AN: this is my new story. evryone is human. they're in New York

thanks to Liz, my beta!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hope you like it!

I don't own anything.

She sat there, unmoving and wide eyed, her strawberry cocktail still in her hand, the straw pink hanging out of her open mouth.

She was in shock. It wasn't possible. That wasn't happening.

Alice hadn't just be fired. No, no, no!

"What? Why? When?" she asked, in a breath, placing her cocktail down rudely on the little table of the outside part of the bar. They were usual customers.

Alice smiled a sad smile, and went on with the story.

"They did the right thing Bella. I didn't do my job well. I'll find another place, don't worry " she said. She took a sip of her cocktail and said to her friend "I'm sorry for you though. I wanted to be the one beside you". The regret was obvious in her voice.

Bella took her friend's hand "Alice, don't worry for me. I'll be fine. My dream is coming true. It is you that should be sad" her friend was truly amazing sometimes.

Her phone rang, she ignored who it was and then put it back again in her cute Gucci bag. Alice was just so obsessed with fashion.

"I'm sorry I've to go" she said smiling hugely.

"Who's it?" Bella asked, sensing there was a man.

Alice gathered her things and stood up, "Ah, a man I knew at the 300 New York".

Bella gasped "What???? And why I wasn't there?" she said angry and kind of offended at her friend, best friend.

Alice smiled a sheepish smile "Well, you know…I was…gotta go!" she shouted her, already at the entrance of the bar, and blew her a kiss.

"Kisses!" she yelled.

Bella slumped with a sigh in her seat, continuing to sip her drink. She looked around, trying to find the subject for the next chapter. She was only at the tenth chapter, and the story was just starting. How she could make it till the end without Alice?

Her editor. Her best friend.

She didn't do a good job, they said. The other books she took care of didn't became best sellers, but they were good. But that didn't interest to the owners of the company. And so they fired her.

And now Bella was all alone, writing her first book with nobody to help her.

Well, they had to give her somebody, obviously. But it would never be like Alice. Not so understanding. Not so funny. Not so relaxed.

Bella had tears. It was absurd. At twenty five she should be capable of not crying, especially in public.

She forced the angry tears back.

She finished her cocktail, swallowing quickly, the rest of her drink. She put ten dollars on the table and then headed home.

She passed in front of the building of her publisher, and saw a man, maybe in his thirties, tall, with auburn hair and a serious expression enter it.

He was handsome.

And inspiration arrived, when she realized he was the owner, or at least the driver of a Volvo.

The protagonist had a Volvo, with which he took the girl at a club, where they… Bella's mind was working, she hurried home to write the chapter.

But inspiration wasn't stopping so she stayed up until three in the morning, when she fell asleep on the couch, her laptop in her lap.

Next morning she woke up at the sound of her alarm clock, at half past seven. She groaned, but went to prepare herself.

She was very proud of herself, she wrote five chapters the previous night. Now all she had to do was to give them to A…

She stopped dressing up, her t-shirt above her head, her face sad.

That day she wouldn't give her work to Alice. But to another person. A stranger.

She finished dressing and headed to her kitchen corner, she turn on the radio while preparing her coffee. She used the Italian moka, she liked coffee that way. It was unusual, Alice always said it to her, but what could she do about it? She just couldn't drink a water-downed coffee like any other good New York citizen.

When the aroma filled her nose she turn off the fire and poured her coffee in the cup, while grabbing some yogurt biscuits. She like to eat in a standing position.

"Shit!" she said, when looking at her watch and noticed in was already half past eight.

She put on her boots hastily and ran out of her house, a computer key in hand.

She took a taxi and entered the door of her publisher in a hurry.

"Hi, Lisa" she waved at the receptionist.

While she was in the elevator she controlled herself.

Hair: checked.

Make-up: checked.

Clothes: checked.

Work: checked.

Lipstick not on the teeth: checked.

When the doors opened she walked toward her publisher's secretary's desk with a big, bright, confident smile.

"Hi, Christine, how are you today?" she asked, politely to the annoying French, fake blond, girl.

"Hi, Bella, bien, bien, thank you" she responded in her annoying high, accented voice.

Bella ignored the fact she didn't ask how was she.

"Is Mr. Gridge available?" asked to the girl, while wondering if she actually listened to her.

She was contemplating her fuchsia nails, but succeeded in respond her.

"Yes, he's in his office"

"Thanks" she said, and then proceeded toward the office.

She opened the glass, opaque door "Good morning Mr. Gridge, I came here because…"

Then, as she lifted her gaze, she noticed that, yes, Mr. Gridge was in his study; but he wasn't alone.

Someone was sitting in one of the big, black leather seat of his office. From where she stood Bella could only see two hands and the whiteness of a shirt.

Mr. Gridge greeted her with a smile "Bella! The girl I was searching for!" he seemed very excited. He went to her, leaving the mysterious person at his back.

"Bella, I want to present you to someone, your new editor" he said, an arm around her shoulders in a fatherly way.

She was astonished. So soon?

"Here, dear" he said, gesturing the person sitting on the chair, that was moving as he spoke.

The figure revealed himself. It was the man she saw the preceding day entering the building.

"I introduce you Edward Masen" he said.

She didn't speak.

AN: so...please review! tell me what you think. this was based on a book i read. i won't stop with my other story Arrivederci, don't worry.

review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Baci

Marta