Sundays were quiet at camp because even the corporate guests had free time on the Sabbath. There were no organised activities and no team building exercises that anyone had to be at. Everyone was taking advantage of the sleep in and if they weren't they were quiet as they moved about. So as Edward made his way to cabin number one the camp was virtually silent and still. Just the way he wanted it too because his head was pounding out the William Tell overture with each step he took.
His knock on her door was far too loud and her smile was so blinding as she greeted him he winced in pain.
"Come inside," she cooed softly and tugged his sleeve to make him come indoors out of the cold wind. "I'll make you some coffee," she said as he sank gratefully into the cushions of her sofa.
"Where's Angela?" he whispered.
"She left before breakfast," Bella said quietly as she handed him the cup. "I won't ask how you're feeling," she giggled sweetly as she took a seat beside him.
"I think you can guess," he mumbled after taking a sip, "And thank you for this," he said, raiding his mug. "I'm so sorry for last night. I have no idea what I did but Emmett said I should apologise to you for it."
"You don't remember?" she laughed as quietly as she could when he shook his head. "Well, you don't need to apologise to me. You were actually rather cute."
"Cute?" he asked as he laid his head back and closed his eyes, relieved when the blackness of the underside of his eyelids blanked out the fluorescent overhead lighting. "I doubt I was cute and I am sorry for whatever I did or said."
"You wanted to hold my hand," Bella giggled. "And then you said you wanted to kiss me."
"Oh god," Edward moaned. Moving forwards he put his aching head into his hands and kept saying sorry.
Disappointed that he didn't confirm he still wanted to hold her hand and kiss her Bella hid her eyes from him. "Don't be sorry, it was kind of sweet," she told him, feeling sorry that he felt bad about what he'd said.
"Sweet maybe, but really inappropriate. I know that. You're engaged and I shouldn't say things like that to you," he said as firmly as he could. "I won't be drinking like that again in a hurry I can assure you."
"Might be a good idea," Bella agreed ignoring his comments about her engaged status.
She'd been regretting for a few days that she hadn't removed her ring before setting foot in the camp. She didn't consider herself properly engaged and she didn't like that Edward saw her that way. She knew he thought she was untouchable. She loathed being seen by him as owned by Jake. But most of all she hated knowing that without alcohol in his system he'd never admit what he wanted from her at all.
She had hoped that after what they'd said to one another just the night before that they had an understanding but it was obvious now, from the way Edward was apologising, that that wasn't the case at all.
She had told him the truth. She wanted to be alive with him but that wasn't going to be allowed to happen if he considered her engaged in the truest sense.
Had he been sober last night and he mentioned wanting to kiss her she'd have let him. But he hadn't been sober, he'd been out of his mind drunk and he hadn't made any such advance when he was sober before, so she figured he only had the courage to voice his desires when he'd been drinking.
If she was honest it was the same for her. The times she'd had more than two glasses of wine in his presence made her want to ask for things she shouldn't normally be thinking about too.
They drank their coffee over easy conversation after the apologies were sorted out. Bella was happy to go along with his suggestion that they just watch television that afternoon and was even happier ten minutes later, after they'd both set their empty cups onto the coffee table, when he reached for her hand.
Her whole body experienced a warm rush of sensation and emotion when he fell asleep against her shoulder and it hit a peak when he shuffled his long, lean body in an attempt to get comfortable and ended up with his head in her lap.
She contentedly sat through two hours of an ancient rerun of a murder mystery so she didn't need to disturb him by reaching for the remote to change the channel. He snuffled adorably through half an hour of Judge Judy and mumbled incomprehensively through another half hour long cookery program. Through it all she stroked his hair with nervous fingers. She'd been tentative at first and had grown bolder the longer he slept. It was flecked with copper and was soft to the touch. It curled around her fingertips if she held it in just the right way and by the time he began to rouse from his sleep she was stroking not only his hair but the side of his stubbled cheek as well.
As he came back to consciousness he began to hum at the touch. At first it was a soft muffled half-snore but as he woke a little more he began to hum more loudly as her fingers travelled from his scalp to the point of his chin. The sound would abate at the end of each stroke and begin again once her fingers made contact with his hair. As he slowly opened his eyes it became a deep, rumbling hum that told her that he liked it without him having to utter a word.
