BPOV

"Come on Angela, I don't want to go." Angela my best friend desperately wants me to experience culture. I tell her that its not who I am. I don't need some person with too much stage make-up and a bellowing voice to define who I am. But…. she's been my best friend and room mate for years and my only friend really since I moved here from Forks.

"Look Ang, I'll tell you what. I'll go to the opera and that gala dinner afterwards as long as you come with me to the stable!" I say with as much of enthusiasm as possible.

"Hmmm….oh why not. Can I ride that calm horse though? I really don't want to get kicked off again."

"Sure, no problem." I always loved horses, they're quiet and they don't talk back.

"Ok Ang, I need to get back to work. I don't have that much time left on my break. I'll talk to you later ok?"

"No problem Bella, have a great day!" She yells before she walks out the door into the autumn afternoon.

After she leaves I grab my togo coffee and go to my dreary office job that has absolutely no potential to go anywhere. I want to do something with my life and be someone. I just can't catch a break. Maybe I'll never get to reach my goal. I'm a hard worker and I'm dedicated and responsible and I know what I want and no one can get in my way! Yeah keep telling yourself that. I've been working at Newton Inc. for about 3 years. I'm the assistant to the executive assistant of boss man.

"Bella? Bella, could you come into my office please? I need to speak with you a moment….ummm….like now?" That was Lauren, Mr. Newton's executive assistant. I'm her assistant. This can't be good.

"Sure Lauren no problem." What does she want now, in know that tone and something's up.

As I try to match my short strides to her long graceful gate, I can't help but wonder why I chose to wear shoes this uncomfortable. If I walk any faster to keep up with her my big toes is going to be cursing the day it met Jimmy Choo.

"Bella, please sit down" She says with disdain. "How's the Bacardi account coming along? Did you manage to get it all done?" She says as she leans her elbows on the desk and narrows her eyes. Now I KNOW something's up. She's too happy about this little meeting.

"Yes Lauren, I put it on your desk 2 days ago along with the graphs. Didn't Mr. Newton need it for his meeting yesterday?"

"Well yes he did thank-you. I just wanted to tell you that the report was all wrong and the graphs weren't accurate." I could shoot her! I know what she's doing.

"This account was going to be huge for Newton Inc. I say was because they thought we were disorganized and complete idiots with the reports. They took their business to our competitors, Cullen Corp. Mr. Newton is mad. I got my ass chewed out because of you!" She was starting to turn a shade of red that I've never seen. I was getting a little nervous squirming in my seat as I uncrossed my legs and crossed them the other way. I had to show her that she can't intimidate me. I did all she asked with what she gave me. This is no way my fault.

"Then again Bella, if Mr. Newton didn't give me so much on my plate then I wouldn't have to pass it down to you. I would have done it myself."

Oh thank goodness I'm not going to be fired. Now she see's that she is somewhat to blame. Pewf!

"I should of learned my lesson from my last assistant." She says trailing off with some mumbling.

"I'm sorry Lauren, I did everything you asked. The account was put together with the information in the file that you gave me and the graphs….I didn't have any other research other than what was put in the file."

Now she has a scowl on her face and seems disinterested in what I have to say. Well if Mr. Newton is that mad then maybe I should be talking to him. She doesn't seem to care. She's not my only boss.

"Anyways, Bella!" She sneers. "I'm sorry to inform you but you need to clean out your desk. It's just not working out here for you at Newton Inc." She says with a devilish smirk on her face. I could almost swear this was planned. Lauren never liked my from the beginning when I was hired, cause Mike, 'Mr. Newton' was constantly asking me out persistently and not her. I could rip her hair out right now. I really need this job. Sure I have some saving that I could use. But how am I going to get anywhere in the corporate world if I don't have this job? I can't even use it on a resume, I'm being fired! Yeah, that would look great. 'Hi I'm looking to work for your company and I got fired from my last job because I wouldn't date my idiot boss.' That would go over well.

"Lauren are you kidding me! This is so unfair, I didn't do anything wrong." I cried with a squeak in my voice. This can't be happening. I've been here 3 years and I've been loyal, and busted my ASS for her.

"Bella, do I need to call security? You're acting rather hostile." She says as she leans back in her chair with a rather smug expression on her face. Like the cat who caught the canary. Huh!

"Are you insane? I can't believe this. This isn't happening." I say as I get up and walk towards her door.

"Oh believe it Bella. Don't worry sweetie, you could get a job at a restaurant or in a retail store selling scarves or something. Have a nice life." With that, she slams the door. Leaving me there staring at the overly priced nameplate on the front of her door.

Two weeks. That's how long I've been moping around. I haven't been doing anything and Angela I feel is going to be kicking my ass soon if I don't. All I ever do is sit in front of the t.v. and watch movies and eat junk. Though I did go and ride my horse. Ok he's not mine but Michelle, the stable owner lets me ride him because she's friends of Charlie's. It took me an hour to drive there last week. Michelle's stable is right outside Seattle. A quaint little farm on the outskirts of the city. When I got there Michelle was waiting for me in the stable tacking up Chester.

