September 6, 2010

It was near twilight when we made it home, the first star of evening making its appearance in the darkening sky. “Hmm, twilight, the most dangerous time of day,” Edward whispered as he parked his car into his spot under our building.

“I don’t know about that,” I argued back. “When else do you get to make a wish, except when blowing out candles, and that’s only once a year.”

He rolled his eyes in an exaggerated motion, probably so I could make it out in the low light of the car. “After we get married are you planning to argue about everything?” It was all I could do to even blink in the sudden light of the overhead dome when he opened the car door, the shock was so great. Of course he just chuckled and shut his own door, plunging me back into darkness before appearing at mine seconds later.

When the light turned back on with the opening of my door he laughed; I was still turned in the direction he had been sitting. “Bella, turn around, please.” His voice was very close and I knew better than turn. He would probably kiss me or something, totally distracting me from whatever we were talking about.

There was a brush on my arm and I looked down to see his hand reaching in to undo my seatbelt. “You have to get out of the car sometime,” he whispered into my ear. “And, you have to face the truth.”

Closing my eyes to resist the pull of him I spun on my seat. “I don’t have to face anything, because your version of the truth is not necessarily reality.”

“Then why aren’t you looking at me?” he crooned, the seat moving as he sat down next to me.

“Because you fluster me when I look at you,” I admitted, feeling his breath on my face with his resulting chuckle.

“I’m supposed to fluster you. It’s only fair, after all.” His breath was on my lips now, the heat from his body warming me as it all but touched my own.

“H-h-how is it fair?” My stuttering was in time with my heart, which seemed intent on beating out of my chest. I really couldn’t understand how he didn’t hear or feel it, but then it seemed to be beating in time with his own, which my hand was somehow covering, feeling the ridges of his chest.

“Because I am always flustered around you.” Long fingers wrapped around mine, holding my hand still. “Can you feel it? My heart? It’s been going crazy like this since I first saw you.”

My eyes opened of their own volition, causing my breath to catch as his latched onto mine. “Now, Bella Swan, will you please go out on a date with me? It doesn’t have to be anything big, we could even just go to the museum or something. And before you say no just remember that I’ve seen your father’s heart, and even held it in my hand, so I know he approves of me.”

“I don’t want to get married,” I whispered. He just smiled, because I wasn’t refusing the date. “I don’t like being embarrassed, so no talking about sex. You also can’t tell people we’re getting married until I say it’s okay.”

His eyes got really big and a grin split his face. Confusion must have been evident on mine, until what I had said sunk into my own brain. My hands flew to my mouth, only it was moving back and forth, shaking in denial. “Does this mean we’re engaged? Because I can completely agree to that last requirement, even if it takes a year or more before you’re ready to announce it.” A mischievous twinkle appeared in his eyes, which were still so close to my own they were almost all I could see. “I promise not to date anyone else, what with being engaged and all, and expect the same from you.”

My senses finally returned, probably due to a lack of breathing, so his cologne was no longer working in concert with his eyes to totally befuddle me. “Me dating other people is hardly a concern, since no one seems to want to. At least not for very long. You talk marriage, but you’re just going to turn out to be like every other guy in the end. Why don’t we just save ourselves the hassle and pain of breaking up and…”

His lips stopped mine, pressing gently, as if requesting permission to be there, never demanding. It was mine that responded, pressing back and begging for his touch. This was what I was afraid of, feeling so much for him, only to be hurt. Why couldn’t my mind and body refuse him? Did they have to drag my heart along for the ride?

“Bella, you’re fighting me again,” he murmured against my lips. “I know you’re afraid of being hurt, I get it. I just want to try, please? You may hate me, but I want to take the jump, just to see if it would work. Would you feel better if we tried to be friends first? No romantic strings, just get to know one another?”

“That means no kissing.” I tried to make that sound like a demand, but it came out as more of a complaint.

“We could be friends with minimal benefits. After all, when in need of a good make-out session, who else would I want to call?” His plan was alluring, but fraught with danger.

“I don’t see that protecting my heart,” I whispered.

“Leave that to me.”

Knowing we were leaving in three days put an urgency on my situation. Tonight was the night. I had planned on this for the last few weeks, hell, almost since that day that I realized I loved her, but had purposely – blissfully – ignored the impending date of our separation. My plans had been organized and combed through with Alice as I was unwilling to do anything so monumental without her stamp of approval. However sitting with Bella at the bar, listening to her talk about Lucy and what was best for her, I realized the time was upon me to put my plan into action.

