ATTENTION: I did not fall off the face of the earth. Instead I've been sick for the past few weeks :/ Yeah, I got the swine, for real. It was miserable. Never thought it'd happen to me, but of course with my luck it did. But now I'm back, getting caught up (somehow managed to not fail all of my classes, go me!), and feeling extremely guilty for not updating in six and a half million years…

But I promise you all, I will finish this story :) Whether or not anyone reads it, I will finish it.

This chapter doesn't have any huge plot changers, it's just a cute little chapter I needed to write to get back in the swing of things. Better chapters are yet to come, so stick around ;)

So if you have been waiting anxiously for the past millennium, or if you've given up hope in me, I apologize… On the bright side you can expect the next chapter up soon!

And so we move on with the story.

Edward laughed, "It's been a rough week. I figured you needed a break. Do a little sightseeing."

I smiled up at the clear blue sky peeping out from behind the tall jagged frames of Chicago's many skyscrapers. It was a crisp and cool November morning and the streets were already swimming with traffic and people making the daily commute to work and school. There was an electrifying buzz in the air, probably having to do with the natural excitement Fridays bring. "You are unbelievable," I sighed breathlessly struggling to keep up with his fast pace, "How did you even manage to pull this off? What about all those presentations and conferences and—"

"Don't worry about it," his smooth voice interrupted me. "I worked my magic and took care of it," he winked.

"Oh, no, someone might be stealing my position as world's best employee. You're not going to get a new assistant are you?" I said in faux horror.

His lips twitched slightly and then he laughed sarcastically, "Yeah, you better up your game or I just might have to replace you."

I smiled to myself, seeing Edward be so playful and laid back was mindboggling. I felt like I was in some kind of strange alternate universe. And to top it all off, we were dressed so casually in jeans and sneakers. I never thought I'd see the day when Edward would be so candid around me. I found myself wondering what people would think when they saw us walking the streets of Chicago. A couple? Brother and sister? Either story would be highly unbelievable considering the fact Edward and I were on complete opposite ends of the spectrum as far as our looks went.

"So, what are we going to do with this day free of work?"

Edward shrugged and ran a hand through his bronze locks precariously before subtly stuffing both his hands into his jean pockets, something he did habitually when he was hiding something. I was starting to notice every little detail about him, which was both fascinating and frightening. "I don't really have anything planned. Except at five this evening, otherwise, you're the tourist. What do you want to do?"

I pursed my lips suspiciously. "What's at five?" I asked.

He smiled crookedly and shook his head, "Nothing."

I exhaled loudly, knowing he would never tell me his little secret, and stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. A few people bumped into me and gave me disgruntled looks and murmurs. Edward walked past me at first without realizing it and then turned around a few steps ahead to give me a quizzical look. "I'm the newbie. You're supposed to be my tour guide. I'm letting you do your job," I smiled innocently up at him.

Edward rolled his eyes and went back to grab my arm. The warm feel of his fingers, even through my layers of clothes, wasn't unfamiliar, but it still sent tingles up and down my spine. "Alright, then let's get this over with," he chuckled sarcastically.

"Is it supposed to be a bean?" I laughed at our distorted reflections in the mirrored surface of the giant sculpture.

"Well, it's real name is Cloud Gate, but it has been unofficially dubbed 'The Bean' by us locals, for obvious reasons," Edward smiled back at me in the reflection. I shook my head and continued to walk out from underneath the sculpture. On the other side of the bean shaped structure, the city skyline was reflected back to us in a curvy, whimsical, and breathtaking image. The sky was an amazingly clear cloudless blue, which was quite a relief for mid-fall. Millennium Park wasn't crowded but there was still quite a bit of people idly wandering around.

"Okay, a giant bean. What else you got for me?" I crossed my arms and smiled expectantly.

Edward rolled his eyes at me, "What, is my tour not meeting your expectations? I didn't know we were being judged."

I glared at him and then smirked, "I can't give a true review until I get to try some of the food."

"Is that so?" he pursed his perfectly full lips. I couldn't help but remember the night that we had kissed, whether intentional or not. Who knew kissing someone could be so much—for lack of better words—fun. Admittedly I was pretty hammered at the time, but some part of me remembered even the minor details of that moment and I clung to it desperately. When it came to Edward, that's all I was hoping for. Just one more kiss. I knew no matter how much I was dying to see this man naked I could never get much further than a simple kiss. Maybe I had already reached the end of my luck, why bother with even hoping for any more? "So where would you like to go for lunch?" Edward's musical voice interrupted my thoughts.

