*hides behind hands* anyone still with me? I'd understand if you weren't...

EPOV

I watched her now, at the table. My mother and father were smitten with her, and I could see why. Not only was she charming and beautiful and intelligent, I now knew her to be perceptive, and cutthroat when need be. I watched as she carefully blotted her lips with her napkin as she participated in conversation. The night was going swimmingly. Given how rocky our start had been, I couldn't have anticipated where we were now. The evening was perfect.

"So I see you're still playing house with my woman and children. Except for her in the blue. Too pretty to be my daughter. And looking good enough to eat."

I should have known. Masen. Edward. Fucking. Masen. His presence never failed to bring out the unhealed child within me. Like always, I froze. I had never really been able to stand up to my bullies, especially when those bullies happened to be a part of my genetic material. I watched my mother's dazzling smile slowly transform so that her mouth was a grim line. To the untrained eye, she was simply angered by his presence. I knew better. The almost imperceptible squeeze of Carlise's hand was the only sign of fear she'd show.

"Masen. I'd say it's lovely to see you again, but you were the one in the habit of lying to people, not I."

She was playing with fire. The way the light danced in her eyes showed that. I slowly reached for Isabella's hand. If my mother could stand boldly, I certainly wasn't going to leave Isabella twisting in the wind. Before I could speak, Alice and Rose were beating me to the punch. He hadn't been a picnic as their sperm donor, but they'd had an easier time of things. He thought all women, no matter their ages, were soft. He hadn't bothered trying to beat the sentimentality out of them.

"Masen, you weren't invited. I know mother and father didn't provide you with an invitation, and if you think for one moment that Emmett McCarty is going to let you sit next to me for a meal, you've got another thing coming."

"Good to know you're still married to that ape then. Well, we know blondie's excuse. What's going to be yours pixie?"

My head snapped to Alice at that. We'd teased her for her small stature for most of her life, and Sr. was almost always the ringleader. I knew she wouldn't speak up. She hated confrontation twice as much as the rest of us. I watched as a single tear slid down her cheek as Jasper pulled her closely, whispered in her ear, and kissed her forehead. He quickly removed a handkerchief from his pocket and gave her a smile dazzling enough to encourage her to use it. I'd had enough, but Carlisle had never been one to bow to a bully.

"You've come unannounced and uninvited. In less than 10 minutes, you've insulted my son-in-law, reduced my daughter to tears, and probably made my wife feel cold enough that Antarctica seems like a tropical wasteland. This is where it ends. Another slight, and I'll make sure you wind up without a pot to piss in or windows to throw it out of. Leave. Now."

I watched as the vein in Carlisle's forehead pulsed. Rose and Alice teased me that even though the sperm came from Masen, Carlisle Cullen was my father. Our anger often manifested in the same way, we both were far too patient.

"Settling for my sloppy seconds should have been beneath you, Cullen. I certainly don't understand why the bitch divorced me, a hedge fund manager, just to ride a physician's dick. Everyone else has spoken. Eddie boy? Just write me a check and I'll be out of your hair."

I didn't want to give him the money. Every person at the table had the same look. That look that said that they pitied me, and that no matter how angry Masen became, I shouldn't capitulate. No. I'd write the check. I would always make more money, but I couldn't allow his intrusion here to spoil the evening.

"If you'll head to the foyer with me, I'll write you a check forthwith."

The only warning Isabella gave me was a swift squeeze to my thigh.

"Mr. Masen, is it?"

"Save it, bitch. I'm not interested in anything my halfwit son's flavor of the week has to say."

"Perhaps I am his flavor of the week. Perhaps not. What I am is new. To this circle, to this family. And given that I am, I'm sure the Cullen's will forgive what comes next. You'll be leaving. Not because I say so, but because the rules of decorum do. You've been so busy making demands of your son, and belittling your children and their mother and father, you've failed to notice one of the best freelancers in the business. I believe you made a zoo reference earlier. Pity that you incorrectly stated which of you is the animal. Enjoy the snow. Outside."

Before Masen could protest, Emmett had one hand over his mouth, and was restraining him with the other. I watched as he fought against Emmett's hold as he was dragged toward the exit. He and I nodded to each other. I could never count on him as my father, but I would always be able to count on Emmett as a brother. I turned around, back towards my family and table, so I missed it when Masen managed to wriggle free of Emmett's hold briefly.

