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The first day of August brought a torrential rain, the first real rain of the summer. It had rained a bit here and there as the hot, humid days had passed, but never enough to take the edge off the heat. The skies had started out an unpromising dingy gray, as many of the brief rain spells had started out. By late morning, darker clouds rolled in and thunder could be heard in the distance. A light rain began to fall just as Planet Earth Pizza opened, but within half an hour, it became a heavy rainfall that didn't slow for a full three hours. The streets started to flood, and as the thunder and lightning got worse, people streamed into the store for shelter and lunch.
Darcy had thought it odd that Charlie, Elisabeth and Jack had all groaned when the first drops of rain had started to fall. Personally, he loved thunderstorms. He always felt more energized after one. Not that he went outside to stand in the rain or anything like that, but there was something in the air after a thunderstorm that made him feel more alive. And after a summer filled with short, meager rain and relentless heat, he would've thought they would welcome the sight of heavy rain and with it slightly cooler temperatures.
Then the rush came, and he realized why they'd groaned. As bad as summer rushes were, they only got worse when thunderstorms were involved. Family activities such as going to the beach or pool were wiped out, so people brought young children in. Teenagers didn't want to be running around in bad weather, so they came in. People on lunch hours preferred to sit indoors rather than get fast food. The end result was that they had a busier-than-usual lunch.
Darcy had learned a great deal in three months. He now understood why Elisabeth had given him a funny look when he'd told her at the interview that he didn't think waiting tables was stressful. Not only was it stressful, but it was frustrating because he had no outlet for his stress. He did his best not to take it out on his co-workers and couldn't take it out on those who most often caused it----the customers. Because of this, he learned why the employees thought the training videos were lame. He understood why the end of August was on-par with Christmas as the happiest day of the year around the store, because that's when school started again.
Catherine called every two weeks to check on his progress, or what she hoped would be his lack of it. With each phone call, Darcy's resentment of her grew. She never failed to ask personal questions and to chastise him for doing things which she considered undignified. One time, Darcy took great relish in telling her when she asked what he'd been doing outside of work that he'd trounced Jack and Chazz at miniature golf.
"Miniature golf?" Catherine had choked out. "With...with windmills and stupid clowns and things like that?"
"I aced the windmill hole," Darcy said proudly.
"Darcy, a man of your position does not play...miniature golf."
"Just look at it as practicing my putting," Darcy told her. "When I get back to New York, I'll be giving Tiger Woods a run for his money on the green."
"I am beginning to think this idea of mine was not such a good idea," Catherine mumbled. "You seem to have developed a compulsion to throw yourself into any blue-collar activity that comes your way. First you tell me you're bowling, now you're playing miniature golf."
"You told me that you wouldn't help Ginger unless I stayed the whole year. You can't suddenly change the rules because you don't like the results," Darcy said.
He could sense the struggle going on inside her head. On one hand, she wanted him home and away from any bad influences. On the other hand, she wanted to break the bond he had with Ginger and avoid helping her at all costs. In the end, the latter desire won out, and Darcy stayed where he was. But every time she called, she became less and less pleased with the arrangement.
Things had settled into place for Darcy, more or less. While the job wasn't what he would've wanted to do with the rest of his life, it wasn't as bad as he'd thought it would be at first. By the time he'd been there six weeks, he had a few regulars who came in just to see him. They were the ones who tipped the best. And while the job wasn't without stress, it was far less of a bother to be a mere employee than it was to be a manager. He liked getting along with most of his co-workers as opposed to not knowing anyone he worked with. He liked going out for a drink with Jack and Chazz at the end of a long day instead of going home to an empty apartment. He liked passing the time with Charlie when things were slow. She had a faster wit and a quicker tongue than anyone he'd ever met in his life. Although their romantic relationship had been a flop, their platonic one went well.
Darcy only wished that his relationship with Elisabeth would go as well. He had hoped that after the night she'd revealed her pregnancy, when they'd sat down and talked candidly about their past entanglements, their relationship would shift somewhat. Instead, it seemed to have stalled altogether, and he didn't know why. She wasn't rude to him. In fact, she went out of her way to be nice, but she didn't start a conversation with him. She hadn't been back to his apartment since that night. She seemed content to leave things the way they were. He'd first thought that maybe he'd said something to put her off, but if that had been the case she wouldn't be speaking to him at all.
Maybe she hadn't liked the idea of his previous girlfriends. Darcy still believed that the main sticking point was Charlie, and he could understand and respect that. But that didn't mean he intended to let the fact that he'd dated Charlie ruin his chances with Elisabeth. The fact that he'd remained friends with her should've been proof that she didn't blame him for the break up or that she'd have trouble with him dating Elisabeth.
He didn't push the issue, however. Elisabeth was pregnant and he didn't want to upset her. But more than that, he had to admit that something about the way he was starting to feel about Elisabeth scared him. It wasn't the baby or anything about her in particular. What scared him, when he thought about it, was the fact that he had never felt this way about anyone. It was something undefinable and scary, but he knew it had to be wonderful.
The more he got to know Elisabeth, the more he came to admire her. Although she didn't tell him anything directly, since she did her best to keep their relationship neutral, he picked up on things he heard her tell other people and also what other people said about her. He knew from talking to Jenna that Elisabeth's mother had been in a fury after Elisabeth told her she was pregnant. He knew from talking to Charlie that Elisabeth was still having mixed feelings about giving up the baby. He knew that she had a real sense of humor. He knew that she was vulnerable.
What he didn't know was how on earth he was going to go from here.
The rush came to an end when the rain slowed and the thunder and lightning moved on to the northeast. The last of the customers had just left when Elisabeth surveyed the damage left over from a spectacularly hideous lunch rush. The buffet was surrounded by crumbs, little bits of vegetables and meat, cavatini noodles, and two breadsticks sitting on either side as though placed there deliberately. (It wouldn't surprise her to find out that someone had done just that.)
There were two tables that were clean, but that was because they only seated two people. But even those tables didn't have place mats, so they'd been used during the rush. Most of the tables were covered with dirty plates, half-filled glasses with heavy condensation on the sides from the heat, filthy napkins, straw wrappers. Mud was tracked on the floor with a heavy concentration underneath one of the smoking tables where a group of construction workers had sat. If the day had been dry, the mud would've been dirt.
Elisabeth knew without having to turn around that the kitchen was almost as bad. Jack had tried his best to clean as they went along, but it wasn't easy and eventually he'd given up the fight. There was a dusting of cheese in front of the make table, while more crumbs covered the floor in front of the cut table where she'd been cutting pizzas as fast as she could for the buffet.
Elisabeth grimaced as a dull throb started to settle in her lower back. She reached behind her to rub the spot, not that it did any good. When she gave up the action as futile, her hands traveled around to settle on her stomach, which had been getting noticeably bigger lately. The baby was definitely making its' presence known these days.
"Someone once said that war is hell. He obviously never worked in food service in the middle of summer while being almost five months pregnant," she commented.
"As it was a guy who said it, he obviously wasn't pregnant," Jack said, who was carrying in a box of cheese. He dropped it on the make table and walked to the front counter. He stopped when he saw the damage. "Dear God."
"My words exactly," Charlie muttered as she stomped past them. She reached underneath the counter and pulled out the dish tub. "I think we should have a rule that all these bozos who come straight from construction sites should have to change shoes before they walk in here. See all that mud they tracked in?"
"Everyone tracked in mud today, Charlie. It's raining," Elisabeth pointed out.
Charlie gave her a dirty look and pointed to the front smoking table, where the worst of the mud was.
"They come in twice a week, Charlie. We can't afford to make them mad by asking them to change their shoes before coming in."
"They never tip, and we the wait staff are the ones who have to clean up after them. Why should we care whether or not they're happy?" Charlie didn't wait for an answer before heading to that table. She started tossing dishes into the tub, then stopped. "By the way, it was William Sherman."
