Oh it's Sunday already! No fun! Hopefully these next two weeks go by very fast so I can have Christmas break off! Please enjoy!

Chapter Thirty-Six

A loud knock on the door made me jump after I hung up the phone with my mom. I quickly stripped out of my clothes, so it looked like I was just struggling with the dress.

"One second!" I hollered. "I'm just struggling with this dress!"

The door opened and Esme peeked in.

"I can help you if you want," She said.

"Uh, sure," I said as I held it up against my chest.

She walked in a long, light purple sparkly, slimming gown. There was a long split up the side, showing off her long leg.

"It looks beautiful," I said as she shut the door behind me.

She smiled and moved to help tie the corset in the back. "Thank you, but I think this is much to youthful for me."

"Not at all, you still 100% got it."

"Well thank you." She chuckled. "Is everything okay?"

I looked at her in the mirror, scrunching my brows. "What do you mean?"

"Don't get upset, but I heard you call your mom," She said, making a face. "I wasn't eavesdropping, I swear honey, I tried to tune it out after I put my dress on."

A blush was covering my body from head to toe. I had to cover my face to hide my embarrassment from her.

"Esme, I don't even really know what to say. I'm so embarrassed."

"Please, don't be embarrassed." She said, placing her hands on my shoulders. "Honey, I would've never brought you to this shop if I expected you to pay for one of these dresses. I know that splurging on something as silly as a dress for one party is just not in your budget, and that's a-okay. I was going to get it for you."

"No Esme, I can't have you pay for something such as this. Not something so expensive."

"I wanted to do it for you." She made a face. "I should've told you before we got here, but I told Robert to take the price tags off everything, but I guess he didn't have time. I wanted you to pick out a dress without worrying about the price, that way I could surprise you."

"I really appreciate the gesture Esme, but I'm uncomfortable with people buying stuff like this for me. It makes me feel awkward."

"I know, I figured that. But this truly was not to make you feel uncomfortable. That's why I tried to hide the prices." She said. "If you want, you can call your mom and have her cancel her friend coming. I can take care of the dress."

"No, I don't want to call her back and explain all of this," I said. "Besides, I can just pay my mom back. Slowly. But it'll make me feel better."

She smiled softly. "Of course. You look beautiful."

I smiled back at her, "Thank you."

There was another knock on the door. "Come on! Rosalie and me are ready to see your dresses!"

"We're coming Alice!" Esme hollered.

We stepped out of the dressing room and were met by Alice, who was wearing a breathtaking dress.

It was a floor length ballgown, the corset piece a royal blue with soft puffy sleeves while the bottom half was yellow. The dress clearly pulled a lot of inspiration from Snow White.

"Oh Alice, you look so beautiful." Esme said as Alice stepped up onto the pedestal.

"Thanks," She said as she twisted to see all of the pieces of the dress. "I'm thinking a wearing a ruby-red bow tiara. And matching red bracelets. I think it would really pull the piece together."

"I agree," Esme said as she looked Alice. "I think this is the winner Alice."

Alice frowned. "Damn, I really wanted to try on more dresses."

Rosalie, who was wearing a blue ball gown, chuckled. "Your dress has been found, let me see mine."

"So, the blue—?" Esme asked.

"This one has a twin pink dress, I just grabbed the blue one," She said. "I'm going to wear a white slip dress over it and at a certain point in the night, I will take it off."

"I think that is such a sweet idea," Esme smiled widely. "I'm so excited. But with the way Emmett has been so giddy, I'm thinking you're having a boy."

Rosalie shrugged. "Not sure."

"Bella what do you think of your dress?" Alice asked me.

I looked down at myself. The dress was… well, it was not very becoming. It was a darker yellow which seemed to wash me out with my already pale skin.

"It's certainly something." I said.

Alice smiled sympathetically. "Well, you know some dresses just don't work."

"Yeah I don't think this one works."

"My ears are burning," Robert said as he walked in. He looked each one of us up and down.

"I love," He said to Alice, "Wrap it up it's perfect. Esme, you know you're beautiful but that dress just doesn't work. I'm not talking to you," He teasingly said to Rosalie. "How do you feel about this dress?" He asked me.

Again I looked down at myself. "Um, I think the dress is pretty… itself."

"How do you feel in it?" He asked.

"Are you trying to suggest I don't look good in this dress?" I said sarcastically.

For a split moment, Robert looked horrified, but when he picked up on my sarcasm, he laughed.

"Oh this one I like," He said. "I didn't want to be so mean, but since it seems you have tough skin, this dress is a no. A hell no. It just does not work."

"Well thank you," I snorted. "And I agree. I'm too pale for this kind of yellow."

"Luckily, I put some powdery yellows in there, so take that thing off and try on another one."

I picked up my dress and headed back into the dressing room. The next few dresses in the line up were in the same yellow as this one. I knew I didn't look good in this kind of yellow, however, the softer yellows were all on the more expensive side of the rack.

After a moment, I swallowed my guilt and forced myself into the powdery dress that was closer to the cheaper side of the rack.

This dress looked a lot better on me. The color seemed to enhance my pale skin instead of wash it out. However, the cut of it was all wrong. I even blushed by how masculine it made me look, and I wasn't all that bulky. I was built more like a stick than anything else.

I still walked out of the dressing room. Seeing the dress in all of the mirrors seemed to make it worse. Robert shook his head.

"That's a hard no," he said. "It's not your right shape."

"Yeah I got that." I said with a sigh.

"Go try the last one on. I swear you will wear that dress and not the other way around." He said. "Now that I have a good look at you I know exactly what dress will look good."

I grimaced and went back into the dressing room. I didn't want to try the last dress on because I knew it would be so damn expensive. I didn't want my mom's friend to spend anymore than he had to.

