Chapter 6

EPOV

As the days slipped by, I tried my hardest to keep my mind on the job and not what dad was getting in the way of replies to the email we had Angela send out.

He'd told me that they'd had a handful of replies already, but he was waiting for more to come in before we all sat down and went through them. This was when Jasper and Emmett would be brought in for their consultation.

They knew about the rejects and a little of the ones we had kept, but not what they looked like. They were both chomping at the bit to find out who would be on board, but we were holding back for the time being.

It was actually quite funny to see Emmett pout all the time when I said no to him. He was a playful soul with a hard past and I think he used his humor to escape some of the harder things in life.

We would be watching every video that was sent to us, personally, and I prayed to God that Isabella would send in hers.

I didn't know what it was about her, maybe her innocence, possibly, but as the days went by, I was thinking about her more and more.

In the end, I decided that my infatuation with her was because she was wholly unconnected with the industry, which sent alarm bells ringing.

Did I want her to be? Would I really want her here, to taint her?

"And cut!" someone shouted from behind me.

I smiled at Jessica, kissing her gently on the nose before I stood up.

"I'll see you in a bit," I said as I turned around and picked up a towel.

"Oh my God, would you look at that be-hind!" Emmett squealed jokingly as he ran over, dropped to his knees and started to fondle my bare ass, "It's so lovable and squeezable and kissable, and round and tanned, and I want to kiss it and bite it and pat it... " he laughed like a girl from the valley and then planted a kiss on it.

"Get off, you dumb fuck," I laughed as a few other members of staff did too.

Yeah, this was the funny side to Emmett.

"I just want to pay homage to the world's most perfect specimen of ass," he joked as he stood up.

"Yeah, yeah, come on, I have to hit the showers before our meeting with dad," I smiled as I wrapped the towel around my waist and started to leave the set.

"So, got any good girls for me? I know you have seen a few, any that stand out for ya, is there, is there?" he goaded like a five year old as I opened the bathroom door and shut it in his face.

"I hate you!" he called out through the door with a laugh and I smirked at his playful banter.

"Ya love me!" I called back as I dropped the towel and started up the shower.

Hopefully by the end of the day we would be at a place where we could personally contact the people that stood out for us. Being pretty is good, sounding like a fog horn or donkey is not.

They had to have a slice of everything for this business and the main one would be how they came across on the camera.

If they didn't, we couldn't have them.

It was harsh, and the pace of this life was harsher, but that's what you had to put up with if you wanted to work with us. Dad was a fair boss, but our clients weren't.

They had their own tastes, likes and dislikes, and we always had to bow to what they wanted.

It was a cut throat industry where age, gender and looks were against you, but if you had that special something, you could go really far.

I was done quickly in the shower, so I dried off, got dressed and headed towards the kitchen.

Thank God for a working lunch meeting.

"No, I'm sorry, but we want a natural for this. Her picture and voice are good, but those breasts are not natural," mom cut in as she ejected the DVD and put it in the 'no' pile.

I loved it when mom got going.

She was kind and loving, but she had an excellent business head and when she flipped that switch on, no one stood in her way or questioned her.

Ever.

"I agree, natural all the way, even if they are small," Emmett joked as he made grabbing motions with his hands.

"Grow up, Emmett," I chuckled as I nudged his side.

"What? Oh come on, I'm all for natural beauty, but sometimes you just need a little more," he said innocently as Jasper laughed.

"More than a handful, my friend, is a waste," Jasper said as he continued to laugh as dad put in the next DVD.

"NO!" we all cried out as soon as the poor girl opened her mouth to speak.

"Christ, she sounded as though she had a peg over her nose. Could you imagine it, she'd sound like a moose when she came!" Jasper laughed to the point where he had tears strolling down his face and it was so hard not to join in with him.

Even mom was having a hard time holding in her giggles.

So much for being the business head of the family.

"Let's move on, shall we?" dad smirked at us all as the next DVD went in.

"Hi, I'm Lauren. I don't really know what you want to know as we haven't exactly been told about the job, but this is me," she said with a fake smile plastered on her face.

"Eh, she's seems to be an okay choice," Emmett sighed, not exactly thrilled.

"I agree," I cut in and the rest nodded as the DVD went into the 'keep' pile.

