chh 42

Anna's POV:

"God, that's horrible! How are Conner and Shayla, now?" I asked Seth, concerned after he told me about the happenings in La Push during Christmas.

"Conner is still freaked and angry and worried about the future, Shayla is devastated and Owen…." Seth sighed resigned.

"You don't happen to have an idea what to do now?" I could hear a little hope in his voice.

I blew out a gust of air and shook my head.

"Honestly Seth I have no idea."

"Yeah, I thought so. None does in this case." He sounded tired.

"I wish I could help."

"I don't think anyone can right now," he said and I heard another voice in the background, "listen I've got to go. Thanks for listening."

"Sure no problem Seth, bye." I said before the line went dead.

I closed my cell and let myself fall back on the big and comfy king size bed while I thought about what Seth just told me. I wondered if there was a right solution for the drama that suddenly occurred in La Push when I heard someone knock on the door.

"Room service." A young male voice rang through the heavy wood of the front door.

"I'll get it." I called out since Edward was in the shower.

I jumped off the luxury bed and grabbed Edward's midnight blue bottom down shirt to throw it over the small blood red top and white the hot pants I wore.

I walked to the door, opened it and the bellboy rolled the trolly with my breakfast in.

"Good morning Miss. Masen." He greeted me.

"Good morning." I greeted back while I fished his tip out of my purse.

He went into the living room area of the suite and started to build up the dishes on the expensive looking table that was simple but beautifully set.

My mouth started to water and a smile formed on my lips when I saw the strawberries and the honeydew melon, my favourite fruits.

After he was done with his task I handed him the tip and smiled politely at him. He suddenly had a strange light in his eyes for a split of a second and if I wouldn't have been looking at him I would have missed it.

"Thank you Miss. Masen." He said, grabbed the rolling and was about to leave the room but Edward appeared in front of him out of nowhere.

My fiancé was dazzling the poor guy what made me raise an eyebrow at his behaviour.

"What did you do that for?" I asked him once the dazzled employee left our suite.

Now it was his turn to raise an eyebrow at me.

"What?!" I looked puzzled at my Vampire.

"You don't even realize what you just done, do you?" He asked me, looking thoughtful.

"I gave the boy a tip." I offered him because honestly I didn't do more then that except looking forward to ravish the strawberries and the honeydew melon.

"You, my love, just hypnotized the poor male." He told me while closing the distance between us.

"I did what?!" I titled my head to my right, not really understanding what he was talking about.

"You know," he paused while his arms were sneaking around my waist, "you call it dazzling."

"I wasn't flirting with him." I glared at my Vampire.

"Flirting?" A mask of confusion spread across Edward's face.

"Yes, the whole dazzling business. When you look the humans in the eyes and smile and do all the things you do while you flirt with someone so their brain goes mush to get what you want." I huffed out.

"Wait! You think that is what I just did?" He asked me with an incredulous expression on his perfect features and I was slowly getting the feeling that I was missing something really big.

"O.K. I think we have a miscommunication here. How exactly do you define dazzling? And what did I just do that made you dazzle that guy?"

"You my love made him want to bring you all the strawberries and honeydew melon he would have been able to find." He explained with an amused expression on his face.

"I…..don't thing I'm getting this joke." I narrowed my eyes at him.

Edward looked intensely at me and sighed.

"We can make people do things." He started to explain.

"Like mind control?" I threw in. It was the first thing that came to my mind.

"No," he shook his head, "that would be a special ability like my mind reading. We can't make people do something that goes against their morals or believes or that they are strongly against for one reason or another. Neither can we influence people with a strong mind if one could then it would be mind control. What I mean is that we have the ability to seduce humans with a weak mind into doing things. It's like hypnotising someone but different at the same time."

"Explain that please." I softly demanded. He nodded.

Edward scoped me up bridal style, sat down on a chair next to the table, took a strawberry into his fingers and brought it to my mouth. I smiled before I parted my lips and took the entire fruit into my mouth, sucking lightly on his fingers before releasing them again.

Edward's eyes became hooded and he growled lowly, looking at me with desire swimming in his eyes.

