Q & A:
So, if you could ask the THTF crew anything at all and be assured of their honesty, what would you ask? The most common question was for Edward and dealt with his similarities to a particular feminine hygiene product. Yeah, he’s not going to answer that. However, there were some really interesting questions. I had a little sit-down with some of the cast of characters and hope you enjoy what they have to say.
First up…Mrs. Cope
IT: Mrs. Cope, you’ve known the Cullens for a very long time. What changes have you seen in Edward through the years—from the time he was very young until his time with Bella.
Mrs. Cope: When I just started work for Edward Carlisle Cullen the First, Edward would stop for visits with his mother or father from time to time. He had an irresistible smile and a twinkle in his eye. And that hair. What can I say?
He was always a studious boy, but he and his older brother, Emmett, could be typical little boys, too. I remember one time, Edward managed to lock himself in the bathroom. Maintenance had to be called to remove the door from its hinges. And once, he and his brother broke a crystal dish while eating their way through the candy that was kept in it. They looked so guilty standing there with their chocolate-smeared faces. It took all I had in me not to laugh. First wasn’t mad but he used the incident as a lesson on proper behavior in the business environment. Emmett seemed bored, but Edward listened as if his grandfather was preaching from on high.
I didn’t see much of Edward when he was in his teens. I’m sure he had better things to do than hang out at his grandfather’s office. He was always cheerful and polite when he did stop in, though. Then, after his high school graduation he started interning at the office. He was so bright and capable but First insisted he be treated like the other interns. Oh sure, I always maintained proper decorum in the office, but I hoped by referring to young Edward as Mr. Cullen I’d help instill in him the understanding that he was different from the others.
Then he went off to college. He returned after his freshman year a changed boy. It wasn’t just the physical changes of a boy becoming a man, but his personality changed as well. He was a little harder, a little less trusting, a little less likely to smile. He threw himself into his duties after that. Office gossip was that he had had his heart broken. Poor thing. In the years after that, Mr. Cullen never discussed his personal life at work, but it is almost impossible to live in Chicago and not have some idea of who he was dating.
Then his grandfather took ill. It wasn’t anything too serious, but the decision was made for him to retire. Since his son, Dr. Cullen, went into medicine, the CEO position went to Mr. Cullen. Sure, Emmett Cullen is older, but he was already happy with his VP position. The Cullen sons always supported one another. There was no animosity or competition for the position. Honesty, I think the older Mr. Cullen has no interest in being the boss.
Mr. Cullen started dating Tanya Denali, a woman who is famous simply for being famous. To be honest, I never liked her. She came into the office treating the assistants as if she were in charge. However, she wasn’t around much. I always stopped her at the door until she put up such a stink one day, Edward finally told me to let her through unless he was in a meeting. She was a spitfire, that one, but not in a good way. More than once she came in here, and marched straight through the office, slamming Mr. Cullen’s door. I’d often hear her yelling, but Mr. Cullen never raised his voice. I guess he finally got tired of the drama.
And then Ms. Swan happened. I didn’t realize it right away, but it was like the younger Edward Cullen gradually resurfaced. Little things changed. He smiled more and talked about…not personal stuff, but non-business related things more often; like the artwork in the office. He seemed less world-weary and more like the young man he is. I know for a fact that he was drinking less, not that he ever appeared intoxicated or drank enough for me to worry that there was a problem, but in the time Ms. Swan was around that Scotch bottle on his bar only got replaced once. Ms. Weber tells me she’s back to replacing it every two weeks or so now.
It might be unprofessional of me, but I was fond of Ms. Swan. She was delightful. She never appeared intimidated by Mr. Cullen; he can be an exacting boss. It was almost as if she didn’t know she should be wary of him, so she never was. I know, I know their “relationship” was a sham, but Ms. Swan was the “realest” woman I’d ever seen him with.
When Ms. Weber came to me and told me that Ms. Swan was going to resign I was heartbroken. My reaction caught me by surprise. Mr. Cullen is not my son, but I do feel a motherly affection for him that goes beyond what is appropriate for a boss and employee. Seeing him after she left that day was like looking at someone else; he immediately reverted to the man he was before he started seeing her.
This new woman he is with, Dr. Snow, well, she seems to be the right sort of woman for him. She’s obviously intelligent. There’s no question that she’s with him solely for him money, as I feared Ms. Denali was. I hope she makes him happy, but I don’t think that she does. He’s not the man he was when he was with Ms. Swan.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hurt by his lack of regard when I retired. I’ve known Edward Cullen since he was a youngster. Of course, Cullen Enterprises has been very good to me over the years; perhaps he felt that was enough. I shouldn’t complain.
~**~
IT: Jasper, readers want to know, what is your take on things as they stand now? What’s your opinion of Alice and Bella’s relationship? What about Bella and Edward’s?
Jasper: Let me start by saying I don’t make it a habit to talk about my friends. Or my wife. That said, Edward’s recent behavior really has me wondering about that boy’s sanity.
