…'Meyer' made the mold…but we are all here to break it…lol…

Chapter 4

BELLA STOOD in front of the canvass. She was thinking it needed something else. It would come to her, it always did. That was what she liked best about herself as an artist. She knew her ideas were pieces that she fit together. If she was stuck, all she had to do was back off a little and let it come to her. Just like a puzzle.

She could hear her girls upstairs now, probably arguing over the stereo. Bella was an only child and had little experience at having to share things with others. That's part of what she didn't like about marriage. Her ex had taken control of every aspect of their home, from what kind of food they bought to where she was 'allowed' to put her art studio…or even the eff'n hand soap at the sink. Riley hadn't understood her at all. He'd succeeded in smothering her spirit and then decided he couldn't handle fatherhood and left.

She was on her own now and she was happy. She was herself again, or so she thought. Her parents had never really been there for her either. They were only interested in themselves and were too busy to be real parents to her, or grandparents for that matter. She had to learn at an early age how to take care of herself.

Hence…the introverted artsy weird teenager.

She did not want her daughters to grow up under those same circumstances. Bella was a hands-on mom whether her girls liked it or not. And they did like it. She knew they had a happy home if not goofy and strange at times, even with just one parent for support. They had love and trust lots of good times. What more could anyone need, right?

Bella moved around her work bench and headed into the kitchen, her 1940's style smock dress flowing around her legs. The fabric was shear and lined with a light cotton body slip underneath. But she was still barefoot. It was her home for crying out loud and her girlfriend better not say one thing about it either.

Moving around the kitchen she began to work. She had made her famous hibiscus-mint iced tea for the girl's night and needed to set up the serving tray. Getting out the limes, fresh mint, and the tea pitcher, she set everything on the kitchen island and prepared the tray. It was almost 8 o'clock and Tanya would be here soon. Going back out to her studio, she placed the tray by the sitting area. Bella had inherited her patio furniture from odd events, usually surrounding the events of people moving and leaving and not wanting to take certain things when they left. All it was very old but charming. Nothing matched and each piece was a different color which she loved.

Color was her life!

Turning to the shelf by the sliding door, she switched on her small old radio to Bob FM and began signing a little to Rick James' Super Freak. She looked across to where her painting waited for her and zoned out a little as she moved slowly to stand in front of it again. She daydreamed of some special person behind her, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her gently as they goofed off and swayed and moved to the song together. He would press a kiss into her neck and really hold her…move with her and feel her.

Sigh.

Yeah, right.

She stayed standing there staring off into space, wondering how her life would be different if she had someone like that. She thought of Edward Cullen and how he always made her feel...nervous and weird. But today was something else entirely. It was ridiculous. He was used to the big city life, and fast women. He would never be interested in her tiny little life back home.

God, he was so gorgeous it was torture! Just thinking of him, wet with gesso, breathing on her neck and playing with her like he had done made her throb…again…in areas that were best left for dead.

Why did he have to come back?

Fuck, I need a drink…

Shaking out of her daze, Bella picked up a paintbrush, dipping it into her jar of turpentine. Then, reaching for a tube of cerulean blue, Bella squirted a bit onto the palette and saturated the paintbrush with it, then drizzled a bit of linseed oil to smooth it out. She loved the smell of the oil paints. It reminded her of her childhood and falling in love with painting.

After getting the right consistency, she added the color slowly to her canvass, creating a stronger form in her subject as she created depth around the central form, giving it a more solid feel with a few strokes.

Standing back again, she eyed her work. It was getting close to being finished. She looked over at her collection of paintings and thought how nice it would be to be able to support her girls off her talent alone. Even if she never found real success from it, she knew she would never give it up. If made her feel whole and sane.

And thank fucking all that is holey that she had no mortgage to pay. She had a job at the local diner to pay the bills, and she made pretty good money there, too. Sam's Diner had been a local hot-spot for meeting and eating for years, young and old. And, of course everyone knew Sam. Morrison was his last name but nobody used it ever. He was just Sam. He'd owned the diner for almost forty years now. His family had lived in this town for a century and a half. Bella absolutely adored Sam and she knew almost everyone in town from waiting tables there. Putting in four days a week for the past six years would do that. It wasn't glamorous but she found that she had a knack for it and enjoyed the customers and the busy pace. She worked every Tuesday thru Friday morning…and she was usually home in time to beat her Junebug and Rosey home during the school year. That way she could still spend a significant amount of time with them and also be able to work on her painting.

Hearing a commotion in the front of the house, Bella cleaned her paint brush off quickly, sloshing a little of the turpentine down the side of the paint stained jar. She jumped back quickly to save her dress only to have one drop land and the very edge at the bottom.

...damn...

She went through the old sliding doorway again and back into the kitchen. Tanya had arrived and Bella could hear her girls rushing down the stairs to greet her.

"Did you bring it? Did you bring it?" Rosey was apparently excited still. Tanya had promised to bring her DVD of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to watch after dinner. Tanya was a die-hard Johnny Depp fan.

Who isn't?

"Of course I brought it, munchkin. I couldn't have you all mad at me now, could I?" Tanya laughed and headed for the living room to deposit her stuff on the coffee table.

She called out to her friend, "Hey, girl! I did what you suggested and brought the appetizer. Your girls like artichoke hearts, right? I mean, I know June has an adventurous pallet, but Rosey is pretty picky."

Bella walked into the front living room and hugged Tanya hello. "Hey…you know I have rules… 'You get what you get and you don't pitch a fit…'" Bella laughs.

"Look at you in a dress, Bella! I love that one, too. My mom saved it for you for weeks until you gave in and finally tried it on..." Tanya kissed her friend on the check and mover back a step, and smile at the fabric, "...it's so perfect for your frame, all drapey and sexy and light."

