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EdwardI can be dull and quiet, maybe even pathetic; all those things, really. Id rather

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read a book, or sit in a dive bar outside of town with people whose pores seeminevitably larger than most others' most normal, softer peoples than rub

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elbows and feign interest in horribly uninteresting people. I dont have a lot of

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time left before Ill be dragged from my couch and thrown into Emmetts obnoxious

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vehicle, whichever it happens to be today, so I breathe in and out slowly, calmingmyself for the anxieties this night will surely bring me.I walk to the liquor cabinet above my desk and curl my fingers around a bottle ofJohnny Walker. I pour a glass and let the Blue Label wrap its warm velvet aroundmy stomach.Courage in a bottle, right?I clamp my hand around my forehead and push my hair out of my face, becausehonestly I am a little hopeless and find myself cringing at my own internalchatter. Still, the fact remains I am not looking forward to this night, and I amofficially filing a complaint with my familial loyalty department for agreeing togo to this shit. I dont want to be just another body pressing against strangers

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in dark spaces, hoping to feel something. I feel enough, albeit for myself, but itsuits me fine.Twenty minutes later I find myself in the passenger seat of some type of SUV thatprobably has larger tires than is necessary, listening to Emmett angrilyconfronting his cell phone. Im not sure who is on the other end of the line, but

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I do think it would be safe to assume they are currently experiencing swifthearing loss.Do you hear me!? I said: Do. You. Hear. Me. Motherfucker?! he spits into his

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blackberry.Im sure he hears you, I mutter.

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Emmett, amazingly, seems to hear me because he cracks a wide grin and thumps me onthe shoulder. However, this brief glimpse of the brother I know soon re-sproutsseveral evil heads and snarls words like fuck, fucking fuck, and

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motherfuckin fuckshit to whatever unfortunate soul is still listening to him.

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He slams the phone onto the dashboard and narrows his eyes at it as though itcant be trusted.

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You should really read more, build your vocabulary I say.

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Refocusing on the road ahead of him, my genuinely confused mess of a brother asks,What?

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Nothing.

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Whatever, he continues, that asshole has cost me more money in the past week

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than Ive spentever! In my life! You cant imagine how much.

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I roll my eyes to let him know just how much I doubt the validity of thatstatement. He slightly nods and turns his palm up, seemingly conceding to thepoint, and once again definitively ends the train of thought with, Whatever. You

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know what I mean, Edward.

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So what is this, exactly? I mean, I know its a club, but, the purpose of me

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being here is? I inquire.

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Its an opening. I found the property for the smarmy bastard who owns it.

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I raise my eyebrow at smarmy bastard and Emmett waves it off.

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Later, he says. The point is, I was invited, and this opening will not be

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lacking in business opportunity. I figure smarmy bastards with fat wallets travelin packs, so I have to take the initiative here. Well see.

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That still doesnt answer my question.

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He stares at me blankly.Why am I here, Emmett, I clarify for him.

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Oh. Well, I cant go by myself, can I? Rosalie is at her mothers, and theres no

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way Im taking that fucktard Mike. Hell no. He had his chance, had his chance

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several dozen times in fact, and I cant have some idiot with his head shoved up

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his own ass representing me. Nuh uh. Fuck. That, he passionately states while

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making narrow eyes at his phone again.I cant help but smile.

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Besides, he finishes, Im doing you a favor here. If you dont get out of the

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house more often, pretty soon youll be chasing the neighborhood kids off your

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lawn for spying on creepy old-man Cullen.

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I laugh a short ha! into the air, and shake my head at him.

