IYOK Inspiration

It dawned on me tonight that I never posted a link to the song that inspired If You Only Knew.

Here it is, for your listening pleasure. (It's also now on the IYOK page for future reference!)

I'm not giving anything away, but before you all pack your bags and run for the hills, know that the story won't necessarily go the same direction as the lyrics do. I'm impulsive in most areas (my writing included), I like to surprise people, and I would never give away the direction of a fic that easily. *smiles sweetly at you all* Stick around, enjoy the ride, and maybe you'll fall just as much in love with Broodingangstward as I have while writing him. <3<3

And if you haven't had a chance to check out Gossip Girl (the CW show that this fic is crossed-over with) ... Well, check out the Official Site, watch some episodes if you want, or read about the characters. It might provide you with a good visual of how the whole hierarchy at Saint Vincents is set up. And it'll help everyone who read my last A/N and wondered, "Who the hell are those characters she's referring to?" ;)

xoxo
- N.

**UPDATE** Hot Commodity

Hello hello hello!

As promised, Chapter 10 of Hot Commodity is now up for your viewing pleasure! No teasers tonight -- head on over to my ffn or TWCS pages to get your reading groove on! ;)

I do have a rather BIG announcement to share - Hot Commodity was nominated for a Sunflower Award! I'm not sure who did the nominating, but THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for this! You have NO IDEA how much this means to me -- my mind has been spinning all night since I found out! I can't even begin to express how much this means to me in words, just know that every fiber of my being is currently lit up with ridiculous amounts of joy. :)

The story is up under the Best Edward category. SO ..... PLEASE head on over HERE and show me (and, most of all, Edward!!) a little bit of love and vote for it! If I should happen to win in this category - or place somewhere in it - I will put together a VERY special outtake piece as a thank you to everyone!

I think that's about all for right now. THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the reviews and love this fic has been getting! It means so much to me AND it gives me even more motivation to keep the story alive and continue to share it with you!

xoxo
- N.

Fandom 4 Children Compilation

I signed up to write a O/S piece for the Fandom 4 Children compilation! I LOVE to write and writing for causes like this one is something I'm pretty passionate about.

The compilation is dedicated to helping raise money for organizations that work toward ending child abuse. Check this page for information on what organizations to donate to. The compilation comes out on April 15, 2012.

I can't divulge story details for obvious reasons, but I can tell you the O/S I'll be doing is Twilight themed with a Rosalie & Emmett pairing. Not only am I excited to do something to help raise money for such a good cause, but I'm also excited to branch off into realms outside of the traditional E&B pairing I usually go for.

Please check out the Fandom 4 Children website and learn how you can help end child abuse!

xoxo
- N.

Endless Night, Chapter 11: Complications TEASER

Good evening all! :)

Chapter 11: Complications, of Endless Night is now posted on ffn & TWCS. Head on over and check it out!

Here's a little preview of what you can expect...

"Hey Jake! How are you?" I answered brightly. Edward appeared in the doorway with a frown of disapproval on his face. I kissed his cheek and waved him back to the living room, closing the door behind him. 

"Bell! I know I was a jerk on New Years, but two months is an awful long time to go without speaking to each other." I could tell Jacob was joking by the tone of his voice, but I felt bad nonetheless. 

"I'm sorry, Jacob. I've been meaning to call you but I just got so busy with class and everything here in Seattle." It was a lame excuse but I didn't know what else to say. 

Jacob snorted. "Busy with your new boyfriend, you mean?" I scowled. He knew me too well. "It's alright Bell, I understand. I just started seeing someone myself. That's actually why I was calling." 

I chewed nervously on my lip. "Who's the lucky lady?" 

Jacob hesitated before answering. "Tanya Denali." 

My head shot up and I dropped my hairbrush. "Tanya Denali? When did this happen?" 

"She came to see me in Forks last week and things sort of kicked off from there." 

I had no idea what to say. Edward inched the door open and poked his head around the corner. I held my index finger up, signaling that I needed an extra minute of alone time. 

"Don't you have anything to say, Bella? No 'I'm happy for you' or 'That's awesome, Jake'?" He sounded irritated. 

I took a deep breath, unsure of how to respond. "Of course I'm happy for you, Jacob. I just don't want to see you get hurt, that's all." 

"What makes you think Tanya wants to hurt me?" The irritation was still there, but skepticism now laced it. 

"I never said she wanted to hurt you, I just…" You're meddling, Bella. Stop. Now. "Just forget I said anything. I'm really glad that you two hit it off! You both deserve happiness." 

"Thanks, Bell! I wanted you to find out from me instead of through the grapevine, ya know?"

There is a bit of drama ahead for our favorite half-vamp and his clan. Buckle up your belts, ladies (and maybe even a few gents?), cause this roller coaster is about to depart from the platform. ;)

Reviews = love, so don't hesitate to leave some!

Those of you who are waiting for a Hot Commodity update can let out a sigh of relief -- Chapter 10 is coming tomorrow (assuming chaos doesn't erupt and a disaster of epic proportions doesn't take place between now and then)! ;)

Goodnight folks!
xoxo

Things are getting a bit messy....

Good Evening! :)

First of all, I'd like to take this time to thank the lovely, talented, and all-around amazing RoseArcadia for making a blinkie for Hot Commodity! I've been a big fan of her graphics work for quite some time, and having her do this is kinda sorta a pretty big deal to me. Thank you again hun -- you rock! :) xoxo

School has started back up again, and even though it's just an online class, it's chewing my time up. SO --- I have a bit of an announcement to make (which might be sad for some): I am going to put If You Only Knew on hold for the time being and resume writing when I have completed Endless Night or HC. I feel kinda like a cock tease with this one, cause I posted two chapters and even though it's gotten a low number of reviews, it's still getting a good response and I don't want to ruin that for readers. I promise I will try to update it when I have the opportunity, but at the moment, EN & HC are my two top priorities, with HC kinda outweighing all else because it's the freshest in my mind and the characters tend to "speak" to me more than the ones from the other stories, at least at the moment.

Please don't give up on me! I'm so uber passionate about all of these stories and I promise I won't leave a single one unfinished. Updates might slow down a wee bit for a few weeks, but they are coming! My other reason for being a bit slow to update on the fanfic front...

I'm participating in the Romance Series Original Story Contest over at the Writer's Coffee Shop. The story I've entered is my very first original fiction piece I ever started, Love Across America, and it holds a pretty special place in my heart. As of now the prologue is all that's posted, but the contest goes through February 28, and the first chapter is almost completed and ready to go off to my lovely beta. I'm pretty sure you have to be a TWCS member to check it out, because it is rated NC-17 and all that jazz, but if you happen to frequent that site, check it out, leave me some reviews, and pretty please think about maybe possibly perhaps voting for me when it starts on March 1? :)

Thanks to everyone that takes the time to read my stories - and check out my blog here! And thanks for coming back even when I take forever to update! I appreciate all those who have stuck by me with these stories! I hope you'll still be here when they end!

My birthday is tomorrow - hoorah! - and then I'll be taking off for a weekend in Chicago with two of my besties on Thursday, so you can probably expect a little fanfic and Twitter hiatus then. Don't worry, I'll be back ... :) 

xoxo
- N.

A Lyrical Sunday

This has absolutely nothing to do with fanfiction or writing, but, I'm in a musical mood this morning, and thought I'd share these songs with everyone. I'm digging them all right now. :)

Again: Chapter 8

Characters belong to SM and any films, songs, recognizable places, etc. belong to their respective owners.
 
Chapter 8

Chicago, 2012

Come Monday morning, Alice turns into a drill sergeant, barking out orders to
Jasper and me. We're the only ones in the gallery, prepping for Edward's show,
which opens in approximately eight hours.

"Bella, the bridge painting needs to be moved to that wall over there." Alice
points and I follow her command. Small as she is, Alice can be very scary. Toss
seven months of pregnancy into the mix and, well, the results are one hundred
percent terrifying.

We spend the next two hours hanging pieces and adjusting lighting until
Edward's collection has fully filled the space. I take a lap through the gallery,
surveying our hard work and admiring just how incredible of an artist my former
lover has become.

"Bella?" Alice pulls me out of my trance and motions for me to follow her to the
office, where she closes the door and takes a seat behind her desk. "Are you
sure you're okay doing this? I can still call Irina and have her come in."

I shake my head as I drop into the chair across from my boss and good friend.
"That's not necessary, Ali. I'm looking forward to this evening."

"You don't have to put on a whole sunshine-and-rainbows act for me, Bella. I
would be more than understanding if you want to bail."

"It's not an act. I swear. I'm looking forward to seeing someone I know garner
success." Edward isn't my favorite person in the world, but I'd never wish failure
on him. His letters had shined light on a few things, and though I was still mad
that he threw everything we had down the drain for his addiction, I was also
proud of the changes he'd made and how far he'd come.

"Okay, well, if you change your mind, you let me know and I'll get Irina in here.
Now, the caterers will be here at four, people should start arriving by five …" I
listen intently and jot down the information. Once Alice has given me all the
pertinent details for the night, I bid her and Jasper farewell, and set off in the
direction of my apartment.

I do a mental inventory of my closet as I walk, and decide to make a quick stop
at Macy's. I want to look good for tonight. It's my first solo showing, the first
time Alice and Jasper have entrusted me with the keys to their kingdom. I want
to make a good impression, so I scan through the racks until I find the perfect
dress. It's black, one shouldered and form-fitting, falling just above my knees. I
grab a pair of sparkly black heels to go with it. The ensemble is just the right
mix of professional and elegant, and I know it will catch Edward's eye, too.

I shake my head as the silly thought crosses my mind. Catching Edward's eye
shouldn't even be on my list of reasons to buy anything. Reading his letters
gave me some insight into his life, and helped me understand his addiction a bit
more, but it didn't change the way things went down between us. The simple
act of putting pen to paper isn't enough to erase every wrongdoing or mend the
scars.

