Edward's Blind Date

Usually, Edward Antony Masen wasn't late for anything. Sure, he occasionally ran late like any other person, but he always managed to arrive exactly on time.

Because usually, all traffic lights miraculously turned green wherever he went, there was never a blockage and he certainly never got a speeding ticket.

Because that's the kind of luck he had.

However, that luck didn't seem to follow him to Port Angeles. This was why, as he dashed down the narrow streets of the main road, he cursed under his breath as he glanced down at the tiny clock on his dashboard.

Normally, that same clock calmed him down, but as of late, he came to loathe the damn thing. Luckily he could already spot La Bella Italia and the odds were back in his favour, as a car in front of the restaurant left and he could easily park in that particular spot.

Edward hopped out of his car, straightened his bottomed-up shirt and walked into the restaurant with a confidence he didn't quite feel. He politely smiled at the nearby waiter and scanned the room, hoping he could find Alice Cullen quickly, apologize and get this damn date over with.

Which was hard, as he had no idea what she looked like. The chief doctor's daughter kept to herself, if he had to guess based on her absolute lack of social media exposure. He couldn't even find a damn picture of the woman!

Edward only knew what his mother Esme told him, and that was that Alice was drop-dead gorgeous. Of course, his mother had told exactly that about the last few dates she had sent him on. If there was one thing Esme loved more than working at her coffee and bakery firm, it was finding a suitable partner for her only child Edward.

And Edward, being the golden child he was, didn't want to argue with his mother. After all, normal people don't argue with their bosses on a daily basis.

Edward's eyes landed on a woman around his age, who sat alone by the window. Her brown, curled hair fell in front of her face when she looked up and met his eyes. The green of her dress made her brown eyes pop. When he walked closer towards her table, he noticed the dress she wore was a bit… Unusual. Not ugly per se, but not something that was quite in fashion at the moment. A bit out of place compared to the ambience of the restaurant and the other guest's clothing, but very… unique nonetheless.

Edward placed his hands on the chair opposite from the woman.

"Miss Cullen?" he asked.

The woman took a second too long to respond.

"Yes. Yes, that's me. And you're Edward, I presume?"

He smiled apologetically. "I'm afraid so. My apologies for arriving this late. I got stuck in traffic on the way here and I tried calling you, but it went straight to voicemail. May I?" Edward gestured at the chair in front of him.

Bella -pretending to be Alice- coughed and tried to hide the reddening of her cheeks behind her hand. She nodded for him to sit down.

"Please."

As Edward settled in his chair, both he and Bella looked curiously at each other without saying anything. He noted she wore a silver watch with a lion on it, and he recognised it as the Cullen crest Carlisle also wore. The silver watch matched her tiny pearl earrings and necklace, and the shiny diamond of her necklace matched her sparkly subtle makeup. A picture-perfect woman, for a picture-perfect date.

Just like the multiple dates he already went on.

"Good evening. I'll be your server for the night. Can I get you anything?"

Edward leaned back in his chair, the sudden break a welcome distraction. "I'll take a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, please."

"And for the missus?"

Bella frowned at that word. "The same, please."

As the waiter brought their drinks and left, Edward leaned forward in his chair. Even though he wasn't exactly keen on these dates his mother sent him on, he knew that fault wasn't Alice's and he needed to make some kind of effort.

"So Alice, let's not discuss business then, as I'm sure you've heard quite enough about that. Then tell me, what are your hobbies?" he asked. It was his standard opening line, one that had immediate effect. Everyone loved talking about the things they did for fun, and he was sure his date formed no exception.

However, it was as if a light bulb went on in Bella's head. She smiled seductively and leaned across the table, making sure her cleavage was showing, but not too much.

"Men," she answered wickedly.

Edward blinked once. He blinked twice. He was sure he hadn't heard it correctly.

"Men?" he asked.

Bella frantically nodded. "Yes, men. I love playing with men."

She looked out of the window and giggled a tad too loud. "Don't you just love playing with women?"

Edward frowned. "That's… I don't know how to answer that."

He watched Bella giggle and he hoped they weren't being too loud. Christ, what kind of answer was she expecting? "You're very clear about what you like, I admire that." Edward tried. Esme had always told him it was best to compliment a woman if you're unsure what to say.

The giggling immediately stopped and Bella looked at him intensely. "Or maybe I'm just playing with you."

The corners of her mouth turned upward. She reached out and drank all of her wine in one large sip. A little burp escaped her lips, but she chuckled it away. Edward didn't know if he should be shocked, or if he should find it somehow endearing.

Bella sighed. "Well, to be frank with you, Edward. I'm quite bored." She stood up from her chair and turned away from him. She waved at the nearby waiter. "He would like to pay, please."

Bella winked at a frightened Edward, and made a dash for the door. He still didn't quite comprehend what had happened, as he watched the empty chair in front of him.

He didn't know what came over him, but he felt the sudden need to leave as well. He quickly threw a quite too large dollar bill on the table, took his coat and made an exit. He looked left and right, and saw Bella turn around the corner.

Edward quickly jogged after her. He managed to grab Bella's coat before she vanished from his life.