Key. Chapter Seven: In the Ballroom

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Chapter Seven: In the Ballroom

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Alice showed up early to help me get ready for Tanya’s birthday party. First, we would have brunch at Edward’s parents’ mansion with all of her closest friends and family. She was staying there to get prepared. She was just as excited as she could be. It would be a whole day dedicated to my roommate with her at the very center of attention. I couldn’t imagine what her wedding would be like.

Clad in a black sweater dress that went to my knees that Rosalie picked out, I tried to look as classy as I could. The Cullen’s were no joke in the area, and I didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of them. They were the type of people that had whole wings of hospitals and museums named after them.

There was a valet waiting to take Alice’s car when we came up the driveway. We looked at each other in awe when we stepped out. I had never met them before, but Tanya was always bragging about their home. She was dramatic, but she wasn’t kidding.

It was a two-story, twenty-room Spanish-style villa, complete with ornate garden. A large golden fountain was in the center of the front yard. It looked more like a bougie hotel than a house. 

“Whoa,” Alice whispered, looking at me with wide, surprised eyes. “When you become a best-selling author, are you going to buy something like this?”

“Hell no,” I laughed, taking her hand so we could walk to the door. Snorting, she smirked to herself. Someone opened it for us before we could even knock. It was a staff member in a tuxedo.

“Thank you,” I said politely, and he nodded his head.

“Bella!” Tanya shouted at the top of the set of stairs as we came in. “Right on time! You look great! Hi, Alice! So do you!”

“Thanks!” She smiled at her.

She hurried down the steps in her heels. I have no idea how she could be so fast. It was like she was dressed to walk a runway. Quickly, she brought us each into a hug. “My family just got here, too! And my girls should be here in a few. They’re already in the ballroom.”

“Oh, the ballroom!” Alice laughed sarcastically. “Why does anyone need a ballroom?” She whispered.

“Obviously to celebrate T,” I replied blandly. 

Giggling, she wrapped her arm around mine before resting her head on my shoulder. It was awkward since she was almost a foot taller. “Exactly. Come on. You gotta meet everyone. Esme is amazing.”

“Who’s that?” I questioned.

“Edward’s mom.” She ducked her chin and lowered her voice. “And Carlisle is his dad. He is so freaking hot.”

“Tanya!” I playfully chided.

Hastily shaking her head, she blushed. “No. You’ll see. They look like they could be brothers. It’s crazy. Esme is lovely, too.”

“Hashtag genetic lottery winner?” I quipped, making her giggle and nod. “Lucky bastard. Your children will be gorgeous.”

“Ew, no. I’m not having babies,” she responded as she scrunched up her nose, the very notion disgusting her. “I’m not wasting this body on kids,” Tanya stated as another staff member opened the door for us.

There were already twenty people in the room, chatting away. They set several tables up, and servers were quickly organizing a buffet. There was also a full bar with a fancy champagne fountain. One wall was made up entirely of glass so you could see the rose garden in the backyard. It allowed the lovely spring sun to flow into the space. There was an even more enormous marble fountain back there. Both Alice and I stopped to stare.

“Mimosas?” My roommate offered with a big smile.

“Yes, please,” I agreed right away. Alice nodded too, finally taking her eyes off the fantastic architecture.

After we got our glasses, she led us over to the group that had Edward. He hadn’t noticed that she had come in, talking with several people. The couple I assumed were his parents had their backs turned to us. Tanya’s mother was chattering away happily. She smiled when she saw us. She reminded me of every mom from Texas.

“There’s the birthday girl!” She cooed as she embraced her tall daughter. “Bella! It’s so nice to see you again!” She told me after she released her. She promptly gave me a one-armed hug, too.

“You too,” I agreed, grinning at her. “This is my best friend, Alice. She’s my date today,” I introduced her to the group.

“Her replacement date,” Tanya complained with a frown. She had warmed up to Jasper some, but she didn’t like that his job could make him drop everything. She also didn’t trust him. “Not that I’m not happy you’re here, Al,” she added at the end. They had invited my best friend to the VIP room Edward rented out for her that night, not this part.