He spared no thought for wiping his eyes or adjusting his position as he woke. He was right where he wanted to be and as he looked up he was staring into the eyes of exactly who he wanted to be with.
Curling his fingers around hers as she came to his chin on her third pass since he'd woken he stilled her hand and held it to his lips. He closed his eyes as he kissed her palm once, twice and then a third time. When he released her she cupped his cheek in her hand and smiled down at him.
"Tell me again," she whispered.
He was confused for all of ten seconds and then he too smiled. "I want to kiss you," he said very softly.
Leaning down Bella ghosted her lips across his and ignored the warning signs in her brain that she was doing the wrong thing and inviting trouble. She simply wanted to kiss him, so she did.
Turning to face her and tilting his chin up as far as he could Edward welcomed her lips when they met his. She'd left her hand at his cheek and he liked how it felt as their lips caressed softly back and forth. He raised his own hand and slid it along her cheek and into her hair, pulling her very gently further down.
It was an awkward position, the kiss was nervous and without any pretention and that's what made it so perfect for the pair. It wasn't a study in all the things they did wrong; it was a lesson in all the things they had right.
They were friends and they found one another attractive on an intellectual basis as well as the physical. They had laughed together and shared small pieces of themselves with one another. So the kiss was perfect in all its dimensions.
Respectful but filled with long dormant desire. Parting his lips on instinct the kiss deepened of its own accord and when their tongues met midway they both groaned at the soft caress.
Bella broke the kiss only because her neck was aching from leaning over so awkwardly. As she straightened she smiled to see that Edward had his eyes closed and a smile on his own lips.
Tracing that smile with the tip of her finger Bella whispered 'first' very quietly.
Opening his eyes and clutching at her hand Edward echoed the word himself and snuggled deeper into her lap.
A comfortable rhythm was adopted by the six friends for the third week of their stay.
The daylight hours were spent on individual pursuits. Edward revelled in the freedom he found playing the underutilised piano and Bella sank into a fictional world of love and sex in her newest novel. Tyler spent his days in the administration block working via video link with the journalist who was writing the piece to go along with his photographs. Angela and Ben spent their days in the pursuit of orgasms and wrapped in a cycle of mutual physical exploration.
The lone wolf, as was usual, was Emmett.
He spent all of Monday's daylight hours trying to catch Rosalie on her own so he could apologise sober. Every time he approached her she told him 'not now' and by the time the sun began to slip over the horizon he was frustrated and getting mad that she wouldn't let him say sorry.
He'd spent all day Sunday trying to catch her, and make her stand still long enough for him to say sorry, but she just wasn't having it. She wouldn't meet his eyes if he did find her and she dismissed him entirely if she could manage it.
Monday afternoon, after hours of fruitless stalking, he waited until he saw her leave the administration building and then he went inside. He asked after her at reception knowing she was out of her office and then asked if he could leave a note for her. After being given permission he placed one hundred dollars on her desk for the cleaning of her car. Annoyed that she was dodging his attentions he decided to inject some humour into the situation. He used a piece of her own stationery and wrote her a note to accompany the money.
In big bold letters he wrote 'Does your car radio have an AM/FM TUNA?' signed the note and left it on her desk with the cash.
He went into town to the pub that night with a spring in his step, sure that he'd given her a giggle and would be allowed to apologise the following day.
On Tuesday, after he was sure she'd been into her office and had seen the note, he tried again to get her to speak to him. This time her excuse was that she was too busy dealing with the repairmen. She actually told him to go and find another staff member if he had a problem! She could've at least let him know whether the money he'd left was enough to cover the cleaning he thought to himself as he stalked back to his cabin.
He sat under his awning all afternoon until he saw her exit the main building and while she was off dealing with whatever it was she was dealing he slipped into her office again. He put another fifty dollars into an envelope and used more of her stationery to write another note. This time he used a thicker black marker and wrote in bigger letters 'Your car sounded a little rough earlier, I hope it doesn't FLOUNDER' and slipped that into the envelope alongside the cash.
He played a brilliant game of pool at the pub that night and won another fifty dollars so he returned to camp with a smile and full pockets in the middle of the night.
