I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT

Chapter 2: Friends and Coffees

BPOV

I quickly grabbed a towel and hopped out of my bath. I tried to dry my body as quick as I could and ran out of my bathroom. I quickly hid under my bed, preparing to prank Alice and Rose - only they have the code to my apartment.

We usually prank each other every now and then. It started when Rose and I were in college but it's nothing extreme - just your usual jump scares.

I can hear them chatter as they went into my apartment. I hope they wouldn't notice water droplets on my floor.

I prepared myself as I heard their voices get louder as they made their way to my room.

"Bella? Are you home?" I heard Alice call as she went in my room.

I felt Rose sit on my bed and say, "She's probably on her way."

The two continued chatting and I was waiting for the perfect moment they were both at an arms' reach. Alice was still a few steps away from where I wanted her to be.

A few minutes passed and I heard Alice click her tongue. "Has she texted you? I swear, if she's still in the office…" she said as she walked closer to my bed.

Finally! Without hesitation, I grabbed each of their ankles making them both jump and yelp at the same time. Both screamed profanities and clutched their chests.

Hiding under my bed was worth it. My damp hands probably made it even feel stranger to them.

I crawled until half of my body was out and plumped to the floor, clutching my stomach from laughing so hard.

"Fucking hell, Bells!" Rose kicked my shoulder.

Both of them were annoyed but they were trying to suppress their laughter too. "That feels good," I said and gave myself a bit more time to laugh it off.

"Shut up!" Alice rolled her eyes but with a grin on her face. "You're lucky I wasn't holding anything."

"You know we'll get you next time, right?" Rose smugly said and extended her hand out to me. "Yeah, yeah. As if." I replied and grabbed onto her to pull myself up.

"Payback time with these." Alice squealed, holding up a bunch of garment bags. She loved dressing Rose and I up. I'm not always opposed to it but I'm quite exhausted to play Barbie tonight so I'll likely succumb to whatever she wants to dress me in.

I groaned. "I'm gonna go finish freshening up."

I heard them both laugh and give each other a high five.

"Hurry up. I'm gonna go grab a drink." Rose said, stepping out of my room.

Alice owns a boutique carrying designer labels. She has fresh-off the runway pieces to rare, vintage ones. She is also working on a new line in collaboration with a designer brand. She is quite known in the industry, mostly within the creative directing and production area.

I hope she had something comfortable.

As I was drying my hair, she went in my dressing room with some clothes in tow. She laid the outfits and grouped them accordingly. She rummaged through my stuff, getting a few accessories or clothing here and there. She knew my closet by heart - that's how tight we are.

Hell I think she knows it better than I do.

I finished drying my hair and walked beside her.

I saw that she already had three outfits laid out. "I got new items here that go with your coats and blazers. You have such an amazing classic taste, Bell, but I kinda wanna step it up tonight. I feel celebratory!" she clamped her hands together and went on discussing each outfit - as if she had to sell it to me - as well as possible accessories that go with each set.

The first one was a cream blazer dress in silk that I am to pair with caramel booties. The second outfit was a black cardigan paired with a lilac silk skirt and black boots. Then the last set was a pair of white pants and a beige tube statement top with a huge bow in it and a set of sandals.

I love Alice and the effort she put but I felt like all these were too dressy. However, the statement top and sandals did catch my eye.

"Sooooo…?" Alice looked at me expectantly.

I shook my head and giggled. "I love you, and thanks for putting these together but I want something more casual…" and with that I went to where my bottoms were. I saw Alice squint as I passed by her and heard Rose snort as well, who was now doing her hair in my dresser.

I pulled out one of my favourite light washed straight jeans and a light trench coat. Before Alice could even protest, I grabbed the statement top and waved it to Alice's face.

She clutched her chest dramatically. "Thank god! I thought you were gonna grab a hoodie again!"

"I love hoodies and jumpers. You should wear those more often." I defended.

"Alice, you better shut up before she tosses whatever you brought." Rose said. I pointed to her direction and looked back to Alice, "Listen to her." I said teasingly. Alice replied by sticking her tongue out.

