FML Contest

Title: My Boss's Secret

Pen name: twiobsession14

Characters: Edward/Bella

Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to SM. No copyright infringement is intended.

To see the rest of the entries in this contest, please visit the FML C2: fanfiction(dot)net/community/FML_Contest_Fics/77195/

"Bella?"

I rolled my eyes at the attractive voice that came through the speaker before hitting the button to respond.

"Yes, Mr. Cullen?"

"Could you come in here for a minute," he requested.

I sighed, capping my pen and shifting around my papers. "Yes, sir."

I pushed away from my desk to stand up, adjusting my glasses and straightening my blouse before walking over to his office door. I looked at the little plate that said Carlisle Cullen, rolling my eyes once again before opening the glossy wooden door.

I stepped inside and closed the door behind me, knowing that he'd request for me to close it anyway. Carlisle sat behind his desk, talking on the phone with someone. He glanced in my direction, holding up his index finger before nodding to the chair that sat in front of his desk.

I patiently waited for him to get off the phone, although I was completely annoyed that he'd call me in here when he knew he was still going to be on the phone. I waited until his eyes were off me before I once again rolled my eyes—it was a habit now.

I had been working for Carlisle for about three years. He was a nice, well-mannered man everyone seemed to love. We got along well and had formed a professional friendship within the first few months of my working for him.

One night, only three months after I'd been working for him, I spotted his shiny black Mercedes parked on a side street near my apartment. I hadn't lived in the best neighborhood then and it shocked me that I'd see Carlisle anywhere near there. I watched as a blonde woman—who'd clearly been waiting for him—walked up to his car and got inside. Then I watched as she leaned over and slowly licked the side of his neck. I knew Carlisle had a wife and I also knew that that wasn't her.

Although it was morally wrong, I found that I didn't care that Carlisle was cheating on his wife. It wasn't my business. So when I returned to the office the next day, I smiled and said "Good Morning" like I did any other day. That same day, Carlisle was at a meeting and was unable to supply information I had needed immediately. So I had gone into his office and logged into his computer with the access code he'd supplied me. I wasn't quite sure where to find the information I was looking for and somehow I'd ended up looking through his computer's history. Surprise, surprise. Carlisle seemed to be a frequent customer on some online escort website. I clicked on a link that took me to the website and I was a little shocked that he'd be so bold as to do this on his work computer. I guess when you own the company you don't really have to worry about people going through your stuff. His login information had been the same information he used to log into his computer and I quickly scanned through his account information. That's when I saw that he'd been a member for about six months.

Even after finding out more of Carlisle's dirty little secrets, I brushed it all aside and continued doing my job without a care. It still wasn't any of my business and had no affect on my life, but one day changed everything. It had been six months since I'd found out about Carlisle's online escorts. He'd told me that his wife was stopping by for lunch and to let her in when she arrived. I still hadn't met his wife or heard much about her in the nine months that I'd been working as his secretary but the news didn't really faze me.

I was in the middle of filing papers when a woman walked in. I looked up, immediately noticing the cheerful smile she wore and the bright glint of her eyes. Her hair was brown with a strange tint of red and she wore a bright blue sundress.

"Hello," she spoke with a maternal sounding voice. "You must be Bella."

I couldn't help but smile back at her, and it wasn't just because she hadn't called me Isabella. There was nothing but good vibes coming from her and she seemed to brighten up the bland office. It made me miss my own mother.

"Yes," I said, standing up and walking around my desk to greet her properly. "And you must be Mrs. Cullen."

"Oh, please, dear. Call me Esme." She smiled brightly, grabbing my hand to shake it.

I was pretty stunned at how warm she was. I found myself wanting to hug her and chat with her like I'd known her forever, when in reality I'd just met the woman.

"Well you can go right on in." I went back around my desk and sat down before the urge to call her "Mom" became too intense. "He's expecting you."

She smiled at me, but didn't move an inch. "You know, Bella, we're having a barbeque at our house next weekend. Carlisle usually doesn't invite employees." She stopped to roll her eyes and shake her head. "But I'd love for you to come."

My eyebrows were so scrunched up I could see them hovering above my eyes. She's just met me and was already inviting me to a "no employees allowed" get together at their house?

"Uh… I don't know if Mr. Cullen would be okay with that…"

She waved her hand dismissively. "He'll be fine with it. And I'm the one inviting you."

"Why?" I blurted out before I could stop myself.

"Excuse me?" Esme's smile faltered a bit and I immediately felt like a jerk for being so rude.

"I'm sorry, it's just that… I just met you a minute ago and I'm a little confused as to why you're inviting me to a private gathering at your home," I tried to explain without sounding like a complete idiot.

"Well I just want to get to know you, Bella, to be completely honest. For the past months, Carlisle's stress level has gone way down. He's been happier and more relaxed. I figured it must be your wonderful assistance that's been easing his workload and alleviating some stress."

And that's when the shift happened, when everything wasn't so carefree anymore. Esme was a sweet woman who clearly loved her husband, and she thought that I was the cause of Carlisle's relaxation. She was a devoted wife that did NOT deserve to get cheated on. I felt like I'd just jumped Carlisle's ship and hopped right onto Esme's.

Carlisle chose that moment to step out of his office looking from me then to Esme. He smiled happily, walking over to her and wrapping his arms around her. I watched silently while they greeted each other, he kissed her cheek and she kissed his. They looked like any other couple in love. Carlisle whispered lowly but I could hear him as he asked Esme, "Are you ready for lunch, darling?"

