Outtake #1
EPOV
I haven't had a reason to complain about my life in years. I have a good wife, a son I love more than life itself, a nice home, and a business that helps me support my family.
I will admit that the life I lead is a little bit monotonous, but I cannot justify complaining when I have so many reasons to be grateful.
But honestly, everyday in my life is the same. Sometimes I feel like I’m just going through the motions, but why mess with a good thing?
Every morning I wake up at 5:00 a.m. to do my daily weight training and then I run for 45 minutes. When I return, I make a protein shake and drink it on the way to my bathroom, where I shower and get ready for my day. Before I leave for work I wake my wife with a kiss so that she can get our son ready for the day and take him to school before she goes to her job.
I am the first to arrive at the garage, so I unlock all the doors, turn on the lights, and power up the computers. Shortly after my arrival, my book keeper, receptionist, and mechanics filter in to begin the day. I typically do office work until midmorning and then I head out to the floor to help my men with that day’s intake of vehicles. Before leaving, I spend about an hour back in my office with the ladies finishing up whatever needs my attention. I say goodbye to all of my employees and leave the task of closing up to my receptionist.
From work, I drive to the elementary school to pick up Finn from kindergarten. On the drive home he tells me all about his day and I talk about mine. He loves cars and he’s familiar with all my employees, so he enjoys hearing stories about Daddy’s job. When we get home it’s snack time followed by playtime. After a day at school, his little body needs to release some energy.
Around 5:00 p.m. I start preparing dinner while Finn does homework or reads to me from his seat at the kitchen table. My wife arrives home from work around 6:00 and we finish preparing dinner together before sitting down as a family to enjoy each others’ company. After dinner Finn spends time with his mommy as she helps him bathe and get ready for bed. Once we’ve kissed him goodnight we usually sit together and watch television or read.
There are few deviations from our familiar and well-worn routine. Weekends are less structured and provide time for family outings, home and yard projects, or trips out of town.
Carissa and I do make sure to take time for ourselves, though. Every Saturday evening Finn goes with his grandparents so that we can have date night. Our nights vary between dinner, movies, the theater or sporting events, but they always end with time for intimacy. It’s not as if date nights are the only time we have sex, but some weeks that is the case.
We also make sure to take time for ourselves individually during the week. Every Tuesday I have poker night with some of my buddies while Carissa and her girlfriends in the neighborhood gather to watch some hour long drama, drink wine, and gossip about God knows what. It’s good for both of us to do our own thing, and Finn doesn’t seem to mind his weekly visits with the teenage babysitter we employ on Tuesdays. I think he has a little crush on her.
That’s my life. Always the same. Always predictable. Simple, pleasant, comfortable. Isn’t that what they call the American Dream?
This particular Tuesday, however, something changed.
Poker night ended early when Steve and Todd, both volunteer firemen, got paged for an emergency. As we all gathered up our winnings or remaining cash, Kevin, the only single guy in the group approached me.
“Edward, man, the night is young. What do you say we go grab a couple beers?”
I checked my watch and replied with a smile. “Sure, let me call the wife and make sure it’s cool and I’ll follow you.”
I made a quick call to Carissa and she told me she was just about to walk down the block from our friends’ house and head home. She said she had a little too much wine and she was tired. I promised not to stay too late, though she would not know the difference. She sleeps like the dead when she has been drinking.
Kevin saw my thumbs up and started his car. He led me to Tiki Wiki’s, a bar in the next town over, and I wasn’t quite sure why he chose it until we got inside. It was karaoke night.
We sat at the bar and talked for a while, and after Kevin sang a riveting Van Halen cover, he found a pretty young thing and made a quick escape with her. He gave me a hollow apology for bailing out, but I just laughed and waved him off as I sipped my beer. I meant to leave as soon as I finished that bottle, but the sweet giggles coming through the sound system drew my attention to the performers up on stage.
Holy. Fucking. Shit.
With a single glance, it was blatantly obvious that the two girls singing were a dangerous pair. While the men in the bar hollered and whistled, the tall blonde and the gorgeous brunette sang to each other and wiggled suggestively back at their new fans. I may be a married man, but I’m still a man and it was nearly impossible to look away. The blonde was the kind of woman who drew immediate attention. She had legs that went on for days and a physique that could rival a lingerie model. While no less beautiful than her friend, the brunette had a very different appeal. Her dark hair and eyes were a stark contrast to her pale complexion and soft features, and it was difficult not to notice just how expressive her dark eyes were. It’s rude to stare, but something about that woman called to me. From the sway of her hips to the way the soft waves of her hair fell over her shoulders, she was an absolute siren to me. And that’s without consideration to the short skirt and midriff baring tank top she wore!
As the song came to a close and the “Tempting Twins” hopped off the makeshift stage, I unconsciously followed the brunette with my eyes until she sat down with her friend and ordered a drink. A deep voice broke me from my reverie.
“Another beer, dude?” the bartender asked.
“Uh…yeah,” I muttered, finally looking up at him.
He laughed and shook his head. “That’s what I call hot, huh? I’ve never seen those girls here before, but I wouldn’t mind if they became regulars.”
I half smiled at him and glanced back toward the brunette who was laughing at something her blonde friend said. Her head tipped back just slightly, fanning her long hair down her back and exposing the taunt, creamy skin of her neck. My own grin grew in response to her breathtaking smile, and when I realized my involuntary reaction I grabbed my new beer and took a long pull from the bottle.
I averted my gaze from the girl and stared down at the bar. Three deep breaths slowed my pulse, but the damage was already done. I was absolutely certain that I was attracted to the brunette across the bar in a way I had never been drawn to a woman before. I was overcome with an unyielding desire to be near her, to hear her voice, to know her name. She was the scale by which all other beauty would now be measured, and I was a fool to think I could resist her.