“Well, when you’re dating a hero, it’s a risk,” I returned with a smirk. “When the FBI asks you to help put away a serial killer, you do what you can,” I finished with my chin up in the air. I would not allow her to put him down.

“Oh, that’s right! You’re dating Edward’s friend Jasper, aren’t you?” An elegant woman with caramel-colored hair questioned politely with a smile. She was tall and thin, reminding me of Tanya. Her big green eyes were slightly wrinkled around the edges, only hinting at her age. If she had told me she was in her late thirties, I would have believed her. “I’m Esme Cullen, by the way. Edward was telling us about the ordeal.”

I quickly shook her offered hand. “Yes, ma’am, I am,” I mumbled in surprise that Edward had mentioned me enough for her to know a random detail about my life. Tanya, maybe. But she wasn’t one to share idle gossip unless it had to do with her. The drama was only fun when it was her own. I glanced up to him to see her boyfriend’s cheeks blushing slightly, taking a big gulp of his champagne. His eyes were somewhere across the room.

She placed her palm on her heart, resting it on top of her crisp white sleeveless dress. “He was always such a good and respectful boy. Well, I guess he’s not one anymore,” she chuckled, touching her hand to her son’s shoulder as she pouted some. “My wee babe isn’t a kid anymore.” He smiled at her warmly but said nothing.

“No, ma’am,” I laughed gently. “I don’t think you can go through everything he has without becoming a man.”

“He was shot, wasn’t he?” The gentleman on the other side of Edward added to the conversation. It was the first time I looked at him. He and his son had the same face except his eyes were ice blue, and his hair was pale blond. Wearing a golf polo and khakis, he was thin and muscular. He and his wife appeared as if they should have been on the cover of Southern Living with their mansion as the background.

Nodding, I swallowed back my surprise. My eyes darted away, so I wasn’t staring. “Yes. He was. He’s fine now, though. Everything is healed up, but he says it still itches.”

“It probably will for a while, maybe always,” he stated with a sigh. “At least mildly. Where was it?”

“Under the left arm, and it came out.” I touched my chest as I said the words. It still made my heart flutter when I thought about how close it got to taking him away from me. 

“How are the scars?” Dr. Cullen continued, leaning in some. “I could help him with that, pro bono, of course,” he added with a smile. He shook his head, taking a sip from his tumbler. “I can’t imagine being shot.”

“Um… He’ll have one on his chest for sure that’ll be rather big, but I have to admit I like Jasper’s scars. They made him into the man he is now,” I explained in a rush. “I don’t think he cares about them, but I’ll let him know about your offer. Thank you. That’s very kind of you.”

The doors opened again, distracting us. A large group of Tanya’s friends came in, all loud and excited. They didn’t hold back their admiration of the house. They were models, making me feel shorter and chubbier than I was expecting to that day. I knew they were, but it still didn’t prepare me for the emotions that came when I looked at them. She hurried over to them, taking her parents with her. It left us awkwardly alone with Edward and his family. I felt so startling outclassed by them. Jasper’s dad just happened to be a good businessman, but his family was normal. These people were rich, and it was obviously different in a way I couldn’t put into words.

“So, Bella, Edward tells us you’re a writer,” Esme began politely, trying to make some conversation with us since we were still standing there. I didn’t know how to disengage from them gracefully. Alice just hung out beside me, silently observing it like a live-action Telenovela. We were definitely in the right setting for it.

“Yes, ma’am. I’m a novelist.”

“She had a meeting with a publisher this week, as a matter of fact,” Edward added in, finally looking at me. It was the first time he had spoken. “How did that go?”

Though I had talked to his girlfriend about it, I hadn’t seen him since then. “It went… insanely well. I’m a little worried that it’s too good to be true, so I’m having Jasper help me do some research to make sure it’s legit before I decide anything. They want to buy the rights to one of my books and give me a great advance.”

He grinned, lifting his glass. “Well, I hope it turns out to be for real because you deserve it. You’re a fantastic author.”

Flushing, I bit my lip as I glanced away. Alice raised her eyebrows at me and smirked. Roughly, I cleared my throat. “Thanks.”

