As Viewed From Afar

Chapter One

7:15; I leave my apartment, and walk the few blocks to his apartment. 7:30; he walks out the door, bronze hair shining in the sunlight. I follow. This is my daily ritual. Call me a stalker, I call it love at first sight. Everything about him dazzles me. The way his expensive Armani suit clings to his sculpted chest. The way he runs those pale hands through his gorgeous hair. The way he sips his coffee, slowly, while staring into space. We work in the same building, at the same job. Somewhat.

Of course he's the boss of Cullen and Co. Medical, and who am I? Secretary to his sister Alice, (an associate). A lowly position. Why would he notice me? I'm not exactly the kind of girl who gets double takes. Muddy brown hair, muddy brown eyes, pale as snow. He'll never know me, that's for sure. He'll never watch me, the way I watch him.

We enter the building, and I use my special talent for invisibility to dissapear into a corner of the elevator as he presses the button for floor 26. We both work there. His sister's office is near his, and my tiny cubicle near hers. He pulls some fancy touch-screen gadget from his pocket, typing a message absentmindedly. I stare at him, tall, muscular, gorgeous, and in a typical fit of Bella klutz, I drop my bag, spilling papers across the floor.

"Crap," I curse under my breath, blushing furiously. I drop to my knees, sweeping papers and files toward myself. I notice a manila folder out of the corner of my eye, and reach for it, but my hand collides with another hand. A cool, pale, strong hand. Edward's hand. Shockwaves shoot up my arm, and my blush deepens as I mumble apologies, looking into his gorgeous Grecian face. A crooked grin spreads across his face, and he flushes a little, staring back.

"Not a problem," He murmurs under his breath, his velvet voice entrancing. He is much too close. I nearly faint as I taste his sweet breath. Work stuffed back into my bag, I stumble back onto my feet, leaning against the railing for support. He noticed me. He touched me. Every so often, I pull my eyes away from the elevator door to look at him. His stunning amber eyes are invariably turned towards me. Our roles reversed. Now he is the one staring at me.

Finally, the glowing numbers reach 26, and the doors open. I lurch out, tripping over nothing, and brace myself for a fall. Instead, those icy, pale arms wrap around my waist, pulling me up to Edward's chest. Maybe it's just mad hope, but it seems he holds me there a little longer than strictly necessary.

"Excuse me, Miss…?" He murmurs, with perfect articulation.

"Bella," I reply, flushing deep crimson.

"May I escort you to your office? You seem a little unsteady," He offers, shocking me.

"Thank you," I giggle. Unsteady is an understatement. "I'm Miss Alice's secretary," I respond, and he takes my arm, his touch electric, and leads me to my tiny cubicle.

I don't get much done. I mostly sit there, daydreaming about what might be under that expensive suit. At lunch though, Alice comes bouncing up to me.

"Bella! Join me for lunch at L'Ucello Durato? My treat!" I sigh. Alice, more friend than boss, overly opulent as usual. Still, I could do with the distraction. I agree, and grab my purse from under my desk, slip my heels back on, and accompany her to a luxurious black Mercedes with tinted windows. She fills the silence with her aimless chatter about clothes until we reach the restaurant.

"Miss Alice, may I escort you to your table?" Offers a handsome waiter, who leads us to a richly decorated private room at the back of the restaurant. No menu is offered, and he brings a '90 Bordeaux, pouring us each an ample glass. Alice leans forward, propping her head upon her two hands, and declares,

"Bella, the reason I brought you here is to tell you something very, very secret." She beckons me closer, whispering conspiratorially. I'm aflame with curiosity. What secret is so great that it calls for a private room?

"I… Am… In love!" She shrieks, hugging me over the table. I laugh, hugging her back.

"Okay, so I did just want a bit of an excuse to eat here. But really! I am!" She giggles, sipping her wine.

"Give me all the details," I insist. My little Alice, in love. My maternal instincts kick in though. If he hurts her…

"Well, his name is Jasper. Jasper Hale. He's about 5' 11', with pale skin, and long, honey-blond hair. Dark topaz eyes, definitely buff, and oh! His ass!" She giggles, making caressing motions with her hands. I laugh too, "So, how'd you meet him?"

"Well, I was at that new club, Muse, and he just came up and asked me to dance in the most adorable southern accent. How could I resist? I ended up drinking a little too much, and I guess I passed out. He took me to his apartment, tucked me into his bed, and went to crash on the couch. Didn't take advantage of me at all! When I woke up, he apologized with chocolate muffins, and we chatted for hours. Turn's out, he's a Civil War enthusiast, moved from Tennessee to here in Seattle to help his sister with her car collection. They're loaded!" We giggle, and the waiter bringing us our truffle risotto gave us a strange look, muttering "Girls," under his breath as he leaves the room.

As soon as he's out of hearing, we crack up, breathless with laughter.

"Did… you see? The look on his face… Priceless!"she gasps, clutching me for support. We calm down a little, finishing the risotto, some fresh trout, and a peach sorbet before leaving for work again. Giggling about the poor waiter on our walk from the elevator to the office, we elicit many a glare from busy workers. I see a flash of copper hair, and stop dead, mid-step, mid-sentence. Alice keeps walking for a moment, then stops, spinning on her Prada heels.

"Bella, Earth to Bella!" She chuckles, waving a manicured hand in front of my face. I snap out of it, shaking my head. "Huh? What?" I mumble, not entirely sure of anything besides that Edward just walked. To my eternal embarrassment, Alice declares, loud enough for half the office to hear,

"Well, it looks to me like you have a little crush on my brother!"

Hello, to everyone new to my writing, and hello to my awesome author favoriters/subscribers! I decided to start a new story, All Human, alternating Bella and Edwards POVs, so tell me what you think! I might do a oneshot about Alice's night out with Jasper, if I get enough reviews asking me to. Depends. If you're a Jacob fan, (Or even if you're not! I've converted some people!) please read my other story, My Personal Sun. Anyways, please review!

Thanks! Lurve and kisses!

M