A/N: SOOOOOO…

My work blocked Gdocs so my main source of writing was taken away. SOB. And then I misplaced my laptop. It was a saga. But now I'm back!

I know it's not the holidays anymore, but are we ready for a date?

"Just so we're clear, you suck at rebounds."

Bella raised her eyebrows at Jessica's back—all she could see of her friend, who was tearing apart her closet. "I asked him out not once but twice. That takes some lady balls, doesn't it?"

"Well, yeah, that's damn impressive. I'm just pointing out, the whole rebound thing is supposed to be more of a 'to get over one guy, get under another' type of thing."

Heat flooded Bella's cheeks. "Wasn't the point of all of this to invite him to the holiday party?" Not that Bella was actually going to do that. That would be crazy. Right?

Right?

"You really have been out of the game," Lauren, stretched out on Bella's bed and scrolling on her phone, said. "You put your rebound guy down as booty call material. Then, you call him for things like this, bang him in the closet and send him on his way."

Bella would have laughed, except for Lauren's tone, and Jessica's salacious cackle. She balked as Jessica emerged from her closet, empty-handed, with a smirk.

"Wait. Have you done that?" Bella hissed under her breath. "Fuck, I haven't even thought about the dating world. You guys do get into some weird ass situations. I am not ready for closet sex."

"Oh, Bella." Jessica clucked and grinned. "You got together with that damn dog before you could develop your game." She patted Bella on the back. "You'll be fine. But…you do need date clothes. Come on. We're going shopping."

Bella groaned.

~0~

"Look, I don't know what rebound means to you, but I'm not up for sex in public places," Bella said by way of greeting when she met Edward outside his parents' flower shop that evening.

He blinked. "Does that mean you're up for sex in private places?"

"I don't know what kind of sex you've had, but private places are usually involved." Bella slapped her hands over her mouth. "God dammit! I can't believe I said any of that."

Edward, his cheeks about as red as hers felt, ran a hand through his hair.

Bella took a deep breath and let it out. "Sorry. My friends kind of got me in my head about what a rebound is supposed to be, and I'm just…" She made a flustered noise and pulled her beanie—one of those stylish numbers with a cute poof on the top—over her eyes.

There was a light touch to her shoulder, which sent a thrill down her spine. He gently pulled the beanie up so she could see him again. Damn, he was so handsome; it didn't help her with the complete train wreck situation.

"We already agreed. No expectations." He let his gaze linger a beat on hers, making her forget to breathe for a moment. He was just so earnest.

And hot. Yes.

And it was nice just to have some fun with an attractive man for once in her life. That was all that was happening here. Maybe she was in her late twenties, when most of her peers had done fast and loose in their early twenties, but she was still young and free.

"Right," she said with a nod.

He took a step back, though he kept his hand out in offering. "This is for you."

Bella's lips quirked up and down, her cheeks heating with pleasure this time, as he proffered the world's tiniest bouquet: two daisies, two bright orange marigolds, and a sprig of baby's breath tied with an orange ribbon.

"Daisies for a strong, independent woman." His grin turned wicked. "And, incidentally, promises innocence on behalf of the giver." He winked. "Marigolds for power, strength, and light…and just because they go well with fall. A small bouquet, so it's easy to carry."

"They're beautiful." She buried a smitten smile, breathing in the sweet scent of them.

"You're very beautiful tonight," he said, his voice nothing but sincere. He let that statement hang between them a beat before he continued, not making her stutter what promised to be an awkward answer. "So. I say we scandalize your friends, and my brother for that matter, who is also very clear on what he thinks a rebound should be."

Bella arched an eyebrow, her heart doing a fluttery number in her chest. "Scandalize them?"

"Trust me."

~0~

A little over an hour later, Bella put a hand over her mouth, covering her delighted laughter when the waitress set a single chocolate milkshake with two straws between them.

Edward had proposed the anti-rebound date. They were going super old school, one step above iced tea on the porch. He'd taken her to a diner that was dressed up in all its 1950's glory—a jukebox in the corner and a little general store and pharmacy attached. They'd had burgers and fries, talking about their jobs, parents, siblings, and lamenting that poodle skirts had gone out of fashion.

And now, they both bent forward, their faces close as they took their first delicious sip.

How could someone be cute on top of devastatingly handsome? He had the barest hint of freckles across his nose.

"How do you know so much about chaste, gentlemanly dates circa 1950 anyway?' Bella asked, pulling back only slightly with her arms still on the table, her fingers so close to his.

"My parents both worked, so my grandparents were daycare for us Cullen kids. My grandfather had a collection of old Archie comics. You know, before they turned those characters into whatever the hell that Riverdale show is."

"A more innocent time."

Edward nodded. "And my grandfather introduced us to a litany of these black and white TV shows."

"That's sweet."

"Apparently, it came in handy," he said grinning, sweeping an arm around him. He leaned in closer, dropping his voice to a conspiratorial tone. "Though, my grandfather did tell me once that the innocent kids of the 1950's knew an awful lot about parking."

"Parking?"

"You know. Finding a quiet spot to park the car and admire the, er… beautiful view." His eyes darted down and back up, the movement clearly lascivious, even though he couldn't possibly see much of her.

