You Keep Me Hanging On

El Gaucho was the place to go for a celebration and the best steak dinner in Seattle. The tall booths were cozy and the staff more than just attentive, they were downright welcoming. Many people saved up for an evening at El Gaucho, for it was exclusive and very pricey. Most diners were in a happy festive mood, but there was tension at the table that left the diners at the Cullen table very subdued. At one edge of the spacious semicircle booth sat Carlisle and to his right Isabella, whose pale skin appeared even paler in the dark blue sleeveless dress and the flickering candlelight. Esme Cullen was seated on Isabella's other side, her head dipping every so often in the direction of the younger girl, almost in protection. Edward Sr. sat next to Esme, perusing the menu and studiously ignoring the undercurrents. Next to him sat Charlotte, the unexpected guest, and the unwitting source of much of the furtive but meaningful glances between Esme, Carlisle and their nephew. Edward Jr. sat on the edge of the booth, Charlotte on his left, his jaw clenching and unclenching each time he glanced over at Isabella. His stomach tied in so many knots that he wondered if he would be able to eat a morsel of the food that was soon to be set in front of him. The only one who seemed oblivious to the tense atmosphere was Charlotte Wells, the girl with the bubbly auburn curls and equally bubbly personality who sat so close to his left side that he felt about ready to fall out of the booth.

As they all chatted, Charlotte touched Edward as often as she could, clasping the hand that rested on the table near his water goblet, only letting go when he moved it to take a drink. She leaned into him often, sometimes touching her shoulder to his bicep, sometimes squeezing his elbow and sometimes surreptitiously rubbing his thigh undercover of the table. Charlotte chatted across the table with Carlisle. He answered her politely, only hesitating when he would catch the eyes of his annoyed wife.

Isabella sat stiffly, looking down at the table cloth or around the dimly lit room, trying her best to forget the source of her discomfiture, the tall young man who was clenching his jaw across from her, but the memory of his hurtful words were hard to push away. She thought back to how her happy words of congratulations at his victory were met with meanness and arrogance.

"Yes, Edward. You were spectacular." As his eyes turned to her she saw surprise and then it was quickly followed by cool iciness.

"What are you doing here, Isabella?" He blurted out. As soon as he said the words he knew that they were rude, but he felt unable to say anything else.

Isabella stuttered, her heart thumping erratically, in an emotion that felt very nearly like shame. It reminded her of kindergarten when a snooty classmate laughed at her for giving another girl a set of days of the week underwear as a birthday present. Isabella had spent her entire allowance on the pastel prettiness, thinking how much her friend would love the present. The snorts and giggles of the rude classmate made her feel smaller than small and that's how she felt now sitting in the seat reserved for Edward's family and dear ones. "Um, Esme invited… Esme said it would be a nice surprise... I'm sorry." and then her words trailed away.

"I invited her, Edward." Esme injected into the tense silence. "I had the extra ticket and thought you wouldn't mind if I invited Isabella."

Edward swallowed the bile that gathered at his throat. He hated that he was behaving like this, but he certainly did not want to see Isabella right now. He had pushed Isabella and James out of his thought completely and did not want to go back to thinking about them. Together. "I wish you'd have mentioned it to me, before you asked her."

Esme was surprised, there was a tenseness to Edward that she's never seen before. She spoke softly, feeling the need to soothe and placate him."I thought it would be nice for you to see Isabella again. I didn't think you would mind…" Esme's words also trailed off as a buxom cheerleader came bouncing over and flung her arms around Edward's neck, reaching up to give him a big wet kiss. The group of four in the seats sat in stunned silence as the short skirted cheerleader pressed her body right up against Edward's. After a few seconds hesitation his hands came up to remove hers from around his neck and she sighed as she was forced to pull away.

"Mmm, that was so good, Edward." She murmured in her high little girl voice against his lips, moving in for more.

Edward clasped his hands around her waist and turned her away from him. She settled her back against his chest, snuggling into him. "Charlotte, I'd like you to meet my dad and my aunt and uncle."

Charlotte had the good grace to look chagrined but she giggled and looked up at Edward apologetically, before moving forward to the stands. "Hi, I'm Charlotte." She did a tentative half wave and then thought better of it and stuck her hand in the direction of Edward Sr. "Hello, , I've seen you before around town but it's so nice to finally meet you. You have a very handsome son, but I bet you already know that!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you Charlotte." The older man reached out and shook her hands. Edward smiled at his dad and turned to the next most important people in his life.

