A/N: Once again, thanks for being great reviewers!
Chapter 8: Our Date
"Oh, it won't be so bad. We'll go to dinner and then the laser show. You'll have fun," Edward promised.
Tonight was going to be our first real date, and he insisted we go to dinner before the laser show. Why, I didn't know. But he wanted me to "wear something nice."
"Edward, you know I hate fancy occasions," I complained.
"Isabella. It's not going to be fancy. Just fancier than Taco Bell. Now, if you'll stop complaining and allow Alice to chose a shirt for you, we can get going before they play Dark Side of the Moon," Edward said, once again glancing at his watch.
I sighed and went to knock on Alice's door. "Al, I need some help."
She swung her door open and she and Jasper looked ruffled. "What? I'm kinda in the middle of something."
Jasper kissed her forehead. "Doesn't matter. I've got to be going anyway."
Alice looked irritated. "Thanks a lot, Bella."
"Hey, just getting you back for last night," I said, smiling.
She rolled her eyes. "So, what was so important you had to interrupt fun time?"
"Edward insists on me wearing a decent shirt."
She nodded knowingly. I sighed. "We're going to see the Laser Spectacular, I don't know why I have to dress nice. Why can't I just wear a Floyd shirt?" I complained.
"Because," she said, "this is your first official date."
"Yes, and we're going to a concert."
"Still," she said in a final way, heading to her closet.
She pulled out a dark blue shirt and held it out to me. "Wear this one. And the midnight shadow."
"Where are you going?" I asked, incredulous that she would trust me to apply my own makeup.
"I'm going to go talk to my parents. They said they were still thinking about California when I asked them earlier."
I scoffed. Like the Cullens would ever allow them to go to California. She left and I put on the shirt. I looked way too girly, my bust was spilling out and it brought out the color of my eyes too much. Ah well, I no longer cared. I just wanted to get this horrendous dinner over with. I tried to mimic Alice's way of putting on makeup and got close enough before I went downstairs to meet Edward. He was buttoning his shirt while pacing back and forth.
"I'm ready," I said, stuffing my wallet into my back pocket in a most manly manner.
The way Edward looked at me next told me I looked anything but manly. His eyes practically bulged out of his head at the sight of my pale half-moon shaped exposure of breasts. It appeared he took a deep breath and held his hand out. "Come on, short stuff. We've got to be going."
I hated when he called me short stuff. What kind of pet name was that anyway? I took his hand reluctantly, wanted nothing more than to run up to his room and stuff myself between the covers and feign sick. "I really hate anything too nice, Edward."
He nodded. "I know. For the last time. It's going to be fine."
He closed my door behind me and walked to the driver's side, running a hand through his hair nervously before opening his door. It was cute that, even after seventeen years of knowing me, he could still get nervous about taking me to dinner. It was, however, not cute that I could get nervous about him bringing me to dinner. He started up his old Volvo and we silently drove to Port Angeles. It was a comfortable silence at first, but it quickly grew annoying. I wanted to hear his silky smooth voice.
"Can we listen to some music or something?" I asked, turning it on anyway.
He sang along to his favorite Hendrix song, and I closed my eyes to the sound. It was the most marvelous voice I had ever heard. Even since we were young, I was jealous of his many musical abilities. He reached over and grabbed my hand, kissing it lightly. His eyes never left the road as he said, "I am happy you decided to accompany me tonight. I thought I'd have to scalp the laser tickets to get the money back for yours."
I could tell he was joking and I smiled. "Do you honestly think I'd miss out on our first date?"
He laughed. "I was beginning to wonder…"
I swatted his thigh and rested my head against the back of the seat and sighed. "Still wish we didn't have to do dinner first."
He rolled his eyes. "Hush, Bella."
We were silent once more, only his smooth voice singing along occasionally broke the silence. He finally pulled in front of a small Italian restaurant and parallel parked with ease. It didn't look too expensive, so I decided to get out. He grabbed my hand. "See? Not so bad," he said, pointing out the fact that it was a quaint little restaurant, personal and cozy.
The inside smelled heavenly and my mouth was already watering. A pretty waitress escorted us to a table and was entirely too friendly to Edward as she asked, "Can I get you a drink to start?"
Edward looked at me. "Coke would be fine."
He nodded. "Two Cokes then."
The waitress left, dispirited that Edward hadn't even so much as looked up at her. "You look amazing in that shade of blue, Bella. I've always wanted to tell you that."
"Yeah, well, Alice doesn't allow me to really wear black when she dresses me anymore."