"Oh hot damn!" Emmett called out as the next one played.

He was like a fish out of water as he stared at her image on the screen.

"Hi, I'm Rosalie Hale. I'm twenty-two and ready to try something different in life. I'm currently going through a painful divorce and I just need a break into something else. I forgot on my form to fill in my hobbies, so here goes, I love cars. From vintage to modern cars, I love tinkering with them, to get out of them the best possible performance. I also pole dance for a living, not in clubs, though, I teach lessons to anyone, from gay men on a night out to pregnant classes to improve flexibility, anyway, that's me," Rosalie finished talking and we were all stunned.

She was a stunningly beautiful blonde and there was not an inch of fakeness about her.

She was good on the camera and her voice was soft but firm.

I liked her and saw that I could work with her in the future.

"She's in the keep pile," Emmett stressed firmly and we all agreed. I think it helped that she was a car nut-job, just like Emmett.

Went through a few more DVD's before we came across the one I really wanted to see.

"I don't know what to say, Alice," Isabella's voice started as a murmur, unsure, as the video started and she looked as nervous as hell, but it was a good quality to have in such a beautiful face.

She was shapely and had some great curves to her, and unlike some of the others girls we'd seen, she wasn't stick thin. That was always a bonus.

The other girl, Alice, gently stroked her finger down Isabella's cheek and then smiled softly at her.

"Just be yourself, Bella, they'll love you, just like I do," she smiled again and you could see the tension leave Bella's body.

I could also see the potential of her fitting in when she handled the caress of another woman so easily, so readily.

'Bella' the name suited her well.

Alice moved out of the shot slowly as Bella's eyes moved back up to the camera.

I was captivated by how much she could express in her eyes and other features and I was desperate to know more.

It was like I was holding my breath, just waiting for her to talk, to do anything!

"Hi, I'm Isabella, Bella, Swan. Both Alice and I live in a small town outside of Seattle and we're kind of desperate to get away," she let out a tiny laugh and it sounded like a really cute snort, if a snort could be cute, "I really don't know what else you want to know, Alice, can you help me out a bit?" she asked her friend and after a minute, Alice came back into the shot.

"Hi all, I'm Alice Brandon and you asked for my video too, so I hope you don't mind. Bella and I have known each other for years and I suppose you could say we're like chalk and cheese. Bella likes to read, and I like to shop. I like loud music and Bella likes classical pieces. Anyway, we're totally opposite, but you know what they say about that. So, this is us, best friends."

She gently wrapped her arms around Bella's waist and you could see that they were more than best friends.

I wouldn't say that they were lovers, not by Bella's form that I'd read, but there was certainly something between them.

"I hope there's two positions available so that we can both get a job, I don't think I could bear it if one of us had to be separated from the other," Bella murmured as Alice went to turn off the video.

"Well if there isn't, I hope you get the job, because you're too pure for a town like this." Alice's final words struck a chord with me as the video ended.

"Wow, I like those two, they have a great connection, so palpable," mom said softly as she ejected the DVD and locked eyes with me.

I gave her a small nod, answering her unspoken question and then looked down to my fingers.

"I agree, so come on, let's make the choices," dad mused as we all got our business heads on.

I tried my hardest for the rest of the meeting to keep my business head on, but the image of Bella kept coming back to haunt me. I got the impression from the video that she was miserable where she lived, and I just hoped that if we offered her the job, she would be willing to take it.

I wanted to see her away from all things that upset her and that thought alone scared me.

This wasn't an infatuation with her.

It was more.

And I was screwed.

Chapter 7

BPOV

My eyes were stinging like someone had thrown acid in my face.

Mom had just broken the news to me that she'd given me a month to get out of the house.

Apparently she loved me, but she couldn't stand being in the same house as me anymore.

Whatever.

Alice was livid with her, but held in her temper when mom was around.

"How could someone who professed to loving you, throw you out of your home?" she hissed over and over as I cried.

I had known this day was coming, I really had...but it still hurt like a slap in the face, or a knife in the heart, both were painful.

Over the last few months, mom had grown even more distant with me and kept talking about getting her life back and doing things for herself and not a child. I couldn't see why she hated me so much and why she continued to talk to me, or about me, with such venom in her words.

It hurt so much that I wasn't enough for her.

