Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns all.
Rated M for several reasons.
Chapter 6 What Happens in Vegas
BPOV
Alice and I spent the next two days reminding a doggedly sunbathing Rose that she hadn't actually ruined Edward's wedding, just put a bit of a dent in it. Although Tanya was still maintaining 'radio silence' despite Rose's fulsome 'its not you it's your friends' apology, when we parted ways at the airport.
A ton of work awaited me back in the City and I only paused my furious pace to engage with Em via email.
Subject: Operation Swerve
Cyggers, we are not having a pap follow us round Vegas on my little brother's bachelor weekend. I have an idea that only a rich bitch can help me with . . . .
Subject: Rich Bitch
Emmett Cullen, calling me a bitch is not usually how a petitioner gets something out of me, but as I know what a social inadequate you are I will let that slide. What's your plan?
Subject: Lear Jet
I know you have one, don't deny it.
Subject: *Sigh*
I might have something like that around here somewhere, what would you be planning to do with it?
Subject: Escape
Subject: Woefully Lacking
As in your communication skills are.
Subject: Playing Hard to Get
Can we use it for Suaveward or not?
Subject: Lauren
Call her, keep it reasonable or I'll be forced to kill you.
Subject: Love You
You are the absolute best woman in the whole wide world, apart from My Amazonian Love Goddess (inserted in case she reads this)
Subject: Throwing up in my mouth
And I've Bcc'd her on everything.
...
I was planning to use the company jet to get to Vegas but Lauren smoothly informed me I would be catching a scheduled flight.
Okay then.
I even managed to deal with the fact that that Tanya's tame pap, Garrett, and I were on the same flight. But maybe only because Char and Pete were with me.
I hadn't known his name until now but his face is etched in my memory. He was the one who photographed me falling apart the night I found out about Charlie, Aro told me later he got thousands for that one . . . .
...
Em's plan was pretty sound, none of us actually left the airport, instead we hung out in the VIP lounge for an hour or two, waiting for everyone to arrive, before boarding the jet and heading for California.
It won't take Garrett long to work it out when he realises none of us are at the hotel, but Em's confident he won't find us in San Francisco.
I'm pretty sure this is going to put another dent in the Denali / Cullen nuptials but no one else seems to care, not even Edward, who is on his third beer and feeling no pain.
I barely see him these days but when I do he's never as carefree as he seems today, college Edward is always how I remember him best, full of promise but never able to take himself too seriously.
As if he knows I'm thinking about him he looks up at me and smiles.
...
Em has a bus waiting for us at the airport and we check into our hotel in high spirits.
The gang's all here.
Mike, Angela, Ben, Riley, Siobhan, Tyler, Eric and Paul.
And there are new people arriving on different flights from Edward's life now, Alistair, Sam, Jane, Marcus and Leah.
...
Reliving old times Rose spurns Em so she and I get ready together. My bed is awash with discarded beauty products, clothes and make-up as we giggle and laugh our way through the process. My knowledge far outstrips hers these days but I'm more than happy to let her take charge, ringing my eyes in kohl until they're huge in my face and pouring me into a form fitting dress that shows off my every curve.
Nevertheless.
We're still us.
"Fuck." I mutter as she preens in front of the mirror. "Why weren't you ever a model?"
She shrugs and we laugh, it wasn't for lack of offers, the truth is she has as many problems with her looks as I do.
"Ready?" She asks, offering me her arm.
"Hell yes, end of an era and all that." I laugh, taking it.
"Let's do this." She growls, dragging me out the door . . . .
...
"Hey!" Everyone yells as we sashay into the bar, fashionably late.
"Hey!" We shout back, embracing our youth, our friends, and the proffered cocktails.
Hug. Kiss. Express surprise. Gossip. Hug. Kiss. Gossip. Hug. Hug. The evening passes by in a warm fug of reconnecting, dancing and drinking. None of these people give a flying fuck for what I am now and I love them for it, to them I'm still just the entertainingly awkward girl from Phoenix. Edward's newbies take a while to work that out but kudos to him for picking friends that can.
...
"Good time?" He asks as we lean on each other, waiting for the elevator.
"The best. You?"
"Getting there." He laughs, drawing me into the enclosed space with him when the doors open.
I sag against him automatically, drunk as a skunk, wondering for the millionth time what aftershave he buys, he always smells so good . . . .
"Which floor?" He asks as we smoothly ascend.
"Um, four, I think."
And I relax completely into his warmth as he winds an arm around my shoulders in an old familiar way. He's always had the knack of making me feel relaxed, safe, enveloped, and I try to recapture that feeling whenever I can. With whomever I can . . . .
"Bella?" He says gently, breaking into my inebriated little world.
"Hmm?" I mutter sleepily.
"We've been up and down a few times now, are we getting off this thing or not?"
"Where are we?"
"Sixth."
"Down." I murmur, handing him my key.
"Okay."
His crooked smile tugs at my heart strings as he lets me into my room and kisses my forehead.
"See you for golf?"
"Sure." I respond, twirling into my room and collapsing on the cluttered bed to the sound of his once familiar laughter.
"Night Bella."
"Night Edward."
...
I didn't make it to golf the following morning, but I wasn't the only one.
A load of us ended up hanging out in the hotel, drinking coffee, catching up, and stuffing our faces.