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Sure.He continues to complain about the woes of his partner, Mike, and the stresses ofthe competitive world of commercial real estate until we finally pull into a lotand leave his car with valet. The night air is cool, and I absorb as much of itscrispness into my lungs as I can before Im subjected to what I assume will be the

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over-perfumed aroma that plagues establishments like this. There are people linedup down the block and around the corner already, and I cant help but flare my

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nostrils in disgust at the shining sea of glittery, sequined females that areattempting to woo the bouncers into submission with their collective cleavage.Emmett walks straight to the velvet ropes and announces himself to the 300 lb.behemoth standing just on the other side.Emmett Cullen. And this is my plus one, he grins, pinching my right cheek. Jaba

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the Hutt eyes him warily, and after a quick glance at his clipboard unfastens therope and steps to the side. The walls are pumping with obnoxious music, and theair hits me with the sickeningly sweet stench I had been expecting.Give me stale cigarette smoke over this any day.After thirty minutes of following Emmett around, anxiously pacing and unfairlyjudging strangers while he talks to prospective clients, I decide it is time Iventure out on my own and have a drink. As I walk toward the large wall of liquorsI notice an unfathomably attractive couple sitting just out of reach of everyoneelse, at the far left end of the bar. His blonde hair frames his face in an almostartistic manner, and he seems positively in his element; his eyes roaming the barand floor with an intense look of satisfaction. I look to his right and take her

in more precisely, with more scrutiny, in a way that is so absolutely me.Her green satin dress is simple and fitted closely at the waist. The necklinefollows in a straight line under her collar bone to the edges of her shoulders,and as she turns herself to the right and leans in toward the blonde man I can seethe open back of her dress that has left the most beautiful cream-colored skinexposed to my thankful eyes. Her hair is long, rich brown, and hangs in soft wavesover her shoulders. The shape of her lips, the slight curve of her nose, and thehigh rise of her cheekbones have me swallowing my saliva and clenching my fists.Then she looks directly at me. Big brown doe-eyes that look absolutely bored, butsuddenly wider, brighter, for only a second before she looks away.I tear my eyes away from her and back to the task at hand. I am soon holding aglass of scotch and stealthily gazing in that skillful way men have , and I seethat she is drinking what appears to be whiskey as though it were water, neverflinching, eyes focused on a far corner of the room. I have a seat on one of thebarstools and try to pinpoint what she is so transfixed by. The blonde man isstanding in a corner surrounded by giggling, surely charmed women that graze hisarm with their fingertips as he animatedly talks with his hands. In a quick momenthe turns his attention somewhere beyond them with the distinct look of recognitionin his eyes, as if to say, Oh. There you are. and politely excuses himself from

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his present company. I turn back to the end of the bar, and my breath stops in mychest, a lump surges to my throat, as I take in brown eyes staring directly, andpurposefully at me with an overwhelming emotion I cannot place for the life of me.Apparently the room has turned into a vat of wet cement, because I am sophysically held to my position that I cannot look away. My jaw sets, my spinestiffens, and Jesus Christ, this is unnerving.A hand grabs my shoulder, and my brain snaps like a twig. I blink furiously like aman recovering from unconsciousness, and Emmetts wide eyes are clearly asking,

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What the hell?

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Yes? I somehow manage.

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Um, he tilts his head just a fraction before continuing, Come on, theres

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someone I want you to meet. Well actually, I just want you to sit there and lookregal or some shit. Hot damn, I knew this was my night!

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He is visibly becoming more excited, pumping himself up with every word he says.Dont embarrass me, Edward, he points a finger at my chest, and I raise my

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eyebrows disbelievingly.Im sorry, did you say I begin, but he cuts me off.

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Just look good, Im sure you can handle that. Its all about presentation. Hes

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so pleased with this place already, I think hes looking to see what else I can

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find for him. I am so good, Edward. Sometimes I dont believe it myself, he

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laughs excitedly.I am completely lost, and he gives my ass a good-game slap as though this willspur me on; get me excited about this business endeavor that could not make a fuckof difference to me. Im still reeling from browneyes, and the fact that Emmett

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asked me not to embarrass him, that I do not even realize he is leading medirectly to a rounded booth that a certain green dress and head of blonde hair arecurrently situating themselves into.The blonde slightly raises from his seat, hunched over the table, and quickly