"Shh, Bella, it will all be alright," Alice cooed from her spot on the bed next to me.

I wanted to roll my eyes, but they were too sore.

"Bella, come on, why don't we go for a walk or something, get you out of this place?" she said soothingly as she rubbed my back.

At least Alice had only known indifference from her father and not the harsh words that my mother liked to spit at me.

He was distant with her most of the time and only really spoke to her if he talked about work, but he made sure that she had anything she needed, so that was more than mom had done for me.

"Sure," I croaked painfully.

I rolled out of the bed and went to get dressed.

My body ached from being rolled up for too long and as much as I didn't really want to go out anywhere, I knew that I needed to. Being trapped within the same four walls would do nothing for me except make it more painful.

~(*)~

"I think we need to find you that sugar daddy you were on about a few weeks ago," Alice laughed as we walked out of the bakery with fresh donuts and coffee.

I rolled my eyes this time.

If only it were that simple, I thought.

"No one would want to be my sugar daddy, Alice. I have nothing going for me, nothing at all." I cringed at the honesty in my voice.

I was pretty sure that with a sugar daddy you had to be sweet and compliant, always looking your best and making the man look awesome. I could do none of those things.

Despite Alice's help in the looks and style department, no man would want my sharp tongue or stumbling abilities. I wouldn't be able to hold a conversation with people in his league. Christ, I could hardly talk to the people in the town without boring them to death half the time.

"Don't you dare say that and believe those words your mom used. It wasn't your fault she couldn't keep her legs shut and had you," she hissed in reply as we walked over to the town's pond.

The hatred Alice showed towards mom had escalated after mom put her views across the other night and it took everything I had to stop Alice having words with her.

Alice might have been small for her age, but Christ, she had guts that I didn't have. I knew that I could fight back and I had a pretty good attitude, but not when it came to mom. I always wanted her approval, always wanted to be the best for her, but I never was.

"I know, but I suppose when you hear the words over and over, you start to believe them," I whispered painfully.

"Then I will just have to keep telling you how smart and beautiful you really are." She smiled widely as we started on our food and drinks.

"Thanks, babe," I muttered.

"So, do you think we'll hear back from the agency?" I asked after a few minutes of silence.

"I hope so and do you know what, I don't care what the job is now, I just want to get away from here." It was Alice's turn to frown.

Her dad was being more distant with her too, but not before telling her that he had a date lined up for her. The man in question was from a stable home, with a huge bank balance and was under pressure to marry from his family.

She was beyond gutted.

Alice wanted to marry for love, and having her father arrange her personal life was a step too far. Even though she was eighteen and legally an adult, she was still under constant scrutiny to do as her dad told her.

"Alice, I think regardless of if we get this job or not, we need to get out of here," I said in a low voice as I took her hand. We were both depressed as hell living here and we needed this.

We needed to get away.

"Next weekend dad has a convention, we could go then," she replied firmly.

"Okay, next weekend."

It was decided.

~(*)~

The week trudged on slowly and Alice and I saw less of each other.

Her dad had monopolized her all of the time and we only really talked late at night, when we were both in bed.

We were both despondent about not hearing back from the agency, but there wasn't anything we could do. If we were asked for an interview, then we were asked. If not, our plan was still in place for the weekend.

Through texts and quick calls, we planned that we were going to head south and not to the city. We wanted to get away from her father's clutches as soon as possible and we knew that he would search in the city first.

He would never see her as the legal adult she had become. It all came down to his reputation and what he needed her to do to maintain it.

Everyone saw him as the poor man who lost his wife to cancer and was raising a daughter on his own, plus he ran his own business. They felt sorry for him and he lapped the attention up. It got him more work and of course, made him more prominent.

"Alice, what are you doing?" I cried out in shock as she climbed through my bedroom window. I hadn't even heard her until I saw her shadow.

"I've had enough, Bella, I really have. Daddy dearest has set up a date for Friday night with Alec. I can't believe he's even happy about it, palming me off to someone I know nothing about. Apparently I don't have to know. As long as I'm a 'good girl' and do as I'm told, he said I would want for nothing," she sniffed as I ran to her side.

"We'll go Friday morning, we'll tell him that we're going shopping for an outfit for you," I said quickly as I thought about what we had left to pack. It wasn't much and if we left early enough, while it was still dark, we could get away without being seen.