When I looked back, I realized that Edward's father was staring at me directly in the eyes. He tilted his head slightly to the side, taking me in. After a moment, he pointed at me with the hand that held the glass tumbler. “Bella, I have to tell you, from a cosmetic surgeon’s point of view, your face is flawless.”

My mouth fell open. “Thank you?” I finally squeaked out.

“I’m sorry, I’m rude,” he chuckled at my reaction. “I’ve been in this business for far too long. It just comes out. But I have spent half of my week trying to give women mouths and chins like yours. Your lips, especially, are perfect. Have you ever gotten any work done?”

“No,” I laughed automatically, quickly shaking my head.

“It’s nice when nature gets it right on the first try,” Edward commented before looking at his father. “I always thought she had the definition of a button nose.”

“Mm, it is. I wouldn’t mind having pictures to show clients. ‘Here! This is what you want!’” He remarked with a chuckle to his son before taking another drink. They mirrored each other perfectly.

His wife rolled her eyes. “Both of you stop. You’re making her uncomfortable.” She turned to glance at me, slightly embarrassed but used to it. “I’m sorry. Neither my husband nor my son has any tact,” she said, placing her hand on my arm. “Surgery is not party conversation.” She flashed them a quick look.

“Oh,” I nervously giggled, my gaze fixed on my feet. “It’s okay.”

Tanya came hurrying over, dragging her friends with her. She looked concerned. “Are you alright? Your face is neon.”

“We’re just complimenting her appearance,” Edward answered, finishing his champagne.

“Aw! Isn’t she gorgeous!” She put her hand on my shoulder, instantly agreeing. “I keep telling her she could have been a model, but she says she’s too short.” I wanted to melt into the ground. I wanted it to eat me whole.

“And fat,” I mumbled. I pinched her side, unable to get anything but fabric. “I eat too much cake.”

She giggled, swatting my hand playfully. “No, you’re not! Oh, my god! You should see the cake they got me, though!” She began excitedly. With that, she was distracted and started talking about the day. I was glad for it. I didn’t want to be the center of attention for a second longer.

Edward’s words kept echoing in my ears. I sipped my drink, trying not to think about it. When I peered up again, he was looking at me from underneath his thick red eyelashes with an expression I couldn’t define.

When it was time to sit to eat, I was glad to be far away from them. Alice leaned in, smirking as she whispered in my ear. “I guess we know where Edward gets his lack of boundaries from.” I cackled but promptly threw my hand over my mouth to keep it in. Nodding in agreement, I pushed my lips together as hard as I could to keep it in. “So, where’s the dungeon?”

I lost it, pushing her so hard she almost fell out of her seat. She giggled in return, wiggling her eyebrows at me.

“I love you. I miss you. And I wish you had come with me today. I need to talk to you soon,” I typed to my boyfriend in a rush on our way home. Since Alice was driving, I had drowned my awkwardness in mimosas. The food was fine, but I felt like every time I looked up, either Edward or his father was staring at me.

A second later, my phone rang. “Are you okay?” He asked right away in a hurry, sounding panicked.

My cheeks flushed in embarrassment. I hadn’t realized how it sounded when I sent it. “Um, yes. Nothing’s wrong. I just… ugh, miss you,” I said stupidly. “Am… Am I interrupting something? I’m sorry. I’m dramatic.”

“Oh… oh, no. No, darlin.” He seemed so relieved. “I’m having lunch right now. What do you need to talk to me about?”

I felt dense for even sending it because of his reaction. “Edward’s dad is so creepy,” I mumbled in a low whisper. Alice laughed beside me.

Jasper chuckled. “Yeah, he’s an odd one, isn’t he?”

“Put him on speaker,” she requested. I did so, bringing the phone down into my lap. “So, we need to know, using your mad FBI powers, if they have a dungeon in that place. Holy shit! Have you been there? They have to have some sort of sex cave or something.”

He laughed louder in surprise. “Yeah, I’ve been.” He cleared his throat, and I could almost see him rolling his eyes. “If they did, he would have told me. He can’t keep anything to himself. No FBI powers needed.”

“Does Edward have one?” She demanded next. Giggling, I leaned my head against the rest as I looked at her. That was a better and funnier question.