Elisabeth's brow furrowed. "No, I think they're from Madison Construction. And don't you mean Sherwin Williams?"
"I wasn't referring to the guys who were sitting here. I was referring to your quote. 'War is all hell.' General William Tecumseh Sherman, better known as the man who marched his army through Georgia during the Civil War."
Darcy appeared just then, another dish tub in his hand. "I didn't know you were a Civil War buff, Charlie," he said as he walked to the other side of the dining area.
Charlie shrugged and went back to cleaning. "I've been interested in the Civil War since I saw North and South on TV. I think I was ten. Then I watched that Ken Burns documentary a few years ago. That's where I heard the quote."
"Is that who he was?" Elisabeth asked.
"Yup." Charlie finished the first table and moved to the next one. "That's probably where you heard it, too, El. You remember?"
"Unlike you, I don't have the amazing ability to remember everything."
"I don't remember everything. Just the trivial things. I have a small section of my brain specially designed for inconsequential things."
"We all have that. They just aren't as developed as yours, Charlie," Jack said. He looked at Elisabeth. "Want me to help them out, or should I get started on the kitchen?"
"Don't worry about the kitchen. I'll do it. If there's anything left to do when you finish helping them, you can help me out then."
"You sure?" Jack gave her rounded stomach a telling glance.
Elisabeth grinned. "I can push a broom and wield a cleaning rag just as good as anyone else. Better than some people, in fact."
Jack winked at her before walking into the dining room to help clear out the mess. Elisabeth knew the first thing she needed to do was to clear pizzas off the buffet, so she grabbed a trash can.
"I'm serious, though," she said, gingerly taking half-empty pizza pans and shoving the contents into the trash can. "If Sherman had had to work here, war might not have seemed so bad to him. He only had to face the Confederate army in the war. Here you have to put up with customers, the children they don't bother to discipline when they throw food everywhere and run around screaming, other co-workers, Thomas Palmer and the Company, and our Stone Age equipment which always wants to break down."
"And he wasn't pregnant," Charlie added. "Of course, neither are any of us. Just you." She had filled the dish tub and strained to lift it up. Taking slow, tentative steps, she headed for the dishwasher to unload everything.
Elisabeth finished with the pizza tins and wondered whether or not she wanted to risk burns by picking up the breadstick and sauce containers. She decided it could wait a minute. In fact, everything could wait a minute, because she needed to sit down. She looked at Darcy, who was diligently cleaning off non-smoking tables. She walked over to one of the tables he'd already cleared and took a seat.
Darcy stopped cleaning and looked at her. "Are you okay?" he asked softly. "Do you need something to drink?"
Elisabeth smiled. "I'd kill for a Dr. Pepper, but Charlie's here and she's banned me from drinking caffeine. She won't even let me have regular tea."
"She won't let you? How could she stop you if you really wanted to drink a soda?"
"The threat of having it poured over my head did the trick."
"So you really haven't had anything to drink since you found out you were pregnant?"
Elisabeth didn't answer, knowing she had to look guilty as hell, which was confirmed when Darcy chuckled. "You can't tell her," she said. "It's not like I drink a lot of it. Just the occasional soda. I mean, she won't let me smoke, I wouldn't drink alcohol even if she would let me...I have to have one thing."
"Better soda than alcohol and cigarettes," Jack pointed out.
Elisabeth jumped, having forgotten he was helping out in the dining room. She frowned at him.
"Okay, okay, I get the point. I'm butting out," he added, beating a hasty retreat to the back of the store.
"Did you want anything else?" Darcy asked.
"Just a glass of water, but I can get it. I'm not an invalid." Elisabeth started to get up from her chair.
"No, you just sit there," Darcy told her. "I'll get it for you. You worked hard and could use the rest."
"You worked just as hard," she objected.
"Yes, but as you just pointed out, you're pregnant. And I'm not." Darcy walked over to the beverage bar. Elisabeth heard the grinding of the machine as it slowly dropped ice, then the hum as water was poured. Darcy reappeared with her glass, which he set in front of her with a small bow. "Will Madame be requiring anything else?" he asked in a false British accent.
"Um...no. Thanks." Elisabeth fiddled with the glass before looking up at him.
There it was again...that Look. Every so often, she would catch him looking at her like that. It never failed to send a shiver down her spine, which was silly. He was probably just looking for a flaw or something.
Now you know that's not fair, Elisabeth. He hasn't said anything derogatory about you since that first day of work. In fact, he's been nothing but complimentary toward you lately.
Elisabeth took another drink of her water and heard, from the back, the faint strains of a debate brewing between Jack and Charlie as they headed back into the dining room.
"I don't care that he was a brilliant strategist. He fought a war for a cause he didn't believe in because he couldn't 'turn against the great state of Virginia.' What was so great about Virginia that he couldn't bear to fight against it?" Jack was arguing as he took a rag and started wiping off the tables Charlie had cleared.
"It's easy to take that point of view because the South lost the war," Charlie said, moving to the next dirty table to clean it off. "But when you consider that he was probably related to half the people living in Virginia at the time, would you have considered it right for him to fight against relatives? He had to live with those people after the war was over. He would've been hated and despised. I'm not saying he did the right thing by turning down Lincoln's offer to command the Northern armies, or that the war wouldn't have lasted nearly as long if he had, but he followed his heart. You can't blame the man for that."
"I'm sure there are a great many people who would disagree with you. Your argument only reinforces the fact that he took the easy way out."
"Guys!" Elisabeth called. "The Civil War's been over for a hundred and forty years. Let it die already."
Jack and Charlie ignored her, of course, continuing to argue over Robert E. Lee's allegiance before moving on to why he was revered while Sherman was not. Darcy had resumed cleaning as well, although for some reason he seemed to be taking more time with his non-smoking section than Charlie was.
"Do they do that often?" he asked, wiping off a table near Elisabeth.
"Uh-huh. It's a little bit of intellectual conversation in a place that doesn't have much of that to offer. I mean, I don't know much of what they're talking about." She felt a flush of embarrassment that she'd just admitted her lack of education to him. "I doubt anyone else would, either, except you."
Darcy finished the first table and moved to the next one, out of her line of vision. "There are all kinds of intellect, Elisabeth," he said. "Just because a person doesn't know all the minute details about the second battle of Bull Run doesn't mean he or she is stupid. And just because a person does know doesn't mean he or she is brilliant."
Elisabeth turned in her chair to find him looking at her with a small smile. She turned away and smiled to herself as he continued cleaning tables.
You can do it, Darcy. You know you can do it. All you have to do is string a few words together and before you know it, you'll be asking her out.
Darcy concentrated on getting his work done, taking his mind off of what he was doing to figure out ways he could ask Elisabeth out without seeming like he was asking her out. If he asked her out on a date, she'd probably laugh in his face or tell him she didn't think it was a good idea. But if he were to make it sound casual, like two friends meeting for coffee and a donut next door, well...
"Are you doing anything this evening, Elisabeth? Would you like to stop by Niemerg's and have a slice of pie and coffee?"
But she probably shouldn't have coffee. Well, perhaps he'd ask her for a slice of pie and a forbidden soda. That might work better. In fact, making the whole thing sound like a sneaky run around Charlie's "no caffeine" rule would probably be for the best. That way she wouldn't think he was asking her out.
There's nothing wrong with two friends going out and having a light snack, is there?
He couldn't say that, though. It sounded too defensive, for one thing. Besides, he was thinking pessimistically. Elisabeth would probably say yes to his question.
He hoped. If he could get up the courage to ask her.
What do you mean, get the courage to ask her? You're no weakling, Darcy Williamson. You have the blood of generations of Darcys running through your veins. You've taken on mergers without a second thought. You've made a name for yourself in the business world. Why should you be scared of one single pregnant female?
Darcy shook his head quickly, because that voice was starting to sound like Catherine.