I spend the early part of the afternoon cleaning my place, rearranging the
furniture, and figuring out exactly which shade of lipstick I'm going to wear. By
three, I'm dolled up and ready. The caterers arrive right at four, just like Alice
said, and Edward arrives shortly after. He looks stunning in a pair of dark grey
slacks and an off-white sweater. His hair is styled into a tousled look and his
beard is trimmed down. I look at him—really look at him—for the first time since
seeing him again. He's filled out so much, really grown into his 6'3" frame. His
broad shoulders and hard chest are all man, but the twinkle in his eye and the
smirk on his lips are reminiscent of the boy I used to know.

He says nothing at first, simply walks through the gallery, taking everything in.
His expression morphs from bewilderment to pride to full-on happiness, and
even though we'll always have this broken history between us, I can't help but
feel so very proud of how far he's come and all that he's accomplished.

"This is amazing," he says when he finally finds me in the office.

I smile and wring my hands together. "I'm glad it meets your expectations."

He laughs. "As soon as I discovered you'd be involved with the show, I knew it
would meet my expectations."

A blush creeps up my cheeks and I bite the inside my lip to keep from smiling.
"How many showings have you done up to this?"

"None. This is my first one."

I frown. "Your first one? I thought you were just saying that the other day." His
expression falls and he looks away, eyes roaming over the walls of Alice's office.
I immediately feel bad for even bringing the topic up. "You know, forget I even
asked." I look at my watch, taking note of the time. "It's almost time. Let's go
show the art world what you're made of, yeah?"

He shoves his hands in his pockets and grins again. "Let's go."

The showing goes off without a hitch. A steady stream of people come and go
from the gallery, some more prominent in the art world than others. I introduce
Edward to the ones I know, including an art critic for the Chicago Tribune. He's
the perfect gentleman, talking about his art, answering their questions, and
exuding an air of confidence I've never seen from him before. By the time the
night comes to a close, I'm exhausted but filled with a rush of happiness.

"That was … perfect. Just perfect." Edward beams. The caterers are finishing
cleaning and I'm compiling a list of the buyers for Edward's work.

"You did wonderful," I tell him. "People loved you as much as they loved the art.
That's a good thing in this world, believe me."

"You think so?"

"I know it." I leave all of the buyer information on Alice's desk and grab my
purse. Once I've made sure the caterers are gone and the gallery looks as it did
before the showing started, Edward and I head out into the night.

"Can I walk you home?" Edward asks. I bite my lip and look down the street.
It's late, and though I'm used to making the five-block trip on my own, I can't
say I'll mind the company.

This is what I'm telling myself when I agree a minute later. "Sure."

We set off in the direction of my house and a comfortable silence blankets us.
We're about a block away when he finally speaks again. "Its nice to see we still
make a good team after all these years."

I chuckle. "That we do—when you show up, at least."

He hangs his head and slips his hands in his pockets. "I deserve that."

"Yeah, you kind of do." We walk the rest of the way in silence. When we arrive
at my building I stop and turn to face him. "Edw—

"Did you read any of my letters?" The words fall from his lips quickly. I take my
keys out of my purse and spin them around my index finger.

"Yes."

"Did they mean anything? Be honest, Bella, because if they didn't, I want to
know. I need to know."

I try to think of something spectacular to say, but my mind comes up blank. "Of
course they did."

He looks up at me and I catch the spark of hope that flashes behind his eyes.
"Can we get coffee tomorrow? I know I've asked already, and I know you've
said no, but the letters … they're just the tip of the iceberg, Bella. I have so
much more I want to say, so many things I want to tell you."

I look down at my keys and every reason I should say no flashes behind my
eyes. I've seen his song and dance before. I know how this could go. But then I
remind myself that this Edward is different. He's been through hell and back on
his own, and if his letters are any indication, he seems to have come out on top.

"I'll meet you for coffee," I finally say.

"That's great, Bella. Thank you. Thank you so much." We iron out the details
and say goodnight.

I try not to notice the little flip my heart does as I watch him start to walk away.

Insider Trading: Outtakes from Hot Commodity - Please Pass the Flogger

For the love of god, PLEASE READ THIS SENTENCE: This outtake contains M/M slash. It's nothing hard core, and quite honestly it's a genre I don't write or read typically, but I wanted to give everyone a big heads up before proceeding. If it's not your cup of tea, you might not want to glance at this outtake.

Characters belong to SM. Everything else belongs to me.

Please Pass the Flogger

Mike's POV

Cell phone?

Check.

Wallet?

Check.

Keys?

Check.

When I was absolutely positive I had all my goods, I threw on my new Marc Jacobs leather jacket and headed out the door.

I hadn't been on a blind date in years. I preferred to personally select the men that would potentially end up in my bed.

"Taxi!" I belted out, waving my hand in the air. Two yellow cabs sped past me before a third finally came to a screeching halt next to the curb.

"Where to?" The driver's accent was so thick I barely understood him.

"Thompson and Bleecker." I glanced at my phone, checking the time and my texts. I had one from Alice and two from Bella.

You didn't cancel the date, did you? – A.

Where are you? I thought we were having drinks tonight? – B.

Oops – I forgot about your date! Good luck! Don't do anything I wouldn't do! ;) – B.

I snickered. I couldn't even remember the last time Bella mentioned seeing a cock, let alone touching one. She wasn't innocent by any means, but age had definitely brought her some
wisdom, and with that wisdom came a certain degree of selectiveness in the areas of dating and hooking up. Needless to say, it wouldn't be hard for me to do something she wouldn't. I
shot quick texts back to the girls letting them know I'd call them both tomorrow and pulled out some cash to pay the cab driver with.

Flame was the hottest new gay club in town. I had yet to go there, so I was happy when Caius suggested it as a meeting place. I stepped out of the taxi and headed straight for the
bouncer, bypassing the line of people waiting to get in.

"Newton! I was wondering when you'd get that cute little ass down here!" The bouncer unhooked one of the velvet ropes and let me in without question. That was one of the perks of
working in the fashion industry; you got connected with a majority of the "important" people in the city.

"Well, if you wanted this cute little ass down here sooner, you should have offered up an invitation!" I winked over my shoulder and gave my ass a slap for effect. A few of the guys
standing in line whooped, and some ladies (who I assumed were straight) whistled. I smiled to myself and sauntered inside, looking toward the bar where Caius had told me to meet him.

It didn't take long to see him. He was at least a good three inches taller than my 6'2" frame, with slicked back white-blonde hair and deep blue eyes. He looked completely out of place in
his dress pants and fitted sweater, but I wasn't about to complain. The dark colored fabric clung to just the right places and showed off his sculpted chest muscles.

I looked down at my distressed skinny jeans and tight, long-sleeved solid grey colored shirt. For the first time in a long time I felt inadequate. Oh stop, right now! Who the fuck comes to a 
club in business attire anyway?

I squared my shoulders and headed in his direction. I was a few feet away when ours eyes met and a smile spread across his face.

"You must be Michael." He stood and extended his hand. I shook it and nodded, returning his smile.

"Please, call me Mike. And you must be Caius."

He sank back down onto the bar stool and picked his drink up, lifting it to his lips and letting his eyes roam over me.

Good God, would you look at that jaw…

"Alice wasn't lying when she said you were hot." He set his drink back down and gestured to the stool next to him. "Care to sit and have a drink, or should we skip the formalities and get
the hell out of here?"

My mouth started to fall open but I caught myself before it did. I'd never been out with anyone who was quite this forward, or who wanted to get down to business before having several
rounds of drinks.

"I'd like to have a few drinks, if you don't mind." I wet my lips nervously and waved over the bartender. "Jack and Coke please."

"What do you do for a living?" Caius's eyes hadn't left my face since I sat down.

"I'm a stylist."

"A stylist for what?"

"I work in the fashion industry," I explained, sipping my drink. The bartender had gone heavy on the whiskey, and I scrunched my nose up in disapproval. "I work on photo shoots mainly,
but I've done some celebrity styling as well."

Caius dipped his finger in his drink and swirled it around. He pulled it from the opaque colored liquid and dragged it across his lower lip before taking it in his mouth and sucking the alcohol
off of it.

Holy hell was this man sexy. My dick twitched in agreement.

"Have you worked on any major shoots?"

I nodded. "I do regular work with several of the more popular fashion magazines." I didn't want to give too much about myself away. We were only fifteen minutes into our first date, and
for all I knew this guy could be a closet case serial killer or something. "What is it that you do?"

"I'm a lawyer." Caius ordered another drink. "I handle mostly corporate cases, but sometimes I do employment law cases as well."

"Alice set me up with a lawyer?" I laughed.

He smirked and narrowed his eyes. "Not all attorneys are … vanilla, for lack of a better term."

"Vanilla?" I felt like an ass for having to ask what he meant.

"Boring, stiff, straight laced," Caius answered. "In other words, we don't all cause a room full of people to nod off within five minutes."

"I don't know how anyone could nod off with you in a room. You're sex on a stick, for fucks sakes!" I reached up and covered my mouth embarrassingly. One drink down and my already
thin brain-to-mouth filter was coming unglued.

Lucky for me Caius just laughed. "And here I thought Alice was just exaggerating."

"Exaggerating? Oh mercy, what did she tell you?"

"Nothing bad," he smirked and took a sip of his drink. "She just mentioned that you don't have a problem being … up front with your thoughts. And feelings."

I made a mental note to kick Alice square in the fanny when I saw her tomorrow. "I have been known to speak my mind. It usually doesn't get me into trouble, although I can think of a few
exceptions."

"Tonight might end up being one of them," Caius mumbled under his breath. I had no idea what he meant by that statement, but I was dying to find out.

The more we drank, the easier our conversation was, and soon all the nervousness I'd felt at the beginning of the evening had vanished. By the time I got the last of my fifth drink down we
were eyefucking one another so hard that I wondered why we weren't back at his place doing some real fucking.

