The great Samuel L. Jackson once said, "If you have an opportunity to
use your voice, you should use it." I think Bella was listening.
The Bad Influence's POV
The next day, or, shall I say, a few hours later, when Bella walked onto the
set, I tried at every opportunity to catch her alone so I could warn her that I'd
seen the photographer snapping pictures outside of her apartment building
when I left.
That just wasn't happening, though. I was either grabbed by another writer to
review something, or she was hauled off to get sized for an outfit...or...just
about anything and everything in between.
It also didn't help that I still felt slightly drunk and couldn't quite focus on the
task at hand…I was stealing bagels left and right but wasn't choking on them
this time, thankfully.
Okay, at the very least, I was still buzzed.
The paparazzi incident had sobered me up quite a bit.
Dress rehearsals were scheduled to start the next day, so everyone was kinda
frantic and Bella was no exception, although, she seemed to handle her
frantic-ness a little better than everyone else.
She was also spending a little more time than usual with Alice and Rose
which was kinda cool to see, I think everyone got the wrong impression of her
because she would spend so much time in her dressing room alone...or with
the dick hole.
Little did they know, she was really just...shy.
Anyway, the girls were talking to her about how to do her hair for the show
and what outfits would be best for her character and the smile that the
conversation was bringing to her face lit up the entire station, in my opinion.
Just the simple act of watching her interact with people made my heart stop.
She was so personable and warm.
I wanted to be wrapped up in that warmth.
In more ways than one.
Badly.
Okay, I'm done now.
Mike, on the other hand, was going over his lines, looking confused as ever
and I had to assume it was because some of the words I'd thrown in there
were a little too big for his comprehension.
Poor guy...and I'm supposed to be the monkey?
Insert cocked eyebrow here.
I hadn't seen much of Emmett all morning, he was coordinating the camera
and lighting teams and moved way too fast for someone his size who'd been
drinking all goddamn night long if you ask me.
And lastly, I, could not…stop…eating. Call it nervous eating, drunken eating,
hang over eating, I don't know and don't care, I just had to stuff food in my
mouth while I thought of possible ways out of the mess that was undoubtedly
heading my way.
"Dude."
It was Emmett. Finally.
And thank god.
"Emmett, got a minute?"
He paused and checked over by the lights and camera equipment area for his
crew, but said, "Sure," and followed me down the hallway until I found a spot
that was pretty quiet…considering.
"Listen, last night…"
"I know, dude, Bella's great! You should ask her to come with more often…"
"No, I know… but look, after we left…"
"Did ya hook up? Oh snap! James is gonna have a cow!" he was whisper
shouting…and getting all kinds of excited about James…having a cow.
"No…we didn't…look, after I dropped Bella…"
"MASEN!"
Shhhhhhit.
"Woah, Tanya doesn't sound too happy."
Mother…fucker.
"I WANT EVERYONE THAT WAS AT THE…" there was a pause.
"RODEO BAR LAST NIGHT, FRONT AND FUCKING CENTER!"
Emmett's brow creased and I said, "That's what I'm trying to tell
you…someone…"
"NOW!"
"I guess you can explain later," he said and then we both made our way back
down the hall to where Tanya was standing…next to James.
Great.
Bella and I made eye contact. She seemed to be a little confused and I also
realized that she looked about as bad as any of us did that morning. Tired,
hung-over and quite possibly, still tipsy.
And somehow, still cute as a button.
James's jaw was tight as he stood there, arms crossed, ready to lay into
whoever and whatever was in his way.
I looked up to see if Carlisle was watching from his office, but didn't see him,
then I stood up a little straighter and made my way to the front of the crowd.
"Well, at least you're not trying to deny your idiocy," Tanya said snidely.
She was holding a newspaper in her hands and I inwardly cringed. I knew
what she was looking at…what James had seen…and wondered how this
was all gonna go down.
Either way, I didn't think I was gonna like it.
Tanya held the paper up at me so I could see the picture that had become the
front page and part of me wanted to laugh remembering the moment.
I definitely smiled at the very least.
Bella was laughing, holding the back of her hand up to her nose. She had just
giggle snorted after introducing me to Felix as Edward Kuhmasen.