Dear God. Am I losing my mind? I'm hearing voices now, and they're sounding like people I know. H-E-L-P!
Darcy told himself that he was being stupid. While getting Elisabeth's consent wasn't guaranteed, asking her out wasn't as hard as he was making it out to be. He knew why he was going through the struggle, though, and that was because he was scared she would say no.
She can't say no. I know that somewhere, in her mind, she feels something for me, too. It may not be more than a passing thought that I'm not a complete toad, but it's something positive.
"Darcy? Why are you pacing?" Elisabeth asked.
He flinched as he realized his mind had wandered completely off of his work. He'd been getting himself so psyched up about what he wanted to do that he'd started pacing, like he always did when he was nervous.
"Uh...I'm just...lost in thought," he admitted. "Sorry about that. I'll get right back to work."
"It's okay," she said. "I'm not carrying my whip at the moment, so you can relax."
"Oh, I know. I want to make sure I get everything done, that's all."
"And this was what had you pacing back and forth?"
You can do it. Go on. She's right here and Charlie's not around to hear you ask. Do it.
"Uh...well...I was wondering..."
Just then, the phone rang. Darcy could've cheerfully killed whoever was on it, because Elisabeth raced back to the front, shouting, "Don't get that! It'll be for me!"
"Damn," Darcy muttered under his breath before getting back to work.
Elisabeth sat in the office, a pencil stuck behind her ear and a notepad full of written instructions sitting beside her left wrist. She grabbed the mouse with her right hand and clicked on the box she wanted, intending to bring up the day's current sales figures.
The figures appeared----for about two seconds. With an angry sound, a box popped up on her screen telling her the program had committed a fatal error and would have to be shut down. With a curse, she closed it. After giving it a minute, she tried to start the program again, only this time the box appeared without the program opening at all.
"Jack!" she shouted. "This stupid piece of garbage is mocking me again!"
Ten seconds later, Jack appeared, wiping his hands on a paper towel. "What did you do this time, El?"
"Nothing! All I tried to do was open the file for today, and it gives me this." She showed him what she meant by attempting to open the program again and getting the same result. "Would a sledgehammer fix the problem?"
"Sledgehammers are for the unimaginative. Step aside and let the pro from Dover handle this."
"The pro from what?"
"It's a movie phrase. Ask Charlie about it while I fix this thing."
Elisabeth stood up and let Jack take over. She ambled back to the front, now much cleaner than it had been earlier. The salad bar was decimated and shakers needed to be refilled, but these were nothing compared to the gargantuan task that had been cleaning the dining room. Charlie was at the jukebox, hunting for a song. Darcy was at a computer, looking at his sales total for the day.
"You don't look happy," she said.
Darcy had noticed her approach and didn't look up from his screen. "Well, I was trying to figure out how much I have to claim. I barely made it today."
"Don't worry about it. Days like this are balanced out by the days you walk out of here with thirty bucks for a hundred-dollar sales day."
"True," he said ruefully. "So what's Jack helping you out with back there?"
"The computer, again."
"What's wrong with it?"
"Same thing that's always wrong----it's a hundred years old and it's the property of Planet Earth Pizza. Somehow, Jack always manages to fix things so they work again. He really is brilliant when it comes to computers."
Darcy felt a stab of jealousy but told himself he was being ridiculous. "Why does it break down if he fixes it?" he asked before he could stop himself.
Elisabeth thought it an odd question to go with the odd look on his face, but she answered anyway. "Because idiots like me and Bubba manage to screw it up again a few days after he fixes it."
"You're not an idiot. Why are you always putting yourself down like that?"
"Because when it comes to computers, I am. I know how to play Solitaire and goof off on the Internet, and I know what to do when the numbers come up on our computers and what I should do with them, but outside of that and basic word processing, I'm always managing to screw something up." She smiled wryly. "Story of my life."
"If the computer system is really as old as you say it is, why don't they replace it?"
"Because that would cost money, and if there's one thing the Company hates doing, it's spend money. They're a little better about doling out raises than the last company that owned us, but that's about it."
Darcy frowned slightly as he got lost in his thoughts, but since he didn't want Elisabeth to see that, he turned his gaze more firmly to the screen. He'd never thought about how things were at this end of the corporation before. He'd never thought that as he was enjoying his chauffeur-driven limousine and working with the fastest computer technology available that someone down the line was suffering because of all the extras he had.
The extras he knew he didn't need.
The first thing I intend to do when I get back to New York is to authorize new computers for this store.
"Are all the other stores like this?" he asked.
"No. A lot of the stores in the district have been either radically renovated or have been built in new places and given all-new equipment."
"Why not here?"
"Because although the Company owns the building, it doesn't own the land. We'd be stuck having to pay the lease on this for another seven years not to mention building a new store somewhere else and paying on that. Too much money involved. So we're stuck with a balky soda machine, ancient computers, and an oven that takes to not working at the oddest times." Elisabeth shrugged. "But what can we do? The Company's already passed judgment. There's no sense of giving ourselves headaches wishing we could have an upgrade."
Darcy wanted to tell her that he was important in the Company and that he could, with one phone call, have an all-new store built for Effingham...but he couldn't.
With all of his outrage at the way Effingham had been shafted, asking the next question turned out to be easier than he thought. His eyes sought her out. "Would you like to run past Niemerg's after work and have pie and soda with me?"
Elisabeth was taken aback, momentarily stunned that he'd asked her. "Are you asking me out on a date?" she asked.
"Uh...not a date, exactly. More like...uh...well, I guess maybe it is a date, sort of. Kind of. Yes."
"Sort of, kind of, yes." Elisabeth looked down at the swell of her stomach and only word came to mind. Why?
"But we could just be two friends going to have a snack and complain about our workplace," he said quickly, sensing that he was losing her. "We don't have to call it a date or even think of it as a date. We don't even have to eat. We could just have a soda."
"Okay," she said.
"Okay to the soda and pie or okay to not calling it a date?"
"Okay to the soda and pie...and to the date. Only why don't we make it dinner?"
This was more than Darcy had expected, but he was quick to answer. "Sounds great to me."
Elisabeth smiled. "Then it's a date. The only thing I ask is that you not mention it to Charlie. She might get upset about it...you know."
"Right, of course. I wasn't planning on saying anything." Darcy smiled and felt the knot that had formed in his stomach start to go away. A few minutes later, as he started working on filling shakers, he wondered why he'd been so nervous in the first place.
Elisabeth was spared having to watch herself around Charlie when her cousin left for a light treatment. Although she'd insisted she could put it off for half an hour to finish getting everything in order for the night shift, Elisabeth had told her not to be ridiculous, she had to go. Charlie had gone, but rather than relieving Elisabeth's guilt, her departure only made her feel guiltier because she was glad she was gone.
If this is how you're feeling now, what's going to happen if things progress beyond a first date for you and Darcy? she asked herself. She couldn't answer the question and tried to distract herself with work.
But first, she made a phone call to Jenna.
"Heartland Human Services. This is Jenna."
"Jen, it's me. I have a problem."
"Oh, no. Please, El, not another problem. The last problem you had cost me three weeks of hearing Ma wail about your unwed pregnancy and callous disregard for human life."
"It's nothing like that. It's not really a problem, actually, but a favor I need you to do me."
"Okay." Jenna didn't sound convinced.
"See, I have a date tonight----"
"That's a good thing, unless you don't really want to go out with this guy and you want me to do it."
"I wouldn't ask you to do that. You're dating Chazz. No, my problem has to do with Charlie."
"Why would it, unless..." Jenna gasped. "Elisabeth! You're not!"
Elisabeth could only manage a squeak before Jenna burst into laughter. She didn't stop laughing for two minutes, by which time Elisabeth was not only confused but more than a little upset.
"What's so funny?" she snapped when Jenna finally stopped laughing.
"Has he suddenly become the last man on earth? Because if I remember correctly, those were the only conditions under which you would go out with him."