"Edward Anthony Masen, you'll always be a part of me. You'll regret not writing me that check."

Before he could say anything more, he was dragged out. The one thing I knew about Masen was that he didn't bluff. Involuntarily, a shiver left me. Before I could become further lost in my musings, I felt another squeeze on my thighs. I wasn't recovering quickly enough. I was in danger of becoming a spectacle. Why attempt to get my attention for anything else? I smelled her close to me before I saw her.

"Edward, deep breaths. You're alright."

Was this what it was like to have a panic attack? Or an anxiety attack? I certainly wasn't an expert. My tux was squeezing me to death. I felt like my tie was too tight. Was this why lady's carried those accordion fans? I could use one at the moment. If she was supposed to have one, Alice and Rose would have made sure to pack it. The shopper. She seemed competent. I did ask that she receive all relevant accessories. Perhaps I should've asked for a breakdown.

How serendipitous. She was worried about me. She wasn't calling for an end to our arrangement or embarrassed or scandalized because of Masen or the way he had the tendency to bring out the worst in all of us. I watched as Isabella leaned close to me once more.

"Your face tells me that you would like to change the narrative. I'm going to kiss your cheek now. At minimum, you should just do what comes natural."

She was true to her word, and as a grown man, I was experiencing something indescribable. Kisses on the cheek stopped mattering to me in adolescence. Yet the slightest touch of her lips made me want more.

And that almost couldn't be a bigger problem. But I couldn't stop myself from existing in this moment. She'd done wonders to calm me, and before I could talk myself out of it, I was taking my hand and caressing her cheek.

"What on earth are the two of you whispering about over there?"

I watched as Isabella's creamy skin began to turn a delightful shade of rose, and I found myself wondering, not for the first time, if the blush extended to other areas. Before I could formulate a lie, she was speaking for me, something I usually hated, but felt natural here.

"I was asking Edward if he wouldn't mind pointing me in the direction of water. The duck is delightful, and I don't want to spoil the flavor with another cocktail."

"We'll all pretend that's the truth. The two of you are adorable. Carlisle and I aren't so old that we don't recognize flirting and foreplay when we see it."

I'd been hoping to provoke another blush, and it would seem that my mother was turning out to be the perfect wingwoman.

"Edward, be a dear and get the girl some water. That blush certainly isn't cooling."

Shooting me a regrettable smile, I watched as Isabella immediately moved to diffuse the situation.

"You should see him at home. Absolutely incorrigible."

She could wink as well, and I was finding it absolutely delightful.

"Maybe I am. But only one of us wears the physical manifestations of such conversation."

She needed to know that I could flirt too. I watched as she got ready to excuse herself. Perhaps I should take the moment to debrief. Masen. This dinner. Her and I were tackling a lot of firsts in a single evening. Before I could better pursue my chosen course of action, Rose was up and on her feet, seemingly dragging a much too quiet Alice in tow.

"Mother, excuse us please. You know how us gals can be."

With a nod in my direction, the three of them were gone, and I was left alone with our parents, and Emmett, who'd just gotten back from liaising with event security, and Jasper. I went to pick up my own glass of champagne and looked up long enough to see Esme Cullen look like the cat that ate the canary.

"I very much like this one Edward. I do hope that she'll be joining us for more than one event."

I took my time swallowing. I wasn't exactly sure of what to say. She would be back, yes, but I didn't want to fan the fire on the area of romanticism; not with my mother. It somehow felt wrong to verbalize the agreement.

"Mama, she'll be back. Her and Eddie boy here are hitting things off like gangbusters."

A very Emmett explanation, even though I could've done without the raised brows and innuendo.

"She's certainly been as sweet as my mama's tea on a Sunday afternoon. Much better than that one girl. What was her name, Candy?"

This wouldn't do. The last thing anyone needed was a rundown of dates. Thankfully, Carlisle took pity on me.

"Now, now. Leave my son. He's brought someone suitable now and that's what should count. We all want to enjoy what's left of the evening, and go home with the same beauties we tagged along with. It's perfectly normal and natural, and we don't need anyone making a bigger business than what it is."

With a wink, and a sip of his scotch, Carlisle Cullen had declared the case closed, and I couldn't have been more grateful.

Looking to post another chapter this week. Until next time... 3