Southern Comfort: Chapter 10

Southern Comfort

Chapter Ten

I wake up to someone pounding on my front door.

I manage to shuffle out of my bedroom and to the door without running into any walls. My sleepy hand fumbles with the lock and chain before I manage to swing the door open. A yawn escapes my mouth and I hear my visitor huff impatiently as she pushes past me and plops down on the couch.

"How can you still be asleep? It's like nine-thirty!" Alice snaps.

"Good morning to you, too, Alice. To what do I owe the pleasure?" I sit on my old rocking chair and pull a throw pillow to my chest because I'm not wearing a bra and I want to be respectful.

"Jasper took the car to work and I had to come see you, so I called a cab. Do you know how expensive a fucking cab is in this part of town?" she questions. "A lot of damn money, hon. Seriously why do you like living out in the boondocks?"

"A simple call wouldn't have sufficed?" I hear the coffee machine ding and know that it will begin automatically brewing own its own.

"No. I wanted to come tell you so that I can prepare you."

"Prepare me for what?"

"Well. My brother called me last night all giddy and shit." She rolls her eyes and doesn't notice my reaction. "Told me he was leaving his girl's house. Then I go to the little Cuban place down the street to get some of their coffee, you know the thick stuff 'cause it's been one of them mornings, and guess who I see?"

"Obama?" I joke.

"No Bella!" Alice snaps her fingers as if to get me to focus. "Jessica! All over Sam, that greasy mechanic from the shop down the street."

"Okay." I hedge standing up because I can hear the coffee gurgling. "Want a cup of regular Dunkin Donuts coffee?"

Alice looks confused for a second, but stands up and follows me into the kitchen. "This is going to break him, Bella. I mean, I know you are in love with him, but he's going to be so hurt. How can you just sit here and talk about coffee when my brother is about to get crushed?"

I shrug and hand her a cup, pointing to the different fixings on the Lazy Susan that sits on the table. We sit and doctor up our coffees and I'm about to confess that I was the one that Edward was with last night. I'm his girl.

But then I worry.

What if he doesn't want to become public right away?

"Bella? Are you listening to a word I'm saying?" Alice snaps her finger in front of my face. "We have to tell him. He's going to need the two of us. Can you swallow your feelings for this or do I need to ask someone else?"

I open my mouth to answer her, but apparently I'm popular today because a familiar tap on the door interrupts our intense conversation.

"Hold that thought." I smile and rush to the door, ignoring her impatient huffs.

I stop when I reach the door and fluff my hair out. I'm grateful that I was in such high spirits last night that I went through my entire night routine and used the blow drier. My hair isn't the tangled mess it had been yesterday. Another knock on the door and I'm throwing it open.

"Morning, gorgeous."

He really needs to stop it already.

Edward's never called me anything other than Bells or Bella the entire time we've known each other. "Darlin'" would slip up every now and then, but never 'beautiful', or 'gorgeous'. I like it, but if he continues, I'm going to get a complex.

"Good morning." I fidget nervously. "Your sister's here."

"She is?" his brow furrows.

"Uh huh. Showed up here ranting and raving about cab fare because she just had to come over and tell me something." I'm trying really hard to keep a straight face during all of this. "You should come inside."

"Can I get a good morning kiss first?" he pouts.

I lean up and kiss his cheek because I was woken up rather abruptly and haven't had a chance to brush my teeth or wash my face for that matter. Standing aside I watch him take his felt cowboy hat off and I realize that he should be at the stable by now.

"Why aren't you at work?"

"I thought I'd come by and see if you wanted to ride with me. There's not much to do so when you're done we can go back to my house for our date." His voice is hopeful. "Unless you wanted to drive yourself."

"Nope. You'll have to give me time to get ready and pack up my gear. I wasn't planning on heading out there until noon." He takes off his jacket; he's wearing a deep green flannel that makes his eyes blaze.

"I can manage. I'll make you some breakfast."

"There are Pop Tarts in the pantry," I snort. "Don't set the toaster above four unless you want to burn down my kitchen."

"You're going to leave me with Mouse?" He enters the kitchen and I hear Alice's squeaky voice full of nerves greet him. Rather than getting dressed for the day, I go back into the kitchen because I have to see how this will play out.

Edward is standing at the coffee machine pouring a cup of coffee and Alice is a ball of nerves in her seat. He sits down across from her and grabs a spoon before looking up at her.

"You feeling okay?"

"Yeah," she squeaks. "I'm fine. Just fine. Why? Why wouldn't I be fine?"

"Well I've been here for..." He checks his watch. "Three minutes and you haven't squealed and jumped around or hugged the living hell out of me yet."

"Why would she do that?" I ask, grabbing my cup.

"Jessica's cheating on you!" Alice blurts out at the same time Edward says, "Didn't you tell her we're dating?"

The room goes quiet for a fraction of a second before Alice lives up to her nickname. I watch as Edward's words catch up with her before a small high pitched squeak exits her mouth. Of course it's followed by a loud squeal that reverberates through my house.

"Oh My Gawd! Really?" She bounces up and down in her chair.

Edward grabs my hand and pulls me towards him before turning to his sister. "Really."

"Really," I agree, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

Alice launches into a full on interrogation shortly after. I excuse myself to go get ready and can faintly hear her asking Edward what he has planned for tonight. He's informed her that tonight will be our first date. His voice is low, but I hear berry cobbler, and I hear her snicker.

"Edward, you can't possibly take her to your house on a first date. This is the foundation, the ground breaking of your relationship. You're going to make her boxed mac and cheese and berry cobbler?" Alice giggles.

I step into my boots forgoing lacing them up because it's too tedious and trudge back into the kitchen before Edward can argue.

"It's perfect for us, Alice. We're simple people. Why start off any differently?"

She looks from Edward to me and then back at Edward for a second before sighing. "You're so right. The both of you are incredibly boring."

"Perfect for one another," Edward defends.

"Agreed." I smile before planting a kiss on his perfect lips.