That was the first time I rolled my eyes. Yup, it was the very first of many. I waved goodbye to Esme and she told me not to forget about next weekend. Carlisle's brow furrowed but he didn't say anything. After they'd been gone for ten minutes, I got up from my chair and went into Carlisle's office. I went straight to his computer, knowing what I was doing but not fully aware. It was like my mind had been grasping for some indication that Carlisle deserved Esme. I just needed one thing to let me know that my boss wasn't a complete asshole who was cheating on a woman that loved him unconditionally.

I logged on and went straight to his history, not surprised at all when I saw that the escort site was still being visited frequently. I logged off his computer, walked out of his office, and plopped back down into my chair. I knew there was no way I was going to say anything to Esme. Just because I'd had a change of heart didn't mean it was any of my business. I would surely lose my job if I admitted to going through my boss's computer and telling his wife that he was cheating on her with hired women. I just couldn't do that.

So for three years I sat at my desk, silently doing my work, and hating my bastard boss. Esme would pop in here and there and each time I saw her only made it harder to keep my mouth shut. I hadn't attended any of the various parties and get-togethers she'd invited me to over the years, yet she still continued to ask me. I just couldn't be around her, the guilt was too much. Being around Carlisle was hard enough. There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't want to just scream at him or call him a lying cheating son of a bitch, and because I hadn't said a word about any of it to anyone, it was all starting to build up.

I had even started mumbling things to myself whenever Carlisle was out of earshot and that was a dangerous thing to do. So I pressed my lips tightly together, praying that nothing would slip out. After about five minutes, Carlisle hung up his phone and smiled at me.

"Sorry for the wait."

"It's okay, sir."

"I actually called you in here to tell you that you can leave early today."

My eyes widened before reflexively looking at my watch. It was only noon, hours before I usually left. My eyes snapped back to Carlisle. "Sir, it's only twelve o'clock," I said as if he was unaware of the time, which I was sure he wasn't.

"Well I have plans for the afternoon and I won't need you here at the office. Take the rest of the day off to enjoy yourself, Bella."

I was still staring blankly at him when he got up and opened his door, silently excusing me. I got up, walking past him and sitting down at my little cluttered desk. When his door closed, I looked over at it and it suddenly dawned on me why I was being told to leave so earlier. Carlisle probably needed some time with one of his whores and couldn't wait until after work was over.

I growled as I snatched my purse from underneath my desk and grabbed my coat. I knew I probably looked pretty angry because everyone that I passed did a double take, as if they were frightened that I might come after them in a fit of rage. My finger stabbed the elevator button and my foot tapped impatiently as I waited for the lift to arrive. When the doors opened, I nearly ran someone over in my haste.

When I hit the parking garage, I bolted to my car, tossing my stuff in and getting into the driver's seat. The minute the door closed I screamed into the quiet, empty space, my frustration needing some kind of outlet. It was too much; I couldn't bear it any longer. How could I just stand aside and let this continue? How had I kept my mouth shut for three years?

I knew Carlisle was still purchasing online escorts because I'd still check every few months. Nothing changed. My hands clenched and unclenched around the steering wheel as I tried to calm myself. I noticed someone staring at me through my windshield and I quickly started the car and pulled out. I had no idea what to do or where to go. The only people I knew were my friends Alice and Rose, and they'd both still be working.

I sighed as I drove down random streets, not really knowing what to do with myself. I saw I cute little café sitting on the corner of the street and immediately pulled over. I'd never seen the place before but that wasn't surprising, considering I usually ate lunch at the restaurant in the building. I parked my car and walked right into EC Gourmet. The place was very modern looking yet had a homey feel to it. As I looked around I noticed that there were only three other people inside, quietly chatting in the corner booth. The menu was displayed above the cash register and I quickly read over it. The place was actually a little sandwich shop that seemed to specialize in unique creations.

"Hi. Can I help you?" a silky voice asked from in front of me.

I looked down and was met with the sight of a beautiful man with bright green eyes staring back at me. I noticed the way the green apron he was wearing accentuated the green glow of his eyes. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing his muscular forearms. He wasn't overly muscular, but from what I could see he was lean and toned. An image of him naked, hovering above me popped into my head. I must have stared at him for far too long because he cleared his throat, chuckling quietly before asking if I was okay.

My eyes widened and my face blushed with embarrassment. I couldn't believe I'd just overtly ogled him while fantasizing about him in bed with me.

"Y-yes I'm fine," I mumbled trying to get myself together.

Although I couldn't really get anything together with the way he was smirking at me. My knees almost gave out from the look on his face, all sexy and like he knew exactly what I was thinking. I shifted my hips, trying to discreetly rub my thighs together, hoping he wouldn't notice, but his smirk only grew wider. He had definitely noticed.

I cleared my throat and straightened up, trying to get back some dignity. "I would like a…" I stopped and looked back up at the menu, not really sure which sandwich I wanted to try. They all were so different and I feared I would get one I wouldn't like.

"May I suggest something?"

I looked back at the beautiful man and mindlessly nodded my head.

He smiled before suggesting that I try the Washington. I found that to be an odd name for a sandwich but refrained from saying anything. Instead, I looked back up at the menu, seeing that the sandwich he'd suggested consisted of turkey, custom vinaigrette, cheddar cheese, and slices of Granny Smith apples in a French baguette.

I looked back at him, not so sure about having apples on my sandwich. He smiled brightly, clearly understanding my hesitation.

"Just give it a try," he urged. "If you don't like it, I'll get you something new, on the house."

I would've taken anything he'd offered me but I was afraid he would get in trouble with his boss for letting me taste test the menu. "Are you sure? I mean, I don't want you to-"

"It's fine." He grinned. "Just take a seat over there and I'll bring it over to you when it's ready."

