Happy reading!
3
"Tell me again why didn't we get a delivery company to drop this off?" Angela asks as we're getting the canvas off the back of my truck outside Cullen & Volturi, LLC a few weeks later. Their offices were right across the street from the Starbucks I'd run into Edward.
I would like to say that I didn't go back to that Starbucks every day the week after, but that would be a lie. Every time that door opened, my head would whip around, expecting it to be a certain green eyed man, but it never was. As soon as we pulled up this morning, my skin had been buzzing, like my intuition knew he was near by.
I'm as out of breath as she is. To be honest, I'd under estimated how heavy this was until we tried to move it this morning. Get it down the stairs of my apartment building had been… a thing. We'd almost dropped it more than once, and I was with Angela, I should've gotten a delivery company to do the moving for me. For smaller commission, I liked doing the delivery myself, but this was no small painting.
I look at her equally red face, trying to catch my breath. "I wasn't thinking."
"Well, next time, think woman. I'm dying here."
Angela had been my assistant for a little over a year now. When I'd started my business, it had been something small on Etsy. I'd gotten a request from Rosalie Hale, a popular Seattle influencer, a few months after I start my shop. She'd wanted a painting of La Push Beach to put in her filming room. She'd been extremely happy with the piece, posting about it on her YouTube channel and Instagram. After that, my small little shop that got a few orders here and there, was getting more than I could handle.
I'd closed my Etsy shop, opening an actual store. I knew that I needed help, which is when I'd hired Angela. She took care of setting up my website, handling the social media side, and helping me make sure that I never had too many commissions to handle. When it came to requests, I' learned that I had a hard time saying no; Angela did not. She was the backbone of the business. Without her, I would've ended up curled up in a ball a long time ago.
"I promise, next time I will."
"Need some help?" A male voice called.
I looked over and saw two men in suits coming in our direction. One was tall with curly brown hair and was made of pure muscle that threatened the integrity of his suit. The other was equally as tall, but not quite as muscular. He had tan skin and black hair that cropped close to his head.
"Bless you." Angela breathed as they got to us, taking the canvas from us with an ease that didn't seem humanly possible.
We followed the two men into the building, where they left the painting against the wall of the lobby.
"Thank you so much for that." I motion to the painting that probably wouldn't have made it in here in one piece if it hadn't been for them.
"No problem." The one with the curly brown hair said. He wasn't even winded. "You're that artist that did that painting for Rosie, right?"
It takes me a moment to realize that he's talking about Rosalie Hale. "Yeah, that was me."
"She still gushes about that painting to people." He continues with a smile that shows off an impressive set of dimples. "I'm Emmett by the way. I was the one that suggested you to Jane."
"Bella, and thank you for the good word."
"Is that it?" A woman walks into the lobby in a pencil skirt and silk blouse, blond hair pulled back in a clip, unable to mask her excitement. "I've been eagerly awaiting it's arrival. Especially after Emmett showed us your Instagram." She walks over to me, sticking her hand out for me to shake. "Jane Volturi."
"Bella."
"Can I see it?" She has the glee of a child on Christmas Day in her eyes. I hope what I came up with meets her expectations.
"Of course."
Angela and I take the brown paper that we'd wrapped around it that morning for protection off, revealing a painting of blues, oranges, and pinks. I'd done something inspired by the setting sun, and based on the gasp that Jane gives, she's more than pleased.
"It's beautiful. It exceeds my expectations." She turns, calling down the hall of offices she'd come from. "Edward!" His name leaving her lips makes my heart stop.
I watch as he comes down the hall, rubbing his thumb along his lip as he reads something on his phone. He's even more handsome than I remembered and I feel my breath catch.
"What do you think?" Jane asks once he's joined her, pocketing his phone.
He looks over, taking in the painting and I hear my heart pounding in my ears, waiting for his reaction. The moment his eyes find mine, a small smile lifts the corner of his mouth. He remembers me.
"What do you think?" Jane asks again.
"It's incredible." His eyes don't leave mine as he speaks.
"It's perfect." Jane gushes, coming over to get a better look, talking to Angela about the logistics of payment.
I don't know how they don't feel the hum.
Edward walks toward me, my heart pounding in time with the rhythm of his steps. "I knew I'd see you around, beautiful Bella."
See you next time!