AMOC Chapter 4: Wedding Planning
BPOV:
"OMG! If I wasn't looking at this ring I would think you were trying to pull a prank on me. I can't believe it." Alice gasped for air as she held my hand firmly in her grasp.
"It's really crazy, right?"
"I don't know about crazy maybe more like INSANELY CRAZY!" Alice giggled hysterically.
Pulling my hand away from her I grabbed the fresh cup of coffee I made to try and help settle my nerves. The whole evening had been like sitting in the middle of a whirlpool. Money, contracts, promises made, all swirling around in my head. I just prayed I didn't sign onto something bigger than what I could manage. My life didn't need anymore chaos in it. Edward and his family gave me plenty of that withoutadding Jacob Black to the mix.
"I told you once you saw him you would fall madly in love with him. It's okay. Plenty of women have fallen for his sexy physique." Alice sighed heavily.
"Excuse me? I haven't fallen in love Alice. You have to promise me that you won't tell anyone the truth about our arrangement. If you do, not only will I lose custody of Charlotte but Jake will lose a boatload of money. It's important that you play off that I'm madly in love with Jake but remember I'm not really in love with him."
Alice blinked a few times before she responded.
"Okay, so we have to pretend you are crazy about him but you're really not."
"Exactly."
"Come on you got to admit that guy is drool worthy." Alice nudged my shoulder with hers.
"A little." Biting down on my lip I found myself indulging in my first look at Jacob after all these years.
If I was truthful I was more than a little physicallyturned on by him . However, the moment he began to speak I knew he wasn't destined to be my soulmate. The man wore arrogance like a french whore wore perfume. He reeked of it. It was incredibly hard not to slap him when his biggest concern was over how much money he would receive from this deal. Money. How do I always manage to get involved with guys who only think about money?
"A little my ass. Come on I bet he looks even better than I remember." Alice continue to nudge at me.
"Okay Alice. Okay. He is fucking hot! With his flawless dark skin, his dreamy bedroom eyes, those full luscious lips that begged to be sucked and my God, the way his biceps flexed whenever he moved his arms all caught my attention. I just wished he was as beautiful on the inside as he was on the outside. Remember real beauty comes from within."
"Uh! Says the girl who has both." Alice rolled her eyes sarcastically.
"What are you talking about?"
"Come on Bella! You're not only pretty but you have a good heart. Either way a guy is damn lucky to have you. You're the whole package. If I was gay I would be chasing your sweet butt." Alice winked at me, causing my cheeks to grow warm.
I wasn't accustomed to people telling me that I was beautiful. Whenever I looked in the mirror I just saw an ordinary girl trying to get by in life. Nothing special. I just saw plain old Bella Swan, the girl who seem to attract trouble no matter where she went.
"Did you guys set a date yet?"
"Yes we did. Do you think you could find a maid of honor dress by the first of October."
Alice's brown eyes widen in disbelief.
"Do you mean...this...October first?"
"Yes. We have to do this quickly since Billy already obtained the marriage license for us." I explained.
"Wow! No wonder your pretty little head is spinning."
"Now you see the dilemma." I couldn't resist laughing.
The whole scenario was a laugh. Maybe someday I could reflect on this moment and really laugh about it but for now, all I could do was hurry and get it over with.
"Looks like we will be doing some serious shopping starting tomorrow." Alice squealed happily.
"I"m going to bed. I'm already dreading tomorrow."
Walking Alice to the front door I tried to keep a serene smile on my face. Deep down inside I wondered if I could actually get any sleep tonight. My heart was racing, my palms were sweaty and worst of all my head couldn't shake the image of Jake wearing a tux and saying "I do."
Would I be able to say "I do" when the moment came? So many questions and so many possible problems lied ahead for me. Whatever it took I knew I would have to find the courage to marry Jacob and save Charlotte from the greedy clutches of the Cullens.
XXX
The constant rhythm of a tapping sound woke me up from my peaceful slumber. Rolling over I looked at the digital clock next to my bed.
6 am.
Who the hell would be at my house at six o'clock in the morning?
Shoving the blanket off of me I made my way down the stairs ready to knock the crap out of whoever stood behind that door. Today was my day off and I planned to sleep in past six o'clock for a change. Sleeping in was a luxury when you worked at a bakery where you were expected to be at work by five.
"What is your problem?" I shouted before getting a good look at my unwanted visitor.
"My therapist once said I didn't get enough attention as a child. I disagreed with her analysis and didn't go back to see her again." Jake replied with a cheery grin on his face.
