"I'll have a double half-caf with skim milk, to go, please," the petite brunette told me decisively. I rang her up, took her money, and proceeded down the line to begin making her drink.

"Do you want whipped cream on that?" I asked, almost as an afterthought. If I were a betting woman, I would have bet my right boob that she was going to say extra whipped cream – the skinny little girls who ordered the skim milk drinks almost always did.

"Extra whipped cream, please," she chirped, smiling brightly at me. I couldn't help the knowing smirk that turned my lips up, and nodded at her. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," I answered distractedly.

"I'm new in town, and I'm not familiar with all of the local hot spots yet. Are there any amazingly good restaurants you can recommend to me?"

"Um, yeah," I said, glancing up once before piping some whipped cream on the top of her drink. "What kind of food? Fast food, a nice sit-down place? Italian, French, Cuban-"

"Okay," she said, giggling and waving her hand to get me to stop. I passed her drink across the counter towards her. "A nice sit-down Italian place. Is that specific enough?"

"Next door," I said, nodding my head to the right. "Lentini's is amazing. I recommend the Veal Marcello – so freaking good. I swear I think I could live off of that stuff." She nodded, her eyes slightly wider than they had been a moment ago. I started to wipe down the counter with a wet washcloth. It was almost lunch time, which meant that this place would be crazy busy in a few minutes – so I might as well get it cleaned up as best I could.

"I don't really have any friends in town – would you possibly want to have dinner with me?" My arm jerked once before I resumed my cleaning. She wasn't asking me on a date, was she? I must have been giving her a dubious look that betrayed my thoughts, because she giggled. "Oh, don't worry, I'm not a lesbian. I'm happily engaged," she said, showing me her huge diamond ring. "I just don't have any female friends here, and while my brothers and my fiancé are great, it'd be nice to have some girl time, you know?"

"Uh – sure, I guess," I said, shrugging. I'd use any justifiable excuse to eat at Lentini's. Sometimes I would even give Jake, one of the waiters at the restaurant, free drinks in exchange for bringing me a free lunch. "I have to warn you though, I don't have many female friends, either, so I might not be the best company." Actually… I didn't have any friends to speak of. I spent all my time here in this coffee shop, because I owned it and it was my baby. I only had two other employees, and one of those other two was a busboy, not a barista. I watched as she bounced on the balls of her feet and clapped her hands together gleefully.

"Well, I guess I should introduce myself, if we're going to be best friends. I'm Alice Cullen." She extended the hand that wasn't holding her drink, and I shook it firmly.

"Bella Swan."

"So, Bella," she began, moving aside as one of my regulars came in. I started making his drink without him uttering a syllable, and she shot an odd sideways smile at him before looking back at me. "Do you have a boyfriend that you'd like to invite tonight?"

"Tonight?" I asked, confused, as I steamed some milk.

"For dinner," she clarified.

"I didn't realize you meant tonight," I said, pouring the milk into the espresso.

"Is that okay?" She took a sip of her drink, and her eyes rolled back into her head. The moan that came from her mouth was the stuff of porno films, and Seth (my regular customer) stared openly at her. "Holy shit, this is amazing!"

"Thanks," I said, fighting back the pleased smile and the blush that threatened. Seth grinned as I handed him his paper cup.

"Bella's shop always serves the best coffee. Best desserts, too. Speaking of which, I think I'll have my dessert before lunch – do you have any of that chocolate cake with the chocolate shavings on top?"

"Sure do. Do you want it for here, or to go?"

"To go, please." I slid the dessert cabinet open and cut a sliver of cake off before placing it in a styrofoam box. I placed a plastic fork and napkin on top of the box, and he handed me his money. He grabbed his coffee and cake and started to walk away.

"Seth," I called, frowning. He turned around.

"Yeah?"

"You have change coming to you. Wait just a second and I'll get it for you."

"Keep it – this cake deserves every penny and more. Let me know when you start selling whole cakes." He nodded at Alice. "Good day, miss." Alice watched him leave and then turned to me with a huge smile.

"Okay, I'm sold. I need a piece of that cake, too." I laughed and dished her up a slice. She tried to pay me for it, but I refused to take her money.

"Just tell other people about it, and bring me new business. Word of mouth is like gold to a small business owner." Her eyes widened.

"You own this place?"

"Guilty," I said, smiling. "I love it. Nothing makes me happier than the smell of coffee percolating, or the way the beans look when you grind them. There's nothing about coffee that I don't love." She smiled at me and took a seat at the table closest to the counter. I watched in anticipation as she took her first bite of cake. Her eyes slid shut and she let loose another one of her porno-worthy moans. I giggled. I was particularly proud of that damned cake – it had taken me almost two months to perfect the recipe.