I shrugged, "How am I supposed to know? You are my tour guide."

"Well how can I pick where to take you if you don't give me an idea of what you want?" Edward spoke in a playfully stern matter, crossing his arms—which defined his muscles oh so subtly.

I scoffed, "Jeez, I'm sorry I don't know what my options are."

"You can be awfully picky sometimes, I just want to narrow it down now for the sake of my own personal safety and sanity."

"I don't know. I'm not in the mood for anything in particular. Won't you just pick something?" I sighed.

We continued like this for quite awhile and pretty soon we are in full banter mode, just the sort of thing I witness couples doing from time to time in public. In the middle of our small argument I heard a quiet cough and felt a gentle tap on my shoulder. I turned to the person with the best polite face I could muster. "Can I help you?" I seethed with as much courtesy as possible.

A short dark haired man with smiling eyes and a wide toothy grin looked from Edward to me and then waved his hands in apology, "I'm sorry! I don't mean to interrupt anything, but can I take a picture of you two?"

Edward and I exchanged strange looks before turning back to the oddly happy man before us.

Edward cleared his throat, "May I ask, why exactly would you like to photograph us?"

The man shrugged and rolled his expensive looking camera from one hand to the other. "Well, I'm out here trying to promote my new studio, I'm a photographer. I already took a few candid shots but my specialty is action. And eh, I don't know. I guess I like the vibe you two have." He gestured behind him and I could see a booth set up with high-tech and expensive looking photography equipment and computers.

"Oh? What kind of vibe?" I blinked inquiringly.

He laughed and shook his head, "I don't know, uh, like a fresh young couple—newlyweds or something."

I blushed slightly and looked away, and Edward cleared his throat loudly. I was sort of flattered—did he really think we were a couple?—but mostly embarrassed for Edward's sake. "Hey, come on! Don't be shy. You guys are cute!" The man patted us on the shoulders and led us closer to the giant bean.

"What—"

"Come on just stand right here," he interrupted me and then set us up in front of the bright silvery sculpture. I looked up at Edward inquiringly, but he just had a silly grin on his face and shook his head as if to say, "Let's get this over with so this guy can leave us alone." I knew we weren't a couple, but Edward didn't deny it or correct the man, and that fact alone made me shiver with girly satisfaction.

The short man stepped back a few feet and pointed his camera at us. "Alright, do something."

"Like what?" Edward and I said in unison.

He sighed and peeped over his camera, "I told you, my specialty is action shots."

"So," I ventured, "What, like a jumping picture?"

"That's it exactly! Yeah, go ahead. On three," he positioned his camera at us again.

"Is this guy crazy?" Edward murmured under his breath.

I laughed, "No, no, this'll be fun trust me. Just take that stick out of your butt for one minute, please?"

The man began to count and Edward and I readied ourselves for the shot. By the time he was done snapping a few photos, Edward and I were grinning and laughing like a couple of kids at an amusement park. "Hey, you guys are naturals. I might use a few shots on my website. You know what, I'll even give you one free of charge, what do you say?" the man quirked his eyebrows at us.

Edward raised a brow and grinned, "Sure." He nodded eagerly in response and motioned us over to his booth.

"Well," Edward huffed, "That was…"

"Fun? Like I said it would be?" I smirked up at him.

He rolled his eyes at me. He hated it when I rubbed things in his face. "Alright, here's your picture, and here's my card. Spread the word," the short man popped out of nowhere and winked as he handed me everything.

"Thanks…" I chuckled then scanned the card for a name, "Joe."

Joe saluted us and walked away. I couldn't help but laugh to myself at how well his personality suited his name. He was quite a character. I squinted at the small picture in my hands and couldn't hold back the smile that began to stretch my face. Edward and I were mid-air with our legs kicked underneath us, my dark brown hair wildly splayed everywhere, and we both had our arms thrown up recklessly with goofy open-mouthed smiles plastered on our faces. Encompassing us was the curved reflection of the city, passersby, and the cool blue sky as the background. Despite our carefree and stupid expressions, the photography really was spectacular, playing up the vivid colors and futuristic vibe. I had to give Joe his credit. "This is so awesome," I giggled, choosing to ignore my poorly worded statement.

Edward chuckled, "Yeah, and look at your hair."

"Shut it."

"Okay okay, now shall we have lunch?"

