Aria's Twilight

Dinner and Interrogations

Bella's pov

I couldn't believe I was about to have dinner with Edward Cullen.

Of course, my little sister was here, but I tried not to let that ruin the moment. This might be my only chance to be anywhere close to alone with him, and I had questions. So many questions.

I followed behind Aria as Edward led her into the restaurant, holding the door open for both of us. His expression was unreadable, almost guarded.

The place wasn't crowded—it was the off-season, and most tourists didn't come through until summer. The hostess, a tall, bleach-blonde girl who looked college-aged, immediately zeroed in on Edward. The look in her eyes was unmistakable—interested, assessing.

And I hated that I noticed.

"A table for three?" Edward asked, his voice smooth—effortlessly so. Whether he meant to or not, it worked. The girl lit up.

Her gaze flicked to Aria first. Edward still had a loose hold on her arm, steadying her. The hostess paused there, taking in how young Aria looked, then glanced at me. Her interest dimmed almost immediately before snapping right back to Edward.

Of course.

She led us toward a table in the middle of the dining room, but just as we were about to sit, Edward shook his head slightly.

"Perhaps something more private?" he said quietly, slipping something into her hand so smoothly I almost missed it.

A tip.

The hostess blinked, surprised, then nodded quickly. "Definitely. Right this way."

She brought us to a quieter section—a small ring of booths tucked away from the main floor.

"Perfect," Edward said, flashing her a smile that made her stumble over her own feet as she walked away.

"You shouldn't do that," Aria said softly, tilting her head up to look at him.

"Do what?" he asked, genuinely confused.

"Oh, come on," I said, giving him a look. "You have to know the effect you have on people. You dazzle them."

"I dazzle people?" he repeated, tilting his head slightly.

"You get your way really easily," Aria added, backing me up.

His attention shifted fully to her then, like a spotlight. "Do I dazzle you, Aria?" he asked, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.

Something in my chest tightened at that.

"Sometimes," she said. "It just depends."

"I think you dazzle people a lot more than you realize," I added, trying to pull his attention back—even a little.

But then the server arrived.

She was young, with short black hair and an expectant smile that felt just a little too eager. Clearly, the hostess had already said something.

"Hi, I'm Amber. I'll be your server tonight. What can I get you to drink?"

She was looking only at Edward.

I felt my jaw tighten.

"I'd like a lemonade, please," Aria said quietly.

"I'll have a Coke," I added, my voice coming out sharper than I intended.

"Make that two lemonades," Edward said.

Of course he did.

"I'll be right back," Amber said, still smiling at him like we weren't even sitting there.