Under My Nose

by gabby1017

Edward Cullen turns thirty in six months and wants to leave the dating scene to find his "Miss Right". Leaving his restaurant behind, he drives a carriage in the French Quarter of New Orleans searching for true love. Who is it? And will he know, when he finds her? Or will she be right under his nose?

6. Chapter 6

Under My Nose

Bella Swan needs a change of pace, a slower groove to enjoy the simple pleasures life has to offer her. She moves from the Big Apple to the Big Easy, from subways to streetcars, from nouveau chic to historically quaint, from a large Manhattan apartment near Park Avenue to a shotgun house with her eccentric aunt, in Mid City and off Canal Street. She's ready for love, commitment and that happily ever after, but does she have the patience to wait out her heart's desire? It's frustrating to be right, 'under his nose'.

A/N at end.

Chapter Six:

BPOV... January 1st

I walk away crossing the street, dodging a few cars and feeling the pull of his eyes upon me. Wow, time to get my groove on. My hips sway from side to side, not too obvious, but a subtle swing nonetheless; taking each step carefully and with confidence, one in front of the other and my head high, as I reach the sidewalk. I am not one of those women who flaunts her assets for male attention, but I want him to look. I want him to notice. Why, I'm not sure.

The sky is now clear, laden with celestial, twinkling lights and I search for my personal star. Bright as a beacon, my star is to one side, I close my eyes and secretly make a wish, throwing a kiss to the heavens. Aunt Sally says that consistency is the foundation for success. Say it, believe it and say it again. It will be yours.

Once I reach the cafe's entrance, I turn back to see him smiling at me, sending a small wave. Our eyes meet, and I giggle slightly within, wave my fingertips and skip lightly inside.

The rest of the night is busy. I work from table to table, serving piles of beignets coated with powdered sugar. Frosty, chilled fingers are not necessarily a bad thing, since I get to lick the sweetness clean from my frozen digits. In between, I picture a scruffy beard and hazel eyes that peek through deep-set lids.

There are people from all over the world, and I believe I did serve every country. Although my mindset continues to manifest a vision of strong, broad shoulders, muscular thighs on long legs and biker boots. I sigh at the scruffy beard and messy, scraggly hair. I really don't care what he looks like, it's his sweetness. He also feels so sad, and I have to heal the sick, the weak, the lonely, and the disturbed. Aunt Sally says I am a modern day Florence Nightingale. She's no different.

A little after eleven, the other carriage driver walks into the cafe, and up to me. He orders two large coffees to go.

I smile at him. "You look like the kind of man who likes a delicious banana bread. Nothing too sweet and you're not a beignet kind of guy."

He chuckles deeply. "No, I don't like all the sugar." He pats his stomach. We old guys have to watch the sweets." He smiles. "My wife made a good banana bread with walnuts, pecans and a hint of cinnamon." He takes a small sip of his coffee. "I liked when she would toast it and spread butter on between the slices."

"Sounds delicious, cream cheese would be good, too." I hum. "She doesn't bake anymore?"

He sadly bows his head. "I lost her in Katrina."

The wind sucks right out of me. I lightly touch his arm and whisper, "Oh, I am so sorry."

He nods. "Thank you." There is an awkward silence, and he shifts his weight from one foot to the other. He clears his throat. "I understand you and Edward just met tonight?"

My turn to nod. I recognize his hesitancy to talk more about his loss. "Yeah, as you know, he came in for coffee." I smile.

"Well, I was quite impressed with you and … Julia." He clears his throat, again. "I'm sorry, I'm Garrett." I begin to speak, and he interrupts. "Yes, and you are Bella." I extend my hand, he takes it, and turns to my knuckles kissing them lightly with a short bow. "My pleasure, Miss Bella."

I wink and curtsey. "Smooth, Mr. Garrett!" I squint my eyes. "Aw, so why are you impressed?" I question.