"I can't do it, I can't go through with what he wants in life for me. Why can't he just respect me for who I am?" She cried softly in my arms and I rocked her body gently.

I was fuming mad with her father, but I knew that I had to keep calm for her sake, same as she had been doing for me over my mother. It wouldn't do either of us any good if I showed how angry I really was.

"It's us, Alice, just us, together. We'll get away from here and you can blossom into the woman I know you can be, the woman I know you are," I cooed as I lifted her chin and kissed her gently.

"Come on," I tugged on her hand as she whimpered.

I pulled her over to the bed and started to take off her tee.

She had such a beautiful body, one that any girl would be proud to have and she didn't really even work hard at getting it to look that good. Yes, we ran around the block and did some amount of yoga, but nothing to write home about. She was just naturally stunning.

"You are so beautiful and any man your father wants you to meet would never be good enough for you," I whispered, kissing the swell of her chest just above the lacy edging of her bra gently.

Her body let out a tiny shiver and I smiled against her skin as I ran my fingers up her arms and then slipped them under her bra straps, slowly pulling them down. I let my tongue flicker out against the flesh that had just been covered, feeling how her temperature was already beginning to rise.

"You are worth so much more than a string of arranged dates," I breathed heavily against her skin as I pulled the cups of her bra down and ran my tongue gently around her hardened nipples. Her tiny hands weaved into my hair as she whimpered my name, sparking the flames of my own lust and my love for her.

I loved to make her feel like this. It turned me on so much to know that it was me that was making her shiver and whimper uncontrollably.

She let out another whimper and I moved to capture one of her lips between my mine and bit down gently, causing her to shudder beneath me. I deftly undid the catch between her pert breasts, pushing the scrap of fabric and lace free of her body as I continued to kiss her.

Shimmying my hands down over her silky torso, I gripped her hips and pulled them closer to me, now desperate to get her out of her denim shorts.

Her hips were one of the things I loved most on her supple body. They were so soft, yet firm and curvy. It was pure pleasure to run the very tips of my fingers over them as I watched her squirm ever so gently.

Just thinking about what I was about to do, had me working quickly to undo the buttons and slip the material over and down her hips, making sure that my lips were in constant contact with her skin the whole time... lapping, suckling, kissing.

"Lay down, babe," I whispered and she quickly did as she was told, her eyes never leaving mine. Once she was comfortable, I crawled onto the bed and hovered above her, smiling the whole time.

"I love you, Alice," I said softly as I started to kiss her body again starting the path to the promised land. "How much do you want?" I asked as my face became level with her panties.

"All of it," she giggled lightly, but thickly, as I started to drag the thin material down with my teeth, revealing the beautiful piercing just at the top of her smooth apex.

We'd had matching ones done as soon as we had both turned eighteen and although they were at first quite painful, they were now erotic as hell and made things so much more sensitive and visually appealing. Anyone could have their ears or belly button pierced, but we had wanted something different.

I leant forward and as soon as she realized what I was going to do, she seductively widened the spread of her legs enough for me to settle between them comfortably and get to business. In one long movement, I licked up the whole length of her slit, causing her to squirm and writhe against my face, her sweet juice already trickling freely.

I loved how she tasted, I always had since we'd first gotten intimate with each other and I only loved it more when she was already so wet for me.

I internally smiled as I thought about the pleasure I could give her while I made her forget her troubles, for a while at least.

I repeated the taunting movement over and over until I could hear her growl in frustration. I wanted to laugh because I knew where she wanted me to be, what she needed from me, so I angled my head and sucked on her clit as I maneuvered two fingers into her tight passage a little at a time.

The shuddering reply she gave me only served to spur me on.

Knowing she needed more, I gave it to her, pumping her hard with my fingers as I rolled her clit over my tongue, flicking and sucking on it hard. The natural lubricant her body was emitting increased with my vigorous attention and I added a third finger to increase the friction I was providing.

She grabbed the back of my head roughly, wrapping the strands of hair through her hands, and started grinding her hips down onto my face as the very tops of her thighs tightened and quivered.

Her muscles clamped around my fingers as I heard the telltale sounds of her moisture cover them thickly as she came, crying out my name in a mantra.

"Oh God, Bella-," she was cut off from talking any more as my phone started to ring.

