Chapter Six – Hangover

BPOV

Whoever had the bright idea of letting Isabella come out to play last night should be shot.

Multiple times.

In the face.

Too bad for me that person happened to be my best friend.

I groan and sit up, holding my head in my hand. Great, a hangover is the perfect thing to start my first day at Cullen Howarth. Curse me and my stupid twenty-two year old brain. I work my way out of bed and into the shower, dreading the moment when the soothing hot water will inevitably leave my skin. I reluctantly turn the shower off and head straight for the medicine cabinet, popping the most aspirin I can without fear of an overdose. I must stand in front of my closet for twenty minutes, searching for the best possible option. I settle on a plain black skirt that falls slightly below my knees, a white blouse and simple black pumps. I throw on a cardigan and call it a day. Comfortable enough to nurse me through the day yet sophisticated enough to pass as office wear. Perfect.

I make me way into the kitchen where Alice is singing of all things.

"Good morning!" she sing-songs.

"How the hell do you do that?" I whine, grumpily.

"Do what?" She asks pouring me a bowl of whatever cereal she's eating.

"Drink your weight in freaking alcohol and walk around like… like this," I sneer.

"Like what?" She inquires, feigning innocence.

"Like… like you're so damn… chipper," I say as though it's a dirty word.

"Some women just know how to hold their alcohol, Bella. You'll learn one day," she sighs.

I glare at her, but bury my face in my cereal bowl. By the time I'm done eating the painkillers have more or less kicked in and I'm feeling much more like myself. The light Bloody Mary Alice fixes me may have helped a little too.

I check over my bag one more time, just to make sure I'm not forgetting anything. The closer I get to work, the more I can feel the nerves starting to set in. I bite my lip. Maybe I can't do this after all.

"Bella, stop whatever negative thought is going through that pretty little head of yours," Alice warns.

"What if—"

"No. You're qualified, you're tough, and you can do this."

"Thanks, Alice," I say with a smile.

"Anytime. Now," she begins putting my bag on my shoulder. "Play nice with all the other kids, don't forget your manners and remember to say no if anyone offers you drugs."

"Nice, Alice." I roll my eyes and start to walk out the door.

"Oh! Do you need lunch money!?" She laughs, obviously proud of herself.

I'm early enough that I decide to walk to the office rather than hail a cab. I tighten my jacket and brace myself against the November wind as I navigate the busy sidewalks. The fresh air does a lot to clear my mind and I'm thankful for it. Alice was completely right, my nerves were totally unjustified. I am qualified. I am tough. I can do this. I'm still repeating my mantra as the office building comes into view, looming over me like a challenge waiting to be met. I nod my head in determination and head through the revolving door. I take my place in the crowded elevator when I hear a voice calling out.

"Wait!"

I put my hand out and hold the door for the poor soul who would have missed it otherwise and am met by the face of none other than Jacob Black.

"We have really got to stop meeting like this," I chuckle.

"Well look who it is! Guess it was my turn to be the damsel in distress today."

I shake my head and laugh, "Guess so."

"Got the job I presume?"

"They just couldn't deny my mad secretarial skills."

"Well congratulations, Bella." He says with a smile as the elevator's bell sounds for his floor. "I was thinking, since we'll be seeing each other around more often we should grab lunch sometime," he continues as he exits the elevator. The doors begin to close.

"How am I going to reach you?" I shout.

"If you're curious enough you could always look me up in the building directory, unless fate brings us together again," he winks as the doors shut.

I shake my head and laugh to myself. Jacob Black certainly is a character and not bad looking either. Maybe a little lunch date isn't such a bad idea. I decide I should probably survive my first day of work before I start looking at dating options. One battle at a time.

The elevator doors open to my own floor and I step out. I close my eyes and take one last deep breath before I throw myself to the wolves. I happen to spot Edward at the main desk, apparently having just arrived himself. He's musing over a stuffed manila folder when he turns around and spots me.

"Good morning, Bella," he says with a smile that may or may not melt my insides just a bit.

"Good morning," I reply.

"I'm glad you're here, the partners have moved our meeting up. I'm so sorry to throw into things like this; I was hoping we would have time to go over things more thoroughly."

"Don't worry about it, I'm sure I can handle it," I smile.

I can't handle it.

Four hours later, I'm ready to jump out of the window next to my desk. It's only noon and I've already dealt with a copier sent straight from the pits of hell, delivered the wrong files to Edward twice (he assures me it's not a problem at all, but I still feel like an imbecile), managed to blue screen my computer (a minor technical malfunction that had nothing to with me, according to Edward), and have a hand cramp so bad following our third meeting of the day that I feel as though it's going to fall off.

To think I scoffed at being an assistant only yesterday. They could make an Olympic event out of this shit.

I look around at the other PAs (which I found out all the "cool" ones call themselves) and how easy things seem to be going for them. They just bustle back and forth around the office like they were born to do it. Take Maggie, Rosalie's assistant, for instance, she makes this job look as easy as breathing. Maybe she could give me lessons. I groaned and placed my head on the glass desk that was now mine in defeat. I knew that I was probably just having a rough day and that things would certainly get better, but my pounding headache was saying otherwise. I'm just sitting there with my head in my hands, contemplating whether or not this day could any worse when I hear someone clear their throat.

I look up to find Edward looking down at me with a smile and two little white pills in his outstretched hands. I look at him quizzically.

"Aspirin," he offers. "I thought they might help with your head."

"How did you know –"

"I might have seen you out with your friend last night," he says nonchalantly.

"I'm fired aren't I?"

He laughs, "No such luck, I'm afraid. I have faith in you yet."

"That makes one of us," I mutter, taking the pills.