"Je-sus," she breathed slowly. She licked her lips and looked at me. "If that's not better than sex, it sure as hell is right up there with it." I smiled and took the order of the lady who approached the counter. After I'd handed her the two chai tea lattes that she'd ordered to go and taken her money, Alice approached me with her empty plate. "So what time do you get out of here?"

"I probably won't be finished until around nine. It's a weeknight and I only stay open until eight – but it'll take me an hour to clean up and prep for tomorrow's service, count out the till, blah blah."

"This might sound presumptuous of me," she began, looking down at her hands. "But if you need some help here – I mean, if you're looking to hire someone – I would be more than happy to help you out."

"Actually – that would be great," I said honestly. "You'd still have to fill out an application and all that, and I'd only be able to pay minimum wage, but the tips are-" She didn't wait for me to finish, and began squealing excitedly.

"I don't care about the pay! I can't wait! Thank you, Bella – you won't be sorry!" She lurched across the counter and wrapped her arms around my neck, squeezing once before letting go. I couldn't help it; I laughed. "I'll get the application from you tonight when I see you. I'll just meet you over at the restaurant around nine fifteen – is that okay?"

"Sure."

"I have to rush home – so much to do! I have to tell Jasper – that's my fiancé, by the way – and my brothers that I got a job!" She rushed towards the door, stopping and running back to grab the coffee she'd almost left behind. I laughed. "See you later, Bella!"

It was the strangest sensation, I thought as people began to wander in – the feeling that Alice and I were going to be the best of friends.

I was dead on my feet. The day had been particularly busy, and I had no idea why. Usually our busiest time came around the holidays, when people were out shopping and happened to walk by. The smell of the coffee was irresistible – especially on cold winter days when a body needed warming up. I've had customers tell me before that they just purchased a cup of hot chocolate or black coffee to warm up their hands.

I turned the sign on the front door from open to closed, and went back behind the counter. Now that the general public was gone, I could listen to whatever music I preferred, at whatever volume I preferred. I reached under the counter and pressed play on my CD player, and turned it up so loud that the ceramic mugs on the counter vibrated a little bit. I had already counted down the till and put the deposit bag in the safe, and was wiping down the counters when one of my favorite songs came on. I started swaying to the music and singing along as I moved the washcloth across the shiny steel surface.

But it was not your fault, but mine

And it was your heart on the line

I really fucked it up this time

Didn't I, my dear?

I was so engrossed in the song, in fact, that I didn't hear someone come in the shop, and when I turned around to begin wiping down the other counter and saw someone standing there, I screamed. He quickly put his hands up to signal that he surrendered, or didn't have a weapon, or whatever the hell he meant by it. I pressed a trembling hand to my chest to try and calm the rapid pace of my heart, and turned the music down.

"Shit, I'm sorry," he said, his hands still in the air. "I didn't mean to scare you like that – I tried to talk to you, but the music was too loud."

"I'm fine, but in case you missed the sign on the door, we're closed," I said, using my free hand to rub the back of my neck.

"I know, I was just hoping you could tell me where this Italian restaurant is." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

"Lentini's?" I guessed. His head shot up, and for the first time I noticed that his eyes were a beautiful viridian. He nodded, and I sucked in a quick breath. When he moved, the reddish highlights in his brown hair glinted.

"How did you know?"

"It's really popular," I explained, shrugging. "It's right next door."

"So if I'd just kept on walking, I wouldn't have scared the piss out of you?" he asked, tilting his head slightly to the right as he regarded me. I gave him a shaky smile. The light hit his face at such an angle that I could see the five o'clock shadow on his perfectly sculpted jaw. Heat flooded through me as I realized that I wanted to lick it.

"Basically, yeah." He grinned, and I swear on all that's holy that my heart fucking stopped inside my chest. It should have been illegal to be that good looking – I could feel my panties practically melting.

"I'm really sorry about that," he apologized again. He shoved his phone back down in his pocket, and I tried my best not to be jealous of the stupid thing that was now snugly in the back pocket of his jeans. "But that was a great song you were just listening to."

"You a fan?" I asked, tugging my eyes away from his long enough to finish wiping down the counter top.