I confirmed with Emily that she and Emmett would keep Lucy for the night, and drove Bella back to her place, our time in the car a quiet anticipation of the night ahead, although not for the same reasons I suspected.

I loved her, I didn’t want to be without her, but our two month separation was necessary. Bella had things she needed to finish, loose ends to tie up and I had to get Lucy home and settled in school. Plus, if things went the way I hoped they would, I had some things to set into motion once we got home to Seattle.

I pulled into the gravel driveway of her little house, and leaned over to kiss her, unbuckling her seatbelt, stifling my smile as she tried to pull me in further.

Not yet my darling, I have plans, I thought and pulled away.

I opened her car door, cognizant of her shaky hand and smiled to myself. It was nice to know I affected her the same way she affected me, my confidence soared. Wrapping my arm around her waist, splaying my fingers across her taut stomach, I couldn’t resist the urge to pull her back into me, to let her know her anticipatory nerves weren’t without foundation. I, too, was anxious for her, for her body, for her love.

“Shall we go upstairs?” I whispered into her ear, my lips finding purchase on her neck, smiling when I felt her answering nod.

Turning the key in the lock, I directed us both in, closed the door and turned her around, unable to resist her mouth any longer. I kissed her deeply, passionately for as long as I could, pouring every emotion into my wordless communication. I broke off before I passed the point of no return and pulled her to the sofa in the living room, chuckling to myself at her protests.

“No, I need to talk to you first,” I said, guiding her down, grasping her hands and kissing each finger before speaking again. I took a deep breath, settling my racing heart that she had ignited.

“When Rose died…I thought I would never again be blessed with the good in life. She had given me Lucy and I was able to get up every day and function because of her, but I never really lived my life; I merely reacted to it.” She opened her mouth to speak, but I held my finger to her lips, silencing her. When she was quiet, I traced her mouth, momentarily forgetting my purpose. Shaking the cobwebs away, I continued on.

“Since you’ve come into my life, I have found what it is like to live again. Stars shine again, the moon is bright again, laughter means something to me again. I know you are worried about the two months that we are going to be apart, but I never want you to doubt me. My feelings and my love are strong and true and will never waver.

“I want to give you something to remember me by during the time that we are apart so you will be able to look at it and know that no matter where Lucy and I are in the world, we are loving you at that moment.”

Despite my internal rehearsals, I was nervous. I pulled out the ring that Lucy and I had picked out together earlier that week, and held it by the shank, letting her eyes focus on the stones and the precious metal band. I lowered myself in front of her on one knee as she sat on the couch, eyes wide and bright with unshed tears as comprehension took over her face.

“Isabella Swan…would you do me the great honor of being my wife?”

Dear Mr. Cullen,

We have received your application and wish to give you as thorough a chance as possible in fulfilling your mission with Enterprise Bella Swan.

Please answer the following questions as completely and accurately (based in fact wherever possible) to enable us to unflinchingly assess your qualifications for the desired position.

1. If you were Ms. Swan’s lover, where would you take her for a marriage proposal?
2. If you were to take Ms. Swan to dinner, what would you eat?
3. If you were to meet Ms. Swan’s father, what might be your conversation starter?
4. If you were to pick a color for Ms. Swan to wear, what would it be?
5. If you had to pick one friend for Ms. Swan, who would it be?
6. If you were given the opportunity to kiss Ms. Swan in one place that would elicit the utmost response, where would it be?
7. If you were to take Ms, Swan on vacation, to where would you go?
8. If there were a subject worthy of argument with Ms. Swan, what is that subject?
9. If you had to pick someone as your successor, who would it be and why?
10. If there were one way that you could show Ms. Swan of your undying love and affection, how would you show it?

Thank you, and please return this survey promptly as your answers are pertinent to our decision.

Angela Weber (Assistant to Ms. Bella Swan)

*&*&*&*&*

To Whom It May Concern:

Thank you for the opportunity to apply for the position at Enterprise Bella Swan. I have completed the survey to the best of my ability, although I feel my personal qualifications are best experienced first-hand and may appear to be lacking on paper. I do hope, however, that my recent acquaintance with Ms. Swan will elevate my qualifications above the others. Please extend me the great courtesy of expediting my application. I am most anxious to begin my employ with Ms. Swan and if that is not an option, I will need to find another means of survival, if one so exists.