They both headed into the kitchen to examine the preparations for the evening. Tanya blew out her breath a bit and whistled. There was an insane amount of food for just the four of them.

"Girl, are you trying to feed us into obesity? You have enough food here to last all week!" Tanya laughed and knew that Bella had a habit of cooking too much food. And who was she to complain! Leftovers had been filling her fridge for well over a decade.

"You know you can take whatever you want when we're through. Let's start with an aperitif?" Bella grinned. "Just something to get the adults a little relaxed! Hazelnut or mint?" Bella moved to the tiny bar in her kitchen hutch. She pulled out two small glasses from a set she'd bought a year ago for her birthday. They looked like they were made in India, with different colored glass for each one and hand painted gold appliqué. One of her favorite places to check out was this really cool thrift store on the corner of 6th and Main just off the square, not too far from Tanya's mom's boutique, JJ's Jezebel.

Tanya's mom, Jane Jackson, was quite a special lady. She personified class and grace without going over the top. Her fair skin and fair hair were such a contrast to her daughter, Tanya, that they were often mistaken as friends instead of mother and daughter. But their ice-blue eyes, their noses and their lips were a mirror image of each other. Jane loved Bella like her own daughter and often tried to set her up on blind dates, just like Mrs. Cullen did one or twice. Not one time has Bella ever given in though. Again, she wasn't that desperate…

…and blind dates?...no way…

"Mint, please! You know you are spoiling me, BB. How will I ever find a man who will treat me better than you?" Tanya sighed as if she really was having a difficult time with her personal life.

"Oh, come off it!" Bella said exasperated. "Just this afternoon I witnessed you on your cell phone talking and laughing with what I'm sure was a super sexy man-who-has-not-been-named who would be only too willing to come to your rescue. Besides, you're one to complain. I've had absolutely no action since I gave birth to Rosey!" Bella finished pouring their drinks and crossed the kitchen giving one to her friend. They both sipped and sighed.

"Now, no more stalling, tell me all about this afternoon's encounter with Mr. Sex Edward Cullen! If you think for one minute that I have forgotten then you obviously don't know me very well. I thrive on the personal stuff. Let me have it." Tanya moved to sit on a kitchen stool at the center island and crossed her legs in front of her and sat looking at Bella as if she were waiting the damn to break.

Bella rolled her eyes and dropped her chin to her chest and chewed her lower lip, not wanting to bring it up. There was no point in doing so, and she didn't want to re-live the torture. "Oh, God! Look…there's really nothing to tell. I mean"…she sighed…"Look, Tanya. It was just a fluke and I'm sure that 'Mr. Sexy' isn't going to remember me at all after today is over. It was a mess...I was a mess. He's a hot shot from New York City now. I know by strong sources that he is provided with ample female companionship there. And…and look, number one, he's a player, and, number two, I won't get worked up over someone who's not going to be around long. Remember, his dad had a heart attack. So I'm sure that his stay is going to be temporary. And besides, I just felt like I was back in high school again. Who needs that?"

Tanya just blinked and stared at Bella.

"Now, come on, B. You tell me everything right now. Can you see yourself? Already so worked up inside over whatever it is that happened this afternoon, with Mr. Cullen the younger, that you are pacing a little and using your arms like a mad lady talking to the sky!" Tanya smiled deviously and took another sip of her drink, admiring the beautiful Hindu design etched into the glassware. She would never have bought something like this. Her taste ran more along the modern style, with two toned color schemes and minimal clutter. But that is one of the reasons why she loved Bella so much. They had very different tastes but that did nothing to get in the way of their friendship. It strengthened.

"Hey, don't judge T-Dog," Bella raised her eyebrow, poking fun at her friend's old high school nick name, "...and there's really nothing that interesting to tell…except that I was sprawled across Edward Cullen's midsection in an extremely intimate way!" she rushed out almost squealing the last part, feeling scared and super excited at the very same time.

…aaaaand now she was 12…

…she slammed back her amaretto…

Tanya sputtered her drink, getting sticky in the process from the sugar. "What was that?" she coughed. "You were WHAT?"

Bella spun quickly to the sink and got a wet paper towel to wipe up the mess, suddenly nervous to look at Tanya's face.

"Girl, you'd better back the hell up and tell me exactly what happened with you and Edward…especially since I was watching your girls for you while some event-yet-to-be-shared was commencing within my vicinity unknowingly!" Tanya stared pointedly at her beautiful yet clueless girlfriend.

…oh shit…here it goes…

Raising her hand to run through her hair, Bella opened her mouth and stared straight at Tanya's waiting face, and then rushed out, "Okay, okay! Just remember none of this should have happened." Then she started, "I was on top of the ladder, trying to get the fucking jug of gesso off the top shelf at the store and he came up behind me… and scared me…and…yeah…I fell flat on top of him…and um…I landed with my legs straddling his you-know-what…"

Bella sucked in her breath, and squeezed her thighs together a little, and continued, "Oh my God, Tanya…I had Edward Cullen between my legs, his dick...correction, his erection was pressed right between my legs! It was huge!" Bella practically shouted. Then she stopped completely. Her eyes were wide as saucers.

"...and hard…"

Her voice had lowered to a whispered at that realization, and she suddenly felt dizzy a little and hot all over…from the fact that he had been there…Edward had been against her most private place…all horny and huge and hard!

This fact was now burned for life into Bella's brain, and she couldn't decide if that was a good thing or if that was a very bad thing…

…fuck my life…

a/n…yeah, i would be sooooooooo pissed off if i had to endure a horrible memory like that...no, really…lol…thanks for all your comment and thanks for reading…