Imperfectpictures

5/20/2019

(IPFF) Episode Two: Edward

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Episode Two: Edward

It was going to take almost eight hours to get to LA from New York. I was flying out of Laguardia into LAX with a layover in Houston. It was the first time in a couple of years stepping foot into Texas. It was only for an hour and a half though. It was just long enough to get Whataburger from the restaurant in my terminal. I got a barbecue bacon patty melt with a large onion ring. Sadly, they didn't have milkshakes in the airport restaurants for some cruel reason, so I settled for a sweet tea and a cinnamon roll to substitute the sugar I was missing. I saved them for the plane ride.

I tried to feel a connection to my old home. It had been so long since I had lived there. Was there a yearning to go back to what once was? No. Especially not after I watched a big-haired loud airport employee yell at an Indian couple that she didn't speak Spanish. The couple spoke perfect English with an English accent.

They did have good sweet tea in Texas though.

It was hard not to feel anxious about what I was about to do. I tried to relax on the plane while listening to a book, but my mind wandered away in despair. What if it went horribly? What if he was terrible? Gnawing, my worry ate at my chest until it gave me heartburn. I chewed my thumbnail and thumb aggressively through the flight. I didn't bite my nails off though, I had finally beaten that terrible habit. Mostly. Well, kind of. Most of the time I was better at it. At least it was just my right thumb right then.

I gave the address to the taxi driver once I had finally arrived in Los Angeles and he commented on it being a nice part of town. I would imagine Burbank would be since it was so close to the studios. It seemed completely gentrified. The stars didn't want to drive far for work if they could help it, so they generally got what they wanted. The driver tried to chat with me, but I wasn't in the mood and gave only the shortest of answers.

“What are you here for?” The older man with white hair asked. He had a big name tag on the back of the seat that said, “Marty.”

“Work,” I replied quietly.

He beamed at me. “Are you an actress or a model?”

I could feel the heat crawl up my neck. “No. A photographer actually.”

“Are you here to take a celebrity's picture?” He didn't stop.

"Eddie Cullen." It wasn't as if I was sworn to secrecy or anything. It didn't seem like it. No one told me I couldn't talk about it, but it wasn't like I was putting it on blast on social media.

The man shook his head. “I haven't heard of him. What does he do?”

“He's a voice actor mainly.”

“No wonder I don't know who he is,” the man said, his voice dripping with boredom. Thankfully he didn't speak anymore after that.

The area was gated with a guard who already knew I was coming. My name was on a list, and I was given a temporary guest code to get in. The houses varied wildly, some more ornate than others but they were all clearly expensive homes. Each had their own high walls and gates.

The home we pulled up to was smaller, a one-story ranch style home with a white brick exterior. It had probably been built in the eighties, but it had been remodeled since then. The wall around it was painted white to match. The gate was open, just waiting for us to come inside.

The driver got out to get my suitcase from the trunk for me. I only had that and a backpack, so I declined further help to the door. Neither were heavy, and I could manage them on my own. I thanked him quietly. I followed the concrete path to the shiny black door and rung the doorbell. I was literally shaking.

The door opened before my finger was even off the button. I took a half step back in surprise, my hand drawing back quickly.

“Hello! Hi! Come in!” He said extremely cheerfully as he ushered me inside the foyer to his very nice home. Mr. Cullen was dressed very comfortably in a pair of basketball shorts and a baggy t-shirt. He almost looked like he had just rolled out of bed, to be honest. He had neither showered recently or shaved. He looked so very much younger than I expected.

“Hi. Um, I'm Bella,” I said as I followed behind him.”From Vaudevillian Magazine.”

"Yes! I've been expecting you. I'm so excited to meet you," he said in his cute posh Australian accent. He was so much taller than I had expected him to be. And more muscular than his videos portrayed. He seemed downright baby-faced and chubby in some of them, but now his muscles stretched at his sleeves. "I'm Edward. Of course, you know that. You can call me Edward or Eddie, though," he spoke very quickly. "I don't mind either. Here, let me take that." He took the suitcase from my grip before I could say anything to him. "I'll show you where you'll be staying real quick, and we can put this away. Then I was just going to order dinner if you're hungry."

My cinnamon roll was gone. “Great. Yeah. I am. I could use a restroom, as well,” I told him honestly.

"Right. There is one in your room," he said as he walked down a small hallway. To one side was the living room, kitchen, and dining room. To the other side were the bedrooms. There were five open doors down the lit hallway in total, but we stopped at the very first. "This is yours," he opened the door all the way and flicked on the light. The bathroom was directly off the bedroom door, and there were built-in cabinets right as you walked in. The bed was a queen which sat in the corner with a glass wall, the curtains flung open to allow in the light and the view of the mountains that surrounded us. There was a desk and a cushy chair, along with a side table but that was it. It was very simple. I actually liked it.