She looked, really happy.
James snatched the paper out of Tanya's hand and stuffed it in my face.
"You think this is funny, asshole? Isabella's reputation is TAINTED now
because of you."
I didn't like that word, tainted. It sounded…bad.
Bella stepped forward to say something but he held up a hand to stop her as
he began reading from the article before she'd had a chance to speak.
"It girl, Isabella Swan was seen gallivanting around the city last night with an
unknown male companion."
Well, at least they know their body parts.
He looked at me with a glare I wanted to smack it right off of his face.
Bella's expression changed as he read on. "It was reported a while back that
Miss Swan's long time boyfriend and Producer, James Halloway had cheated
on her. Those rumors were squashed by the couple, but now it seems, the
tables have turned."
This time his glare fell on Bella and that's when I decided to intervene.
"We get it, James…" I tried to take the paper away be he held it back from
me. "Oh, no, you don't get it, monkey…there's more."
"It was later confirmed, after some investigation, that Miss Swan had visited
the 'Rodeo Bar' with a group of people unknown to this reporter, and was
drinking heavily and her actions were perceived by certain patrons as…" he
lowered the paper and looked to her again. "Provocative."
"She was NOT…!" I started but then Tanya broke in. "Okay, okay, listen," she
said, holding her hands up. "Anyone who doesn't NEED to be here, can
disappear…like, immediately."
A bunch of people walked away but the damage had already been done,
James had planted the seed, and people were whispering as they left.
The only ones there now were Emmett, Alice, Rose, myself and…Bella.
She still hadn't spoken, but looked like she was about to.
James narrowed in on me, first. "I told you, you could destroy her,
I asked you, to stay away, so what do you do? You stupid,
Neanderthal, mindless…"
"You're not the boss of her," I said all, spoiled rotten and toddler like.
This stuff really does sound better in my head.
"No, but I AM her…"
"Fiance?" Bella asked, shutting him right up. And man, did she looked pissed.
"Buurr-hur-hurrrrrrn," Emmett chuckled from somewhere in the background
and I placed my hand over my mouth to keep from showing the smile that was
creeping up around my lips.
James stopped with me, and turned to Bella, smiling innocently.
"I asked them to go with me," she told him before anyone else could speak.
I furrowed my brow in confusion and Emmett's jaw dropped a little. Rose and
Alice just smiled at her.
James was stopped dead for a second, eyeballing me with doubt, but then
turned to Bella. "Well then, would you like to explain why you felt the need to
go out with these…"
"Careful what you say, there, pal…you're not my boss and this ain't no Vudu
Lounge," Emmett warned him and he re-adjusted.
"What?" he asked her. "Do you want to be the next Paris Hilton or something,
Isabella?"
"Leave…her…alone," Emmett piped in again. I swear I thought he was gonna
deck him that time.
I shoulda decked him.
"Maybe if you hadn't gone off…" Bella waved a hand at nothing. "to wherever
at the last minute, with…whoever it was you went with…"
So she was suspicious about that, too.
"…I wouldn't have felt the need to ask these nice people to keep me
company, now would I, James?"
He started to open his mouth but she shut it for him again.
"And I can go out with whomever…" She took a step toward him.
"Wherever…" another step and he actually backed up a little. "And
WHENEVER, I want! I'm Isabella Marie Swan, James, not June
Fucking Cleaver….and you know what? If those stupid rag mag jerk offs who
like to call themselves reporters want to throw a rumor out there that I
behaved less than respectfully? Then FUCK. THEM."
Before any of us could digest what she'd said, she added, "And my name…is
BELLA!"
She stormed off and the rest of us just stood there, mouths gaping, eyebrows
up, and in my particular case…dick hardened…
Did she just say…fuck?
James turned to Tanya. "Did she just say fuck?"
Tanya shrugged and snatched the paper back out of his hands and went to
her office where she closed the door and ignored us for a while. Once he
knew she wasn't coming back, James turned to me again.
"This is your fault, you fucking…"
Emmett stepped in between us.
Not that I needed him to. I mean, James mighta got a sucker punch off on me
over at Jasper's place, but I can handle myself pretty well.