"You were saying." I urged him to continue after I swallowed the sweet strawberry down.

"You are playing with fire love." He warned.

"You know I love playing with fire." I giggled innocently, snapped the fingers of my right hand and lit the candle that was standing on the table among the other decoration stuff.

I didn't know why but the fire seemed to come natural to me. I kind of cared for that little flame that was suddenly burning inside of me as crazy as that sounds.

No other ability I had copied was this easy to control for me. On the contrary actually Edward's, Jasper's and Kate's ability were scaring me. I didn't even want to think about what would happen if I wouldn't be able to turn them off once they were set free.

As for Alice's ability. I was getting vision's every now and then. Carlisle thinks that I can't control the other abilities yet because I'm scared of them. But he also doesn't want me to take the risk of not being able to control them.

Edward closed his eyes, breathed in deeply and shook his head before he continued.

"Our predatory trails draw humans to us even though their instincts tell them to run from us. Our voices, our scents our beauty make people want to please us if we use those trails against them. Once their thoughts are clouded it is mostly easy to get what we want or make them forget things when they are unsure or don't want to accept what they just witnessed." My mouth was hanging open when he told me that.

"You can use words to give then orders but some times a look is enough to have a human in your ban."

"Why didn't I know that?" I exclaimed stunned.

If Edward really could kind of hypnotise people then I had to wonder just how much his book version must have wanted, or not in this case, to get out of his biological class with Bella.

"It wasn't in the book?" Edward's eyebrows were pulled together.

"No, but it was just one look..."

"Yeah," Edward growled and sighed once he saw my questioning expression.

"The thoughts he had about you," he clenched his jaw tightly, "let's just say he was very edger to please you."

I shivered in disgust. The though alone of anyone else then my fiancé touching me made want to gag. Edward relaxed and placed a kiss against my cheek.

"But please don't tell Carlisle right away." I begged him.

I wanted to enjoy our trip but if Carlisle knew of the new symptom he would insist on some test. Not that I was generally against it but I wanted to rather spent the time in this hotel with my Edward then having to play twenty questions with Carlisle.

He laughed and nodded. I sighed in relief.

"Alright but we will have to practice that I can't have you running around and hypnotize people." He teased me while he wore a heart melting half smile.

"If you say so." I shrugged.

"Now where were we," my Vampires voice had suddenly a husky edge in it, "oh right breakfast." Edward reached for another strawberry and was showing no intention of letting me off his lap, not that I was complaining, of course.

After a rather erotic breakfast I found myself in front of the big mirror in the bedroom of the suite. The frame was made out gilded wood and was decorated with soft ornaments. The bedroom in the hotel suite was beautifully decorated in cream and red.

Rich, colourful, contemporary fabrics were used to create a traditional look and a deeply relaxing, romantic ambience. Not to mention luxury the marble bathroom with the hot tub that was lit up with candle light and decorated with exotic flowers yesterday night for Edward and me to enjoy.

Thinking back to only a few hours ago I had a big smile on my face as I was combing my hair. Looking carefully at my reflextion in the mirror I saw the changes that Edward's venom had done to my body and my apperance.

I was constantly lossing weight. I had never been this thin in my life. I loved my new body. I lost weight at exact the right places and gained it as well where it was needed. Who would have thought Edward would be this fixed on my boods?

After every shower I took with him that area would be the cleanest ever. Alice was also happy since she had to buy me new clothes constatly.

While pining up my hair I looked into the mirror and saw through it the Egyptian cotton linen lying on the luxury king-size four-poster bed that Edward and I ravaged this morning and in the night.

I looked down at the rich, dark, warm brown of the dress drawer and shook my head lightly, feeling two strong cool arms locking themselves around my waist.

"A penny for your thoughts, love," my beloved whispered while placing little kisses against the back of my neck.

"Hmm….you know exactly what I was thinking about." I nearly purred.

Edward chuckled lowly and nudged my neck to the side with his head while he kissed his way up behind my ear, causing goose bumps to break out on my flesh.

"I think I do," he breathed against my heated skin.

"Mmm-hmm….and thank you for stealing me away from Alice." I sighed contently.

