So Bella Swan had decided not to shun my offer after all. I was pleased; but rather apprehensive as well. I knew that Ms Swan would be very tough to beat and the unspoken terms of our agreement would mean I would have to do all the work, instead of using one of the company's hot shot litigators.
"Jessica?" I yelled, and then remembered I didn't have a secretary for the morning.
I marched into Emmett's office and found him looking up Rosalie's skirt while she tried to dust the top shelf, hiding his glances by faking reading a letter.
"Hi Emmett. I have a bone to pick with you!" I said and dragged him outside.
"Thank God you got me out of there, or the bone you're picking me wouldn't be the only thing that's hard around – "
"Not funny. I saw you two making out yesterday, and I'll bust you to Esme if you don't help me out with something." I really needed his help.
"Um… I'm kind of busy. With some dusting… on the top shelf…" his eyes trailed to his closed office door. I had a fleeting consideration that maybe Emmett was thinking about Rosalie more than he would of a different secretary, but I got distracted.
"Oh really? Well who, may I ask, is responsible, for the 5"11 blonde bombshell making you coffee in the morning? More over, who is also responsible for Esme questioning me about a certain brown haired someone?"
"Err… you to the first one, and me to the second one. Alright, fine. What would this mysterious favour entail?"
I was relieved that he had finally agreed.
"Well, Emmett, I have gotten Ms Swan's consent for dinner for two."
"Sweet! Well done, bro! She had a great ass, I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself."
I clenched my teeth. Bella Swan had something a little more than a great ass.
"Emmett, I only get this date on the one condition that we win our court case against the broken leg lady."
"Oh, so you want my help with the case?"
"Yes. Let's go get Jazz on board."
We marched to Jasper's office. Like the day before with Emmett's office, the shutters were closed. I was wondering if I was about to see a replay of yesterday's Rosalie-and-Emmett-suffocating-each-other-act, but was disappointed.
We walked in to find Jasper had set out a little golf putting system inside his office and that Alice was consistently bending over in a rather tight pencil skirt to pick up the balls. Jasper looked like he was greatly enjoying himself.
"Oh, hey guys. Just playing some golf."
"Yes…" I replied, looking at Alice's petite frame myself. "I think you were playing with something else as well." Emmett winked and grinned on cue, but I just stared at him disapprovingly.
Alice was distracted. She was talking hyperactively when we came in, and now she had paused in deep thought, as if she had run out of things to say. I doubted it, however.
Jazz smiled. "Ahhh… yes. Anyway, what can I do for you both?" I could tell he was hoping to get back to his golf.
"Well, in order to get a date with Bella Swan, I need to win this court case. It is sort of complicated, but I need to win. Could you please help Emmett and I prepare? The court hearing is only a week away."
"Yeah, sure." We walked out side, and only after the door was safely shut did his whisper, "Anything to repay you for that girl in my office!" Emmett grinned and winked on cue again and I sensed a joke coming on about golf balls, so I quickly changed the subject.
"Well, she'll have to get someone as a backer, you know, an assisting lawyer, for the case. Who do you think that will be?" I said.
Emmett appeared to have checked her previous cases. "Some guy called Jacob Black apparently sits in and second chairs for most of her court cases."
"Hmmmm…. I wonder if they're dating," I wondered. I then realised that I had said it out loud and Emmett and Jasper were both laughing at me.
"Edward, man, you think that this Jacob Black guy, even if he was going out with her, could compete with you? Are you insane?" They burst out in a second round of laughter and only stopped when I had glared at them for about a minute and a half. This Jacob Black could be very charming and good looking – maybe even more so than myself. I just wouldn't know until I had met him.
"Look, guys, we have that fire brigade picnic things tomorrow, and then we have Esme's fundraiser for the poor on Monday, you have a date with Rose on Wednesday and the court case is Thursday. So that only gives us three nights, including tonight, to put together our case. Are you ready to be focused and really help me?"
Emmett and Jasper seemingly considered and calculated for a long minute before saying almost simultaneously, "You must really like this girl, huh?"
"Yes! For crying out loud, I like the lawyer, and I want the lawyer, and could you two buffoons hurry up and help me get the lawyer already! Geez!" I slapped them both over the head playfully and headed for one of the conference rooms.
"Let's get to work."
However, before I could reach the conference, Jessica returned from her morning outing and jumped in my face. She had lots of shopping bags.
"Hi Mr Cullen!" She breathed excitedly. Apparently shopping gives this kind of rush to women.
I mimicked her breathy tone. "Hi Jessica! Hope you've bought lots of turtle neck skivvies!" With that I plunged past her into the conference room. I was surprised to find, however, the conference room, was already occupied by Jessica, who had run in front of me and blocked my way.
"I'm sorry, Jessica, is there something else that you wanted?"
She put on a nasty, backstabbing voice and said, "I don't like that Bella Swan girl. She was very rude to me when she rang to talk to you the other day."
"Oh, I very sorry to hear that," I said, putting on mock concern, "what did she do to you?"
She didn't notice my mocking. "When I told her you were in a meeting she said that it was urgent."
"Well, Jessica, if you were more focused on my appointments than your shirt buttons you may have noticed I wasn't in a meeting and it was urgent."
I pushed past her into the conference room.