It was like the nicest hotel I had ever stayed in if it were bland. But who needed decorations when you had mountains?

“I'll give you some privacy so you can get freshened up,” he said after a moment of me looking around silently. “I'll be in the living room whenever you're ready,” Edward said politely, quietly. It wasn't at all the same voice he used in his videos. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised by the difference but, I was. It was still rich and soothing though.

“Thanks,” I replied as he shut the door behind him.

I rushed to the bathroom as soon as the door was closed and took that time to let Alice know I had just arrived. I hated my nervous stomach so much.

The bathroom was bigger than my kitchen at home by at least double. It also had more counter space and storage. The shower and bathtub were separate, both big enough for two people to be very comfortable in. The glass-encased shower even had two separate waterfall shower-heads.

I was so glad I declined the Laquinta Inn.

I felt disgusting, and the temptation was far too strong not to shower. My stomach had hated me all day, and it had made me sweat a little. Besides, all airports were revoltingly dirty. Quickly taking my befouled clothes off, I stepped into the promptly steamy shower. Each head had incredible pressure, and the water felt magical as it rolled down my skin. I washed my hair and body quickly, taking no more than ten minutes. It was absolutely rejuvenating.

I redressed in a clean plain comfortable black dress that went to my knees. It wasn't fancy, but I often wore it to work things. I brushed my long curly black hair back in a ponytail and put on my comfortable black knee sock and ballet flats to go face him again. I didn't think to bring a hairdryer so it would just have to be wet. I didn't even consider it for some dumb reason. I was used to staying in hotels or having someone else to borrow from.

Edward was sitting on the couch with his legs out fully in front of him with a computer on his lap. The sofa was impossibly big. He smiled hospitably when he saw me come in.

"You didn't have to rush."

“No. It's fine. Thanks for being patient,” I smiled back awkwardly. I suddenly didn't know what to do with myself. I was half wet and talking to a very handsome stranger in a million dollar McMansion a couple of thousand miles away from home.

Edward crawled off the couch and brought the laptop with him in one hand. He seemed unfazed by my awkwardness. "I was going to order takeout." He motioned towards the screen after he put the laptop on the long bar separating the kitchen from the other rooms There were a few stools around it, but he stood. "What would you like?"

I was taken aback. I wasn’t expecting to be asked for some reason. “Oh. I don't know. I don't know what my options are.”

He chuckled, “it's LA. So pretty much anything you want.”

That really didn't help at all. “Why don't you pick a style?” I offered. “I'm not picky.”

He thought only briefly. “Asian?” He probably had this in mind all along. I wasn't against it.

“Sure.”

He clicked on a few things, only glancing back at me once. “Chinese?”

“Sounds great,” I agreed. I loved food in general and could find something to eat just about anywhere. It was my second favorite thing besides photography. Or maybe third, after music.

Edward clicked around on the computer screen, narrowing the search down further. He arranged them by the number of reviews then showed me my options with a wave of his large hand. “These are the top ones. Why don't you pick one?”

I leaned over to look at the screen. Edward pulled out one of the stools and sat, bringing him down closer to my height, but he was still much taller than me. He was obviously trying to make me feel more comfortable. I sat on the stool beside him, clicking and reading as quickly as possible. He read along with me over my shoulder silently. He smelled nice... like books, coffee, and something vaguely sweet like cookies. I was so close I could see the stiff red and brown hair of his five o'clock shadow just poking out on his jaw and chin. I tried very hard not to look at him directly. His profile was just as nice in person. He was worrying his bottom lip with his teeth as he read, his eyelashes fluttering as his eyes moved.

I picked a restaurant in the middle of the pack. The first two seemed extremely pricey for not a lot of food while the third seemed to have big portions and high praise over their lo mein and orange chicken, two of my favorites. Most of the reviews mentioned them.

“I was hoping you'd pick that one,” he said happily. “I order there a lot. It's so good. Do you want to get a lot of stuff and just share? So we can have a little bit of everything.”

He was so relaxed. Edward was not what I expected.

“Oh, sure. Sounds great.”

I wasn't sure what I had expected actually when I arrived, but it wasn't this.

Eddie opened the menu and began to click on things. First steamed pork dumplings, egg drop soup with extra fried wontons chips then the house special lo mein and orange chicken with a large side steamed rice. And, then beef and broccoli with fried rice. It was so much food. "Okay, what would you like to get?" He asked. I looked over the menu, wondering if there was anything different I would want. It was already so much food, and the meals came with egg rolls as well. There was no way we were going to be able to eat it all.