"Mules are picky animals; highly intelligent creatures. They are also possessive. Edward was telling me earlier about Julia's obsession over him. She doesn't like to share him. She's quite jealous of another female, yet, she welcomed you."

I laugh. "One stubborn mule to another, I guess."

He whispers in my ear, giving me a chill. "I'd say Julia has great taste in people." He smiles broadly. "Edward was quite taken back. His mule trainer is an older woman, but Julia pushes her off, when she gets too close to Edward. Julia seems to like you."

"We are talking about a mule?" I grunt.

He tips his hat. "Yes, but a very smart one." He salutes and walks out. I just watch the dust.

Being a pastry chef, I know what it's like to stand on my feet for hours. My feet feel swollen and numb from the constant pressure of my tightening shoes. Yet, I create sweets with vigor and passion. It is very different waitressing and carrying trays of pastries and drinks. My lower back aches and the soles of my feet throb. This possibly is a no brainer job, but the physical aspects are murderous. My upper arms are tight from lifting heavy trays, my neck is stiff from watching where I am going and avoiding any obstacles, and the cold is numbing every joint. There is no thought, there is no creativity. There is no pride in my presentation. It's just pure exhaustion from physical labor.

Once my shift is over, I roll up my apron, remove the stupid bow from my hair, place it in my purse, and sling it over my aching shoulder. I say goodnight to a few co-workers and make my way to the sidewalk with chattering teeth. Brrr.

An older gentleman plays 'One For My Baby', as I sing quietly along.

"It's a quarter to three, there's no one in the place 'cept you and me. So set him up Joe I got a little story I think you oughtta know."

A sharp, hollow, clopping sound hits the pavement beside me. I look up to see Edward in his carriage.

I stop singing, but the old guy plays in the background.

"Whoa, Julia girl," he commands pulling back gently on the reins. "Hi Bella."

I smile up at him. "Hey Edward."

"You heading towards your car?" he asks nodding his head back around towards the moonwalk.

I shiver, "no, the streetcar."

"Oh." He hesitates. "Well, I'm heading to the stables. Would you like a ride? I've got a floor heater and a blanket in the back."

"Wow, a heater. Don't tempt me, Edward. I'm easily swayed by my chattering lips," as I bat my eyelashes and look down.

What the hell is this shy act?

"I need to get Julia settled in, but I can drive you home." He nervously scratches the back of his head. "… If you like." He broadly grins. "I won't bite."

I give him my sass, "Now, that's too bad." I smile.

He laughs. "C'mon, get in." He climbs down from his driver's seat, walks around the carriage and takes my hand. "I've got you."

"Yeah, you do!" I think to myself.

We both gasp, as I feel a tingling go up my arm, and watch as Edward rubs his.

He guides me into the back of the carriage, turns on the little, space heater and wraps the blanket around my lap, tucking it under my legs and ass. Hmmm, I do believe he lingers a bit at my ass. All this time, I watch with great curiosity.

"Do you always tuck in your patrons?" I tease.

He brings his head to my level and stares into my eyes. I stare at his long eyelashes fanning over his cheeks, as he talks to my lips, "I didn't have any rides."

His warm, peppermint breath fans over my lips and we draw closer.

Shaking my head and breaking the spell, I lean back. "You didn't have any business tonight?"

"Nope, not a one." He backs away, but still remains close. "I mean, people did stop to pet Julia and look at her costume; and they liked my carriage, but no one wanted a tour," he rattles off. "I watched everyone else get rides, but Julia and I sat it all out."

I blurt out, "It's probably the newness," I search my thoughts. "Edward, is there anything different about you from the others?"

"No, nothing I can see. I mean, I'm the only one doing romantic, couple tours." He gets into his seat. "I was cordial to overly extensive with my presentation."

"Were you nervous?" I ask.

""No, but I was rushing through." He sighs "The stable's not far from here."

I get the feeling he doesn't want to talk anymore about his lack of tours.