I smiled at the sweet beautiful man then internally rolled my eyes at myself for calling him that. I sat down at one of the little tables that lined the window. It felt good to get away from the ongoing stress of the office. I hadn't thought of Carlisle or his bullshit since I walked into the little shop. Now, as I sat staring out the window at people walking by, I couldn't get my mind off of my current situation at work. My anger started to build up again and I feared I'd have to go back out to my car to have another therapeutic scream.

Before I could go anywhere, I saw the cute worker walking over to me with my sandwich in hand. I couldn't help but notice the smooth way he walked, like he was sure of himself but not in a cocky, pretentious way. He sat my sandwich down in front of me and I quickly looked over it. I lifted up the top and checked inside, spotting the thin slices of green apples on top. I took a deep breath before holding up the sandwich and biting into it. The bread was a little hard to get through but after I was able to chew through it I tasted the delicious flavor of the vinaigrette and the strong flavor of the cheese. The turkey tasted fresh and light and wasn't overpowered by the other ingredients. The best part surprisingly, was the added sweetness of the apples. It was a subtle hint that seemed to bring the contents of the sandwich together in a way that was ingenious to someone like me, who had grown up on bologna and cheese sandwiches.

"So… what's the verdict?"

I looked up, realizing that he was still standing there, staring at me as I chomped on my sandwich. I swallowed the contents of my mouth—not wanting to embarrass myself even more by spitting out food while I talked—before answering. "It's delicious. This is probably the best sandwich I've ever had."

He smiled brightly before asking me if I'd like anything to drink (on the house). I told him some water would be fine and he headed back to the kitchen to get it. I tried not to think about why he was trying to hand out so many freebies. I mean, I'd never worked in the food industry, but I was pretty sure giving away free food and drink was not a good way to keep your job. I tried not to think about whether he gave free stuff to every woman that came in or if it was just me…

I was happily chomping on my sandwich when he came back. He sat my water down with a straw and then surprised me by sitting down in the chair across from me. I froze, sandwich midair, and stared across the little circular table at him.

"Uh… do you mind if I join you?" he asked politely, looking unsure for the first time.

I sat my sandwich down and took a sip of my water. "No, I don't mind. But are you sure this is okay? I mean, don't you have customers to help?" I asked, not wanting him to get into any trouble because of me.

"Nah," he shrugged his shoulders and sat back comfortably in his seat. "Look around, it's not as if this place is being flooded with customers."

It was true. I was the only customer that seemed to need any waiting on. The three other people that were there were now on their laptops, not interested in anything going on around them.

"I guess this place is pretty empty," I chuckled.

He chuckled too, before leaning forward, getting far too close to me, and staring right into my eyes. "So… why'd you look so pissed off earlier?"

"What?" I asked, taken off guard and completely distracted by the way his tongue moved when he spoke.

"When I brought you your sandwich, you looked like you were about to punch someone. I was just hoping it wasn't going to be me." He grinned.

I sighed, once again having to keep shit bottled up inside me, but as I stared back into the eyes of the man across from me, I realized that I didn't have to. This man—whose name I didn't even know—was a complete stranger and had no idea who I was or who my boss was. There wouldn't be any harm in telling him a few things for the sake if releasing some of the anger and guilt I had pent up. So without giving it a second thought, I spilled all the beans.

Of course, I left out names to be on the safe side but other than that, I let it all out. I told him everything, starting from how fun it was to work with my boss at first, and how I didn't care that he was cheating when I accidentally found out, then how I met his lovely wife and immediately felt guilty, and how I still feel guilt for not telling her because I can't afford to lose my job. I even told him about the incessant eye rolling and how I feared I would accidentally say or do something unprofessional and end up losing my job anyway.

When I was finished, I looked at him and saw that he wasn't looking at me with judgmental eyes like I'd expected. Instead, he was just sitting there, looking gorgeous, and nonchalantly listening to me rant about my boss.

"So your boss is still hiring the escorts online?"

"Yup." I nodded.

"And he has no idea you know?"

"Nope. If he did he probably would've fired me by now," I sighed.

"Do you talk to his wife?"

"Not really. Well… I try not to. Whenever she comes into the office, I suddenly have to use the bathroom or make photocopies or something. I just can't stand seeing them together. I can't stand watching the way he's all over her and sweet and loving but knowing that he's going to be with some whore later. It kills me."

He nodded in understanding, running his hands through his messy bronze colored hair. I mentally noted that his hair looked oddly familiar and that I'd love to run my fingers through it.

"Jeez… I can't imagine how torn you must feel." He shook his head, raising his eyebrows as he thought over my predicament.

"What would you do?" I asked, looking for some kind of guidance from this stranger.

He laughed, shaking his head. "Sorry, pussy cat, but I can't help you there."

I wasn't surprised that he didn't have a solution—god knows I've been trying to figure one out for the last three years. I felt considerably better just being able to talk about everything, to just let it all out. He didn't make me feel like a bad person for keeping Carlisle's secret from Esme and I didn't worry about losing my job because there was no chance this random man had any connection to the Cullens and I wouldn't lose my job for blabbing.

I heard my phone ringing inside of my purse and quickly reached in to retrieve it. The gorgeous worker silently got up, grabbing my trash and clearing off the table while I answered my phone.

"Hello?"

"Bella? Where are you? Are you okay?" Alice asked, sounding far too worried.

"Yes. I'm fine." I looked down at my watch, shocked when I saw that it was after eight. I hadn't realized that I had been talking with him for hours. I glanced around the shop, noticing we were the only ones inside.

"Rosalie and I have been waiting for you for twenty minutes. You've never been this late and I was worried when I didn't hear from you."

