Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Bella, Alice and Edward.

Bella

I was sitting behind my desk, trying my best not to think about the way Edward's eyes looked when he was staring at me. As the days passed be, he was starting to get more and more mysterious. I wanted so much to know about him – what kind of books he liked, which musicians he preferred, what was his favourite ice-cream flavour. Most of all, I would have given anything to just sit beside him, without saying anything and just listen to him play the violin.

My phone on the desk rang and I knew it was David.

"Hey Bella, could you get our new accountant to my office?"

"Yup." I hung up.

I haven't seen Alice after we had lunch together on her first day. For some reason, she avoided coming down to the cafeteria during the lunch hour and I really hoped I hadn't scared her off with my over-friendly behaviour.

I reached her desk and found her matching some figures with her calculator. When she saw me standing next to her desk, she looked up with a bored expression on her face and I took that as a sign that I had definitely scared her as much as I'd feared.

Since she was not going to break the ice, I went ahead.

"Hello Alice. Remember me? We met a few days ago?"

She was still eyeing me with that non-descriptive look. Not wanting to be in this awkward situation longer than it was necessary I blurted out "David wants to see you."

At this, her eyebrows creased and her eyes narrowed.

"Why?"

I shrugged, not having any idea.

She closed the file she was working on and followed me to David's room on the second floor.

I took her inside and then left the room after shutting the door behind me.

I took my seat and got back to answering David's calls. In the meantime I was trying very hard not to think about a bronze-haired individual and how he was driving me practically insane.

After twenty minutes or so, David's office-room door was flung open and Alice stormed out at an angry pace, with her head bent down, although I could see the murderous look on her face. After battling with my conscience for about a minute, I couldn't hold my curiosity any longer and walked into David's room.

"David, what just - ?"

David was sitting with his hips perched on his desk, and with his tie loosened and his shirt-cuffs rolled up, even though it was barely afternoon. At my question, he looked up.

"Who does she think she is, coming right up to my face and judging my abilities to handle my job?" I muttered angrily.

"What are you talking – ?"

"No, Bella. That woman has no right whatsoever to do that to me. She's merely an employee and should just go on and do her work with the figures I'd given her. No, she doesn't do that. She has to come forward and question my educational qualifications, when she's the one who miscalculated in the balance sheet."

"The balance sheet?"

"Here, Bella, have a look at this," he paused and turned around to get a folder lying behind him on his desk. "Do you see this? This month, we spent $276 on advertising, $78 on public transport for bringing in the materials, $46 on stationery items – which makes the miscellaneous expenses to be $400 exact. However, little miss accountant claims I gave her the wrong figures for advertising costs, and hence she drew up the balance sheet with a total miscellaneous expense of $453, with an extra cost of $53 on advertising! How is that possible?" he exclaimed.

"David, you need to calm down. Give me the sales figures and I'll see where the error was done. Don't worry I took accounting courses from my brother before college."

David was still fuming when I re-entered his room after lunch hour was over. He didn't have the appetite to eat that day.

This time, he had tightened his tie, buttoned his shirt-cuffs and was seated in his chair behind the desk.

"Well," I began hesitantly, "I went to the Cash daybook holder and matched the figures with his. I re-calculated the miscellaneous expenses and it seems that the copy of the sales figures you had with you had the wrong value for the advertisement costs. The one you gave it to Alice had the right figures - $329 spent on advertising, which gives a total of $453 on miscellaneous expenses."

"You mean to say that the accountant was right all along?" David asked in a barely audible voice.

"I am afraid yes," I replied just as quietly.

He sighed and leaned forward to rest his hands on his desk.

"Can you go and get the accountant – sorry Alice- for me?"

I nodded and was backing out when something occurred to me.

"Um, David, I know it's not my business at all, and I don't mean to pry, but what exactly did you say to her?"

He leaned back on his chair this time, and tilted his head backwards, rubbing his tired eyes.

With his hand still placed over his eyes, he said "Oh a lot of awful things. I said she wasn't good enough to do this job if she made a mistake in her first month's balance sheet. I also added that I had doubts about her Dartmouth degree and when she tried to defend herself, I called her a rude, obnoxious, mean little person who thinks she is so much better than everyone else."

"Oh David, how could you? You just met her?"

"Yeah, that's exactly what she said. I told her that I was her employer, which meant I kept track of all my employees – which includes their socializing skills. I mean c'mon Bella, you were new here too, but didn't you get along with the rest of the staff?"

"That's beside the point; I gathered that Alice is a shy person and probably would take some time to get acquainted with everyone, but that doesn't mean she thinks she is superior to the rest of us!" I declared.

"I know, I was being a jerk. I drank too much last night, and in the morning I had a hangover and.."

I didn't wait for him to finish. I rushed up to the third floor to find Alice.

As soon as reached the third floor and ran right into something really hard, with a pointed edge that poked my rib really hard.

The excruciating pain almost blinded me and I instinctively closed my eyes and clamped my mouth shout, in case I let out a loud yell. At the same time I clutched on tightly to my right side where the pain was getting worse. In the midst of all this chaos, I faintly heard a strangely familiar voice calling my name.

Edward

I was going over the last-minute details on that wretched Insurance Company commercial with Stephen and the others, when my Blackberry buzzed.

