Happy November 18th! In celebration of many things—Some movie premiere I went to early this morning, Mickey Mouse's birthday, my birthday (I'm a little younger than da mouse)…I bring you the next chapter! As a result, there will not be an update next Monday. More at the end….
I still only own this plotline.
~HOH~
Chapter 4: Introductions of a sort
Bella Swan stood in the parking lot looking at the dark brick building that housed most of Hands-On History's offices. She straightened the dark blue wrap-around dress she had found just the day before when she had gone shopping with the gift card Charlie and Sue had given her to celebrate her first "real" job. It was a guaranteed classic piece, one that would continue to come back in style, the saleswoman had reassured her, which made the sale. Bella was not one to go with the trendy and new. She much preferred tried and true.
Bella watched as several people milled about, waving hello to others before entering the building, some dashing to catch up with someone. The sounds of 'what did you do this weekend' and 'how is the wife and kids' and other such friendly greetings floated on the air, giving Bella a sense of calm on her first day. People seemed to actually care for one another and a sense of camaraderie was quite evident.
Bella marched into the building and announced herself to the receptionist at the front desk, a fluffy blonde in a too tight pink angora sweater with a voice that rivaled fingernails on a dry erase board. Bella shuddered as the woman, who according to her name plate was named Jessica, turned to call back to Ms. Mobolade's desk to announce that the new archival historian-in-residence was present and ready for orientation.
Archival historian-in-residence. Bella liked the ring of that even though the name was slightly a misnomer as she would remain at her own rented home rather than living on the Hands-On History campus, but the title was impressive, as were the salary and benefits package. With a little extra care, Bella knew she could have her student loans paid off long before their due date.
She stood next to the receptionist's desk, surreptitiously shifting her weight from one leg to the other, clutching her portfolio like a security blanket as she waited. Inside the leather pouch was the newest project to come to Hands-On History. Not only was she starting her first day at work but the entire team would be winding up their prior assignments and jumping feet first into this new job. Bella fiddled with her pocketbook strap, something she rarely carried and felt self-conscious.
A group of two men and a woman walked in from the parking lot, tied up in their own conversations.
"I told you Mom was going to start on a second grandchild," the woman with short, spikey black hair accused, punching a tall man with a worn Jansport backpack thrown over his shoulder.
"Not my fault you started going goo-goo eyed over some baby crib," a warm voice teased back. "Oh, it's sooooo cute!" His voice changed to mimic a high pitched woman's voice.
"Jasper, tell your brother-in-law to leave me alone," the woman pouted, though her eyes belied a twinkling that she was really enjoying the teasing deep down under it all.
"Edward, leave your sister alone," the man named Jasper drawled with good humor.
Bella grinned internally at the family dynamic before her. As an only child, she had never experienced it but she had seen it in others and craved that kind of relationship in her life.
"Better, Alice?" Jasper continued, an indulgent smile gracing his lips.
"Not in the least," Alice pouted, earning chuckles from her companions.
"You might as well give up right now," Jessica snarled from behind her desk, her voice breaking through Bella's eavesdropping.
"I beg your pardon?" Bella inquired politely, turning back toward the receptionist.
"That's the Cullen's. Well, two of them are. The other married into the group. They keep to themselves." She sniffed and turned her head away. "Seems like none of us are good enough to associate with them."
Bella smiled tightly and nodded. She got the distinct impression that Jessica had tried flirting with one of the people before her and had gotten brutally shot down. Bella surreptitiously watched as the three crossed the lobby and headed for the elevators. The dark haired woman, whom Bella thought she remembered was named Alice, saw her and immediately crossed the lobby to greet her.
Jessica glared at the women standing before her before she realized she was supposed to be answering the buzzing phone and turned to take out her anger on the poor, unsuspecting repair person who happened to be on the line.
"Bella!" Alice cheered, her high heels clicking across the tile floor. "So good to see you again! I know you're going to love working here at Hands-On. Just love it!"
Bella smiled at the shorter woman, feeling her enthusiasm. It was so wonderful to be working with people that loved history as much as she did and the sense of welcome she was experiencing right then made her sure she had made the right choice.
Jasper and Edward nodded their hellos from across the lobby before returning to their conversation which consisted of seventeenth century martial music. His eyes darting over toward the young woman in a dark blue dress, Edward casually pressed the elevator call button before turning back toward Jasper.
"I will see you this afternoon!" Alice grinned before waving good-bye and joined her husband and brother.
Alice tilted her head and stared at her brother for a moment. The gaze caught his attention and he stopped mid-sentence and turned to look at her.
"What, Alice?" Edward asked. "Did I miss some shaving cream or something?"
"No," she smiled in a quite tone that only he and Jasper could hear. "But you did miss just a little drool right there."
"Drool? Over what?"
"You like our Miss Swan."
