Chapter Nine

~When Worlds Collide~

BPOV

…Bella…

…Open your eyes, Bella...

…It's just you and me...

…Nobody else matters right now...

…I dream about you, Bella...

…I dream about you just like you're dreaming about me right now…

…I want you to watch me...

…I want you to watch me while I make you quiver…

…I need to taste you...

…Will you let me taste you, Bella?

My eyes shoot open to savor the smooth as silk voice that's whispering above me, but I'm shrouded in the darkness of my bedroom.

And I'm alone, completely alone.

The white sheer curtains over the French pocket doors flutter in the night breeze to my left. It's not hot enough at nighttime to justify the air conditioner and I enjoy the idea that the world is right outside my door.

I can hear it, I can see it, I can smell it and I can feel it. It's a new moon tonight, so the sky offers no light. I hear the calming sounds of the waves crashing on the shoreline as I try and get a grip on reality.

Sitting up, I place my hand on my chest and feel my heart racing.

I'm a sweaty, sticky mess with my legs twisted in the bed sheets and my nightshirt bunched up around my waist.

Jeebus.

I can't believe I just had a dream about Mr. Hottie Not-So-Nice. And, hello? A sex dream at that! I can't remember ever having a dream that intense. And was he—? He was going down… there?

Holy crap. What I wouldn't do to make THAT a reality.

But of all the people I should be dreaming of? He's not supposed to be at the top of the list. James. James is the one I've kissed; the one whose hand has held mine.

Good God, Bella. You don't need to be lusting after the guy who despises you. That can only end in tragedy for you. Relax and let it go.

In with the good air…out with the bad. Cue James dream, please! God? Are you listening to me? If you're in charge of the dreaming thing, could you do a girl a favor?

I fluff my pillow, turn to my side and pull the duvet up to my chin.

James. I'm thinking about James.

