A/N: A new story that has been playing around in my head for months. This chapter has been collecting dust in my documents folder and I've decided to post and see if it generates enough interest to continue.

As always, the characters do not belong to me. I just enjoy throwing them into a new time era and seeing how they find each other.

1911

Mahogany hair, hazel eyes, full lips. Sun-kissed skin despite the chilled season and a slim yet curved figure. Heart shaped face, full brown locks fell to her waist in soft finger waves. Her small fingers held a champagne glass and I watched as she brought it to her lips to take a sip. I had to restrain myself when her small pink tongue darted out to catch the remaining drip of liquid from her pouted bottom lip.

How had I not seen her before? I'd been to the club countless times, mainly to entertain my friends who were regulars here. But I always spent my fair share on food and champagne so that I was always welcome back. The owners seemed to have a soft spot for me as well as any other workers for the paper even if I didn't care to spend anything on the courtesans who advertised themselves to me week after week.

But if you asked me about the brown haired deity standing mere feet away from me? I may tell you a different story. I ignored the men at my table as they paid me the same favor. They were making their selections for the evening. Before too long they would bid me adieu and I would leave a weighted tip with the sisters and make my way home.

Ada and Minna stood at the stairwell to make their usual end of the night speech.

I'd heard the spiel too many times to remember but it always started the same. The sisters would introduce their girls, the Everleigh Butterflies as we, the press, were instructed to name them. Her favored girls would stand and bat their eyes to the drooling dogs around them. The woman that caught my eye never stood. The thought baffled me. This girl protruded beauty more than anyone I'd come across in my life. I'd assume she would be the first to stand. Ada finished the speech with her usual-

"You have the whole night before you and one $50 client is more desirable than five $10 ones. Less wear and tear!"

The crowd hollered around me, panting to get their hands on the display before them.

As suspected, my company then told me goodnight and followed their purchases up the winded staircase. I wouldn't hear from them until the next morning when they waited for me with bated breath to tell me the mirrored stories as the weeks before.

I stood and finished the champagne in my glass when my eyes met Minna. She smiled expectedly, I assumed she was waiting for me to leave then, per usual. Instead, I crossed the hardwood floor towards the mystery woman.

I was curious to know the look on Minna's face when I approached one of her girls. She'd told me for ten years that it would happen eventually. I looked back at her once more and tipped my hat to tell her that she was indeed right.

Sisters Ada and Minna Everleigh owned the self-named establishment. They had turned up almost eleven years before that night and taken Chicago by storm. It was one of the most well-known brothels in our area. Men came from miles to see the famous well-mannered whores, in the words of the men in town.

It wasn't the normal brothel by any means; this one was bright and alive. The women were attractive and well spoken. The sisters made a pretty penny and used some of their funds to keep the law under their hand so that the club could keep running smoothly.

I didn't necessarily agree with the business but I respected the sisters enough to keep my mouth shut. I knew there was nothing I could particularly do about it but I could never bring myself to pay for a girl.

I still didn't intend to.

I approached the cherry wood table where she stood, cigarette in her gloved hand. I knew the instant her façade went up, it was plain to see when the light died in her eyes. I was her customer, and she was prepared to sell.

Her tongue darted once again across her blood red lips as the smoke filtered out. My body instantly reacted to her but I knew I wasn't the first. I was another ticket, another man in line, another client interested in buying her body. She eyed me up and down and fixed her smile.

"Evenin' sugar," her words infiltrated my mind and my knees weakened. Surely she knew this power she held over me? I couldn't be hiding it that well.

"Evening." I replied, taking her vacant hand in mine and kissing the silk that covered it. I instantly longed to peel the glove off and touch her skin with mine.

"What can I do you for Green-eyes?" She asked, the irony on her statement not lost as the smile pulled wider on her mouth.

I knew the night was coming to an end and she would be whisked away by another man in minutes if I didn't act now. I didn't want to buy her body, only her time.

"The pleasure of your company is all, ma'am. " I held my arm out to her which she took instantly. She put her cigarette out at the table and nodded to her companions while leading me to the set of stairs I'd seen so many walk up before me.

"I've seen you," she said, as we took each step slowly, "never upstairs though." She hummed and smirked up at me. "Am I your first? "

"In some ways, yes. You may be calling me a first of sorts after the night is through as well." I replied cryptically.

She cocked her eyebrow at me and kept leading me up. We passed Minna on our path and she tilted her head towards us.

"Mr. Cullen! I see you've finally taken us up on what we have to offer you here. Though, I'm a little surprised at your selection." She said without hiding the sneer towards the woman on my arm.

There was an unspoken conversation between the two before Minna finally nodded and smiled in my direction.

"I do hope you enjoy your evening Mr. Cullen. Please inform me if it is anything but extraordinary."

She finished her sentence with one last glance towards our linked arms then continued past us.

I looked over and could swear I saw a hint of a blush on mystery woman's rouged cheek.

"What is your name?" I blurted out before thinking. I needed to know then, before we went any further.

"Isabella." She whispered before rolling her shoulders and shaking her head as if to dispel an unwanted fear.

She looked up at me again with her façade and smiled.

"Shall we?" She asked and opened the last door in the hall. It was the only door without a number and name painted on. A detail that didn't escape me, but managed to intrigue me more.

Thanks always to my awesome ficwife QuantunFizzx for well, being awesome and betaing this last minute. I love you! Ferla held my hand as well 3

I should mention that this story will be loosely based on the true story of The Everleigh Club that did exist in 1900 Chicago. It's a really interesting story!