Caius leaned forward until his lips were a mere inches from my ear. "Are you ready to get out of here?"

Great minds always thought alike.

"Hell yeah."

We closed out our tabs and I followed him outside. Minutes later his hand was working its way up my thigh in the backseat at of a cab. I normally frowned on public behavior of this sort.
Then again, I was thoroughly intoxicated and as horny as a sixteen year old at that moment.

I grabbed his hand and placed it on my crotch, running his palm against my length on top of my jeans. "I believe this is what you're looking for."

He smirked again. "You're going to be a fun one to play with."

Play with?

I dismissed the unease that accompanied my thoughts and laughed. "Why waste time playing when we can just get down to the good stuff?"

"Oh, but I love to play." Caius winked and fixed his attention on the driver. "Take the next right and it's the building on the corner."

When the taxi came to a stop in front of his apartment, I almost creamed my pants. I'd been dreaming of owning a unit in this building since I moved to New York. It was eighteen stories
of Park Avenue perfection. I had to stop myself from literally squealing when the doorman pushed the penthouse button for us in the elevator.

I thought I was going to pass out when we were finally inside of his place. It took up the entire top two floors of the building, had access to a rooftop terrace and pool, and the most
amazing view I'd ever encountered. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows surrounded every room, hardwood floors filled the first level, and a kitchen the size of my entire apartment made this
heavenly space that he called home complete.

"This place is fucking beautiful!"

"I know." He gestured to the stairs. "Care to see the better half of it?"

His tone sent a jolt of electricity through me, and his eyes … the expression in them was enough to make me have to resist dropping my pants right then and there.

"Absolutely," I said with a nod. The second level was just as stunning as the first. There were two large guest bedrooms, an exorbitantly huge master bedroom, an office, and a master bath
complete with a Jacuzzi tub. There was also a room off of the master bedroom, which I took it upon myself to inquire about.

"What's in there?"

"It's my … well, let's just say it's like a hobby room. I can show it to you if you want. But, there is one rule you have to follow."

I furrowed my brow in confusion. "What's that?"

He tugged at the neck of his sweater, pulling it and the t-shirt below over his head. I resisted the urge to moan when I took in the sight of him. He was nothing but abs and perfect skin and
soft hair that begged to be gripped and tugged at. "Clothes aren't allowed."

My eyes grew wide and I swallowed hard. "You don't waste any time getting down to business, do you?"

His hands moved to his belt, and I watched as long, slender fingers unclasped it and then popped his button. He slid his dress pants off, leaving him in nothing but a pair of black socks and
grey boxer briefs.

"Time is a precious thing, Michael." I shivered involuntarily when he said my name. "I do believe it's your turn."

I took a deep breath and toed off my shoes. My shirt was the next thing to go, followed by my pants. Caius looked me up and down and then stepped forward and hooked his fingers in the
waistband of my boxer briefs.

"You're sure you can handle this?"

"I've been naked plenty of times before, honey. I'm sure I can make it through another one."

Caius chuckled; a deep, dark chuckle that sent a trill of fear down my spine. "Whatever you say." He pulled the cotton barrier off and let it fall to the floor. "Very nice."

"I'm glad you approve," I whispered, pushing his boxer briefs down so that we were in the same state of undress. "Now, I believe we meet your requirements. Can I see the room?"

Something unfamiliar flashed behind his eyes, and then he was entering a series of numbers into a keypad on the wall. The door unlocked and Caius pushed it open.

My jaw was on the floor before I even crossed the threshold.

This looks like something out of a horror movie.

There was a tall, rectangular shaped cage in the middle of the room. To the right of the cage was a large, wooden shaped "X" with metal cuffs attached to each of the four corners. A thick
metal stand kept the contraption from falling. A table in the corner of the room held an array of objects, including some leather cuffs with some strange metal bar between then, a smaller
version of what looked like jumper cables, and several jelly butt plugs of different shapes and sizes. A curtain sanctioned off the far left corner of the room, and I couldn't help but wonder
what was hidden behind it.

I made no attempt to conceal my shock. "What the fuck is all this?"

Caius nudged me forward with his elbow. Soon we were both standing in the room and I heard the door latch behind us. "My hobbies." He picked up a leather object that looked like a multi-
colored miniature mop head and slapped it against my thigh playfully. "Maybe now you understand why clothes aren't allowed."

I swallowed and took a few steps away from him. My eyes scanned the room again, looking for some exit route, but the door we came in appeared to be the only one to the room.

"Having second thoughts?" Caius cocked his head to the side and ran his fingers along the edge of the cage.

"Um, I uh… no, no second thoughts. I was just, um, admiring the uh, the variety of items you have in here."

"Are you familiar with sadomasochism?" He turned to face me and crossed his arms over his chest.

I didn't say anything. Instead, I shook my head.

"I want you to please me tonight, Mike." He took a step toward me. I, in turn, took a step back. "But to do so, I want you let me inflict a certain amount of … pain on you."

I could literally feel the color drain from my face. "Pain?"

He nodded. "Seeing others experience pain in a pleasing manner turns me on, Mike. It does things to me that you wouldn't believe. I want to dominate you tonight, and if you agree, I
expect you'll submit to me."

I glanced to my left at the door, wondering if it was in fact locked or simply latched. I took a small step in that direction, trying to maintain some composure on the outside while freaking
the fuck out on the inside.

"Leaving so soon?" Caius took two more steps toward me, stopping when he was about a foot away. "The fun hasn't even started."

"I … I, uh, I need to use the restroom before the fun begins." My words came out in one big, jumbled rush. Caius cocked his head to the side and eyed me suspiciously.

"What if I told you that you couldn't use the bathroom until I deemed it appropriate?"

"I'd pop a squat over there in the corner."

He wrinkled his nose and made a shooing gesture with his hand. "Go use the restroom then. I'll get some things set up while you're gone."

"Thanks. I'll be right back."

"Michael!" I turned to face him once more. "Would you mind putting these on while you're in there?" He crossed the room and opened one of the dresser drawers, removing what appeared
to be a pair of assless leather pants. I nodded and grabbed the offensive clothing, thinking it would be best to play along until I could get one of the girls to come over and rescue me.

As soon as I was out of the room and away from his line of vision, I grabbed my jeans from the floor and bolted to the bathroom. I locked the door behind me and pulled my cell phone out
of the pocket of my pants.

"Alice?"

"Mike? Where are you? Why on Earth are you whispering?"

"Get your spunky little ass over to Caius's penthouse and help me right now!"

"Help you? What's going on?" Alice sounded more amused than worried, and that only pissed me off.

"What's going on is that you set me up with a freak! He has a fucking cage in the middle of his hobby room or whatever the fuck he referred to it as!" I sat down on the toilet and dropped
my head to my hands. "You need to get over here, ring the bell, and get me the fuck out of here."

"Where are you now?"

"I'm in the bathroom, which he wasn't going to let me use, by the way. I had to threaten to lay one out on his floor to get him to cooperate with me."

Alice giggled. "Why can't you get dressed and go? I mean, you're out of the room, right?"

"Alice Erickson, stop trying to weasel your way out of fixing this mess you created!" I took a deep breath and lowered my voice. "This place has a security system like Fort fucking Knox. I
don't think I'd know how to open the front door without setting off ninety different alarms. Now please, for the love of fuck, get over here and help me!"

"Okay, okay." The noise in the background told me that Alice wasn't alone. "Bella is with me, so I'm bringing her along. Strength in numbers, right?"

"Bring anyone you want. How soon can you get here?"

"Ten minutes?"

"Make it a quick ten!" I ended the call and slid the phone back into the pocket of my jeans. Remembering Caius's request, I squeezed myself into the too-tight leather pants and made my
way back to him, dropping my jeans on the floor on the way.

My eyes grew wide when I saw what Caius had been busy doing. A pair of thick metal cuffs hung from the top bars of the cage and one side of it was now open. Strange music played from
somewhere behind the curtain, and Caius was wearing matching leather pants and held what appeared to be a cock ring strung on a chain in one of his hands.

"Are you ready to have some fun?"

I swallowed my nervousness and forced myself to smile. "Absolutely. I'm going in the cage, I presume?"

He nodded. "In the cage and in the cuffs." When I walked past him, he grabbed my wrist and spun me around. His hands were on my cock in an instant, and after he freed it from the
leather confines, he slipped the cock ring on and pulled – hard – on the leash it was attached to. Much to my surprise, this action made my dick swell.

I stepped in the cage and tried to ignore the fear I felt. Caius pressed his chest flat against my back and reached above us, fastening my wrists securely in the cuffs. His nose ran through
my hair and he inhaled my scent, running his tongue down the back of my neck and biting my shoulder. The door to the cage clanked shut and then he was standing in front of me.

"You have no idea how fucking hot you look like this. Completely helpless, under my control, at my mercy." He reached down and stroked himself through his pants. I bit my lip and
watched, unable to deny the fact that I was getting turned on.

"You're going to watch me pleasure myself," he continued, popping the button on his pants and reaching for the zipper. My traitorous dick twitched in anticipation and I closed my eyes,
running my tongue over my bottom lip.

"Keep your eyes open!" he belted out, tugging roughly on the leash that was affixed to my painfully hard erection. I cried out as an intense combination of pain and pleasure hit me.

"This clearly isn't going to work." He dropped the leash and made his way over to the table, grabbing what looked like a black bouncy ball with a leather collar attached to it. He walked
around the cage, opening the door once more and stepping inside with me. He shoved the ball in my mouth and hooked the collar behind my head, pulling it tight enough that I couldn't
move my mouth to speak. "Much better."

"Ungh," I groaned.

"This, Michael, is a flogger." Caius held up the object that looked like a leather mop head. "Normally I'd use a whip or perhaps a switch to punish you for being loud, but since you're new to
this I'll be more ... forgiving." He moved around to the side of the cage and brought his hand behind me. His used his free hand to tug hard on the cock ring at the same time the flogger
met my ass with a smack.