"It's your first day," he shrugs. "I've seen people go through worse, trust me."

"I doubt that."

"Alright, how about this? When I first started here as a paralegal, I was helping out two different lawyers at the time. One was defending a simple petty theft charge, but the other was handling a high profile arson case. It was a lot of work, but I trudged through. So, my first day in court finally comes and as the lawyer I'm assisting begins his opening statement, I realize that I've mixed them up."

"No way," I scoff.

"Way. Imagine the look on the petty thief's face when he thinks he's being accused of setting fires on the west side."

"That must have been humiliating," I laugh.

"You have no idea. The point is, if I could survive that, I think you're going to make it just fine," he smiles.

"Thanks, Edward."

"No problem. Now, it's about time for lunch. How about I treat you to lunch over at the diner across the street? We can celebrate the halfway point of your first day."

"You don't have to do that," I protest.

"Nonsense, you've earned it. Grab your coat and come on."

The diner Edward brings me to is one of those cute places trying to replicate the eateries of the fifties. It comes complete with one-page laminated menus, leather booths, and heavy amounts of neon. The waitresses are all bustling around with little white uniforms and tennis shoes. Some people might find that kind of thing cheesy, but I've always loved places like this. Edward smiles at my approval and leads me over to a corner booth by a window looking out at the busy street. An older woman with curly red hair comes over and introduces herself as our waitress. We order two Cokes and a couple of clubs before falling into easy conversation.

"Where did you find this place?" I ask.

"My dad used to bring me here when I was younger. His office is a few blocks over. A few days a year I would get stuck going to work with him for one reason or another and coming here for lunch was always my reward for being quiet and all that. When I started working at the firm, I noticed this place on my first day and recognized it instantly. I've been coming here for lunch most days ever since."

"That's really cute," I smile.

"Yeah, but if you tell anyone, I reserve the right to find and kill you," he jokes.

"Secret's safe with me, ex-Girl Scout's honor."

"Ex-Girl Scout?" He laughs.

Our food comes out just as I launch into the story of how, upon joining my local Girl Scout troop when I was ten, I quickly discovered that it wasn't for me the first time we went camping and I was lost in the woods for a good hour or two. He finds this hilarious of course and before I know it we spend the next hour going over some of my lesser moments as an adolescent. I find myself telling him stories that, once upon a time, I would have killed my parents for even referencing. The thing is, the more I tell him, the more he laughs and smiles and whether or not I want to admit it, I really enjoy seeing that smile. It's one of the most charming crooked smiles I've ever seen on a person. I know it's completely inappropriate to think of my boss of all people like that, but it isn't a crime to enjoy the view.

Smiles aside, what really keeps me talking is his general interest in what I have to say. Somewhere in the back of my mind I remember some rule about it being impolite to talk about yourself too much, but I can't seem to shut up. I've never seen someone so… captivated by my mundane life. It doesn't really feel that mundane when I'm telling him about it though. When I'm talking to Edward, it feels more like an epic, something out of the Odyssey, much more exciting than it really was.

I've pretty much filled him in on all the formative years of my life when it's time to go.

"Now," I say. "If you repeat any of that to anyone, I reserve the right to find and kill you."

"Don't worry," he chuckles. "I won't tell, Boy Scout's honor and my oath is more legitimate because I actually completed the program."

"Show off," I mutter.

We make it back to the office a few minutes later and I make Edward promise that the next time we go have lunch; it's his turn to share embarrassing stories. He agrees with a big smile, but I'm mostly excited that it sounds like there's going to be a next time. We're heading back in the direction of his office to prepare for the last meeting of the day when Rose makes her way over to us.

"Hey, you two how are things going?"

"They were disastrous until about an hour ago," I complain.

"Bella's being much too hard on herself. She's doing very well for her first day, Rose," Edward defends.

"Well I'm glad to hear that, can't say I'm surprised though. I knew my girl could handle it," she says cockily. "See you guys at the meeting in twenty?"

"Wouldn't miss it," Edward sighs.

"Oh! Before I forget, Edward, your wife has been clogging up the phone lines for the past hour. You might want to call her back so everyone can get on with their lives."

Wife?

How had I missed that?

I rack my brain trying to remember any point during her past Edward-related rantings where Rosalie may have mentioned that Edward was married. I can't seem to recall a single one. It makes sense. He's good looking, a total sweetheart, and has a great career. I mean, he's what? Twenty-six? Why wouldn't someone like Edward be taken? She's probably a Victoria's Secret Angel or a doctor or something. Lucky bitch.

Suddenly, my little school girl crush seems even more ridiculous. I mean, it's not like I ever saw Edward and I riding off into the sunset or anything, I'm not delusional. It doesn't feel right to even look at him… that way if he's married though. I find myself feeling suddenly self-conscious about the whole conversation we just had at lunch. He was probably only interested out of kindness. He didn't want to hurt my feelings that had to be it. God, I was such an idiot.

Married. That changes things.

Or at least it should have.

This was meant to be posted Sunday night, but my laptop decided to go for a little swim in my glass of water and was out of commission until this morning. I'd say that I have learned my lesson and won't keep a glass of water by my computer while I'm working again, but I'll revert to my old habit in about a week so why bother... Moving on!

I've made the decision that Sundays are going to be my official update day. I don't have a specific time, but you can probably expect my chapter sometime in the late afternoon/early evening range. I hope that works well for everyone (if for some reason another day sounds better, let me know in a review). I plan to keep to that schedule over my winter break unless something drastic and unforeseen happens. When classes start up again in late January, it might change, but I wouldn't count on it.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and I'll be back with another next Sunday!

Until next time!