...
Tonight's 'formal' dinner was a rowdy affair, so much so that we were all booing Em when he insisted we board the 'Debauchery Express' to head downtown to the nightclub.
...
Rose, Alice and I hit the dance floor, dragging a titanic but still game Char with us.
Eventually, sweaty and thirsty, we head back to the seats the others have 'staked out' in the VIP area.
"Aw, look." Rose urges as she and I sip our chilled champagne.
I follow her eyes and laugh.
"How does he do that?" She asks, shaking her head.
"No idea."
Edward, as was always the way, is like an egg yolk, surrounded by an albumen of adoring women and a fragile outer shell of men, ready to scoop up any of his admirers that fall by the wayside.
"She's in your old spot." Rose observes as Jane throws her head back and laughs at something he's said.
"Edward's lap was always the safest place to be." I chuckle. "Couldn't get trampled in the crush there."
"I think he used to use you as a shield sometimes."
"He did." I smile, remembering the feel of him whispering in my ear, 'Don't leave me Bella, this one wants to eat me alive'.
"Come on you two, you get to gossip all the time." Em shouts, shoving his head abruptly between ours. "I wanna dance!"
...
By two in the morning we're all in desperate need of something so some of the group head back to their hotel beds and the rest of set off in a noisy drunken search for sustenance in a strange city.
"You having the best time yet?" I ask as he strolls along beside me with his hands shoved into his pant pockets.
"Getting there." He chuckles.
"You're a hard man to please." I sigh, shaking my head at him.
"My night clubbing days are long behind me." He says ruefully. "Em could have set us up for a weekend of drinking beer in front of the TV and I'd have been just as happy."
"Did you tell him that?"
"Of course I did." He snorts with a grin. "It went in one ear, through the wide empty spaces, and came straight out the other."
"That's my boy!" Rose yells, appearing from nowhere and jumping on Edward's back.
He staggers forward and she screams, but he manages to regain his balance and wrap her legs around his torso.
"Jesus Rose." He complains. "A little warning next time."
"Giddy up Edward!" She shrieks, flapping her heels at him like she's on a horse. "Your brother's coming and he's only carryin' little Jane."
I laugh, breaking into a run as well when Em, and a howling veterinarian, come blasting past me after Edward and Rose.
The dozen of us still standing, Alistair and Siobhan failed over into a nearby flower bed, make it to the bottom of the steep street in one piece.
"See." Em says proudly as he deposits Jane on her now shaky feet. "I told you there was a diner at the bottom of the hill!"
"Food." Ben groans, shoving the door open and heading the charge inside.
...
Food did for some of the rest of us, even Rose who sleepily commanded her Romeo take her to bed, they caught a cab with Alistair who'd sprained an ankle, and Siobhan, who seemed determined to look after him. Ben and Angela sloped off somewhere, every inch the self sufficient couple they were in college and one by one the others all drifted away until it was just Edward and I, snuggled together for warmth on a park bench, watching the sun rise over the bay.
"Cold?" He asks as I shiver.
"A bit."
"Here." He says, shifting me easily to straddle his lap, making sure his jacket stays round my shoulders as his arms circle me loosely underneath it. "Better?"
Words fail me so I just stare at him dumbly.
"What's the matter?" He asks quietly.
"This could be construed as an extremely compromising position." I point out, my voice a little hoarse.
"It's just us." He murmurs, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of my mouth.
I can't help my reaction, my breathing spikes and he pulls back slightly, eyes darkening as his hands flex on my back.
"God Bella." He groans, face inching forward again.
"Edward . . . ." I protest but he closes his eyes and leans back with a slight shake of his head.
"Don't." He breathes. "I know. I'm sorry. It's just that I've been thinking about kissing you all weekend."
"You're not the only one." I admit after a brief internal debate. "But you can't say things like that to me Edward Cullen, you know I have zero self control where you're concerned."
"Still?" He asks, the corner of his mouth curling up slightly.
"Still." I confirm with a light laugh, watching his ego and his smile bloom in the early sunlight.
"Then I probably shouldn't tell you how badly my hands are itching to slide down your body, and up under your skirt, where they can feel the soft skin of your thighs, huh?"
"No, you really shouldn't. Totally inappropriate."
He sighs, letting the sun play on his chiselled features and emerging scruff, he really shouldn't be allowed to be so stupidly handsome.
"Come on." He says after a moment, opening his eyes which are back to sparkling with humour. "Lets get back to the hotel, I can't remember which insanity Em has organised for this afternoon but I'm getting old and I'll need at least a couple of hours sleep beforehand."
He stands up, lifting me easily with him and then lets me slide slowly down his body till my feet are on the ground, unashamedly letting me feel how hard he is on the way.
I shake my head at him and roll my eyes, which just makes him laugh as he grabs my hand and drags me off in search of a cab.
...
Loud banging wakes me from my slumber some time later.
"Are you up?" Rose demands.
"I am now." I grumble, rolling out of bed and over to the door.
She sweeps in with Char hot on her heels.
"What's up?" I ask, attempting to cover my gargantuan yawn.
Char produces her ultra light laptop from behind her back and swivels it so I can see the screen properly.
"Oh. My. Fucking. God." I groan, collapsing onto the bed like my strings have been cut.