I finished dressing up and decided I didn't want to bother much with makeup. Alice had to restrain herself else I would've kicked them out. I just put a little brow gel, mascara, and my trusty mauve lipstick.

I sprayed on my favourite perfume and fluffed my blowdried hair once more before stepping out to meet Rose and Alice by my front door.

Rose whistled when they saw me. "Gorgeous, Bella."

I felt my cheeks get warm. I hated that I blushed easily and how compliments about my looks always made me uncomfortable. "Shut up, Rose. But thanks?"

Alice was so excited with my chosen wardrobe. "Oh my god. So happy with your look! Good call with the jeans and trench. Love. Ugh." Alice rambled as she tried to take pictures.

"Alright, hold up Alice. Let's do the pics later. Let's get on with dinner!" Rose said as she stood in the middle and grabbed each of our arms.

When we got to Andro, Jasper and Emmett already had a table for us. The couples exchanged kisses as we all sat down and stowed our stuff. I was, as always, the fifth wheel. I was used to this set up and didn't feel bothered. It does feel lonely sometimes but I'd rather spend my time wisely than forcing myself to go on dates. Rose, Alice, and even Sue have tried to set me up for god knows how long and how much but no one really interested me. I believe they've all given up and just left me to my own - which is good.

I'm not completely opposed to the idea of dating - I'm just picky with who and how I spend my time.

It will come if it will come.

The crew knew that I had to handle the Andrew situation this morning and were all ears when I recounted how it went. I groaned and hung my head back when I finished the story.

"There, there," Emmett patted my back, who was seated to my right. "I think we should cheers to you."

I laughed. "So much positivity, Em."

"No, he's right. I wouldn't have been able to handle that as calm as you did." Rose added. Jasper and Alice were both nodding in agreement.

Rose picked her glass of red wine up, "So a toast to your fucking patience."

"O hail, St. Isabella." The four of them chanted and raised their glasses. I threw my head back in laughter and joined the toast.

"That's new - St. Isabella sounds like an oxymoron." I made a face and shook my head. "Ange will have a feast when she hears that."

"Yeah, but at least take it. No one will ever associate you as such at work." Rose laughed.

We continued to chatter over a few drinks. I noticed Alice and Jasper have been frequently whispering over something, perhaps. I once caught Alice's eye and she just winked at me. Maybe they were just teasing each other… ugh. Jesus. I want to bleach that out of my brain.

Until a few moments later, Alice cleared her throat, calling our attention.

"Oh thank god. You two are finally gonna say shit. What the hell have you two been whispering about all evening? Wait - hold up! If it's some dirty shit you two are doing then get outta here." Emmett said, dramatically raising his hands as well. Jasper threw a napkin at him and laughed.

Rose and I looked at each other, both clueless. I shrugged at her, and she did, too.

"Go ahead, darling." Jasper said sweetly whilst looking at Alice.

Rose gasped and covered her hands over her mouth, muffling an, "No shit!"

Alice shook her head. "No, not that - yet." looking at Jasper pointedly, then smiled lovingly at him. "We're moving in together though."

Rose squealed and pulled Alice in for a hug while giving Jasper a flick in the forehead, in true sibling fashion.

Em and I looked at each other and laughed - probably a relief to what we were both thinking about. Then I raised my glass to congratulate the lovebirds, "Thank fuck you weren't talking about some nasty shit."

"Hear! Hear!" Emmett echoed. "Drinks on me and congrats bro, you're now semi-compromised."

We all laughed at him.

The night ended with a few more drinks. I got home around 10:30 and washed up as quickly as I could, feeling the exhaustion from the whole day.

My work week went without much fuss. I worked out as soon as I woke up, went to work for back to back meetings and deep in admin work, went home, reviewed more paperwork and went to bed. My weekend went by as usual, with me doing chores and tried my best to do mind numbing stuff. I deliberately isolated myself from my friends to recharge for the coming week.

It was a smart move for me considering a news from Carlisle come Thursday.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" I said when I answered his call.

"Oh, nothing much, kid, but everything." He laughed.