"Absolutely. I love the raw emotion they pour into every song." I will not look up. I will not look up. I will not… damn. My resolve was pitiful, and when my eyes met his again, I felt like I was drowning. "Hey, I know you're closed and all, but is there any way that I could persuade you to make me an espresso? It smells so damn good in here." He glanced around, no doubt checking out the art that hung everywhere. I was a big supporter of local artists, and I let them display their work in my shop. Occasionally it sold, and they would give me a tiny portion of the proceeds.

"Yeah –you're in luck, I haven't cleaned the machines yet." I glanced up at the clock to make sure that I wasn't running late to meet Alice (I wasn't, it was only eight thirty), and I began making his drink. He was lucky that he was so damned pretty and that he happened to like one of my favorite bands, otherwise I would've kicked his ass to the curb already.

"This place is pretty incredible," he breathed, taking it all in. I had to admit, I was enthralled just by watching him look around.

"I take it you've never been in here before, then?" I handed him a double shot in the smallest Styrofoam cup I had. "Sorry about the disposable cup, but I've already done all of the dishes." He shook his head and gave me a brilliant smile.

"No problem whatsoever." He took a sip, and his eyes closed as he savored it. I bit my lip to hide my smile, and instead of watching him like I wanted to, I started to clean the espresso machine. "Fuck, that's good." My hand jerked when he spoke; the curse word (which was actually peppered liberally throughout my own vernacular, much to the chagrin of my late father) sounded incredibly obscene falling from those perfect lips, and shot straight to my girly parts.

"Thanks," I muttered, pointedly avoiding looking at his face. It was really no surprise that I had sex on the brain – I'd been celibate for nearly two years now. Owning and running the coffee shop took a lot of time, and I didn't have the time or patience to spare on men; especially not the kind of men who didn't appreciate taking a back seat to my business, which they inevitably always did. That didn't mean that I didn't miss having sex, though. I missed it a lot – I just didn't have time for it. I felt my face begin to burn as I allowed myself to imagine what it would feel like to share a bed with the amazingly good looking man in front of me.

"Are you all right?" His voice startled me, and I jumped a little bit. A few stray hairs had fallen out of my loose bun, and I pushed them out of my face with the back of my hand. I glanced at the clock again, and barely registered the fact that he'd shoved some money down in to the empty tip jar on the counter. "That should cover the coffee and the tip," he said, grinning at me. I dropped the washcloth into a bucket under the counter and grabbed my purse, which was right next to it. "I really appreciate you making time for me. I think I'll be a regular customer."

"Thanks," I said, my gratitude genuine as I smiled at him. "I appreciate that."

"Are you locking up?" he asked, eyeing my purse.

"Yeah – I'm actually headed over to Lentini's to meet a friend for dinner." I flipped off the light in the back room where we sometimes had live music. He watched as I opened each door and turned off the bathroom lights, and then I turned off the kitchen light.

"Really? Well since I've never been there before, you'll have to recommend something to me." He opened the front door and waited for me to turn the lights off and turn the key in the deadbolt.

"I adore the Veal Marcello," I gushed, matching his slow pace. What the hell – it was only eight forty five – I officially had half an hour before I had to meet Alice, so I had time to talk to a hot guy, right? "But there's nothing bad on the menu, really."

"What's in the Veal Marcello?" he wondered aloud, still sipping from his cup.

"Onions, pancetta, pepperoni, butter, noodles, and tomatoes." He wrinkled his nose.

"Pepperoni? In a pasta dish? I'll stick to having it on my pizza, thanks."

"Don't knock it 'til you've tried it," I shot back.

"Pass. Second favorite dish there?"

"The butter and sage tortelloni. Rich and decadent, but it melts in your mouth."

"I think that's more my taste," he agreed, grinning at me. I pointed to my right.

"This is it. It was nice meeting you-?" I realized we'd been talking for a while, and I hadn't even asked his name.

"Edward," he offered, extending his hand. I took it in mine, and fought back the gasp that wanted to escape. My hand was tingling from his touch, and it radiated all the way up my arm.

"Bella," I forced out, clearing my throat.

"It's been lovely, Bella," he said, his voice low. Damn. That voice made my insides quiver like Jell-O.

"Edward! Bella!" I dropped his hand and turned to watch in confusion as my new friend launched herself into the open arms of my current companion. "You've already met!"

"Well, if by met you mean that I scared this poor woman shitless, then yes, we've met." He smirked at me over the top of her head, and I rolled my eyes, though I couldn't stop the smile that turned my lips upward. "How do you know her?"

"Remember I told you I got a job today?" He nodded. "Bella is the one who hired me." She turned to me. "Bella, this oaf is my big brother." My eyes widened slightly, and I noticed that his did, too.