"Okay, very funny. And now that you've had your laugh, tell me that you're going to help me with this."
"What do you want me to do?" she repeated.
"Just tell Charlie if she asks that I went to dinner with you, because that's what I told her. But only if she asks you. Please? Pretty please?"
"All right, I'll lie for you if she asks."
"You're the best. Really, you are, and I don't deserve you."
"No argument here." Jenna sighed. "El, since I've got you on the phone and a few minutes free, could I get your advice on something? If you're free, that is."
"Sure. I'm not doing anything but the cash count, and it can wait. What's the matter?"
Another heavy sigh. "Is Chazz around?"
Uh-oh. Elisabeth called up the delivery screen----thanks to Jack, the computers were working again----and saw that he was out. "Not at the moment. Start talking."
"I told Ma that we were going out."
"Oh, no," Elisabeth groaned. "Bad idea. Why did you do that?"
"Because he's my boyfriend, that's why. Because I wanted Ma to stop trying to fix me up with some of the young guys Mel works with. And I was tired of lying to her about where I was going when I was really going out with Chazz."
"Why lie in the first place? Why not tell her when she asks that you're dating him?"
"Because you know how she would've been. And I did, too. But I got tired of it and decided to let her know about us."
"I'll take it from the way you're talking that she didn't take it so well."
"That would be putting it mildly. She started yelling that it was bad enough one daughter was ruining her life, did another one have to do the same thing?"
Elisabeth winced slightly at the well-placed jab at her. Jenna obviously realized this because she said, "Sorry, El. Her words, not mine."
"I know, I know. So, what did you tell her?"
"What could I say? I told her that I didn't appreciate her comments and that no matter what she said, I was going to continue seeing Chazz."
"Good for you! So what's the problem? Other than having to live with Ma when she's in one of her moods, which means living in the reincarnation of the Cold War?"
"For some reason, Chazz wasn't happy to hear about it."
"Hear about it? Wasn't he there?"
"No. I didn't want to expose him to Ma's defamation of his character. I was afraid he'd act outrageously, like he normally does when he's attacked like that. It was the last thing the situation needed. But now he thinks because I didn't take him to dinner when I told Ma that I'm ashamed to go out with him. That's not the case at all!" Jenna sounded like she was close to weeping. "And he hasn't called me since then and I don't know what to do."
"Why don't you give him a few days to get over it? He's hurt, and he's going to stay hurt for a few days until it sinks into the thick head of his that you were only trying to protect him. Then he'll love you more than ever and things will be okay."
"I wish I could believe that...but it isn't fair. The first guy I bring home to meet Ma in almost two years, and this has to happen."
"Try having to go through that every six months and you'll have walked a mile in my shoes," Elisabeth said quietly. "After a while, you just learn to stop caring for her opinion. If everything went her way, I'd be married to some hotshot would-be lawyer or doctor with a baby on the way. Well, I've got the baby, just not the lawyer or doctor to go with it."
"I'm being serious here," Jenna sniffed.
"I am, too. I know you love Ma, but I think it might be a good idea if you moved out again. You can come live with Charlie and me again. We'll just go back to rotating beds. I know what you're about to say, and to that I tell you, don't let Ma influence you. She made you feel guilty enough about moving to St. Louis so that you'd move back home, but enough is enough. If she's going to give you so much grief about your boyfriend, you need to get out of there before she persuades you to break up with him."
"I wouldn't do that."
Elisabeth bit her lip to stop herself from saying that Jenna had done it before. Of course, Ruth had been right and the guy hadn't been worth Jenna's loyalty, but Chazz was different. Chazz might not make a lot of money and he was definitely more than a little loopy but he was a good guy. Jenna couldn't do better.
"Just think about it, okay? And if it gets to be too much, just know that the offer will be open as long as Charlie and I still have the apartment."
"Thanks," Jenna murmured. "I have to go now. I've got a three o'clock appointment."
"Okay...I'll talk to you later. Thanks again for covering for me."
"You're welcome."
The two of them exchanged goodbyes before hanging up. Elisabeth was left to stew about the latest situation her mother had instigated. Finally, with a frustrated sigh, she ran her hands through her hair and threw herself into her work.
Just as Elisabeth was finishing with the midday cash count up at the front register, Caroline and Lucy walked into the store. This wasn't ordinarily an odd occurrence, for they were around every day whether they worked or not, but today they were dressed up. Seriously dressed up. Both young women had styled their hair instead of their usual ponytails. Caroline's medium brown hair was pulled into a bouffant bun with two tendrils of hair framing her cheeks while Lucy's dyed pale blonde hair cascaded down her back in rippling curls. Heavy makeup had been applied. The dresses were both black, tight, and very, very short. Elisabeth made a note of their appearance before continuing to do her work. She wondered where Darcy was at the moment, because she knew the only reason they would've stopped by all dressed up like that was to see him.
Caroline had not given up hope that Darcy would finally give her the time of day. No matter how many times she'd practically thrown herself at him, he didn't give her a second glance.
Elisabeth smiled to herself as she thought, He was too busy giving girls like me and Charlie second glances instead.
Jack just stared at the two of them, but Chazz, having just returned from delivering a pizza, gave a wolf whistle of appreciation. Caroline preened and said, "Thank you."
"Is there a party being held somewhere?" Elisabeth asked politely as they twirled around on high heels.
"Don't you know what today is?" Lucy demanded.
Elisabeth thought on it a moment. "Come to think of it, no."
Caroline pouted. "Today's my birthday. I'm twenty-one."
"You were twenty-one last year, too," Jack muttered. "And the year before that. How old does that really make you, Caro?"
Caroline gave him a dirty look and didn't bother answering. "Is Darcy around?" she asked.
It was so tempting to tell Caroline that yes, he was here, but no, he wasn't interested. Elisabeth wished she could say that Darcy had no interest in obvious little nitwits who wore tight black dresses and too much makeup. If she did that, however, she would have to reveal how she knew that for certain. She'd end up telling Caroline that she had a date with Darcy, and then it would get back to Charlie.
Best not to say anything, she decided. "In the back somewhere, but you can't go through here on those shoes. They're a liability."
"I've been through the kitchen before on shoes worse than these," Caroline protested.
Elisabeth fixed her with a look. "Yeah, and we've got the doctor's bills to prove it, too. Sprained ankle, off work for three weeks...starting to come back to you?"
"Then could you please go and get him for me? Please?" Caroline begged.
The last thing Elisabeth wanted to do was to get Darcy for Caroline, but she didn't have much choice. "Sure," she said, setting her pencil down and trudging through the kitchen. She found Darcy sitting in the office, munching on a bread stick. "Hey, Darcy? You have a visitor."
"It's not Caroline, is it?" he asked.
"I'm afraid it is, and she's all dressed up, waiting for you to sweep her off her feet and carry her to your penthouse in the sky."
Darcy coughed for a minute, then took a tentative sip of his soda. "She's aware of the fact that I don't have a penthouse in the sky, isn't she?"
"It's hard to tell with her sometimes. She sees the convertible and thinks you have more money where that came from. I heard her talking last week and I'll have you know she's dying to see what your apartment looks like."
"I hope you told her it's just like yours, only upstairs."
"I believe I said something to that effect. Anyway, she's waiting. Go up there, tell her she looks nice, but that you're busy tonight. It's her birthday and I think she plans on guilting you into taking her out."
Darcy took another sip of his soda before looking at her. "It's a good thing I had the presence of mind to ask you out, isn't it?"
Elisabeth hastily looked around to see if anyone was nearby. Luckily, no one was. "Yes, it was. I'm the perfect excuse...as long as you don't mention that to Caroline."
"Don't worry. Discretion is my middle name." Darcy stood up and stretched, working out a kink that had developed in his shoulder. When he was done, he walked to the front of the store where Caroline was waiting. Jack was standing close by, writing labels for the dough that was currently proofing.
