Edward went over to Emmett's place the next day to watch a basketball game on the television taking a six pack of beer with him. Emmett was going to attempt to make the steaks again, but this time he was going to be cooking them in the kitchen rather than trying to use the grill.

As soon as Emmett opened the door he was grilling Edward though.

"So what happened? Did you see her? Was she pissed? Did you apologize?" Emmett started to shoot off one question after the other.

"Whoa there, Emmett! One question at a time please," Edward responded with a shake of his head as he pushed past Emmett into the apartment and made his way to the fridge where he deposited the six pack.

"Well, you going to tell me what happened or not?" Emmett asked as he leaned against the kitchen counter.

Edward noticed the steaks sitting out. "Those things defrosted enough?"

"Edward?"

"You shouldn't have put the steaks in the freezer at all, you know?" Edward continued, seeming to ignore Emmett.

"Edward…" Emmett was beginning to sound more frustrated.

"Steak doesn't taste the same when it's been frozen. It's all about the quality of the meat and keeping it fresh," Edward went on without missing a beat.

"EDWARD!" Emmett finally bellowed in frustration.

Edward snickered and leaned against the counter. "What was the question again?"

Emmett scowled.

Edward snickered. "Didn't your momma ever tell you your face is going to stay that way?" He chuckled and shook his head. "I got to spend some time with the lovely Miss. Swan last evening."

Emmett grinned. "Did you now? So you went over to her place and she actually opened the door and didn't kick you in the balls for standing her up?"

Edward nodded.

"I suppose you turned on that Masen charm," Emmett chuckled.

Edward just snorted in response and sipped at his beer.

"Well, what'd you do? Did you at least buy her flowers or something?" Emmett persisted.

"Jeez, Emmett! When'd you become a woman?" Edward asked with a chuckle as he went to plop down onto the couch in the living room.

Emmett followed him, whining, "Aw, come on, man! Don't be like that! You left that office like your tail was on fire."

Edward laughed and then he ran his hand through his hair with a sigh. "I left that office knowing I was completely fucked. I ran to that flower shop that I know is not too far from her place, but they were closed. Second flower shop was closed too so I just decided to grab her some food and show up at her place, hoping that she would let me in."

"Well, obviously she did," Emmett said as he wandered back to the kitchen to get his own beer.

"Yeah," replied Edward.

Emmett came back and sat down, sipping at his beer. "So everything went all right?"

Edward nodded and reached for the remote and started to flip through the channel guide.

"What's she like man?" Emmett as he settled in with his beer.

Edward considered the question. "She's beautiful, smart, funny…"

Emmett arched a brow. "You seeing her again?"

"I want to, but nothing's set yet," Edward said hesitantly. "I asked right before I left and she said I should get back to her later in the week when our schedules were more definite."

"Ah, she's still tripping about your standing her up in other words," Emmett said with a nod. Edward just nodded and sighed in agreement.

"If you like her, then just don't back down," Emmett shrugged.

"Yes, we all know that that's your tactic," Edward snorted.

"Hey, don't know my game plan, man. It works. You're looking at a man who's already been invited to go away for the weekend with none other than the hottie known as Rosalie Hale," Emmett said with a grin.

Edward arched a brow. "So soon?"

Emmett grinned. "What can I say? She just can't resist me."

Edward just laughed in response and put the game on.

"C'mon, Edward, you couldn't resist me either. It's how I ended up working for you and how we ended up being best buds."

Edward snorted. "Shut up, the games on."

"Seriously, man, just call the girl. Keep apologizing for being a jackass. Send her some flowers or something." Emmett just happened to glance Edward's way as he was talking and noticed that Edward was blushing.

"Uh, well, I sort of got her…something," Edward said as he ran his hand through his hair.

"Something?" Emmett asked curiously.

Edward wouldn't look Emmett's way as he said, "Yeah, I got her a potted palm from the Chinese restaurant I stopped at."

)( )( )( )(

"He…got you a potted palm tree?" Alice said incredulously as she stood next to Bella in their living room, both of them holding cups of coffee and looking at the palm that was still sitting by the front door.

Bella nodded and sipped at her cup of coffee.

"Wait. What happened again?" Alice sounded thoroughly confused. She'd come home the previous evening to find a trail of potting soil down their hallway leading to their apartment door. She'd wondered where the heck it had come from, but being rather late she didn't have the chance to ask Bella till this morning. When she had asked the only reply she had gotten was a shrug as Bella said, "Edward got it for me."

That was how they both ended up standing in front of the palm sipping coffee. Bella with a slight smile curling up the corner of her lips, Alice with a confused look asking what had happened.

As they moved to the living room to curl up on the couch Bella explained that Edward hadn't shown up till a little past 10 p.m. and how he'd brought Chinese food and the potted palm.

"Let me get this straight," said Alice, "He stood you up."

"He, uh, got held back in a meeting," Bella said sheepishly.

"Held up in a meeting and forgot about your date," Alice clarified.

"Mmmhmm," replied Bella as she sipped at her coffee.

Alice continued, "And, he showed up here three hours late with Chinese…and a potted palm."

Bella nodded.

