Dangerously Beautiful • Carlisle Cullen

Chapter 2: Lunch conversations and surprises

In the whirlwind of machines, alarms, people, and ailments, the day had seemed to fly by for the pair. They had seen everything from a case of hay fever to a broken arm. Colette had never thought of her small hometown as ever being busy but she definitely saw it today. She eagerly walked to the cafeteria, excited to heat up her left overs from the night before. Manicotti and garlic bread was on the menu for today and she couldn't have been more excited.

Putting her meal in the microwave, she paid for a can of sprite. Collecting her food, Cole tried to open her can with one hand as she had the garlic bread in the other. Multi tasking was never a strong suit of hers, and it was quite proven when a huff came from her, and a pale hand came from the side and grasped the can, opening it quickly.

Looking at the blond doctor, she smiled sheepishly. "Thank you." "You're welcome. Is that garlic bread?" He asked. Cole let out a small snort, one which Carlisle heard. "Yeah, uh, I'm kinda a garlic fiend. Charlie says I should grow my own considering how much I eat. I'm part Italian, what can I say?" Cole joked as she shrugged and the doctor smiled. "Well, if it is a part of your origin." He said, which got a squinty eyed look from the girl, and a chuckle. "I couldn't have said it better myself." Cole said her head held high.

Leaning over Carlisle pulled out a cooler, and Colette noticed that he seemed to be having a bit of a problem with the complicated clasp on the cooler bag. "Here, let me." She said, holding the piece of bread between her teeth, taking the bag in her hands.

With a quick pop, the clasp released, freeing the contents. "Thank you." Carlisle thanked the young woman and she sent him a smile. "Consider the favor returned. I used to have a bookbag with a clasp like that." She told him, "What did you bring?" Carlisle looked like a deer caught in headlights for a second until a memory surfaced.

"My sister made borscht. My mother's recipe." He told her and her eyes lit up. "I love borscht. Charlie not so much. I have to practically force feed him any vegetables." Cole told the blond haired doctor and he laughed with her.

Odds and ends of conversation came and went until the topic of family was brought up. Carlisle noticed her eyes dulled at first but soon lightened back to her bright blue. "As you know it's really only my brother and I." Cole said and Carlisle nodded.

"I do. It was just my sister and I until our niece and nephew came to live with us. Esme was so excited we ended up adopting three more." Carlisle smiled, beamed actually, talking about the family he was able to create. "I don't mean to pry, but that means you are not in a relationship? How the nurses talked, they thought you were." Colette cursed herself for asking afterwards.

"No I'm not. As you could assume in your short time here, I don't have much time to date. Many don't know Esme is my sister as we don't exactly look exactly alike. She took after our mother where I took after father." Carlisle mentioned. "That makes sense. The only thing that looks similar between Charlie and I is our hair color and our love of the outdoors and baseball." Cole smiled. "I've heard his daughter is a spitting image." Carlisle said and she laughed.

"That's an understatement. If Bella was a boy they would look like twins I swear. She is actually coming to live with us! I am beyond excited to have my Belle back." Cole rattled out in excitement.

"So her name is Bella?" Carlisle asked. "Her name is actually Isabella, but she hates her full name, so we call her Bella and I call her Belle. She is going to be a junior in highschool." Colette grinned widely as she thought of her niece. "So she would be seventeen?" Carlisle asked. "Unfortunately. She needs to stop getting older. The older she gets, the older I get." She joked, "Are yours around the same age?"

"Yes, they are. Rosalie and her twin Jasper are seniors along with my other son Emmett. Edward and Alice are the youngest. They are both juniors this year as well. Hopefully Alice and Bella can become friends." Carlisle said with a sweet smile. "I certainly hope so. If your children are anywhere as well mannered as you Dr. Cullen, I would love to meet them sometime." Cole said with a blush to her cheeks, realizing what she had just told the man she was currently working under. "Please Colette, call me Carlisle, and I'm sure they would love to meet you sometime." Carlisle said and Cole. smiled shyly at him. "Only if you call me Cole."