Really.
"Step off, Halloway," he told him, and James just eyed him for a minute, then
straightened his five hundred dollar suit and told me, "I'll be in touch with you,
soon, Masen."
I really didn't like the way he said my fake name like that.
He left, but not before stepping into Bella's dressing room for a while, closing
the door.
I didn't hear any yelling or screaming, or curse words, so I didn't go in there
after him, I was pretty sure Bella would handle him just fine by herself.
"Dude."
It was Emmett again.
"I know, that's what I was trying to tell you."
"No, I mean, Bella…she's like…cool."
"you mean, you're not mad?"
"Mad? Why? Because some lame shithead took a picture of you with Bells?"
He laughed. "That's normal in the industry, Edward…plus…Bella didn't seem
to mind." He winked and nudged me, then stepped over to Rose, kissed her
and went back to work.
The girls rolled their eyes and laughed, going back to what they were doing,
and I was left standing there, thinking about everything that had just gone
down.
And what it meant.
Until I looked up again and saw Carlisle staring down at us, curling his finger
at me to come upstairs.
I breathed out.
Oh boy.
That son-of-a-bitch sees EVERYTHING.
I'd waited outside his office for about fifteen minutes when James joined me. It
was an uncomfortable moment, I'm not gonna lie.
Carlisle's doors opened and he invited the two of us in.
James sat his ass down into one of the comfy chairs across from Carlilse's
desk.
I remained standing.
Once Carlisle was sitting again, he placed his hands in front of him and
clasped his fingers together, then said, very plain and simple like, "I don't want
to see another scene like that play out in my station again, gentlemen."
"Get rid of the intern and there won't have to be," James offered, and again,
wasn't liking the way he referred to me, ever, it was like he was saying one
thing, but meaning another.
Carlisle eyed him. "I don't throw talent away without good cause, James,
Edward here did nothing wrong, Bella said herself she invited them along with
her for the evening."
"But he…"
Carlisle held a hand up. "I don't want to hear it, James…honestly, I really like
your work, but if you two have issues, keep it outside of the doors of my
station, or you'll be gone faster than you can try to explain your actions, are
we clear?"
James was thoughtful for a moment, then finally said, "Crystal."
I nodded and stayed behind when James left. Carlisle didn't let me get a word
out before he told me, "You're clearly not taking anyone's advice on this Bella
situation."
"I'm sorry, Carlisle, I…."
"Edward, do you know why I own a TV station?"
Ummm….
"Be…cause, you like TV?" I smiled.
He laughed through his nose and turned, putting his hands behind his back,
looking out of his window down at the crew working away.
"Because I don't like people telling me what to do," he said, not looking at me,
then conceded with, "And because I like TV."
"I'm not following," I told him.
"If I wanted to let people like James Halloway tell me how to run my business,
I'd have stayed in corporate America, Edward…" He turned his body to me
then, and smiled. "If you really want to follow what your gut is telling you to do
with Bella, I say good for you, don't listen to him, or…hell, ME or anyone else
who tells you differently."
Well that was weird.
I opened my mouth but he continued. "However…you might want to fess up
about who you are now, it won't be long before those reporters do some
digging to find out who you are, and it won't be long after that before they find
out that you're a Cullen."
Ugh.
"That…can't happen, not yet," I said and then the disapproval returned to
Carlisle's face. "I still have time, I just need to figure out how to pose it to her,
tothem without anyone thinking I'm a…"
Dick.
He nodded in understanding. "Well, if I were you, I'd make that happen sooner
than later."
"Understood," I told him, and then it was time to get back to work.
…..
Another few hours had passed, most of us were out on the sound stage going
over lines, marks, meaning of words in Mike's case, but no one had seen
Bella since the confrontation in the morning and James had left quite a while
ago.
"Rose!" Tanya yelled from her office. "See if Miss Swan is going to grace us
today or if we need to just call it quits, please!"
Rose did as Tanya asked and headed back down the hall to the dressing
rooms.
I watched the hallway intensely, waiting for one of them, or both of them to
come out but it was only Rose who returned. She went straight to Tanya's
office, said something I couldn't make out and then left again, off to her
wardrobe area.