I finally said, “duck sauce, if they have it. Um, Do you have soy sauce?”

“I sure do.” He got up and got a bottle of Kikkoman from his cabinet and set it in the middle of the counter. “Do you want to order yourself a drink or a dessert?”

"Don't you think that's enough food?" I asked as I looked over my drink options. There was no Snapple, so I settled for an unsweetened tea. I requested lemon and some extra sugar for it.

“I guess,” he almost said like a pouting child. It wasn't mean spirit, but playful. He was trying to be cute.

I laughed a little, “don't let that stop you though. I doubt I can eat as much as you can.”

“No, you're right. It is a lot of food. I tend to go overboard with things I like,” he told me as he came to sit back down on his stool. Edward ordered himself two Mexican Cokes in glass bottles.

“If you want to split the check I have cash,” I said to him. I had left my wallet in the room with my things though.

"No, I got this." He waved me off, going quickly to the payment page. Everything was saved for easy ordering, so it was done with lightning speed. Before I could say anything else, the order was sent off.

“Thank you,” was all I could say.

“No problem. In fact, while you're a guest in my home, food is on me.”

He shocked me. I shook my head quickly. "That's not necessary," I began to explain that I had already been given money to cover that, but he stopped me before I could finish.

"No, no. You're here because of me, and I was raised to be a gracious host," he said, touching his hand to his heart like he was giving a pledge.

“You don't have to pay for all of my food to be a gracious host,” I told him.

He shut his laptop. "I suppose it's possible, but I have the ability to do so and enjoy doing it. I pay for my friends." A tune played that I liked went off in my head as soon as he said it.

“And do you take it as a compliment?” I finished the Childish Gambino lyric without thinking about it, almost to the beat. He smiled when he realized I knew the not so deep cut he was referencing and nodded. I liked the song 3005, too. I loved music in general.

There was nearly eight hundred dollars left in cash for me to use during the trip. If he paid for my food, I could save almost all of that and use it to pay bills. I felt a little guilty, but he was right when he said he had the ability. Edward certainly lived in a nicer home than me, that was for damn sure. He wasn't sleeping on a couch in a rented living room.

"I want to argue, but my bank account says to shut up and say thank you," I finally answered, feeling embarrassed as I did.

“No, it's cool! You're very welcome! So, I was going to sit outside and smoke while we waiting for the food. Would you care to join me?” Eddie stood and stretched his long arms above his head. It was lucky he had such a high ceiling because he could touch the one back at my apartment easily. He seemed almost two feet taller than me. Or, at least it felt like it from my spot on the stool.

The sun was just about to go down over the mountains. It was so beautiful, the sky orange and pink with only the faintest wisps of clouds. I could see it all through the glass walls, just like in the guest bedroom. But this view came with one of the lovely pool and part of the city lights in the distance.

“Sounds good,” I finally replied when I realized I had been staring at the view. Edward just smiled at me slightly.

Outside was a table with a large umbrella and several chairs, as well as a small cushioned loveseat with a coffee table in front of it. On the table, there was an ashtray and a couple of lighters already. He pulled out a silver metal cigarette box from his shorts pocket and pulled out a perfectly wrapped cigarette looking thing, filter and all. I could instantly smell that it was the weed.

“Would you like some?” Edward asked after he took a long drag while still standing. The smoke curled from his lips and nose, the joint pinched between his fingers so to offer it to me.

“No, thank you,” I declined politely.

"I'm sorry. I should have asked you first if it bothered you." He went to put it out instantly, but I stopped him by placing my hand on his before he could smash it into the ashtray.

“No. It doesn't bother me. I smoke at home sometimes. I just don't want to be unprofessional right now. This is the biggest thing I've ever done so I don't want to screw it up,” I told him honestly. “I shouldn’t indulge.”

“You're not working until tomorrow.” He nodded slowly, “but, I understand. Let me know if you change your mind.” He took another long hit as he came to sit under the umbrella with me. I sat on the other side of the table from him, looking out onto the beautiful sunset.

“How's the weed here?” I asked conversationally.

“Strong,” he admitted. “I just started smoking this year though so I'm not sure how it compares other places. I've been using it for my anxiety and insomnia. My doctor recommended it,” he mused, blowing out some smoke.

“Does it help?” I asked. I used it for the same reason sometimes.

He tilted his head while he thought about his answer. "The sleeplessness it helps for sure. I am not sure about anxiety. It helps at the moment, but you can't be stoned all the time either. I don't usually smoke this early but Sundays are my off day. The weed does help when I can't get my brain to shut off, though." The smoke curled from his perfectly shaped plush pink lips. "So, how was your flight?" I realized I had been staring at his mouth for too long.