Meetings with the florists, with the decorator, the search for the right wedding dress all around the world. Seriously she even dragged me off to Paris, London, Moscow, Seoul, Bangkok and Berlin because of the wedding preparations.

"I did it out of selfish reasons, love."

"Reeeaaalllly." I drew the word out, laughing softly.

"And those selfish reasons would be?" I teased.

Abruptly he pulled away from my neck where his lips had been lingering till then, his hands that had been placed on my hips turned me a little so that I was looking into his perplexed face.

"Wasn't yesterday night and this morning obvious?" He asked in mocked horror.

I titled my head to the right and looked confused at him. Two could play this game.

"I'm sorry but I really don't know what you mean." I stated as seriously as I could.

A devilish smile formed on his perfect lips and he turned my body around so that I was fully facing him now.

"I think I will have to help you remember." He murmured in a husky voice.

I bit my bottom lips innocently knowing full well that it drove him crazy and looked from under my now thick lashes.

"What would I need to remember?"

He pressed his body into mine as a respond to my question.

"Does this help your memory?" He asked in a seductive voice.

I just shook my head looking with wide open eyes at him.

I pretended to be thinking to deliciously torture him a little bit. While I have been thinking I noticed just how right everything felt. I had already found my place in life and the love of my life and was only….??

How old was I actually? Counting my arrival here in this world and the time I had spent in my world I was now over..... eighteen?!? What did it matter anyway how old I was? I felt like I was somewhere in my forties after everything I had gone through.

Not in a bad way it was actually in really good way. Most people don't know where to go in life or where their place really is and in their forties the most have discovered it and are in balance with themselves. That's how I felt like. I had arrived where I was supposed to be.

"Hey, everything alright?" Edward asked me concerned.

"Oh…yeah," I shook my head. I must have spaced out for a little.

"I lost you there. You sure that…."

"Yes," I assured him while running my fingertips down his well toned, muscular and bare chest.

As I looked up into his golden pools I saw that he expected more then what I gave him for an explanation.

"I was just thinking that.....I'm right where I belong. I found my place in the world." I smiled at him.

He smiled warmly back at me and placed a soft kiss on my forehead.

"Me too my love. Me too."

His lips moved down from my forehead to the tip of my nose until his mouth finally found mine. Our mouths were moving with each other but our lips were closed. Because of my condition we couldn't deepen the kiss, much to my dismay.

Edward chuckled softly and placed his forehead against mine.

"Sorry love it's just Carlisle."

"Is he having a discussion with Batiste and Aya again?"

"Yeah, Batiste just surrendered to Carlisle and Aya."

"Carlisle looks like a kid in a candy store whenever he talks about medicine with them." I noted. It was really adorable to watch even though I didn't understand a word they were saying.

"The both of them hold the same passion for the subject as he does. I did study medicine as well as did Rose but neither of us had the same level of interest in the subject as Carlisle."

"Is Esme alright while Carlisle is busy or shall we….."

"Believe me she gets her end of the deal out of it. Actually right now." He groaned and buried his face in my neck. I laughed and drove my hand in his hair tugging on his locks.

I started to place kisses on his bare shoulder while he ran his nose along the skin of my neck. I giggled slightly, opened my mouth and bit lightly into his flesh. I heard and left his growl as it vibrated again my chest.

"Love," his voice was dangerous and husky as he lifted his head and gazed with his black lust filled pools into my eyes before he attacked my lips mercilessly. When we broke the kiss he sight quietly and placed his forehead on mine, starring intensely into my eyes.

"Can I tell you something?" He asked with a smile in his velvet voice.

"Of cause you can."

"I can't wait until you are a Vampire." He stated in a serious voice.

I pulled back and looked at him, raising an eye brown.

"Honestly, I never thought there would come a day that I hear you say that." I laughed.

He shrugged and looked sheepish at me.

"Neither did I," he admitted and bent to burry his face in my neck, taking in my scent.

"Emmett once thought, shortly after he was turned and Carlisle explained to him what he became, that hell wouldn't that bad if he got to keep an angle with him." He looked intensely into my eyes again.

I smiled because I knew that one. I had read it on Stephenie Meyer's web side.