I eyed Tanya's office while Mike was at my side. "Edward, why would Steele
have Melanoma? I mean, what in the hell is that anyway?"
I didn't take my eyes off of Tanya's office door as I answered him.
"It's megalomania, Mike…" I put a hand on his shoulder. "And it's a mania for
grandiose or extravagant things or actions…like…proclamations of love…"
"Huh," he said as he walked away.
Tanya finally came out and announced, "Everyone's got the rest of the day
off…leave people, don't make me throw you out."
I went to see what she meant by that but she stopped me as I approached
her. "I'm not getting in the middle of this, Masen," she said, then raised her
voice again. "Dress rehearsals tomorrow! I don't give a goddamn who's
having a moment, if you're not here, you're being replaced!"
Then she stepped back into her office and shut the door in my face.
By the time I made it to Bella's dressing room, she'd left, so I did too.
Straight to her apartment building.
I had no idea which window was Bella's but I sat there, across the street,
watching each and every one of them as the lights would turn on and off,
wondering if it was her inside there.
I really wished I'd had a cell phone and made a mental note to make some
purchases with my next pay dirt from Jasper's place.
I watched people come and go, hoping one of them would eventually be her,
but they weren't.
I watched delivery people enter, taking food into the residents, wondering if
they were for her.
Which gave me an idea.
That I wasn't going to get to follow up on apparently, since I also watched as a
long black limousine pull up in front of the building just then.
I watched James get out, say something to Felix, then enter the building as
his limo waited. As I started to wonder why the limo driver wasn't parking
somewhere, the door on my side opened and two long legs showed
themselves as the high heels attached to them landed on the pavement.
My eyes wandered up as a tall red head got out and pulled a cigarette out of a
case, pulling her fur jacket around herself to keep warm.
So, this must be his travel companion.
"Got a light?" she asked me and I was startled a little that she'd seen me
there, but kept my cool.
"You really shouldn't smoke ya know?" I said to her as she made her way over
to me in a very sultry, very…sexy kinda way.
Man, she was tall.
"Well I'll be sure and remember that in my next life," she teased, still holding
the cigarette out.
"Can't help ya, sorry," I said to her, then I thought of something. "So, who's
keeping a beautiful woman like yourself waiting out here in the cold like this?"
She smiled.
"Someone who, if he knows better, isn't going to keep me waiting much
longer."
Hmmmm.
A homeless woman passed us as we stood there, clutching an expensive
looking coat around herself and asked if we had any change to spare. The red
head rolled her eyes and said, "Maybe you should sell your coat, then you'd
have money and wouldn't have to beg us hard working citizens for any."
Nice.
"That's kinda stupid, don't you think? Considering she'd freeze if she sold the
coat?" I asked her as our homeless friend cursed her out and went on her
way.
"To-may-to, to-mah-to."
We were silent for a few more minutes, the red head eye fucking me, and
myself, well, trying to figure out just exactly what she was to James.
"You all live here?"
It was a legitimate question…maybe he was living with Bella…although I have
no idea why she'd want someone like him sharing her space and it probably
wasn't happening, being that his mistress was waiting for him outside.
The red head smirked at me. "No, honey, this is chump change compared to
where I live," she said and then leaned in closer to whisper to me. "Maybe you
could come visit some time."
I swallowed.
She was intimidating at best, a cheap whore at worst but for sure, nothing at
all like the person who was inside that building I was stalking, dealing with the
dick head that was two timing her with this…ho-bag.
"Thanks, but uh…no thanks," I said, and then started to walk back to
Emmett's place.
She didn't say anything else, but when I peeked back to see if she was gone
yet, she was still watching me.
It gave me the creeps.
Emmett wasn't home when I got there, which I was grateful for to tell you the
truth. I didn't wanna go out, and I didn't wanna chat.
So I pulled out my script sheets and made some notes for dress rehearsal that
I'd thought of while walking home, ate some food and went to
bed...or...couch...something like that.
And okay, fantasized about giving James some subtle jabs the next day to let
him know what I now know as fact and to warn his ass that he won't be in
Bella's life for much longer.