I replied. "Seems like there's something more that, huh?"

"Ah, your fifth sense never fails." He laughed. "Actually, yes. I need a favour - a new leadership member is coming aboard and would like for you to show him the ropes in our HQ. I figured you're the best person to do so."

"Oh." I said, a bit surprised and flattered. "I mean, I'd be happy to do so but I think he'd learn best from you - whatever I know now is basically because of you."

Carlisle clicked his tongue. "Bella, I just opened the door for you but you basically did everything on your own. Give credit to yourself. Have I not taught you enough about that as well?"

I sighed, realising that I have been neglecting to recognise my success, which happens time to time. "Yes, you've taught me that as well but it's the toughest lesson so far."

"Work on it." He said sternly albeit sincerely. "Anyhow, he'll be there by Monday, I believe, but keep it under wraps, will you? Let's wait for official comms on this. The disclosed purpose of his visit would be to kick-off quarterly checks in preparation for the Group Internal Audit soon."

"Alright. Should I ask further or…?" I left the question hanging. I wanted to know more but there are some organisational things that only the Group Leadership Team or SteerCo discussed - particularly on re-organisations.

Carlisle replied, "You may ask… eventually… not now. Thanks for understanding."

"Okay," I said. "Do you need Angela to make arrangements for him or something?"

"No, everything is settled. I will just send an invite for a call on Monday morning once you two have been acquainted. Other than keeping it under wraps and sticking to the disclosure, then we're good."

"Got it, Carlisle. If there is anything you need, just let me know." I said. We talked a bit more before hanging up.

My mind was already thinking about different possible scenarios as to the mysterious task I have and who this person is. I have not seen nor heard any internal communications on this, which makes it a little difficult to piece together.

I hope no one's attempting to outbid Carlisle and his family as major stakeholders. I knew how much Carlisle loved his father's company and he would be devastated if that happened.

I willed myself out of those thoughts and proceeded with work.

I was quite worked up the whole weekend, wondering who and what this new guy was like. Carlisle didn't even give me a name or contact details - just that he sent an invite to me, saying that the new guy should be in by the time he set the call.

I did some digging and there's no news at all on possible restructures of Masen Corp. and its subsidiaries. I couldn't even ask anyone as it might cause ruckus.

I gave up with my research and partially surrendered to the thought that maybe Carlisle just really wanted this new guy to be trained. I still think there's something going on but there are not enough clues to piece the whole situation further. I will stop here… for now, I consoled myself.

I had brunch with the girls on Sunday, and Alice was all jittery. More than the usual.

"Girls, my brother is here in Chicago. I want you all to meet him. Especially you, Isabella." Alice said excitedly.

"Hey," I held up both my hands, "why are you 'Isabella-ing' and singling me out?"

"That's not singling you out - I just emphasised that you really have to meet him." Alice clarified.

"Honey, you need to expand your circle." Rose winked at Alice, who giggled in response. "You and my brother do! You know, he's a male version of you."

I raised my left brow. "Should I be flattered or what?"

"Oh shush!" Alice said. "I just really want my closest girl friends to meet him, and for you both to enjoy a damn night." she pointed at me. I knew she was trying to play matchmaker. As much as I'd love to be Alice's sister, I'm not even sure if I'd end up being friends with her brother at most.

"Can we please tone the expectations down? You know you can bring your brother anytime but chill, please." I said. The least I wanted was for anyone's expectations not met.

Rose laughed, "Classic Bella. Ok Al, we don't want to scare Bella off, so… calm your tits. Wow, can't believe I'm the mediator now." We all giggled at that. It was usually me who calmed Alice's enthusiasm and Rose's feistiness.

I tried to distract myself from tomorrow's mystery visitor as best I could for the rest of the day. I watched a couple of episodes of a new crime series, wrote my journal entry for the week, had a nice, long bath in the evening, and picked out my clothes for tomorrow.

I usually pick my clothes out the evening before work when I have something important the next day. In this case, it's a possibility of a Group Internal Audit - which are usually huge.