He didn't see her all day on Wednesday. He kept a vigilant watch too, but she was nowhere to be seen. He asked all of his friends if they'd seen her but nobody had. Her car was in her parking space so he knew she was on the camp grounds somewhere, but by dinner he'd failed to find her.
His winning fifty dollar note went into an envelope that evening along with a note that read 'I think your paintwork is starting to FLAKE'.
It had been an intense few days for Edward and Bella too. They'd watched a movie on Monday night and had been present when the movie was shown on Tuesday night, but neither of them had paid too much attention to the screen. Instead they'd cuddled up in the back row of seats sneaking tiny, still rather innocent, popcorn flavoured kisses.
There was no movie on Wednesday night so they met at Edward's cabin, leaving Ben and Angela to have the other empty cabin to themselves. The nights were not quite so cold and so they began their evening with a drink on the porch. Edward continued to light Bella's cigarettes before passing them to her and Bella continued to blush each time he did it.
They talked about Bella's newest novel and the relationship between the seemingly nasty pirate captain and his beautiful virginal first mate who was posing as a boy. Bella giggled her way through describing the budding illicit relationship and Edward hung on every word.
Edward talked about the pleasure he got from the piano and admitted to his frustration with the lack of diversity in the printed music available at camp. Wanting to take full advantage of his unrestricted time with the instrument he wished out loud that he'd brought with him from home his hidden and very coveted collection of sheet music.
Bella was quick to remind him that there was a music store in the little town and when his eyes lit up he thanked her for the reminder with a kiss.
And so they decided to take a trip to town the very next day and remedy the problem. Edward had his profit from the fishing trip and Bella had almost her full allowance for the week so they sat for hours talking and planning excitedly. Bella could rummage through the bookstore and Edward could poke around the music store and it sounded like utter bliss to them both. The movie they had planned to watch was forgotten as they made their way through a bottle of very good local Pinot Noir that Bella had bought on the advice of the salesperson at the liquor store. At midnight when they both tried in vain to hide their yawn from the other they said a reluctant goodnight, as they had done on previous nights.
Edward walked Bella to her cabin and they waited under her awning until Ben emerged blushing and thanking them for the privacy he'd been given. They waited until he disappeared into his own cabin before they moved into one another's arms and said their own goodnight.
There was no longer any nervousness or hesitation as their lips met. Bella's hands always found their way into Edward's hair. Edward always held her close, his fingers holding her about her waist as he lost himself in her taste and the feel of her warm, soft lips on his.
A whispered goodnight and a smile always punctuated their parting and each night Bella went inside with a giggle and slept with thoughts of Edward at the forefront of her mind. Edward always skipped his way back to his own cabin and allowed the bliss of sleep to overtake him only after running over her every word and gesture from their shared evening.
Emmett was sullen and withdrawn over breakfast on Thursday morning and nothing any of the friends could say made him smile. He ate in silence and ignored the laughing and joking of the group when a staff member came to their table and informed them that a trivia night was to be held that Saturday. Teams of six could nominate and the prize for the winning team was an expenses paid tour of a local winery.
Five of the friends signed up happily, Emmett signed up too but his lack of enthusiasm was noted by the entire group.
When the meal was done Bella excused herself to her cabin to grab her things for her trip to town and Edward took the opportunity to ask his roommate what was wrong.
"Not a thing, mate," Emmett had sighed as he walked sluggishly beside his friend on the path to the cabins.
"You don't have to tell me, but I'll listen if you do," he promised. He was disappointed with his roommates shrug and tried again. "It's not like you to be this quiet," Edward prodded.
"Nothing to say," Emmett all but growled and Edward knew when he was beaten.
"I'm heading in to town with Bella but you're welcome to join us. Might be a good diversion," he suggested hopefully.
Emmett flopped himself down on the sofa the instant they were inside and Edward knew what his answer was going to before he heard it. "No," Emmett said firmly. "Thanks for the invite though. I'm just gonna hang around here."
Edward slid his wallet into his pocket and put his hand to Emmett's shoulder over the back of the sofa. "If you change your mind we'll be in either the music or book store. Come join us if you get bored, please."
Emmett had waved him away without another word and Edward had no choice but to leave him there and meet Bella on the path, lest they miss their taxi.