Sue me.
use your voice, you should use it." I think Bella was listening.
The Bad Influence's POV
The next day, or, shall I say, a few hours later, when Bella walked onto the
set, I tried at every opportunity to catch her alone so I could warn her that I'd
seen the photographer snapping pictures outside of her apartment building
when I left.
That just wasn't happening, though. I was either grabbed by another writer to
review something, or she was hauled off to get sized for an outfit...or...just
about anything and everything in between.
It also didn't help that I still felt slightly drunk and couldn't quite focus on the
task at hand…I was stealing bagels left and right but wasn't choking on them
this time, thankfully.
Okay, at the very least, I was still buzzed.
The paparazzi incident had sobered me up quite a bit.
Dress rehearsals were scheduled to start the next day, so everyone was kinda
frantic and Bella was no exception, although, she seemed to handle her
frantic-ness a little better than everyone else.
She was also spending a little more time than usual with Alice and Rose
which was kinda cool to see, I think everyone got the wrong impression of her
because she would spend so much time in her dressing room alone...or with
the dick hole.
Little did they know, she was really just...shy.
Anyway, the girls were talking to her about how to do her hair for the show
and what outfits would be best for her character and the smile that the
conversation was bringing to her face lit up the entire station, in my opinion.
Just the simple act of watching her interact with people made my heart stop.
She was so personable and warm.
I wanted to be wrapped up in that warmth.
In more ways than one.
Badly.
Okay, I'm done now.
Mike, on the other hand, was going over his lines, looking confused as ever
and I had to assume it was because some of the words I'd thrown in there
were a little too big for his comprehension.
Poor guy...and I'm supposed to be the monkey?
Insert cocked eyebrow here.
I hadn't seen much of Emmett all morning, he was coordinating the camera
and lighting teams and moved way too fast for someone his size who'd been
drinking all goddamn night long if you ask me.
And lastly, I, could not…stop…eating. Call it nervous eating, drunken eating,
hang over eating, I don't know and don't care, I just had to stuff food in my
mouth while I thought of possible ways out of the mess that was undoubtedly
heading my way.
"Dude."
It was Emmett. Finally.
And thank god.
"Emmett, got a minute?"
He paused and checked over by the lights and camera equipment area for his
crew, but said, "Sure," and followed me down the hallway until I found a spot
that was pretty quiet…considering.
"Listen, last night…"
"I know, dude, Bella's great! You should ask her to come with more often…"
"No, I know… but look, after we left…"
"Did ya hook up? Oh snap! James is gonna have a cow!" he was whisper
shouting…and getting all kinds of excited about James…having a cow.
"No…we didn't…look, after I dropped Bella…"
"MASEN!"
Shhhhhhit.
"Woah, Tanya doesn't sound too happy."
Mother…fucker.
"I WANT EVERYONE THAT WAS AT THE…" there was a pause.
"RODEO BAR LAST NIGHT, FRONT AND FUCKING CENTER!"
Emmett's brow creased and I said, "That's what I'm trying to tell
you…someone…"
"NOW!"
"I guess you can explain later," he said and then we both made our way back
down the hall to where Tanya was standing…next to James.
Great.
Bella and I made eye contact. She seemed to be a little confused and I also
realized that she looked about as bad as any of us did that morning. Tired,
hung-over and quite possibly, still tipsy.
And somehow, still cute as a button.
James's jaw was tight as he stood there, arms crossed, ready to lay into
whoever and whatever was in his way.
I looked up to see if Carlisle was watching from his office, but didn't see him,
then I stood up a little straighter and made my way to the front of the crowd.
"Well, at least you're not trying to deny your idiocy," Tanya said snidely.
She was holding a newspaper in her hands and I inwardly cringed. I knew
what she was looking at…what James had seen…and wondered how this
was all gonna go down.
Either way, I didn't think I was gonna like it.
Tanya held the paper up at me so I could see the picture that had become the
front page and part of me wanted to laugh remembering the moment.
I definitely smiled at the very least.
Bella was laughing, holding the back of her hand up to her nose. She had just
giggle snorted after introducing me to Felix as Edward Kuhmasen.
