A/N: The next chapter is finally here - sorry it took so long to post. I struggled a bit with this chapter and am still not really happy with it, but probably just because (like you guys) I just want B & E to get together already! Bear with me though, things will go a little differently with the next six Calendar Guys than with the first six. Make of that what you will!

To everyone who reviewed the last chapter: I realise your teasers were sent not long before the chapter was posted, so I will send you all teasers for the next chapter too!

Finally, I am thrilled to have been nominated as Favourite Newbie Author in the TwiFic Fandom Awards - voting is open until 2 Nov so I'd love it if you could vote for me at twificfandomawards. blogspot. com!

Chapter 22 – Mr. July

"So how did your date with Jasper go?" asked Bella.

"Oh, it was good," smiled Alice, as she loaded up the van with equipment for the latest photo shoot.

"Just 'good'?" asked Bella, who had been expecting a gush of details.

"Uh-huh," Alice nodded.

Realisation dawned on Bella. Alice, considerate as always, didn't want to rub Bella's nose in her newfound romance after everything that had happened with Mike. Bella felt a pang of guilt – had she really been that selfish not to ask Alice about her date until now? "Alice, I know what you're doing and you need to stop that right now. If you're deliriously happy – which I suspect you are – you don't need to keep it from me just to save my feelings. You're my best friend, Alice. If you've found the guy of your dreams I want to hear every last detail. Just because my love life is a total clusterfuck, that doesn't mean I don't want you to be happy."

Alice let out a huge sigh of relief, as if she'd been struggling to even breathe around Bella without hurting her feelings, and threw her arms around her friend. "Oh Bella, it was amazing!" she squealed, as Bella picked her up and spun her around in celebration. "Jasper is such a gentleman. We have so much in common. And he's sooo gorgeous! I think he could be The One, Bells."

Bella smiled as she released Alice from their embrace. She really was happy for her. She'd had other friends who had pronounced every new man in their life as 'The One', usually re-labelling him as 'The Bastard' within the year. But Alice was notoriously picky about the men she got close to and took her time getting serious. For her to be this deeply into Jasper already meant there must be something special about him. "So tell me everything, Alice. Where did he take you? What did you talk about? Did he kiss you? I need details!"

Alice started her story from the very beginning, from the point her and Jasper had starting talking in the bar. She'd deliberately kept quiet about it until now, thinking – quite rightly - it would be the last thing Bella wanted to hear about after Mike gatecrashed her evening with Garrett. I probably wouldn't have listened even if she did tell me then, thought Bella. Her fun night with Edward had really snapped her out of the funk she'd been in and now she was ready to hear everything and share in her friend's delight.

Just as Edward popped into her thoughts, he suddenly appeared by her side, his camera pointed at Alice. "Edward, what are you doing?" asked Alice, as the shutter of the camera clicked away.

"Just taking a couple of snaps for my collection," he grinned. "Your face is the epitome of 'Happiness' right now." Alice blushed prettily.

"He's right, you know," Bella said, fondly. "Love really suits you."

"Oh, shut up, you two!" said Alice, playfully punching both of them in the arm. "No one said anything about love."

"Yet," teased Edward, exchanging a conspiratorial look with Bella, who'd started singing 'Alice and Jasper, sitting in a tree...' She grinned back at him. It was usually Alice and Edward ganging up to tease her. It felt good to be his partner in crime for a change.

"So where is Mr. July anyway?" asked Alice, looking at her watch.

"Nice try at changing the subject, Alice," joked Edward.

"Seriously, though," said Alice, "we've got a long drive ahead of us. If he doesn't get here soon, we'll be working in the dark." They had borrowed a van from Leah's roommate, Eric, and were driving out to the countryside for an al fresco photo shoot for July. There was a chill in the fall air, but the sun was shining and Bella was hoping the evergreen trees in the forest they were going to would disguise the real season and give the shoot a summery feel.

Bella looked up to see a handsome, dark-haired figure in a leather jacket walking towards them. "I think this could be him now."

oOo

The model's name was Jacob Black. He had eyes like pools of molten chocolate and a lazy smile that lit up his whole face. After coming through a dark few days emotionally, Bella was starting to feel refreshed and hopeful, and she found that Jacob's sunny demeanour matched her new mood perfectly. She could feel his infectious grin reflected on her own face as she looked at him across the backseat of the van, which smelt of stale weed and feet. She hoped he hadn't noticed.

Edward was driving and Bella – despite calling 'shotgun' - had relinquished the front passenger seat to Alice after remembering her friend's problems with motion sickness. She didn't want Jacob to be forced to take his clothes off earlier than strictly necessary because Alice had puked all over him. Other people's vomit was a treat specially reserved for Mike Newton.

She'd initially been a little disappointed that she wouldn't get to spend the long drive riding up front with Edward – as much as the self-revelation had shocked her. They'd been texting each other constantly since the Dirty Scrabble night, funny little quips and private jokes that never failed to put a smile on her face. Edward had even given her a Starbucks coffee with a giant letter 'Q' scrawled on the cup that morning and had refused to tell Alice what it meant, despite her persistent nagging. She loved that they shared a little secret, as silly as it was. Their friendship was blossoming, and Bella was finding it hard to believe she'd taken such an instant dislike to Edward in the first place. So she'd been looking forward to spending some more time getting to know him better over the next couple of hours on the way to the shoot location. Instead, she was squashed in the back of the van with a male model and a motorbike. It could be a lot worse, Bella thought to herself, as Jacob Black took off his leather jacket to reveal a bulging set of muscles straining against a tight black t-shirt. A lot worse.

"So how long have you been modelling, Jacob?" she asked, trying to make conversation while Alice puzzled over the map and gave Edward directions.

"Actually, this is my first proper job," he grinned, clutching on to the sides of the van to steady himself as Edward turned a corner a little too sharply. "So you're about to pop my cherry, so to speak." He winked at her flirtatiously.

"Well, you're in capable hands, so don't be nervous. I'll be gentle," Bella found herself flirting back. Jacob seemed like the sort of guy who would flirt carelessly with everybody, but she couldn't help enjoying it anyway. After six failed attempts at bedding the calendar guys, Bella had made the decision to give up on Rosalie's challenge. But that didn't mean she couldn't have a bit of harmless fun flirting. Especially with someone as cute as Jacob.

"Oh, I'm not nervous," he replied. "I was born ready. This body has been kept under wraps for too long. It's time to share it with the world. Well, at least with the readers of Eclipse magazine." He flexed his biceps and waggled his eyebrows at Bella. "I'm kidding, by the way. I haven't felt this terrified since I actually lost my virginity. And I suspect this photo shoot is probably going to last a lot longer than that did."

Bella laughed. This guy was fun. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that she wasn't sitting in the front with Edward.

A/N: Uh-oh. Jacob appearing in an E/B fanfic is never good news! That being said, I am looking forward to seeing the eight-pack!

Thanks for reading! Poppy xx