I stared at the picture for a moment longer, savoring the one lighthearted image of Edward I would keep engraved in my mind forever, before turning to look up at Edward in all his bronze-haired-crooked-smile glory. "Oh, so you've made a decision you think you won't regret? You don't think I'm going to eat you alive for it?"

He pursed his lips and rubbed his chin in mock thought, "Hm, well I figure either way I'm going to lose, so let's just get this over with."

I winked up at him, "You learn quickly, young grasshopper."

We decided to take the train out, which was a surreal and rattling experience. I tried to act cool and collected as if I were a local rather than some wide-eyed tourist—and of course, I found myself nearly flinging my body onto the laps of a few unsuspecting college students whenever the train jolted forward. I earned a few puzzled glances and a stifled laugh from Edward with that stunt.

He took me to a small locally owned gyro shop just west out of the downtown area for lunch. I wondered how a wealthy and successful business man could wander out so far from the hub of Chicago, but he explained that his first real apartment was close by before I could ask him about it. He told me stories of when he didn't know how to use a kitchen and would eat out every night and this little shop was one of his favorites. Being a natural cook I teased him about it, but he brushed it off saying he could now make a home cooked meal blindfolded. I didn't doubt it. Little details of Edward's life always seemed to fascinate me, no matter how insignificant or boring they probably were in reality. I loved it and ate it all up like a little kid with sugar. I wondered if Edward felt the same with me and all the trivial things I did and said. I then realized I often found myself just "wondering" about anything that had to do with the whole Edward situation. We could never be real or solid. With us, everything was always hanging in the air—so fragile and susceptible.

And yet, it was all there. There was that connection, the kind that gives you a fluttering sensation and makes you see sparks and makes you want to hum for no apparent reason when you're walking down the street. We had it all going for us, except for the fact that everything was going against us. He's too good for me, he could do so much better, he's my boss... He is my boss.

After lunch Edward had me walking out and about doing all the touristy things. From riding up to the top of Sears Tower, forcing me to go into the women's restroom in the John Hancock Center (which made no sense to me until I saw the spectacular aerial view of the city from the glass wall) to strolling Michigan Avenue, Navy Pier, and Lincoln Park, I didn't know if he was intentionally trying to wear me down or if he was just really eager for me to see everything.

When I finally had the chance to sit down and enjoy my tin from Garrett Popcorn—which Edward bought for me insisting I at least try a bite—it was nearly five and Edward practically dragged me away from the park bench before my butt could even touch it.

"Come on, it's almost five," he urged as his warm hand gripped my wrist and haul me down the side walk.

"Ouch, loosen up will you? I'm going as fast as I can," I pouted.

He glanced down at his hand and let his hold on me slacken a bit. "Sorry. I guess I just lost track of time. Let's go."

I gave up and let him lead me down the streets of Chicago. The air was becoming slightly chillier as evening began to set and the cool wind hitting my face made my cheeks turn pink. The sky was still blue but the sun sat lower than before, still shining but with less light. All in all it was a fairly nice fall evening and yet all I could concentrate on was Edward's warm fingers around my wrist. Before I even could decipher where we were, Edward had taken me all the way to the front steps of the Art Institute.

"Oh," I breathed, smiling genuinely up at Edward. "I can't believe it, we're going? You really meant it?"

"What, did you think I was lying? I'm truly offended you would believe such a thing," he poked back sarcastically and took the lead up the staircase. I was too thrilled to think of a witty comeback and followed him with wide eager eyes.

Inside, the Institute was buzzing with people, their voices echoing off the hollowed marble interior. For some reason the loud volume didn't bother me so much. I actually felt like I preferred it to silence which was odd considering it was an art museum—after all, isn't it popular belief that art aficionados prefer to indulge and contemplate works in silence? I liked the fact that the place was bustling and busy, it made the experience seem more real.

"Wow, is something special going on today?" I asked offhandedly.

Edward smirked and dragged me towards the back, "You could say that. I have a surprise for you."

I fought back a smile and let him be the diligent guide. I could tell he was as enthused as I should've been at the moment. It's not that I wasn't excited; I was just too distracted by the trembling flutters in the pit of my stomach. We ended up at a hidden door in the corner with a number keypad on it. Edward gave me a wary look and I rolled my eyes and looked away exaggeratedly. I heard him punch in the code and the whirling of gears, indicating the door was unlocked.

"Through here," Edward looked back at me eagerly.

I looked around nervously before ducking in the door behind him. "Are we even allowed back here? I don't want to get in trouble."