"I know. I'm sorry I'm late, I just…" I trailed off when my eyes met with dark green ones. He was standing there, his apron replaced with a leather jacket. His eyes were smoldering as they stared into mine and we were caught in some weird, yet completely perfect, moment.

"Bella?" Alice called out.

"Oh, yeah." I snapped out of it, answering Alice before she became too upset. "Sorry. I didn't mean to be late to dinner, I just lost track of time. I'll be there in ten minutes," I told her before shutting my phone.

"Your boyfriend waiting for you?"

"Huh?" I looked up, noticing the way he looked a little peeved. "Uh… no."

He nodded, still looking oddly upset.

"I mean… no, I don't have a boyfriend…. that is," I lamely tried to clarify, hoping he didn't think I wasn't available or something. I hadn't been on a date in a year and my cooter definitely needed some attention from the opposite sex. Not that my Rabbit didn't get the job done, but nothing is like having a warm body pressed against you… and if he wanted to press his nice, hard body against mine, I wasn't going to tell him to get off me.

I realized that I couldn't do anything with this man. I couldn't be involved with the stranger that I'd just told my big secret to, then he would no longer be a stranger. He was supposed to be someone that didn't have anything to do with me or Carlisle and that's how he needed to stay.

"I have dinner with my friends every Wednesday night. It's our way of keeping up with each other." I smiled, grabbing my bag and heading towards the door.

I felt him behind me and I paused before walking out the door. I turned around, not expecting him to be so close. His body was so close to mine that I brushed against him. He looked down on me, his gaze once again making me damn near paralyzed. I almost cried, desperately wanting to touch him or kiss him… or kiss him while I touched him, but I couldn't. I now felt like an idiot for telling him everything because I'd made him off limits. It was definitely a stupid idea to vent to the sexy guy at the sandwich shop whose clothes I wanted to rip off.

"What's your name?" My voice came out as a whisper, barely sounding in the air between us. I knew I couldn't leave without at least knowing what name to call out in my dreams.

I watched the slow grin form on his lips and had to fight the urge to lick them, just to see how they tasted.

"Edward," he said smoothly, making my hands shake and my panties wet.

His hand reached down and wrapped around mine, bringing it up to his mouth. His soft pink lips pressed gently into my hand and I could've sworn I felt his tongue slip out and taste my skin. When he released my hand, I was pretty sure my lips were going to be his next destination and I stubbornly reminded myself that I couldn't let this happen.

I took a step back, putting some space between us, hoping that my heart would slow the fuck down. He was still looking at me with his fuck-me eyes as if he wanted to devour me.

"I-I have to go now. My f-friends are waiting," I stuttered, trying to get control over myself, much like I had when I'd first come in.

I slowly tore my eyes away from him and turned to walk out the door.

"Wait."

I stopped—way too eagerly—and turned back to look at him.

"You never told me your name, pussy cat," he said seductively, smirking at me with those delicious lips.

"Bella."

**************

"It's about time," Rosalie sighed when she answered the door to her apartment.

"I know. I'm sorry I'm late," I said, slipping past her. I knew Rosalie would give me a hard time about it so I'd come prepared. "I brought dessert," I said, going straight to the kitchen to put the containers in the freezer.

I walked to the living room and saw Alice sitting on the floor in front of the couch—her usual spot. She smiled up at me, patting the space next to her. I sat down, taking off my jacket then my shoes. Rosalie came and sat down on the other side of the coffee table.

"You're lucky the food just arrived five minutes," Rosalie said, opening up one of the white cartons and sticking her chopsticks in. She was the only one of us who bothered with the sticks, Alice and I opting for forks.

I grabbed my carton of beef and broccoli, spearing some broccoli and popping it into my mouth. I wasn't too hungry, still pretty full from the sandwich I'd had earlier. I usually ate a salad or soup for lunch from the restaurant in my building, so I wasn't surprised that the sandwich had filled me up.

"So, Bella, what exactly had you so wrapped up tonight?" Rosalie questioned, eyeing me suspiciously while she chewed on her noodles.

I shrugged, taking a sip of water. I had no intention of telling my two friends about Edward, just as I had never told them about Carlisle. It wasn't that I didn't trust them or anything; I just couldn't afford to take that risk. The fewer people that knew, the better. I probably could've told them about meeting Edward, but I figured it was unnecessary, considering they'd never meet him and nothing would ever happen between him and me.

"Did Carlisle need you to stay late?" Alice asked simply.

I nodded, loving that Alice never pushed for information that wasn't any of her business.

Rosalie, Alice and I had met a few months after I moved to Seattle. I had gone out to a karaoke bar one night with some coworkers—which I had been coaxed into going—and Rosalie was the bartender there. My coworkers weren't exactly my kind of people and I found myself bored out of my mind after only fifteen minutes. I excused myself and headed over to the bar. Rosalie had seen my tortured expression and handed me a shot the second I walked up. I looked at her skeptically, knowing it was never wise to just accept a random drink, but Rosalie rolled her eyes at my skepticism, telling me to get over myself and just drink it. So I did.

From the moment I'd met Rosalie, I realized she had a big personality and a low tolerance for bullshit. I spent the rest of the night sitting at the bar, drinking and chatting with her. She told me about some trendy nightclub a few blocks away that she was going to be heading to soon. She invited me to go along with her and I did.

As we were walking down the street to the club, we both noticed a little woman, sitting on a bus stop bench. Her shoulders were shaking as she cried into her hands, sniffing and wiping at her tears. She was dressed far too nicely— in a sparkling dress and cute little ballerina flats—to be sitting on some bench with bums.

Both Rosalie and I had a few drinks in our system and weren't thinking completely clear, but neither of us hesitated when we walked over to the crying woman.

