Tammi Tallulah Takes Edward and Bella: Chapter 2
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BPOV
It was like the Secret Service showed up to escort the President.
At exactly eight o’clock on the nose, two big burly guys showed up with a long legged strawberry blonde in tow.
The lady removed her dark framed sunglasses. “Hello, I’m Tanya Denali from Tantamount Studios.” She showed me her credentials, then stuck out her hand to shake mine. “I’m sorry Mr. Aro wasn’t able to join us this morning.”
I nodded back.
“Now, sorry we have to cut the chat short, but we do have some serious business to get down to.” Tanya pulled out some light blue colored papers in a report cover, flipping open to the second page and pointing out a dollar amount. “This here is the fee that Mr. Aro will be paid for use of his facilities during this promotion. He was made aware of the amount last night and said that you can sign for him as long as I see some ID.”
The number easily covered Mr. Aro’s rent for the next six months. “Wow. Okay.” I whipped out my driver’s license, which was checked with a machine by one of the massive giants standing at Tanya’s sides. I took the pen to paper and signed my John Hancock.
“Next thing. Laurent?” Tanya gestured for Laurent to place a big silver case on top of the counter in front of me. Reaching from behind, he lifted the cases latches, they clicked open and revealed the ultimate prize. I swore I heard jingles and chimes. “This is the Tammi Tallulah doll, which we are giving away today. This is very important .
“The people that come in here will be aggressive which is why Laurent and Demetri are here. They will be guarding the door outside until the first person arrives and they will let that person in. Once they’re in they will pick up the doll, sign a few things for contact purposes and be on their way.”
Parents sacrifice everything and nothing when it comes to their kids. Of course they would tackle people to get their hands on this hot commodity.
Tanya continued. “Finally, this is our biggest concern with running these contests at locations out of our hands. Employees of the host stores tend to get greedy and lie. They say they gave the toy away already and keep the toy for themselves. This is not legal as you can suspect and the employee will have charges pressed against them accordingly. And if need be, the store owner will as well.”
For a second I panicked. This was obviously a big point she was making, but what kind of proof did they have if I took it? There was the contact sheet the winner would have to sign, but I could fake a name and number. I knew for a fact that Mr. Aro’s security cameras in the store were just for show. Plus, does she not realize how hard her company has made it to get this damn doll? It was like the universe was calling me to claim it as my own.
“Do you have any further questions?”
Not giving any of my strategies away, I answered “No.”
“Then just sign here.” Tanya flipped to the last page, which I briefly skimmed. With one final swoop of the gold pen in my hand, I signed to be a good honest person and not keep the doll for myself.
“Good luck.” She slipped on her sunglasses and walked swiftly out the door.
James and Laurent glanced around the store, taking in the shelves not too much taller than them. They really did look scary looking. “So do you guys use steroids?”
Two sets of crinkled brows shot looks my way, which prompted them to take their place outside the door.
The doll sat lonesome on the counter now in its silver case. The sparkly purple dress with a cinched waist would give any girl a self esteem issue, if they didn’t adore the damn thing so much.
I knew I would’ve.
Her long white blonde hair fell just below her bust line. Her sky high boots were ridiculous with swirly purple lines around white. If I wasn’t aware that she was modeled after a star of a kid show, I would’ve thought she were your typical street walker.
Closing the silver case and sliding it under the counter, I patiently waited for whoever it was that would be the lucky recipient of this doll. I think once I knew who the recipient would be, I would make up an excuse and then I would keep it for myself. Seriously, what were the chances it would be dropped off at my store?
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EPOV
Waking up bright and early was not my usual M.O. I don’t think I’ve been up before noon in nearly four years when I was in college. Even then I did my best to find classes that started after lunch time. Shutting my alarm clock off, I got up to get ready for a possibly full day running around New York City.
Living so close to the train station, I didn’t own a car. My bike and I went everywhere; it substituted for the subway sometimes whenever I reached New York City. It was a pain to carry around and sometimes I regretted not chaining it back at the station or asking for a ride from Rosalie or Emmett.
I planned ahead and decided to be in Manhattan before the morning show announced the first clue. I figured every single person searching for this doll would be thinking ten steps ahead and I definitely didn’t want to get left behind.
When I was in school, I was meticulous with planning.
It seemed an odd thing for someone like me to be that way. I was a completely average student who smoked more than cigarettes. In high school and through some of college, my extracurricular activities had consisted of sitting in my basement inhaling and selling pot, illegal gambling parties, and pulling pranks on my sister and her friends. Come to think of it, my organizational skills might’ve developed from having to keep clients straight.