"Uh? What?" Frowning at him I wondered if I was having one of those bad dreams where something would happen at any second to cause me to wake up screaming.
"You asked what my problem was. I just stated what I was told once, by a professional. You sure look awful in the mornings." His eyes scanned over my half dressed body.
A cool breeze swept in through the door, causing my nipples to harden. The cotton tank top I wore with my favorite shorts made it easy to see the pebbles beneath the material. His eyes widen, his lips curled up in a devious grin and I could have swore he shifted himself in his jeans.
My cheeks suddenly grew hot with embarrassment. This was definitely not a nightmare. No, it was unfortunately reality.
"Why are you here?" I step behind the door, trying to prevent him from seeing me further.
"Today we start the first step in our new lives together Bella. I believe we need to go pick out invitations as well as take a picture to put in the local newspaper. Plus before I can order a tux I need to know what colors you plan on using."
"Are you serious?" I bit down on my lip to fight back the laughter that would soon erupt if I wasn't careful. This was part of his plan. He was trying to make light of our situation again. How he could find any of this comical was beyond me.
"Very much so. I intend on doing my part in this arrangement." he reached out and pushed the door further open and made his way inside.
Kicking the door close behind me I watched as he made his way into my house as if it was his rite.
"I can make us some coffee while you get ready." He offered as he started toward the kitchen.
"Hey. This is my house." I reminded him as I followed him into the small but cozy kitchen.
"I know it is." He chuckled as he opened up the cupboards in search of the coffee.
"I figure today we go over the wedding plans and maybe tomorrow we can talk about us going house hunting."
My mouth hit the floor. What was wrong with him? I had a house already.
"Uh, hello earth to Jacob. This is my house. Why would I go house hunting when I already own this one?"
He glanced at me as he set the container under the tap.
"Because honey, I want a house big enough for all of us." he smiled sweetly at me.
"This house is big enough for us." I argued.
"I have needs Bella." He said in a perverse tone. My face turned a bright shade of red as he continues to give me his most sincerest smile.
"Needs?" I gulped hard.
"Yeah, like I have stuff that I need to put in rooms. I don't think this house will be able to hold my stuff along with yours."
An incredible urge to scream and strike out at him overcame me. Here I thought only Edward could bring out the dark side of me. Well, I was wrong. Apparently my future husband knew how to push my buttons as well except Jacob wasn't doing it to hurt me. He just was trying to be upfront with me. Which when I thought about it wasn't exactly a bad thing. However, it wasn't making me favor him either.
"I'm going to go take a shower and then I have to get Charlotte ready. My neighbor is going to watch her today while I run errands."
Luckily for me when I texted Jessica last night she was available at thelast minute to watch Charlotte. I tried not to use her if I didn't have too but when I was dealing with Charlie's illness she would stop by and offer to watch Charlotte for me.
She was married to a man who was often out of town on business. She once told me that it drove her crazy when she came home and had nothing but free time on her hands. Knowing how much she enjoyed spending time with Charlotte made me feel less guilty for asking.
"Should I fix her something to eat?" He asked with less humor in his voice as his face turned into a frown as if he was unsure what was expected of him.
"Umm...you could pour her some cereal in a bowl. She likes fruity pebbles."
He started on his task as I made my way up the stairs to quickly take a shower and get dressed for a day of not so fun shopping.
XXX
JPOV:
While the coffee brewed I went on to my next task of making Charlotte her cereal. I couldn't recall the last time I prepared a meal for anyone but myself. Of course cereal and coffee wasn't exactly a meal but it was as close as I came to the kitchen these days. I tended to enjoy the luxury of dining at five star restaurants. My days of being behind a stove ended once I finished college. I made a promise to myself I would never cook again unless it was for a special occasion.
Looking around the kitchen I noted that not much had changed since the last time I stood in here. I must have been thirteen or fourteen. Charlie called me over in need of some help with lifting some furniture he found on sale. It was funny to watch him nearly cry as we removed the worn out,beaten recliner and put it in the back of Quil's old pickup truck. He purchased a brand new one that he insisted on telling us was made with real leather. The man was proud of his chair and coveted it like a rare jewel. No one was allowed to sit in that chair.
Smiling I made my way into the living room where I saw the chair still sat, close enough to watch the Mariners play on his big flat screen television. For a moment I felt an unwanted feeling of melancholy wash over me. Charlie was a good man. He always had a smile for me whenever I saw him. He often told me how much he missed having Bella around now that she was all grown up and too busy for her old man. I wondered if she knew how much he adored her? Shoving the sudden memories of my past out of my mind I did the unthinkable and sat in that old leather chair. I smiled as I felt the apprehension coursing through my veins. What if Charlie came through that door right now? Would he really shoot me like he always threaten too?
