Under My Nose
Edward Cullen sets a deadline of six months to find his true love, before he turns thirty. Leaving his successful restaurant to drive a mule-drawn carriage in the French Quarter of New Orleans, he searches for the meaning of true love, because he has yet to understand it. Will he know when he finds her or will she be right under his nose? Can bubbly, buxom Bella tantalize his taste buds with beignets and an abundant
booty?
Chapter Thirteen:
EPOV: January 3
With a chuckle and a sore ass, that old lady has one hell of a grip, I sit in the dressing room on a pile of cardboard boxes, trying to collect my raging thoughts.
… Miss Evie's timing ...
I would have ...
I shake my head and pace in the tiny, cluttered space of boxes and costumes. I stop and see my reflection in the floor-length mirror. I'm a boy in a man's body; not knowing what to do; insecure and lost for the first time in my life.
I run my hands through my hair, scrub my fingers over my face and beard and lean my elbows on my thighs.
As I close my eyes.
I think about how I want to feel her lips and outline her pout with my fingertips. The curve of her bow, the roundness of the bottom, and when she bites her inside cheek, her lips puff out. It takes my breath away. Fucking, cheesy statement, but true nonetheless.
I like her curves.
I like that she enjoys every bite of food and doesn't pretend about eating heartily, how she stuffs food into my mouth to share the excitement of a taste, and allows me to do the same.
I ramble in my head.
She didn't object to being my woman, but she did say 'I'm no one's woman' and I can't get that thought out of my head. But does she want to be? She does have fun with me whenever we're together.
It confuses the fuck out of me.
I call Jasper.
"Hey, you got a minute," I whisper into my phone.
"Why are you whispering? I can barely hear you," Jasper answers.
I talk a little louder. "Look, I'm in a fucking, dressing room, and I can't talk long or loud. Bella is waiting for me."
He begins to whisper. "What's up, man?"
I ask, "Why are you whispering?"
"The fuck I know. You whispered, so I did. What's going on?" He laughs.
"Jazz, I'm confused," I moan. "I almost kissed her."
"Who?" he questions.
I still whisper, but louder, "Bella. I almost kissed Bella."
Jazz chuckles. "And why didn't you?"
"Because she doesn't fucking want me to," I shout, then check myself.
"Did she tell you that, Edward?" he awkwardly questions.
"No, but she told Emmett.!" I whisper-shout. "You heard her."
"Man, you are so fucked up. Edward, you've kissed a million girls and you can't figure it out if Bella wants you."
"Yeah, and all of the others expected it. She's different," I whisper-shout.
"How is she different?" he taunts me.
"She doesn't fucking come on to me, Jazz, I told you that. She's not into me. I'm only a friend," I rant. "I walk out of the dressing room looking pretty sharp, and she tells me I have potential. A woman who wants you doesn't say you have fucking potential!"
He sighs. "Look, Edward, just kiss her. When you get another opportunity just kiss her, don't fucking think about it, don't fucking hesitate, just do it. If she doesn't want you to do it again, she'll tell you, simple as that."
I hear Alice in the background. "Edward, stop being a coward and kiss the girl. You won't regret it."
"But will she?" I ask.
Alice gets on the phone.
"When did you become such a pussy? God, Edward, what happened to you? Did you lose your balls somewhere? Did Julia kick them off? You've never acted this way with any other women."
And I react.
"She's not like any other woman. I like her, Alice, and I can't stop thinking about her."
And I hear the giggle. "About damn time you admit it."
"It hasn't been that long, Alice." I defend.
"Oh, Edward, attraction knows no time and you know that!" She squeaks, "And you admitted it."
"You did that on purpose! You bated me." I admonish.
"Well, it worked!" she sounds satisfied with herself. "Edward, will you just relax. I'm telling you she will want you to kiss her."
"Do I kiss her or kiss her, Alice?" I plead.