"And this is my Aunt Esme and my Uncle Carlisle." Charlotte reached over and shook hands with Esme and Carlisle. Then she reached over to greet Isabella, but she hesitated when Isabella stood there like stone, her mittened hands clasped in her lap.

There was a momentary pause while Edward scrambled for some way of introducing Isabella to Charlotte and searched his mind for something innocuous to say. "Charlotte this is my Aunt Esme's friend, Isabella. She helps my aunt around the house."

"Oh! Like a maid?"Charlotte inquired, noting the bright spots of red color creep up on Isabella's cheeks.

"NO!" Edward almost yelled.

Esme came to the rescue. "No. Isabella is a senior at Forks High, she just comes over to help me out when I need it. She's the daughter of a friend. And she's been a life-saver." Esme smiled and hugged Isabella. "I wouldn't have gotten anything done without her."

"Oh that's nice. Great meeting you Isabella. I'm Charlotte." And she stuck her hand out again.

Isabella clasped it with her mittened hands. "Likewise."

"So, it's nice meeting Edward's family, finally. I've been hoping to meet you since we started dating, weeks ago."

"Weeks? How long have you two been dating?"Esme inquired.

"Since Halloween, off and on." Charlotte answered. "But I would say we started to get serious last week, when he asked me to dinner."

"Really?" Esme huffed. "I had no idea!"

"Edward is a little secretive." Charlotte smiled. "But now the cat's out of the bag and I hope I get to know all of you better." Charlotte showed her dimples.

Isabella wanted to roll her eyes when Edward looked smilingly down at Charlotte and put his arms around her shoulders. She regretted accepting Esme's invitation and now wished she had followed her first instincts and made some excuse. She squirmed when Charlotte reached up and pecked Edward's cheek again. It's not that she wanted to Edward's attention, god forbid, because she didn't. She blushed when she remembered how he was with her in her father's kitchen, trying to make a move on her…and all the while he was already seeing Charlotte. He was such a two-timing playboy. He had no shame. Coming over and playing nice in front of her father when all the while he wanted one thing and one thing only.

She felt angry at him but more than that she felt bad for Esme, who had tried to play matchmaker for her no-good-nephew. Esme obviously had no idea just what kind of a man her nephew was, and was now seeing him without the benefit of rose-colored glasses. And she felt sorry for poor Carlisle who was looking at Edward angrily, whose flushed cheeks signaled his own embarrassment. Isabella noticed that the only one who seemed unfazed by it all was Edward's father, he obviously had no idea that his son was a cad, playing with two girls at once.

"I'll just go get changed and meet you out front." Charlotte said and trotted off, leaving an uncomfortable pause in her wake.

"Dad, I invited Charlotte to dinner with us. I hope that's okay. I had no idea that Isabella would be here."And once again he realized too late how rude his words sounded.

His father waved his hand briskly, "Of course Charlotte's welcome to come with us, the more the merrier. I'm sure the restaurant can accommodate a change in the reservation."

"I don't have to go to dinner, Mr. Cullen." Isabella chimed in, and Edward heard the soft sigh of disappointment from his aunt. Isabella shook her head at Esme and continued. "I'm a little tired and I'd like to go back to the hotel, that way you don't have to change a thing." Isabella noticed immediately how Edward's shoulders relaxed in relief.

"Nonsense, Isabella." Carlisle interrupted. "You'll dine with us and don't worry your head over it. I'm sure they've made changes in reservations before."

"Yes, Isabella. Please do come. We'll be so disappointed if you don't, right Edward?"Esme said pointedly, glaring at Edward.

But try as he might he could not agree with his aunt. "If Isabella's tired I don't think we should demand that she come." He answered. And the look he got from his aunt and his uncle made him force a smile and be more gracious. "But I'm sure the evening will be infinitely better if you come, Isabella."

Esme's glare softened to a squint, but at least she smiled. "See, Isabella? The evening will be so much better if you come to dinner as we planned."

And that's how Isabella found herself sandwiched between Carlisle and Esme. If it weren't so embarrassing it would be comical, she thought to herself . Esme fussed over her as though she was Edward's broken-hearted girlfriend, when in fact she was just the opposite. She was the one who had spurned him, and with good reason, she thought to herself. Thank god, I am my mother's daughter, Isabella thought to herself; for if Renee had not trained her to spot a cad a mile away, she too may have fallen for this idiot. As it was, she felt a little sorry for Charlotte. She was either really naive, which Isabella seriously doubted; or she was superiorly confident and egotistical, deeming herself an actual girlfriend of this jackass.