Once I stood outside Penn Station, I tuned into the radio on my phone. A song just finished up, before they announced the first clue. There was a small huddle of people doing the exact same thing as me.
“Here we go.” The disc jockey preempted. “The first clue of the Tammi Tallulah doll giveaway contest is…” Drum rolls rumbled in the background. “What were the colors of Tammi’s boots for her very first performance, as described by her shoe designer? You want the paler of the two.”
Immediately I sprung into action, ticking off all the episode summaries I could remember from last night while I browsed online.
The answer was white, but the shoe designer Caius Clandestine, insisted that it was a certain type of white. Having the World Wide Web at my hands, I searched for the many synonyms for it. Pale, milk, ivory…those seemed too normal; this shoe designer on the show seemed eccentric and would insist on only the most sophisticated of terms.
There were two options that fit. One more time, I typed in store searches with the two hues of white.
Altogether, there were three options between the two hues of white. Two places for one hue, and one for the other.
Taking a chance, I decided to go with the last one, hopped on my bike and rode in that direction.
Breezing through the streets of Manhattan, I recognized many parents hitting up the shops that might have the prized possession. Many disgruntled and disappointed faces exited stores, both doll-less and pissed off.
The stinging winter air hit my face and eyes as I pushed toward what I hoped was the answer to the clue.
I reached my destination in fifteen minutes flat. Outside, two guys donning black clothing stood on either side of the door. They could’ve given Emmett, Mini-Governator as I call him, a run for his money.
The monstrous duo definitely looked out of place in front of this quaint bookstore; they clearly were security for some type of crowd that would arrive. No one else was around and that meant one of two things: someone was inside already or other people haven’t figured it out yet.
Hopping off my bike, I chained it to the nearest street sign pole. Walking up to the two men, I smiled up at them. “I’m here for the Tammi Tallulah doll.”
The two guys shared a slightly amused look; I guess they were expecting a paunchy forty something mom or dad. The pony tailed blonde opened the door, a bell connected to the top of it chimed.
Inside, the place was littered with old hard covered books. The smell of aged paper infiltrated my nose; some people didn’t care for the musty scent, but I kind of liked it.
To my left, there was the counter with a tall bookcase behind it connected to the wall. No one had come out from the bell that rang when I entered and suddenly I felt like I had the wrong place. “Hello?” I called out to the empty space.
“I’ll be right there!” A female voice yelled from somewhere near the back of the store. A small thud reached my ears. “Ow!” The voice yelped out.
She sounded like she must’ve fallen or hit something. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah! Just--I’ll be right there!”
Digging my hands in my pockets, I looked over the table near the front of the store with books laying on them. Christmas classics were featured for the month; with a sale of buy two get one free. They offered free gift wrapping, now a rarity in this economy.
“Sorry. I banged my head on a shelf.” The female voice, much closer than before, apologized.
I turned to look at her standing behind me, her hand rubbing a spot behind her head.
She definitely was a looker. Her brown hair brushed just passed her chin and heavy makeup around similar colored eyes. Sitting on her nose was a tiny diamond stud; her full lips made fuller by the piercing below her lower lip.
But, there was something familiar about her. I knew this girl from somewhere. Was she a former customer of mine? Did she used to gamble in the illegal ring?
“Did you used to smoke pot?” Yes very smooth Eddie; that is the perfect opener.
“Huh? No. What?” She dropped her hand from the back of her head.
“Sorry. My verbal filter was put in wrong when I was born.” I could feel the heat hitting my cheek and under my collar. “What I meant to say was…have I seen you somewhere before?”
She pursed her lips and scrunched her eyebrows, effectively making her adorable. “I don’t know. Have you?”
My mind delved around for all the possibilities she could’ve entered my life before. The only real options were school or work. As I searched in vain, I noticed a class ring on her right ring finger. A tiny image of a ram, my high schools mascot, was on the side and a year of graduation, the same year I did.
“Did you go to Alan Halbert High School?”
“Yes, I did. How’d you know?”
“Your class ring.”
She subconsciously twirled the ring around. “Oh. Yes. God that was seven years ago for me. What about you? What year were you?”
“Two thousand and two.” I said.
She looked even more confused. “Wait, you were in my graduating class? Why don’t I remember you?”
“I should ask the same thing.”
“What’s your name?”
Here’s the telling part. “Eddie Cullen. And you?”
“Isabella Swan.”
Izzy Swan? Izzy fucking Swan.
I instantly wanted to hide in a corner. I might’ve pulled a prank on her in high school and might’ve accidentally stolen one of her bras and shirts from the girl’s locker room one day. But, she didn’t have to know that.