My alarm clock reads 3:12 am and that's the last thing I remember seeing, until the morning light wakes me from my slumber.

~~~~~L~A~S~T~C~A~L~L~~~~~

I check my teeth for smudged lipstick or lurking strawberry seeds once more before putting my sunglasses back on and stepping out of my car. Glancing at my watch, I see it's 12:30 and I'm right on time for the food tasting for Aunt Didi's memorial service. I still feel a bit unsure about working for James at the bar, especially after having that run-in with Eric and now knowing how much he dislikes me.

And then that dream last night? Heaven help me; that was hot as hell. I'm not going to be able to concentrate on much today. And I need to get my head on straight, 'cause I'm training with James's brother at the pub tonight.

James gave me three separate pep talks this weekend, to reassure me that working at Last Call will be perfectly fine and there's no reason to walk away, when the scheduling is a non-issue. He said it's an easy fix, he asked me to trust him, so I do. What choice do I have? I can't continue only having four adult friends in my life.

I love Rosalie and Emmett, they are my lifeline. Without Jasper, I wouldn't BE alive. Even after he was no longer my doctor, Jasper kept me as a priority in his life and I can't imagine tackling some of the harder medical issues without him by my side. His wife, Alice, who has also become a dear friend to me, keeps me giggling even when I want to wallow in self-pity. Their five-year-old Tristan is the sweetest little guy and he captured my heart many years ago. Now, their six-month-old baby girl, my sweet goddaughter Emerson, keeps my spirits up when I don't think I have it in me to do anything but crash to the ground. I love each and every one of them. I would do anything for them, but I would love to know I'm brave enough to step out and gain a new friend or two.

James has been nothing but sincere and caring with me. I really believe he's a good man. I want to see if we can continue the budding friendship we've discovered and see where it leads. Baby steps, though. It's been hard this weekend trying to get Eric's frustrated face out of my mind.

Even though James has convinced me that I don't ever have to speak with him if I don't want to, I'm determined to attempt to make amends for whatever it is that I said or did in my past that caused Eric to feel such disdain for me.

I know I can do this. I simply have to.

Sex dream aside, if I want to keep pursuing Bella 2.0 as best I can, pulling up my big girl panties and having the tough conversation is exactly what needs to be done. And if the sex dream happens to become a reality someday, well, then that's just Jim Dandy fine by me!

I walk up the steps of the Victorian bed and breakfast, ensure that my bra straps are properly hidden by the cap sleeves of my sundress and ring the doorbell. I'm overwhelmed by the scent of lilacs wafting over toward where I stand. They line the base of the wrap-around porch in colorful shades of light and dark purple. I love the smell of lilacs. They remind me of my Grandma Swan. When I was a little girl, she always let me pick bunches of blooms off the lilac bushes that surrounded her property in Cherry Hill.

I can't hear anything coming from inside, so I ring the bell again. That's when I start to hear male voices coming from the other side of the door.

Maybe I'll finally get to meet James's older brother today. James said he would be here to introduce himself and then he'd have to take off to get to the bar.

My training tonight is supposed to start around 7, but not before James takes me to an early casual dinner at Bay Village Pizza. Apparently, it's a walk-up joint where we can order at the counter and then we'll eat on the beach because they have only limited outdoor seating. He swears by their enormous slices, so those are our plans prior to me having to be at work.

HA! 'At work'…that's a phrase I'm fairly certain I've never uttered in my entire life. Sometimes I wonder if I was a babysitter, a dog walker…something, ANYTHING while in junior high! But those are questions that go unanswered.

Aunt Didi told me that I never had a part-time job in high school that she knew of. Aside from that, she really didn't have that much more knowledge to offer me about my life as a young adult. She said we really only spent time together on major holidays.

This fact alone makes me really sad. She was such a sweet lady. She spent so much time with me, caring for me, loving me and nursing me back to health. To know that my parents and I didn't spend much time with her when we could have been and should have been, makes me feel so guilty. Clearly she was always a kind-hearted woman; giving freely of her time, energy, money and love whenever and wherever she could.

Yet, we only saw her a handful of times each year? What kind of people were we? Another missing puzzle piece of my life. If I try and make it fit with what Eric said about me, I wonder if my family and I WERE too self-absorbed to spend time with others…or even to care about others.

I grab at my stomach; I feel a knot forming.

You can't do this now, Bella. There's nothing you can do to fix it now. We've turned over a new leaf. Bella 2.0, remember? I keep chanting what Emmett drummed into me over the weekend.

I can do this. I. Can. Do. This.

The door swings open as I offer a smile to…Eric?

Shit. Why the heck is he here?

I hear him sort of whisper my name and that same sensational voice from my dream shoots an electric current directly to my core.

