Chapter 2- A change of plans
After my workout, I came back to the apartment completely spent, and mentally prepared to just spend a quiet night relaxing. I heard 'Pocket full of sunshine" coming from my phone, and I knew it would be one of my best friends. I had to take a deep breath, because I wasn't sure I was ready for what was about to come my way.
"Hey Jess, what's shakin'?"
"Bella! I've had the crappiest week, and there is only one remedy. I've already called the girls, so you're not getting out of it no matter what you say. We're on our way to you, and we should hit your stop in the next 45 minutes."
"Jess, wait. I have had a hell of a day, and I just got back from a brutal workout at JaKe's. I'm in no mood or condition to be ready for what you have planned in the next 45 minutes."
"Bella, save the excuses for someone who doesn't know you as well as I do. If you had a rough workout, then I know you're just as much in need of this as we are. Call Jason, tell him to get his posse ready and we'll turn these frowns upside down. Besides, me, Ang, and Lauren on the way. Do you really want to be telling us no when we're at your front door? Put on your mood music, something that puts that boogie in your butt and move said butt to the closest shower and clean it up. We don't want anything stinking up this beautiful day."
Shit shit shit. She played every card in the arsenal. These girls have been the best support system since I left college and moved here, and a night of being a silly girl could take off the edge that is still lingering from my afternoon adventure.
"Fine fine fine, but the first round is on you. What's the plan so I can text Jason and let him know the starting point?" Male friends make for good bodyguards, and it is Saturday night.
"YAY! I knew I could count on you, Bella. Let's start at Dixie, see what trouble we can rustle up there, and as long as we end up some place with a mic and some bad karaoke, I'm happy! Oh, and Bella, MOVE YOUR ASS! We just left the Beaverton transit center, so we should be there in 45 minutes."
"Moving ass…done and done. See you soon."
No matter what is going on in my life, I can always count on these girls for a night of fun, no matter where we end up. While I have always been the chameleon in crowds, with this crew, I am the one with the wicked sense of humor that sometimes gets me in trouble. Smart ass doesn't even begin to describe me on a good day. I sent a quick text to Jason to see if he and his friends wanted to meet up, gave him our starting location, and hopped in the shower after finding some Pitbull on my iPod to blast while I was cleaning up.
Right on time I heard the giggles of my three best friends outside of my door so that they didn't even need to knock before I opened the door and let them in. One last look at the hurried finished product and a quick appraisal from the girls and we were ready to hit the town.
The Dixie is a great little bar in the mix of downtown that has a little bit of everything you could want on a Saturday. Bachelorette parties, over-styled men in popped collar polos, singles of all ages, birthday parties, it was a veritable treasure trove for people watching and we loved it. The bar staff is always great, we always get a good table close to the dance floor, and we always have a good time. That, and they serve a wicked blueberry kamikaze that tastes a little too good. The music is an eclectic mix of dance hits, 80's butt-rock, and some classics that get the whole bar singing at the top of their lungs. Add to that the fact that girls dance on the bar every hour or so, and there's always something going on that will put you in a good mood. I quickly hugged Jess on the dance floor and whispered a 'thank you for this' in her ear.
3 hours, 2 bars, and a Voo-doo dozen of doughnuts later, we ended up at our favorite karaoke bar. We always go at the end of the night, because you either get the really drunk people murdering the song, or the faithful songbirds who stick around because they just want to sing. This night was no exception, and as we walked in, someone was slaughtering "Turn back time" by Cher.
We all rolled our eyes, as this was one of our favorite songs in our rotation, but we let it slide. We were having too good of a night to let things go sour now.
We managed to park our group at the back of the lounge and started making friends. That usually happens when we all go out, as each of us is attractive and unique. Jess is short, curvy in all the right places, with big brown eyes, a short bob, and a smile always on her face. Angela is also short with long wavy hair and a backside that always seems to get us in trouble. Lauren is taller, reserved, but always ends up receiving the boldest and strangest pick-up lines. I round out the group in the middle with the sizeable chest, thick brown hair, and blue eyes. I'm the palest of the group, and I can only blame my Swedish grandfather for that.
It didn't take long for a guy to start chatting up our group. None of us is overtly rude, but we know how to dissuade an eager suitor when the time comes. This particular fellow started chatting us up asking us if we had tattoos or piercings, so we had this guy penned within seconds…the classic 'I'll show you mine and you show me yours' douchebag. When he lifted his shirt and we saw that he had 'Holy Shit' tattooed on his stomach, it was almost too much for us to take. I was laughing so hard, I was oblivious to the hand that I felt on my right shoulder until all of my friends' eyes bugged out as they looked up at the person touching me.
"Isabella, may I have a word with you?"
My friends' jaws were all wide open and when I turned my head my laugh subsided immediately. I was looking up at the most intense blue eyes. The man had closely shaved black hair that was greying at the temples, and his jaw was clenched. My thoughts went from confusion to horror in exactly two seconds. This was the guy from the alley this afternoon and he looked less happy to see me now than he did then.
"It's Bella. Uh, um, yes, I mean sure. Be right back guys."
He pulled me to a different section of the lounge where people were actually dancing to the music from the karaoke. One of the faithful started singing 'Lost' by Anouk and the stranger led me to the middle.
"Will you please dance with me?" he asked quietly.
"Yes?" I was so confused; my answer was more of a question than a response.
He pulled me into his body, my right arm extended in a formal way. His face lingered on the left side of my face, and he held my lower back firm with his right hand.
"You're confused, and I am sorry. More sorry than you would ever know. You have to know that I never intended for any of this."
"What? What are you talking about?" I tried turning my head to speak to him, but he held me fast where I was, his words tickling my ear.
"This won't make sense, and I don't have much time, but I had to say this, I had to get this out. I had to make you see that I never wanted you involved in this." His words were urgent, hurried, a confession for which I had no explanation.
"Lost in this world, I get lost in your eyes, and when the lights go down, that's where I'll be found" The song in the background seemed to have it just about right…I was completely lost.
"Wait, what are you talking about? Why don't you have much time? What is going on? WHO ARE YOU?"
He chuckled lightly. "My name is Edward, and I am afraid that I have put something in motion that I cannot stop. Only you can make the decision, and I truly hope you say no. You should say no, I wouldn't want this for you. You're not like us. Seeing you tonight was a mistake, a mistake for which I will pay dearly, but I had to have this. I hope I didn't interrupt anything?"
"Umm, no, just some douchebag with a 'Holy Shit' tattoo hitting on us" Why was I being so blunt with a guy I thought wanted to kill me this afternoon?
He laughed more this time, still holding on to me while he led me around the dance floor. Being this close to him, a slight spicy fragrance coming off of him, I was finding it hard to breathe or think straight.
"Breathe, Bella" he whispered. "The song is almost over, and I have to go. I will see you tomorrow, but no one can know I've been here, although, I fear my intervention here is already known. Please think about what I've said."
The song finished, and he held me for a moment longer. He lightly kissed my temple, and when I opened my eyes he was gone. What the hell?
When I walked back to the table, I was ready for the inquisition I knew was coming for me. I was just as confused about what happened as they were, so the white lie about him getting my name from the door guy appeased my friends. So much for my peaceful night's rest. I was concerned about meeting the arrogant arse from the phone call, and now this Edward would be there too? What possibly could be going on that would have him apologizing so profusely? I'm going to need some new mood music for my Sunday evening.