"Edward! Hey Edward!" I hear Emmett yell at me from down the hall.
"What?" I yell back. He appears in my doorway.
"I need twenty bucks. I am taking Rosalie out for dinner tonight, and I'm a little short." He grins at me. He is always a little short. He owes everyone in this family money.
"My wallet is on the dresser." I point to where I keep my wallet and keys.
He grabs it and flips it open. I have forty dollars in cash, and I am sure he will help himself.
"Dude, what is this?" He asks, holding up the pink cocktail umbrella.
"Put it back, okay." I leap off the bed toward him. Damn, I have shown him my hand. He will tease me relentlessly. He jerks his hand up as I try to take the umbrella from him. If only I were an inch or two taller.
"What is the deal, bro? Is this little umbrella special?" He twirls it around in his fingers.
"Kinda, yeah," I mutter.
"Did a cute girl give it to you?" He taunts.
"Just put it back, alright."
He punches me in the shoulder as he says, "tell me about her, bro."
He gives me a hard time, but he is my brother, and he does love me, and in his own way, he cares. "Last night, you know Jasper, and I went to that new bar?" Emmett nodded. "Well, she sat down at our table when he was up dancing with Alice. She thought I came alone. I guess she felt sorry for me." I grin at the memory. "Anyway, we talked, and when she left, she tucked that umbrella behind my ear."
"Please tell me you got her number?" Emmett asked in earnest.
"Yeah, she put it in my phone," I answer quietly.
"Dude! You gotta call her! Right now!" Emmett said, grabbing my phone off the dresser.
"What, no. Aren't you supposed to wait three days or something?"
Emmett shoves my phone into my hands. "No, that's lame. If you are interested in her, let her know. Text her at least."
I unlock my phone and stare at her number. Last night I had been so caught up with her that I hadn't even asked her name.
"Well?" Emmett presses.
"Her name is Bella." I turn my phone to him. "What should I say?" Emmett may be a jerk sometimes, but he knows girls.
"Just tell her you had a nice time talking to her last night and would love to have dinner with her tonight if she isn't busy."
"Tonight!" I shout. "You cannot be serious."
"If she is free, she probably doesn't have a boyfriend. Do it, dude. Don't let her slip away."
I took a deep breath and texted Bella, the umbrella girl.