He had to admit to Bella that he had no idea what the problem was as they slid into the backseat. He had to admit that he had no expertise when it came to dealing with anyone's problems, even his own. Bella promised to try and talk to him when they returned but had to admit that she had no idea how to help anyone either.
Emmett was happy that his roommate was heading into town and not hanging around camp that day. He didn't feel much like company and was happy to mope his way through the day, his head filled with angry and frustrated thoughts. He'd gotten into a fight in the pub the night before because he had a bad attitude. He'd picked the fight on purpose and he'd gotten out of it exactly what he'd hoped for, a physical release for all the frustration he was feeling.
He didn't have a mark on him, he'd been far too angry to let a punch penetrate his concentration, but he'd woken up that morning a foul mood all the same. The weather matched his disposition perfectly. Dark and stormy.
He found Rose in the main building after breakfast but she was speaking with corporate guests and trying to organise the trivia night and he didn't get the chance to actually speak with her personally. He went looking for her again after lunch but her office door was shut and she didn't reply when he knocked. He knew she was in there because he could hear her tapping the keys on her computer.
That rustled his jimmies more than all the other brush offs so he decided to up the ante. He stalked back to his cabin and got out the mornings newspaper. He cut each individual letter from the mastheads until he'd spelled out 'Why won't you open the DORY for me when I knock?' in lopsided, odd sized newsprint letters. He stuck each of them down with tape he found in the kitchen drawer and then emptied his pockets of all the cash he had into an envelope. Even the coins.
This time he wasn't going to leave it in her office. He was done with that. He never got a response out of her when he did that so this time he was taking a more direct approach. All he had to do was wait her out. He had nothing better to do so he went out under the awning and listened to the rain while he watched the doors of the administration building for her.
Bella and Edward ran through the pouring rain to the little cover the awning over the shopping strip offered. They were both excited to be in town together and stood smiling and laughing as they half-heartedly cursed the rain.
"What do you want to do first?" Edward asked, shuffling his feet back and forth in his excitement.
"Books," Bella giggled, squeezing his hand that she'd held in hers since they entered the taxi at camp. "But I know you're dying to go into the music shop."
Edward reached for her then. She was so excited to be able to visit the bookstore but she didn't want him missing out on the music. She was so sweet he thought as he slid his hand across her cheek and into her hair. "You'll be bored in the music store, but thank you," he grinned. Glancing at his watch he made a quick calculation. "How about turn about?" he suggested. "Half an hour in the bookstore then we go to the music store? Then we'll swap again."
"Perfect," she grinned and tugged his hand towards the bookstore.
They were both so entranced with the books, and with each other, that the agreed upon half hour turned into more than double that as they prowled down the shelves. Every few minutes Edward would hold up a novel over the top of whatever shelf he was standing at and call her name. Bella would look up and tell him yes or no.
He was so tall she could see the titles he held up for her without too much trouble and each time he did it she giggled. They'd only talked about the books she had already read but he knew instinctively what she'd like or what she'd hate, so his selections were more often than not right on the mark.
They met now and then at the end of a row of shelves and each time they did they took the opportunity to connect with one another physically. Edward would reach for her hand as soon as she was within reach and Bella would bring his body closer using her free hand at his waist. Edward would dip his lips to hers and Bella would sigh happily against them.
They'd part again and continue their browsing but each time they were within touching distance they did just that. Edward brushed her hair off her collar once or twice. Bella put her hand to his forearm once or twice as she leaned by him to select another title. But every time they were able to they touched.
Bella had six more novels in her carrier bag by the time they hit the street on their way to the music store and as they approached it Edward's excitement began to make itself known.
He set a blistering pace that Bella was hardly able to match. He talked a hundred miles an hour and as they came to the entrance to the store she could see the shake of his hand as he held the door open for her.
Not wanting to ditch her the instant they were inside Edward did his best to remain by her side, though the lure of the rows and rows of sheet music was swamping him. Recognising his need Bella put her hand to his cheek and smiled, "Go," she told him. "I'll amuse myself, I promise."
He kissed her hard on the lips as quickly as he could and then took off towards the shelving. Bella giggled as she watched him. He looked like a little boy let loose in a toy store as he moved from rack to rack. She was sure he wasn't really focusing on what he was seeing, his excitement just made him want to see everything all at once.