"Why are you crying?" Rosalie asked bluntly, staring down at her.

The woman looked up at us, still wiping at her tears which only smeared her mascara all over her cheeks.

"M-my boyfriend just d-dumped me," she said in a tiny voice, hiccupping while she spoke.

"And?" Rosalie asked.

"And what?" The woman asked, confused and probably wondering why the hell we were even talking to her.

"Did you love him?" Rosalie continued.

The woman looked down at her lap, pausing for a minute before looking back up at us with a determined look on her face. "No," she said confidently.

"Well then get your ass up off this dirty bench," Rosalie pulled the woman up. "You're coming with us."

"Where?"

"To Last Supper so we can dance and get drunk," Rosalie told her, as if it were obvious. "What's your name, kid?"

"Alice."

"Well, Alice, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Rosalie and the quiet one over there is Bella." She pointed her thumb at me.

"Hi, Alice," I said, smiling friendly and shaking her little hand.

Alice cheered up quickly and I gave her a tissue to help clean off her face. She told us a little about herself, that she was a journalist and worked for some travel magazine. She hugged Rosalie and I, thanking us for helping her get over her boyfriend. Then we all continued on to the club, walking down the street arm in arm. I didn't find it odd or uncomfortable at the time because I was pretty tipsy and it felt normal.

Our friendship naturally grew after that night. We were all very different people, yet we'd become the best of friends. We were open with each other, talking and laughing about anything. Though I'm sure we all had our secrets that we kept to ourselves so I didn't feel utterly horrible for keeping mine from them.

A lot had changed over the past two years. Rosalie had stopped working at the bar and now owned her own Auto Repair shop, which had seemed completely ridiculous to Alice and I before we found out Rosalie was really skilled. Alice's section in the magazine, where she wrote about local and national hot spots and told people where the best places to go were, had grown incredibly popular. It was crazy the way one positive review from Alice could boost any place's revenue. I had moved out of the shady neighborhood I'd lived in into a well secured apartment building in downtown after I got my first raise.

We'd started having our weekly dinners when we'd realized our jobs were taking away our time together. We rotated whose place it was at, sometimes just going out to a restaurant or bar. It was nice being able to spend time with my friends. They helped me get away from the stress and bullshit of work.

After we were all done eating our food, I got up and went to the kitchen to retrieve dessert.

"It better be good, Swan," Rosalie called out.

I smirked, knowing what I'd brought was better than a simple good. I took the three containers out of the freezer, setting them on the counter. I pulled out the silverware drawer and grabbed three spoons, running them under hot water to warm them. When I was satisfied, I juggled everything in my hands and walked back over to the coffee table.

"Is that…" Alice began, her eyes wide with excitement.

"Yup," I confirmed, setting each pint of Dove ice cream on the table.

We all had a strange love for Dove chocolate, preferring it over all else, and Dove ice cream was our favorite dessert— though we only let ourselves have it now and then. I had stopped at the grocery store on my way to Rosalie's, knowing that the pint of ice cream would be enough of an apology.

I handed both of them a pint, Rosalie grabbing the pint of Give in to Mint and Alice taking the pint of Unconditional Chocolate ice cream. I gave them each a spoon before sitting down, grinning smugly as I dug into my own pint of Chocolate and Brownie Affair. There was nothing but moans of delight and hums of contentment after that.

**************

"Good morning, Bella." Carlisle smiled brightly as he walked past my desk.

"Good morning, Mr. Cullen," I responded, putting on my fake "I'm so happy to see you" smile.

"I have some business that I need to attend to in Chicago this weekend. I need you to make arrangements for me to leave out tomorrow morning and return Sunday."

I nodded. "I'll get right to that, sir."

I booked his flight—which was very costly because it was a last minute first-class ticket—and reserved a room at a luxurious hotel for him. I couldn't help but roll my eyes after I'd made the hotel arrangements, wondering if he was going to have one of his escorts join him there.

When lunch time rolled around, I grabbed my bag and headed down to the restaurant. I walked in and was sat at my usual table. I looked around at the dull décor and boring occupants. I looked over the menu at the same old selections, all of them too tiny to fully satisfy, yet the prices were unreasonably high. Before I could even stop to think about what I was doing, I got up from my table, walking right out of the restaurant. I went straight to the parking garage, hopping into my car and pulling out.

It was raining outside and I was glad I'd thought to wear my hair up today. Although I hadn't admitted it to myself yet, I knew exactly where I was going. I parked across the street from EC Gourmet, clutching my umbrella as I ran over to the door. I walked in shaking myself off and quickly smoothing my hair and clothes. Then I rolled my eyes at myself, knowing exactly who I was trying to impress.

So you can imagine my disappointment when I walked up to the cash register and saw an unfamiliar man behind it.

"Hi, welcome to EC Gourmet," he greeted me. His voice had a hint of a southern accent.

"Uh… hi," I said politely before blurting out, "Is Edward here?"

The man's eyebrows shot up, visibly surprised by my question. I hadn't meant to say anything, but apparently my mouth wasn't taking orders from me anymore.

"Nah, not yet. He'll probably roll in here soon," he told me, shrugging nonchalantly.

I found it odd that Edward could just "roll in" to work whenever he felt like.

"You a friend of his?" the man asked.

"Uh… not really," I answered awkwardly. "More like an acquaintance."

He nodded, not seeming all that interested. "Well what can I get you?"

I hesitated, glancing up at the menu, unable to remember the name of the delicious sandwich I'd had the previous day. "Uh… I think it was…"

"She wants the Washington."

I spun around at the sound of the velvety voice behind me. I smiled instinctively when I saw Edward, his lips turned up and his eyes on me. His hair was darker, damp from the rain, and he had on jeans, a t-shirt and that same leather jacket. He looked fucking edible.