Edward stared at her incredulously. "We have exchanged fewer than five sentences, Alice. Please don't make it any more than it is."
"Perhaps." Alice turned slightly away from her brother and tapped her temple with one well-manicured finger, the age old sign that she had seen him do something and was going to remember it. "But I saw you checking her out when you were calling the elevator."
"Whatever, Alice," he sighed, already tired of the attempted set-up he could see on the horizon.
The three passed Sweetie as she emerged from the elevator, a tall gentleman of Asian descent following close behind her.
"Miss Swahn," Sweetie called with a welcoming smile. "Good to see you again." She motioned for the younger woman to follow her. "This is Eric Yorkie. He has been assigned to be your personal assistant. He knows the ins and outs of the computer processing system better than anyone other than me. You have any questions, you just ask him."
Jessica took that particular moment to choke on her water and coughed loudly, earning worried glances from Bella and Sweetie. Bella would have sworn she saw Eric flick his fingers at the overly-primped receptionist as if dismissing her from his presence before rolling his eyes behind his rhinestone encrusted cat-eyed glasses. She briefly wondered what the story between the two was.
"Shall we?" Sweetie demurred, pointing toward the door leading to the Human Resources department.
Bella smiled broadly and excitedly headed off for her first day at work with a joyful spring in her step.
Two and a half hours later, Bella would be found sitting at her new desk in her new office with her new ID badge secured on a new lanyard around her neck. Sweetie had processed all of Bella's paperwork with magical efficiency. Bella completely understood why the director of Hands-On History had hired the woman. She was utterly amazing.
"I will leave ya here with Eric," Sweetie smiled, nodding at them both before sauntering out of the office in a swirl of brown, orange, and red fabrics.
"Now," Eric announced, pulling out his clipboard and lowering his glasses on his nose. "You have a lunch appointment in an hour and this afternoon, a quick get to know you reception for your team. I have an order in with Angel Cakes Bakery for your meeting but that can be cancelled if you are watching that fine figure of yours or something."
He motioned up and down her body with the pencil in his hand before he looked down at her expectantly.
"Your predecessor, Lord love him, could not stand to have anything with added fat, sugar, dairy, gluten, and taste for that matter." Eric looked around as if to make sure no one was listening in before whispering, "He was allergic to it all he said. Mmmm-hmmmm."
Bella could not help bursting out laughing at the image before her and at the audacity of her new personal assistant.
"Angel Cakes Bakery will be fine," she smiled. "I am sure Angela will be thrilled to know we are using her."
"You know the owner?"
"She is my roommate."
"Well, then Miss Swan, you just might become my new best friend," Eric smiled, taking a perch on the side of her desk.
"Bella," she corrected automatically.
"That like ciao or aloha? Some other multi-meaning word?"
"No. I prefer to be called Bella."
Eric flipped up a few pages and read something.
"I have here Isabella M. Swan."
"I go by Bella."
He nodded wisely and made a few notations on his paper, accentuating it with a flourish.
"Gotcha. Okay. Anyhow, you have an hour to decompress before you have a lunch meeting with …"
A squawk from Eric's desk interrupted him, and he motioned for her to wait one minute before dashing off to his station.
Bella decided to go through the project list that had been given her to prepare for her afternoon get-to-know-you meeting with her team and completely lost track of time before a cautious knock at the door brought her back to the here and now.
"Come in," she called as she made another notation next to a project summary. Her eyes were still down as she wrote when she heard footsteps approach. A discrete cough brought her face up, and she saw a rather red-faced Edward Cullen standing before her.
"May I help you?" Bella inquired, carefully setting down her pen. "Dr. Cullen, right?"
"I am here to take you to lunch," he said solidly, as if reading from a card.
"Did you draw the short straw, Dr. Cullen?" she smiled kindly. It wasn't the first time she had been the new kid on the block and probably Maggie or Sweetie had arranged this, feeling sorry her no doubt.
Bella closed the manila envelope the project summaries were housed in and carefully straightened it on her desk. She could already feel the heat rising in her face.
For as long as she could remember, Bella had always been better at everything but oral communication. Writing, that was second nature. Speaking face-to-face was completely another issue. Especially with someone of the opposite sex and compound that with someone of the opposite sex that was even remotely good looking and the blood vessels swelled and she turned the color of strawberries.
"No, Miss Swan."
"Bella," she replied automatically.
Edward's face relaxed significantly, causing her to smile to herself. She realized he was rather handsome in a nerdy, scattered sort of way and felt another wave of flush float over her of a completely different nature.
"I was going to thank you for rescuing Buttercup and me and my sister …" Bella was certain she heard him mutter 'damn meddling' before the word sister. "Alice decided taking you out to lunch your first day here would be a good idea. Maggie got wind of it and gave me permission to put it on my p-card, so if you're worried about paying, it's taken care of," he added quickly.