"Can I offer you a drink?" a voice said, startling Bella from her thoughts. The cashier was grinning at her as she turned around. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," he said softly. "I've learnt over the years that a coffee machine is a good investment in shops like this," he chuckled while tapping the top of the machine and nodding towards the high barstools that sat under the lip of the counter.
Bella smiled too. His name badge told her this was Pete, the owner of both the bookshop and the music store as Rose had said. "He'll be hours," she laughed, tossing her head in Edward's direction as she took a stool. "And yes, I'd love a coffee. Strong, just black please."
"Coming right up," Pete told her. "I see you've been in the bookstore again."
"Oh yes. I love it in there as much as he's loving this place."
"You from up at Crossroads?" he asked as he slid the steaming cup across to her. When Bella went into her bag for her purse Pete told her that as a 'music store widow' the coffee was on the house.
"Thank you," Bella said with a giggle at his terminology. "We're both from Crossroads, yes," Bella agreed.
Bella could only smile when she heard Edward's squeak of joy at having found something interesting. Pete raised his eyebrows with a grin, "That sound never gets old," he mused. "So tell me all about your stay," he insisted as he sat back on his own stool and raised his cup to his lips.
While Bella espoused the wonder that was Crossroads Edward lost himself in the music. The selection was extensive and Edward had never been in such close proximity of a collection that size before. Not with money in his pocket anyway.
After making his way down the first aisle he moved to the head of the next, after stopping to apologise to Bella first. She waved him away with a smile and told him to 'go for his life'.
And for Edward it did feel like life. Like the perfect life. His girl was sipping coffee and making conversation and he had free reign to indulge his love of music. Life couldn't possibly get any better he thought as he added another sheet to his growing stack.
He had eight pieces chosen by the time he made his way back to Bella's side half an hour later and was once again waved away when he apologised for ignoring her.
"His family don't really let him play," Bella told an amused Pete as he set up for another round of coffee.
"That's criminal. Music feeds the soul," Pete told her. "Did you know that babies that are played classical music sleep better and settle faster for their parents?" he asked.
"I didn't know that, no."
"It's true. There've been studies. It always worked for me anyway," Pete grinned. "What does he play?" he asked.
Bella turned in her seat and watched Edward flick through another bundle of pages. "Piano," she told Pete as she watched Edward. He looked so much younger, his hair flopped forward, his tongue pinned between his teeth in concentration. "It makes him happy," she whispered, her eyes never returning to Pete.
"What's his name?" Pete asked.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Bella said, embarrassed for the oversight. "I'm Bella, he's Edward."
"Good to know you Bella," Pete said sweetly and then turned to face the racks. "Hey Edward, there's a whole row of piano specific stuff in the next aisle over and I've got a petite in the school if you want to test drive any of it," he chuckled.
"You have a piano here?" Edward asked, whipping his head in the direction of the counter.
"Next door," Pete grinned. "It's tiny so don't get excited."
Edward virtually ran back to the second aisle and snatched up two sheets before making his way to the counter. "Can I play these, please?" he all but begged.
"Sure, it's open, go on over," Pete told him with a nod of his head towards the next shopfront over.
Edward didn't hesitate. He was seated at the beautiful miniature grand piano within seconds and playing his first choice of piece in the next.
As his fingers flew across the keys he began to sway. Even on his first go around with a relatively unfamiliar piece the sound he produced was fluid, without stops or gaps and Pete smiled to himself as the music floated out of one shop and into the next.
"He's good," Pete told a stunned Bella. "Very good."
"I had no idea," Bella whispered.
"Go on over," Pete suggested and she was off the stool, her belongings forgotten as she went.
With his back to the front window Bella had to go further into the small space to watch and she smiled to herself as she walked right by Edward and his concentration didn't shift. It was as though she wasn't even really there.
He never took his eyes off the sheet music and he never once looked down at his hands as they sped across the keys. He didn't even break stride when he had to turn the page. She marvelled that he set his hands back in the proper place without having to look first. She couldn't even do that when typing.