"He was right." He smiled before his face turned serious again.

"This is not what I wanted for you. If I could I would have become human for you but since that is impossible I promise that I will make you happy everyday for as long we both shall life."

"You know that is not so much effort for you to make me happy." I informed him.

"How so?" He asked confused.

"You just need to hold me in your arms and I'm the happiest girl in the word. And just for the record, you make me say unbelievably cheesy things." I giggled.

"I love you." He said before kissing my lips.

"Oh wait since we are talking about making someone happy." I held my finger up and slid out of his embrace.

"Just so you know it is really not making me happy that I don't have you in my arms anymore." He pouted.

"You'll manage."

He mocked shock.

"That's cruel," he placed his hands over his heart and faked pain.

I just shook my head at him.

"Silly Vampire." I smiled.

I went to my suitcase and fished the small black velvet box out that I put there as a surprise for him. I quickly put it behind my back so he wouldn't see.

"What do you have there love?" He asked curious.

I smiled cheeky and made quick strikes over to him.

"I'll tell for a kiss." I coaxed.

"Let me think about it." He teased.

"O.K." I said and was about to turn around.

"Hey where do you think you are going?" He grabbed my arm and placed a kiss on my lips.

"Now what do you have there?"

I pulled the black box from behind my back and held it out to him.

"It's a gift for you."

"A gift for me?" He asked perplexed.

"Yeah, normally I cook or bake something to say thank you but you...well. So I bought you something."

He still looked stunned at me.

"It's not like you have the monopole of giving gifts and besides I also want to spoil you." I smiled.

He laughed softly and his fascinating golden pools shone warmly.

"What is it?"

"Open it then you'll see." I rolled my eyes amused.

He carefully opened the box and pulled the watch out.

"It's a Raymond Weil from the Tango Chronograph Collection. I hope you like it. I saw it and just had to buy it for you." I told him excited.

After I disappeared Alice and the others had continued to operate with the money on my accounts. Since I earned the base as a waitress in the drive in and though baby sitting it was my money that had duplicated over and over again thanks to Alice's ability.

He gazed at the watch, admiring it and then looked at me.

"Thank you it's beautiful my love."

"Glad you like it." I said as I helped him to put the watch on. The luxury watch with the Swiss Quartz Chronograph (battery operated), Stainless Steel and brown leather bracelet looked perfect on his wrist.

"It's a perfect fitting to the grey suit."

"I think Alice would be proud. Finally!" He laughed.

"Hey," I swatted his arm playfully.

"What?" he looked innocent.

"I think I have to think about another punishment for you because the current one is way too much fun for you." I threatened.

"Humor me." He challenged. I though about it for a moment and then came up with something really evil.

"How about me wearing my favourite mini skirt and the top you like so much," a growl rumbled through his chest, "and you are not allowed to touch me." I stated proudly.

His jaw went slack and he looked incredulous at me.

"You wouldn't do this to me."

I raised my eye brow at him.

"Want to find out?"

"Only if you want me to go mad."

I laughed at that.

"When do you have to be at the board meeting?" I asked him.

Edward's father was a lawyer but what Mrs. Meyer forgot to mention in her books was that his uncle also was. After the death of Edward Masen Senior his younger brother Elister took the family law firm over. It still exists and Edward had always had a close eye on it.

"One o'clock." He answered still looking at the watch.

"You have two medical degrees but how often have you been to law school?" I was curious.

"Four times. I go every two decades to keep myself up to date. At least a little."

"Have you worked as a lawyer before?" I went over to the bed and made myself comfortable. Edward was at my side in a flash.

"Actually I have."

"Really when?" I asked excited. It was always cool to get to know something I didn't know out of the books.

We talked about a lot of things but nine decades are not quickly covered up and we tended to get distracted during our conversations. How I liked those distractions!

"It was in 1953, three years after Alice and Jasper joined us. We lived in Michigan in a town named Flint. It is located along the Flint River, 66 miles northwest of Detroit." Suddenly his eyes lit up.

"Flint is most known for being the birthplace of the General Motors Corporation, and the Flint Sit-Down Strike of 1936-37 that played a vital role in the formation of the United Auto Workers. It has also become a symbol of the decline in the auto industry."

