"The Machine Shop" by angela4148

Posted by Anonymous

Even though Bella has a degree in business management she has so far been unable to find a job. In order to at least earn enough money to pay the rent, she agrees to apply for the job as waitress in the popular night club "The Machine Shop". At first, though, the owner, Edward Cullen, is far fromn euphoric when he sees her as he thinks she might not be tough enough to handle rock musicians and rowdy guests. Yet when Bella is able to hold her own with a man who gets far too close for her taste, Edward gives her a chance. And soon he realizes that it wasn't only the strength that convinced him to hire the yound woman as a waitress, it was also a matter of the heart.

But Edward comes with a lot of baggage. The former U.S. Marine blames himself for the death of his friend and suffers from PTSD. As he fears that by being too close to Bella he might accidentally hurt her, Edward distances himself from the beautiful brunette. But the more he tries to keep her at arms length the more he also wants to let her in - the only question is, how will she deal with his past? Meanwhile, Bella worries about her roommate Rose, who works as a stripper in a nearby club. She has to witness how her best friend drowns her sorrows in alcohol and rejects each and every advance made by "The Machine Shop's" bouncer Emmett. Between figuring out Edward's intentions and helping Rosalie to stay clean, Bella also has to fear for her life...

What an amazing story! Written from both Edward's and Bella's POV The Machine Shop tells the story of two people who were neither looking nor prepared for love but found it nonetheless. As Edward's past is only revealed step by step it is unclear in the beginning why he is so afraid of following his heart. He is consumed by guilt and uncertainty and it takes a lot of time for him to finally act on his feelings. Yet once he starts letting go, he's a wonderful and protective boyfriend, that is until one fateful night... The Machine Shop talks about a lot of mature themes, among them drug use and violence. It's a story full of angst!

The Machine Shop consists of 16 chapters and 59,053 words. The story is rated MA for angst, lemons, foul language, and some violence.

COMPLETE

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