"I'm…confused," said Alice with a sigh.

Bella laughed. "Trust me, I was too when I opened the door and he was standing there with this palm tree. Apparently the flower shops he stopped at were closed and he bought the palm off of the Chinese restaurant where he got the food."

"Well," Alice looked at the palm with a grimace, "that's…something."

Bella giggled and Alice joined in.

"So, are you seeing him?" Alice asked after a while.

"Maybe," said Bella.

Alice arched a brow, "Maybe?"

"Well, I'd like to, but I told him to call me later in the week when our schedules are more definite," Bella said with a shrug.

"Good for you," Alice smiled. "Let him sweat it out a bit."

"He might not ask me out again," Bella said with a shrug.

"Oh, come on, Bella, the man didn't have to show up last night after he missed your date and he didn't have to bring you food…or a palm…" Alice snickered. "Who knows? Maybe it can be like, your love fern."

Bella snickered as well but then sighed, "I don't know, Alice, maybe it's just a sign of things to come. We're both always busy. I doubt that this is the last time he'll do something like this."

"What did I tell you before, Bella," Alice frowned. "You make the time. I mean, he was obviously sorry and from what I've read about Edward Masen, well, he's not exactly the playboy type. I hear he doesn't go out much at all actually."

Bella frowned. "Then…why me?"

"Why not you?" Alice asked, tilting her head. "Look. You're smart, funny, and beautiful.." She held up her hand as Bella started to argue. "It's true. You just don't see yourself clearly. Do you honestly think Jasper started hanging around with you because you're smart? I mean, that was part of it, but he found you attractive. Lucky for me he put you in the little sister category really soon after meeting you," Alice said with a chuckle.

"Jasper? He found me attractive?" Bella made a face. "Ew."

Alice laughed. "Hey! That's my hunk of a boyfriend you're talking about."

Bella chuckled and then sighed. "I'm not…bad. I mean, I'm okay looking, but we're talking about Edward Masen. You have seen him, right?"

"Not up close and personal like you have. I've seen him across the room at various functions, but we've never really been introduced," said Alice.

"He's…dreamy," sighed Bella. "Even all scruffy and tired looking as he was…covered in sweet 'n sour sauce."

Alice giggled again. "Well, I'm sure you knocked him dead with what you were wearing. Wait. Did you change?"

"Uh, yeah," Bella replied, refusing to meet Alice's gaze.

"Bella Marie Swan, what were you wearing when Edward came over?"

Bella looked down at herself, still wearing the same pajamas from the night before and she gave Alice a meaningful look.

Alice just palmed her face and groaned.

)( )( )( )(

Edward was laughing as the Chicago Bulls once again handed the Washington Wizards another loss.

"Why the hell do you keep supporting the damn Wizards when they always have their asses handed to them?" Edward asked Emmett with a chuckle.

"Oh fuck a duck!" said Emmett angrily as he pouted and hugged one of the throw pillows from the couch. "I will continue to support the Wizards till Tennessee gets its own team!"

"Tennessee? Get their own team? Never gone happen and you know it!" Edward said as he carried his plate and empty beer bottles to the kitchen.

"How do you know?" Emmett scowled.

"Well, for one thing, you don't have the capital base to establish a pro-basketball team," said Edward.

"We have the Titans," replied Emmett.

"Which you stole from Houston," Edward said as he rinsed off his dish and stuck it in the dishwasher. "Besides, Tennessee is weak. Your university mascot is the Volunteers. What kinda pansy ass mascot is that?"

"Don't you mess with my Volunteers!"

"I have never seen anyone run away screaming, 'It's the volunteers! Run for it!'," Edward laughed and purposely continued to mock the team from University of Tennessee, Emmett's alma mater. "'It's the volunteers, there a bunch of do-gooders! Help!'"

Emmett stood up and threw the throw pillow angrily onto the couch, "That's it!"

Edward was still laughing at him and Emmett looked like steam was going to come out of his ears. He was just about to storm into the kitchen when his cell rang and he went from an angry grizzly to a teddy bear in two seconds flat.

"Oh, hey, Rosie! How you doin'?" Emmett said laying on the charm thick.

Edward snickered. Emmett threw him the finger.

"Dinner tonight? Sure, hon." Emmett said as he started to gather up some empty beer bottles. He listened for a while. "I don't have to ask him. Edward would love to have dinner with us and your friends."

Edward blinked and frowned at Emmett.

"I know because he'll work through the night otherwise and because he made fun of my Volunteers," Emmett continued and then groaned as he listened. "Not those kind of volunteers. I meant the Tennessee Volunteers, as in the University of Tennessee."

Edward snickered again.

"Fine. Tonight. 8 p.m. Your place. Got it, hon. Do you need me to bring anything?" Emmett stopped talking a moment to listen. "See you then. Bye, sexy."

"Did you really just obligate me to have lunch with your girlfriend and some of her friends, Emmett?" Edward sighed.

Emmett shrugged.

"I'm not interested in being set up," Edward continued.

"Don't think it's like that," said Emmett. "C'mon, you might actually have fun. Just don't stand me up and show up with a plant or something."