"Oh dear God, Edward … why don't you just seize the moment, if it feels right to kiss her, then kiss her." Alice is hysterically laughing. "I swear, you are a mess."
"And you're happy about this?" I gripe.
"I'm thrilled. And once you get your head out of your ass, no pun intended, you will be, too." She continues to laugh. "Oh, that was a good one." She hoots.
I pace the room in circles. "Bye, Alice. I'll call you guys later."
I slip my cell into my jeans pocket and exit the dressing room with the clothes in my hands to find Bella and Miss Evie with their heads together.
Miss Evie has a large shopping bag on her lap. "Let's put all of your things in here, Edward." She hands the bag to me, and I stuff the clothes into it.
"What do I owe you, Miss Evie?" I take out my wallet from my back pocket.
"Not a thing." She slowly gets up from her throne. "And if you need anything else, just let me know." She winks at Bella. "Let yourselves out, kids, and turn the closed sign around. Would you, please?" She is already near the back, and we hear her giggle, "Tap. Tap. Tap."
Bella shakes her head, stands and smiles at me. "Okay, now let's see what Aunt Sally can make of all of this." She walks towards the door and I quietly follow.
The whole time I'm in Aunt Sally's bathroom changing into the costume, I think seriously of stripping naked and crawling into her tub. I think about Bella with me and my thoughts shatter, when, from the other side of the door, Aunt Sally shouts, "C'mon, Edward, stop eyeing my tub and get out here!"
I have to chuckle to myself as I walk out into the craft room. Aunt Sally has a tape measure around her neck and pins in her mouth.
"Okay, Edward, get up on the stool so Bella can take in your pants." Bella sits on the floor with her legs around each side of the stool. She wiggles her eyebrows and pats the step.
I quickly walk to her, jump up on the stool and stand cautiously. Bella has pins; sharp, long pins with some hanging from her mouth.
She begins to pin the inseam of my pants, starting from my knees up. The closer she gets to my crotch, the more I fidget. I think it's the fact that she is now on her knees and my mind wanders.
I blow out a long breath.
"Edward, if you don't want me to stick you, you have to stand still." Bella looks up at me from the floor.
I picture Miss Evie's face over Bella's to stop the growing ache from the pit of my stomach to my groin.
She stands and gives instructions, "When you take the pants off, please, be careful of the pins." She giggles. "I wouldn't want you to pop anything."
My eyes widen and she gives me a playful smirk.
Two hours of pinning, adjusting and sewing, and I stand on the stool again as Aunt Sally and Bella assess my appearance. I am wearing black, tight, stretch pants with knee high black boots. A white shirt, black, thin tie with a black, wool, over jacket that has wide lapels, and knee-high length tails; all fit me like a glove.
Aunt Sally grabs the gambler's hat. "Edward, put this on, too."
She stares up at me with her arms across her chest and walks back and forth, inspecting my front and back. "If I say so myself, I did a hell of a job. Edward, you look damn sexy!"
I smile at her. "Thanks Aunt Sally." I stare at Bella who doesn't flinch a muscle or give any impression of her feelings. "What do you think, Bella?"
"I think I want to trim your beard, and then I'll tell you," she dazedley mumbles.
I don't want to press the issue, because it looks as though I'm fishing for a compliment. Jesus, she could give me some kind of encouragement. This is her idea.
Aunt Sally hurries out of the room to the front door. "I'll be back in a few hours. Richard and I have some shopping to do. And Edward, you look amazing. Bella, be careful with that razor!"
Once I change back into my street clothes, I open the door to the bathroom to find Bella with pictures, an electric and straight razor in hand, and a white T-shirt over her shoulder.
"Oh, I'm sorry; I should have told you to keep your sweater off." She lays the razors on the counter. "I also brought you a T-shirt, so as not to get hair all over you."
"Thanks." I pull my sweater over my head, along with an undershirt and lay them over the tub.