"That's the car fan in you speaking." I laughed.

"Maybe," he shrugged.

"Maybe I will buy you a car for Christmas," I thought out loud.

He raised an eye brow at me.

"You don't speak car and driver. At a dealership you would be lost."

"What do I have siblings for?" I looked incradelous at him.

"But plaease not Alice." He almost pleaded.

"Why?" I smelled a story behind his nearly pained expression.

"Let's just say it involves a Mercedes Benz 220s Ponton Cabrio and the colour pink." He rolled his eyes and seemed a little upset.

"Ah ha! What did you do?" I tried to coax the story out of him.

"Why do you automatically assume that I did something?" He looked offended at me.

I crossed my arms over my chest and gave him a look.

"Alright maybe I snapped at her a few times." He looked down at his lap as he quietly answered my question.

"But that didn't give her the right to call the dealership and order them to do a paint job on the car. The colour was pink for gods sake. Malibu Barbie pink! When I went to get the car….." He just shook his head, looking sad.

I giggled amused.

"That's not funny." He scowled at me.

I tried to stifle my giggles and after some time I even succeeded.

"Alright you moved to Flint."

"Yes, Masen and Partners had a branch office there. I freshly graduated of the University of Michigan-Flint and got a job at Masen and Partners."

"Wow you must have bee quite a catch." I narrowed my eyes at him.

He swallowed hard and looked uncomfortable.

"Unfortunately some people thought so….." He trailed off at the end.

I laughed softly before popping the next question.

"And any interesting cases you had?"

"No, sorry to disappoint you but an interesting case would have meant attention and that was the last thing I needed." His eyes narrowed as he looked thoughtful.

"I did start quite a case but as it began to get bigger I had to give it to a human lawyer."

"What was it about?"

"Corruption. One of the bosses of General Motors and a member of the local government were doing some dirty business. The case was bigger then I though in the end." He sighed softly.

"You wanted to do it on your own, didn't you?" He looked into my eyes and smiled sadly at me.

"Maybe but we have our limits."

"Just so you know I never saw myself become a public person. I love my private space. And a job that would require me to have a life in the focus of the public was never something I would have chosen for myself." I stated firmly not that a discussion would enflame about the chances I lost because of becoming a Vampire.

Edward wasn't against me becoming a Vampire but he did grief for all the things I would lose because of it. And I could see his point though I never really liked being in the sun I would miss it being able to take a walk in the park on a summer day.

I would also miss my favourite food and sleeping. I loved to sleep especially in Edward's arms. But nothing in life is for free. I know that. For gaining something, something else is being traded or lost.

In the end it has to be worth it for the person in question and a life with Edward by my side and our family was certainly worth it all.

He didn't say anything to that and continued to tell me about his time in Michigan.

"The actually reason why I was there was so I could figure out the inner workings of the company. One of the senior partners was the leader of that branch."

"So Bernard Masen and Catherine Pool are both senior partners and the descendants of Elister. Am I right?" I wanted to be sure I got that right.

"Yes. Bernard sons are and Catherine's twins are going to go to law school. This generation is following the family tradition en mass." He laughed amused.

"The family of this Henry Gibson is how long in your family's law firm? You told me that he was your contact and that the Gibson's can be trusted."

"His ancestor was a friend of my father and the Gibson's stayed true to Masen and Partners since generations."

"You own 39% percent of the company and they never tried to figure out who you are?" I asked curious.

"I bought the shares back then during the great depression in 1929. If not Masen and Partners would have been bankrupt. In the years to follow some tried to find out who was holding the shares but we have our ways." He ended his explanation cryptically.

"And you are going to teach me those ways when exactly?" I questioned.

"After the change." He answered smugly.

"Smart ass." I shot back.

"So the Gibson family had always given you information about the inner goings of the company?"

"Yes, they always held me well informed. I have to make sure that they will keep the name after the fusion with the other law firm. My father built this company up and I won't let them destroy it." He explained.

I smiled at him.

"Got it and while you take care of your family business I will go shopping with Esme."