Tears sprang to my eyes; not from pain, but from fear. I was in a completely fucked up situation with a guy I barely knew, with no way to defend myself and no way to ask him to stop if
his actions became too much.

Fortunately I was saved by the girls.

Ding, dong.

"Shit!" He glanced over his shoulder, dropping the leash and tossing the flogger on the floor next to him.

"I don't think I'm going to answer that," he said with a smirk. His attention turned back to the table, and he grabbed one of the butt plugs.

Ding, dong.

"FUCK!" Dropping the jelly object on the table, he turned and left the room angrily. Within minutes I could hear Alice and Bella's voices.

"Where is he?" Alice sounded mad.

"I'm only going to ask this one more time – what the hell are you doing here, Alice?" Voices grew louder as they ascended the stairs and entered the master bedroom.

"I'm here to get my friend. You know, the one you-" Alice's words cut off as soon as she got a glimpse of me in the cage. Her eyes grew wide and her hand flew up to cover her mouth.

"The one I what exactly?" Caius pushed past her and entered the room, hands on his hips and a nasty glare on his face. "The one I was just starting to have an enjoyable evening with?"

"Did you even bother to ask him if it was enjoyable?" This time it was Bella's voice I heard, just as her head poked around Alice's.

"Your rescue rangers are here for you, Michael." Caius opened the door to the cage and narrowed his eyes at me. "Unless you want to stay, of course. You're a grown man, they can't make
you do anything."

I shook my head and squeezed my eyes shut, unwilling to look at his expression.

"He's coming with us," Bella said forcefully.

Caius laughed –a dark, bitter laugh – before unlatching the cuffs and ball gag, and jerking the cock ring painfully off of me. "You're a fucking mama's boy. It's no wonder you're single."

I stepped out of the cage and around him. Bella reached past Alice and handed me my clothes. I slid the leather pants off and quickly dressed myself in my attire from earlier in the
evening.

"I take it your father doesn't know about your little recreational area?" Alice placed a hand on her hip and glared at Caius.

"It's none of his fucking business what I do in my spare time."

"Yeah, well, you'll be lucky if I don't tell him." Alice grabbed my hand and tugged me toward the door. "C'mon Newton."

I didn't bother looking back before we left.

"I have to say, you looked pretty damn good in those pants," Bella joked. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms tightly over my chest, following the two of them to the elevator.

"At least he wasn't a serial killer," Alice pointed out.

"Fuck you, Erickson. We are so not on speaking terms."

By the time we reached the street, I was absolutely sure of three things:

I would never own a pair of leather pants.

I would never trust a lawyer.

And I was never letting Alice set me up on a blind date again.

---

A/N: One final thing - I'm not incredibly familiar with any parts of BDSM outside of the research I did to write this outtake, but I do know that in a RL situation Caius wouldn't automatically be an asshole just because he practices this. For the purpose of this outtake, however, I wanted him to be an asshole, hence the reason he didn't necessarily give Mike much of a choice, etc. etc.

Hot Commodity: Chapter 25 - Home Sweet Home

Chapter Song: Like Coming Home by Lonestar

Characters belong to SM. The fate of these crazy kids belongs to me.

Chapter 25 – Home Sweet Home

Bella's POV

When I stepped off the elevator on Tuesday morning I wasn't prepared for the scene that greeted me. A "Welcome Home Bella" banner hung across the front of the reception desk, adorned
with purple and blue balloons on each side. A small cake sat on top of the desk, and several streamers had been strategically placed in the open area of the office.

"BELLA!" Alice's shriek was loud enough to split a person's eardrums. I dropped my bag on the floor and grinned, bracing myself when she sprinted toward me.

"Did you start working out when I was gone?" I joked as she slammed into me and wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug.

"Not at the gym," she said when she pulled away, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. I rolled my eyes and laughed.

"I've missed you, Short Stop."

"I've missed you too Bell!" I barely had time to grab my bag before Alice took my hand and pulled me toward her office. "There's so much to catch up on tonight at dinner!"

"Around here too I'm sure," I said, dropping down on a chair and resting my elbows on the edge of her desk. "Shall I launch right into business mode or do you have a few minutes to chat?"

Alice glanced at her watch. "I have a meeting in Jersey City in an hour that I have to leave for, but I already made Rose clear her schedule so we can go out tonight."

"Perfect! I'm in desperate need of some girl time."

"Six weeks with Edward just didn't cut it, eh?"

I stuck my tongue out at Alice and rolled my eyes. "I can't exactly talk to Edward about Edward. Well, I can, but what good would it do?"

"Someone has to feed the narcissistic side of him, right?"

"You can inquire about that narcissistic side when you see him this weekend," I laughed. "Anything I need to know before you take off?"

Alice pushed a folder across her desk. "We have a new client and I think you'd be best suited for working with her. Glance over the info and we can talk more tonight?"

"Sounds good." I tucked the folder under my arm and stood. "It's good to be back."

"It's good to have you back." While Alice flitted around the room collecting what she needed for her meeting, I made my way down the hall to my own office. I pushed the door open and
took a deep breath, smiling when the smell of office supplies and eucalyptus hit me. Everything looked the same as it had when I left, which made me happy. Alice sometimes liked to
organize and re-arrange my stuff when I was gone, despite the fact that she knew it drove me crazy. This time around it looked as if she'd merely done what I'd asked, which was to water
my plants and replace the air freshener bulb if it ran out.

I slid my chair out and took a seat, dropping the file folder on top of my desk and tucking my bag away beneath it. I pulled my cell phone out and smiled when I saw the text from Edward.

Missing you already. Is it Friday yet? – E.

I punched in a flirty response before tucking my phone away in my desk drawer. I was back in the saddle, there was work to be done, and as much as I hated it, texting my boyfriend
would have to wait.

"Victoria White?" I said to myself when I cracked open the folder. I skimmed through her contract, setting it aside and pulling out the notes that Alice had taken during their first few
meetings. It looked like she was planning another charity event – a rather large and extravagant one, nonetheless.

I picked up my phone and dialed her number. I had no idea how many other small projects Alice had found for me to handle, so I thought it best to get started on this big one right away.

"This is Victoria." Confident, calm, and slightly flirtatious; it was nice to know that some things never changed.

"Hello Victoria! This is Bella Swan. I was just looking through Alice's notes from your meeting last week and was hoping we could set up a time to get together and chat."

"Bella! I'm so happy you made it home safe!" Victoria had always been pleasant toward me, though I didn't know her well enough to call her a friend. She ran in circles with New York high
society while I didn't have any one particular circle to run with.

"As am I. I see you have a big event coming up that you need some help with?"

"You have no idea," she said, launching into the story of how her best friend and party planner took off to Brazil with his lover, leaving her high and dry and in a good old-fashioned bind.

"I'm available on Thursday afternoon if you are. We could get lunch and discuss the details, guest lists, media coverage, and talk more about the location."

"Perhaps we could meet at the Waldorf for lunch?"

"If that's what you'd like, I'm more than happy to accommodate. Then we can arrange our next meeting as well, which will be with their event planner."

"I'm so happy you and Alice were able to take this on," Victoria gushed. "I just know everything will turn out perfect."

"That's a very high compliment coming from you, Victoria."

I heard some papers rustling on the other end of the line before she spoke again. "I can do twelve-thirty or one on Thursday?"

"Let's plan for twelve-thirty. I'll take care of the reservations."

"Thanks again, Bella. I look forward to seeing you Thursday!"

"The same goes for you, Ms. White. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon!"

I jotted the meeting details down in my planner and pulled up the Waldorf Astoria website, reserving a table for two at Peacock Alley on Thursday.

I spun my chair around and looked out the window, enjoying the familiar view that greeted me. A smile crept across my face and a sense of calm settled over me.

It felt good to be home.

-=- HC -=-

Alice was waiting at the restaurant when I finally got there. Rosalie was, as always, running fashionably late.

"When did this place open?" I asked, glancing around at the unfamiliar surroundings.

"About two weeks after you and Edward left. We've only been here a few times, but Rose is always craving mashed potatoes now, and theirs are good so I decided this was the place!"

"Oh, Rose." I smiled wistfully. For some reason we hadn't connected as much as I'd have liked while I was gone. I missed her every day, however, and couldn't wait to give her a big hug.

"I should probably warn you, her hormones are out of control." Alice slid into the booth next to me and shrugged her coat off. "She's cried more tears in the past month than I think I've
seen her cry in the twenty-nine years leading up to it."

"Talking about me, are you?" Rose's voice was hard, but a playful expression danced on her face. I smiled, pushing Alice back out of the booth and throwing my arms around my best
friend. She squeezed me tight against her and sniffled.

"You're going to make me cry too," I whispered, pulling away and cupping her face with my hands. Tears shone in her eyes, and I wiped my thumbs across her cheeks to rid them of the
ones that had already fallen.

"I'm a fucking mess," she joked, loosening her grip on me and letting her eyes roam over my figure. "You're looking great, Bell! All those horizontal aerobics are good for the bod, huh?"

I rolled my eyes and smacked her shoulder lightly. "In the grand scheme of things, you're winning the horizontal aerobic contest." I put my hand on her small baby bump and smiled.

"Oh, please, I'm just the only one to walk away with a permanent souvenir from it so far." She covered my hand with hers and returned my smile. "I'm so happy you're home."

"Me too," I whispered.

"Okay gals, enough of the theatrics. They're never going to let us back here again," Alice joked. Rose and I rolled our eyes at the same time, causing all three of us to burst out laughing.

"Where are Emmett and Jasper tonight?" I asked when we were all seated.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure they're out with Edward. Guys have to catch up on their gossip too, you know," Alice said.

"Especially those three," Rose pointed out. "If I didn't know any better I'd think they were a trio of old women disguised in mens bodies."

We placed our orders and Alice jumped right in. "I want to hear all about your week in Seattle!"