"Brother?"

"This is the woman who gave you the sex cake?" he asked incredulously. I couldn't help it; I snorted. Alice giggled.

"Sex cake?" I echoed, amused.

"I told him it was better than sex. He didn't believe me. Did you have any?" she asked, turning to him. He shook his head.

"She was closing up shop when I barged in on her." Alice frowned down at the empty cup he was holding.

"But you have a coffee from her shop," she pointed out. She turned and pinned me with a calculating look.

"He suckered me into it," I answered honestly, shrugging. I didn't miss the interest in his eyes as I explained. "He told me he liked one of my favorite bands, and then he flattered my coffee. I couldn't not make him one after that." His smirk was of epic proportions.

"So a guy just has to tell you he likes the aroma of your coffee and that he likes the same music as you, and he gets a cup of said coffee for it? What do I have to say to get a slice of this sex cake, then?" I shot him a dirty look as Alice giggled.

"Is it time to go in yet?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest. The mid-October weather had turned chilly, and I hadn't brought a jacket with me. My short-sleeved t-shirt was perfect for the café, but it didn't serve me very well out here in the cold night air.

"Where's your coat?" Edward asked, frowning.

"At home." I turned and pointed towards the café. Alice blinked owlishly.

"You live in the coffee shop?"

"Above it," I clarified. Edward shrugged his jacket off, and before I realized what he was doing, he draped it around my shoulders. When I tried to give it back, he frowned and held up a hand to signify his refusal.

"Keep it until we walk you home later – then I'll take it back." It was my turn to blink.

"We?"

"I hope you don't mind," Alice said, having the good grace to look sheepish. "I invited him and Emmett to have dinner with us. Emmett's our other brother – but he couldn't make it. He and Jasper are working late, trying to get their office ready." I ignored the comment about her brother eating with us.

"Their office?"

"They rented a space two blocks over," she said, pointing down the street. "They're getting the office ready – painting, setting up furniture, that kind of stuff."

"What do they do?" Despite the warmth that Edward's jacket provided, I shivered.

"Why don't we take this conversation inside?" Edward suggested, placing one hand at the small of my back and one arm around Alice's shoulders. I tried not to fidget and give myself away, but I'll be goddamned if that light touch on my back wasn't making my whole body feel like it was on fire. I may as well have had a branding iron pressed to my flesh, as hot as it felt.

"Emmett and Jasper are attorneys," Alice explained. We let her brother guide us into the restaurant. He dropped his hand from my back, and my stomach pitched as I lamented the loss. Jesus, what the hell was wrong with me? When had I turned into one giant walking hormone? I turned my head to listen to Alice tell the maître-d her last name for the reservation when I caught a whiff of the jacket I was wearing. My eyes darted around to make sure that neither she nor her brother were watching me before I turned further to the side and pressed my nose against the material of the jacket. I closed my eyes and inhaled softly. The clean, crisp scent was completely manly, and completely him. I exhaled slowly and turned to see Alice's eyes focused on me. One eyebrow was arched, and she was smirking.

Busted. Damn it.

At least Edward hadn't seen. I removed the jacket and draped it over my arm as we were led to our table. Once we got there, I draped it gently over the back of the chair. Before I could move, Edward was there, pulling my chair out for me. I stared at the chair for a moment, dumbstruck. No one had ever pulled my chair out for me before.

"It works better if you sit in it, you know," Edward mused aloud, grinning crookedly at me. I rolled my eyes and sat, ignoring the way his fingertips brushed lightly against my back as he helped push my chair in. Alice was practically bouncing by the time he'd moved over to her side of the table and done the same thing.

I busied myself with perusing the wine selection, since I already had the menu memorized. I was definitely going to need to fortify myself with alcohol if I was going to be forced to be around her brother for any prolonged amount of time.

"So, Bella," Edward began, not even looking at his menu. "How long have you been working at the coffee shop?"

"She owns it," Alice piped up, her eyes focused on her menu. I exhaled softly. Edward's eyes widened with – could it be? – appreciation.

"I've owned it for three years now," I explained. "I worked there for six years before I bought it."

"How old are you, exactly?" Alice blurted, looking up. Edward snorted.

"I thought women didn't like to be asked their age."

"They don't like to be asked their age by men," Alice clarified. I couldn't help the smile that surfaced.

"I'm twenty five."