Bella's heart did that fluttery thing. She licked her lips, not missing the way his gaze lingered there. "Right," she said, voice scratchy. "Parking. Very innocent."

"Very."

Some minutes later, they strolled out into the cool evening. The diner was tucked into a quaint part of town—the kind of neighborhood with over-spendy little shops, trendy eateries, and a vegan ice cream parlor. Bella shoved her hand deep in her pocket, resisting the nearly overwhelming urge to reach for his hand.

"Oh, let's go in there," she said, pointing to a shop. Once inside, she made a beeline to the stand she'd seen in the window, picking up one of a handful of delicate vases displayed there. "I don't think anyone's given me flowers before, so I never had one of these."

His brow furrowed. "No one's given you flowers? Not even—" He pressed his lips into a thin line, likely realizing talking about one's ex on a date wasn't the best plan.

Bella ducked her head and looked up at him, her voice careful when she spoke. "Jacob was a lot of things, but he knew me. I'm not a flowers person." She touched the little bouquet, which she had tucked into the top buttonhole of her coat. "Though, I have to say, it's different when it means something, you know?"

"Flowers should always mean something. I'm sorry. I love you. I admire you. I'm proud of you." He nodded. "But I understand what you mean. Most people use them as a generic gift, as these things go. You buy your woman flowers because it's a stereotypical romantic gesture, but what does it prove you know about her?"

"Yeah. Exactly."

They shopped in easy silence for a few minutes, before Bella realized that Edward was humming. She laughed. He'd stopped in front of a glass case, looking at a winter scene made in glass and crystal.

He was humming "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas."

"Believe it or not, there was a time I was a lot like you," he said, as they made their way to the counter to pay. "A Grinch during the holidays."

"I'm not a Grinch." She'd never been into the holidays the way some people were, but she wasn't grumpy about them. "I just think Christmas songs belong in December. You still have a week, buddy."

She paid for her purchase, and they headed back out to the sidewalk. "Okay, I'll bite. What turned you into this freak you are today?" She winked to let him know she was teasing.

He chuckled, looking forward as though just a touch embarrassed. "Well…" He sighed, rolling his eyes. "My first job was doing some editing work for those holiday movies. You know…"

"The one where the busy woman who has forgotten the true meaning of family and Christmas, because work-life balance isn't a thing, ends up in a small town with her ex, or the grumpy handy man and learns the joy of the season?" She smirked.

The smile he flashed her was so blinding, his handsome features so startling, she actually stumbled. He caught her, bracing her arms so they ended up face to face, their coats brushing each other's bodies.

His gaze lingered on her lips, and she swayed. He looked back at her eyes. "The stories were cheesy," he said, as though nothing had changed and they weren't so close. Bella's head was spinning. "But there's always that element of magic," he finished.

He nodded across the street, and Bella managed to follow his look to a shop's window, already decked in lights. "I like how pretty everything is. The search for the perfect gift for the people I love takes time, and I like taking that time." His grin turned mischievous. He let one hand slide down from her arms to twine her fingers in his and tugged her gently a few paces down the sidewalk.

She was so mesmerized by him at that point, it took a few seconds for her to realize the shop they were outside of now, had a speaker outside, and it was playing soft Christmas carols. She laughed and rolled her eyes. He pulled her toward him, his hands at her waist.

"And yes, I like the music." His voice was a soft rumble that seemed to vibrate on her skin as he swayed them. "Carols are powerful, soothing and satisfying to sing."

And dance to, apparently, she thought but didn't say. She swallowed hard, working to tamp down the urge to press onto the balls of her feet and close the distance between their mouths.

"They're all so repetitive," she said, teasing now. "We get it. Santa is coming and everyone is very excited about this one baby."

He snorted. "Right because most non-Christmas music isn't about the same three subjects."

They grinned at each other. Bella sighed, breathing in his warm scent with the cold air and swayed closer to him.

She wanted to kiss him.

The way he looked at her, she knew he wanted to kiss her.

Before they could act on the pull between them, three teenagers ran by, one bumping Edward's elbow. The boy called a quick sorry over his shoulder as he hurtled on, but the intensity of the moment was broken. Edward took Bella's hand as they started to walk again, and she ducked her head to hide the pleased blush that spread over her cheeks.

After a few beats, Bella laughed.

"What is it?" Edward glanced at her.

"It's you. You're living in one of those holiday movies." She shook her head. "Big Hollywood trailer maker needs to escape the romantic drama in his life. That's half the plot of The Holiday."

He hummed. "The elements of a good holiday movie are all around us. The meet-cute was much better than Jude Law stumbling drunk into your cottage."

She chuckled. "I suppose in real life, if some complete stranger stumbled drunk into your cottage, it wouldn't be so cute, even if he looked like Jude Law." She shook her head. "I guess that makes me the woman whose holidays might have been permanently marred by a bad breakup if not for the intervention of a hot florist."

"If only there were some big event on the horizon where everything could reach a natural cinematic climax."

She pulled them both to a stop. " About that…"

A/N: See you soon! I know by now not to promise when. Life is chaos haha. I hope the new year is treating you all well.