(IPFF) Episode Ten: The After Party

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Episode Ten: The After Party

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Oh, that's right. I remember why I didn't really like dances as a teenager now...

I suddenly felt very uncomfortable in the back of the very expensive black car we were taking, riding in the darkness towards the club where the after party was being held. How silly was I to think it was alright to wear a seven dollar dress from Target? How was my drugstore makeup enough? Edward was wearing a very nice blue tailored suit that fit snugly to his body with a slim silver tie held in place with an engraved pin with a silver and black C. It matched his cufflinks. 
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Once again, I was the poor little girl.  

I pulled out my mirror and touched up my nude lipstick by the light of my phone. I felt very boring. The makeup I had wasn't for parties. I only had it so not to look ghoulish for work. It wasn't like I was going out partying all the time. And I didn't know what to do with my hair, so I didn't do anything at all. I let it dry like normal in its big curly mess. I felt so out of place. 

I shouldn't have agreed to come. I felt naked without my camera. I wrapped my arms around my stomach and pressed myself more into the door as I wondered if there was a way I could Uber back to his place without being an asshole. There was probably no graceful way of bowing out, though. 

"You look really nice. That dress is very pretty, and colors look really good on you," Edward said suddenly, clearing his throat and shifting in his seat before continuing. "It makes me really happy that you agreed to come. I don't think I would have any fun knowing you weren't." 

“Thank you...”  I glanced over in his direction before looking back out the window. “It would have been okay, by the way. I'd understand if you wanted to get rid of me for a few hours. I've been in your space for almost a week now.”

“No, I don't want to get rid of you at all. I have really enjoyed having you around the past week." He turned his face towards me, but it was hard to see his features in the darkness. His voice was low but insistent.   

I felt my stomach twist nervously. I didn't know what to say to that. Of course, I liked being around him. Who wouldn't? “You just like my cooking,” I finally answered, unable to think of how to answer him without giving too much of myself away.

He seemed flustered. "No. I mean... yeah. Of course, I do... I really like your cooking, but that's not why." 

We were silent for a beat. I couldn't bear to ask him why. He was flirting with me, but I was leaving in a day. I wasn't going to be a one night stand, even if I would have enjoyed it. In the long run, it wouldn't have been good for my mental health. "You must be ready to have my camera out of your face all the time,” I repeated. I almost wanted it to be true. I needed him to tell me to go away. I wanted him to hurt my feelings so I could move on. 

"I don't know if you have noticed, but it's kinda my thing," he said as we came to a stop under a street light. Our eyes met and held the gaze until we started moving again. He was being so serious. This was not the same kind of flirting he did with the blond. 

After a few minutes, we finally arrived in the parking lot of the club. We didn't say anything else to one another.

Eddie suddenly shifted and turned on his charm again, smiling widely. “So, you're going to have to pretend to be my date to get in.”

I laughed despite myself, “oh, do I? Really?”

He adjusted his tie carefully. “Oh yes, it's on a list. Edward Cullen and his date. Zafrina said so. Don't worry, it'll be real easy. I'll be a perfect gentleman.”

"I hope you don't think you're going to get anything else out of me that easily," I teased him just as he opened his door. He came around the car and opened mine for me. He offered me his hand, and I slipped out into the night. 

"One can dream." He offered me his arm, and we made our way around a line, his bodyguard for the event following behind us. As soon as people realized that Edward was there, they spread like the Red Sea, and cameras began to click around us. He smiled for the pictures but kept walking.  

"EDDIE!" They screamed at him. "WHO ARE YOU?" They yelled at me. It was rather unnerving. My feet were moving, but I felt like he was the one propelling us forward. 

The doorman held the door open without a word, leading us into the purple and blue lights of the thumping club. There was a man on the other side waiting for us so he could escort us to the VIP area. Eyes followed us as we went. Champagne was waiting for us in the private area that overlooked the rest of the dance floor. There was a private bar just for us. 

“You're off the clock,” Edward poured me a large glass of the bubbling liquid before handing it to me as I sat on a crushed velvet couch. He sat very close beside me. “A toast to landing safely.”

We clinked glasses. It was so easy to drink. No doubt it was very expensive. 

It was like drinking stars. I always thought that when I drank champagne. Aiden first told me the story about the monks who drank the first sparkling wine at our wedding. It was the first time I drank champagne. This was much better champagne though than what I had at my wedding. I pushed the memories out of my mind. I tried to avoid thinking about them as much as possible. Sometimes it made me angry when Aiden would decide to invade my mind. 

The loveseats we were occupying were very overstuffed and soft, and the big pillows pushed me even closer to Edward. He was lounging with his arm across the back behind me. He drank his champagne in silence, occasionally looking over at me before glancing away. Whenever my glass threatened to be empty, he quickly refilled it and then would top up his own. He was drinking much faster than me, though.  

"So, do you think you got the pictures you needed?" He asked, finally. I was already into my third glass and felt very warm. I suddenly realized we hadn't eaten anything since much earlier in the day. His breath was very close to my ear, and it made me tingle.   

“I hope so. I think they're great. Some are really beautiful. I'm proud of them,” I told him honestly. “I've been editing every night before I go to sleep. And, every morning when I get up too.”

He was so beautiful. And so close. “That's great! I knew when I first saw you... you were the perfect one for me. Your work, I mean.”

He quickly finished his champagne and poured himself another glass. Another one of the guys from earlier at the jump came in then. Edward hopped up to greet him, the bartender bringing a fresh bottle of champagne to the coffee table. 