I let out a panting laugh as I got up from the bed with wobbly legs to answer the unknown number.

"Hello, Bella speaking," I said breathlessly, licking my lips as I smiled at Alice lying sated and dreamy on my bed.

"Hello, Bella, this is Edward Cullen, I'm calling about your job application," I gasped as I heard the soft, yet firm voice on the other end of the phone.

Chapter 8

EPOV

Work was becoming monotonous and I knew why.

Isabella Marie Swan.

She'd taken over every thought I'd had even before seeing her in the video and even more so now because I had watched it.

Four times if I was being honest.

I still didn't know exactly why she had captured my interest, but I knew I had to be careful.

Not only was this a business deal, but I also didn't want to let my feelings for her, if I had any, take over and for things to get complicated.

Instead of concentrating on her, I threw myself into dad's plans and took on a more hands on roll when it came to contractors at the house.

I knew it was still a few weeks off before it would be ready, but if I kept up their ass long enough, they would know that I didn't want any delays or slackers.

I was now eager to start on this new plan and anything else that got in the way pissed me off or bored the hell out of me.

I had a few days of heavy work before I could get my mind back on the job and I was now even more excited about starting it because we had chosen the three girls that would, hopefully, be joining us in this adventure.

I had a funny feeling that Jasper would try and persuade Alice to stay, purely on the fact that I had to hunt down the DVD because he's taken it from my room one night when I was on a shoot.

I found him in his room almost licking the screen of the TV. Okay, he wasn't on the verge of doing that, but he was pretty damn close. And Emmett was just as bad when it came to Rose. He kept asking mom what she thought Rose would like in her room and what type of clothes would suit her. He was whipped before they'd even met!

I just hoped that once Bella found out exactly what the job entailed, she would still be on board.

Dad had left the final choice of the girls down to myself, Emmett and Jasper, but still insisted on being there for the interviews to make sure that we had the right chemistry for the job.

He wanted to make sure that we got on and had the right feel as 'couples'.

I could see and understand his point, but I also knew that we might not hit it off straight away and that a lot of this would come down to respect and trust from both sides.

No one in their right mind would get on from the start, knowing what we had to do as a job and live with each other 24/7.

God, it took months for me to get used to Emmett and Jasper being around all the time and we went to school together.

There would be habits that we hated, music tastes we despised, but we would have to work through it.

This would be a huge step for the girls to take and it would certainly take a lot to open up, knowing full well that cameras would be on them at all times.

That's when Jasper put forward an idea.

He thought it would be good for us to choose the girl we liked most, contact them ourselves and go from there.

Before filming started, he thought that it would be beneficial for us to get to know each other, almost like dating. I liked the idea. We could spend some time getting acquainted with each other as 'couples' and as a group and that would certainly help when we moved into the new house.

Ah, the new house.

It was a beautiful thing, it really was.

Dad had bought it quite a while ago and it had finally been finished to the standards that he expected, though it still needed tweaking in a few places. The team was now installing all the cameras that would be needed, as well as constructing a smaller house for the staff and to act as an onset salon of sorts, where you could have your hair, nails and waxes done. Dad wanted to make sure that the most private of things were kept away from the cameras and I agreed with him.

I also insisted that the bedrooms have half baths in order to have a bit of downtime away from the cameras and also a place to clean up without people being able to watch. He agreed, thankfully, and had other 'communal' bathrooms installed for entertainment use only.

"Okay, so we still need to arrange some places where you can take the girls when they get here and also see if they mind taking just a few reels of footage on how you get on over the following couple of weeks. Screen tests, if you will," dad said over his paperwork.

He was constantly jotting down new ideas so the concept wouldn't get old too soon, even if we didn't know how long we were filming for.

"I don't mind the cameras bein' there on and off, but not all of the time. I think the girls would open up a lot more if they didn't have a camera shoved in their faces," Jasper said as he picked up a bagel and started to cut it open.

"Yeah, I agree," I said as I poured a coffee.

"Can I just say how nice it is to see you lot thinking so much about the girls, taking their needs into consideration," mom said fondly and we all smiled.

Trust mom to find a romantic side to all of this. For me, there wasn't much romance at all, and if there was, it was for the cameras only.

Of course, I'd never reacted to a costar the way I'd reacted to Bella.

