Title:
Enough To Live On
Chapter
Title: Blast From The Past
Author:
Restive Nature
Disclaimer:
I do not own the rights to Twilight, the series or characters created
within the series. They belong respectively to Stephenie Meyers.
Original characters appearing in this fiction are all that I own. No
money is being made from this fiction. No
infringement is intended and this fiction is for private enjoyment
only.
Rating:
up to NC-17
Chapter
Rating- PG
Genre:
Twilight
Type:
Romance
Pairing:
Bella/ Jasper
Summary:
Bella decides that she has had enough of this merry-go-round she is
on and when she proposes her plan to Jasper, will it be enough for
them to live on?
Spoilers/
Time line: This is AU/ All human cast.
Feedback:
Always welcome!
Distribution:
Ask first please.
A/N:
I have taken the liberty of including some actual places that reside
in Seattle for the sake of some authenticity. But please be aware
that I have not visited Seattle since I was a child. Everything I
have gleaned about these places come from the Internet, so take it
all with a grain of salt!
A/N2:
This fiction is the result of my participation in NaNoWriMo 2011.
Enough
To Live On
Chapter
Three
Blast
From The Past
BPOV
It
took me perhaps three seconds to get over the shock of seeing a blast
from my past before I scurried up out of my chair to greet the main
object of all my high school crush fantasies. I held out my arms, not
even thinking twice about the action, that was how pleased I was to
see him. It had been far too long since high school. And while, if I
thought about those days now, it was with fond memories of those
times I spent in various activities, and the occasional mortification
of my more memorable klutzy, embarrassing moments.
I
knew at once that greeting Jasper so effusively was all right, as his
face lit up as his own arms opened to catch me up in a hug that had
me going on tippy toe as he caught me and straightened slightly.
While not the tallest man I knew, Jasper was still well over six feet
tall. And still as lean as he'd been in those teenage heydays.
Although, I could feel through his clothes that he had filled out
some.
“Jasper,”
I grinned happily, thinking that perhaps the evening wasn't such a
wash after all. “What are you doing here?” He squeezed me once
more and then let go and I stepped back a little to regard him,
taking in the changes that so many years had wrought.
There
weren't too many that weren't expected. His hair was styled shorter
than I remembered him wearing it in the relatively short time that I
had known him and attended school with him. There were perhaps more
lines creasing his forehead and crinkling around his eyes and he was
definitely more tan than I recalled. But then, I was so pale, that
Vampires would be jealous of me. One thing that had definitely
changed though was his scent. In high school, I had thought he
smelled good and the cologne that he wore was nice. But right now,
smelling of fresh scents, like mowed hay or grass and another scent
that I couldn't quite identify, made him downright mouthwatering.
Realizing
that if I wasn't careful, all of my old feelings that I had thought
that I had put away with the rest of my teenage crushes and memories
would resurface, I focused on his face and forced myself to listen to
the answer he was giving to my query.
“I'm
in the area on a cattle buying trip,” he answered with equanimity
and I remembered then the rumors that had swirled around Jasper and
his father leaving town. My own father, Charlie had confirmed them as
not rumors, but fact. Jasper's father, Bill, was taking his son back
to the family ranch in Texas to take over the running of said ranch
with his new wife and step son. “How about you? You still live
around here?”
I
knew he was referring to my expressed desire on a few occasions to
get the hell out of Forks when I first got there. I had yearned
towards graduation with every fiber of my being. Of course, he had
moved before I had fully settled in, finding my niche and my
happiness in the little town.
“Actually,
I live in Seattle now,” I informed him. “I went to college at
U-dub and found work here, so I put down roots.” Hoping that he had
time to catch up, I gestured towards my table. “Would you like
to-?” I didn't know how to phrase it but luck was with me as Jasper
nodded.
“It
seems I have a little time,” he smiled back. I grinned to myself
and resumed my seat. Jasper waited like a gentleman, until I was
seated fully before folding his long frame into the seat across from
me. He glanced down at the menu before him before smirking at me.
“Although it looks like you don't.”
I
sighed, my cheeks flaming only slightly. There was no way that I
could even think of telling Jasper what was truly occurring tonight
and I scrambled through my thoughts for something that would be
convincing. Anyone who knew me, knew that I was a horrible liar.
Finally I decided on a half truth.
“Blind
date,” I blurted out, my cheeks probably matching my blouse by now.
“Seems he's a no-show.”
“Sorry,”
Jasper replied archly, looking to my hopeful eyes, not any such
thing. “Maybe he's just delayed for some reason.”
I
knew that what he said was true, there could have been any number of
reasons my date was late. A flat tire, traffic in his area of town,
the inability to find a parking spot. “True,” I sighed, “he's
only,” I glanced at my watch, “twenty minutes late.”
“Well,
whatever his reason,” Jasper grinned as he settled his Stetson on
top of the menu, “I'll count it as good luck on my part.”