“Daniel, you remember Bella from earlier,” Edward introduced me again, surprising me. I had almost expected to be ignored once the others arrived at the party like the other after party. I would have been fine with that.

“You didn't bring your camera!” Daniel said as he sat on the winged back chair across from us. 

“No photography allowed.” I gestured to the dance floor. He nodded. 

“Have you ever been to anything like this before?” He asked, sipping his drink. The actor was a rather average looking middle-aged man with thick black rimmed glasses and curly brown hair.

"An after party for a skydive to promote a video game? No," I laughed at the absurdity of it all. "The New York club scene is better, but I haven't been in a while. I've been working." 

“What's better about the New York clubs?” The voice actor asked, leaning forward to hear my answer. 

“Oh. Well. They're in New York. Obviously,” I told him dryly.

Daniel hadn't been expecting that sarcastic of an answer, and when I didn't expand further, he made a little face of confusion. Edward snickered to himself quietly, scratching his upper lip with his thumb to hide it.  

Daniel smiled weakly then ordered a stronger drink. The boys spoke for a few moments about the game and then the jump itself. More people slowly began to trickle in. Edward introduced me politely to them, never leaving my side. My drink, as if by magic, never became empty. My head felt heavy on the couch, and the music was so loud. I couldn't keep up with their conversation and didn't wish to try. They were talking about the weather again, of all the boring things. I didn't know what they could be discussing. It was always sunny in Los Angeles.  

"Would you like to dance with me?" Edward said quietly into my ear. His face seemed so close, soft, and sweet. I must have been staring for a moment too long because he asked, "please?" 

His eyes were big and green, his lashes naturally perfectly curled. I was so close I could see all of the tiny light little freckles that dotted across his cheeks and nose, even in the darkness. He was so handsome. We were so close that I could feel his breath on my skin. If I leaned in even a little bit, we would have been kissing. 

All I could do was nod my head slowly. 

Once again, he propelled us forward. As we moved to the dance floor, a new song started. Something slow with a hard, steady beat. I placed my hands on his chest and began to move to the sound slowly. His hands found my hips, and he moved in time with me. When I looked up, he was looking down at me so intently. His eyes were so focused on me, half-lidded, and his mouth tight. I couldn't handle the embarrassed flush that spread over my cheeks, so I turned so that my back was against his chest. One of his hands went over my arm and shoulder, pushing my hair away from my neck. Electricity bolted through my skin where he touched. His other hand rested lightly on my stomach, holding us together as we danced. I put my hand on top of his, and he wove his fingers into mine.  

I felt weak in the knees. I couldn't fall in his arms, though. Glancing over my shoulder, I caught his hot stare. It was fire. In his eyes. In my stomach. He smiled ever so slightly, and my lips wanted his own so badly. I had to stop myself from closing the short distance between us again. They felt so nice earlier. But I didn't have an excuse to anymore.   

Could he feel the heat? Or, was it just me? Was it just the club?

He was a good dancer. He was easily keeping up with me. I knew I was a decent dancer, too. I could barely breathe, though. Or think. So, it probably wasn’t that hard to do so.

I was drunk.

We danced for several songs in a row. But finally, I couldn't take it anymore. My chest felt tight, and my head throbbed. "I need some water and air," I brought my hand up to his neck so he would lower his head and I could whisper into his ear. 

“Yeah,” he agreed, taking my hand to lead me through the crowd again. It wrapped around mine entirely, it was so big and surprisingly soft. He took us back up to the VIP area to grab us both a bottle of water before finding some door to the rooftop that was just supposed to be for employees. His bodyguard kept at least twenty feet between us, giving us space the entire time. He waited for us just on the other side of the door to give us privacy.

After the heat of the club, I instantly had goosebumps in the night air. Edward noticed and slipped his jacket over my shoulders. It was huge on me and hung well past my dress. There was a cement bench where employees sat to smoke out of the club. I rushed to sit on it, taking a long drink of my water. I was very dizzy and had to close my eyes to keep the world from spinning. 

Edward sat beside me, looking out over the street. “You know. I've been thinking... It wouldn't be terrible to hire a professional photographer for the channel.”

“Yeah?” I kept my eyes closed, letting the air hit my cheeks. 

“Yeah. You've been super helpful this week. I learned a lot.”

“That's good,” I didn't know what else to say. I opened my eyes and looked over at him. He was still looking forward. I wondered what he had learned exactly.

"I don't suppose you'd be interested?" He asked, shyly. Quietly. It was almost sad. 

I looked at my hands. What was he doing?  “Eddie, I live across the country.”

“Yeah. I know. Well. It was worth a shot.” He took another drink of his water, still looking forward all the while. It was like he was trying to focus really hard on something in the distance.

"If I lived here, I'd say yes in a heartbeat," I assured him. Though I'm not sure that I could work for him and be needlessly crushing on him all the while. That would be torture. I had already crossed the line with him earlier by kissing him. I wasn't being professional anymore. 

“I don't want tomorrow to be the last day I see you,” he suddenly looked at me, shifting his weight to turn completely towards me. I felt my heart thud in my ribs. I pulled his coat around me tighter as I swallowed back my nervous stomach. “I've grown rather fond of you, Bella.”

“I'm fond of you as well. But... It's not like you don't have my number now,” I reminded him, thinking back to the emojis from earlier in the week. “We are friends now, right?”

He smiled an almost pained smile and nodded. “We are. That is true.” He finished his water and stood. “Let's go get more to liquor. I need a beer.”

“Then would you like to dance again?” I asked, not wanting the evening with him to be over yet.

His smile returned fully as he offered me his hand again. I took it and stood. 

“Yes, please.”

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