"And I would like to know why I had to find out Edward loved you from Alice?" Rose stuck her lower lip out in an exaggerated pout. "Christ, even Newton knew before I did!"

I held my hands up and shook my head. "One question at a time, please. My brain can only process that much at once."

"You better answer her's first." Alice nodded in Rose's direction. "Pregnancy did nothing to help in the patience department."

I bit my lip as I struggled to form an answer. "It wasn't that I didn't want to tell you, Rose, because believe me I did. You've just always been so … skeptical of Edward and his intentions," I
explained. "I was happy when he told me and I didn't want anyone raining on my parade. I'm sorry if that sounds bitchy, and you know I love you to pieces, but I wasn't sure how you'd
take it."

"Oh, sweetheart." Rose reached across the table and squeezed my hand. "I know I can be a bit of a mama bear at times-"

"That's a nice way of putting it," Alice chimed in.

Rose shot her a glare and continued. "But at the end of the day I just want to see you happy. And if Edward holds the keys to that happiness, then I'm going to be here to support the both
of you."

"Thank you."

"Yay, you kissed and made up – now how about my question?" Alice batted her eyelashes playfully and gave me the puppy dog eyes.

"I'll just start from the beginning – his first meeting with Renee and Charlie." The girls focused their attention on me as I recounted details of the week we'd spent in my hometown. They
both laughed at the thought of Edward going fishing with my dad and found no surprise in the fact that my mother not only thought Edward was handsome, but that she was pretty much in
the throws of planning our wedding already.

"Who knew Edward could be so romantic," Alice said, staring dreamily out the restaurant window.

"I don't think any of us did." I lifted my glass to my lips, taking a sip of water and letting my mind momentarily wander.

"Did the suitcase come in handy?" Of course Alice would bring that up.

"The suitcase..." My voice trailed off and I felt the color drain from my face. "Oh fuck."

Alice wiggled her eyebrows. "Is that a good 'oh fuck' or no?"

"I forgot the suitcase at Charlie and Renee's house!"

A loud, obnoxious laugh left Rose's lips. "Charlie is so going to find that! If he hasn't already, that is."

"Oh, trust me he hasn't. I haven't been on the receiving end of any irate phone calls."

"Well, I hope you at least got some use out of it before abandoning it in Forks," Alice said with a wink. My cheeks heated up and she snapped her fingers and pointed at me. "A ha! Don't
think I can't see that blush, Bell. You went through it and you liked it!"

"Okay, moving on..."

"Did you Edward talk about what you're going to do now that you're back in the city?" Saved by the pregnant woman. I have to remember to thank her later.

"Nope," I answered with a shrug. "I mean, I don't think anything has to change, ya know? We spend time together, we continue to get to know one another, and everything else will
progress at it's own pace."

"How many nights has he spent at your house since you got back?"

"None."

"Okay, how many nights have you spent at his?"

"We've only been back for one night, Rose, and I spent it alone in my own apartment, thank you very much."

She held her hands up and smirked. "I'm just saying, you spent six consecutive weeks together. I can't imagine it being easy to go back to sleeping alone after that."

"We haven't even been together for two whole months. What on Earth do you expect us to do, move in together?"

"Correction – you've been official for two months," Alice pointed out. "You were also doing some weird pseudo relationship dance for three months before that, remember?"

"Alright, alright, calm down you two. When the time is right, we'll discuss things. Until then, I'm content with just being together and seeing where life takes us."

The conversation turned to Rose then, much to my relief, and we spent the next hour talking about the baby, her fears, and our upcoming Paris vacation.

When I was walking home later that evening, Rose's questions kept coming to me. I did miss Edward, even though we'd only been apart for a day. Then again, I also enjoyed my space,
especially all of it that came with having my own apartment.

We had some things to figure out; that much was clear. How and when we'd do so wasn't.

Falling back into my old routine with the girls would be easy.
Finding a new routine with Edward, on the other hand, might not be.

---

Edward's POV

Knock, knock, knock.

"Come in!" I shouted from my spot in the kitchen. I finished dumping two bags of Doritos into bowls and headed for the living room where I knew I'd find Jasper. The Rangers were playing
the Penguins in Pittsburg, so we opted to have a guy's night at my place in honor of my homecoming.

"Welcome back, man!" Jasper put down the case of beer he was holding and bumped his fist against mine.

"Thanks," I said, grabbing the beer and heading for the kitchen. Jasper followed close behind.

"Are you fasting?" He nodded in the direction of my fridge, which was currently bare except for a few protein shakes, a package of butter, and several bottles of condiments.

I shook my head. "Nah, I just haven't had the ambition to go grocery shopping yet."

"Understandable. How was the trip?"

I handed Jasper a bottle of PBR and leaned against the counter, twisting the top off of my own. "Fucking amazing. I could have easily spent another six weeks on the road."

"Because of Bella or because you genuinely enjoy public speaking?"

"Both," I answered with a laugh. "Have I told you how incredible Bella is?"

"Not in so many words, but Alice has numerous times, so trust me when I say I'm well aware of your girlfriend's level of awesomeness."

I couldn't stop myself from grinning like an idiot. "Would you have ever guessed I'd be in this situation?"

"Only when pigs started flying." He smirked and took a swig of beer. "Alice said you dropped the big three words."

"That I did, my friend."

"Did a specific event inspire this or did the time just feel right?"

I tipped my beer in the direction of the living room. "Pizza and chips are essential accompaniments to this story." I was en route to my favorite armchair when another knock stopped me.

"It's Emmett," Jasper explained. "I hope you don't mind that I invited him over."

I shrugged. Most of the fondness I had for Hale had disappeared in the years after we left school, but it wasn't like I couldn't stand the guy. "He's as much a part of our newfound social
circle as you and I are."

"Wow, you must be in love," Jasper quipped, making a beeline for the door and letting Emmett in.

"This is one hell of a building," Emmett remarked, shrugging out of his coat and tossing it over the back of the couch. "I don't even want to know how much it costs you to live here."

"More than I'd be willing to pay for a rental," Jasper said. I rolled my eyes and ushered them both into the living room, settling down in my spot and grabbing the remote. Once the TV was
muted I turned my attention back to my buddies.

"I told Bella about Jess."

Emmett's eyebrows shot up. "Really? Gory details and everything?"

"Gory details and everything," I affirmed. "I shocked myself by doing it. She asked me about my previous relationship when we first got to Washington, and I just couldn't talk about it. By
the end of the week I wanted to be an open fucking book though."

"What was her reaction?" Jasper drained his beer and set the empty bottle down on the end table next to him.

"She was remarkably understanding." I thought back to that night at the restaurant and how easy it had been to have the difficult conversation with her. "I don't know, it just felt like she
got me, you know? She understood the hurt, the guilt, and the anger, and why I've been so reluctant to open up to anyone since."

"What about the promiscuity? Did she understand that?" Leave it to Emmett to toss that out there.

"I didn't give her the rundown on my sex life, jackass."

"That's because it's pretty much public knowledge." I glared at Jasper, eliciting a smirk from him.

"And it would have taken half a day to comb through that mess," Emmett added.

"Fuck you both." I flipped them the double bird and grabbed a handful of chips. "To make a long story short, I told her I loved her when we got back to the bed and breakfast, she told me
she loved me too, and now here we are, back in New York in one piece."

"Well man, I'm happy for you." Jasper smiled. "I honestly wasn't sure what would go down when you left in January."

"You're not the only one," I said, kicking my feet up. "Enough about my relationship. How do you like the new job?"

"I love it! One month there has me feeling more at home than years at The Journal ever did."

I bit the tip of my tongue, debating whether or not to ask my next question. Ah, hell, just go for it. "How is Jess?"

My words took him by surprise. "She's good. Really good, actually."

"I'm glad to hear that," I said sincerely.

Jasper narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure someone didn't hit you with a frontal lobotomy while you were away?"

"Ha ha, very funny. I wasted too much time being hostile toward her. From here on out it's all about positive thinking."

"Does that mean I should invite her to the opening of Emmett's next show?"

"Hell no!" I laughed. "I have to draw the line somewhere."

"And I thank you for doing that. I hear she and Lauren are still friends, and I'll be damned if I want to see her." Emmett cringed. I wasn't the only one who'd fallen victim to a bad college
breakup.

"So Mr. GQ Sports Editor, tell us what we can expect in the upcoming issues."

"We're doing a baseball feature in the April issue," Jasper explained. "I know that Derek Jeter and Evan Longoria are going to be on the cover, and then we're featuring another eight
players inside."

"Christ, don't tell Newton about that photo shoot! He'll be hounding you for days to get in there and watch."

Emmett's attempt to hold back his laughter failed, and he let out a loud whoop. Jasper was next to go, and pretty soon we were all three clutching out stomachs.

"Oh man, can you imagine what would happen?" Emmett wiped at his eyes and shook his head.

"A restraining order or two would surely be in place after all was said and done," Jasper joked.

"And then Whitlock here would be out of a job," I added in.

"And then I'd have to kick Newton's ass, and that jut wouldn't be good."

"It's good to be back," I said, grabbing the remote and turning up the television's volume.

"It's good to have you back," Emmett said, much to my surprise.

I smiled at both him and Jasper, and then fixed my attention on the hockey game. As much as I loved spending time with Bella, I couldn't deny how good it felt to have a night with the
guys.

Ah, yes, I thought to myself.

There's no place quite like home.

---

Bella's POV

The rest of the week passed quickly, and soon Friday arrived. I had just gotten home from work and was sorting through my mail when one particular item caught my eye. I tore the letter
open, disregarding the envelope and scanning over the contents.

I didn't have a lot of money to spend when I first moved to Manhattan, so finding a good deal on a nice piece of real estate was a top priority for me. Luck was on my side, and I managed
to find an elderly couple that had just retired to Florida and were looking to rent out their apartment. My rent never went up, and as a result I hadn't had to move since arriving in the city.