The
blush that had just been starting to fade, came back quickly and a
tiny giggle escaped my lips. “Jasper, you're just as charming a
tease as I remember from school.”
“It's
not teasing when it's the truth,” he shot right back. I was about
to ask him more about his trip when we were interrupted by my
waitress, Wendy.
“Hi
there, what can I get you to drink?” she opened with, not even
checking with me that this was the company I was expecting. Though I
had to remind myself that everyone in the restaurant had heard me
greet him, loudly and enthusiastically. So I guess assumptions could
be made.
Jasper
didn't even bat an eyelid as he politely inclined his face up to the
waitress. “I'll have a glass of iced tea, please.”
“All
right,” Wendy nodded and then glanced between the two of us. “And
are we ready to order, or would you like another minute?”
Jasper
glanced my way as well as I froze in my seat. That lazy smirk that
he'd wore the first few months I had known him, before the death of
his mother had removed it, made an appearance again and he quickly
winked. “What would you recommend Bella?” he asked softly and I
knew he was really asking if I minded him joining me.
No
I did not mind at all.
“Everything
is wonderful here,” I answered, just as softly and then realized
what my statement was implying and blush three took hold. “I m-mean
on the menu.”
Jasper's
chuckle told me that he hadn't missed the innuendo I hadn't meant to
slip out and he turned back to the waitress. “I think we still need
a few minutes.” She simply nodded and headed off to the kitchen to
retrieve his drink order. I felt like dropping my head into my hands
and moaning in embarrassment. “I'm sorry Bella, for just
assuming-.”
“Oh
no,” I wailed immediately. “It's fine. I just-!” Again, I
didn't know how to explain that I would much rather spend my evening
catching up with him than embarrassing myself with a perfect
stranger. At least Jasper might remember how my tongue ran away from
me at times and give me some leeway, as an old friend of course.
“It's
just,” Jasper shrugged one shoulder, looking, if I had to say,
awkward for some reason. “Well, it looks like my meeting tonight
isn't going to happen, and there isn't much I'd rather than having
dinner with a beautiful woman, if you don't mind me crashing?”
“Oh
no, that's fine,” I smiled in relief. “I was thinking along those
same lines myself. I'd rather catch up with you than have to force
small talk over lasagna.”
“Do
they still have their famous lasagnes?” he asked eagerly as he slid
the menu out from under his hat.
“They
do,” I enthused and then leaned in conspiratorially. “I stop by
regularly for their vegetarian at least several times a month.”
Jasper
nodded and perused his menu. His eyes widened slightly. “So many
changes,” he murmured and then glanced up at me. “I haven't been
here since I was a teenager.”
“Mmm,”
I nodded. “Things didn't change until about six years ago when new
management took over. They redecorated, but it wasn't until they
hired their new chef that the menu got reworked. And believe me, Troy
is a genius.”
“You
know the head chef personally?” he grinned and then chuckled as I
shrugged.
“I
had a birthday dinner here and he made me a special tiramisu and
delivered it to the table to see my reaction when I ate it,” I told
him, remembering fondly the memory. “It was heavenly!”
“Well,
I trust your opinion,” Jasper's eyes returned to the menu
momentarily before catching mine again, “but this Capesante looks
mighty interesting.”
“That's
really good too, especially with the sea scallops,” I enthused. I
suppose in the course of the many years, I had tried many of the
dishes, if not all.
“All
right then,” Jasper snapped his menu shut and laid it off to the
side. Wendy was apparently watching like a hawk for her chance to
swoop back in as she returned with his drink order.
“And
have we decided?” she asked with polite detachment, though I noted
that she was turned towards Jasper more than she was me.
“Yes,”
Jasper nodded once and disregarding Wendy turned to me and
asked what I cared for. Straightening up a little, I considered my
options and since I had already shown myself to be a little obsessive
of the place, changed things up and ordered the Puorto Nuovo and a
spinach salad for the side. Jasper surprised me by going for the
Capesante that I had liked. But instead of salad, he ordered their
baked potato and leek soup.
“And
would you care for anything to start with?” Wendy asked as she
collected my menu from me. Oh, I hadn't even thought about their
appetizers.
“What
say we split an order of Carta Musica?” Jasper smiled again. “I
see they still have it,” he mused, his eyes on the menu. That was
true, the flatbread with a drizzle of oil and romano cheese was one
of their staples.
“Someone
having a yen to remember the good old days?” I teased and then
nodded. I could certainly manage half an order of the fresh baked
goodness that a former chef had developed. My mouth was almost
watering at the thought. Or at least that was what I told myself.
Jasper
nodded at Wendy as she wrote down the order and then took his menu
from him and turned away. “Living on a cattle ranch, we eat beef,
beef and more beef,” Jasper explained. “So I try to get away from
that whenever I eat out.”
