A/N: Short Author's Note Today! Running late, but happy Mother's day to all the moms and dog moms out there. I hope you enjoy! Please check out my group Signed -K Fiction on facebook. The page wasn't what I wanted it to be, so welcome to version 2.0 :)
"What the hell is your problem," I demanded, marching through Edward's office door and slamming it behind me without apology. I don't know why I came here, why I knew that he would come back to the office after he left the bar, but I did. It was a lot like the first time I'd come here, only this time I was the off putting one and he looked more like a deer in the headlights. Of course, as composed as he was, that only last for a moment before the blinds came down on his emotions and his blank expression was back.
"I don't have a problem Miss Swan," I hesitated for split second, wondering how he knew my last name, but refused to back down. Instead I approached his desk, uninvited, and tossed my purse into one of the chairs opposite him.
I placed my hands on the polished surface and leaned towards him, getting as close to his face as I could with the desk between us. "I don't need your approval to do what I do Cullen," I spat. "I won't let your demeaning attitude get under my skin."
A small smirk curved the corner of his lips and my anger flared, I didn't like his cockiness but damn me if it wasn't hot. "If you're not going to let me get under your skin, then why are you here?"
I faltered and he caught it, his eyes seeming to shine with anticipation. He was about to make the kill and I'd only just arrived; I bet he's sexy as hell negotiating mergers or whatever it is that he does all day. "Because I've only met you twice and I already can't stand you, so I wanted to tell you to leave me alone. You're an asshole, and possibly a little unstable, so why don't you do us—"
Edward's lips found mine and stopped me mid-rant. I was startled, but obviously a slave to my baser instincts the way my eyes automatically closed and I leaned dangerously on the toes of my heels across his desk. "You talk too much," he whispered before moving around the corner of his desk to deepen the kiss. His green eyes were startled when I slapped him only to darken with lust a fraction of a second later. "Why do you tease me so?"
"Why do you treat me like a whore?" He stared at me and my stomach flipped in anticipation but my pride was ready for a fight. "I'm not a whore Edward and you treating me like one doesn't make you better than me."
"I didn't say you were a whore Bella, but your subconscious seems to think so if you can't seem to get the word out of your head." I huffed in response and exasperation causing him to grin. "What I don't understand love, is why every other well off male in New York is acceptable but my money is not?"
"See! Stop being so… ugh! Do women always go for this 'I'm a dick, I'll treat you like crap and hope you love me' bit? Or is that residual childhood damage?" He liked my attitude, the evidence was apparent in the bulge behind his zipper and I'm ashamed to admit that I kind of liked it.
"Are you ashamed of what you do?"
"Never; until I met you," I admitted, biting at my lip nervously. "You acted so put off by me, then you practically attack me in the elevator, but you had to go and treat me like—"
"Like a prostitute? Sorry to break it to you honey, but that's exactly what you are. I just have to wonder whether all of your clients make your knees tremble like that or if I'm special." He winked and I resisted the urge to slap him again.
"You're repulsive," I grumbled, causing him to smirk.
"You're aroused."
"HA!" I rolled my eyes dramatically, cursing the blush I felt stain my cheeks. "You're a cocky bastard Cullen, but I can assure you that you don't have the effect on me that you think you do." The backs of his strong fingers stroked my reddened cheek carefully and I felt myself wanting to swoon. Literally, I wanted to swoon. Who the hell was this guy?
"Oh Bella, Bella, Bella, you lie so beautifully."
I grabbed my purse from the chair and pushed past Edward, walking backwards until I was halfway to the door. "Well this has been great and all but I think I should call it a night. We have an understanding though right? You'll leave me alone? No more emails from your brothers or showing up where I'm working?"
"Don't count on it." I threw my hands up in frustration and left before I could be distracted again, wondering what the hell had just happened. Ever since I walked into his office the other night, I have been confused and tonight was no different. None of this even made sense.