Unngh, that voice. I straighten my back and decide to be the bigger person. I've got to be at this point…clearly, he's been unimpressed with me in the past.

Step number nine, 'making amends'…off we go.

"Hi," I begin tentatively…good start, Bella. Highly impressive. He's about to be putty in your hands. I roll my eyes at my sarcastic inner monologue and press on.

"I didn't realize I'd see you here today, too." I continue smiling as if I'm auditioning for toothpaste commercials.

"Well, yeah. I work here. And apparently so do you!" Eric drops his hand from the door, turns and walks back into the foyer and further into the house, while James jumps forward with a huge grin and steps out to give me a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey, there. Good to see you. Glad you could make it. You ready to dig in?" He's running his mouth a mile a minute.

Weird.

As he offers me his hand, he leads me into the foyer and closes the door behind me. I smile at his kindness. We start walking toward the dining room and I try to keep the conversation going.

"Oh, absolutely! You'll find I'll always jump at the chance to eat good food. Ring a dinner bell and I'm the first girl there!"

BWAHAHA!

I hear a loud guffaw and a crash from beyond the foyer. Unsure as to what just happened exactly, I keep a smile on my face and whisper to James, "I didn't realize I would see him again so soon. I hope he's okay with me being here."

I see James rolling his eyes at the ruckus as he's turning back to face me.

"Oh, psssh, Edward's fine. I think he just stubbed his toe before he answered the door. That would account for the constipated expression and his inability to carry on a conversation."

"Edward?" I question, confused. Oh good, maybe I'll FINALLY meet the brother.

"Yeah, I'm here. And I'm not constipated, but thanks, little brother. I hope you don't talk to all of our clients about our digestive and excretory functions."

I turn around to see Eric coming back in the dining room and I plaster a smile back on my face. Kill him with kindness, Bells. I hear Emmett in my head again.

James lets out what I think is a nervous laugh. "Are you alright, E? You stubbed your toe pretty hard. Can you handle being here?" James's eyes go wide as if he's witnessing a train wreck.

I'm watching some bizarre silent and not-so-silent communication pass between Eric and James. I know it must be about me and that's beyond mortifying.

I wonder if it's too late to call Subway and ask them to cater a major philanthropist's two-day memorial service.

"I'm fine. I'm good. I'm awesome. Never been better."

Okaaaay. Good to know. Seems like Eric is fine, good and awesome. That's a start, I suppose.

"SO!" James starts with a loud clap of his hands that makes me jump and Eric shake his head. "Introductions are in order! Bella King, this is my brother, co-owner and partner in the Four Seas and Last Call."

My mouth drops open like a wide-mouth bass and I'm suddenly too stupid to find words.

"Shocking, isn't it? There's a lot of that going around today." Eric punctuates his statement with another eye roll as he flops himself into the chair at the head of the table and graces the room with a sarcastic smile.

Wide-eyed, I turn to James, thinking this is some kind of joke.

"Your…brother? I thought you said your brother's name was Edward." I'm whispering, but not softly enough. Mr. Hottie Not-So-Nice is chuckling and shuffling some papers around on the table. He lifts his head with an annoyed look on his face.

"Yes. My name is Edward. Nice to meet you… again. Have a seat. We'll get that food right out to you, since you claim to want to eat so eagerly!" He gives me the a 'thumbs up', an overly cheesy grin and winks at me, but it looks more like he's trying to rid his left eye of a gnat that unwantedly flew in.

My eyes are darting all around the room. This man is NOT happy with my presence. I'm not a moron. Clearly, he's uncomfortable with me being here and I would suddenly do just about anything for a rogue wave to crash over LBI and wash us all out to sea.

James pipes up. "Bella, would you excuse us for a second? E, could you come here? I need you to double-check on a dish to make sure it looks right or determine if it needs a few more minutes in the oven."

My skin feels like it's on fire. This couldn't possibly be happening.

I thought Mr. Hottie Not-So-Nice was Eric, not Edward…and even worse, it's James's brother, MY BOSS!

How the hell can I work for them now? He hates me! This has disaster written all over it. I can't possibly go through with this.

Abort! Abort! Danger Will Robinson, danger!

Maybe, if I run like crazy, I can escape before they come back.

I'll go ahead and call Subway, order hundreds of hoagies, and hire Emmett to stand behind my kitchen counter to make drinks for everyone. He's not a bartender, but he's a fast learner. He could totally do it!

Rose probably wouldn't love having to serve mini-hoagies to hundreds of mourners, but hey, you sacrifice for your friends, right?

Then, of course, I would just have to stay holed up in my home for the rest of my life and never leave again.

As I'm looking at my strappy sandals wondering if they'll hold up during my mad dash, James and Eri—um, Edward come back to the table precariously balancing trays in both of their hands.

James is all smiles as he approaches. "Here we are! Chicken in wine sauce, bacon-wrapped scallops, prosciutto-wrapped cantaloupe, chicken apple salad bruschetta, spanakopita, and sausage-stuffed cherry peppers and that's just what I've got on my tray! Edward's spread is even more delectable!"