I am not as fussed, in case it turns out that way, as I always aim for the HQ to be audit-ready. It is a great accomplishment for everyone working on it. I do quarterly checks myself on all work streams to ensure that the systems are in place.

Monday came just like that. I got up at six a.m., made a cup of coffee and hopped on my treadmill. It might be a jam-packed week so I decided on a quick HIIT workout. After my workout, I ate two pieces of banana, then took a shower.

My makeup for the office was often quite light but sometimes I opted for bold lipsticks. Today though, I settled for a no make-up make-up look.

I picked a navy knit dress with a funnel neckline. It has a fitted bodice with a flared skirt and sleeves. It was perfect for springtime. I will be pairing this with navy pumps and a black wool coat from Grandma Swan. I love my vintage pieces from her - she loved clothes and fashion being a seamstress herself back in the day.

It's a good thing she bought and made many classic and sturdy pieces, which I was bequeathed.

I wore my pearl studs from her as well and my Tank Normale watch. This watch was one of my first luxurious purchases and rewards to myself. I rarely splurge on items, but when I do, I make sure these are of quality.

I was on my way to work when I decided to get a cup of coffee and my favourite brownies. I was quite anxious today, considering this new board member. I mean, I know I have to put my foot forward today given his post. I am morbidly curious though if he is someone from the family or just some loaded stakeholder. Why the secrecy as well? Is there an ongoing war for executive seats? Hmm…

Lot's of questions in my mind that I needed to keep at bay in the meantime through good coffee.

I went to a neighbourhood cafe, called Eclipse, I frequent for coffee takeaways and Sunday brunch.

"Good morning, Bella! You look lovely today!" greeted Mike, the barista and part-owner of this cafe. I smiled, "Good morning and thanks."

I knew Mike had a little crush on me - bold of me to say but I noticed he took time to prep my orders, even almost always giving "new" pastries or beverages they were "trying out". Alice, Rose, and Emmett enjoyed teasing me about this along with the freebies. It was cute, but a little awkward at times, especially when I'm alone. I often catch him looking at me as well with a goofy grin.

"The usual?" Mike asked.

"Yes, please. I'll have one chewy dark chocolate fudge brownie here then the usual to-go." I said. I figured I needed some sort of sugar rush today. Mike winked and said, "Gotcha."

I took a seat and removed my coat. To kill time, I looked through my e-mails - mainly to see if Carlisle had something new to mention about this secret employee. Can I even say that?

I had several unread e-mails but none from Carlisle. Bummer. There was this one among those flagged with high importance that caught my attention. It was an old e-mail thread about the costing done for one of Andrew's bids. Operations were telling me month-on-month that we are going over the budget and so I asked the team to get me the costings done during the bid phase to trace possible losses - and alas! This e-mail says it all.

That fucking asshole did a shit job with this bid. We are losing money instead of earning. My god. I do not even know how this went through considering it is a relatively small account with a total gross profit of eighty million dollars per year. Christ. We have already lost thirty million dollars to date for this calendar year alone. I'm going to have a fucking field day today.

Irate, I sent an email to the finance team and operations to set meet as soon as possible. As I was angrily typing on my phone, my warm brownie came with my coffee and doggy bag. "Thanks, Mike." I said as I stood up to gather my things.

"You're not staying?" He asked, looking a bit dejected.

"Can't. Something came up." I said, as I grabbed the fresh brownie with a napkin. I can't afford to sit and eat right now - I have to inhale this brownie as I walked to the office. "See ya!"

I rushed out of the cafe with only one arm in my coat. I struggled to juggle everything in my hands - I was holding my cup of coffee and doggy bag in one hand, the other with the warm brownie. Then my phone rang it was in my coat pocket - the side which I hadn't put on yet. I ignored the first ring but it rang again.

"Shit." I muttered. Must be something important.

I bit on the brownie so I could free my hand and finally wear my coat properly - my smart ass should've worn my shit properly to begin with.

It was Carlisle.