The moment she saw him, Caroline stood up straighter, sucked in her stomach, thrust out her chest, and smiled. "Hi, Darcy," she said breathlessly.
Elisabeth almost groaned. She's seen one too many Marilyn Monroe movies, she thought.
"Hello, Caroline. You look lovely. So do you, Lucy," he said politely. "What's the occasion?"
"It's my birthday," Caroline replied. "I'm twenty-one today."
"Try twenty-four, at least," Jack corrected her. "Chazz told me you pulled this 'twenty-one' crap three years ago, too."
Darcy's lips twitched, but he didn't laugh as Caroline's expression went from adoring to furious. "Drop dead," she hissed at Jack before turning her attention back to Darcy. "Anyway, it's my birthday. Lucy and I are having a party at Randy's Landing and I wanted to personally invite you to join us. Everyone's going to be there."
"Gee, Caro, I don't remember being invited," Jack said, setting down his pen.
"I'm trying to have a private conversation with Darcy here. Do you mind?"
"I would've thought by now you'd have realized that there is no such thing as a private conversation to be had here at Planet Earth Pizza." Jack gave her a beatific smile before returning to his labels.
Caroline closed her eyes for a minute. She opened them again and gave Darcy a beguiling look. "So, what do you say? Would you like to join us?"
Darcy sighed. "You know, Caroline, it sounds like it might be fun, but I already made plans for the night."
"Plans? What kind of plans?"
"Er...well, my sister calls every week and tonight's her night to call me."
"But it's my birthday. Surely that's more interesting than a phone call, even from a sister. Why can't you call her tomorrow?"
"Because she'll be working tomorrow when I'm off and be off when I'm working," Darcy lied. "And it'll go on like that for the rest of the week. If I don't catch her tonight, I don't talk to her for another week."
"Well, how about after you get off the phone with your sister? You don't have any plans after that, do you?"
"Darcy and I are planning to watch the Cardinals game on TV," Jack said quickly. "Chazz might be with us to jeer the team. Maybe we'll invite Charlie to bonk him on the head when he gets too obnoxious."
At the mention of Charlie, Caroline's face went grim. Although they had only been together less than two weeks and had been apart for three months, mentioning Charlie usually deflated Caroline's aspirations. Darcy suspected it reminded Caroline of the type of woman Darcy liked----intelligent, witty, pretty, and definitely not obvious.
"The Cardinals will be on tomorrow night, too," Caroline pouted. "It's not every day I have a birthday, you know. Please say you'll come."
"I'm not promising anything," he said, hoping that a half-hearted consent would placate her.
And it did, if her squeal was to be the judge. "Terrific! We'll be there all night because Lucy knows the bartender, which means free drinks for me. Try to get there as soon as you can, okay?"
"Uh..."
"Great! Did you hear that, Lucy! He said he was coming!" Caroline rushed over to where her friend had gone to sit, talking with Chazz.
Jack stopped working on his labels. "I didn't hear you say you were definitely coming," he said.
"That's right. If she asks about it, I'll just tell her that I got sick or something."
"Was the part about having other plans true?" Jack asked. "I figured the part about your sister calling wasn't from the way you hesitated before answering."
"I have a date," Darcy said. "Just don't tell Caroline."
"Sure thing," Jack said, but his eyes seemed to get grim. He didn't say anything else and Darcy was left to wonder what he might've said that offended him.
Darcy actually got off work half an hour before Elisabeth did, which meant he had to wait around for her to get finished while managing not to look like he was waiting around for her. Not easy to do, but he managed to stretch counting his tips, cashing in his ones for larger bills, and playing a few video games (which he was hopeless at) into half an hour. Elisabeth clocked out, winked at him, and he knew he was to leave first. He got to the restaurant five minutes before she did and was seated.
Elisabeth joined him, pleased that he'd insisted on a booth. Niemerg's booths had curtains that could be shut for some privacy, which was essential since one never know who would pop up unexpectedly. Elisabeth intended to draw the curtains as soon as possible.
The waitress showed up immediately. "Are you ready to order?" she asked perkily. Her name was Kimi and within thirty seconds, she'd winked twice at Darcy while virtually ignoring Elisabeth.
"I believe I am," Darcy said. "What about you, Elisabeth?"
"Definitely." Elisabeth waited until the young woman turned before starting to order. She despised rude waitresses, especially those who were rude to her while sucking up to other people in her party. Especially when she was with a guy on a date. "I'll have a Manhattan with green beans and Texas toast, please. And a Dr. Pepper. I'll also have a slice of cherry pie with a scoop of ice cream, but that can wait until later."
"Yes, ma'am. And you, sir?" Kimi was fast to swivel her hips back in Darcy's direction, to no avail. He was paying more attention to the menu.
Darcy perused the menu for another moment before saying, "I'll have a...a bacon cheeseburger with fries and a Pepsi, and also a slice of the cherry pie with ice cream later."
"Would you like any appetizers to go with that?" The waitress asked, rapidly writing.
Darcy glanced at Elisabeth, who gave him a look of longing but didn't speak. "Did you want something else?" he asked.
"I do, but I don't want to bankrupt you."
Darcy grinned. "I knew there would be a disadvantage to taking out a woman who knows exactly how much I make a week. Don't worry, El. My checking account will be fine. Order whatever you'd like."
Elisabeth hesitated only a second. "Okay, then. I'll take an order of mozzarella sticks. You'll have to try one, Darcy. They're wonderful. In fact, bring two orders, because he'll want his own."
"Okay." The waitress took their menus. "Help yourselves to the salad bar whenever you're ready."
"Thank you," Darcy said as she walked away. He turned back to Elisabeth. "What did you just order?"
"What, the Manhattan? It's what my mother used to call mishmash. It's basically hamburger in gravy and seasoning with a layer of mashed potatoes covering it. Niemerg's doesn't quite make it as good as my mother's, but they're not bad. Better than mine, which inevitably gets burned when I cook it."
"So I take it you don't cook," he said.
Elisabeth glanced around before lowering her voice and saying, "Don't you dare tell anyone this, but I actually can cook."
"Why would you want to keep that a secret?" Darcy whispered back.
"Because if anyone knew, they'd expect me to cook for them. I've managed to get out of cooking for potluck dinners by pretending I don't know how. I usually offer to bring the soda and no one objects." She raised her voice again to add, "But I really can't cook a decent mishmash. And since my mother and I have been fighting since I reached the age of reason, and haven't even been speaking for the past several months, it's been a while since I had it." Elisabeth sighed. "And that, I think, is the true story of my life. Everything I love is on hold at the moment."
"How's the not smoking going?" he asked.
"It's hell," she admitted with a sigh. "Mark Twain once said that giving up smoking was the easiest thing in the world. How did he know? Because he'd done it thousands of times."
Darcy laughed. "Where did you hear that?" he asked.
Elisabeth smiled sheepishly. "This is going to sound stupid, but I collect quotes. I love them. I don't usually go around spouting them like I have today, but I have a printout of the quotes I've collected over the years. I've got close to a hundred pages."
"Seriously?"
Elisabeth nodded. "When I was waiting tables, I would write a quote at the top of my notepad. The quote always changed. Sean said he always looked forward to working with me and getting 'the quote of the day.'"
"I don't think that's stupid," Darcy said. "It's great. There's a lot of wisdom to be found in quotes, you know."
"I never looked on it that way." Elisabeth stood up. "I think I'm going to get some tortilla chips and cheese. I'm starving."
Darcy joined her at the salad bar. He fixed himself a healthy salad with low-fat dressing while all Elisabeth took was a plate full of tortilla chips and a soup cup full of cheese. By the time they'd returned to the table, their drinks were waiting for them. Neither of them spoke for a few minutes, being content to eat. Elisabeth munched on her tortilla chips and marveled that she didn't feel like talking. Usually when she was with a guy, she felt as though she had to make conversation to keep him interested in her. Not this time, however.