Stop it Jake! No sensein reliving your past. What is done is done. Move on.
"Hello?" A little girl with light brown hair and two big, bright green eyes stared at me with an angelic smile.
"Hello." I jumped out of the seat, shoving my hands in the back pockets of my jeans.
"Who are you?" She asked curiously.
"I"m...well..." I stuttered unsure of what my title might be once Bella and I were married.
I was pretty sure Bella hadn't spoken to her about our marriage yet. I didn't want to be the one to give her the news. What if she didn't like me? What if she cried if I told her I was going to be her step father? Did kids her age freak out over stuff like this?
"Charlotte! There you are." Bella came rushing down the stairs as she swept her daughter up in her arms and placed tiny little kisses all over her face.
"Mommy!" she squealed and laughed at the same time.
"Are you ready for breakfast? Jacob made your favorite cereal."
Bella finally looked over at me.
"I sure did." I smiled uneasily at the both of them.
Bella placed her daughter down, held her hand andled her into the kitchen. I just stood there for a moment trying to get a grip on my emotions. It was one thing to think of Bella having a child in theory but to see her in the living flesh was another matter entirely. What little I saw I was relieved to see she resembled her mother far more than her sperm donor for a father. It was one thing to agree to marry Bella but I hadn't gave much thought about her daughter. This was one territory that I seriously lack experience in.
"Jake are you going to get a cup of coffee?" Bella called out.
Shaking my head and shoving my fears way down deep I pulled myself together before stepping into the kitchen.
"I would love a cup dear."
Bella simply rolled her eyes at me while Charlotte stared into her bowl. I was definitely in for some major changes in my soon to be new life.
XXX
It didn't take us long to agree on a simple set of invitations. We were sure not many people would attend at such short notice. I made a point of letting the cashier know that I wanted to receive the call personally when they were ready for pickup. After the errand was done, we met up with Bella's best friend Alice at her shop.
When we arrived I couldn't shake the feeling that I knew her from somewhere.
"Hi Jacob." She purred as her large brown eyes sucked me right into them.
Out of habit my flirtiest smile made it's way to my face.
"Hello. Have we met before?"
Her eyes narrowed for a second and then she looked at Bella before bursting into a fit of giggles.
"Did I miss something?" Frowning at them both I saw a sparkle in Bella's eyes that sent my pulse racing.
"You two went to Highschool together." Bella commented and pressed her lips together.
"We did?" Scratching my head it wasn't lost on me how it amused Bella that I didn't recognize her friend.
"Yes. We graduated together. You might not recognize me because I was hideous up until our senior year." Alice scrunch her lips to the side.
Looking her over again I tried to recall her but still came up blank.
"I wore braces, glasses and major case of zits."
Suddenly I began to recall a girl who sat in my Algebra class. Her hair was shorter back then and she would always offer to help me whenever I needed it.
"OH! Wow, you look hot."
Her tan complexion turned a shade red as she clapped her hands excitedly in front of her.
"Thanks." She squealed.
"Umm...now that we have concluded your reunion can we get on with our shopping?" Bella exhaled loudly.
"Okay." Alice took Bella's hand and led them out of her shop while I followed behind them.
"Do you want to pick color scheme first and then we can go look at flowers?" Alice asked me instead of the bride to be.
Bella looked slightly annoyed at her friend and I couldn't resist giving Alice my best smile before I offered her my arm first and then Bella the other one.
"You know Alice I really look good in a dark shade of blue. What do you think Bella?"
Bella rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders.
"I bet you do." Alice sighed.
"So where do we go first?"
Alice glanced at Bella before replying.
"Let's find flowers and see what colors we like most."
Bella once again only shrugged her shoulders.
Alice looked up at me with a dreamy look in her eyes.
"Bella isn't big on details. Lucky for you I am. I promise to give you guys a wedding to remember."
"I'm starting to like you more and more Alice." Giving her a quick wink.
"Well, I'm hoping we can hurry up because I'm starting to get hungry." Bella snapped.
"Come on." Alice released my arm and walked a step in front of us.
Bella started to unhook her arm from mine but I covered my hand around it and gave her a look that warned her we had to play the part of a very much in love couple. Looking up and down the street I could already feel eyes watching us as we made our way into the floral shop. It wouldn't take long before the town gossipers started talking about the new couple in town. If I was right, and I usually was, before the invitations arrived in mailboxes most of Forks would know that I was planning on marrying Bella within the week.