I answered the call, put my phone between my right ear and shoulder. Struggling to juggle my coffee, doggy bag, half-bitten brownie and my phone, I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going. I weaved through the foot traffic along the pavement a little clumsily but managed. I regret not putting my AirPods on.

"Hey!" I answered the call.

I vaguely saw a person or thing incoming through my peripherals, "Excuse me," I said, stepping to my left to give way but apparently, that thing mirrored my step. Just as Carlisle was about to respond, I suddenly bumped into this solid… thing.

"Fuck me!" I heard the same time I said, "Fuck!" as I felt the hot coffee spill over my dress.

My phone fell, my doggie bag and my precious fresh brownie. My god. Not today…

I looked up, prepared to unleash my wrath but was momentarily startled when I saw this gorgeous, gorgeous being in front of me. He was tall - over six foot - probably 6'2". He had copper brown hair - I can tell he tried to groom it but it stayed in different directions. He had a chiseled jaw that looked smooth - I think I caught a whiff of his aftershave as well. And he had the prettiest shade of green eyes. I saw the marbling white streaks in his green, glass eyes. His gaze, albeit angry, caught my breath.

I felt starstruck.

But I remembered, this fucker didn't let me pass. I turned livid again.

My little crush was suddenly replaced with rage. I looked at my phone and saw the screen shattered. "Fuck no!" I said as I picked it up.

"You shouldn't multitask when you clearly can't do it." The fucking gorgeous bastard said.

"You shouldn't be out here if you won't let people through." I retorted. I tried to turn my phone on but I think it was a hopeless case - both sides of my phone were completely shattered, upon inspecting it. My dress and fucking coat were ruined and I couldn't afford to go home and change at this rate. Not to mention, the fucking coffee was quite fucking hot, I tell you - thanks I guess to the cool spring air though?

He snorted. "You don't own this place." I saw him try to wipe his coat and dress shirt.

Ha! At least I'm not the only one - I hope he had an important agenda today and couldn't afford to change wherever this fucker lived. "Neither do you. Asshole."

"My brownies…" I whispered. Irritated that my good coffee and brownies went to waste - I was looking forward to those few good things considering the gruelling financial reconciliation I have to deep dive from stupid Andrew's fuck ups.

The cosmos are not with me today.

I heard the devil chuckle. "Wow. Aren't you even going to apologise? You're more concerned about your brownies?"

My head instantly snapped to his direction. "Ex-cuse me? I stepped away from you, alright. So you owe me an apology as well." I said through gritted teeth. I take it back. He was not gorgeous at all - he was disgustingly arrogant.

Aware of time running, I didn't have any more to spare. I had to look for a change of clothes, if I still have some left in the office. Fuck. Great first impression, Bella.

"Please, fuck off. You asshole." I said as I walked away.

He curtsied as I passed by and said, "I hope you have a wonderful day and stop rudely interrupting peoples' lives."

I flipped him off as I walked away.

I've never been this livid with a stranger but he has worked me up more than I think I would have reacted in a similar situation, with a different person. He is gorgeous but his attitude sucks.

I hope he gets explosive diarrhoea in an important meeting. God. I hate him so much. I hate this day so much.

I was also dreading my appearance - I did not want to be late to the meeting with this Board Member but I also did not want to look like shit. I'll just have to do a little laundry I guess in my office bathroom, I guess? Ugh. This is so not my day.

As I got up to my floor, I walked hurriedly to my office.

"Hey, Ange - do I still have spare clothes in my office? Or do you have any spare coats or blazers or cardigans? Shit. Anything to cover this mess. Fucking hell!" I rambled as I walked past her. She was trying to say something as she kept up with me as well but I didn't let her - busy looking at my dress and the coffee stain.

How am I supposed to remove this in five minutes?

"Remind me never to bring coffee to work again. My clothes are ruined - I bumped into this fucking gorgeous bastard… of all days! I hope I never see that idiot again…" kept rambling as I opened the door to my office.

"Bella, wait - " Angela said but it was too late.

"He was gorgeous but fucking rude - rude I tell y-".

Then I met the gorgeous bastard's hypnotising green eyes again, brining me to a complete stop.

Fuck. Me.