“He lives in an apartment,” he remarked flatly. “He has a spare bedroom with shit from Wish.com.” I laughed so hard that I snorted. Jasper chuckled again before clicking his tongue. “You’ve been drinking again, haven’t you, young lady?”

“Yes, sir,” I continued to giggle. “Don’t worry. Alice is driving. They had a champagne fountain with not the cheapest stuff. I’m so warm and fuzzy right now,” I joked as I rubbed my hands over my sweater. He wasn’t there to see me acting goofy, though. At least my friend thought I was funny.

“You still would have drank it if it was the cheap shit,” my best friend quipped. I stuck my tongue out then nodded in agreement. “That’s how we’ll pregame at your apartment while getting ready.” They would pick us up on the way in a limo in a few hours. I gave her a finger gun of approval. She shook her head, rolling her eyes. “She is such a lightweight.”

“So, what did Dr. Cullen do that was creepy?” He inquired curiously, ignoring her.

“He told her that her face was perfect and kept staring at her,” Alice answered for me in a melodramatic tone. “And he wanted pictures!”

“Of my face,” I added quickly. “Just the face. Thank god.”

“What did you say?” Jasper asked in surprise.

I looked out the window, embarrassed thinking about the whole conversation. “Nothing. I ignored it,” I admitted with a shrug. “But apparently, I have a button nose.”

“And perfect lips,” she mentioned with a grimace. She did an all-over body shiver. “What the fuck, dude? Not that you aren’t a fox, but you just met him!”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess they were nice otherwise. I just… Edward makes sense now,” I finished dryly. Alice giggled, stopping at the apartment. “And they talked about you. He offered to fix your scars pro bono.”

“Nah, I’m good,” he promptly blurted out.

Biting my lip to keep in my giggles, I sank down in my seat with a wiggle. “I like ’em. They’re sexy.”

‘I know,’ she mouthed so that he couldn’t hear her, nodding her head as she did so. Then she playfully fanned her face.
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“Bad thing.” Jasper laughed some under his breath before pausing, then sighed. “I hate to do this, but I need to get back to work.”

I pouted, but I tried to keep it out of my voice. “Okay. I’m sorry for scaring you.”

“No. Thank you for allowing me to hear your lovely voices. It makes my day so much better,” he spoke so sincerely. I smiled to myself.

Alice rolled her eyes, finally opening the door. “Damn, you are charming when you wanna be. Bye!”

He hummed. “Sometimes. Bye, sweetie.”

I stayed behind to have a moment alone with him. My friend had a key to my apartment, so she didn’t care and left me there.

“I really wish you were here with us. Tonight would be amazing. We could do a scene during…” I drifted off. 

“As good as that sounds, I don’t think I could be in the headspace for anything.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I just couldn’t do it around him, I think. Not right now. Especially when I know how sexy you’ll look. I’d want to rip him apart the whole night for staring at my woman,” he teased lightly in a sexy growl.

Giggling, I bit my bottom lip. “Maybe if you’re awake when I get back tonight, we can play a little on the phone before bed. We haven’t done that yet.”

“Mmm… Sounds lovely. Text me when you get in. I want to make sure you’re alright, at least.”

“It might be late,” I confessed. I planned on taking advantage of a good time. It would be perhaps months before I could see my friends again. There was a reason I would need Sunday to recover from the night.

“I don’t care. Go out and enjoy yourself. Just… Behave, little girl. I’m not there to keep you in line.”

His warm tone sent shivers down my spine. “Yes, sir. I love you.”

“I love you, Goddess,” he said in a low voice that made me wish he was saying it in my ear… while naked in bed. Champagne made my clothes want to fall right off.

“You must be alone,” I joked with a smirk.

“Or I just don’t give a fuck who hears. I’ll shout it if you like.”

“You’re one hundred percent alone.”

Jasper chuckled. “Yeah. I am. I’ll talk to you later, darlin.”

Sitting there for a minute, I immediately missed the sound of his voice. When I got back into the apartment, Alice already had a drink waiting for me. “Do you want to order Chinese?”

“Yes!” I instantly agreed.

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Thanks to Gina for proofreading this chapter!

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