Blind date from hell?

Chapter 1 – What doesn't kill you . . . . . .

BPOV

Why?

Why did I ever let Alice talk me into yet another blind date?

You would have thought that I learned my lesson after my last few encounters with the opposite sex, all a result of blind dates that either Alice or Rose had set up for me. Now I am not saying that I don't need a little push in that direction, hell, I need a massive shove when it comes to dating. After two failed relationships and several first dates that could only be described as pitiful, I am starting to wonder if the problem is in fact me, and that I will never find that someone who made my life complete. These are not thoughts that would normally bother me every day, but when you live with an eternally bubbly pixie who found her soul mate aged 14 and a blonde bombshell who cannot keep her very active sex life with her boyfriend of 4 years to herself, it starts to wear you down after a while. With Rose and Emmett's constant nagging on how I need to get laid and Alice and Jasper's talk of finding true love, it all gets a little too much sometimes.

Today being one of those too much days. As if waking up late and missing the bus wasn't enough. As if being an hour late to work and forgetting my lunch (and wallet to buy said lunch) wasn't enough. I just had to arrive home to find both loved up couples on the couch, snuggled and watching videos. Don't get me wrong, I love the fact that my two closest friends are so lucky in love. I love that they adore their partners and have very fulfilling lives. But sometimes, even if I don't like to admit it, I can be just the tiniest bit jealous. I mean, I am an independent 22 (almost 23) year old woman who has just finished college and found a great job teaching high school english at a local school. I have fabulous friends and a wonderful family, money in my bank account and I have been told that I am beautiful, though I don't quite see it myself. So when faced with the happy couples after a particularly crappy day, I hit a real low point. Thinking back, I guess this is why I agreed to Alice's suggestion of another blind date…..

I had no sooner walked in the door when I noticed Alice and Rose cuddled up on the couches with their boyfriends. As soon as Alice noticed me, she pounced.

"Bellllaaa" came the whine from lounge room.

Oh no, this can't be good.

"Bellaboo, I need to ask you something".

No, definitely not good. When Alice started on the stupid nicknames that she thought were cute, we were entering into seriously dangerous territory. Run, my mind was saying, but as if she knew what I was thinking, she agilely blocked the front door so I couldn't escape. Crap, now I had to stay and listen.

"Yes Alice" came my reply. "What have you got me into now?"

Alice just glared at me and then arranged her expression into one of shock. "Now Bella, why do you have to be so mean and assume that I would do something that you wouldn't like."

"Because Al, whenever you corner me and try to be cute with your names, I just know that you have something up your sleeve. Come on, spit it out. I have had a horrible day and I just want to grab a bite to eat and crash for the night".

"So Bella, I was thinking that it has been a long time since your last date, and I know the perfect person that….'

"No way Alice, absolutely not." I all but yelled as I cut her off. "Don't you remember the last blind date you set me up on. As a matter of fact, the last three blind dates I went on, all arranged by you and Rose. I can't believe that you would even think to put me through that again".

"Bella, I just know that this guy is the one for you. I just have this feeling, and you know me, when I get that feeling, things always work out" she added a little smugly. In respect to that, she was right. Alice had an uncanny way of knowing things before they would happen and she never let us forget that fact.

I looked over to Rose to see if I could get any support from her.

"Don't look at me, Bell, it wasn't my idea. And to be honest (like Rose is anything but honest) I think that it would do you good. When was the last time you got any?" Rose responded to the amusement of Emmett and a hidden chuckle from Jasper and Alice.

How could I compete with all of them ganging up on me. To tell the truth, I was just too tired and too miserable at the moment to even argue with them.

"Fine Alice, but this is the last, and I mean the very last blind date that I will agree to, got it? Now, if you don't mind, I am going to bed".

As I was shuffling to my room with my head down to avoid all of the grinning faces, I could vaguely hear Alice planning my make up and wardrobe while Rose was discussing hair and lingerie. "Oh by the way Bella, I forgot to tell you" piped up Alice as I had almost escaped to my room. "The name of the guy you are meeting is Edward. Edward Cullen." The name sounded familiar, but I was just too tired to try and figure it out. Why I ever agreed, I will never know….