I think I hear Bella gasp, but when I pull the T-shirt down, she's looking in the other direction.
She softly explains, "I used to trim my dad's mustache all the time. He hated barbers." She smiles. "I won't cut your throat, if you're worried."
"I'm not." I sit on the john.
She hands me the pictures and plugs the razor into the wall socket. " Do you want to keep any of the beard?"
I think out loud. "Well, since I am going to be Jean Lafitte, I guess we lose the beard and do a mustache."
"There are a few photos with a thick mustache, a handlebar and a mustache with a goatee," she lists.
I look at the images. "Just a mustache no handlebar?"
"Good choice." She nods. "Okay, I'm going to use the electric razor to thin, and take the bulk of your beard off. Then, I'll use the straight razor."
I sit up for her.
"Can you spread your legs, Edward?" she asks.
I start to chuckle. "I thought you were shaving my face?"
She smirks. "Smart ass!"
She stands between my legs, lifts my face up and runs the razor up my neck to my chin. She does this a few times and asks if she's hurting me and I say 'no'.
Bella gently smooths the skin under my neck with her hand, feeling for any hair, and continues to shave the area.
Her expression is serious and concentrative; her eyes never move from my neck. "Do you object to long sideburns?" she asks.
I shrug. "You know the look better than me."
She brings the razor down on my right side and shears the hair from my ear to jawline. Again, she runs her hand over my skin giving me chills from her touch. I show no expression, but my eyes never leave her face and my heart races.
We still don't talk. Bella is lost in her task, and I take in every bit of her creamy skin.
She shakes a can of shaving cream, loads her hand with the foam and spreads it all over the shaved skin. The coolness tingles and I focus on her lips.
She finally looks me in the eyes. "Edward, you need to stay very still, okay? I don't want to cut you."
I can't speak, so I nod.
The razor lightly touches my skin, and I hear the movement like sandpaper dragging across a rough surface. Bella repeats this a few times, until the area is bare and smooth. This time she puts down the razor, exhales a long breath, takes both hands and runs them over my skin. The sensation is like fire and ice, sexual, yet caring. My heart rate quickens as she runs her fingers through my hair, examining the length.
I want her to scratch it and get lost in her touch.
Bella whispers above my eyes, "I think we don't need to take too much off, Edward." She reaches around and runs her fingers at the nape of my neck. "And it's really long enough for a ponytail. I'm just going to trim a little on the top and sides, give it some shape and get it out of your eyes."
Once she snips a few hairs, here and there, she smiles. "Done!"
Her eyes meet mine, and I don't hesitate, drawing her near and wrapping my arms around her waist, I look for some kind of acceptance. There is no resistance, so I gently kiss her soft lips.
I lean back pulling her closer to me. My lips linger on hers, and I peck again. She drops the scissors and comb and her arms wrap around my shoulders with her fingers through the back of my hair. She lightly scratches my scalp and her sigh sends me over the fucking edge, and I grab her tighter, crushing her closer to me, deepening the kiss.
Shockwaves surge through me and I run my tongue over her bottom lip.
My hands reach for hers, and move them around my waist, while I cup her face brushing her hair to the side and kissing her neck as I take in her warmth.
With my hands in her hair, I tilt her head up and kiss her forehead, opening my eyes to hers and smiling. She smiles back and with it her face lights up.
Still no words.
Not a sound.
I tug her hair back and to the side to crash my mouth to her waiting lips. This isn't gentle; it's feral, sexual and fucking intense.
It still isn't enough.
I want more and move her closer to me, but Bella pulls away and backs up. The look on her face as she wipes her mouth with her hand is pale, and shaken.
She exits the bathroom, and I follow.
"Bella." I whisper in my head, "What the fuck?"
She says nothing and quickly walks into her room.
I grab her upper arm, turning her to face me and softly whisper, "Bella."