The old man's music starts to fade into the background.

"Let me text my aunt so she won't worry." I take my cell out of my front jacket pocket, tap in a message and return it to my pocket. "Okay, now I won't have a search party out for me." I giggle. "I'm staying with her for a few weeks until I find a place."

"Will it be a problem with her, if you get home a little later?" he asks.

"Oh no, my aunt is a free spirit, a lingering hippie. She's a trip." I smile. "She's big on independence, as long as I'm considerate."

Edward nods, "You two are close?"

"Yeah, she has always been there for me. Sort of undid a lot of my mother's damage." I snort. "A long story for another time."

"Okay. So, are you looking to rent or buy?" he inquires with a pensive look.

"I don't know. Possibly rent first, then see what area I want to live in permanently." I shrug to myself.

My cell dings. "It's Aunt Sally. She wants to know if you are a rapist, murderer or safely gay."

He bellow out a laugh, "I see where you get your humor from."

I taunt. "Well?"

"None of the above."

"Well, that's three positives."

He smirks, "Oh, I have more."

The wind howls, and I bundle up. "Edward, aren't you cold?"

As we stop at a red light, he turns to glance at me. "No, I'm good. You warm enough?"

"Toasty. The heater is a brilliant idea." I smile up at him.

"The woman who trained me gave me a list of essentials." He turns quickly. "So, is it comfortable?"

"Yes, very. I would imagine this tour as warmly intimate and cozy for a couple on a honeymoon or a romantic date." I smooth my hands over the seat and look carefully at the inner canopy. Edward turns to stare at me. "What?"

"That's what I said to my friend, Alice, when I was explaining the purpose of the tours." He stammers. "She's dating my best friend, Jasper."

I nod. "Um, so how does this all work? Do you just wait around or do you set up appointments?"

"I haven't gotten to that part, yet." He sighs. "As I said, this was my virgin night, and I sat around."

"I'm sorry." Without a filter, I blurt out, "And you didn't get your cherry popped!"

He bursts out laughing. "Yeah, still a virgin."

Again, without thinking, I offer, "You could do me?" I freeze. The light turns red, and he conveniently looks back at me, mouth and eyes wide open.

"I didn't mean you could DO me," I squeak. "I meant, you could practice on me. Well? Not practice on … " I wave my hands around. "me actually." I shrug. "Pretend I'm a couple and give me a quickie tour."

"I don't do quickies," he chuckles with a smirk.

I giggle, "Good to know!" And wiggle my eyebrows.

"You're a feisty one, Bella." He clears his throat. "This isn't the route I take for my tours. I've incorporated certain areas with historical figures, romancing their lives and their importance to the city."

"It all sounds so very magical."

"I hope it is, I have a lot riding on this." He sounds so anxious.

"I can imagine, since this is your livelihood."

"It's not the money ..." He trails off. "There's more to it."

I shake my head. "Oh, I get it." I mumble to myself, "I think?"

"I'll take you on a test run, one day, and you can critique my technique."

I quip, "Thwart your art?" I smile.

He smiles. "Really?"

I continue. "Flak your knack? Essay your way? Grill your skill?"

He puts his head down to raise his face in utter flames. He blushes. Aw, he blushes, a lot. "Are you done?"

Deviously I smile and mumble, "Pass your ass?"

He bursts out laughing hysterically. "Which one?"

I look at Julia, then at his behind. "Depends."

As we arrive in front of the stables, Edward reaches his hand to me and helps me out of the carriage. His mule handler, Hank, greets us by the entrance with a quick introduction, takes the reins and drives off with Julia.

Edward points to the parking area. "Let's get you home."

I look around. "Where did Hank take Julia?"

"Hank is one of the mule hands. He'll brush her down, after he takes the carriage to the carriage house."

"You don't brush her?" I ask.

"Yeah, I do, but I didn't want you to have to wait around." He admits.