"But that means you started working there when you were-"

"Sixteen," I supplied, nodding. "A friend of my Dad's owned it when I started working there. It's the only job I've ever had. He passed away three years ago, and he left it to me when he died." Alice's mouth dropped open, and Edward just watched me intently.

"He must have really loved you," Alice supplied, her expression sympathetic. I smiled.

"He was like a second father to me. He watched me grow up. I don't have a single memory of a holiday celebration without him in it."

"That's amazing," Alice breathed.

"He taught me everything I know about coffee."

"Who taught you about baking?" she asked slyly. I blinked. How had she known I was the one who'd baked the cake?

"How did you-"

"Oh come on," she scoffed, smiling. "Give me some credit. When I saw you watching for my reaction to the cake, I knew you were the one who'd made it."

"I spent almost two months on that cake," I admitted sheepishly. "No one taught me to bake – it's just something else that I love to do." The waiter approached us then, and took our drink orders. I was surprised when I ordered a glass of the sauvignon blanc and both of my dinner companions did the same.

"So what other confections do you serve there?" Edward asked interestedly. It hadn't escaped my notice that he hadn't offered up a single bit of information about himself, other than his name.

"It depends." I shrugged. "Usually for breakfast I have a variety of muffins and scones – sometimes I'll make cake donuts. I always have some kind of chocolate dessert, because let's face it – coffee and chocolate go well together. I also have a few different varieties of cookies, because I do get the occasional parent with child in tow."

"I saw the snickerdoodles," Alice interjected. "They're my favorite kind of cookie, and it's hard to find them the way I like them – lots of cinnamon on the outside but gooey on the inside."

"The secret is to let the dough sit overnight," I said, leaning back slightly so the waiter could put my wine glass down in front of me. "They're my favorite kind of cookie, too."

"I'll have to try one tomorrow!" Alice squealed and clapped her hands together. I laughed and took a sip of my wine, trying to ignore the oddly intense look that Edward was shooting my way.

"So you cook, you love coffee, and you own your own business," he repeated. "What else should we know about you, Bella? Do you have an irate husband or boyfriend who is going to come storming in here and berate us for usurping all of your time this evening?" I nearly choked on the wine I was attempting to swallow. Irate? Berate? Usurp? Who the fuck talked like that? And why did it make me feel flushed all over that he wanted to know about a potential man in my life?

"Um, no," I answered lamely. Thank god I was saved from further grilling when the waiter returned to take our orders. Alice and I both ordered the Veal Marcello, and Edward ordered the butter and sage tortelloni. I was kind of gratified that they'd both taken my recommendations to heart.

"No man, then?" Edward asked as soon as the waiter was gone. I exhaled loudly.

"Don't you think that's a little personal?" I asked, meeting his eyes. He gave me a lopsided grin.

"And everything else we've been discussing isn't?"

"Touché," I sighed, fingering the bottom of my wine glass absently. "No. I don't have time for men."

"At all? Ever?" Alice squeaked.

"Not in the last two years," I confirmed.

"But… but why?" Alice looked horrified. I gave her a small smile.

"Because I've just got too much on my plate with the shop. And also, when you go on a date and a man finds out that you own your own business, it either intimidates the hell out of him, or makes him think you're going to work to support him while he sits on the couch at home and plays video games all day long." I turned at the sound of Edward's derisive snort.

"You sound like you have experience in that department."

"Unfortunately, I do. Not many men appreciate a strong woman who takes care of herself." I lifted my chin up a bit. I had always been proud of my ability to support myself without any help from anyone else. It meant that I could do what I wanted, when I wanted, how I wanted.

"But don't you get lonely?" Alice asked, her eyes still trained on me. I shrugged.

"Of course."

"You don't… tell me you haven't gone without sex for that long," she demanded in a low whisper, scandalized. I laughed, but I could feel my face turning red. "Shit, Bella! I wouldn't last a week, let alone for two years!"

"Okay, I think I've heard enough about my baby sister's nymphomania," Edward laughed, though he looked genuinely chagrined. I mouthed a silent 'thank you' to him before taking a long pull from my wine glass. He chuckled softly.

"Well, just so you know about us," Alice began, "I met my Jasper when I was seven years old, and I knew right away that one day we would be married."

"Seven?" I asked incredulously. She grinned.

"We started dating when I was fifteen. He's two years older than me – the same age as Edward – and we've been inseparable ever since."

"When are you getting married?"

"In a month. I have so much to do! I still haven't found the perfect shoes, I need to find the perfect veil, I need a cake-" She stopped mid-sentence and turned to look at me, her eyes wide. "Bella! Will you make my wedding cake?"