Now, the words that stared back at me indicated that the couple was planning on selling the apartment and had come up with an asking price, which they were willing to negotiate with me
if I was interested. According to the letter, I had until April 30 to negotiate and make some type of decision. If I opted to move, I would need to be out of the unit by June 30.

"Knock, knock." I turned to find my front door open and Edward's head poking around it.

"Security is getting a bit lax around here," I joked, pulling the door open all the way and stepping forward to kiss him.

"Mmm, you should blame your downstairs neighbor." He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him. "I slipped in the door behind her and she never even blinked."

"You're early," I noted, kissing his cheek one more and pulling away. He tossed the duffle bag he was carrying on the floor and kicked off his shoes.

"I got out of my last meeting earlier than I thought I would," Edward explained, heading for my kitchen. He grabbed two beers from my fridge and opened them, handing one to me and
tipping back the other.

I glanced at the clock on the wall and then at my boyfriend. "The New York Times called me today. They want to interview you." When we got back from the book tour we made a rule: no
discussing work-related things after five. Evenings and weekends belonged to us, and that was when we could drop down the walls of professionalism and just be together.

"Really?" He cocked an eyebrow up and smirked. "And why is that, might I ask?"

I strode across the kitchen, closing the space between us and setting my beer down on the counter next to where he was leaning. Standing on my tip toes, I brought my lips up until they
were almost touching his ear. "Your book made their best-seller list," I whispered.

"You're joking, right?" His arms were around me in an instant. "This is insane! Don't get me wrong, it's the best news I've heard all week, but it's still insane! I'm a New York Times best
seller! I have to call Esme!"

I laughed and watched on as he dialed up his parent's number to share the news. His excitement was contagious, and the animation on his face reminded me of a child on Christmas
morning.

"There's so many people I want to call," he said when he hung up. I grabbed the rest of my mail off the table and grinned.

"Call away. I'll be in the living room."

The letter regarding my apartment sat on the top of the stack, and while Edward got busy calling Embry and Jasper, I started to think about my living arrangement. I didn't want to deal
with the hassle of moving, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to stake a permanent claim on the unit. Then again I probably wouldn't find as good of a deal in another building. One look at the
price the couple had listed told me my monthly payment wouldn't be much more than it was now, which would leave me with room in my budget to save money and indulge in things like
vacations or spa days with the girls every now and then. It would make more sense for me to invest my money in some form of equity, but what if I decided I wanted to leave the city
someday? I'd have the option to sell, but that was a hassle too, one that I didn't know if I wanted to deal with the headache of.

"Okay, I think I'm done freaking out." Edward dropped down on the sofa next to me and rested his head against my shoulder. "What's that?"

I handed him the letter, resting my own head on top of his and sighing. "My landlord wants to sell this unit."

"Wow." His eyes skimmed the letter before he set it on the couch next to him. "How do you feel about that?"

"I don't know," I answered. "I've lived here for almost six years. Moving isn't something I've ever considered, but neither is buying. Do you own your place?"

He shook his head. "Up until about four months ago I was afraid to commit to anything – apartments included!"

"Would you ever buy a place in the city?"

"I think so." He sat up and turned to face me. "I don't have any intentions of leaving Manhattan, so it would probably make sense down the road."

"How far down the road?"

"Is there a motive I should be aware of behind this question?"

"Not really," I answered honestly. "Inquiring minds just want to know."

"I don't even know. A few years?" He reached out and pinched my arm playfully. "Or maybe a few months if you want to shack up together."

I had no idea how to respond, which was evident by the word vomit that came pouring out. "I'm not sure we can shack up, Cullen. I mean, you snore, leave your whiskers in the sink after
you shave, and in Atlanta there was-" Edward reached out and covered my mouth with his hand.

"I was just kidding," he muttered. "But thank you for giving me a rundown of all my less-than-desirable domestic qualities."

I grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand away while my cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I'm sorry! I couldn't tell if you were kidding, and then I didn't know how to respond, and I just
started blathering."

"Relax, Bella." He leaned forward and pressed his lips against my forehead. "You do realize we all but lived together for the past six weeks?"

"I know."

"And we're going to be all but living together every weekend from here on out."

"I know, but-"

"And you don't have to make any decision about your apartment until the end of April, right?" I nodded. "So that gives us two months to see how we fare now that we're back in the city.
Living together isn't an option right now, but maybe we can revisit the topic when it's closer to the time you need to make your decision by."

"We've only been together for two months," I blurted out. "It'll be four months at the end of April. Doesn't that feel rushed to you?"

"If you were to ask me to move in here tonight, yes I'd tell you it felt rushed." He brushed a wayward strand of hair behind my ear and cupped my cheek with his palm. "But on the same
token, had you asked me four months ago if I would be in a committed relationship right now, I'd of asked what the hell you were smoking. Things change with time. Who's to say that
option will still feel rushed come mid-April?"

He had a point. Life, relationships, and everything else evolved with time. Emmett and Rosalie had only been together for four months, but they agreed to have a baby and raise it together,
which was a hell of a lot bigger of a commitment than moving in with someone. Maybe Edward and I would be ready to cohabitate when the four-month marker rolled around as well.

"You're right." I stood abruptly, grabbing the letter and folding it up. "I'm going to keep this tucked away for now, and we can revisit it together in the future."

"Perfect." He stood as well. "What do you feel like eating tonight?"

"Chinese? There's a couple menus in the drawer next to the oven."

"Sesame chicken, fried rice, and a side of wonton soup?"

"Perfect." I headed to my room, tucking the letter away in my nightstand and making a mental note to jot something regarding its whereabouts down in my planner.

Edward was seated on the couch when I got back, legs crossed beneath him and TV remote in hand. A small stack of DVDs sat on the coffee table, along with two fresh beers.

"Ready for a romantic night of couch potatoing?"

I snorted. "Did you really just make the phrase 'couch potato' into a verb?"

"I did." He patted the empty space next to him and grinned the grin that always managed to turn me to mush. "It's one of my many unknown talents."

"Oh really? And what would some of these other unknown talents be?"

He scratched his chin, pretending to be lost in thought. "I'd tell you, but-"

"You'd have to kill me?" I finished. He laughed, pushing me over on the couch and climbing on top of me. He leaned forward, brushing his nose against mine and kissing me gently.

"I love you, Bella Swan. Neurotic tendencies and all."

"I love you too, Edward Cullen. Log sawing nose and all."

His lips met mine once more, and I melted against him.

Two months had brought us here.

I couldn't wait to see where the next two months would take us.

Hot Commodity: Chapter 24 - Second Thoughts

Chapter Song: Only Wanna Be With You by Hootie and the Blowfish

Characters belong to SM. The fate of these crazy kids belongs to me.

Chapter 24 - Second Thoughts

Alice's POV

Tuesday morning left me feeling excited for two reasons. First, it was Valentine's Day, and even though Jasper and Emmett's original plans to take us to dinner and a show fell though, they
now had a surprise in store for Rose and I. Second, Bella and Edward were coming home in a mere six days. I couldn't wait to hear stories from the road and see my best friend again.

Work was passing at a painful pace when a frazzled looking and winded Victoria White showed up at my office.

"Ms. White, what a pleasant surprise!" I clicked out of the spreadsheet I was working on and focused my attention on the woman before me. Victoria was once married to Collin Davis, a
highly sought after architect with boyish good looks and an impressively large bank account. Most of Manhattan envied their union, as it read like the perfect fairytale; dirt-poor Midwest girl
moves to the big city and captures the heart of one of the many charming princes roaming the streets. After five blissful years, rumors began to surface about Collin spending time at a
private gay club in Jersey. The proof was never there though, and Victoria chose to ignore the whispers, but six months later she caught him with their pool boy. She ended up walking
away with a large chunk of cash, which she then parlayed into a small chain of high-end boutiques that speckled the major cities on the country's East and West coasts.

Victoria was almost ten years older than me, but the woman didn't look a day over twenty-five. "Alice, please, it's Victoria and believe me, I wish I wasn't here." She caught the look on my
face and rushed to clarify. "Not that I don't want to see you, I just wish it was under different circumstances."

"I take it this isn't a social call?"

Victoria sank into the chair across from me and sighed. "I'm hosting a gala at the Waldorf Astoria in April and my party planner up and left the country."

"What do you mean 'up and left the country'?"

"It's a long story," she explained, throwing her hands in the air. "I need someone that can do good work on short notice."

"With all due respect, we aren't exactly professional event planners. Could I round up a good-looking guest list for you? Absolutely. Could I make sure there's ample press mentions about
the gala? Definitely. Could I make all the pieces of the logistics puzzle fall into place? I'm not so sure."

"Oh, Alice, c'mon. I heard your partner worked wonders when it came to Edward Cullen's book release party."

"With help from an event manager at the venue, yes." I didn't want it to seem like I wasn't interested in the project, because that was far from the truth. Victoria didn't work with just
anybody, and this was a fact that a lot of New York's high society knew. There were quite a few projects on our plate already, however, and I knew that Bella would likely need some time
to decompress before being tossed into another huge job.

"I'm sure the Waldorf has an event manager too." Victoria clasped her hands in her lap and fixed me with a desperate stare. "Please, Alice. I don't trust just anyone to do this for me."

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Alright, we'll work on it."

"Thank you so much!" She jumped out of her chair and rounded my desk, giving me a big hug. I patted her back awkwardly, not used to seeing such displays of gratitude or affection from
one of New York's most hardened women.

"I will draw up the contract and have it ready by Friday. Can you come back that morning to sign it, or would it be easier if I met you somewhere?"

She shook her head, smiling excitedly. "There's no need to meet me anywhere. I'll be here Friday."

"Bella will be back in the office next Tuesday, at which time I'll have her get in touch with you to schedule a meeting." I flipped open a small notebook and pushed it across the desk. "Can
you put your contact information on here so I can pass that along to her?"