"Edward, don't let me interfere with your routine. I don't want to put you out."

He shrugs and balls his fists into his pockets. "There's too much time involved. I'll come back, after I get you home."

"No, I insist, you're already here so just do what you need to do. Maybe, I can help. I could brush Julia down." I plead with him.

He smiles at me.

A yellow bulb hangs from overhead and bathes the stall in a warm glow. The twelve by twelve cubical gives ample enough space for Julia's comfort.

The walls are natural-light, blonde, planks of wood with galvanized steel grilles on the upper half, and a yoke insert for Julia to peek her head out. There is a swing-out water bucket and feed door on the side.

Julia stands in the center of the stall, as Edward brushes her neck and front legs while I brush the saddle and back area.

Edward's iPod sits in the corner with built in speakers on the shelf. We listen to R & B tunes. Even Julia sways her tail and bays.

I'm a little giddy from the late hour and from work. The iPod clicks on the Temptations, 'My Girl' and, well, I channel Aunt Sally. I step twice on one side and twice the other, placing my hands in a swing, upward motion. All inhibitions lost, I belt out with the song, "I got sunshine on a cloudy day."

Edward joins in with a rich, melodic voice, "When it's cold outside, I've got the month of May."

We both dance and sing together, "I guess you say what can make me feel this way? … My girl, my girl, my girl. Talkin' about my girl. My girl."

We both go into hysterics. The song continues, and I do an impersonation of The Temptations slick, dance moves. Edward follows along. Wooo, he's graceful for a tall guy. We both sing to Julia.

And if I could read her mind, I'm sure she believes we are a bit fahkucked (scrambled) in the keppy (head).

Then, he wraps an arm around my waist and holds onto one of my hands, and we rock the song with some swanky dance moves, still singing. Ah, but maybe, a bit off-key.

Exhaustion sets in from the twirling around Julia, and we stumble to the floor, giggling.

Edward smiles. "You know, you have a nice voice."

"Why, thank you," I melodically chirp. "You do, too." More giggling. "Well, if the carriage rides don't work out and I fumble in the cafe, maybe we can be the next Sonny and Cher?" I Got You Babe. Ya, ya, ya.

"No, no, no. Peaches and Herb!" Edward chuckles. "Shake Your Groove Thing."

""We don't have that much rhythm." I ponder. "Um, Captain and Tennille!" I interject. Oy, Muskrat Love?

And Edward shakes his head. "You're not tall enough." I cross my eyes. "Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond." You don't bring me flowers or cake.

"Or Barry Gibb." I'm so 'Guilty'.

"Or Kris Kristofferson." A star wouldn't be born.

"Well, you got the beard." I scratch his chin.

"Lady Gaga and Lady Gaga?" he mumbles.

"I don't think I have the strength." I huff and blow hair out of my face.

"It's late. I should take you home, Bella." Edward stands and extends a hand to me. "How do you take to bikes?"

I shrug. "You're taking me home on a Schwinn?"

Whoo Hoo ... Wait until Bella sees Edward's Schwinn? BIKE! BIKE! Oh c'mon, people, where did your brains go?

A/N: Thank you to my Beta, Sunflower Fran. I appreciate her time, her proper grammar and quick pen. Another great find by PAD!

To Robseve and Postapocalypticdepository (PAD), my pre-readers that give their unselfish time and creative input. Both of these ladies are inspirations and true friends.

Now, let me rec Postapocalypticdepository stories, since she so graciously rec'd mine.

Never Judge by the Cover: 9056924

Boys Will Be: 8868006

Rude Awakenings: 8876785

It's a New Dawn, It's a New Year: 8862243 (complete)

And thank you to all the readers, whether you review or not. I enjoy every comment and suggestion. Yes, NOLA (New Orleans, LA) is an exciting place to live. And to combine the old world with the new is a challenge, but the humor is quite a serious business. My objective is for all of you to smile, after each chapter.

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