Chapter 4: Pink girls don’t have fun

Chapter 4: Pink girls don’t have fun

I stayed the remaining of the evening in the back of the restaurant working in the office with the menus, the mail and the job applications: anything and everything that could keep my head busy and away from the dining room and a certain wicked-eyed creature.

Renata went to greet Edward but he didn’t offer her to sit at the table; at least that was what Jess said.

Take that, bitch! Brunettes 1: Blondes 0!

I only re-emerged from my office when it was time to close. I knew all the customers were gone, so it was safe for me to go to the main room. I checked the cash registers balance, counted and prepared the bank deposits and sent the report to Mike’s email. He’d be sleeping by that time, but he always wanted the info early in the mornings, so we had opted for that method.

~ * ~

I thought a lot during my short drive home.

As much as I enjoyed Edward’s attention, I recognized deep down that I wasn’t being fair. I had a boyfriend who trusted me and I just couldn’t go around flirting, hottest piece of ass in AC or not.

A boyfriend who trusts you cos he knows nobody would flirt with you. Plain boring pink doesn’t get any action.

And that was another thing I had to examine. My inner voice might be a bitter bitch, but I couldn’t deny that what I’ve said earlier about Mike had been bothering. I honestly haven’t thought about the reasons why we’re together, but you know what they say about Freudian slips…yeah, almost the same they say about Karma…

I changed in my pyjamas while I tried to decide if I should call Edward or not. I forgot to thank him for the bouquet and no matter how late it was, he worked in a Casino, he would probably be up. What I actually couldn’t decide was whether I wanted him to be awake or not, so I opted for sending a text.

A minute later my phone rang.

“Did you like it? I wasn’t sure what kind of flowers you’d prefer”

“I loved it! They’re gorgeous!” I tried to tone down my enthusiasm. “I forgot to thank you in person, but I know it’s late so I sent a text…Were you in bed?”

I don’t know how I managed, but the last question after the stuttering sounded wrong. It must have been the tone in my voice, it was a perfectly innocent question, but somehow I made it sound like something else.

Maybe ‘cause you were picturing him naked in bed before you called?

He didn’t reply right away, but I heard his steps and then a door closing.

“Not really, does it disappoint you, Bella?” His voice was a few octaves lower when he spoke again. The sound raspy and whisper like.

“No, I…shit! Sorry! I know it sounded wrong but I wasn’t trying to…Gawd! I suck at this!”

His chuckles peppering my rant, I made an idiot of myself once more.

“Don’t worry, love. I can’t really picture you insinuating yourself at me through the phone. At least not yet, should I raise my hopes?”

“Edward, I shouldn’t…I mean we shouldn’t be having this kind of conversation at all. I have a boyfriend and no matter if the relationship is based on the wrong reasons, I’m not the cheating kind…”

“I’m sorry, Bella. I shouldn’t have teased you like that. I’m aware you’re in a relationship and I’ve overstepped my boundaries. In my defence I’d say that talking to you is so simple that you make me forget about the rest. I’m not really used to be so at ease with a person I’ve just met, let alone a woman, but I value your honesty.” His voice was gentle, but he didn’t sound intimate anymore. “Do you think you can consider being my friend?”

And there came the bucket of cold water. He just wanted to be friends. That was something I could understand. The ugly girl nobody wanted to be seen on their arm was definitely friend material.

“Of course, Edward! We can always be friends. Though I’m sure you’ll find more interesting people to chat with, I’m here if you need me”

“Degrading the product again, love?”

I guessed he just found me amusing and liked the bantering. I could do that. I have always enjoyed some verbal fencing.

“I thought we’ve already established that the product is seriously challenged in most areas, Edward”

“Ok, Ms. Smart-ass, you want to play rough? Brace yourself!”

“Bring it, cupcake!”

I’m not sure what triggered that kind of reaction, but whenever we’re talking, he seemed to bring up the feistiness in me.

“Well, considering you mentioned what we had established, I think we should summarize the points we’ve already discussed. You recognized you settled for whoever felt best from your categories, and I proved to you that you were looking in the wrong market…And that doesn’t give you rights to bring the ‘product’ down and rejoice kicking it while it’s on the floor, so we are clear.”

He paused for a second and then his voice was lower and tender.

“What happened to you, love? Who hurt you?”

The same way he pushed all the right buttons to bring up my inner sassiness, he seemed to know how to ask me the most painful questions. I didn’t even hesitate or analyze anything; when I looked at the clock, I noticed that I had spent almost two hours spilling my guts on the phone to this stranger.

I told him things I haven’t told to anybody in my whole life, not even Alice.

I felt better, lighter.

“So Edward, if anybody ever asks you who has more fun, blondes or brunettes, you ask what color they’re wearing. If any of them is in pink, you have a winner; Pink Girls don’t have fun…”

A yawn interrupted my last sentence and he must have seen the time too.

“Guess it’s time to go to bed now, love. I could talk to you all day long, but you’d probably get bored of me faster and withdraw your friendship and we can’t have that, can we?”

I laughed, not daring to say he’d surely lose his interest in me first.

“Nite, nite, Edward. Should I say the ticks part too or you’re squeamish to sleep after talking about parasites?

He chucked and then got serious again.

“There’s only one more thing I need to tell you tonight. I wish I would have said it before, so you didn’t think it has to do with what you told me, but I won’t be able to sleep well till you hear it…”

He paused and then he voice was like velvet, soft and rich at the same time.

“It wasn’t a pity kiss, Bella.”

With that, he hung up.