As the night wore on Isabella found it easier and easier to ignore Edward and Charlotte, she actually became lost in her thoughts, more than once having to ask Esme to repeat a question that had been directed her way. Her thoughts circled around returning to New York and applying to colleges in New England, then they centered on her mother and then she felt a pang of guilt for planning to leave her father once again. Her mind see-sawed to Charlie's garage and her recent sketches and her new canvas that was just waiting for paint; she was flirting with the idea of a portrait of a modern cad in painted in moody blues and reds. At that juncture she looked up at Edward and decided that she would use him as the model for that painting, yes she would. And she knew exactly how she would pose him, sitting legs apart and thrust out, owning his space. Square- jawed with a half crooked smile, one hand thrust into his wild hair, eyelids shuttered in lust. Maybe a naked female form just on the periphery. Yes she loved the idea of painting him as the shallow user that he was. She smirked at the thought, almost gleeful as she envisioned it.

Just then Edward looked across the table at her, his initial frown turned into a look of puzzlement as he noticed her smirk. Isabella quickly shook off her expression and adopted the bland one she had been sporting just minutes before. "The steak is delicious." She murmured to no one in particular.

Esme agreed. "Yes, it is. I haven't really enjoyed a cut of meat in a long time."

Carlisle explained. "Yes, being pregnant has really turned Esme off of meat. She couldn't stand the smell of meat cooking. But it looks as though her appetite is returning with a vengeance." He smiled.

"I think I'll make you fire up the grill for Thanksgiving and make some fat juicy sirloin." Esme chuckled. "Edward?"

"Hmm?" Both Edwards looked up inquiringly and Esme smiled.

"Sorry, I meant you Ed. Speaking of Thanksgiving, are we getting together at your place? Or would you prefer to come to us in Forks?"

"Esme, you hosted us last year, so I think we should do it. Plus I don't want you exhausting yourself by making a big dinner. Charlotte suggested we make use of a catering place that just opened up. They make a turkey dinner with all the trimmings, we just have to pick it up and then heat it up."

Esme nodded. "Sounds easy enough. So it's your place then? But we insist on bringing the wines and desserts. Right Carlisle?" her husband nodded. "Isabella, would you mind helping me with the desserts? Didn't you tell me that you loved making desserts with your neighbor in New York? I think you said that she gave you her cheese cake recipe."

Isabella paused and swallowed some water."Mmhm. Mrs. Russo. She did make great sweets. And she made the best pie crust. I can make an apple pie or a pumpkin pie for you, if you like." Isabella offered.

"You're so kind. Come over next week and we can make two of each, so you and Charlie would have your own."

Isabella shook her head. "Sure, I could come on Wednesday morning. But don't worry about dessert for us. Charlie tells me he's working all day on Thanksgiving, and from what he tells me he usually eats at the diner anyway. I offered to make the dinner, but he said it would be a waste to cook for just the two of us."

Esme let go her fork and squeezed Isabella's hand. "Oh, Isabella, so you'll be on your own all day? Why don't you join us? That would be okay, wouldn't it Ed?"

Before Edward Sr. could answer Esme's plea, Isabella interrupted. Waving her hand at Ed and stalling his response. "Oh, please don't worry about it." Isabella cried out, panicking at the thought of spending Thanksgiving Day with Edward Jr. "I'm going to a bonfire in La Push the night before. I plan to sleep in and join Charlie at the diner for supper."

"That's no way to spend Thanksgiving, sweetie. Please join us." Esme insisted.

Carlisle saw the panic in Isabella's eyes and the frustration in his nephew's, and he jumped right in. "Esme, Isabella wants to spend the day with her father. I think it's a perfectly nice way for her to spend the holiday.

"Well, I don't." Esme insisted stubbornly. Isabella has been a wonderful friend and the least we can do is make the day memorable for her. It's probably her first Thanksgiving away from her mother, and I can't see her eating the blue plate special at Fork's run down diner." She turned to her brother in law. "Edward, would you mind if we had Thanksgiving at our place this year, after all? That way I can invite Isabella, and then Charlie can join us after his shift?"
Ed glanced at his son and shrugged ever so slightly. Turning his attention back to Esme he answered. "No, I don't mind at all. I'll still order the food and bring it over, that way you won't have to do too much?"