Bella thought for a moment. This reeked of a set up but she was pretty sure Mr. Cullen was no more interested in calling this a date than she was and it had been a long time since her 6 am bowl of oatmeal. With a nod, she gathered her things and stood.
Eric suddenly appeared at the door with a smile.
"You two have reservations at Laissez-Faire and are not expected back until two," he announced before spinning on his heel and returning to his desk.
"Well, I guess we have been told," Bella giggled, earning a smile from Edward.
"I guess we have."
Edward escorted Bella out of the building, placing one hand on the small of her back as he guided her through the halls. A quick jolt ran up his arm as if he was shocked by static electricity the instant he touched her.
"Must be the weather," he muttered before turning his attention back to the woman beside him as they exited the building and headed toward his car.
~HOH~
Thirty minutes into their lunch, Bella and Edward had managed to double their prior five sentences to each other. Barely. Most of the conversation had revolved around if the other had eaten at Laissez-Faire before and what looked good. Bella glared as the server spoke directly to Edward and to a spot high above her head, earning a peek of a smile from her dining companion but that was the only reaction from him she saw. The rest of the time, the two sat across from each other, almost afraid to look at the other.
Water glasses sporting thin slices of oranges that had been carefully seeded seemed so much more interesting than eye to eye contact between the two.
Bella got the distinct impression that Edward had been tricked into taking her to lunch and truly wished there was some way she could put him at ease. For his own part, Edward had no idea what to say to his new boss. He had not covered proper male-female discussions when the female was your superior while at the university and his on-the-job experiences were few and far between.
Bella thought back to earlier in the day when she had read over the dossier Eric had provided on one Dr. Edward Cullen in an effort to find something to talk about. She knew that he had a sharp mind when it came to all things musical. While she loved a variety of music genres, she was a bit intimidated by talking shop with an expert.
What was not documented in his file was Edward's lack of interpersonal skills. While Bella thought it was her own inability to carry a conversation, Edward was just as responsible as her. In fact, Edward was not the best conversationalist and often went entire days without putting together more than a dozen words with his co-workers. He, frankly, preferred to sit in his office and delve further into the music of an era, what made the composers create such masterpieces and the motivations of changing styles. He left the schmoozing to his superiors and spent his time and attention to be making sure the details he provided were as accurate as possible.
As a rule, Bella was only slightly more sociable, enjoying the company of good friends but only in groups. When it came to one-on-one conversations, she often floundered. She found herself gasping for breath, figuratively, at that particular moment, not knowing what she should say. Add to the mix a person she had met only twice before and for a grand total of 25 minutes and Bella was completely flustered.
Their stilted conversation was interrupted by the first few notes of Indiana Jones' theme song. Bella scrambled for her bag and pulled out her cell phone, muttering a dire death threat to someone named Emmett. She muted her phone and apologetically put it back.
"You don't strike me as an Indiana Jones fan," Edward said, suddenly turning red about the ears.
"I find John Williams' scores quite enjoyable," Bella shrugged. "I'm not an expert, but I know what I like. Unfortunately, I have a friend that loves to play with my phone."
"I know the feeling," he agreed, leaning toward the table as if revealing state secrets. "Every now and then, Alice programs my contacts list with bubble gum pop artists. Once, every time Esme called, I was subjected to Justin Bieber. I think she does it to get even for all the times I stole her Barbie dolls as a child."
Upon this revelation, Edward felt his own face flush in embarrassment and avoided making eye contact with Bella while he played with his knife. She thought it was rather endearing the way his cheeks reddened at the retelling.
"You, too? Emmett once set my mom's ringtone to Lady Gaga's Born This Way, which if you knew Renee is pretty funny."
Edward's face lit up with a broad smile and for just a brief moment, the two felt like they might have something in common outside their academic interests. Bella and Edward minutely relaxed in their seats.
"This Emmett is your boyfriend?" he asked after a few minutes. Edward instantly wanted to kick himself for asking. They were co-workers, not close friends, and he had no right to ask such a deeply personal question. A large part of him wondered just why he wanted to know the answer to this question. It was not as if he was going to ask her out on a date or anything.
"Oh, God, no. Just … no." Bella smiled warmly, thinking about her dear friend. She never had any romantic feelings about the big lug but deeply loved the man as a brother she never had.
"Never thought that was a common name. We have someone named Emmett that subcontracts with us from time to time. His wife, Rosalie, is in charge of the automotive section."
"McCarty?" Bella perked up. Emmett had been one of her good friends in undergrad and she had even been invited to his wedding a few years before.
"One and the same."
"Oh, we go way back." She smiled broadly. "Just as friends." She added quickly.
Bella wondered briefly why she was so adamant on being just a friend with Emmett. Anyone who knew the big lug knew that he was completely smitten with his wife and would never stray but for some unknown reason, she wanted Edward to know that she had no interest in Emmett other than friendship.