"I've never done a wedding cake before," I hedged carefully, wanting to turn her down flat but not wanting to upset her. "I wouldn't know where to begin. Sorry, Alice." She wasn't deterred in the slightest.

"Oh, I know you would do a magnificent job! You could just make the sex cake, and it'd be the perfect opportunity to get some free publicity for your café! Please, Bella?" Damn it. Her puppy dog eyes were impossible to resist. I felt my resolve crumbling as the waiter placed our food in front of us. Edward laughed softly.

"I don't know what you find so amusing," I snapped, sighing. The grin he shot me was the same one that had threatened to melt my panties earlier.

"It's just good to know that Alice's charm isn't limited to working on her family members," he said, chuckling again. "I'm glad I'm not the only sucker in town anymore."

"You're funny," I remarked dryly. I turned my eyes back to Alice. "Fine, but when your wedding cake is a giant disaster, don't say you weren't warned." She squealed and reached across the table to hug me quickly before going back to her meal.

"This move is quickly turning out to be the best thing we've ever done," she said, glancing at Edward. He shrugged.

"So, Edward," I began, arching an eyebrow. "What is it that you do?"

"Lounge at home on the couch all day, playing video games." I frowned at him, my first bite of pasta frozen mid-way to my mouth.

"Is that supposed to be funny?"

"He's a musician," Alice supplied, rolling her eyes.

"And apparently a comic, too," I said, letting my eyes close as my mouth closed around my first forkful of food. When I opened my eyes, I saw green eyes watching me with an undecipherable look. I finished chewing and swallowed before I spoke again. "What kind of musician are you? Do you play an instrument, sing, or teach?"

"All three," Alice answered before he could. He shot her a dirty look, and I bit back a smile. Since he didn't seem to want to play twenty questions, Alice and I took over the conversation, which surprisingly flowed easily. I could easily see her becoming my closest friend – it was impossible not to like her.

When dinner was over and I had managed to convince the waiter to take my money (Alice kept trying to pay for it, but I refused), I stood and removed Edward's jacket from the chair. Alice retreated to the restroom, claiming that she'd had too much wine. I held his jacket out to him, and he just stared at it as though it was an alien.

"What?" he asked finally.

"Your jacket," I said slowly, as though I were speaking to a toddler. "I don't need it anymore –t he wine warmed me up, and I only live a door over," I pointed out. "Thank you for letting me wear it, though." He frowned.

"You'll need it when we go back outside in a moment. The temperature's dropped since we got in here."

"I'm next door," I repeated incredulously. "I think I can manage."

"Humor me," he said, shrugging. Alice came scurrying back before I could retort, and rather than make a scene over a stupid jacket, I pulled it back on. My giving in so easily had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I wanted to sniff the jacket again. Nothing at all.

They walked me back to the coffee shop, and I stopped at the door that led upstairs. Alice eyed it curiously.

"This is me," I said, feeling stupid for having stated the obvious.

"I would never have even noticed this door, if you hadn't pointed it out," she observed. "Is it like a loft apartment, or something?"

"Sort of, except that it's two floors," I explained, pulling off the chain I wore around my neck. There were three keys on it – one to my apartment, and two for the café. "Thank you both for dinner."

"Anytime!" Alice said, smiling. "So what time do you want me there tomorrow?"

"I open the doors at five thirty."

"In the morning?" she squeaked, looking down at the delicate silver watch on her wrist. It was currently eleven p.m.

"Yes," I answered, fitting the key in the lock and turning it. "I have lots of customers who come in for breakfast."

"When the hell do you sleep?" Edward asked suddenly. I frowned at him.

"I have nine and a half hours in between closing and opening," I pointed out. "That's plenty of time to sleep."

"Not tonight," Alice retorted. "You only have six hours now." I shrugged.

"I've had less sleep." I reached up and took Edward's coat off and handed it to him. "Thanks again for letting me borrow it."

"Don't worry about it," he said smoothly, pulling it back on.

"Well, goodnight," I said, feeling awkward. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Alice." She smiled and nodded.

"Good night, Bella." I opened the door and went inside, closing it quickly behind me without waiting for Edward to say anything. It was incredibly rude of me, but I'd had enough of the intense looks and snide comments to last for a while.

I took a quick shower and pulled my favorite pair of flannel pajamas on before slipping into bed. The only problem was that right before I closed my eyes, his green ones flashed in my mind. Suddenly I was wide awake. Fuck. Sleep was going to come slowly tonight.