XXX
We managed to order the flowers and registered before we stopped for lunch. Our last stop of the day would be the newspaper. I already called ahead and made an appointment to get our picture taken for our wedding announcement.
Alice left us to do this task on her own. She needed to go back to her shop and check in on her employee. It was easy to see why Bella and Alice were such good friends. Where Bella was so stuffy, Alice was like a fresh breath of air. She had more energy than two starbuck frappucinos. My head was spinning as she gave us several options for the wedding location. To my utter surprise Bella agreed to a beach side wedding. I thought she would insist on having our wedding in a church. A wedding at the beach wasn't going to be easy, especially if the weather didn't cooperate with us but Alice insisted they could put tents up just in case.
We decided to walk to the newspaper instead of driving the three blocks.
"I really don't understand why we need to put a two thousand dollar China set on our registry, especially when I already have a set my grandmother left me." Bella stated matter of factly.
"Because that's what rich people do."
Bella gawked at me.
"Who do you know in Forks that could afford to buy that?"
"That's not the point. When people look at what we registered it says something about us as a couple."
"So what are we telling them exactly?"
"We are loaded. If they want to be our friends then they better have money or fake it."
Bella rolled her eyes. I couldn't resist smiling at myself. She needed to understand she was about to move up to a whole new level of living. I wasn't about to slum it just to make her feel comfortable. If I was willing to stay in this god forsaken town then she needed to accept the finer things in life because I wasn't going to live without them.
"I guess that's why it's so easy for you to go along with this marriage." She looked up at me and I caught a glimpse of disappointment in her eyes.
"Bella money is a serious motivator for anyone."
"So you can be bought?"
"What? I'm not selling myself to you or to my dad."
"You are giving up your freedom for at least the next two years. Isn't that the same as being bought?"
"Look, I don't have time to explain this to you right now but I can tell you that keeping your daughter away from the Cullens is going to give me just as much satisfaction as the addition to my bank account."
Bella frowned at me. Realising I had said too much I was relieved to see that we were standing in front of the Newspaper office.
"What do you mean?" Bella asked.
"Never mind. Let's go take our picture. Oh and remember...you have to act like your deliriously in love with me."
Wanting to make a point of showing her how to act I smack her hard across the ass and watched as she jump a foot off the floor.
"Jake!" She cried out turning to smack me but I stopped her and pulled her into my arms and kissed her hard on the lips.
The kiss went from being just a part of our act to something more real. The feel of her lips sliding against mine sent electrical jolts up and down my spine, leaving me with a serious hard on. I intended on just a quick kiss but my desire got the better of me. Cupping her face in my hand and pulling her closer to me, I opened her mouth with my tongue and began to explore the sweet taste of Bella. Bella's hands flew up to my chest in protest but within seconds I could feel her practically purring in the back of my throat as she slid her hands up my chest and around my neck. The feel of her arms wrapped around me as she pressed her chest against mine made me want to forget about our appointment all together. Images of us and the things I could do to her filtered through my brain and I feared for a moment we might not even make it back to my car before I had her clothes off.
"Excuse me?" A female voice spoke breaking the moment.
Swallowing hard I couldn't seem to move my eyes away from Bella's. Her mouth was still half open as she gasped for air. It was a bit egotistical of me but I enjoyed knowing my kiss had that kind of affect.
Forcing my eyes to look away from hers I looked at the person who interrupted our first kiss and all at once my feelings shifted from arousal to downright sorrow. Of all the people to have to come across from my past, she was the last damn person I ever wanted to see again.
"Jake?" Bella squeezed my hand as she looked curiously between me and Lauren.
"I'm ...I..." I gasped for air.
"Are you okay?" Bella whispered next to me.
"I'm fine."
Pulling myself together just as Lauren sauntered over to us wearing a big grin and a tight dress that revealed every curve possible on her body.
"Well, I can't believe it. Jacob Black is back."
Bella started to drop my hand but I clung to it like my life depended on it. Remembering why I was there in the first place, I recovered quickly. Forcing the biggest smile ever onto my face I found just the right words to say in response.
"I'm not only back but I'm getting married. Lauren have you met my fiancee Isabella Swan?"
Now it was my turn to watch her beautiful smile disappear in an instant and the light that had only moments before sparkled like the hope diamond was gone. I knew it was wrong but I enjoyed watching her falter and look absolutely shocked at the both of us. Yeah, marrying Bella was starting to be worth losing my freedom and much more.
XXX