"Hi, pussy cat," he said softly, so that only I heard him, before brushing past me and walking behind the counter.

"Hey, Jazz," he said cheerily, clasping hands with the man behind the register—who seemed to liven up. "Thanks for helping me out, man."

"No problem. Just call me when you need some assistance," the man offered with a smile before taking off his apron and leaving.

"So… you came back to see me, huh?" Edward smiled smugly at me.

I rolled my eyes—although my insides were melting—and crossed my arms over my chest. "No. I came back for another delicious sandwich."

He laughed, shrugging off his jacket and tossing the apron on. "Sure. Have a seat." He nodded his head towards the table I'd sat at before.

I pulled off my coat and hung it on the back of my chair before sitting down. As I waited for Edward, I realized that the place was completely empty today. It seemed odd that no one was here except Edward and I. Edward came out a few minutes later with my sandwich, a bag of potato chips, and a glass of water. I wasn't at all surprised when he sat down.

"So, pussy cat, how's the boss?"

It didn't escape my notice that Edward still seemed to use his little pet name for me although he knew my name now. "Why do you call me that?" I cocked my head to the side. "Pussy cat," I clarified.

He grinned, leaning across the table, so close that I could feel his warm breath on my skin. "Because you looked so feisty yesterday when you talked about your boss, like you wanted to claw his eyes out. Just like a little pussy cat." He chuckled lightly, his breath fanning over me and making me shiver.

"Oh," I breathed.

Neither of us moved for what seemed like hours, leaning across the table just staring at each other with a quiet intensity. But, of course, the voice in my head was screaming "Off Limits!" at me. I sighed, sitting back in my seat and grabbing my sandwich. That's when I noticed it wasn't the same sandwich I'd had before.

"Uh… Edward, this isn't what I had yesterday."

Edward leaned back in his own seat, running his hands through his hair. "It's the same ingredients, I just put it on a croissant instead of a baguette," he explained. "I thought you'd like the softer bread better."

I couldn't believe how considerate he was. I hadn't even said anything out loud about the bread yesterday and he still knew. I smiled, staring right into his eyes as I took a bite of my sandwich. It was even better than before.

"You like it?"

"Of course I do. Thank you."

He smiled contently as he watched me eat my sandwich for the second day in a row.

"Well I'm glad you like it. Hopefully, I can get some more people to come in and just try it out," he sighed.

"Why would you need to get more people to come in?" I wondered. Wasn't it advertising or management's job to bring in customers? Regardless of how many customers came in or not, wasn't he getting paid by the hour either way?

"Well if I want my shop to stay open then I need-"

"Your shop? As in, you own it?" I asked with wide eyes, absolutely stunned.

He nodded slowly. "Yeah, isn't it obvious?"

"No!"

He laughed, shaking his head at me.

"Don't laugh at me, Edward," I pouted, tossing a chip at him.

He grinned, popping it into his mouth. "Sorry, I just thought it was pretty apparent. My initials are even in the name of the shop. E.C., Edward Cu-"

"Excuse me?" He was interrupted by a middle-aged woman standing in front of the cash register.

"Hold on, pussy cat," he winked, getting up and walking over to the woman.

I listened as Edward politely asked if she'd like to try out something on the menu, but she insisted on a plain ham sandwich, not even willing to try out one of his creations. I felt terrible for him, now that I knew this was his shop. The freebies, relaxed mood, and the 'rolling in' all made sense now that I knew he was the owner. The woman took her sandwich to go and Edward returned with an annoyed look.

"Really? Who comes in to a gourmet sandwich shop to ask for a fucking plain ham sandwich? She could've made that herself at home," he huffed.

"At least you got some money out of it, right?" I tried to find something positive to help cheer him up.

He shook his head. "It's not about the money, Bella. I just want people to like something that I made. That I did all on my own."

I had a feeling this was a bigger issue than just wanting people to like his food. I didn't want to ask questions or make him feel like he had to tell me about anything just because I'd told him about Carlisle.

"Well," I grinned, trying to lighten the mood. "I certainly like it."

"I bet you do, since I haven't charged you for anything," he laughed.

"Hey! You're the one who keeps giving me free food. It would be rude to turn it down."

"Right," Edward said sarcastically.

"I'll pay for this," I nodded towards the food on the table.

"Don't worry about it," he grinned. "It's usually pretty quiet in here so it's nice to have someone to talk with. I'll take your company as payment."

"Hmm… fair enough."

"So how was dinner? Your friends weren't too mad at you were they?"

"No, they got over it pretty fast." I shrugged.

"I can't believe we talked for so long yesterday." He shook his head in disbelief.

"You mean you can't believe I talked for so long yesterday. You barely got a word in, Edward," I clarified.

He shrugged. "Either way, I enjoyed myself."

"Yeah, me too," I agreed, hating exactly how much I enjoyed being with him.

I shouldn't have been spending time with Edward. I shouldn't have even come back because I knew this was going to happen. I had to get away from him before I fell into a hole I couldn't get out of.

I glanced down at my watch, seeing that my lunch break was over in twenty minutes. "I have to go, Edward," I told him, gathering my things.

"What?" he sat up in his chair, looking at me frantically. "Why?"

"I have to get back to work," I explained.

"But yesterday…"

"I had the day off yesterday."

I picked up my trash and threw it away before walking back to the table and picking up my purse and umbrella. When I turned to put my coat back on, I felt two hands swiftly take it out of my grasps. I looked over my shoulder and saw Edward behind me, holding up my jacket so I could put my arms in.

"Thanks," I said softly.