She looks up at me. "I can't do this," she shakily mumbles and looks down. "You're too beautiful." And I feel the shock of her words runs coldly through my veins.
My looks are my detriment. Women always want me, but her words are not ones of desire. She's not venomous, she is just making a statement, but words cut me like a knife.
"Edward, I'm sorry." She barely speaks. "This can't happen."
"Bella, I kissed you." I plead with her. "You kissed me back."
She paces and with a small stutter, "I-I-I know." And she bites the inside of her cheek. "I know I kissed you back." She takes a deep breath, running a hand through her hair.
I slowly approach and stand in front of her. "I can't stop thinking about you." I gently placed my hands on her upper arms. Her head is down, and I reach for her chin to lift her face. "Did you hear what I said?"
She shakes her head and looks into my eyes, back and forth. "Don't think of me. This is too much, too soon."
I defend. "Alice says that attraction knows no time."
"I don't think you believe that, Edward. You want something, but you don't know what that is," she quickly blurts out. "I just happen to be here."
"No, it's not that. I know I enjoy being with you, and I know I want to know more about you. Isn't that a start?" I plead.
"But for what? Am I your entertainment?" She snaps.
"Entertainment? Is that what you fucking think?" I spit.
"What am I to think, Edward? You … You… Never mind."
I stare at her in disbelief. "What about me? What were you fucking going to say, Bella?"
"I don't know how to say this." She waves her hands around.
"Just say it; I'm not going to judge you!" I bitterly snap.
"But I'm judging you, Edward." She bites the inside of her cheek, paces and turns to me. I freeze from her stare and a very long silence.
"You are a strikingly handsome man, who up to a few minutes ago looked like a homeless person and my question is why? I don't understand why you would underplay your looks." She swallows hard and continues. "I see. I know you like me." She laughs. "Everyone likes me. But I don't know what you really want and where you want to go with this." She gestures from herself to me.
I quietly admit, "I don't know what we have between us, Bella. I'm not sure of anything anymore. Women have always been there, Bella. Women who want me for all the wrong reasons." I pace. "I don't want someone who hangs on me or my every word because they think I'm a trophy to be won." My anxiety pushes me to say, "I don't know what you think of me because you don't run after me like so many others do."
She looks at me with such sadness. "I'm sorry. I could never think that way. It's hard to imagine." She blinks. "I don't chase after men."
"It's taking every fucking ounce of me to keep my distance from you." I groan.
She clears her throat. "Have you ever had a real relationship? I'm not talking about one-night stands or a few months with one girl, then another."
I shake my head. "No."
"Edward, do you know what love is? I mean, being in love with that all consuming, fiery passion of need and want and desire?" She pleads for an answer.
Again, I shake my head. "No."
She looks straight into my eyes. "Then, you need to ask yourself. You need to figure out what you really want."
I look around the room, and the ceiling catches my eye. I strain to focus on the paintings.
Bella blushes. "Oh, one of Aunt Sally's friends gave her the Sistine Chapel ala porn."
I move closer to Bella and look up. "Yeah, I guess so. Is she?"
"Yup, she is."
I smile. "And you sleep under that?"
"Yup, I do." She smiles. "Um, friends?"
I uncomfortably nod. "Yeah, sure, but I'd better get going."
She walks me to the door and opens it.
I start to walk out and I turn back. "So, I'll see you later?"
"Maybe, it's best I don't go to dinner tonight. Please, tell Alice and Jasper we'll get together some other time." She apologizes.
I resign myself to her rejection, feeling sick to my stomach as I reply "Okay".
I walk onto the porch and she closes the door. To get on my bike and drive away is the hardest thing I have to do. My chest is sore, and hollow, numb and painful and lost and alone.
I start the bike and I drive off.
I don't know about you guys, but I feel the same way as Edward. What the hell just happened? One moment they are in the throes of a passionate kiss and the next, the cold shoulder? Do we want to smack Bella?
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.
Next up: BPOV