I believe that Bella’s a good person. However, if I understand correctly, and don’t tell Alice I said this, she’s half at fault for the mess she and Edward are in now. She’s a great friend to Alice and that’s important to me. Alice is a special woman and deserves to have people like Bella in her life. And if that was my only concern we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
The way I see it, Bella looked at some pictures of Edward being friendly with someone he’s known a long time, and decided to end their relationship. I’ve seen the pictures. Hell, all of Chicago has seen the pictures. There was nothing risqué or inappropriate about them, really, but they did hint at a level of intimacy two acquaintances don’t usually have.
However, Edward and Kathleen Snow weren’t lovers. Edward wasn’t cheating on Bella. I’m not even going to get into the whole fake relationship thing, because as far as I’m concerned they were a real couple. Real couples talk to one another. Bella and Edward had been on the outs for a week or so because of their disagreement about Bella going back to school. On this point, I disagree with my friend. You should stand behind your woman when she wants to better herself.
Really, the whole mess was a misunderstanding that rational people would have worked out. I think that their agreement gave Bella an easy out, via resigning, which allowed her to quit without having to face the fact that she had developed real feelings for Edward. Maybe those feelings scared her. Maybe she felt she wasn’t worthy or deserving, but the opposite is closer to true.
At first I thought they’d figure things out, but as the days turned into weeks I became less sure. Three weeks after they broke up Edward asked out Dr. Snow. Kathleen Snow had always been around. She and Edward had flirted before. I’m not sure why they had never hooked up or what made this the right time, but there you have it.
I’ve seen Bella with Jacob Black. He’s an okay guy. He’s nice to her, polite. I don’t see any kind of spark, but after the forest fire that was her relationship with Edward maybe she’s looking for a slower pace. It’s really not my business.
But here’s the part that makes me question Edward’s sanity. He’s not happy. He’s the most miserable I’ve ever seen him and that includes the time that Jessica slept with his roommate. He’s short-tempered at work and no fun during the little downtime we have together. It’s obvious that Kathleen doesn’t make him happy the way Bella did. Edward is my friend and I want to see him happy.
*~~*
IT: Carlisle, Kathleen Snow is a colleague of yours. How do you feel about your son’s current relationship with her?
Carlisle: Kathleen Snow is a good doctor and an excellent surgeon. She’s an asset to the hospital.
IT: But how do you feel about her relationship with Edward?
Carlisle: If Edward is happy with Dr. Snow then I am happy for them.
IT: “If?” Certainly you’ve seen them together enough to make that determination?
Carlisle: Actually, no. Edward and Kathleen don’t spend much time with the family. As a doctor, Kathleen works nontraditional hours. My son also puts in many hours at his job, but they tend to be more business-normal. Understandably, they prefer spending what little time they have together alone. However, our family is fairly tight knit and Edward makes time for his mother and me.
IT: How does your wife feel about Edward dating Dr. Snow?
Carlisle: I know what you’re trying to do here. I know you’re trying to get me to paint Dr. Snow as a hellish shrew who has cleaved our son from our sides and who makes him miserable. The truth is neither I nor my wife has spent any significant time with Dr. Snow outside of our professional and charitable interests. Even if we were so inclined, we cannot comment on Edward’s relationship with his lady friend because we haven’t seen them together.
What I can do, however, is tell you that Esme, particularly, is disturbed by this. As I said earlier, we have a tight-knit family. Esme was thrilled when Edward was seeing Bella because we saw more of him, not less, when they were dating. Since he started his relationship with Dr. Snow we are back to seeing him less frequently, as was the case when he was dating Ms. Denali and prior to that. Now, if you’ll excuse me…
*~~*
IT: Edward, thank you for agreeing to sit down and talk a little. As you can imagine, many readers are upset with you.
Edward: :bewildered: What? Why?
IT: Most are unhappy that you’ve moved on from your relationship with Bella. Some are mad at you for not pursuing her when she left.
Edward: The decision to end our relationship was not mine. I thought I made it clear to Ms. Swan that I was interested in more with her. I had no intention of firing her so that we could be together, however. She is a proud and infuriatingly stubborn. She saw my offer of a corner office as offensive. While I would be happy to support her in any way, the only support she’d allow me to offer was moral. She saw any financial support as a mere step away from prostitution. I think she was overly sensitive about the subject, honestly.
IT: That doesn’t explain why you didn’t pursue her.
Edward: :sighs: She was so set on her path. We were down that road once before, remember? The first time she attempted to quit I broke all kinds of labor laws in an effort to keep her close. I brought in a desk for her and forced her to work in the same room as me. I threatened to sue her for breach of contract. I was a real…. Well, let’s just say I promised myself I would never treat her like that again.
At first I thought if I gave her a little space she’d come around. Days passed and I wanted to call her, but I kept myself in check, hoping she’d miss me as much as I missed her. As the days passed, I realized that there was no way she missed me as much as I missed her because she wouldn’t stay away if she did. She didn’t want me.
I’ve had it with dating women who don’t want me, okay. Being in that position is more painful than a dozen meaningless relationships with women like Tanya Denali or a string of one-night stands.
IT: But, you have to realize that moving on with another woman so quickly makes it look like you didn’t really want her either.