Esme clasped her hands to her chest, eyes brimming with happiness. "Oh, thank you, Ed. That would be stupendous! I may also invite a few other peop..." her words hung in the air as Carlisle squeezed her hand in warning. She looked up and glanced across the table and saw a tight-jawed Edward and a hopeful-looking Charlotte.

"So, Charlotte, tell me a little bit more about you and Edward." Esme pointedly changed the subject.

"Oh, there's nothing much to tell." Edward piped up.

'Sure there is, he is so secretive. Well. Let's see, I just made the squad this September. I tried out last year but didn't make it. But I had my eye on Edward. So I practiced heaps, and then I made it. It also helps when your dad's the new vice-principal." She giggled. "So I started talking to the other girls and asked who he was dating. They told me that Edward had sworn off girls for the season." At this point she pouted at Edward and winked. "But I knew I could change his mind."

"Oh, for chrissake!" Isabella muttered to herself and rolled her eyes, trying to imagine being anywhere but here with the two stupidest people she'd ever met. And that was saying quite a lot considering the many people she'd met over the years.

"But we talked a lot, before and after practice, and I flirted until Edward finally took notice."

"Clever. So, you mentioned Halloween?" Esme pried, knowing that Edward started pursuing Isabella the week after Halloween.

"Oh yeah! We met up at Ben's party, Edward was a blood-sucking vampire and I was the bride of Frankenstein. Isn't that just too much?"

"Yeah, too much." muttered Isabella, feeling the need to laugh.

"And then?" pressed Esme.

"And then he flirted with me while I was cheering him on and …now here we are."

"So, no movie dates?" asked Esme.

"Nope. Not yet." Charlotte smiled.

"No lunch dates?"

"Yeah, well we sit at the same table in the cafeteria. You know, football players and cheerleaders, we just go together."

"So you two, you're just at the beginning of your love, aren't you?" Esme asked, startling Edward. He looked at her in surprise, and she returned it with an innocent look.

"Yes, I guess so." Charlotte giggled as she hugged Edward's arm.

"That's so sweet Edward." Esme took a forkful of her mashed potatoes, and then pointed the utensil at Edward. "Do you know something Charlotte? Edward has never introduced us to a girlfriend before. You are the first."

"Oh really?" Charlotte all but squealed. "Oh, I'm so touched Edward." Charlotte clasped her hands to her ample bosom as she smiled up at him.

"I'm sure you are, or will be soon." Isabella mumbled.

Carlisle frowned at her and she realized she had spoken a little too loudly and grimaced a "sorry" to him.

"Everyone ready for dessert? I hear they have a wonderful baked Alaska." Ed piped in.

"I'm way too full." Bella said. Pushing her plate away and tapping her stomach.

"Oh you should eat a little more, get some meat on those bones." Esme teased.

"I agree." Charlotte opined. "Skinny may be in but fat's where it's at. Especially if it's in the right place." She laughed innocently.

But Isabella was on to her. Charlotte was quite the little viper under all that fake innocence.

"Oh, I agree." Isabella said. "I love desserts, but I'm afraid the steak and baked potatoes was much more than I usually eat."

"That's why I'll take my steak home in a doggy bag. After all I can't take the baked Alaska home." Charlotte joked. "I believe in getting it all." She laughed merrily.

"I'm sure you do. But I don't want it all, I just want to enjoy what's in front of me. I can always have dessert another time. There's always tomorrow."

"So, then, how many for baked Alaska?"

"I'm stuffed too." Said Esme. "Carlisle order one and I'll take a taste of it."

Everyone laughed. "So Edward? Any dessert."

"No. I've had more than enough of everything tonight."

EPOV

And I did have enough. I'd had enough of Esme giving me the evil eye, and enough of Carlisle's sharp glances and enough of Charlotte's clinging and rubbing. How she misconstrued that she was my girlfriend after a light flirtation and one dinner invite, which she practically finagled, is beyond me.

I've barely spoken to her, except to joke around, which all the guys did with all the cheerleaders. I've never seen her anywhere except on the field and then at Halloween. I showed up at Ben's party and stayed less than an hour. Charlotte was there and we did laugh together, but I didn't even know who she was at the time. But yesterday, before practice she was jiggling her giant tits at me and asking me if I was going with the guys to celebrate and I told her that I would stop by but I was going out with my family.