This struck me as a strange occurrence, since no one usually calls me. I had bought that phone only for emergency cases when I needed to call somebody, or someone needed me. Once or twice, Esme would call and apart from Alice I didn't have any close friend who had my number.

Assuming it to be wrong number, I let it ring; as it was vibrating mode, the shrill tone didn't disrupt or meeting. After it was over, I got back to my office and out of mere curiosity I took my phone out. Needless to say, I was extremely surprised to see Alice's name in my list of missed calls. Neither Alice nor I have been huge fans of phone conversations.

She picked up her phone at the first ring.

"What on earth was I thinking when I applied at a Fashion Magazine for a job? I knew how full these people are of themselves. Actually, I don't blame them. These Upper-East Siders were raised this way. I was just too stupid to actually think that someone like me would get along with them for the sake of my job. Ridiculous.."

Alice kept on blabbering. I had no clue what she was talking about.

"Alice, what are you - ?"

"Edward, I'm done working for these people. I am packing my things up. I am sorry to call you while you are at work, but do you think you could possibly come and get me?"

I had left my Volvo behind in fear of not finding a suitable parking space. The taxi ride took long enough for Alice to lose her patience and call me again to make sure if I was coming.

I had little trouble finding the building that had been Alice's workplace for exactly a week. It was a modern 16-storeyed office block, with it's outside walls covered in glass, and that gave outsiders no view at all, but I was sure those on the inside could see everything through it.

I asked the people working there for directions to the accounts section on the third floor, and had little trouble finding it. When I reached the third-floor, I walked a little bit forward and soon found Alice's desk.

She was frantically shoving all of her belongings into a metal box, all the while furiously muttering to herself. As I got closer, she realized I was there and she stopped clearing her desk and said, "Thank God you are here. Here," she handed me the box, "Take this downstairs, while I check whether I'd left behind anything or not."

"Alice, you are probably making a big deal out of it. Just tell me what happened?"

"Oh no, Edward. Trust me, I am not," she slammed the pencil holder she was holding, on her desk. "I have been working here for a week, and today, for the first time my boss asks to see me. And guess what? His-Highness David Gordon only wished to humiliate me and judge my academic qualifications. Now tell me, should I still sit here and show him the face of the person whose Dartmouth degree he has doubts about?"

I just stood there gaping at her with my mouth half-opened. Wow, I had never seen Alice this angry before. She never lets anyone get close enough her to piss her off this much.

Judging by the angry glare she was emitting, assumedly to her boss, I picked up the box without another word.

I was carrying the box and approaching the stair-case when someone familiar came right up to me and bumped into that box.

After the person collapsed on the floor due to the impact of colliding with the box, I realized who it was.

I instantly dropped on my knees, scared as hell that either I or the stupid metal box had injured the person badly.

"Bella, Bella, can you hear me?" I asked, shaking her shoulders lightly.

She was not opening her eyes, which did nothing to calm my nerves.

I set the darn box aside, and picked Bella up in my arms. By this time Alice was by my side, and her co-workers were already forming a crowd around us. I carried her to Alice's desk, which was thankfully empty, which is why I was able to lay Bella down. Her feet were dangling off the edge of the desk, and the desk was pretty hard as well, but at least we could mange some room to rest her torso.

It was then that I noticed something red. On her right waist, under which I had placed my hands to carry her, there was a deep crimson pool of blood appearing, soaking the white shirt she wore. Oh God! That box must have poked her really hard.

The rest of the people working in that area were all surrounding us, and amongst this entire horde, I couldn't spot Alice.

Not seeing any other alternative, I figured I should examine Bella's injury.

Slowly, and very carefully as not to move her, I pulled out her shirt where it was tucked into her skirt. Gradually I lifted it and kept moving it until I was met with a medium-sized gash, protruding blood like water from a fountain. A small gasp escaped from my lips at this sight.

At that moment, the crowd shifted a little and I turned around to see Alice penetrating the throng with a first-aid kit in her hand. Without another word, she handed me the box and quickly turned around and positioned herself at the corner of the room, away from the mob.

I had forgotten that she couldn't stand the sight of blood.

Without having any other option I got to work. It was fortunate that I was present that day in high school when they taught us first-aid. Alice wasn't, as far as I could remember, which is why she didn't offer any help.

I rolled up my shirt sleeves and tool out clean cotton to clean the wound. As soon as my fingers made contact with her skin, Bella recovered from the momentary unconscious state. I could tell this, because she suddenly shifted and placed her hands on her waist.

I looked at her and saw her horror-stricken gaze. I had no idea how to compose her nerves, therefore I only took her right hand and pressed it lightly, hoping to give her the courage I didn't have. She nodded and I got back to cleaning the wound.

Then when I placed cotton soaked with antiseptic on her wound, she made a little noise and her body jerked. This time I held her hand and continued applying the antibacterial.

After that, I cautiously covered her wound with the bandage. But this time when my fingers touched her skin, it felt so heated and it felt like electricity just passed between us. I guess even she felt it because when I jerked my hand away at the contact, I shot a glance at her face and I saw her staring at me with the same wonder and curiosity her eyes beheld the other day. I removed my eyes from her face and managed wrapping the bandage without further touching her skin.

A/N

A HUGE thanks to EVERYONE who put my story on alerts, an who made it a favourite.

Thanks so much for reading this. I am afraid my next updates won't be up anytime soon as my grades are suffering. I hope you will forgive me and get back to the story when I do put up the next chapter.

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