“Sounds
like a wise idea,” I agreed. We sat in silence for just a moment as
Jasper moved his hat off of the table. I was about to suggest that he
hang it on the row of hooks along the back wall set just for that
purpose, but he noticed himself and with a quick “excuse me” did
so, returning to the table quickly. Again I watched in fascination as
he eased himself back down.
“So
I take it from what you said about a blind date, you're not married?”
Jasper asked, an obvious question.
“Nope,”
I replied easily, since he already had surmised the answer. “Thought
I was close a few times, but it didn't work out. You?”
He
shook his head in the negative, but then laughed softly. “Not for
lack of trying on my step mom and sister in law's part though.
“That's
right,” I chose to seize upon the family he had gained. I had
always wondered what that would be like. Phil was a few years younger
than my mother and had no children of his own. But there had always
been that possibility of Charlie remarrying a woman with children of
her own. “Dad told me that your father remarried a woman that had a
son. Was he older or younger than you?”
“Peter's
four years younger and lord was he a pain in the ass, pardon my
language,” Jasper retorted with an eye roll. I
laughed as well and dismissed the language. I had heard much worse in
many varied situations. “Not to say he still isn't, but time and
Char, that's his wife, have dulled it to a minimum.”
“I
suppose it was a big change for you,” I mused, imagining how I
would feel in his shoes, were I to suddenly gain a sibling.
“It
was,” Jasper agreed mildly. “Although I think I made more of it
than it actually was. Thinking back on it, I realize that Pete was
having just as much trouble adjusting to having a new family as I
was. He just acted out differently than I did.”
“I
suppose,” I agreed quietly. I didn't know how Peter's mother came
to marry Jasper's father, but it had to be difficult in any case.
“So
how about you?” Jasper inquired. “Any sudden siblings that popped
up on your radar unexpectedly?”
I
grinned at that. “No, my mom and Phil never had any kids of their
own. They're both too happy with the kids they teach.”
I
saw Jasper's brow furrow for a moment before he asked, “I thought
your step dad was a baseball player.” He laughed and I took a
moment to admire the way his eyes crinkled around the edges as he
did. “Lord, I thought that was the coolest job when I was younger.”
“I
didn't know that,” I mused, thought there really was no reason why
I should. “No, just before my senior year, Phil was injured and it
took him out of the running for most clubs. So instead, he found a
job coaching high school sports down in Jacksonville. Renee got a job
teaching kindergarten and they've been living there since.”
“Oh
wow,” Jasper nodded. “So I bet you were happy to have them
settled again. You weren't real fond of Forks' weather, as I recall.”
“Actually,
it kind of grew on me,” I shrugged. “And by then, I'd settled in
with Charlie and made some good friends. So when Renee offered to
have me join them, I decided to stay with Dad. I didn't want to start
over at my senior year. Didn't make sense. And U-dub was cheaper than
Florida State.”
Jasper
murmured some agreement and then waited a moment while Wendy returned
with our appetizer and two plates. She delivered them to us and
checked the status of our drinks. We were good and once she had moved
away and Jasper had deftly served me a wedge of bread and then took
one for himself, looked up at me again, while diving into his food.
“So what did you end up doing after you graduated?”
I
took a bite of the appetizer, sighing with pleasure as the delicate,
fresh yet salty flavor coated my tongue. After I had swallowed, I
told him, “I actually got my certification in accounting.”
“Seriously?”
Jasper guffawed and I bristled slightly. “Sorry,” he apologized
quickly, probably at seeing my look. “But didn't you used to hate
math?”
I
relaxed and nodded again. “Math no, advanced calculus, very much.
But I was determined to overcome that minor defect. And I've found
that accounting is actually very easy. Everything has to balance and
once it does, everything is good.”
“I
suppose,” he murmured, playing with his bread a moment before
dipping it in the sauce. He held it before him and pursed his lips.
“Can't say I like having to do the ranch's books. I'd rather be out
working with the animals.”
I
was about to ask him exactly what, if any other animals he worked
with besides cattle, when I felt a sudden chill breeze dance across
our table. I glanced up to see that a group of customers had come in,
leaving the door hanging open as they all filed in. Shivering
slightly, I pulled my sweater more firmly around myself. Jasper had
turned to see who was coming in as well and I wondered if maybe this
was the meeting he had spoken of. But then he turned back, relaxing
in his chair once more. But it was only momentary as his eyes fixed
on my chest and his eyes widened. I glanced down at myself, wondering
if I had spilled soemthing on my dry clean only sweater and realized
that he wasn't staring at my chest per se.
“A
silver pin with a red gem in it,” he whispered out and I wondered
why he was so enthralled with my Grandmother Swan's pin. It wasn't
one that I had ever worn to school. And then, his familiar words
replayed in my head. They were exactly what I had told my “blind
date” what to look for to identify me tonight. Jasper's meeting...
Jasper was here in answer to my ad!
“Oh!”
I squeaked out, unable to form a coherent sentence as mortification
sweep over me. How on earth was I going to explain this?
Chapter Four- Remembering Her
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