She looked, really happy.
James snatched the paper out of Tanya's hand and stuffed it in my face.
"You think this is funny, asshole? Isabella's reputation is TAINTED now
because of you."
I didn't like that word, tainted. It sounded…bad.
Bella stepped forward to say something but he held up a hand to stop her as
he began reading from the article before she'd had a chance to speak.
"It girl, Isabella Swan was seen gallivanting around the city last night with an
unknown male companion."
Well, at least they know their body parts.
He looked at me with a glare I wanted to smack it right off of his face.
Bella's expression changed as he read on. "It was reported a while back that
Miss Swan's long time boyfriend and Producer, James Halloway had cheated
on her. Those rumors were squashed by the couple, but now it seems, the
tables have turned."
This time his glare fell on Bella and that's when I decided to intervene.
"We get it, James…" I tried to take the paper away be he held it back from
me. "Oh, no, you don't get it, monkey…there's more."
"It was later confirmed, after some investigation, that Miss Swan had visited
the 'Rodeo Bar' with a group of people unknown to this reporter, and was
drinking heavily and her actions were perceived by certain patrons as…" he
lowered the paper and looked to her again. "Provocative."
"She was NOT…!" I started but then Tanya broke in. "Okay, okay, listen," she
said, holding her hands up. "Anyone who doesn't NEED to be here, can
disappear…like, immediately."
A bunch of people walked away but the damage had already been done,
James had planted the seed, and people were whispering as they left.
The only ones there now were Emmett, Alice, Rose, myself and…Bella.
She still hadn't spoken, but looked like she was about to.
James narrowed in on me, first. "I told you, you could destroy her,
I asked you, to stay away, so what do you do? You stupid,
Neanderthal, mindless…"
"You're not the boss of her," I said all, spoiled rotten and toddler like.
This stuff really does sound better in my head.
"No, but I AM her…"
"Fiance?" Bella asked, shutting him right up. And man, did she looked pissed.
"Buurr-hur-hurrrrrrn," Emmett chuckled from somewhere in the background
and I placed my hand over my mouth to keep from showing the smile that was
creeping up around my lips.
James stopped with me, and turned to Bella, smiling innocently.
"I asked them to go with me," she told him before anyone else could speak.
I furrowed my brow in confusion and Emmett's jaw dropped a little. Rose and
Alice just smiled at her.
James was stopped dead for a second, eyeballing me with doubt, but then
turned to Bella. "Well then, would you like to explain why you felt the need to
go out with these…"
"Careful what you say, there, pal…you're not my boss and this ain't no Vudu
Lounge," Emmett warned him and he re-adjusted.
"What?" he asked her. "Do you want to be the next Paris Hilton or something,
Isabella?"
"Leave…her…alone," Emmett piped in again. I swear I thought he was gonna
deck him that time.
I shoulda decked him.
"Maybe if you hadn't gone off…" Bella waved a hand at nothing. "to wherever
at the last minute, with…whoever it was you went with…"
So she was suspicious about that, too.
"…I wouldn't have felt the need to ask these nice people to keep me
company, now would I, James?"
He started to open his mouth but she shut it for him again.
"And I can go out with whomever…" She took a step toward him.
"Wherever…" another step and he actually backed up a little. "And
WHENEVER, I want! I'm Isabella Marie Swan, James, not June
Fucking Cleaver….and you know what? If those stupid rag mag jerk offs who
like to call themselves reporters want to throw a rumor out there that I
behaved less than respectfully? Then FUCK. THEM."
Before any of us could digest what she'd said, she added, "And my name…is
BELLA!"
She stormed off and the rest of us just stood there, mouths gaping, eyebrows
up, and in my particular case…dick hardened…
Did she just say…fuck?
James turned to Tanya. "Did she just say fuck?"
Tanya shrugged and snatched the paper back out of his hands and went to
her office where she closed the door and ignored us for a while. Once he
knew she wasn't coming back, James turned to me again.
"This is your fault, you fucking…"
Emmett stepped in between us.
Not that I needed him to. I mean, James mighta got a sucker punch off on me
over at Jasper's place, but I can handle myself pretty well.
Really.