True to his word, I continued to run into Edward. If he wasn't so good looking, and if I didn't live so conveniently close to his office, I would consider him a stalker. He showed up at the hotel bar two more times that week, sitting at the other end of the bar and giving intimidating stares to anyone who looked like they might approach me. I was even with a client at one point, about to entertain him in his hotel room when the phone rang. Apparently Mr. Smith (quite the original one, this one) was in town for a business meeting with Cullen Enterprises. I can't imagine what was said on the phone, but he suddenly got very skittish and kicked me out.
By Sunday I was pissed off and feeling broke. I had plenty of money saved up, it wasn't killing me to be uneventful for a few days, but that was money for school and I didn't want to touch it. I'd planned on spending the day lounging around the house, doing a little cleaning and some laundry, until one of the pipes burst in the apartment below mine. So here I was, agitated and kind of horny, sitting in a Laundromat near my apartment in a pair of sweatpants and a tank top, my hair a dirty mess thrown in a bun on top of my head. Luckily everyone else seemed to be in church or something because I was pretty much alone to read while my clothes dried.
"Is anyone sitting here?" I looked up into the face of a small pixie-like girl with short dark hair that poked out in every direction; she was thin, except for her obviously pregnant belly, with small features and a friendly smile. I wondered why she would choose to sit next to me when most of the other chairs were empty, but I returned her smile and shook my head. "I'm Alice," she introduced herself, placing her hand on the back of the chair and lowering herself down carefully.
"I'm Bella."
"Oh I love that name. Like Isabella or just Bella?"
"Technically Isabella, but just Bella," I told her and she picked up the conversation from there.
"My fiancée and I haven't picked out a name yet, we were supposed to find out the sex last week but this little one wouldn't cooperate so we have to wait a few more weeks. I'm really supposed to be taking it easy but the water got shut off at my apartment, apparently some water pipe broke or something, and I just had to get laundry done so I called my brother and made him come with me. He's across the street getting quarters now."
"Oh! Do you live over on eighth? I'm in 6C."
"That's awesome! I'm in 9E. I've never really socialized with any of the neighbors before! You'll have to come over and keep me company sometime while Jazz is working. We're going to be the best of friends."
"Jazz," I asked, not entirely put off by the girl's easy comfort ability with me. She was very likeable and, while I definitely couldn't see myself telling her all about my private life, I would see us sharing a glass of wine… or tea, in her condition.
"Yeah, my fiancé, Jasper Whitlock," my heart stopped and I'm sure it reflected on my face but she didn't seem to notice. "He's the best, you'll love him; very southern manners kind of guy, though he definitely plays up the drawl for the ladies. He hasn't actually lived in Texas since he was like 12 but you'd never know it, the way he acts. Oh, there's my brother now!"
Alice waved her hand excitedly from where she sat and I looked up to lock eyes with the green stare that had become almost familiar to me now. Edward looked a little shell shocked but recovered quickly and strode towards us with his usual confidence. After our few encounters, I hadn't seen him in jeans before now but I was not complaining at what I saw. He was a walking Wranglers commercial and the way his button up hugged his broad chest didn't hurt matters.
"Edward, this is Bella; Bella, Edward. Bella lives in my building, apparently I'm not the only person skipping church to do laundry," she joked, nudging me playfully and seeming completely oblivious to the awkward situation surrounding her.
"Pix, you haven't been to church since you hit puberty," he automatically teased her and it was a refreshing side of Edward. The adoration in his eyes as he looked at his little sister, it was a change compared to the hard expression he normally wore.
"Puberty, huh? That sounds about right. So you have, what, two more years?" I couldn't help but giggle and Edward glared, Alice stuck her tongue out playfully. "My stuff is in those two machines there, will you go put quarters in brother of mine?" She gave him a sweet smile and he rolled his eyes, heading over to start her laundry for her.
"So how long have you and Jasper been together," I asked, half out of curiosity and half to keep Alice talking until my laundry was done and I could flee.
"When I was a kid we lived in Chicago and Jasper's family moved there from Texas when he was 12, I was 11. He was in the same class as Edward, they became really good friends and he was always around. I guess we just sort of grew up together, started dating in High School and almost ten years later… here we are." She smiled proudly as she rubbed her stomach affectionately and I caught a glimpse of the huge rock on her left hand, holy hell.