“Uneventful, luckily,” I replied quietly. I didn't really want to talk about me. I was feeling extremely shy. “Your home is gorgeous.”

His smile was genuine. "Thank you. I just moved in a little over six months ago. I don't really have enough things to fill it yet. I only had a small apartment before in Sydney, and I was sharing it with a roommate. My best mate, Jasper."

I looked down at my hands. "Well, I can't judge you for it. I own very little, and I share an apartment with my best friend, too. I sleep in the living room, and she has the bedroom."

He made a concerned face, “oh.”

I laughed mostly at myself, embarrassed, “that makes it sound terrible. My bedroom is surprisingly huge, and not just by New York standards. We have lovely hardwood floors. Our neighborhood is nice and quiet. Lots of families. And you can see the Empire State Building from my window.”

That seemed to impress him. “Wow. Do you live in Manhattan?”

I laughed at that, “no. Not for the price I'm paying. I live on the edge of Sunnyside and Astoria. In Queens. It's not as unique a boast as it sounds, being able to see a cool building in New York. It just makes me happy still.”

He chuckled, tapping the ashes into the ashtray with one of his long fingers. “Well, it sounds like something to boast about. New York is lovely to visit. Maybe I'll live there one day. For the summertime anyway.”

I shook my head. "Oh, not for the summer. It's too muggy, and there isn't enough air conditioning everywhere like the south. New York was made for Autumn. And spring isn't bad either. Honestly, I love snow too," I admitted. "The snow is my favorite."

“It rarely snows in Australia. It does happen from time to time, but it's nothing like I imagine it does in New York in the winter,” he commented wistfully.

I agreed, “especially around the mountains. We always go to the Finger Lakes to see the snow in the mountains and forest. My roommate and I sometimes rent a cabin.”

“Sounds peaceful,” he smiled at me warmly.

“It is,” I smiled in return, thinking about happier times with her. “We like to go up to Maine or Vermont to take pictures sometimes, too. Just for a weekend usually. She likes to take pictures too, but as a hobby.”

“What is there to do in Vermont?” he asked.

I thought for a second. “Um... You can... eat cheese and get lost in the woods. There is probably maple syrup somewhere in there.”

Eddie laughed at my answer, “I like the cheese part.”

“The woods part isn't too bad either. It's beautiful. Especially right now. End of October is the peak leaves season. You should have seen it this morning on the way to the airport from my apartment, so much beautiful red foliage all along the interstate. I hadn't been that way in ages and had forgotten how beautiful it could be, especially at sunrise. And it was foggy, too. Such a perfect serene morning,” I mused as I remembered it, practically vibrating from my pot of coffee in the back of the yellow car.

His voice was so wistful, “the way you describe it makes me want to take a flight at sunrise in New York City.”

“If you're going to travel at sunrise in New York, may I suggest the ferry. You can watch the sunrise behind the Statue of Liberty. It's free, too,” I told him one of my favorite things to do. “Well, almost free. It’s the same as a bus or subway ride.”

I watched him as he considered his next words, his tongue playing at the edge of his perfect white teeth. “That sounds nice. But... I think I'm going to have to warn you right now that I am not a morning person. At all. Like I said I'm an insomniac. I try not to plan anything until the afternoon. You know, I should probably send you my work schedule for the next week.” He took out his phone from his pocket quickly. “What's your email?”

“Uhhh...” I drew out. “Bella Swan photography at Gmail,” I informed him.

“We should have each other's cell phone number just in case.” Edward put down his half-smoked blunt into the tray. “Just in case your gate code doesn't work or whatever.” He handed me his phone with the add contact screen up. I typed in the number and passed it back to him. A moment later he sent me an emoji-filled text with waving, confetti, a party hat, and a little dancer.

I gave a little snort when I saw it on my own screen. “I got it.”

“Great. If you ever need to get into the house without me, by the way, I'll give you the passcode. It's a keyless entry.”

"How fancy. Well, mine has TWO deadbolts and a chain," I said in a mock snotty tone, teasing him lightly. He grinned, picking up his joint again. He went to light it, but the doorbell rang for our food.

Edward hopped up and ran to go get our meal. We ate at his dinner table, the sky completely dark now. As we ate the lights seemed to pop up like stars. Of course, you couldn't really see any real stars.

I excused myself off to bed around an hour later. I didn't go to sleep right away but instead arranged my things for the week to come because my body was tightly wound from all the travel. I also studied what we would be doing the following week. I probably wouldn't remember a thing from it in the morning though. The week was incredibly full, ending with him jumping out of a goddamn plane. If I weren't so tired it would have been exciting.

I was asleep before ten.