"Where will you two be going?" He asked curious.

"Esme has a few antique shops on her list as far as I know. Hey I don't know New York that good."

"I guess we could be living somewhere near New York after your newborn years are over." He mused.

"Does the NYU have a night program?" I asked curious. I heard a lot about the NYU and I would be interested to study there.

"Actually they do. The summer semester was always tricky since the summer in New York is quite sunny but one can come by." Edward stated.

"You studied there?"

"I visited there med school when we were staying in Rochester. It is easier to fake the certificates that Carlisle needs when we have the originals. What would you be interested in studying?" He asked curious.

"Law, neuroscience, media studies for example. And I can't tell how glad I am that I will be a Vampire by the time I will go to college."

"How so?" I gave him an incredulous look.

I tipped against my temple.

"Finally enough room for all that stuff. I mean already I can memorise so much more, way easier and faster then I could before."

He laughed at that.

"You can be unbelievably silly some times." He chuckled as he cradled me up into his embrace.

"But you love me with all of my silliness?" I questioned.

He just rolled his eyes and placed his cool, smooth lips over mine. The kiss started out soft and slowly but was growing more forceful with each passing moment. Soon I found myself pressed into the mattress with Edward hovering over me eagerly kissing me.

It was actually painful to remember and no to be able to open my lips for him to deepen our kiss. I missed his taste desperately.

*

"Those two Victorian-chairs would be perfect for Carlisle new study. Don't you think Anna?" Esme asked me as she inspected the rich brow wooden frame that had been waxed and checked over the restoring job that had been done on the two of them.

"We got them in a few days ago. They are rare beauties." The sales man approached us.

"That's Rosewood. The chair was made around 1860." Esme said.

"You certainly know the business." The salesman stated surprised and not really happy.

"I'm an interior designer." Esme explained.

"Need my help with anything?"

"I will call if I will require your assistance." Esme smiled friendly. The man nodded and stepped away.

Esme and I looked around the shop a little more.

"Oh what a surprise. It is nice meeting you again." I heard Esme say from behind me. I turned around and saw and heard her talking but I couldn't see anyone in front of her.....

*

"Love are you alright?" I heard Edward's concerned voice as he held me in his arms.

I shook my head lightly to clear my thoughts.

"Yeah I'm fine just a vision." I smiled.

"What did you see?" The question that immediately followed after such a happening.

"Esme is going to buy two Victorian-chairs for Carlisle's new study and she is going to talk to someone but I couldn't see the person." I shrugged.

"You couldn't see the person?" Hr raised his eye brows.

"There was so much stuff standing around maybe the closet or the cupboards were shielding the person from my view." I shrugged.

He didn't look convinced.

"Hey if it was something serious then Alice would have called. You know that her visions are more specific then mine. I can only see fragments of what she is seeing. So don't worry. As long Alice isn't driving our cells nuts everything is fine."

"Maybe," he agreed carefully.

"It's not like someone invisible is running around," I thought about what just left my lips and shook my head, "no then Esme wouldn't have seen that person and talked to him or her."

Edward looked slightly worried.

"I love you my worrywart." I kissed the tip of his nose.

Edward didn't have it easy the last couple of months. The dreams and the attacks that I had at night worried him greatly.

He still didn't look convinced. I concentrated, snapped my fingers and lit all the candles in the hotel suite at once without missing a single one. The fire ability was really fun and also a dangerous weapon against an enemy.

I gave him a look and he rolled his eyes.

"O.K. I got it."

"Good b….." He looked like he was about to tickle me mercilessly if I ended that sentence.

So I starred into space and tried not to laugh.

"We have to get ready it's getting late. Esme will be here in a few moments." Edward sighed.

Carlisle was attending a medical conference at the Lenox Hill Hospital, one of the best hospitals in New York which is why he and Esme were also here with Edward and me.

"Gosh you are going to drive the secretaries and the female lawyers crazy." I told him as I saw him in the dark grey suite. He looked amazing in formal wear. A "GQ" model had nothing on him. He truly was the most beautiful male on the surface of the planet.