I look down, feeling myself blush a bit. My mouth is starting to water and I'm not sure whether it has to do with the delicious hors d'oeuvres or the fact that Edward is, in fact, more delectable than James.

I really should be hung, drawn and quartered.

What kind of person compares brothers? I mean, up until ten minutes ago, I had no idea they were brothers, but honest to God? Maybe Edward does know me better than I know myself. Maybe I am an awful person?

James and Edward place the platters down on the far end of the table, bringing over a few plates to start sampling and take a seat across from me. Huh. I guess they will be joining me in the tasting? It seems like it could be an unorthodox practice, but they're growing boys, they've gotta eat and now that I'm familiar with both of them, this seems like it's more of a friendly lunch than a business meeting.

Edward takes a swig of his Yuengling and James offers me a glass of ice water which I graciously accept. I decide to go for broke and initiate conversation with Not-So-Nice.

"So, Edward, James is boasting that you can offer me even more delicious treats. What mouth-watering things of yours can I taste?"

The next few seconds pass by me in a wet blur while beer is spewed from Edward's mouth all over me. He has the decency to look horrified, with James mirroring his expression, as I sit there with a stunned look on my face.

It takes a minute for it to register in my head what I said to cause such a visceral reaction on Edward's part. I suddenly feel my face heating up and quickly ask James where I can find the powder room.

"Of course. Here, it's just across the hall. I'm so sorry about that. I think Edward hit his head, I don't know what's gotten into him today," James attempts to explain.

"Wow. Stubbed his toe and hit his head, huh? He's batting a thousand today, isn't he?" I don't know where my bitchy response comes from and it sort of shocks James when I see the look on his face. Just as quickly as he tries to figure me out, he starts to laugh along with me and brush off my comment as if it wasn't intended to harm.

But it was…I want it to harm.

Edward needs some harm thrown his way. He's done nothing to make me feel welcome here today. I can't imagine that this is how they treat all of their clients. I know he wasn't fond of me years ago, but come on, give a girl a chance, wouldja? We're gonna have to find a civil place to function if I'm really going to try and work for them. Although, at this early stage of the game, it seems next to impossible.

Houston, we have a problem.

EPOV

Unfuckingbelievable.

See? This is why my mother told me not to run away from my problems all those years ago.

She knew about Isabella. Well, she knew I had unrequited feelings for a girl at work and she thought it was the wrong move to quit my job at the Flanders after I had such a successful run. She also knew my direct boss loved me and my other clients were always so appreciative both verbally and monetarily. Even though I had all those other things going for me, it was time to get the hell away from Isabella and her mind games.

So here I am now. I high-tailed it away from her all those years ago...and now she's standing in my dining room, having hired me to cater a party and, oh by the way, I just hired her as my newest waitress! I'll tell ya what, dude…karma, she is an unforgiving, sneaky ninja-bitch.

I can hear James attempting to make pleasant conversation with her out in the dining room and I hear her actually utter the words, "Ring a dinner bell and I'm the first girl there!"

"BWAHAHA!" I can't contain myself. I lose my footing and fall into a magazine rack after hearing quite possibly the most ridiculous thing to ever escape her mouth. Eat? Does she mean eat food? Is she for real? She barely touched the stuff all those years back when I watched her as I worked.

Maybe I would see her snack on a piece of fruit or a handful of mixed nuts from time to time. She was always terrified of gaining an ounce. I remember it being one of the things she bitched about most. It was beyond ludicrous. She had a fantastic figure and, even if she'd gained ten or even twenty pounds, she would've still been stunning. Curvaceous, like a woman should be. And now, she does look like she's gained a little bit of weight since I saw her all those years ago. And just as I predicted back then, she still looks fucking phenomenal.

God, I am so, so screwed.

And wait, what the hell is James talking about? I'm constipated? Oh, hell no. This ends right now.

As I turn the corner and walk into the dining room, I hear her whisper my name. Unngh, glorious. Just as I suspected it would be, goddammit. Suddenly my jeans are a little tighter than they were a minute ago.

I rejoin the conversation, but not before reprimanding James regarding his crass comment about my digestive tract.

Nice James, really nice. I can see that his normally very cool demeanor is rattled right now. He looks as if he's part nervous and part terrified. I roll my eyes and shake my head at him to try and calm him down.

Relax, I know how to behave.

"Are you alright, E? You stubbed your toe pretty hard. Can you handle being here?" Poor James is a drowning man. I sorta feel sorry for him. This girl who, let's face it, can turn any intelligent, clear-thinking male into a babbling imbecile, is starting to sink her claws into my little brother and he's desperate for me to not screw it up.

No worries, man, it's all good. If you wanna try and date this girl, it's your funeral.