I looked at the price of the last dress and nearly fell over in shock. It was nearly twenty-five thousand dollars! How could a dress be so damn expensive?

"Um, the last dress is to pricey," I said to Robert. "Is there something similar that's cheaper?"

"Yes, but the cheaper ones I'll need to pull from a special shelf," He answered. "Try it on so I can see what I'm working with."

I groaned internally but pulled the dress off the hanger. I was not going to buy it. I would try it on for Robert to see but I would make him pick one of the cheaper ones. I could not, in good conscious buy a twenty-five-thousand-dollar dress. That was not happening.

After I put it on, I walked out. I didn't even look at myself in the mirror, I just stood in the doorway and waited.

"Come to this room so I can see you better." Robert said, walking into the mirror room.

"Yeah come out Bella!" Alice called. "We all found our dresses, let's see yours!"

Another internal groan. I forced myself to walk into the room of mirrors and prayed that they would all hate it. And that I would hate it.

But of course, they all let out an 'awe,' and I have to admit, when I caught sight of myself in the mirror, I had to hold back the smile as well. Damn it.

"Bella, you look so stunning," Esme said.

I nodded, "Yeah, it's alright."

"Alright? Girl, you look fucking amazing," Alice gushed. "I think this is the winner."

"Not for twenty-five thousand." I muttered under my breath.

"I say get it," Robert said. "You look so incredible. And no other dress I pull off the shelf will look as good as this one."

"Esme could you just take a picture of me in this dress for my mom?" I asked, handing her my phone.

"Of course," She said as she stood.

"Bella what do you think of the dress?" Rosalie asked.

"It's okay. I mean it is pretty, but it's not like wow."

"Are you kidding me?" Alice asked. "It hits you in all the right places. It snatches your waist and pushes your boobs up. It looks amazing on you!"

"Yes you are wearing the hell out of that dress!" Robert agreed. "I think this is a winner."

"Excuse me," A small woman dressed in all black said.

"Yes Mia?" Robert asked.

"There's a man here trying to put a card down for Bella Swan." She said.

"Oh that's probably Edward," Alice said.

"No, it's not Mr. Cullen," Mia said. "I don't think I heard his name right. Mrs. Swan could you come down and verify that this man is paying for your dress?"

A blush covered me from head to toe. I had prayed something like this wouldn't happen. I wanted to cry. How come she couldn't just let this man put his card down for me.

"Yes. I'm coming," I whispered as I jumped off the pedestal and quickly followed her down the stairs. As we were walking down, the sudden urge to punch her was strong, but I refrained. It wasn't her fault; she was just doing her job.

I spotted a tall, black-haired man in a nice suit standing at the counter. He looked up from his phone and smiled very widely at me.

As I got closer to him, I tried my hardest to place his face from one of the many photos of my mother's friends, but I couldn't. This man was older than my mom, however. He was probably in his mid-fifties. My mom was only in her late thirties. I didn't know how they would know one another.

"Wow," He said as he looked me up and down. "You look exactly like your mother. It's uncanny."

I snorted and looked down at myself. "I don't know. I always thought I looked like my dad."

"No, I can certainly see your mother in you," He said with a wide smile. "You look so beautiful."

"Thanks." I said. "I don't typically wear these kinds of dresses."

He chuckled. "I certainly hope not. This would be alarming to see in the streets."

I nodded. "Um, so, thank you so much for this. I know it's a lot to ask to help a friend's kid. I appreciate it so much. I swear, I will pay you back."

"Of course. Anything I can do for your or Renee," He smiled. "Is this the dress you're choosing?"

"Oh no," I shook my head. "This is way too expensive."

"Nonsense," He said. "You look so beautiful in this dress. You remind me so much of your mother in that dress."

"I really can't," I said, shaking my head. "I would never be able to pay you off."

"Please, I'm offended that you think I would have you pay me back." He said as he placed his black card down onto the glass countertop.

My eyes widened, "Sir, I just… there's no way I can't not pay you back for buying me a dress. I would feel so guilty."

He chuckled. "I would not want you to feel guilty, so, in exchange for this dress, I would love it if I could take you out to dinner tonight. If you're free, that is."

I gulped the dry lump in my throat. "I wouldn't mind having dinner with you, but I do have a boyfriend."

He let out a hearty laugh now. "I don't want to take you out to dinner because I have any ill intention. I would just like to spend time with you and get to know you."

"Oh okay," I said as I watched Mia take his card. "Can I ask why? Were you and my mom really that close?"

"Yes, we were very, very close," He finally turned to me. "So, do you have time for dinner tonight?"

I nodded. "Yes. I'll be free tonight."

"Perfect." He smiled widely. "Get this dress. It's absolutely stunning on you. I don't care what it costs."

"It's twenty-five thousand," I said in one shaky breath.

"That's all?" He laughed. "That is what has you all flustered? Oh my dear, twenty-five thousand is nothing. It would be my absolute pleasure to buy you this dress. Please allow me to do so."

"In exchange for just dinner? That's all you want, to have dinner with me?"

"Of course it will be on me." He said. "I would love to take you to my restaurant. It's very fancy. Does six-thirty work? I can send a car for you."

"Would it be alright if my boyfriend drove me?"

"You still don't trust that I want to enjoy your company with any romantic inclination?"

"Oh no it's not that. I'm just really paranoid and, no offense but I don't know you." I said. "I don't even know your name."

"Oh my goodness, forgive me," He laughed, shaking his head. "I apologize. I was just taken aback by how much you resemble your mother. I'm Aro, Aro Volturi."

He extended his hand, and I took it. "Nice to meet you. I guess I'll see you at six-thirty."