1. If I were so lucky as to propose marriage to Ms. Swan, I believe I would take her to a small meadow tucked away in the woods of Forks, Washington. There, under a star-filled sky, is a lovely bed of flowers that elicits tender emotions and a feeling of solace. It would quiet the mind and divorce Ms. Swan from any worldly concerns to enable her to listen to the sincerity of my devotion and make an appropriate and unhindered decision.
2. If I had the privilege of taking Ms. Swan to dinner, we would go to a simple Italian restaurant with which I am very familiar. I would order beverages for the two of us, ensure her comfort and privacy, and I would order some delicious gnocchi with four cheese sauce. If Ms. Swan required my assistance in ordering a suitable dish for her delicate palate, I would order for her the mushroom ravioli. It is a refined dish of subtle elegance, and as Ms. Swan most undoubtedly has a delicate appetite, she would appreciate the simplistic bliss of such a dish.
3. If I were to find myself in the position of meeting Ms. Swan’s father, surely it would mean that our relationship had progressed to a point where Ms. Swan thought it appropriate to incorporate me into her family. To that end, I would open our conversation with a respectful inquiry about Mr. Swan’s own roots and family of origin. I would offer my own story in response and then ensure that he was aware of my tender devotion to his only child.
4. If Ms. Swan bestowed upon me the grave responsibility of choosing a color for her clothing, I would undoubtedly choose blue. It would not be so dark a navy as to appear black, nor would it be so energetic as to appear royal blue. It would be a subtle shade between to highlight the translucent ivory of her skin while enhancing and magnifying the beauty of her brown eyes.
5. I have a sister, Alice Cullen, who would be an excellent friend to Ms. Swan. She has an intuitive sense about what should be done in certain situations and Ms. Swan, while absolutely intelligent in her decision-making, would appreciate the input of such a female friend. On the other hand, I would humbly submit that I myself would make an excellent friend for Ms. Swan. I would anticipate her needs while expanding her horizons in ways she never expected. I would provide her with more than simple friendly companionship, as she would have my all – mind, body and soul.
6. If Ms. Swan ever saw fit to allow me the opportunity to press my lips anywhere on her person, I would choose her lips. It is obvious to me that she has the tenderest and responsive of mouths and that a kiss bestowed upon them would elicit a shiver and set off a million tingling nerve responses. Her pleasure is of utmost importance. She would immediately understand my desire, my unwavering devotion and my care with that exchange.
7. A vacation with Ms. Swan would have to take place at my family’s resort, Isle Esme. There she would find the utmost in discretion and privacy, as well as beautiful and unending tropical delights. Ms. Swan would be absolutely free to indulge in any manner of physical activity, relaxation, or even nearby shopping, however only at a local village level. This would suit Ms. Swan as she is not a materialistic sort.
8. It would be my fervent hope that any arguing that took place with Ms. Swan would be no more than spirited debate about any subject at all. I suspect that she would be most likely to argue about something that would highlight her humility. She is given neither to excesses of self-admiration nor to gratuitous displays of ego-worship. I believe that I would vehemently argue that she does, indeed, deserve to be worshipped and showered with gifts of any and every kind daily. I am most certain Ms. Swan would oppose just as strongly.
9. If I were required to pick my own successor I would select Jacob Black. Jacob is a good friend who, if he weren’t smitten with his lover Renesmee, would make an excellent match for Ms. Swan. His constancy and undeterred desire for Ms. Swan’s safety and happiness would be a consolation to me if I could not ensure it myself.
10. The answer to this question is simple. My love and affection for Ms. Swan could be demonstrated best in the role under discussion: boyfriend, lover, companion, husband. I could best show her my affections, my desires, my selfless devotion to her by being the chosen party to share her life. Ms. Swan would have no doubt or misgivings about selecting me because while I can be strong on certain points, she would always know that she is the reason I exist.

I cannot overstate my desire to secure this position and if I meet the criteria as set forth in the job description, I am available immediately for whatever tasks Ms. Swan sees fit to ask of me.

Thank you for your consideration. I respectfully and anxiously await your reply.

Mr. Edward Cullen, Esq.