"Well, that's good."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I think my sister is planning an outing for Friday after work with you as the guest of honor."
Edward smiled comfortingly at Bella's cringe.
"I don't like being the center of attention," she explained.
"Well, with Emmett and Alice around, you won't be," he promised.
"I hope not."
"I will make sure of it."
Edward leaned over the table and gave her a reassuring smile before picking up a fork and starting to eat his lunch.
Across the restaurant in a darkened corner, two women stood, watching intently the couple as Bella and Edward settled into their lunch. No one seemed to notice the two women and in fact, the servers seemed to be blind to their presence, though no one came within three paces of their locale.
"Looks promising," Sweetie murmured, waving one hand toward Bella and Edward as they ate.
The two had greatly relaxed and chatted amicably back and forth as they enjoyed their lunchtime repast.
"Mayhaps," Maggie replied, her eyes drinking in every movement, every facial tic, every word of the young couple. "But we can't inflate something that's not there. If there is no spark between the two, this won't work."
"Yah said Dr. Cullen was perfect for it."
"In a lot of ways. His drive. His looks. His personality. His intelligence. Complete matches."
"Ahnd Miss Swan?"
"She matches as well. Her drive. Her looks. Her personality. Her intelligence."
"Then will she be receptive to his drive, looks, personality, intelligence? And he to her?"
"Only time will tell on that. I haven't been watching her for a year as I have our Dr. Cullen. She may be attracted to big and dumb types, though I don't think so."
Maggie grabbed a drink off of the tray of a passing server and sipped the frothy pink concoction with gusto.
"Do we have that much time?" Sweetie inquired, leaning back against the wall and folding her arms across her chest.
"We have all the time in the world." Maggie smiled broadly as she brought the glass back to her lips. "Marie Cigno and Anthony Masen have nothing but time. Though the best window of success is coming soon."
"Are you up to doing this?"
"I don't really have much of a choice, do I?"
Sweetie shrugged before looking back at the table where Edward and Bella sat.
"I don' know. Messin' with the time, that can be horribly wrong."
"And righting a wrong that is two centuries old is well worth the risk." Maggie watched Edward and Bella as they continued with their meal, the earlier discomfort quickly forgotten. "And we may finally be rid of him."
Sweetie reluctantly nodded her head. She would give Maggie credit; it would be a sin against humanity to not try to eradicate an evil if one had the means, regardless of the costs.
"They are rather sweet together, do not you think?" Maggie murmured, draining her glass and setting it on the table nearest them. "A little geek love. Maybe a little help?" She looked expectantly at her friend.
"You know I do not do that," Sweetie grumbled, crossing her arms. "I can manipulate other emotions but affairs of the heart, I leave alone. Too messy."
"Then maybe a little lowering of the guard? A little throw caution to the wind? A little willing to take a step toward instead of a step backward?" Maggie accentuated her questions with a little dance reminiscent of a rhumba, earning a broad roll of the eyes from her friend.
Sweetie sighed and fiddled with a thick rope of white hair that had fallen from her under her headdress before tucking it under the batik patterned fabric.
"You are quite demanding, ya know?" Sweetie hissed.
"That's because I am the boss," Maggie teased.
"Wiccan," she muttered.
Before Maggie could retort to the teasing insult, Bella and Edward stood to leave. He remained a respectful pace behind her as they wove through the tables on their way to the door. Bella suddenly stopped. Edward caught himself just before plowing over her, steadying himself by gripping her by the arms.
"Everything okay?" he asked, quickly releasing her.
"I … I think so." Bella stared directly into the corner where Maggie and Sweetie stood, watching her intently. Deciding there was nothing out of the ordinary, Bella quickly shook her head and continued on her way out the door.
"Very interesting," Maggie murmured more to herself than to her compatriot. "Very interesting indeed."
~HOH~
Before I get evil reviews about Sweetie teasing Maggie about being a Wiccan, there's a reason she said it. If you want to know, tell me in a PM or review and I'll spoil it. If not, please have faith. And don't string me up just yet.
Thank you everyone who contributed to MAL's fundraiser.
For the FGB compilation, I'm submitting a cut down version of my 2009 NaNoWriMo story. It's not fan fiction, but the main character has a lot of characteristics I later turned into Liriope from Evermore Experience so I thought my readers might like that.
FGB is also now doing a quickie auction. I have offered two one shots or outtakes to the 2 highest bidders (1 each). Bidding ends midnight 11/19 so go check out some of the other fine offerings!
And last but not least, I have company coming to MY house this Thanksgiving (in 18 years of marriage, I've spent 1 major holiday in my own home—this is HUGE to me). I hope to have the next chapter up a week from Monday but it may be a little later. Blame it on them, blame it on the tryptophan coma we'll all be in.
Thank you for reading! I love to hear your thoughts.