Victoria scribbled her name, cell number, and email address onto the notepad before slipping it back to me. "Thank you so much, Alice. You have no idea how appreciative I am of your
being willing to do this on such short notice."

"I should be thanking you. It's nice to know that our office is so highly thought of."

"Highly thought of is an understatement," she said, standing and straightening the edges of her expensive coat. "You're more sought after than either of you know."

I stood and reached my hand out. Victoria shook it, smiling at me before leaving my office. I turned and glanced out the window, crossing my arms over my chest and smiling to myself.
Bella hated it when I took on big projects without consulting her first. Of course, this time around there wasn't a good-looking, wealthy asshole who she was subconsciously longing after
involved, so I had a feeling she might despise it a wee bit less than she despised planning Edward's party.

Oh please, who was I kidding? Someday Bella would thank me for not deleting Edward's message immediately after he identified himself.

My phone buzzed from the top of my crowded desk. I peeled my eyes away from the scene before me and checked my texts.

Car will come for you and Rose at six. Whose place should I send it to? – J.

I smiled and quickly composed a response.

Rose's. I'll let her know. xo – A.

Good. Can't wait. Love you. – J.

Me either. Love you more. – A.

I plopped back down at my desk, busying myself with the work I'd left when Victoria arrived. The hands on the clock weren't moving fast enough, and my anticipation for the coming
evening only seemed to slow them down even more.

I couldn't imagine what the guys had planned for us that night, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized it didn't really matter.

There was nothing either of them could – or couldn't – do that would disappoint.

---

Rosalie's POV

The longer I stood staring at my closet the angrier I got.

Alice would be over any minute, the car was coming in a half hour, and I had yet to figure out what I was going to wear that night. Everything I tried on looked like shit.

"Knock, knock." My best friend poked her head around the bedroom door. Her smile faltered when she realized I was clad in nothing but a strapless bra and panties. "What's going on in
here?"

All it took was one look from Alice and the tears started to fall. "I don't know what to wear and I feel like a fat mess."

"Oh, sweetie." Alice pushed the door open, crossing the room quickly and wrapping me up in a hug. "You can barely tell there's a baby bump there, and that's only if you're looking for it,
which nobody will be."

"But nothing will fit, and I don't have time to go out and get something new." I never cried over fashion, but the little turd growing inside me seemed to enjoy making me cry over every
little thing these days.

"Have you even tried anything on yet?" I shook my head, wiping my face with the back of my hand. Alice stepped around the pile of discarded clothes and started sifting through the many
dresses that hung in the closet. Minutes later she produced an elegant looking floor-length dress. "Try this one on."

I slipped into the fabric wordlessly, waiting until after Alice zipped me up to look in the mirror. The dress hugged my curves perfectly, as it always had, and the bright red fabric stood out
against my pale winter skin.

"See, you look incredible! And what did I tell you – no bump in sight!"

I shifted to look at my side profile in the mirror. Alice was right; the bump was barely noticeable, and as she'd said earlier, people wouldn't be looking for it. I sighed and smiled, feeling
somewhat satisfied.

"Thank you."

"Anytime, sweetie." Alice grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze, leading me into the bathroom and emptying the contents of my makeup bag onto the counter. "You get your face on and
I'll handle the chaos that is your closet."

In the interest of time and because I was feeling just plain lazy, I decided to go the easy on the makeup. Once my lids were appropriately lined and my lips were thoroughly glossed, I
collected everything, put it back in the case, and went back to help Alice finish up with the closet.

"I'm thinking the fashion gods are frowning on you right about now," Alice joked, hanging the last discarded dress in the closet and arching an eyebrow in my direction. "I've never seen so
many labels lying on the floor."

I cringed. "Let's just pretend it never happened."

"Fair enough." Alice fetched my coat and held it out to me. "Come on, pregster. The car will be here any minute."

"Where do you think they're taking us?" I wondered while we waited for the elevator. My friend simply shrugged and smiled.

"Jasper refused to tell me anything."

I wrapped my coat tighter around myself before climbing into the back of the waiting Lincoln. Alice and I tried to coax the driver into telling us where we were headed, but he just smiled
and shook his head. When it became clear he wouldn't talk, we moved on to discussing how excited we were that the third piece of our puzzle was returning to New York in less than a
week.

Twenty minutes passed before the driver brought the car to a stop. "We've reached our destination, ladies." I opened the door and saw Emmett and Jasper standing on the sidewalk. Each of
them held a bouquet of red roses and a card in their hand. The lights of Hoboken shined behind them, reflecting off the surface of New York Harbor.

"Happy Valentines Day, baby," Emmett whispered, pulling me into his arms and pressing his lips against my cheek softly. "Surprise."

I leaned back and looked up at him. The wind had blown a tuft of his hair up, and that combined with his dimples and sparkling eyes made him look more like a boy than a thirty-something
man. Love bubbled up inside me and I couldn't help but smile.

"Happy Valentine's Day," I said, running my fingers through his hair. When we parted, he handed me the roses and card. I moved to open the small square envelope, but Emmett covered
my hand with his and shook his head.

"Wait until later. There may or may not be some cheesy sentimental stuff written in there."

"Great," I laughed. "What are you trying to do to this already overly-hormonal pregnant woman?"

He slipped an arm around my waist and kissed the top of my head. "Don't worry, there's a blow up raft somewhere in my apartment for when you cry us the Amazon."

"We better get moving or we're going to be late," Jasper piped up, grabbing Alice's hand and leading us in the direction of the waterfront. An elegant looking yacht was docked at the edge
of the pier, and I was surprised when Jasper led us on it.

"What is all this?" I whispered to Emmett.

"You'll see." He smiled at me and squeezed my hand. Jasper stopped to talk to a well-dressed man, handing over what looked like four tickets and pointing his name out on a list. We were
escorted to the boat's third deck, where another man led us into a private room. A table was set for four, adorned with a white linen tablecloth, two tall candles, and china place settings.
Soft jazz music played in the background and two windows decorated one wall. The man took our coats and disappeared, leaving us to get settled.

"This is beautiful," Alice breathed, glancing out the window. The Manhattan skyline stared back at us, and when I looked closely I could see that a light snow had started to fall.

"There were no good groups playing in the city tonight," Jasper explained. "Emmett was going to try and get us into a show, but then my mom told me about these cruises and I realized
what a perfect evening it would make." He reached his fist across the table and bumped it against Emmett's.

"You did good, Jas," Alice said, smiling happily. I nodded and rested my head on Emmett's shoulder.

"I hope you're both this impressed after dinner," Emmett joked.

A waiter appeared minutes later, uncorking a bottle of champagne and a smaller bottle of sparkling cider for me. My eyes welled up with tears as I took in the sight before me. A year ago
Bella, Alice, and I were holed up in my apartment, eating Ben and Jerry's and cheesy heart shaped tortes and crying over How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

Alice looked up at me, smirking when she saw my watery eyes. "What do we owe this round of tears to?"

"I'm just so … happy," I admitted, blushing when I realized how sappy I sounded. "We're all in such different places this year, but still standing together, if that makes any sense."

"It makes perfect sense." Jasper picked up his champagne flute and held it in the air. "I propose a toast. To standing together."

"To standing together," the rest of us chanted, clinking our glasses and smiling.

"Think they'll still be standing with us when Bella gets back next week?" Emmett asked Jasper.

"I don't know, man. I think Edward might have a hard time standing without Bella when they get back."

"And why is that?"

"They exchanged the three big words," Alice said, bouncing giddily in her chair. "From what I've heard, it sounds like things are getting rather serious."

I narrowed my eyes. "When did they say 'I love you'?"

"Oh gosh, three weeks ago? Maybe even four? Didn't Bella tell you?"

I shook my head and sipped my cider. "No, she didn't."

"I'm sure she meant to," Alice hurried to ease the awkwardness that had set over the table. "She probably just got busy or it slipped her mind."

"Maybe. I'll give her some shit for it when she gets home next week." The waiter brought out our appetizers and replenished the drinks.

"At least you've moved past wanting to punch the guy every time his name is brought up." Emmett jabbed me jokingly with his elbow.

"Or perhaps I just stopped vocalizing my desires," I snarked back, taking a bite of the tasty food.

"I'm telling you both, Edward is a changed man," Jasper interjected. "There's only one other woman I've seen him fall apart like this for, and that was ten years ago. Whatever magic Bella
has, by all means please keep letting her work it."

"It's not magic, it's fate," Alice said dreamily.

I rolled my eyes and resisted the urge to gag. "Fate? Really? You're joking, right?"

She shook her head. "Not at all. Just look at the two of them. It's like they were lost souls wandering the city, waiting for the other to come along and act as a guiding light."

"What Harlequin novel did you pull that shit out of?"

"That, my dear, is coming straight to you from The Book of Alice."

Emmett's face scrunched in confusion. "The Book of Alice?"

The Book of Alice came about on a drunken post-college night. If I recalled correctly, Mike Newton was to blame for its conception, and Bella poked and prodded enough to keep the inside
joke going. "It contains Alice's rules for life. And other random stuff, like phrases not to use in bed-"

"How come I haven't heard of this yet?" Jasper interrupted, winking at me and turning his attention to the shorty beside him.

Alice shrugged. "There's never been reason to mention it."

Jasper arched his eyebrows. "I believe I need a formal education on this book."

"Can you please hold off on that education until after we finish dinner?" Emmett's facial expression made everyone laugh, and by the time our main course was brought out we were
engaged in a lively conversation about what we wanted to do when we went to Paris.

I cleared my throat and picked up my glass. "I want to propose another toast." The chatter stopped and the others turned to look at me. "To new life," I glanced at Emmett and rested my
palm on my abdomen, "and new beginnings."

Alice looked at me with teary eyes and held her glass in the air, smiling as she clinked it against mine. The others followed suit, and I couldn't help but giggle as I wondered when we'd all
become so fucking sappy.