"Will you come back tomorrow, pussy cat?" he whispered in my ear, once I had my arms securely in my jacket, and I my body shuddered.

I debated with myself for a minute. Should I come back tomorrow? Definitely not. I needed to keep Edward at a distance. I couldn't let myself get attached to him or him to me. He knew too much, and that was my own fault. Looking back on the previous day, I couldn't believe I'd let my guilt and frustration cloud my better judgment. I should've never said anything to Edward. I should've kept my lips sealed like I had for three years. But when I looked into Edward's eyes, something inside me told me to trust him. So would I come back tomorrow?

"Yes."

**************

Carlisle had me run errands for him when I returned to the office. He had to make sure everything was set and in order before he left for Chicago. I rolled my eyes plenty of times and muttered under my breath quite a few. By the time I got home, I was thoroughly annoyed and utterly exhausted. I went straight to the bathroom, turning on the shower and slipping off my clothes.

I spent some time relaxing in the shower, slowing washing my body and my hair. I felt totally refreshed when I got out, my mood enhanced and my mind clear. I put on my pajamas and climbed into bed, cuddling into my pillow and wrapping my sheet around me. It was only seconds before I drifted to sleep.

"Bella…"

I quickly sat up in my bed. My room was pitch-black. "Hello?" I called out.

"Bella," I familiar smooth voice responded.

"Edward?" I reached out, my eyes straining against the black, lightless room. "Edward, where are you?"

"I'm right here, pussy cat," he whispered right next to my ear.

I could feel the heat of his body next to mine and smell the scent of his breath. My hand moved to touch him and came in contact with his shoulder, feeling his bare skin against my fingertips.

"What are you doing here?" My voice sounded so loud in the quiet room.

"I came to give you something…"

Then I felt his soft lips brush against mine before pressing more firmly against my mouth. My lips moved fluidly with his. I felt his wet tongue lick my bottom lip and I opened my mouth, letting him in. I moaned, feeling his tongue move against mine and tasting his mouth. I could feel his hands gliding over my body, pulling at my clothes. Our mouths separated for only a moment so he could pull my shirt over my head.

I shifted my body so that it was pressed against his, wanting to feel more of him. But it still wasn't enough. So I moved, trying to straddle him.

Then everything disappeared.

My eyes shot open and my back throbbed painfully. I looked around; my room was now bright from the sunlight coming through my window. I then realized that I had been dreaming, and was abruptly woken up when I'd fallen of my bed.

"Shit," I muttered to myself, running my hand through my knotted hair, not looking forward to getting up for the day.

**************

"How was your flight, sir?"

"It was just fine, Bella." Carlisle called me after his plane landed, asking if anything had happened while he was in the air.

"That's good to hear. There should be someone waiting for you at the gate and a car to take you to your hotel. Your meeting is in three hours."

"Great. I need a little downtime." At least when we spoke over the phone, I could roll my eyes freely.

"I figured you'd like some time to relax before the meeting so the hotel staff has been informed not to disturb you."

"Thank you, Bella," he said appreciatively.

"Not a problem, Mr. Cullen."

Since Carlisle was gone, I didn't have much to do. I'd taken care of everything the previous day. I looked at my watch and saw that it was ten till noon. I already knew where I was going for lunch—there was no point in trying to tell myself otherwise. And I'd already promised Edward I'd come back today. I felt terrible when I thought about him, sitting in his shop all alone, hoping that someone would come in and try out his sandwiches.

And then I had the best idea.

**************

I pulled up to EC Gourmet, immediately spotting the little woman standing outside the door. I smiled, running up to hug her.

"Oh, thanks so much for coming, Alice."

She hugged me back tightly. "Of course, I came. I just hope the food is as good as you say. I can't just hand out good reviews, Bella," she warned me.

"I know, I know. Just keep an open mind, okay?"

She nodded her head before I led her inside.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite customer," Edward smiled—ear to ear—from behind the counter.

"Don't you mean your one and only customer," I teased.

He laughed, nodding his head in agreement. "Guess you're right."

"Not for long," I told him, moving to the side so he could see Alice.

"Hello," she said sweetly, reaching over the counter to shake his hand. "I'm Alice Brandon."

I felt a pang of jealousy as I watched them casually shake hands. I knew it was ridiculous, because I had absolutely no claim on Edward and it wasn't like I planned on being anything more than his customer, but I couldn't help but think about the dream I'd had last night, how he'd touched me and kissed me. I didn't exactly have an "if I can't have him, no one can" attitude, but that didn't mean I wanted to see him touching another woman.

"It's nice to meet you, Alice Bran-" Edward suddenly stopped, his eyes widening and his jaw dropping. "Wait, as in, the Alice Brandon?"

She chuckled at his stunned expression, though she was probably used to it. "Yes. I came here to try one of your sandwiches. My friend Bella here says they're pretty good."

He looked over at me, his face still twisted up in shock. I smiled encouragingly, which seemed to relax him enough so that he could function.

"Sure, okay. What would you like?"

Alice pursed her lips as she read over the menu before she simply shrugged her shoulders and told him, "Surprise me."

I was little nervous about whether she'd like her sandwich or not, considering I'd only had the Washington. But I had faith that Edward would wow her with whatever he brought out.

"Okay," Edward smiled charmingly at Alice—back to his usual self—before looking over at me. "And Bella? The usual?"

I wasn't sure when the Washington had become my usual, considering I'd only had it twice, but I couldn't deny that it felt good having a usual and that Edward knew what it was. So I nodded my head to him before leading Alice over to my table.

"So what do you think so far?" I asked eagerly.

"Of him or the place?"

"Both."

"As far as the décor goes, I love it. And the owner seems very friendly."

I nodded.

