When we reached the last step back down to the main part of the restaurant, Edward clamped an icy hand over my eyes, and wrapped his other arm around the small of my back, guiding me to the door.
"I'm going to fall," I insisted, fighting the hand that was acting as a blindfold.
"Honestly, Bella," he laughed, scoffing at the idea.
We were now outside and I heard an unfamiliar car glide what seemed like only a yard away from my face and heard it come to a graceful stop. Suddenly, I was allowed to see and for a moment, I wished that Edward would put his hand back over my eyes and make it go away.
"What the hell is this?"
"It's a car, Bella."
The valet, forgetting his job for a moment, was clearly in awe of the vehicle. His hands remained stuck to the interior of the driver's door and gaping at whatever he could see inside. His shock had nothing on mine.
"Why is it…what?"
"A car," he repeated. "A wonderful invention, really, I'm surprised you haven't heard of it." I'm sure my face showed just how much I appreciated the sarcasm. "Forks is not known for its easily accessible or practical public transportation," he paused, waiting for a response. I didn't provide one. "Did you want to walk everywhere for the rest of the summer?"
"It's…" I struggled to figure out how to describe this black monstrosity of a sedan, "God, Edward, how expensive was it?! It's a..." I faded, suddenly realizing that the car was a Mercedes, like Carlisle's.
"It's a Mercedes Guard," he said. "Carlisle drives a S55, they're not the same thing." Sometimes I felt like he really could read my thoughts and that he'd just been messing with me this whole time.
"You'd be amazed by what the car can withstand. It's the foil to danger magnets, like you!" He laughed at his own joke. "Military-standard small-arms projectiles, hand grenade fragments, some other explosive charge…" Edward continued to tick off on his fingers the other things the car could supposedly withstand, though by the ominous look of the car, I doubt he was exaggerating. "There are some wonderful, additional, safety features, like run-flat tires and a fire-extinguishing system."
"What if I used it to try to run a vampire over?" I grumbled.
"What was that?" asked Edward, though we both knew he had heard me perfectly.
The valet, finally coming to his senses, quickly walked towards Edward and without even looking him in the eye, handed him the spare key. Edward quickly slipped him a bill, I tried to see whose face was printed on the bill, but both men were seemingly in cahoots to keep me from tallying up a clear total bill of the evening.
Edward dangled the valet's spare in front of my face, smiling, but instead I just turned my head slowly, narrowly avoiding a collision between my nose and the jagged edge of the key.
"I'm not driving it," I shouted, stubbornly.
We were beginning to catch looks from other patrons of the restaurant waiting for a table outside. Both keys still in his hand, Edward turned to look at our audience as well, as if he knew I had just realized their presence. Reading my mind, still. So frustrating.
"Do you want to know what they are thinking?" Edward whispered, low.
"No."
"That one there," he began, ignoring my response, nodding his head towards a tall, bird-like looking woman, "is wondering if we are even sixteen."
I snorted at the idea of Edward not being old enough to have a driver's license.
"The short, round man on the other side of the door is replaying YouTube videos he's seen advertising this car in his head."
"Give it to him," I suggested lightly, gesturing to Edward's right hand.
"Drive the car, Bella," he said flatly. I turned to respond a vehement, "no," when something made me pause. I was lost in his eyes for a moment.
He asked for so little and did so much. The car was extravagant, but the thought was pure. And we all learned as children that it was the thought that counted, right? My mind swam for a moment as it became overwhelmed by his golden stare. His crooked smile was beginning to encroach on his perfect face, making me weak at the knees for a moment.
Damn his dazzling.
Extending my hand, I sighed. "Give me the keys." His brow furrowed as he hesitated for a moment. "What?"
"That was too easy. What's the catch?"
"Edward, if anyone else asked, I would say no. But its you. And I kind of like you."
"Well that's terribly convenient, because I'm thinking about keeping you around, for a while anyway," he grinned, taking my left hand, placing one key in my palm, then folding my hands around it. He held my hand for a moment, fingering my engagement ring, turning it round on my finger. "I guess I like you too."
Not caring we had an audience, Edward pulled me in to his marble arms and kissed me hard, his free hand tangled in my hair, Alice's curls now giving way to simple waves. Edward moved to my forehead, burying his face in my hair and took a deep breath. I could almost see Edward's smile, though it was out of my line of sight.
He was enjoying the bouquet.
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Done, done, done! Sorry it took four chapters to do so! Anyway, thank you so much for those who read/reviewed/enjoyed it! I had fun writing it! So, review once more and then send it to a friend, hurray!