"Hey Bella, what's with the last minute ride? I know that you're busy with work and all, but I didn't expect a phone call in the middle of the week. What's up?" She says as she pull a wisp of hair out of her face looking concerned.

"Oh. Ah…. well….."

"Bella, what's wrong? You can tell me. I'm here to listen and I won't judge you."

"Ok well….remember my boss ?" I asked as I pick up a brush and started to brush Chester's neck.

"Ummm…Mike is his name right?" She says.

"Yeah, well remember how I was telling you that he's always constantly hitting on me and asking me out?"

"Yeah, is he still doing that? Why don't you talk to Human Resources about it? Cause he's not aloud to do that." She says as she tightens the girth.

"Well Lauren, his executive assistant was always mad that she was never being asked out, to you know, climb the corporate ladder. So she took it out on me and totally rigged and account that I was working on for him and it turned out all wrong. She blamed me for the colossal screw up with the client and then has the nerve to fire me!" By now I'm all fired up and ready for a brawl. I'm ready to ride.

"Easy Bella, Chester's not going to appreciate your hostility."

"What is with that word!" Remembering Lauren using the same term.

"So what are you going to do now? Have you thought about looking for another job? You can always come and work in the stable if you like? I need to be with Emily more. She's starting 1st grade and is growing up so fast. I would like to be in the house instead of the barn all the time taking care of the horses." Emily is Michelle's daughter with beautiful blonde hair and sea blue eyes.

"Thanks Michelle, but I'm going to have to say no. I enjoy going to the office. I love the city and I really want to try to get another job as an assistant. I mean my goal is to one day become my own CEO if I can. I have my business degree and I don't want to waste it you know. I just don't know where to apply. I haven't heard of any opening's anywhere. I think I'm just going to go for a ride and clear my head a bit and really think about my next step. Is Chester ready to go?"

"Yup, she's all yours. Keep to the path though, there has been some flooding in the fields and there are lots of mud holes. Have a good time. I'll see you when you get back." She says as she picks up a cat and strolls out of the barn towards the main house.

As I'm riding, I'm thinking about how my life has been the last 3 years.

Charlie has since retired from being police chief and has started his so called hobby working on restoring cars. He thinks that he's pretty good, but YouTube has become his favorite friend when it comes to researching which pipes go where. I love him but I thought the flighty one was my mother. Ah Rene, lets just say that her and I never got along. She never thought that I should go to school for business. She thinks that I should have explored what the artistic community has to offer me. Like what does that even mean?

I try and steer Chester towards the opening to the field where my favorite tree is overlooking the city, but all she wants to is stop and eat the grass. So I get off and walk the rest of the way. Sitting down under the tree I think about how I need to get myself together. I mentally make a list of the priorities that need to happen.

Clean my room and find my laptop.

Revamp my resume on said laptop.

Go online to the employment website and look for a job.

Talk to Angela.

Go hand out resume's for said job's.

Then come home and veg some more.

Wait for a call.

NO! Call them. Let them know I'm interested.

Oh who am I kidding? That list sucks. But I need to figure out something. And starting tomorrow I'm going to do something about it.

After I thanked Michelle for the ride I head back home before it gets too dark and I start to get tired from breathing in the country air.

Angela was in the kitchen cleaning up dinner by the time I got home. It smelled good in here, she must have been making fajitas again tonight.

"Hey Angela, sorry I missed dinner. I called Michelle last minute for a quick horse ride and lost track of time. I needed to clear my head. Is there anymore dinner left?" I say as I walk to the barstool in front of the island in the kitchen and sit down.

"Yup, I just finished about 2 min ago. Here let me plate some up for you." As she places two large fajitas on a plate.

"So have you found anything yet considering your career? You should go online you know."

"Yeah, I'm aware of that, thanks Ang." I say with a grin on my face.

"Hey when is rent due? I think I have just enough for my half this month and a little extra."

"Oh ummm….don't worry about this month, I've already taken care of it." She says as she walks away to the bathroom.

"Angela! You don't have to do that. Just because I don't have a job right now doesn't mean I can't pay! I have savings!" I yell at her from across the room.

"What? I can't hear you Bells, I'm in the shower."

"Yeah right, thanks." I mumble under my breath.

I finish my dinner and head to bed myself. It's been a long day of vegging out and all that fresh air has got me beat. I change into my p.j.'s, wash my face and head for the beacon of light called my bed. But before I hit the hay, I fish my laptop out from underneath my clothes that were thrown in a fit when I got home form my last day at Newton Inc.

"Tomorrow, tomorrow, I'm going to go out there and find a job. I can do this. You can do this Bella." I chant to myself as I crawl under the covers and let the dark consume me.