APOV

Life was wonderful. I would almost go so far as to say it was perfect, almost but not quite. I had a very loving boyfriend, Jasper, who I have known since I was 14 and who I have always known was the one for me. I have a fantastic job, working as a personal shopper for a large, and exclusive, fashion house in Seattle and I have the best two girlfriends that anyone could ask for.

Bella, Rose and I have known each other since kindergarten and all grew up together in the small, blink and you miss it town of Forks. I think our friendship is what got us through those school years in such a dreary town, and it was an obvious conclusion that we all go to the same college and share an apartment. Rose is dating Emmett, who owns his own gym and is one of the best personal trainers around. In fact, he was Rosalie's fitness instructor when she was training for the school track team, and that is how they met 4 years ago. For those two it was a case of lust at first sight, and then things progressed from there. It makes me incredibly happy to see the two of them together and to know that they are perfect for each other, from the gorgeous looks and beautiful bodies, right down the their potty mouths and insatiable appetite for each other.

This brings me to Bella, and the reason that while my life is wonderful, it is not perfect. Bella would have to be the quietest of the three of us, though if she feels strongly about something, she will most certainly let you know. She is kind, thoughtful, sincere and just a genuinely good person who sees the best in everyone. Oh and did I mention beautiful. She is the kind of beauty who never has to try hard to look gorgeous, it is just natural and she is completely and utterly unaware of her charm. While Bella dated a boy named Mike through high school, it was never a serious relationship and she knew that when it came time to go to college, they would go their separate ways. Because of this, their physical relationship did not progress too far, and Bella left for college virginity intact. Unfortunately, Mike was was heartbroken when things didn't turn out how he expected, and proceeded to bad mouth Bella to anyone who would listen. Bella then started to put a few walls up, not with Rose and I but with anyone, particularly men, who came into her life after that. Which brings us to Bella's second and her last serious relationship. It was with a man named Jacob, who she has known for most of her life and who also attended the same college as us. Jacob was content to be one of her best friends for most of his life, until it all became too much and he gave Bella an ultimatum – date him, or at least try or leave him be to get over her. So date they did, for over 2 years. What started as a beautiful friendship, blossomed into a love of sorts but it was no burning love affair. In fact, on that fateful night that Bella decided to finally have sex with Jacob after putting it off, it turned out to be the last night of their relationship, in any capacity. Bella having had sex finally 'out of the way' as she said, promptly broke down in tears and admitted that she only had sex with Jacob to get it over with. It didn't help that Jake had been pressuring her and making her feel bad for months prior to this, and it was all too much for them both and they went their separate ways. Jacob tried to sort things out and stay in touch with Bella, but she just couldn't face him. That was over one and a half years ago now and there has been no other man in her life since, apart from the ones that Rose and I have tried unsuccessfully to match her with recently.

Let's see, first blind date was Eric, or as Bella called him, Houdini, as he did a disappearing act on her just 1 hour into the date. We found out later that he ran into his ex-girlfriend at the restaurant, they re-kindled a long burnt out flame and he was too nervous to tell Bella about it so he just left with said ex girlfriend and didn't call until two days later to apologise. Great for Eric, not so great for Bella's fragile self esteem.

After much convincing on Rose's part, we arranged another date for Bella with a colleague of Emmetts called Tyler, who forever now has the dubious nickname of ten hands Tyler, as Bella couldn't keep track of his hands all over her. No sooner had they introduced themselves, Tyler was running his hands down her arms and whispering sweet nothings in her ear. Needless to say poor Tyler did not make it to date number two.

The third and last blind date I had organised was with Alec, an attractive, quiet guy that I know from college. Don't they say that it's always the quiet ones you should watch out for? In this case, that is correct. While the evening started off wonderfully, things started going pear shaped when his girlfriend Jane(yes, that right, his girlfriend) walked into the same bar they were in and he was quite royally busted. I heard that even after all that, not only were Alec and Jane still together, but were engaged and moving to Italy at the end of the year. So there goes candidate number three.

After all of these disasters, I am surprised that I got Bella to agree to meet bachelor number four. She really must have had a bad day to agree so readily to get me off her back, but hey, who am I to argue. Edward is Emmett's younger brother and if he looks anything like the picture Emmett showed me, then Bella is going to be one happy lady. This is going to be the start of something special, I just know it. Now, how to get Bella to agree to go shopping for an outfit – that is going to be tough.