A/N: So I'm trying this thing where I always have one more chapter written than is posted, which is why even though this was written a month ago, you're just getting it now. I did warn you I suck at the whole timely posting sitch. Oh, and Twilight isn't mine, obvi.
Bella watched Edward sitting on the couch between her brother Seth and his best friend Jake. He was rigid with tension, but he valiantly tried to appear as if he was watching and enjoying the football game on TV.
Introducing him to her father had not gone as well as she had hoped. Evidently Jessica had sobered up sometime around 4 am and called Charlie, frantically claiming that Bella had been kidnapped by a random stranger at the bar. It took her dad twenty minutes to call all his buddies on the force to let them know they could stop searching for her, then another twenty minutes to convince him that Edward had not kidnapped her, nor had she gone home with him to, "er, continue their association," as Charlie had awkwardly worded it.
Bella had tried to discreetly let Edward know that she no longer expected him to stick around for the game, but he had been adamant. She blushed a little, thinking back on how he had earnestly explained that he would like to spend the evening with her again sometime, preferably with her knowledge ahead of time.
So, she'd given up trying to gently nudge him out the door, and had instead appealed to her brother Seth to make Edward feel more welcome. Seth, thankfully, was altogether more forgiving than her father to start with, so persuading him to chat with Edward had not been too difficult.
Jake, strangely, had taken her father's side in the matter, and had blocked all of her attempts to talk to Edward, or even sit next to him.
"So, Edward, I don't remember if we discussed it," she blushed a little, "But what do you do?"
"Oh," he gave her a crooked smile, "We didn't, but I am in the Army."
"Wow, I'm impressed," she told him, her mind wandering to what he must look like in uniform.
"Military men are bad at relationships," Charlie spoke for the first time since the game began, "Always gone on duty, and I hear they sleep with any woman who will have them the minute they get overseas."
Edward went ruddy with rage and embarrassment. He couldn't help but take the accusation personally, as it was intended, and in regards to him it was patently untrue. But he was unable to deny that many men in the military acted exactly that way.
Before he could speak up to defend his honor, if not the entire military, Bella spoke again.
"Right, like the only men who cheat are in the military?" she growled at her father, obviously fed up with his dislike of Edward, "You can't possibly know if Edward acts that way, and I think its really noble and brave of him to give up years of his life for our country. I can't believe you would be so rude."
Bella stood and walked over to Edward, "I think it is best if you leave, it cannot be comfortable to be around such obnoxious behavior," she told him, smiling through the tears of anger that she could feel in the corners of her eyes. "But I promise, if you call me, I will go on as many dates with you as you want!" she was close to yelling, and he knew she said it mostly to piss her father off, but Edward intended to take her at her word anyway.
He nodded at her, rose from the couch and headed towards the front hall. "It was…interesting to meet you," he said politely to room at large.
Bella followed him to the door, leaning against the wall as he shrugged on his coat. "I am so sorry," she whispered, no longer able to hold back the tears, "He's not normally such a jerk."
"Its not your fault," he shrugged, "I would probably have a hard time dealing with the situation if it had been my daughter who I thought was missing."
"Thanks again, for everything," she sniffed, opening the door so that he could step out.
"No problem," he smiled, "Go charge your phone so I can call you to set up the first of our 'as many dates as I want.'"
She grinned up at him, "I'm never gonna live that down."
"Nope," he tapped a finger on her nose, "Talk to you later."
Bella closed the door behind Edward with a sigh. Not at all interested in rejoining the group of guys in the other room, she grabbed her dead phone out of her purse and headed up to her room to plug it in.
Bella headed to the bathroom next, determined to wash away the left over fogginess from the night before. Her shower was long and soothing, and she felt refreshed when she stepped back into her room wrapped in a fluffy towel.
Her phone was sitting innocently on her nightstand, the little green text message light blinking away.
She quickly crossed the room, snatching up the phone and unlocking the screen. There were 24 text messages, mostly from Jess, Seth, Jake and her dad. But one, the only one she cared about, was from an unknown number.
*Bella, this is Edward. What are you doing tomorrow night for dinner? Let me take you out?*
He had sent it not more than five minutes after he left her house.
*Can't wait, pick me up at 6?* Her fingers trembled with excitement as she texted him back. Bella made sure to save his number to her address book, using the name "Edward hot army guy," before she flopped onto her small, twin bed and indulged herself in a very girly, very immature freak out that involved kicking legs and screaming into her pillow.