"Yes," Edward scoffed in mock disbelief, "Just trust me."

"Of course," I sighed. "Only you would have permission to go sneaking around art museums."

"What is that supposed to mean?" he chuckled.

I gave him a meaningful look, "You have connections everywhere."

"Edward, son, I'm glad you could make it!" A loud voice boomed from down the hall. I turned towards the sound, startled by its piercing cheerfulness. The only other voice I know that could rival it would be Emmett's. Then again, I had a feeling Emmett did it with less than good intentions, such as to annoy everyone within a five mile radius.

"Mr. Stevens, how are you?" Edward smiled widely at the man and they shared a quick manly hug. He was slightly shorter than Edward with wisps of gray strands in his dark brown hair and a clean shaven face. He had a wide frame, square jaw, and sparkling blue eyes almost as pretty as Edward's emerald eyes—almost. His smile was strong and lighthearted, creating laugh lines around his eyes. He was one of those lucky men who aged well.

"Oh, come now Edward, how many times do I have to tell you? Call me Mark. You make me feel so old with all this 'mister' business," he laughed heartily.

"Okay, okay, if you insist Mark," Edward threw his hands up in surrender. "And I'm being rude. This is Bella Swan. Bella, this is an extremely close family friend, Mark Stevens. He's one of the curators and executives."

I extended my hand and he shook it gently, "Well, Edward, you certainly have a knack for picking up beautiful women."

Impressed and completely overtaken by flattery, I just shook my head and lowered my gaze, feeling my cheeks begin to burn. Edward shrugged nonchalantly and smirked in the cutest way. He was almost smug about it, as if he was agreeing but at the same time showing off. I was absolutely thrilled.

"Well, Mark, don't you have something to show Bella?" Edward glanced up at him and then shifted his eyes to me, smiling slyly before giving me a wink.

"Oh! Yes, yes. Come on Bella, you'll really enjoy this," Mark said excitedly, motioning me toward him. I gave Edward a questioning look. He just kept smiling at me, his eyes twinkling with delight.

"I'll meet up with you two in about, oh, say half an hour?" Edward spoke up from behind us.

I stopped and turned around quickly. "Where are you going?" I asked trying not to let the desperation I was feeling seep into my voice.

He had already begun to back away as he shrugged and replied, "Oh, I just have a quick errand to run. Don't worry, I'll be back. You're in good hands."

"But—" I began.

Edward interrupted me, "Mark is going to be taking you on a personal tour of the new exhibit." He smiled genuinely at me, making my heart flutter. I wanted to refuse, tell him that I wasn't anyone special and didn't deserve such an honor, but I just couldn't. Not when he was looking so damn gorgeous with that charming smile of his. And with that, Edward left, leaving Mark and I to explore the museum.

"You must be something special," Mark nudged me.

"What do you mean?" I asked. He shook his head and gestured towards the exhibit.

At first I was a little disappointed with Edward's departure. I had wanted to share the experience with him, although he obviously didn't share that desire. But the discontent was washed away completely when Mark actually started my "personal tour." I was completely engrossed, clinging to every fact and word he spit out. He took me through the new exhibit, which was a collection of ancient Southeast Asian artwork and artifacts, and I shared with him my own personal knowledge—he seemed to be impressed with my background in arts. Then he left me to explore the rest of the museum myself, which I didn't mind so much. Time alone could never do any harm. I just wished Edward was with me. And that thought alone scared the shit out of me… It was something I definitely shouldn't have been thinking.

The new exhibit had finally opened to the public and I was alone in the Impressionist gallery. It was mostly quiet where I was. There was just a muted buzz of voices and excitement coming from some other wing in the Institute. I was studying a painting by Degas—famous for the recurring theme of dance in his works—depicting a young dancer. She had a subtle elegance, despite the vibrant and dazzling colors of the painting.

"Miss me?" Edward's smooth voice tickled my neck suddenly, making me jump.

I gasped and spun around to face him. "What the hell," I muttered angrily, hitting him playfully with the pamphlet in my hand.

Edward chuckled, "What? Did I scare you?"

"Not at all, you just gave me a heart attack, don't worry," I rolled my eyes sarcastically, turning my back to him again so I could bite back the smile that was bursting to form.

"Aw," he cooed playfully, "I'm sorry grandma, I'll be more careful around your delicate heart. Now, I'd hate to interrupt your fun, but we have to go, now."

I turned back to face him and sighed, "I can't relax for one minute today, can I?"