"Okay Pix, but you're switching them yourself," Edward huffed, plopping down in the seat beside Alice.
Alice waved him off over her shoulder, her attention still on me. "So Bella, what about you? I don't see a ring, are you dating anyone?" Edward snorted and I resisted the urge to glare, Alice didn't seem to notice though. Maybe she was just used to her brother's attitude.
"No, I'm not seeing anyone. I work a lot," hopefully he caught onto the emphasis. The way that he pursed his lips and sat up a little straighter told me he did. "It's kind of hard to date when you work as many nights as I do."
Alice nodded understandably, "Jazzy works a lot too. Thankfully he's cut back on the nights since we found out I was pregnant but my stubborn brother over here will work himself into an early grave the way he works. What do you do Bella?"
Edward turned to look at me, obviously wondering what I would tell her. "I'm in public relations," I lied easily, it was a relative term and a broad area so I could usually get away with being vague. Plus, there were a lot of firms in the area that hired young adults pursuing their degrees, so it made the lie less complicated whenever someone tried to dig deeper. It didn't happen often, but I liked to be prepared.
"Oooh, that sounds interesting. I am-was a dance teacher, but I'm on a bit of a hiatus now. I still go into the studio occasionally and answer phones or whatever else I can help with, just to kind of remain a presence for the kids, but Jazz doesn't like it. So what exactly do you do?"
I oo'ed appropriately at Alice's career and she seemed to appreciate it, the way her cheeks pinked up a bit with pride. "Mostly I just host clients, show them around town, make sure they enjoy themselves. It's a little of this, a little of that."
Alice gasped, one hand on her mouth and one hand on her stomach. "You. Oh my goodness! Jasper was right, she is pretty," Alice shot over her shoulder to her wide eyed brother. "You're the hooker right?" She didn't bother dropping her voice as she said it and I'm sure my horrified expression matched Edward's as I quickly looked around to make sure that no one had heard her. "I'm sorry, do you prefer a different term? I didn't mean to offend you or anything. Jasper told me about what he and Emmett did; he said your name was Bella, but I didn't make the connection until just now. You are so pretty! He said you were pretty. Isn't she pretty Edward? Touche, by the way, for standing up to my pompous brother. He forgets how to be a human being."
"Alice, don't talk about me like I'm not here, and take a breath for Gods sake. The poor girl looks like she's going to keel over dead." Edward was running his hand through his hair, exasperated and obviously a little embarrassed by his sister. I'm sure my expression was priceless, I'd felt the color leave my face a few minutes ago and my heart had not quite caught up with me to bring it back. I contemplated my options- fleeing would mean leaving my clothes behind, I would have to buy a new wardrobe. On the other hand, new clothes; but I hate shopping. I could turn back to my book and refuse to talk to her, but she seemed strangely okay with what I do and that was intriguing. Plus she was nice, I didn't know a lot of my neighbors and I didn't have many girlfriends other than Rose.
"I-um- companion." The word came out like an idiot's declaration and they both stared at me for a moment, "I prefer companion." Edward looked like he could laugh and Alice seemed to accept this term easily.
"It sounds fascinating. I don't think I could ever do it, but I bet it's so cool! Getting paid to do something you love," she sighed, looking jealous. That was a new reaction.
"Jesus, Alice," Edward was back to running his hands through his hair, obviously a nervous reaction. I wondered if years of this had caused his hair to look the way that it did, or if that came naturally.
"It's not so bad actually, you get a few regulars who mostly just want you to lie to them. The excitement wears off, but I heard once it beats the hell out of waitressing."
"Oh! The Client List! I love that movie; see, I told you we'd be best friends." Alice smiled, obviously a normal facial expression for her.
"It doesn't bother you, what I do," I asked, looking around nervously.
Alice shrugged, "does it bother you that I'm a dance teacher? I tell Jasper all the time: you are who you are, not what you do."
I think Alice was right, we were going to be the best of friends.