I don't know how she did it but she invited herself along. As she kept talking about dinner, I realized she thought I'd invited her and I felt it would be too mean to uninvite her. And today, before the game, she came up to me and gave me a big wet one and rubbed the pillows up on me. She whispered that she was looking forward to later and honestly after that moment so was I. Yes, my dick was taking charge, but I had gone so long without that I felt I deserved a little treat.

When I saw Isabella sitting in the stands with her pink cheeks and red lips and those fucking soft big brown eyes, I was doubly grateful that Charlotte was coming to dinner. I needed the distraction, and yes the attention. Because Isabella was the queen of mean. Her constant icy glances rivaled Esme's and I knew that she was thinking up evil things to do to me.

And waddaya know! She and Esme appropriated Thanksgiving and now I would have to relive the nightmare dinner of tonight next Thursday. I have trouble believing the change-up in venue was not some dastardly pre-planning. How on earth did we go from a quiet Thanksgiving at my house, to a Thanksgiving here in Forks with Isabella and the chief? Thank god Carlisle stopped Esme from saying she would invite others because I could just feel Charlotte buzzing with excitement, it's a miracle she didn't find a way to invite herself.

And fucking hell, throughout the evening, I was slowly realizing that Charlotte may be a little bit off her rocker. She talked about us as though we were Romeo and Juliet, I don't even know her. I don't even know anything about her. Except that she's got big knockers, and that she's touching my dick under the table with an innocent look on her face. And right about now I'm realizing that neither of those things is enough to keep me interested. I sincerely think Charlotte might have a few screws loose. And crazy is just not on my "to do" list.

When Isabella excuses herself to go to the bathroom, I wait a few minutes and then I follow. I don't need to use it, I just need a little help from someone who hates my guts. But hey, better the devil you know…

As she comes out of the brightly lit bathroom into the darkened hallway she can't focus enough to recognize that there is someone in the hallway, let alone that it's me. She bumps into me and I reach up and grasp her arms to steady her.

"I'm so sorry." She whispers as she tries to edge around me but I hold on to her.

She begins to get scared and I whisper, "It's me Edward."

Hesitation turns into disgust as she tries to pull away. "Let me go."

"Listen, I need your help, I'm desperate."

"What!"

"Charlotte. She isn't wrapped too tight and I need you to help me shake her off."

"Why you effing jerk. How dare you! This is just the way you do things isn't it. You lead girls on and when you've gotten what you want you…" She was practicallty spitting in my face and writhing to get away, but I can't let her.

"Listen. I've never slept with her, I barely even know her. By her own admission I've never taken her on a date…"

"You didn't take me on a date, that didn't stop you from trying to get me to sleep with you. You're just keeping her your dirty little secret. Just like you did Jessica Stanley."

"What do you know about Jessica?"

"I know plenty. You used her and dumped her. Just like you plan to do with your new girlfriend."

"She is not my girlfriend!" I shout. "We've kissed twice. Both times she came on to me. She invited herself here tonight. And I honestly think she's nuts."

"What? You are horrible, you dirty, rotten, son of a..."

I covered her mouth before she could call my mother names. I held my hand tight too, just so she'd pay attention. "She's been rubbing my penis under the table. She fucking unzipped me and took it out. I swear if she ever got her mouth on me she's probably do damage. I am not kidding, here."
"I don't believe you, she looks perfectly sane.."

"Nope, she's talking to Esme as though we've been seeing each other, I swear it's crazy talk. I. Don't. Know. Her. I don't even know how I wound up here. You heard her, she said she had her eyes on me. I think she's got the light on, but nobody's home, if you know what I mean."

Just then I hear Charlotte and Esme coming around the corner of the hallway, on their way to the ladies room. Without a second thought I grab Isabella and pin her to the wall and kiss her as if my life depended on it. I put my thigh between hers and bring it up to rub gently on her pussy and I feel her slump into the wall. She's momentarily bombarded by sensation and I know she's not thinking about anything, she's just feeling. Her mouth gasps open and I take advantage and give it my all. My tongue goes in and I lave hers and then suck, then I breathe into her and lave her again. As my tongue swirls along the roof of her mouth she starts to participate. I feel her hand going through my hair and her breasts pushing against my chest. I get lost too, in the sensation, until I hear Esme's voice.

"Edward? Isabella? Oh my!"

I hear Charlotte's gasp and her disbelief. "Edward, what are you doing?"

I pull away from Isabella, she's still in the moment, still unaware of Esme and Charlotte. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm kissing my girl." And I bend down and fasten my lips to Isabella's willing mouth again.