"So… you come here often?" Alice questioned innocently.

"Just for the past two days."

"Hmm…" She nodded. "So are you and…"

"Edward," I supplied.

"Are you and Edward… friends?"

"Not really." I shook my head, hoping she didn't see through me. But even if she did I knew Alice wasn't going to say anything about it.

Edward brought over our food and I tried to get a peak at what was in Alice's sandwich, but couldn't really tell. So I watched nervously as she took a bite, slowly chewing.

"Hmm…"

"So… what do you think?" I asked impatiently, which was ridiculous because Edward was standing there calmly and it was his reputation that was on the line.

Alice held up her hand, continuing to eat in silence. Edward went back into the kitchen and I ate my own sandwich—it was delicious as usual. Twenty minutes later, Alice was done eating her sandwich. She wiped her mouth and her hands on her napkin before standing up and walking right back into the kitchen. I sat—dumbfounded and anxious—waiting for one of them to appear.

Five minutes passed before Alice came back out. She smiled brightly at me, saying a quick goodbye before leaving. I stared at the door after she left, confused about what had just happened. I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and turned to see Edward walking out from behind the counter.

"Edward? What happened?" I asked.

His face was blank as he walked over to the door and locked it. I sat frozen in my chair, not at all understanding what was happening.

"Uh… Edward?"

His eyes were on me again, the same fuck me eyes that I'd seen before. My body trembled as I watched him move slowly towards me. I stared up at him from my chair and he offered his hand. My hand slipped into his without hesitation. He led me back behind the counter and into the kitchen before spinning me around so my back was against the wall.

"Alice said she'd give me a good review." His face was so close to mine. "Do you have any idea what you just did for me?"

I did, that's why I'd asked Alice to meet me here. I wanted to do this for him. I wanted to see this place full of people, dying to have one of Edward's sandwiches.

"I want you, pussy cat," he whispered before placing a soft kiss on my cheek, then moving to the other. "I've wanted you from the moment you walked in here."

The voice in my head was screaming for me to tell him to stop—that we couldn't do this. My lips even formed the word "Stop" but nothing came out.

His lips moved down my jaw, peppering my skin with light kisses, to my neck. I moaned when I felt his tongue against my sensitive skin.

"Tell me if you don't want this," he mumbled into my skin.

He was giving me an out. I should've told him to stop. I should've pushed him off of me and walked right out.

But I didn't.

My hands flew up and into Edward's hair, tugging on the bronze strands. He groaned into my neck, which felt amazing, before biting lightly. I pulled his hair, forcing him to look up at me and his eyes were dark, clouded with lust. His lips brushed over mine before he kissed me fully—just like he'd done in my dream. I immediately opened my mouth to him, feeling his flavor on my tongue. We kissed deeply, putting everything we had into it. His body was pressed fully against mine and I could feel him harden against my stomach.

My mind wandered as I continued to feel Edward all over me. We were going to have sex—there was no doubt about it. I still couldn't believe that I'd let things get this far with him. He was just supposed to be a stranger who I could vent to. The more I thought about it, he still was a stranger. I hardly knew anything about Edward, and here I was, about to fuck him.

That thought reminded me far too much of Carlisle and the many strangers he fucked on a regular basis. I didn't want to be anything like those whores. And as much as my cooter hated it, I couldn't let myself sleep with Edward. I couldn't ignore my better judgment again.

"Stop," I said, pushing Edward away from me.

His eyes searched my face frantically. "What's wrong, Bella?"

I shook my head, moving from between him and the wall. "I can't do this, Edward."

I felt terrible as I watched his face fall. "I thought you wanted this…"

"No," I said adamantly. "I don't know you and you don't know me. I can't just sleep with you."

"But we-"

"No, Edward. I've got to put an end to this right now," I said firmly, before turning and practically running out of the kitchen.

I hastily grabbed my things from the table before twisting the lock on the door and walking out.

**************

Edward POV

I sat in my father's office, silently watching him read over the article. Alice Brandon had written a terrific review for EC Gourmet, as she had promised. I was amazed that Bella would do something like that for me. She was so sweet and caring.

That first day, when she'd told me about her bastard of a boss, I could feel the guilt that she carried. I wanted to take it away from her, but I knew there was nothing I could do. Bella was the most amazing woman I'd ever met. I tried not to openly flirt with her at first, fearing it would make her uncomfortable, but it was just so easy being with her, and I loved watching her eat my sandwich—that sounded far more perverted than intended.

After Alice had told me the good news, I just couldn't take it anymore. I knew that it could ruin everything, or that coming on so strong could scare her away, but I did it anyway. I thought she'd wanted me too, but apparently I was wrong.

It was Monday morning, my father had just returned from his trip and had heard about the review. I'd gotten up early and brought it over to his office so he could read it with me. I'd never been to his office before and it was surprisingly void of any pictures of me or Esme.

"Wow, this is wonderful, Edward. I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks, Dad. I have to get to the shop though. I actually have customers now," I laughed.

"Oh, yes, of course."

He walked me over to the door, patting me on the back as he opened it. There was a woman sitting at the desk in the outside office now. Her long brown hair was obscuring her face.

"Oh, great, I can finally introduce you two."

The girl looked up at the sound of my father's voice and our eyes went wide.

"Edward, this is my secretary, Bella Swan. Bella, this is my son, Edward Cullen."

Wait… if Bella was Carlisle's secretary… that would make him… her boss!

Today, I found out my happily married father has been hiring escorts on-line for 3 years. FML

A/N: Thanks for reading! Big thanks to my beta, erinmiyu! This is currently a one-shot, but may become a chaptered story in the future. We'll just see how things go. REVIEW!