The shinning golden shadowed eyes, his perfect classic and masculine features, that well build and perfect body and that unruly bronze brown hair...…

"There is only one female I want to drive crazy." He purred.

"And who might that be?" I played along.

He growled amused and moved closer to me like a predator stalking his prey. But outside in the hallway I could already hear Esme's and Carlisle's footsteps.

Everyone had another rhythm while they walked. With the new hearing and the new capability of my brain I was able to tell by their walk who was coming and how long it would take the person to arrive. It was kind of cool.

My mind was able to solve math problems super fast. I was shocked to discover how much math was actually present in the normal daily life of every person if one paid attention to it.

I smiled knowingly at Edward and he sighed pouting.

"After you are back, you're on." He threatened.

"We'll see about that." I giggled as I went to the door, grabbing my purse on the way.

"You're coming?" I called over my shoulder, opening the door.

"Don't forget to take your drink." Edward came running after me with a bottle of substitute blood in his hands.

"We are just going shopping and are back in a few hours." I told him not that it helped at all. Edward insisted that I carried a bottle with me whenever I felt the house just in case I would feel dizzy.

"Anna." He gave me a pleading look crowned with an adorable pout. I sighed and took the bottle out of his hands and put it in my purse.

I could have argued my point that it was completely unnecessary for me to carry the drink around but I didn't want him to worry about me.

"Don't worry dear I'm also prepared just in case." Esme said to Edward and petted her middle large black purse.

Somehow I had a feeling I turned into a little puppy with a big red bow around my neck while Edward and Esme were gushing over me. I giggled at the picture that built in my mind.

A little white Maltese puppy with those round black, sparkling eyes that cute dark button nose and that big red bow at one side. I smiled at the image. Maybe Esme and I could stop by at a pet shop just to look at the little puppies.

"What are you smiling about love?" Edward asked me as he locked his arm around my waist.

I smiled up at him and lifted myself up to place a peck on his cheek before I stole myself out of his embrace.

"See you later," I waved my goodbye while he looked wickedly after me.

I knew that I was in after I came back to our hotel room.

"So where are we going first?" I asked Esme as we sat in the black Mercedes that came in with a driver that would transport us everywhere today.

"I thought about K. West Antiques, Doyle Antiques, Fun House Antiques and some more." Esme answered sweetly.

I nodded in acknowledgement.

"Have you every heard of those antique dealers?"

"Just now?" I laughed.

"But speaking of antiques in my grandparent's house in the attic there were a lot of antiques there, furniture and even some old violins." I offered.

"Were your grandparents interested in antiques?"

"Nope, more like grandma couldn't throw anything away."

We both laughed at that.

The car parked in front of a Victorian house. I gazed puzzled at Esme.

"It's a secret tip." Esme explained.

I nodded before we got out of the car and walked up the stairs to the house. Just as we arrived on the landing the door of the house opened and woman that looked like a model greeted Esme enthusiastically as if the both of them were old friends who haven't see one another in years.

"Esme it's so nice to see you again, cherie ." The woman with the dark burgundy hair and the dark violet dress that clung to her body like a second skin said with a thick French accent.

I wondered how she knew that we were coming when I saw the little camera inside the house in the right corner of the doorframe. Because of the black doorframe I couldn't detect the camera lens. At least the shop had a really good security system.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Valentine." Esme greeted back warmly.

The woman named Valentine gazed intensely at Esme and her eyes narrowed.

"One of these days you should really give me the number of your plastic surgeon but now come inside." She ushered us inside.

"And this is?" She asked after closing the door behind us.

"Oh how impolite of me. That is Anna Edward's fiancé."

Valentine's eyes went wide.

"Wow he is not gay after all, eh?"

Valentine raised a perfect styled eyebrow at Esme who shook her head and looked a little embarrassed.

"Mrs. Olivier!" We heard someone call.

"Sorry ladies I have other customers as well." Valentine apologised.

She touched Esme's arm, smiled brightly and said "You know where everything is cherie." Before she disappeared inside the house.

"Quite a personality."

"Yes, but she knows the business like no other." Esme answered with a careful smile before went off to wander around the large rooms that were elegantly decorated with antiques.