"Step off, Halloway," he told him, and James just eyed him for a minute, then
straightened his five hundred dollar suit and told me, "I'll be in touch with you,
soon, Masen."
I really didn't like the way he said my fake name like that.
He left, but not before stepping into Bella's dressing room for a while, closing
the door.
I didn't hear any yelling or screaming, or curse words, so I didn't go in there
after him, I was pretty sure Bella would handle him just fine by herself.
"Dude."
It was Emmett again.
"I know, that's what I was trying to tell you."
"No, I mean, Bella…she's like…cool."
"you mean, you're not mad?"
"Mad? Why? Because some lame shithead took a picture of you with Bells?"
He laughed. "That's normal in the industry, Edward…plus…Bella didn't seem
to mind." He winked and nudged me, then stepped over to Rose, kissed her
and went back to work.
The girls rolled their eyes and laughed, going back to what they were doing,
and I was left standing there, thinking about everything that had just gone
down.
And what it meant.
Until I looked up again and saw Carlisle staring down at us, curling his finger
at me to come upstairs.
I breathed out.
Oh boy.
That son-of-a-bitch sees EVERYTHING.
I'd waited outside his office for about fifteen minutes when James joined me. It
was an uncomfortable moment, I'm not gonna lie.
Carlisle's doors opened and he invited the two of us in.
James sat his ass down into one of the comfy chairs across from Carlilse's
desk.
I remained standing.
Once Carlisle was sitting again, he placed his hands in front of him and
clasped his fingers together, then said, very plain and simple like, "I don't want
to see another scene like that play out in my station again, gentlemen."
"Get rid of the intern and there won't have to be," James offered, and again,
wasn't liking the way he referred to me, ever, it was like he was saying one
thing, but meaning another.
Carlisle eyed him. "I don't throw talent away without good cause, James,
Edward here did nothing wrong, Bella said herself she invited them along with
her for the evening."
"But he…"
Carlisle held a hand up. "I don't want to hear it, James…honestly, I really like
your work, but if you two have issues, keep it outside of the doors of my
station, or you'll be gone faster than you can try to explain your actions, are
we clear?"
James was thoughtful for a moment, then finally said, "Crystal."
I nodded and stayed behind when James left. Carlisle didn't let me get a word
out before he told me, "You're clearly not taking anyone's advice on this Bella
situation."
"I'm sorry, Carlisle, I…."
"Edward, do you know why I own a TV station?"
Ummm….
"Be…cause, you like TV?" I smiled.
He laughed through his nose and turned, putting his hands behind his back,
looking out of his window down at the crew working away.
"Because I don't like people telling me what to do," he said, not looking at me,
then conceded with, "And because I like TV."
"I'm not following," I told him.
"If I wanted to let people like James Halloway tell me how to run my business,
I'd have stayed in corporate America, Edward…" He turned his body to me
then, and smiled. "If you really want to follow what your gut is telling you to do
with Bella, I say good for you, don't listen to him, or…hell, ME or anyone else
who tells you differently."
Well that was weird.
I opened my mouth but he continued. "However…you might want to fess up
about who you are now, it won't be long before those reporters do some
digging to find out who you are, and it won't be long after that before they find
out that you're a Cullen."
Ugh.
"That…can't happen, not yet," I said and then the disapproval returned to
Carlisle's face. "I still have time, I just need to figure out how to pose it to her,
tothem without anyone thinking I'm a…"
Dick.
He nodded in understanding. "Well, if I were you, I'd make that happen sooner
than later."
"Understood," I told him, and then it was time to get back to work.
…..
Another few hours had passed, most of us were out on the sound stage going
over lines, marks, meaning of words in Mike's case, but no one had seen
Bella since the confrontation in the morning and James had left quite a while
ago.
"Rose!" Tanya yelled from her office. "See if Miss Swan is going to grace us
today or if we need to just call it quits, please!"
Rose did as Tanya asked and headed back down the hall to the dressing
rooms.
I watched the hallway intensely, waiting for one of them, or both of them to
come out but it was only Rose who returned. She went straight to Tanya's
office, said something I couldn't make out and then left again, off to her
wardrobe area.