I was supposed to steal her friend’s bra and tops from her locker, but I was given the wrong number. Panicking, I had opened her locker door, grabbed her clothes and scurried away. I watched as she came out of the shower in a towel before she dropped it, revealing her boobs. Once she saw that her clothes were taken, she quickly gathered her towel up and ran.
“Cullen, huh? Who’d you hang out with in high school?”
“Um, Jasper Hale, Peter Satiel and Vicky Mu.”
She looked to be thinking about those names for a minute before getting back to me. “Well, glad you made it out alive back then. What can I help you with?” She flashed me a big, goofball smile, her hands fiddled with the hem of her yellow and black plaid skirt.
“I’m here for the Tammi Tallulah doll.”
Her face fell instantly. “Oh. Yes that.” She quickly turned on her heels, stepping up and behind the elevated counter.
For some reason, I felt bad. I was here for one thing and one thing only and it wasn’t to buy a book. This place probably suffered greatly from not only the economy but from people not reading as much anymore.
“I’m sorry; it must be a hard time in here for you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Not many people buy books anymore, what with all the entertainment the internet has.”
“Yes, it is a shame. But, oh well. Let me see if I have that doll here somewhere.” She sounded awfully bitter, as she dove down below the counter; I assume to retrieve the doll.
I leaned against the counter, examining the table of Christmas themed books from afar. Why not buy a book for my niece? I strolled over to it and picked up an illustrated version of The Night before Christmas.
I heard a sniffling come from behind me. Turning around, I saw Bella with a silver case resting on the counter. She popped it open, as she wiped her eyes with her sleeves. “Here.” She gently lifted the prized possession from its custom made spot inside.
Her random crying was throwing my off as I rejoiced that I was able to get this gift. “Thanks.” I said cautiously, picking up the doll and cradling it in two hands. I couldn’t believe that so many people fought over this piece of ‘made in China’ shit. There was nothing magical about this toy. Then again, I am not a five year old girl.
“Fill this out.” Isabella, sounding even more upset, held out a small packet with blue paper inside. It prompted me to write down some info about myself; name, address and whatnot.
“Sign here.” She pushed back more tears and sniffles, even bringing her sleeve to her nose. What is going on with this girl? I couldn’t remember her even being this upset when I witnessed her frantically looking for her bra and shirt in the locker room.
I was nervous to say something, but I wanted to purchase the book. “I want to buy this too.” I pushed the children’s literature toward her.
She rung up the book and then asked. “Do you want it--” She sniffled once again. “--gift wrapped?”
I knew I could still go to Aunt Nessie’s house to get these things wrapped, but I was really concerned for Isabella. I think if I said no, she might burst into a full crying fit. “Sure, if it's not too much trouble.”
She held the doll and book in her hand and headed to the back of the store. She came back a few minutes later with the two items in the neatest wrapping job I’d ever seen. Even better than my aunt. “Wow, you’re a very good.”
“Thank you.” She shyly responded, her nose red as Rudolph from crying.
“Well, I must be on my way.” I reached the door, heard the jingle of the bell.
“Wait!” Isabella shouted, running toward me.
I turned and stared down at the image of a forlorn girl. My mouth opened to ask her something, but she beat me to it.
“I really need that doll. I’ll-I’ll give you money for it. If I don’t get that doll, I will feel so-so-so and-and I can’t deal with it. Please, I’ll pay you. You name your price. Please, from one old alumni to another.” She clasped her hands together, her eyes pleading along with her words. “Please.” She whispered softly.
So, was that why she was crying? Because she was going to lose the doll? I didn’t know what to think of that. Was the crying a tactic? If it was, it’s pretty shady.
I was feeling all kinds of guilt. The image of a seventeen year old topless Isabella, while not a bad sight when you’re a teenage boy, played in my mind as a sad image. I wanted to help her and she was doing the honorable thing by letting me have the doll, even though I would’ve definitely kept the thing for myself if I was her.
“I can’t give you this. For any price.” I honestly told her.
“I understand.” She sounded like she was graciously going to bow down and admit defeat.
Was she aware that there were more dolls being given away? “You know…the contest isn’t over. They still have four more dolls to hand out with this thing. I think the next clue is coming up soon.”
“My boss isn’t here yet.”
“When are they getting in?”
“He should be here in a little while.”
“Tell you what; I’ll help you get that doll. Even if it means we have to go until the very last doll is given out. Just tell your boss something, make it up.” I didn’t have a job right now, what else was I going to do all day? Spend my day watching TV in the apartment above my sister’s garage?
She looked at me and it was a shy, complacent lower lip biting smile that lit her face. “Okay.”
I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into, but I could do worse.
Chapter 3
Chapter 1