"I'm glad," he said, reaching across the table to play with a strand of my hair. "She was right about us, you know."
I nodded. "She usually is."
"You know…I've had a major crush on you since we were like thirteen," he said.
I laughed. "That long, eh?"
He frowned. "You haven't liked me long then?"
I shrugged. "I don't really know how long. I only recently realized what jealousy felt like. And then, feeling love…I was nearly knocked over with the force of it."
He laughed. "It is amazing isn't it? I mean…seeing love and jealousy in movies, and then experiencing it… two entirely different feelings."
I nodded. "Exactly."
The waitress returned, and Edward allowed me to order again. "The mushroom ravioli, please."
"Make that two," he said, still not glancing up at the pretty girl.
"I'm sorry about Amber," he said.
I shrugged again. "No big deal. You had the right to see other people. You weren't even mine yet."
"Wrong," he replied, tracing a finger over my exposed collarbone. "I've always been yours. Just as you've always been mine."
"True," I agreed.
"You remember when you had a crush on Eric Yorkie, in like second grade?" he asked me.
I cringed and then nodded. "I really don't want to think about that."
He laughed his musical laugh. "Well…I spent every recess on the playground devising ways to get his head stuck in the monkey bars or get him alone so I could shove sand in his pants."
I laughed with him. "I thought you said you had a crush on me since we were thirteen. That was second grade."
It was his turn to shrug. "I told you, you were always mine."
I thought back to the time he was referring to. Eric Yorkie had been one of our good friends back then, before we grew up and realized and hated each other. I had had a stupid little puppy dog crush on him. I had spent a good deal of time with him, while Edward hung with Mike Newton, on the opposite team. I distinctly remember a time when Edward got Eric pinned to the ground, and shoved his head into the sandbox. Wow…good times.
He was grinning at me when I looked up at him. "Your cute when realization hits you," he said.
I pushed his hand away from where it was making circles on my arm when the waitress came back to us. "Here's your food. Let me know if you need anything."
Edward thanked her and leaned away from me to unravel his silverware from its napkin. I did the same and took my first bite. Edward had found my weakness long ago: Italian food. He knew now I couldn't yell anymore about coming out to dinner. It wasn't even a very fancy place. It was nice, nicer than most places I've been, but it wasn't a skirt and tie place. He knew me only too well.
I looked around at the walls. One was adorned with a few photos, some black and white, getting colored as the years underneath got closer to present times. It was a family run place and had been since it opened in 1884. The booths had an antiqued feel, and I didn't doubt that they had once been brand new in here, but grew antique as the years passed. I loved this little hole-in-the-wall, mom-and-pop place.
Edward had a smirk on his face. "Told you you'd like it."
I stuck my tongue out at him childishly and stuffed another ravioli in my mouth. He wrinkled his nose. "Attractive, Bella."
I laughed merrily and he smiled at the sound. "It's wonderful to hear you laugh these days."
I grew quiet and he was instantly repentant. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ruin the mood."
I smiled half heartedly. "You didn't."
He sat back, finished with his food and wiped his mouth with his napkin. "Any day now, you'll finish so we can get out of here," he said playfully.
I narrowed my eyes and stuffed a ravioli in. "Shut it, Cullen."
He paid the check as I finished and we finally walked back to his car. He let me in before going back to his side, while I wondered when Edward got so chivalrous. He looked at me. "What?" he asked, looking up at his rearview mirror to make sure he didn't have anything on his face.
"Nothing," I replied, grinning. "You're just so gentlemanly."
He laughed and rubbed his fingernails against his shirt arrogantly. "I know. Gotta treat muh lady right."
I laughed too and he grabbed my hand as he drove to the Coliseum. It was packed with people flooding in from all directions. "You'd think Pink Floyd was really going to put on a show," I said.
"I know. It's only the lasers to a set recording," he said, parking a block from the Coliseum in the first empty space he saw.
I noticed what everyone was wearing--jeans and t-shirts and punched his arm. "Look! They all got to wear regular clothing."
He grinned. "I know. I just like seeing you dressed up once in a while."
"Yeah, well, don't expect it again anytime soon," I replied, crossing my arms.
He leaned in toward my ear. "Oh, why. It so turns me on," and he looked down at the exposed cleavage and winked.
I giggled and shoved him. "You are such a caveman."
"A true Cro-Magnon," he grinned and said, "Now, get out. We've got a short walk."