Oh, and you might wanna clarify that whole "married" thing! I'll miss ya, kid. She's a man-eater. I hear Hall 'n' Oates croon in the recesses of my mind.

I throw him a bone. "I'm fine. I'm good. I'm awesome. Never been better." Okay, maybe that's a stretch. But I've gotta keep my wits about me. I risk a glance at Bella, whose blush has started on her chest and spread all the way up to the tips of her ears.

Mmmmm, her chest. I wish I knew where else she was blushing.

"SO! Introductions are in order! Bella King, this is my brother, co-owner and partner in the Four Seas and Last Call." James is trying to chisel at the iceberg that has suddenly floated its way down Long Beach Boulevard and parked itself in the dining room of our work-in-progress bed and breakfast. I shake my head at his attempt.

Poor, poor James. If it wasn't about to happen before, it looks like Isabella is about to burst into fucking flames now. I hear her whisper-shout to James, "Your brother? I thought you said your brother's name was Edward!"

Unbelievable, does she really have no damn clue? Or is she playing games like she always did?

I can't contain my snark. "Yes. My name is Edward. Nice to meet you… again. Have a seat. We'll get that food right out to you, since you claim to want to eat so eagerly!" I give her a wink and a smile but I'm sure it looks like I'm trying out to be a face contortionist for Cirque du Soleil.

Do they even have those? They totally should. I could make them a mint.

I need to rein it in.

Isabella looks like she wants to die and I can read James like a book. He's mentally scrambling to try and contain Wildfire Edward. At this rate, he may need to call in FEMA.

"Bella, would you excuse us for a second? E, could you come here? I need you to double-check on a dish to make sure it looks right or determine if it needs a few more minutes in the oven."

Here we go. Time to discipline big brother. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. I stand up and follow James into the kitchen, where I start pulling the food out of the oven and off the warming plates.

"DUDE! What the fuck? You have to chill out, you're acting insane out there!" James is practically spitting in my face trying to get his point across.

Point. Taken. He continues, "I'm gonna go out on a limb here and assume that the girl waiting in our dining room is your Isabella."

I shake my head and sigh in exasperation. "Yes, that's the Isabella I knew. I don't know her anymore. I really don't care to get to know her again. She's all yours."

Well played, Edward. I can hear that angel or devil on my shoulder trying to gnaw at me. If you truly believe any of that shit you just spouted, then I have a bridge in Brooklyn that's for sale, interested?

"Look, I don't know what to say. I'll back off. I won't have some girl come between us. It's never happened before and I refuse for it to start now. Tell me what to do. Please."

My brother looks so conflicted. I won't do that to him. I won't stand in the way of something that seems to be smooth sailing for him so far. I'm fucking engaged for Christ's sake! I can't be possessive of Bella!

A few interesting facts you might like to know, the Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the country. It was completed in 1883, and connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the LOVELY East River.

"James, it's nothing. It was a long time ago. If you've had a few good times with her, then just go with it. Don't let my feelings from years ago interfere. I'm marrying Tori at the end of the year. I was just shaken up after seeing Bella. It was a shock to see her walk through the door of our bar. It's an even bigger shock to realize that I've hired her as our newest waitress and I'm going to be the one working with her a bulk of the time. But seriously, I'm good. I know I was an ass out there. I've got it under control. Seriously, no worries."

It spans almost 1600 feet and has a terrific view of the South Street Seaport. Just beyond that is Wall Street! In the other direction is Brooklyn, where all the 'it' kids are living these days. So whaddya say? You buying?

"Okay. Well, at the very least, we need to pull it together because if nothing else, she's a client and she's paying us to help her say goodbye to her aunt next weekend. We owe it to her to do the same stellar job we do for all of our other clients, right?" James, ever the voice of reason.

"No, you're totally right. Let's plate these samples and bring them out to her. She deserves our best. Thanks for kicking my ass."

James shakes his head. "What a day. We can talk about this more later. But yeah, let's square away this menu and take it from there."

I follow James back into the dining room as he starts rattling off the different hors d'oeuvres he's got on his tray. I hear him say something about my tray but I'm not paying much attention. I just need this meeting over with, so that I can get outta here and figure out what the hell my next move is.

What a fucking nightmare.

After placing my tray, I walk down to the other end of the table and take a seat.

Beer. I need beer. As I'm taking a long pull, I hear Bella start talking to me.

"So Edward, James is boasting that you can offer me even more delicious treats. What mouth-watering things of yours can I taste?"

I start to choke and then spray a mouthful of beer all over Bella. I try to catch my breath and I see James looking just as rocked as I feel.

Smooth move, genius.

"Whoa here she comes, watch out boy, she'll chew you up…"

Houston, we have a problem.