Elisabeth wished she was wearing something other than her Planet Earth Pizza work shirt----which she was getting too big for----and black pants which had seen better days. She should've insisted on at least half an hour to rush home and change, but she guessed that wouldn't have been such a good idea. She would've run into Charlie and would've had to explain further why she was dressing up just to go out with Jenna.
But, she rationalized, Darcy wasn't looking much better. His Planet Earth Pizza shirt had a definite grease stain close to where his shirt was tucked into his pants, and he hadn't taken off his name tag.
Darcy finished his salad and smiled at her. "Wondering why you're here?" he asked.
"Hmm?"
"You had this far-off look on your face, like you were wondering why you were here. I must be boring you by not talking."
"Oh, no, I wasn't thinking that at all. The opposite of that, actually. I was thinking it was kind of nice to be able to enjoy a dinner without having to feel the need to be constantly talking."
"Oh." He looked relieved, and he was.
The mozzarella sticks arrived just then, with more winking and smiling on Kimi's part. When Darcy ignored her, she walked away to work her magic on another table. Darcy tried one of the appetizers and pronounced it heavenly, which made Elisabeth glad she'd decided on a double order, because they were both starving.
"How are things going with you?" he asked. "I mean...well, I shouldn't know, but I hear things about your mother and...."
Elisabeth swallowed what she was eating before saying, "So you've heard that she isn't liking the idea of being a grandmother, have you?"
"Yes."
"She doesn't like the idea of losing her first grandchild, either, if you can believe that. She doesn't want me to become dependent on her or anyone else, but she also doesn't want me to give the baby away because I can't afford to bring it up."
"What would be a perfect solution to her?" Darcy reached for another mozzarella stick, dipped it in marinara sauce, and bit into it.
"For me to be married. I don't think she'd be happy if I married George, but she'd accept it. She'd prefer it if I married someone with money and a good name. Although I can't say for sure. Like I said, we haven't talked in months. Not since I told her, in fact."
Money and a good name...well, I would certainly qualify. The words were there, on the edge of his tongue, waiting to be spoken, but he couldn't do it. This was only their first date. He didn't want to scare her by talking about the two of them as though they were already a set deal, already a couple, headed for the altar.
"Did you have a good relationship with your mother? Charlie told me that she and your father were killed when you were a kid." Elisabeth toyed with her food, finally taking one and popping it into her mouth, ignoring the fact that it was still hot.
"Yeah, they...died. As for my relationship with her, I guess it was all right." Darcy's brow furrowed. "It's funny, but I don't have too many specific memories of her or of my father. Just images and feelings. Sometimes, I'll remember something specific, like when we went bowling. Dad loved to bowl. He was teaching Mom and I all of his secrets, although I think I learned them better than Mom did."
"How old were you when they died?" Elisabeth was sure Charlie had told her that, too, but she couldn't remember.
"Ten. I was ten."
"Then you're right. It is kind of funny how you don't remember much about them. I mean, I can remember a lot of things about when I was ten." Elisabeth took a drink of Dr. Pepper, savoring the flavor before swallowing. "Of course, I don't remember too much of what happened the two weeks after my father died, so I guess losing your parents had something to do with it."
"In part," Darcy agreed.
"Charlie also told me you had a sister...Virginia, wasn't it?"
"Ginger. It's short for Georgiana Rose. I couldn't say her name properly when they first brought her home from the hospital, so we started calling her Ginger. It stuck with her." Darcy smiled. "Ginger and I get along great. She's a wonderful sister."
"Good. Hearing about that guardian of yours made my skin crawl, to be quite honest. What sort of woman controls another person's life?"
Darcy's eyes widened. Charlie, you told me you wouldn't tell anyone what I told you!
"I mean, you didn't say much about her, but from what you said I got the impression that this woman...well, she sounds like my mother on steroids."
What I said?
"Er...what exactly did I say?" he asked.
"You probably don't remember much about it because it was at the party. You said that she controlled your life and wouldn't approve of what you're doing now. I always figured you couldn't stand it any more and ran away from her, because you also said she didn't know where you were."
"Oh." Darcy remembered what he'd said then.
"What does your sister do?"
"She's working for a company called Westendorf. They're an ad agency. She's always wanted to work in advertising."
"Was this in accordance with your guardian's wishes?"
You have to tell her the truth. If she understands the truth, these questions will become moot. In fact, you wouldn't have to lie to her.
"I can see I've touched a nerve. You're probably sick to death about that subject, aren't you?"
"Well----"
"It's okay. We don't have to talk about it. Believe me, I understand what it's like to talk a subject to death."
"You do?"
Elisabeth finished off another mozzarella stick. "Mmm...heavenly. The first subject that I'm sick of talking about is my mother, followed closely by George Wickham and the baby."
"I...I guess it must be difficult to have people talking to you about the baby when you're planning on giving it up for adoption," Darcy said quietly before taking a drink.
Elisabeth hesitated before answering. "It is, in some ways," she replied. "But even more difficult to deal with are the days when I wonder if I'm doing the right thing."
"You're thinking of keeping the baby?" he asked.
Elisabeth sighed and fiddled with her silverware. "It's a stupid idea. The money I make is okay, but it's not enough for me and a baby. And if I did keep it, I know Charlie would move out so that would mean more money out the door. Twenty-four thousand dollars a year sounds like a lot before you throw in taxes, rent, utilities, car payment and so on. Add the expenses of a baby to that...it would be impossible. Giving the baby up for adoption to a good home that will love it and take care of it is the best option for me and for it."
"But..."
"But some days I wake up and the baby gives a little kick to let me know it's there, and it hits me that come December, it's going to be a human being. It's going to be my baby. That realization makes me consider the possibility of raising it on my own. I have to remind myself of all the disadvantages this child would face if I raised it on my own."
"Would you be having this argument with yourself if there were a potential father in the picture?" he asked rashly.
Elisabeth's eyebrows rose. "Are you volunteering?"
"I...I don't know." Darcy stared at his plate, his appetite suddenly gone. He nearly jumped out of his seat when Elisabeth reached across the table and took one of his hands in hers.
"I appreciate the thought, but I wouldn't use you that way."
Darcy looked up to see Elisabeth's eyes shining with tears. "I didn't mean to make you cry," he said.
"Oh, it's nothing. I've become a watering can over the last couple months. I don't think I've cried this much since my dad died." Elisabeth dabbed at her eyes with one of the extra napkins on the table. "Darcy, why did you ask me out?"
Darcy almost laughed. That question must run in the family, he thought, remembering Charlie asking him the same thing the first time he'd asked her out. "Because I wanted to go out with you," he said.
"No, that can't be it. I mean...look at me. I'm not especially pretty, or smart or talented. I'm five months pregnant, for God's sake. Why did you ask me out?"
"Why do you think you're not pretty? I think you're lovely. And I already told you that any intelligence you can find in a book is overrated. I'm living proof of that. As for the baby...well, I don't care about that either."
"It's nice of you to say...no one has ever told me I was lovely." A tear fell, followed by another. "But why?"
Darcy took a deep breath and plunged in. "Because ever since the night of your party, I haven't been able to get you out of my mind," he admitted.
"But...but...you never said."
"I know, because I was afraid. I was afraid you weren't interested in me, or that I would ask you out and you'd say no. That's why I was really pacing today, when you caught me. I always pace when I'm nervous."
"Really?"
He nodded. "I've been trying to figure out the best way to ask you out for the past two months."
Elisabeth giggled. Before long, her giggle became full-blown laughter. When she was under control, she gasped, "All you had to do was ask me! I would've said yes."
"And how was I to know that, I ask you? You've been avoiding me a bit since that night you came up to my apartment to talk."
"Well...revealing the intimate details of your love life with a guy you barely know will do that to you. I was afraid you were put off by it."