Edward: Frankly, I don’t care what it looks like. Kathleen Snow and I have known each other for a long time. While I don’t want her the same way I wanted Ms. Swan, it is nice to be the one who is wanted for a change.
IT: But…
Edward: No, no buts. If you have no further questions for me, I have work to do.
IT: :sighs: Fine. Next question: boxers or briefs?
Edward: :rolls eyes: Good day, Ms. Twist.
~**~
IT: Bella, thanks for stopping by. Most readers have a lot of sympathy for you.
Bella: :looks startled: Sympathy for me? Why?
IT: They’re mad at Edward for moving on so quickly.
Bella: That’s silly. I broke our agreement and told Edward I thought Kathleen Snow would be a good match for him.
IT: Still, did you find him running to her so quickly as affirmation that something inappropriate happened the night you received those picture texts?
Bella: I don’t think that Edward cheated on me if that’s what you’re getting at.
IT: Then why did you leave him after you saw them?
Bella: Let’s face it, what Edward and I had was unhealthy. He was not supportive of me working for his mother or going back to school. Something had to give. Either we’d end up having sex and I would have sunk as low as I could go or Edward eventually would have left me for a woman with whom he could have a real relationship.
IT: Really, would the sex option have been that bad?
Bella: Women who sleep with the men who pay for their companionship are called very nasty names.
IT: So you saw the pictures as Edward gearing up to leave you for a “real relationship?”
Bella: It was certainly possible.
IT: Possible, but not likely. Well, now Edward is in a real relationship. How do you feel about it?
Bella: My feelings really aren’t relevant.
IT: Frankly, Bella, that’s bullshit. How do you feel about Edward’s relationship with Kathleen?
Bella: I don’t see how my feelings…
IT: How. Do. You. Feel?
Bella: I have no hard feelings.
IT: :sighing: You’re very good at this.
Bella: Good at what?
IT: You are deliberately not answering the question you know I’m asking.
Bella: What question is that?
IT: I’m asking your personal opinion of Edward and Kathleen’s relationship.
Bella: I have no personal opinion. If he’s happy, then I’m happy for him.
IT: What if he’s not happy?
Bella: Excuse me?
IT: What if he’s not happy? What if he is just with her because you broke his heart and he’s settling for someone who he thinks is safe.
Bella: I’m sure that’s not the case. No, that can’t be true. That would be…that would be terrible. Edward wouldn’t settle. He has too much to offer to just settle. Do you think he’s settling? No. Dr. Snow is the whole package. She’s beautiful, smart and well-off…. He’s not settling. He’s happy, I’m sure. Right?
IT: Don’t ask me. Maybe you should ask him.
~**~
IT: Angela, I should tell you legions of readers have a girl crush on you after the last chapter.
Angela: :laughs: Why?
IT: Let’s just say they appreciate the way you finally put Edward in his place.
Angela: Well, I’m not proud of my ranting, but the words needed to be said. He’s been so miserable lately.
IT: And why do you think that is?
Angela: Why? That’s easy. He misses Bella. There, I said it. Out loud and in public. Edward Cullen misses my roommate Bella Swan.
IT: You’re the first person to finally admit that, you know.
Angela: Well, that’s just stupid. Anyone who knows them knows they are both unhappy.
IT: Bella is unhappy, too?
Angela: She’s not going to end it all, or anything, but she was happier with Edward than she is with Jake.
IT: Jake makes her unhappy?
Angela: No, no. He’s just nothing special to her. He’s a buddy, a friend. I think he feels more for her, but she’s not really over Edward.
IT: Let’s move on to the question. A reader wants to know if you hear Bella talk in her sleep and if so, what you’ve heard her say.
Angela: :laughs: My and Bella’s bedrooms are pretty far apart.
IT: So, you’ve never heard her talk in her sleep?
Angela: Well, I didn’t say that. Bella has fallen asleep on the couch a few times.
IT: Anything interesting?
Angela: I wish I had something funny to share, but Bella talks in her sleep the most when she’s sad or upset. The night that she got those pictures she was very restless. I heard her pacing and came out of my room to sit with her for awhile. When she finally fell asleep she said, “Edward, no,” in this heartbreaking voice. I think she was devastated by the pictures.
*~~*
IT: Hello, Riley.
Riley: Hello, Itty.
IT: Itty? :shakes head: Never mind, I don’t want to know. You are the readers’ absolute favorite character.
Riley: Of course I am. That shouldn’t surprise you.
IT: No, I guess it shouldn’t. So, I have a reader question, but I want to preface it with one of my own.
Riley: I’m all ears.
IT: What’s your take on the current status of Edward and Bella’s relationship?
Riley: The current status sucks. Edward Cullen, while being the hottest thing on two legs, is pretty stupid. I even call him Stupid. Well, Stoop for short. He had my Beautiful all wrapped up and just tossed her away for that obvious woman.
IT: Well, now that you’ve made your feelings clear, I think we’re ready for the question. What would be the best outfit for Bella to torture Edward with.
Riley: Oooooh, I have just the outfit. You know, Itty, you’re losing your touch. This question is really a spoiler for a future chapter.
IT: :huffs: I know that, Riley. Do you want to share the outfit or not?
Riley: Of course I do. Here it is…
