes the column next week."
"Bella, it's Saturday night!" I snap at her.
She huffs. "Look, I know you're pissed. I am as well, but can't we just reschedule tonight?"
Rescheduling isn't an option. Tonight is booked and paid for, so if I cancel now, then it's all lost. But that's not what's pissing me off right now. To be honest, I don't know why I'm so surprised. Her work's been taking priority for weeks now; it was only a matter of time before she blew me off completely.
"What?" I hiss. "No! C'mon, Bella, it's Saturday night, and we haven't been on a date in ages. We have plans." I sit down on the edge of my bed. "Can't you just leave and let the others finish up?"
"Hold on." Her voice is muffled as she talks to someone in the background, followed by silence before she gets back on the phone. "Edward, you know I don't want to be here, but I can't just leave the others. We all have to stay, and we all have to get this finished. I can't just leave the rest of my team."
"But we have plans. Surely they can understand that?" I ask.
The defeat is already clear in my voice—she's staying. If she was going to leave the office she would have already done so by now. I can't believe she's going to cancel.
"Can't we just change our plans? The date night is a great idea—we can just postpone it, right?" She pauses. "I can't just leave the other girls, Edward."
My heart drops to my stomach.
She's cancelling on me.
On us.
"Yeah. Fine. Whatever," I mumble.
There's absolutely no point in fighting with her about this. She's made her choice. I'm just crushed her choice is her work.
She sighs. "Edward, please don't be like this."
"Like what? You can't expect me to be happy that you're working late when we had plans together."
"Please don't be mad. I don't want to stay here, but I have to."
"Sure."
For once, the silence that falls between us is uncomfortable and awkward, and I hate it. Over the last few months we've always been able to rely on each other. We've been able to go to each other when things have turned bad or we've just had a lousy day. Sure, we've had our arguments, but they've just been little things that cause us to snap: dishes being left out, towels on the floor, and the top off the toothpaste. That is probably the biggest argument we've had to date.
Her soft breaths through the phone bring me back to the present, but I still don't say anything. I have nothing more to add just now, and she most likely won't listen anyway. It's like I'm waiting for her to apologize and say she's coming home, yet she's waiting for me to back down.
"Look, you better get back to work. I'll speak to you when you get home." I get up from the bed and start blowing out the candles. What a waste.
"Umm…sure. I'll be home as soon as I can."
Like it matters now.
"Are you still getting a lift home?"
"Yeah, Alec or Angela will be able to bring me back," she said tersely.
I hate that she's upset, and I've mostly likely made her feel a lot worse than she did before our phone call, but I can't apologize for it. She knew I was planning something special for tonight and yet she still bailed on me.
"Okay." I cradle the phone between my ear and shoulder as I pick up the now-warm bottle of champagne.
"Umm…okay. 'Bye."
I hang up without saying goodbye. Part of my brain is screaming at me to call her back and apologize for being an ass, but at the same time I know I'm justified in my anger.
I put a bottle stop back into the champagne and put the bottle back into the fridge, before going back into the hallway to collect the rest of the candles and petals.
When she had first called to cancel, I thought about salvaging the night and having a romantic night at home instead. It was tempting, but now the mood is gone. I can't wine and dine my girlfriend and declare my feelings for her when part of me is still pissed off. It's not fair to either of us.
Before I tidy the apartment, I call the chauffeur and restaurant, cancelling our plans for tonight. The chauffer is more annoyed than the restaurant manager, since he's on the verge of leaving to pick us up, but he shuts up when I remind him that he already has my money. The restaurant manager is a lot nicer, making me hope that I'll get to take Bella there one day.
When I'm finished on the phone, I focus on the rest of the apartment. At the time, the flower petals and candles seemed like a good idea. Now—not so much.
Luckily, it doesn't take so long. I'm so focused on not thinking about tonight's failure that I actually get it done pretty quickly. Once I'm done, I sit down with a well-deserved beer and put the TV on.
It doesn't take me long to realize Saturday night TV sucks.
It's two hours later, I'm still nursing my one beer and flicking through every single channel. And worst of all, my girlfriend still isn't home from work.
My brain keeps coming back to that thought: the fact that Bella is still at work—with Alec—instead of being out with me.
It's becoming really difficult not to hate that guy.
When it hits nine o'clock and I haven't even had a text from Bella, I decide to go to work. I'm only meant to be off tonight because of our date, so it's not fair to let Emmett and Riley deal with a busy night while I'm sitting at home doing nothing.
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The club is still closed when I arrive, but some of the staff has arrived to start setting up. I ignore the curious glance from Riley as he lets me in and go straight to my office.
I'd called Emmett before I left to let him know I was on my way. He'd argued with me, saying I should stay home and still have my night with Bella, but he shut up when he caught my mood.
I push open the door with more force than normal, wincing slightly as it bounces off the wall.
"Sorry," I mutter, walking to my desk.
"So…you okay?"
I glance at him and scowl.
He holds his hands up in mock surrender. "I was just asking."
He puts his paperwork to one side and leans forward on his desk. He starts to say something a few times before appearing to change his mind. Before I can ask him to just spit it out, he finally talks.
"What the hell happened? I thought you had it all planned out?"
I lean back in my seat, resting my feet on the desk and covering my face with my arms.
Good question.
"I have no idea." I snort and let out a half-hearted chuckle. "I seriously don't know, Emmett." I lean forward on my desk, mirroring his position. "I thought I had everything planned. But I didn't take her work into account."
Surprise flashes on his face, then changes to sympathy. "Work again, huh?"
And that's all it takes for me to launch into a full-fledged rant about today. From waking up alone, spending the entire day by myself waiting for her to come home, and then our argument earlier tonight. Once I start talking, I can't seem to stop. How pissed off I am that she cancelled, how I feel like her work one-upped me—again—and most of all, how much I hate that goddamned boss of hers.
"Feel better?" Emmett asks, once my tirade comes to an end.
I smirk. "Yeah. A little, actually."
"Are you sure you wanna be here instead of at home?"
"Yeah. I need to calm down before I speak to Bella." Rehashing everything with Emmett felt good, but now I'm back to being pissed off at the whole situation again. I would never make her feel like she is less important than my job.
"Okay, sure. We have all the bars covered, so you just want to float and help keep an eye on things? With you on board now, we can probably increase the number for the VIP section."
"Yeah, whatever. I'll go where I'm needed."
"Excellent. Let's get this show on the road then." He glances at his watch. "Are you coming to the briefing?"
"Yeah, let's go." I follow him out, leaving all my turbulent thoughts about Bella locked in the office behind us.
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So…thoughts? And remember, for those of you who know me – you know I'm a Happy Ever After kind of girl…