He shook his head. "I don't think you could do anything now that would do that."
Elisabeth was on the verge of saying something when Kimi reappeared.
"Here you guys go!" Kimi had returned with a tray of their food. She set Elisabeth's Manhattan in front of her, then Darcy's bacon cheeseburger. "Is there anything else I can get for you right now? More to drink or anything?" She once again had eyes only for Darcy.
"I think I'd like more Dr. Pepper, please," Elisabeth said although her glass was half full. Kimi, her attention forced back to Elisabeth, gave her a sickly smile and disappeared with her glass. She waited until Kimi had returned with the glass and made sure they needed nothing else before she spoke again. "Thank you."
Darcy had been about to take a bite of his burger. "For what?"
"For saying what you just said. About there being nothing I could do that would put you off." Elisabeth smiled.
"Don't thank me for that. It's the truth."
The two of them ate, turning their conversation to a less emotionally-charged subject.
Elisabeth walked into the apartment, feeling like she was floating. All this time, she'd thought Darcy hadn't liked her, when all along he'd been working up the courage to ask her out! And he'd been a gentleman, not attempting to kiss her before they'd left the restaurant or anything. She'd stewed over that for a few minutes on the drive home before coming to the conclusion that for Darcy, something like that was only second nature. All his previous girlfriends, with the exception of the journalist he'd mentioned, had been straitlaced and dull. They probably wouldn't let him kiss him on the tenth date. So not getting a kiss on the first date was nothing to really worry about.
"Hi!" she heard Charlie call, and her bright mood plummeted as she shut the door. Charlie.
Elisabeth felt like smacking herself in the head. Although Charlie had said the night of the break up that it had been mutual, and she was still good friends with Darcy, Elisabeth sensed a lingering sadness in her cousin about the way things had gone with him. Charlie's words of that night came back to haunt her now.
"I keep looking for a thunderbolt that might never come...I should just find some guy I like the look of an hope the look of me doesn't make him sick. And I just blew it with the first guy who fits that description. I am such an idiot!"
Charlie hadn't had a date since then. Elisabeth had hoped that since one guy had found her attractive, Charlie might finally start dating, but instead it seemed as though she'd had the opposite reaction.
"Hi," Elisabeth finally replied. "Uh...how are you?"
"Pretty good. I've spent the past three hours cleaning my room and you wouldn't be able to tell from what I got done." Charlie ambled into the living room.
"You spent your time going through old stories again, didn't you?"
"How'd you guess?"
"Because that's what always happens to you when you get the urge to clean your room. You start with the junk underneath your bed and get stuck there. Remember that one time you started cleaning when left for work one morning and when I came home, you were still cleaning out the boxes under your bed?"
"Yeah, yeah. So, how was dinner with Jenna?"
Elisabeth shrugged. "You know. Same old, same old. I think something's wrong between her and Chazz."
Charlie frowned. "What could be wrong between her and Chazz? I thought after they finally got together that everything would be great."
"Getting together was only half the battle, and you know it."
"Your mother?"
Elisabeth nodded. Charlie cursed, then went back to her room. Elisabeth flopped onto the couch, putting her feet up and yawning. She reached for the TV remote, getting rid of the baseball game Charlie had been watching in favor of a rerun of Friends she found.
Charlie returned a moment later. "So why would Ruth's opinion come between Chazz and Jenna?"
"I guess Chazz got mad because Jenna didn't invite him when she told Ma. I mean, I can sort of see how it would look bad to Chazz, but Jenna was only trying to protect him. Who knows what she might've said if he'd been there?"
"Maybe she wouldn't have said half of what she apparently did."
"Has that ever stopped her?"
"Well, no."
"Exactly. So Jenna tries to shield him from that and he gets mad. He thinks she's embarrassed to date him or something. Basically, she goofed, he's mad, and she's afraid she's going to lose him."
Charlie sighed. "You know, I knew there was a reason I didn't date much. I just figured it out."
"C'mon. If you had brought Chazz home, your parents would've been thrilled."
"My parents would be thrilled if I brought anyone home. At this point, I don't think they would care if he was a bum or a billionaire, as long as he was breathing."
"Why didn't you introduce them to Darcy? He certainly qualified." Elisabeth's heart rate picked up a bit, but she knew if she didn't ask the question, Charlie might wonder why.
"We didn't date long enough to get around to it."
Elisabeth stared at her cousin for a minute, trying to discern some sort of reaction to the memory of her break-up with Darcy. Was she depressed? Indifferent? Happy? It was difficult to tell, and trying was starting to give her a headache.
"He'll get over it. You know Chazz. He can't stay mad at anyone with the exception of J.P. for very long. I predict that by the end of the week, Chazz and Jenna will be trying to make out in the store parking lot again." Charlie chuckled.
"How long did it take that cop to get their attention?" Elisabeth asked, snickering.
"According to Danie, ten minutes." Charlie sighed. "And now I have to get back to the room. By the way, you got something from a law office. I left it on the table." Charlie disappeared down the hallway.
Elisabeth's curiosity was piqued. She hadn't been to see a lawyer yet about what she'd need to do in order to have her baby adopted, but Charlie's words reminded her that she needed to do it. In the meantime...why was a law office sending her something?
The return address informed her that the letter had come from Seidel & Willemburg. She ripped open the envelope and opened the papers held within. As she read, she started to get mixed emotions. She read through the documents twice to make sure she'd understood them fully.
With a heavy sigh, she sat down in Charlie's chair and leaned her head far enough back that she could see the ceiling. "It was from George," she called.
That brought Charlie back immediately. "What was?"
"The stuff from the law office. George is wanting to give up all rights to the baby."
Charlie took a seat on the couch and yanked the papers out of Elisabeth's hand. She read through them and murmured, "I'll be damned. So he does." She looked at Elisabeth. "You okay with this?"
"Hmm?" Elisabeth turned her head Charlie's way. "Yeah, I guess I am. I mean, that's all I want him to do, anyway. This way the baby can be adopted without the adopting parents worrying about a baby Jessica situation happening. Especially if the baby ends up being adopted by someone with money."
Charlie snorted and handed the papers back to Elisabeth. "I could just see him withholding his rights until they agreed to give him a nice fat check."
"Now, Charlie, be fair. He's a jerk and he's arrogant and he doesn't know half of what he thinks he does, but he's not an extortionist." Elisabeth folded the papers and set them on the end table.
"I think I need to clean my ears. Did I just hear you defend the jerk?"
"He is my baby's father."
"He's also the jerk who announced to a bowling alley full of people that he wasn't the father and that you slept around on him."
"Well, now he's admitting he's the father, but he wants nothing to do with the baby. It's a step in the right direction...so to speak."
"Can he do that? Just give up rights to the baby when he's claimed he doesn't think he's the father? And can he do this before the baby's born?"
"I guess so, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to send these." Elisabeth looked at the papers again.
"Do you have to go to court or anything?"
"I don't know. This is probably something the lawyers could do without either of us being there. I haven't talked to anyone about it yet."
Charlie frowned. "You don't think you're leaving it a bit late?"
"I don't exactly know how to go about this sort of thing. It's not like I've ever given a baby up for adoption before." Elisabeth subconsciously placed a hand on her stomach. "I guess now I will have to get a lawyer and get started on...everything."
"You could take the easy way out and tell Sean and Rachel you'll let them adopt the baby."
Elisabeth shook her head. "I thought about it, but no. Rachel doesn't want to adopt and...and I think it would be too uncomfortable if I went that way. I don't know if I could handle knowing that the baby would be so close and not being able to be the mother. It would be better if it's a private, anonymous adoption."
Charlie looked at her cousin with wise eyes. "Better for whom?"
Elisabeth could only stare at her, unsure of the answer anymore. She didn't know if she'd ever been sure to begin with.