Bella didn't know a lot about music, like most people, but Pete must because he owned a store and a music school. So if he said Edward was good she knew he was. But she knew he was happy with his playing regardless of whether or not he was any good. She could see that for herself, without needing a practised ear for what he was trying to achieve. It was all about his body language.
She knew it in the way he held himself on the bench, his shoulders back and his eyes dancing over the lines of notes. She knew that what he was playing was good because he was grinning to himself as he played it. She knew that it was good because Pete had been humming along as she'd left and because there were now three women standing by the storefront windows smiling as they listened.
But mostly she knew it was good because Edward was pleased with what he was producing. Without needing to be told she knew he was a perfectionist when it came to music. Just like he did when she was prattling on about the characters in her books she listened when he talked to her about the piano at camp.
He'd told her that a better quality piano would produce a better quality sound. He'd told her that he'd been yearning for a chance to play on something bigger, stronger and with more sheet music to hand. And here he was. On a better piano with as much music on hand as he liked. And he did like it. She could see it on his face despite his obvious concentration.
When the piece came to its logical conclusion Edward sat back and relaxed his shoulders and hands. He grinned to himself and then up at Bella. "Sorry I ran out on you," he chuckled.
"Don't be, that was wonderful," she told him sincerely.
"It was bloody brilliant, that's what it was," Pete said simply as he made his way into the space. He handed Bella her bags with a smile and took a seat on another bench across from where Edward sat. "If you want to make some cash while you're staying at camp let me know. I'd love for you to meet one of my students in particular, but they'd all benefit from learning from someone who knows what they're doing," he chuckled and wiggled his fingers.
"You teach?" Edward asked, too stunned by the offer he'd been made to say much else.
"I try to," Pete grimaced self deprecatingly. "My wife plays strings and I'm okay on this thing," he said tapping the little grand, "but I trained for percussion originally so I'm hardly qualified to do more than just observe. We both double dip when it comes to this beauty if we have to. I'd really appreciate it if you could spare some time?" he asked hopefully. "Even if it's just once. I have this girl; she's seventeen and she's trying to work out whether to take an arts track at uni or a drafting traineeship. She's good, really good, and I'd love it if you'd meet with her. She just needs to see what's possible with practise."
"I don't know," Edward said truthfully. His music was a hobby, a forbidden one at that. "I don't know what I have to offer her," he said just as truthfully. "I'm not allowed to play at home, and I've never done anything with the lessons I took, so her meeting me won't help your case."
To Pete it seemed strange that a grown man was 'not allowed' to play at home but said nothing about that when he spoke, "I want her to listen to you play. I want her to watch you play so she can see the level of concentration needed to really make the pieces come alive. She's distracted, as most girls her age are. I just think that if she saw and heard you play she'd take it more seriously. An old guy like me telling her she's good doesn't carry much weight," he chuckled.
Neither Bella nor Edward thought he was old. Middle aged maybe, but not old. Looking over at Bella Edward tried to gain some insight into her thoughts but she was just sitting there smiling. It seemed the decision was his alone to make.
"Okay, I can come and play with her. But not for her," he stressed. He knew from experience that just playing on his own over and over was no fun and taught him very little. The best teacher he'd ever had played with him, side by side at the piano itself. He'd learnt more during those few lessons than he had after years of solo practice and he was keen to make that clear. "I won't play for her, we'll play together. She'll learn faster that way and she'll get a proper feel for each piece."
Smiling widely Pete got to his feet and offered his hand. "Deal," he announced, pleased. "She's a local and its school holidays so anytime during the day would be good. Here's my card," he said as he handed it over, "call when you're ready and I'll make sure she's here."
Edward couldn't believe his luck as he sat there staring at the card for a long minute. He was going to be paid to do the thing he loved most? It was surreal.
"I'm so proud of you," Bella whispered, breaking Edward from his thoughts. "You play beautifully."
"Thank you," he croaked through a thickened throat. "Oh shit," he grunted as he stood up too quickly and knocked his knee on the underside of the piano's keyboard, "I forgot to pay for this," he said, holding up the sheet music as he ran out of the school and back into the store.
Bella moved behind him but much slower. She knew Pete wouldn't mind the missing pages and if his enthusiasm for Edward's playing ability was anything to go off he'd probably let Edward away with murder.