"Yeah, well, I remember my first time with the cameras around. God, I had such a problem getting it up and keeping it there," Emmett laughed as he ate his bacon with gusto.

"Mmm, sex talk and breakfast, what a lovely combination," I said with a laugh and they all joined in.

To be honest, we had seen everything, done 99% of it and talked about God knows what around the table, so nothing seemed to phase us now.

If you didn't like it, you knew where the door was.

"So, you've made your choices, when are you going to contact them?" dad asked as we all finished up with breakfast.

"I have a set in about an hour, so I can try and squeeze her in before then," Emmett said with a smirk.

We all followed him as he stood up to leave the table.

No doubt he would have fun with this girl. They seemed to have a lot in common, but even I could see in her eyes that she wouldn't take any shit from him.

That was always a good thing.

"I have to go out now for a medical, but I can try and do it later," I said and Jasper nodded.

"Me too," he said as we walked out of the kitchen and went our separate ways.

The rest of the day went slowly, too slowly for my liking.

I moped about the place after my medical, until it was time for work, and then I had to keep finding things to do to keep my mind on the job as it were.

Jessica was in a foul mood with me because of the plans and it made working even harder so we had to keep stopping and starting.

Finally by seven that night, I had my time to myself and I dug out Bella's number.

It rang a couple of times before very heavy breathing took over.

"Hello, Bella speaking," her voice travelled down the line right to my dick as I thought about why she was panting the way she was.

"Hello, Bella, this is Edward Cullen, I'm calling about your job application," I said softly as I thought about her panting in my ear. I heard a faint gasp as I spoke and it only served to make me harder.

"Hello, Sir," nervousness hit her voice straight away and her innocence pushed me further into a fantasy land with her.

I thought about having her say 'Sir' to me in a scene and that threw me off for a few seconds.

"Please, call me Edward," I laughed awkwardly as I had to stop myself palming my now twitching cock.

"Okay then, how can I help you, Edward?" she said softly as I heard rustling in the background on her end.

I wondered what she was up to, but it wasn't for me to question that, not just yet.

"Well, I wanted to let you now that, barring any issues or complications through the interview process, the job is yours, Miss Swan." I chuckled as I heard her start to stutter.

"Are you sure, you're really sure? You're offering me the job before the interview?" she asked after a moment of silence.

"I am very sure, Bella, you made an impact with myself and other members of our team," I smiled as I thought about how mom liked both of the girls from the tape.

Mom had caught me watching the video for the second time and we spoke briefly about how they showed a deep connection to each other. She liked how they acted and buffered each other.

She was just as desperate to see the two girls together as I was.

"What about Alice? I can't take the job if she doesn't have one with you, too," she said softly and it was then that she confirmed my earlier suspicions that they were more than just best friends.

They had a connection like I had with Jasper and Emmett.

"Alice will be getting her own phone call, but it's safe to say that she will be offered a job too, Bella, don't sweat it," I chuckled as I heard more laughing and giggling coming through the line.

It sounded like Alice was there with her and I instantly thought about how Bella answered the phone. Were they in a sexual relationship? The thought of the two of them doing that made me steel hard and I tried in vain to wipe out those thoughts.

If they agreed to come here, we would find out soon enough.

"Thank-you, Edward! You have no idea how much this means, to both of us," Bella said reverently.

"I think I do, Bella, I can hear it in your voice. Now, I'm going to email you some details and I hope that they're okay for you, with dates and times. We still need to interview you both, just to make sure that things will work out between us all, but that will be very informal," I said softly, wanting to ease any fears that she had.

I also hoped that they would be okay with the dates that we had set. As much as I was desperate to get the ball rolling with all of this, I also couldn't wait to actually meet her, get to know her and possibly more.

"Okay, but I'm still unsure about what the job will entail." I heard her gentle voice and it was full with worry, but I didn't know how to alleviate that at the moment. I really didn't want to tell her over the phone and I knew that face to face would be better.

Also, if we did this face to face, there would be less of a chance for her to run away. If I told her now, over the phone, I knew that I would never get a chance to meet her.

I had to tread carefully with this one.

"How about you come down for the interview and I can tell you then, Bella?" I hedged, hoping that she would agree.

My knee bounced a few times before hearing the words I wanted.

"Okay."