We walked hand-in-hand to the venue, where there were skylights pointing every which way and a huge banner read "Paramount's Laser Spectacular Featuring the Music of Pink Floyd." I could feel the adrenaline of excitement pumping and picked up the pace, making Edward chuckle.
That irritating little chuckle was quickly extinguished when a passing man wolf-whistled at me. Edward's face grew dark and I smirked. "Still turned on."
He glared at me. "It doesn't matter what you wear. You should be able to walk down the street butt naked if you'd like, without being whistled at by a dog."
"Not all men are as kind and gentlemanly as you, Edward," I reasoned, silently happy that he was feeling a little jealous. "Just remember who I'll be returning home with tonight. And every night for the rest of lives."
He smiled widely and dropped my hand to put his arm around my waist. "Damn straight."
We got to the ticket taker and he scanned our ticket, pointing us in the direction of the door that corresponded with our numbers. I was definitely getting excited now. The Coliseum was packed with people and was noisy and dark. Edward led us to the area by the front and we took our seats. This was the first concert I had ever been to where I had to sit, and it was weird. I knew I wouldn't have to worry about people standing, Pink Floyd wouldn't be making an actual appearance. I rested my head on Edward's shoulder and he caressed the skin of my hand. "I love you," he mentioned.
"I know," I said, still not able to return the sentiment. I hadn't been able to say it to him since that first night in his room.
He sighed and a man about sixty years old sat next to him. "You're pretty young to be here," he said to Edward.
He shrugged. "What can I say? We were definitely born in the wrong generation."
While Edward and the man carried on a conversation, I watched people gather in around us. When I went to school and didn't have Edward or another Cullen by my side, I was a serious loner. And so, I picked up the habit of people watching. I found the human race to be a fascinating bunch, and the ones at a Pink Floyd laser show were more so. There were people of all different types here, gathered to here the music and enjoy the show. A woman with a green Mohawk and her tattooed boyfriend took a place in front of us, and proceeded to make out. An older couple, probably in their fifties, sat in the row ahead of them and appeared to be having a heated argument.
Edward stopped my people watching when he said, "Show's starting."
And that's when the lights went completely dark and the large screen on stage lit up. For the next two hours, we enjoyed the sounds of one of the greatest classic rock bands and viewed pictures and drawings of said band.
When the show was over, I was tired and Edward clearly was not. "That was amazing!" he said happily.
I nodded happily. "It was. Wish we could actually see the band."
He laughed. "True, its not quite the same. But, it was still a good time."
I grabbed his hand as we waited, packed like sardines, to get through the doors. "Thank you for bringing me tonight. This was the perfect first date."
"Your welcome, doll," he said and kissed my temple.
"Now, let's go home. I'm tired," I said as we followed the mass crowd toward the parking area.
He looked at me and then sighed and lifted me up, bridal style. "What are you doing? Edward Cullen, put me down!"
"No, I don't think I will," he replied and he took off running, though not too quickly.
He stopped at his car. "Put me down, you great oaf!"
He laughed and set me on the hood of his car. "Well, look at that, my own pretty little hood ornament."
I laughed and pushed him away. "Get in the car, Cullen."
The entire time we drove home, he leaned over to kiss me lightly at every red light, kissed my hand in between red lights, stroked my thigh between all the kisses. It seemed he was having a hard time keeping his hands away tonight, and I couldn't blame him. I wanted desperately to tell him to pull the car over and then proceed to do naughty, naughty things to him. But I resisted.
Finally, well past midnight, we pulled up to his dark house and silently climbed the stairs. His parents door opened as we were both about to head into his room and Carlisle peeked out. "How was the show, kids?" he asked.
"Incredible," I said as Edward said, "Unbelievable."
"That's good. Sleep well," he said before closing his door.
"I better go to my room, in case he's listening for my door," I whispered to my Adonis.
"I'll be up in one hour," he said before kissing my wrist lightly and disappearing into his room.
I went to my bedroom and turned the lights on, exhausted. On my bed sat a two piece black bikini and a note. I opened the note to find Alice's quick, loopy handwriting. "Get used to the skin exposure and try it on. I expect you to wear it when we go to the beach in CALIFORNIA!!"
I looked at the little thing and then raised my eyebrows. Carlisle and Esme actually agreed to this? I couldn't believe it. What kind of crack were they smoking to allow a bunch of horny teenagers to take an unsupervised trip to another state?
O.O.O.O.O
Please review. I know not too much happened. Just a nice little date for the two. I'll try to update tonight or tomorrow.