With a bag each filled with their chosen vices – Bella's romance novels and Edward's sheet music – they walked hand in hand towards the pub for lunch.
Edward's day got better when the girl behind the bar handed over the book he'd bought Bella the previous weekend. She'd rescued it when he'd gotten too drunk to remember he'd even bought it. He thanked her profusely and proudly handed the book to Bella. She rewarded his kindness with a soft, gentle kiss to the corner of his mouth.
It was dark when they called for a taxi to take them back to camp. They'd spent all of the daylight hours together but they both felt strangely lonely when they split off to go to their respective cabins.
Emmett sat under the awning ignoring the set down meal times and the invitations of his friends for him to join them for movies and games in the early evening. He just sat there and waited until she was done for the night. He watched her walk the path to her cabin and then he followed.
He knocked on her door and when she answered he said nothing. He held out the envelope and once she'd taken it he turned and left without saying a word.
By the time Rose went to find him he was sitting in the back of a taxi on his way to town. Then it was Rose who sat up most of the night under her awning waiting for him to return.
He never did.
On Friday morning Rose found herself doing something she'd never done in all the years she'd run Crossroads. She took a day off. She didn't leave the grounds but she told all the staff not to disturb her unless it was the direst of emergencies.
She sat in her cabin with the heater on full blast and the front door wide open. She had an envelope with most of Emmett's money it in waiting for him and all of his notes in a pile on her desk.
She kept one eye on the path that ran in front of her cabin for most of the day and when she finally saw him stumbling along it she snatched up the envelope as she leapt from her seat and ran outside.
"Emmett!" she called as she ran, "I need to talk to you."
He stopped mid stride and wobbled just a tiny bit on his drunken unsteady feet. But he did stop. He thought he probably felt worse than he looked but Blondie looked fucking magnificent as she ran towards him. "Hey Blondie," he grinned when she came to a stop in front of him. "I've got no more cash," he grinned as he emptied his pockets, a few coins falling to the ground with a pinging sound. "No idea how mush is there but itsss yours," he slurred.
"I don't want your money," she told him softly. "What happened to your face?" she asked, her hand snaking out towards him before she could check the reaction within herself.
"It's nothin'," he slurred, batting her hand away before she made contact with his skin.
It was mid afternoon, probably early evening if she wanted to be pedantic, and she could smell the alcohol seeping from his pores. He was wrecked and he'd been on the receiving end of a pretty good beating by the look of him. She had no idea where he'd spent the night, or if he'd slept at all and judging by the state of him she guessed that he hadn't.
"I'm sorry I dodged you. I was angry at you," she told him truthfully. "I love that car," she said with sincerity. "I inherited it from my dad so it means a lot to me." She held the envelope out in front of herself and hoped he'd take it back. "The cleaning cost ninety dollars so that's all the money you've been leaving for me minus that amount."
He took what she held out but shrugged his shoulders in defeat. "I was broke but I won shum money in a fight lash night so I had enough," he slurred sadly, clutching the envelope, "But thanksss for thisss."
"You were fighting for money?" she asked, horrified.
He ignored her question, and her reaction. He did look her in the eye when he spoke next though because his apology was a sincere one, drunk or not. "I'm really shorry about your car," he told her quietly. "I'll leave you alone now."
She let him go when he moved away only because she couldn't stand to look at his bruised lips and swollen eyes any longer. She wanted to comfort him and tend to his wounds. She wanted to see him to his cabin and make sure that he was warm. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and ask him to stop drinking so much and she wanted him to promise her that he wouldn't fight for money ever again.
But she did none of those things. What she did do is turn to watch him walk to his cabin and once he'd gone inside she went back inside hers.
He was a guest and she had no right to ask him to promise anything. She was the director and manager of the camp and it was her job to make sure that he had everything he needed during his stay and that was all. What he chose to do while he was there was his business. Even if that included drinking until his liver packed in.
Saturday was busy at Crossroads. It was the last day that this group of corporate guests would be with them and it was also the first of the really big night time events.
The trivia night was always popular. It was rare that private guests didn't participate in the fun. Of course the corporate guests weren't given a choice, but they always had a good time too despite their required attendance.
A set meal was to be served at large round tables in the dining hall so the camp staff was busy mid morning moving the larger tables from the conference centre to the dining hall.