Some small piece of myself nagged at me, begged me to run away and find an escape from this woman, but the selfish part of me won the battle. Through compromise with my own mind, I reasoned that I could stay a little longer. I would just look. I didn’t need to speak to her, but there was no harm in basking in her ethereal beauty a little bit longer. I did have a beer to finish after all, and it would be a shame to waste my hard earned money that way.
A distraction came in the form of the same deep voiced bartender who asked me if I was going to sing anything.
Yes! I surely can’t leave karaoke night without participating at least once, can I?
So my decision was made, and I approached the DJ with my choice of song. It was an old favorite, and I loved the rasp of my voice as I sang it. I focused on the walls and the worn luau decorations around the large room, and did all I could not to look at my brunette.
My brunette?
Oh, what’s the harm? I’ll leave here tonight and never see her again. Let me look a little bit longer.
Yes, just a few more looks…
A tall man in a Mariners hat and white polo shirt approached me when I walked back to the bar, but I didn’t recognize him until he was right beside me.
“Edward! How’ve you been? I haven’t seen you around the truck scene lately,” he said enthusiastically.
I knew he was an acquaintance of my friend Mike, but I couldn’t remember his name at first. I was saved when his girlfriend came over to join us.
“Luke, will grab me another beer?” the athletic woman said to him before turning to me. “Oh hey, you’re Edward, right? I’m Mackenzie. We met once, but it’s been a while,” she said, extending a hand out to me.
“Hey Mackenzie. Luke,” I greeted them back with handshakes. “Mike hasn’t needed me at any of the rallies in a while, but I’ve been working on the trucks a couple times a month with him.”
We carried on an amicable conversation for a little while until Luke and Mackenzie pointed out a few other people I knew from monster truck shows. I wandered around the crowd to say hello and chat, but inwardly I knew it was an excuse to hang around the bar a little bit longer. The fact that there were people I knew indirectly through Mike was a coincidence that I took advantage of to avoid going home just yet. I didn’t forget about the presence of the sexy brunette, and I continued to steal glances at her as I conversed with people I wasn’t all that interested in being around. I knew it was just an excuse to stay there and be near her. Many times I would catch her staring back at me, and I could feel my resolve to “just look” weakening each time.
And then it was as if the fates were working in my favor. Or against me, depending on how you look at things. I saw Demetri had arrived at some time and was standing with the blonde friend. He was best friends with one of my mechanics and they rebuilt classic cars together. We weren’t friends by any means, but I knew him pretty well. Well enough to have an excuse to approach the brunette beauty.
No, I’m not approaching her. I’m going to catch up with Demetri and say hello. If she happens to still be there when I do I might say hello. There’s no harm in saying hello.
Yeah, keep telling yourself that.
As the devil on my one shoulder distracted the angel on the other side with my mental babble, my legs carried me across the bar to the opposite side where Demetri stood with the “Tempting Twins.”
Demetri greeted me immediately with a man-shake – the handshake/one armed hug combo. We discussed his latest project for several minutes, and suddenly I was sitting on the barstool next to my chocolate eyed vixen.
“I’m Edward,” I said with my best Oscar worthy smile. Am I flirting?
“Bella,” she replied as a faint blush lit up her smooth cheeks. It gave her a delicious glow. I held in all the thoughts and comments I had about how fitting her name was for her because she had probably heard that a thousand times in her life. Instead I offered to buy her a drink and we fell into an easy conversation.
Our interaction continued as if I were under hypnosis. I was aware of everything happening around me and everything that I was doing, but I lacked the willpower to do anything else. Something else, some power of suggestion controlled my words and my actions and nothing else mattered. The world that I knew fell away piece by piece and chunk by chunk until all that existed were the two of us. She was beautiful, but even that wasn’t an appropriate word. She deserved something better and stronger. She was a goddess in a miniskirt. She was perfection in a soft, slender body with a mind that could keep up with any joke or flirtatious comment I threw at her. I was simply powerless against her.
With each passing moment I wanted more of her. Anything she was willing to give, I would take. Every word she spoke was cool water in a desert oasis. Each smile was a star in a blackened sky.
My better sense was locked tight in the confines of my brain, but for a few brief moments it escaped its prison and I remembered why I couldn’t allow this thing to continue with Bella. The words “I’m married” fell from my lips, but there was insincerity instead of conviction. I said the words to turn her away, but my hands found silky, irresistible flesh and contradicted my very own sentiments. My body and my need for her challenged my mind, and she was left with the ultimate decision.
My body and the pure animal lust from within me celebrated a victory so monumental that Mr. Sensibility was hog-tied, gagged and bound before being locked away in my head. There was only one thing that mattered.
Bella.
I wanted her. No, I needed her, and I would take her any way she was willing to offer. I couldn’t wait, and neither could she. Whatever I was feeling, she felt it, as well. Her desire mirrored my own, and our wild encounter was the most spiritual experience I’d ever had despite our questionable location. All that mattered was having her, and I did. Whatever the connection was that we felt for one another, it increased tenfold when I became a part of her for those fleeting minutes.
Somehow, I experienced a wholeness with Bella that I had never felt before in my life. When our bodies joined together, something deeper and invisible fused between us.
It was the end of all I ever knew and what I thought my life was before I ever met Bella. I was well aware of what I had to go back to at the end of my night. I was not without guilt. I knew what I had done was wrong, but it didn’t matter. She now overshadowed it all. A piece of me now belonged to Bella Swan, and from that point forward I knew I would take whatever pieces of her I could get.
I am so screwed.
Yes you are.
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