"And to this Book of Alice," Jasper added in after sipping his drink. We all burst out laughing.

I'd never felt so fortunate. I could honestly say I had some of the best friends a woman could ask for.

My heart swelled at the realization.

-=-HC-=-

When dinner was done, the four of us made our way downstairs to where a string quartet was playing a version of "Unchained Melody." Emmett led me to the dance floor, grabbing my
hands and bringing them up to rest on his shoulders. He slid his own around my waist, pulling me close to him and swaying to the music. I sighed contentedly and rested my cheek against
his chest.

"Thank you for tonight."

"You're welcome." His face was buried in my hair, leaving his voice muffled. "And thank you."

"For what?"

"For being your witty, assertive self and making the first move four months ago. For changing my life for the better. For making me happier than I ever thought possible."

"You're not reciting the inside of my card right now, are you?" Cracking a joke was the easiest way to avoid tears. He tucked his thumb under my chin and tilted my face up until my eyes
met his.

"I mean it, Rosalie. I've never been as happy as I am right now. I love you."

"I love you too, Emmett." Tears welled up once again, spilling over on my cheeks. Wiping them away with his thumbs, he brushed his nose against mine and kissed me.

His lips melted against mine, moving fluidly in a dance I'd come to know very well. My feet were firmly planted on the floor, but I felt like I was soaring. Butterflies churned in my stomach,
a warm flush tingled beneath my cheeks, and my knees felt like they were going to give out at any moment.

"You know, we're going to have the luckiest kid around," he said when the kiss broke.

"What makes you think that?"

He slid his hand down my shoulder and over my hip, letting it come to rest on the barely noticeable bump in the center of my abdomen. "Because he or she will have an incredible woman
for a mother."

"If you keep talking like that I'm going to flood the boat."

He tipped his head back and laughed. "Incredible and funny. I'm telling you, this little jellybean inside you will have it made."

I whacked his arm playfully before pulling him down for another kiss.

"Thank you for being so incredible, Rose," he whispered in my ear.

"Thank you for helping make me so incredible, Em," I whispered back.

In the history book of us, tonight was definitely going down as the most memorable of them all.

---

Emmett's POV

I gulped down the rest of my beer, waving the bartender over and ordering another one. Jasper was running late, and as always I had arrived early.

"Hey, man, I'm sorry about that." Jasper tugged out the stool beside me and took a seat, dropping his keys and wallet on the bar in front of him. "I had to help my dad with some stuff and
you know how that shit goes. One thing turns into ten and then my mom gets involved and it's impossible to leave."

I chuckled. "I hope you at least thanked Charlotte for the Valentine's idea."

"Of course." Jasper ordered a beer and grabbed a basket of peanuts. "There wouldn't have been a date that night without her guidance."

I glanced around the bar, smiling at some of the memories that flashed through my mind. "You looking forward to Cullen's return next week?"

"Definitely," Jasper said with a nod. "I imagine your girlfriend is excited for his return as well?"

I laughed. "Oh yeah, you know it. Although I do think her heart has softened toward him, especially since the 'I love you' exchange."

"Ah, yes, the infamous three words." Jasper looked down at his hands, guilt clouding his features. "You don't think the bet had anything to do with those three words, do you?"

I narrowed my eyes. "The bet is still on?"

"No, no, no," Jasper met my glare and shook his head. "I put an end to that shit months ago."

"Why would you even ask that question then? You said yourself at dinner the other night that Edward is a changed man."

"He is," Jasper insisted. "I just worry sometimes that I helped get things with him and Bella off on the wrong foot, you know?"

"Have you talked to him about it? Called him out on it to see if his feelings are genuine?"

Jasper shook his head. "We haven't talked a lot since he left, especially after he found out I'm working alongside Jess. In fact, he didn't even tell me he said it himself. I found out from
Alice."

I drummed my fingers on the top of the bar while the bartender set two burger baskets down in front of us. "Let me get this straight; you think Edward is a changed man, but you think he
has ulterior motives behind his love for Bella? Am I following along here, because I feel like I'm way off the map right now."

"You know what? Forget I said anything," Jasper said with a sigh. "I haven't seen either of them in over a month, so I don't know why I'm even questioning Edward's motives at this point."

"Because you know him."

"You do too," he pointed out.

"I haven't known Edward – really known him – since college, and we both know how long ago that was." I fiddled with my drink coaster and contemplated whether or not to ask my next
question. "Does Alice know?"

"Like I said, Alice was the one who told me."

"Not about what they said, but about the bet. Did you ever tell Alice about the bet?"

I looked up in time to see Jasper's eyes widen. "Of course she doesn't know! Why the hell would I tell her? Do you want all of our asses to walk the plank together, because that's what
would happen."

"Maybe that's where all this worry over Edward is coming from," I offered, ignoring his miniature outburst. "Even if he genuinely loves her, the bet still existed at one point, and that's
something neither of you can take away. All it would take is one little slip up for Rose and Alice to find out, and then we'd all be toast, just like you said."

"And you think we won't be toast if I just come forward and tell her now, four months after the fact? Jesus Emmett, you're talking like an idiot!"

I looked back down at my beer and shrugged. "I'm sure she – and Rose – will be upset either way, but it's probably better for word to come out sooner rather than later. I think they'd both
be more willing to accept the idea of his feelings being genuine if we just told them about all of this now."

"I ended the bet. Edward has the keys to the Hamptons place. There's nothing on the line anymore, and I'm not telling Alice anything." Jasper looked at me with eyes that resembled
hardened steel. "The three of us are the only ones who know about this, and I can't imagine it getting unveiled unless it's on purpose. Do you have some intentions of trying to sabotage
things for me? Or for Edward?"

"Of course not! Why would you even say that?"

"Good, because I don't either. So can we just agree to disagree on this one and keep our mouths shut and let everyone stay happy?"

I wanted to argue with him, but I knew it was no use. His mind was obviously made up and there wasn't anything I could do to change it. "Whatever you say, man. I just hope you're right
and this doesn't blow up in our faces six months down the road."

Jasper picked up his burger and took a big bite, chewing harshly and refusing to meet my eye. I kept my attention focused on my beer, imagining what Rosalie's reaction would be if we
were in Paris and she found out her best friend was once a mere wager.

Time ticked by every day, and the bet continued to hang over our heads like a bomb waiting to detonate. Even if the three of us had the best of intentions at heart, there was no guarantee
someone wouldn't slip up and let some piece of incriminating information out one day.

Despite the fact that the bar was large and the crowd was fairly thin for a Saturday evening, I suddenly felt claustrophobic, like I was suffocating. I tossed some money down and grabbed
my coat, leaving without saying a word to Jasper or letting him say a word to me.

Several gulps of cold February air did nothing to ease my anxiety. Even though I wasn't involved with the bet itself, I had knowledge and that meant I was in just as deep as Jasper and
Edward were.

The nagging feeling inside me didn't want to desist, and that was when I knew:

Jasper wasn't the only one who would worry about this situation from here on out.

---

Jasper's POV

Alice's bed was far more comfortable than mine, and for that reason we usually took up residence at her apartment when we chose to spend nights together. Sunday night was no different,
except for the nagging feeling I had in the pit of my stomach.

I tried not to let my mind wander back to the conversation Emmett and I had at the bar the night before, but of course I couldn't stop it from happening. Knowledge of the bet wasn't public
to anyone outside of the three of us, meaning there was no reason for Rose or Alice to question Edward's intentions or the truth behind the three magic words he'd managed to utter while
away.

Nothing was guaranteed, however, and as much as I wanted to believe we would all three forever keep the secret, I knew there would always the possibility of the ladies finding out.

You're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't, but probably less damned if you just get it out there like Emmett suggested.

"What are you thinking about?" Alice emerged from the bathroom, hair dripping and wrapped in a fuzzy blue towel.

"Work," I lied, sitting and scooting to the edge of the bed. I ran a hand through my own freshly washed hair and took a deep breath. Here goes nothing. "Look, there's something I need to
talk to you about."

"Can I dry my hair and get dressed first?"

"It's kind of important," I mumbled.

"Well then, I'll multi-task!" Alice dropped her towel and slipped on the pajamas she'd laid out, taking a seat in front of her vanity and plugging in the hair dryer.

"So, um, well," I was scared shitless. The next ten minutes could very well change everything, and not necessarily for the better. Alice eyed me curiously in the mirror, turning the hair
dryer on low and blasting the air against her head. "Remember that first night at the Guggenheim, when Edward and Bella met? He was pissed when she didn't eat up his pickup line, and I
thought it was funny because, well, he was an arrogant bastard at the time and it was nice to see someone knock him off his pedestal. Anyhow, one thing led to another and I may have
made a bet with him that he couldn't get Bella to fall in love with him."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, waiting for her reaction. When the dryer turned off, I opened my eyes and was surprised to find Alice smiling at me.

"I didn't hear a word you said," she admitted, sitting next to me on the bed and crossing her legs beneath her. "I'm sorry, I thought the noise would be low enough. Can you tell me again? I
promise I'll listen this time."

I blew out the breath I was holding and closed my eyes once more. When I opened them Alice was still there, looking expectantly at me. The love and trust in her eyes was enough to make
me realized that I just couldn't do this.

"I was just saying how I think Laurent and Mike had the right idea when they exchanged keys. I want to do that too." The words left my mouth before I had a chance to think twice. So 
much for biting the bullet and being honest.

"Aw, Jasper that's so sweet! You must be reading my mind, because I had a copy made for you last week." She jumped off the bed and crossed the room, fishing a small envelope out of
her desk drawer. Setting the envelope in my hand, she climbed on my lap and straddled me. "I love you."

"I love you too," I whispered, pushing aside the guilt I felt and pressing my lips against hers softly.

It was too late to rock the boat.

Edward and I would just have to live with the repercussions of our actions if it ever got to that point.

I mentally crossed my fingers, hoping with everything in me that knowledge of the bet would never become public.