A seating chart was made and printed by Rose and then taped to the windows at the entrance to the hall. Kitchen staff scurried about all day preparing the giant roasts that would feed the entire camp all at one sitting.
Each table was laid out for this meal, unlike the 'help yourself' buffet style meals that were offered usually. Local students from a culinary school, and a few sons and daughters of local residents too, made a few extra dollars helping to serve and clean up so it was a much awaited event each time it was held at Crossroads.
Mid afternoon the private guests heard a loud scraping and rumbling and they all came outside to watch as three metal trolleys were wheeled along the path in front of their cabins.
The noise didn't help Emmett's splitting head but even he came out to watch the comings and goings.
The first held two enormous speakers, the second the sound system to match and the third – complete with two staff members either side to ensure its safety – was a giant metal and smoked glass cocktail bar.
It normally lived in the conference centre and was used by the corporate groups during their parties, exhibitions and symposiums, but that night it was to be used by everyone.
The sight of it with its towering metal hood made all the private guests excited. All except Emmett who stood, arms crossed over his chest, barely taking in the scene. Once he'd seen what had made the noise he went back indoors and wasn't seen again until the festivities began.
But the others were excited and for them the fun of a trivia night had the girls scurrying for something 'special' to wear and the men taking extra showers and extra care shaving.
Edward was no exception. He'd showered at first light as was his habit but he did so again at six in the evening. He'd washed and pressed his favourite shirt and some dark charcoal dress pants and was fidgeting annoyingly trying to decide whether or not the occasion called for a tie. He loathed ties. They were constrictive and he associated them with work. Any mention or thought of work sent his body into a panicked shiver so it was a simple decision in the end to not wear one.
The thought of a trivia night panicked Bella too but for very different reasons.
Girls weren't revered for being smart in her home. Females were expected to be demure and defer to men, not attempt to best them at games. She was nervous and eager to see for herself how the corporate women would handle themselves.
She was good naturedly bullied into wearing a dress by Ange and she'd worn an extra coat of mascara off her own back but that was where Bella drew the line at preparations.
She was pleased to be collected by Edward five minutes before the meal time and happily took his hand as he led her down the path, but her stomach was in knots with worry as they approached the hall.
Long lines snaked away from the front doors and as they took their place at the end of it they made small talk with other pairs and singles around them. The whole camp had an expectant air around it. The corporates were glad of a little pre-going-home-to-reality fun and the private guests were anticipating being social with a larger group for the first time in three weeks.
While waiting for the doors to be opened Bella learned that the two women in front of her were from a small paper products firm in the city, and that the four men behind her were from a metal recycling conglomerate whose head office was in Dubai. Further down the line were six sales reps from a footwear company and further back was a pair of librarians who had roped in two accountants, another sales rep and a managing director to form their team.
Angela and Ben, having stolen a few extra minutes alone in her cabin before coming down the path, were introducing themselves to a group of baking apprentices who had been sent to camp to learn teamwork.
Tyler was further back still and was being told how 'cute' his curly hair was by a team of older ladies who worked at the same paper products company as those in front of Bella and Edward.
Emmett was at the very end of the line, standing away from all the groups, sucking the life out of a cigarette.
He hadn't uttered a word to anyone for hours. They'd all seen him sitting outside smoking one cigarette after another, but he'd not said a word. Edward had tried to speak to him as he'd returned after his day in town but he'd been met with a grunted answer when he asked if his roommate was alright and a nod when he told Emmett it was time to get ready. Other than that he kept his gaze on the dining hall and his mouth firmly shut.
Rose stood at the head of the line and greeted every participant personally. She loved these nights. She loved the noise and the fun and the excitement but most especially she loved sending the corporate groups home with memories of a good time, rather than just the thoughts of organised activities and seminars.
She knew she'd see Bella and Edward together in the line and couldn't quite suppress her smile when she saw their hands linked as they approached. She wrote their names in thick black marker onto two sticky name tags and handed them over with a 'welcome' and a 'good luck' before greeting the next group.
She missed the shock on Edward's face as he read Bella's name tag because she was busy looking for Emmett, who she assumed wouldn't be too far away from his roommate.
A/N: Thank you for reading.
Please review.