It didn't look like in the stores I was before. Those were mostly smallish looking store which were cramped with all sorts of old and dusty things, most of those things weren't even antiques but only a few years old damaged furniture.

Here the furniture was in a top state and cleaned. It was also decorated with table clothes or others decoration stuff.

"Why isn't there a sign at the door? How do people know that this is an antique store?" I asked Esme.

"This store is only for exclusive customers. Not everyone is allowed to enter."

"Since those pieces don't have any price tags I'm guessing not everyone can afford them." I laughed. I learned a long time ago if there weren't any price tags in the store one was going to leave a small fortune in the shop.

As we entered the third room Esme's eyes fell almost immediately on two bureaus that were made of different wood. Her golden pools twinkled when she examined the bureaus.

"What do you think, Anna? Empire or late 19th century for the music room?"

"The Empire if you ask me. It has the same colour then the small table and the chairs that stand next to the window in the music room."

"Hmmm…..if I would reorganise the piano, the table the chairs and the other instruments…." Esme mused lost in thoughts.

"I knew you would be interest in this one Esme…" Valentine's voice nearly startled me.

After a very amusing chat with Valentine Olivier and the successful purchase of the bureau we were on our way to other antique stores.

The day was nice we looked around in a lot of shops Esme would occasionally find something she liked and bought it. We did also take a circuit to La Perla and bought something nice for our significant others.

When I got hungry the driver brought us to the famous Gray's Papaya. Their hot dogs are really yummy. The best I ever had.

As we entered the last shop on the Warren street, the tradition-steeped Keystone On The Hudson I recognised the insides of the store from my vision earlier.

"Is that a Victorian desk?" I asked as I noticed the beautiful heavy, rose wood desk.

"Yes, it is." Esme agreed after glancing at it.

"You have an eye for antiques." She smiled at me.

"I guess. I'm really good at remembering now." I tapped my temple. Photographic memory was an awesome thing.

"Esme, when did you figure out what you wanted to do? When and how did you figure out the perfect working life for you?"

"You have time for that Anna."

"I know that it's just others seem to know exactly what they want to do, which job is the right one for them. While I have no plan." I sighed. I never had one. In my private life everything had clicked into place but as for what I wanted to become, I only had a few things I wanted to try out, nothing I was really passionate about.

Esme slung her arm around my shoulder in comfort and smiled warmly at me.

"It took me a while. I tried many things out before I found painting and interior design. And besides you don't need to work at all if you don't want to."

"I know but somehow…..It's silly I will become ....well you know what. So there is actually not really a point in this...." I laughed.

"Give it time my child. You will know the answer when the time is right. Some times the profession chooses us." My mom also told me that once before.

I smiled at her and we continued to look around.

"Those two Victorian-chairs would be perfect for Carlisle new study. Don't you think Anna?" Esme asked me as she inspected the rich brow wooden frame of the chairs that I had seen in my vision.

"We got them in a few days ago. They are rare beauties." The sales man approached us just like I knew he would.

"That's Rosewood. The chair was made around 1860." Esme said.

"You certainly know the business." It was funny to live through a deja vu.

"I'm an interior designer." Esme explained.

"Need my help with anything?"

"I will call if I will require your assistance." Esme smiled friendly. The man nodded and stepped away and we continued to inspect the chairs.

"Esme what a pleasure to meet you." I heard a voice say after a while.

Immediately I searched the source of that voice out. The voice belonged to a tall and pale man, a Vampire, standing near the exit. He had short black hair, was muscular but not too much and had sun glasses on, probably to hide his red eyes.

Vegetarian Vampires were rare after all. But despite his sunglasses I recognised him.

"Oh what a surprise. It is nice meeting you again." I heard Esme say from behind me.

"It has been too long, hasn't it?" The male Vampire said.

"Certainly Sebastian. Carlisle will be happy to see you again....."

Sebastian. That was the Vampire that Edward wasn't fond of at all. I recalled the conversation we had about Sebastian in the swimming pool.

The fact that I wasn't able to see him in my vision even though now seeing him standing there it became clear to me that I should have been able to, was causing me a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Somehow I knew we were in for trouble!