I eyed Tanya's office while Mike was at my side. "Edward, why would Steele
have Melanoma? I mean, what in the hell is that anyway?"
I didn't take my eyes off of Tanya's office door as I answered him.
"It's megalomania, Mike…" I put a hand on his shoulder. "And it's a mania for
grandiose or extravagant things or actions…like…proclamations of love…"
"Huh," he said as he walked away.
Tanya finally came out and announced, "Everyone's got the rest of the day
off…leave people, don't make me throw you out."
I went to see what she meant by that but she stopped me as I approached
her. "I'm not getting in the middle of this, Masen," she said, then raised her
voice again. "Dress rehearsals tomorrow! I don't give a goddamn who's
having a moment, if you're not here, you're being replaced!"
Then she stepped back into her office and shut the door in my face.
By the time I made it to Bella's dressing room, she'd left, so I did too.
Straight to her apartment building.
I had no idea which window was Bella's but I sat there, across the street,
watching each and every one of them as the lights would turn on and off,
wondering if it was her inside there.
I really wished I'd had a cell phone and made a mental note to make some
purchases with my next pay dirt from Jasper's place.
I watched people come and go, hoping one of them would eventually be her,
but they weren't.
I watched delivery people enter, taking food into the residents, wondering if
they were for her.
Which gave me an idea.
That I wasn't going to get to follow up on apparently, since I also watched as a
long black limousine pull up in front of the building just then.
I watched James get out, say something to Felix, then enter the building as
his limo waited. As I started to wonder why the limo driver wasn't parking
somewhere, the door on my side opened and two long legs showed
themselves as the high heels attached to them landed on the pavement.
My eyes wandered up as a tall red head got out and pulled a cigarette out of a
case, pulling her fur jacket around herself to keep warm.
So, this must be his travel companion.
"Got a light?" she asked me and I was startled a little that she'd seen me
there, but kept my cool.
"You really shouldn't smoke ya know?" I said to her as she made her way over
to me in a very sultry, very…sexy kinda way.
Man, she was tall.
"Well I'll be sure and remember that in my next life," she teased, still holding
the cigarette out.
"Can't help ya, sorry," I said to her, then I thought of something. "So, who's
keeping a beautiful woman like yourself waiting out here in the cold like this?"
She smiled.
"Someone who, if he knows better, isn't going to keep me waiting much
longer."
Hmmmm.
A homeless woman passed us as we stood there, clutching an expensive
looking coat around herself and asked if we had any change to spare. The red
head rolled her eyes and said, "Maybe you should sell your coat, then you'd
have money and wouldn't have to beg us hard working citizens for any."
Nice.
"That's kinda stupid, don't you think? Considering she'd freeze if she sold the
coat?" I asked her as our homeless friend cursed her out and went on her
way.
"To-may-to, to-mah-to."
We were silent for a few more minutes, the red head eye fucking me, and
myself, well, trying to figure out just exactly what she was to James.
"You all live here?"
It was a legitimate question…maybe he was living with Bella…although I have
no idea why she'd want someone like him sharing her space and it probably
wasn't happening, being that his mistress was waiting for him outside.
The red head smirked at me. "No, honey, this is chump change compared to
where I live," she said and then leaned in closer to whisper to me. "Maybe you
could come visit some time."
I swallowed.
She was intimidating at best, a cheap whore at worst but for sure, nothing at
all like the person who was inside that building I was stalking, dealing with the
dick head that was two timing her with this…ho-bag.
"Thanks, but uh…no thanks," I said, and then started to walk back to
Emmett's place.
She didn't say anything else, but when I peeked back to see if she was gone
yet, she was still watching me.
It gave me the creeps.
Emmett wasn't home when I got there, which I was grateful for to tell you the
truth. I didn't wanna go out, and I didn't wanna chat.
So I pulled out my script sheets and made some notes for dress rehearsal that
I'd thought of while walking home, ate some food and went to
bed...or...couch...something like that.
And okay, fantasized about giving James some subtle jabs the next day to let
him know what I now know as fact and to warn his ass that he won't be in
Bella's life for much longer.
Sue me.
No comments:
Post a Comment