Brisk, abrupt knocking at the door snapped Darcy's daydreaming just as he'd gotten to the part where he introduced Elisabeth to Catherine and Anne. Telling himself that there was no point in dreaming when he could be making the dream a reality, he cleared his mind and went to answer his door, certain it was Elisabeth.
He threw the door open to find Chazz standing there, looking miserable.
"Hello, Chazz," he said, hoping he didn't sound disappointed.
"Hey. Mind if I come in?"
"No, not at all." Darcy stepped aside to let his friend in, then closed the door behind him. Chazz didn't bother looking about the apartment before saying, "Nice place."
"Thanks. So, what's wrong?"
Chazz sat on the sofa and said, "You got anything to drink? Calvert's, Seagram's, Budweiser?"
"Ah...no. Everything I have is non-alcoholic."
"Hell, water would do."
"That's something I have in abundance." Darcy poured a glass of water for Chazz and brought it to him, then sat down. "Now, what's going on?"
Chazz took a drink of his water before answering. "It's Jenna. I know that, being the person who knows me the least of all my friends, I shouldn't have come to you, but it's because you don't know me so well that I feel I can trust you not to tell anyone else. And I can trust you not to do that, right?"
Darcy frowned. Chazz was talking faster than usual for him, and looking extremely nervous. This was not the Chazz Bingley he'd gotten to know over the past three months. "Of course I won't tell anyone," he promised.
"Great, cool. Okay, so, you know that Jenna and I have been going out for a while."
"I believe I was aware of that, along with half the population of Illinois." Darcy leaned back in his chair. "So, is it problems with her mother?"
Chazz nodded. "Jenna broke the bomb to her mother last week. Needless to say that Mrs. Atchison didn't take it well at all."
"You were there?"
Chazz shook his head. "No. Jenna thought it would be better if she told her without me being there. She said it was to shield me from whatever comments her mother made about Jenna dating a delivery driver, but I'm not so sure that's what it was."
"You're thinking Jenna's ashamed to invite you to dinner with her mother?"
Chazz didn't answer for a minute, telling Darcy everything he needed to know. "It's not just that," he said when he spoke again. "I get frustrated with the way Mrs. Atchison tries to run Jenna's life. I remember when she'd stop by the store when Jenna, El and Charlie first moved into the apartment. Her mother was always hounding Charlie about what sort of things were going on, like were Jenna and Elisabeth eating properly and what sort of men were coming by and what did those men do for a living. Jenna's father used to be an architect, and her mother was always having important people for dinner...and always invited their sons. Jenna's known and dated guys who have money to burn, guys with important jobs. I'm two years away from getting my degree despite the fact that I've spent a lifetime in college."
"Right."
"So I get to thinking...am I good enough for Jenna?"
"Chazz...please tell me you're not seriously giving her mother's opinion any consideration whatsoever."
"I can't help it. Darcy, I've never thought myself any better or worse than anyone else in this world with a few exceptions here and there, but when I see what my life's become through the eyes of Jenna's mother, I can't help but think that if Jenna were my daughter, I wouldn't be happy about having some guy like me dating her, either."
"And Jenna telling her mother that you're her boyfriend without you being there makes you wonder if maybe she didn't tell her mother the whole truth?"
"It's not just that. I mean, Mrs. Atchison's aware of what I do. I've delivered enough pizzas to her house by now that she knows who I am.
Chazz nodded and took another drink of water. "Damn, I need something stronger than this," he muttered.
Darcy thought about this for a moment before he realized where he could get something stronger. The only problem was, Elisabeth was down there and he couldn't explain the situation to her. "I think El and Charlie might have something," he said. "I can go downstairs and check."
"They'll want to come up," Chazz said.
"Nah. I'll tell them we're sitting around drinking beer and watching football. Isn't that what men normally do?" He stood up.
"Yeah, but football doesn't start for another month. And if you say baseball, Charlie will come up here and join us."
"I'll think of something. Be right back." Darcy rushed downstairs and tapped on Elisabeth's door. A moment later, it swung open.
"Hi, Darcy," Charlie said with a smile.
"Hello, Charlie. The two of you wouldn't happen to have anything mildly alcoholic, would you?"
"I think there are a couple of beers someone left behind from the party a few months ago. I don't know how good they'd be, not being a beer drinker. I didn't think you drank beer, though."
"I don't. It's for Chazz."
"Chazz?"
"Yeah. He's upstairs in my apartment----"
"All upset because Ruth went ballistic about him dating Jenna?"
"Er...how did you know that?"
"Jenna told Elisabeth all about it. Come in and I'll see what I've got." Charlie wandered into the kitchen, not waiting for Darcy to follow her. He shut the door and waited for her to find what she was looking for. "Does he need a shoulder to lean on?" she asked as she opened the fridge.
"No," Darcy said quickly. "He insisted that I not let you upstairs. Although he doesn't know that you know what's going on."
"I don't really know all of what's going on. Elisabeth had dinner with Jenna tonight but said she was a bit tight-lipped about the whole thing. A-ha. Here they are." Charlie bent down and reached into the back of the refrigerator, pulling out two beers. "I think they must be Chazz's. He's the only one who drinks Budweiser. Sean converted everyone else to Keystone Light eons ago."
"He'll appreciate them," Darcy said. "So...Elisabeth had dinner with Jenna?" He'd been wondering how she had intended to explain their date to Charlie. Although he wasn't thrilled about having to resort to subterfuge, he supposed there was no other way for the time being.
"Mm-hmm." Charlie handed the cans to Darcy. "I'd hate to see this whole thing fall apart because of Ruth. It's not fair to either Chazz or Jenna, especially after having to wait so long to get their acts together."
"I'm sure things will work out fine," Darcy said confidently. "I don't see two intelligent adults allowing a meddling mother to interfere with their lives."
Charlie's eyebrows rose. "Really?"
Darcy wished he could swallow his tongue. Charlie didn't even have to say anything to let him know the huge crater he'd opened up by saying that. He had only to think of Catherine to realize what a stupid statement that had been.
"I think I'd better get back up to him. Thanks for the beers." Darcy hastily edged toward the door, opening it and starting to shut the door when he heard Charlie call out to him.
"Hey, Darcy!"
He turned back. "Yes?"
"Tell Chazz that Jenna doesn't care what her mother thinks about him or what he does. She loves him anyway." Charlie smiled. "Just in case he's getting worried."
"I'll be sure to tell him that." He didn't add that it would no doubt be a relief to Chazz. He let Charlie get the door behind him as he walked back upstairs and into his apartment. Chazz was still sitting on the couch, giving his telephone a funny look. "You're in luck, Chazz. Charlie and Elisabeth had a couple of beers that they say are yours from their party a couple months ago, so----"
"Why would Catherine de Bourgh be calling you?" Chazz asked.
Darcy almost dropped the beers. His gaze guiltily slid to the answering machine, which was flashing. How had he not heard the phone ringing while he'd been downstairs?
"I...I don't know w-what you're talking about," Darcy stammered.
"A woman just called for you...a Mrs. Jenkinson? She said that the minute you got home you were to call Ms. De Bourgh. She said she would be at the office until eight."
Darcy felt a knot forming in his stomach. Just when things had been going great with his co-workers and Elisabeth, Catherine had to butt in again. The woman must have radar, knowing just when to strike in order to create the most havoc in his life.
He sighed. "Catherine de Bourgh is my aunt," he said quietly. "And she was my guardian after my parents were killed when I was ten."
"So the story you told at the party, about the guardian who had no idea where you were, that wasn't true?"
Darcy nodded. "That part wasn't true. The rest of it was." Without thinking, Darcy tossed Chazz one of the beers and opened the other one for himself. He'd never had a beer in his life, and after taking a swig from the one he had, he realized that he hadn't been missing much. He took a seat in a chair and said, "You know how you said Ruth tries her best to run Jenna's life? That's the way Catherine is with me, only I let her do it. At first it was because she threatened to split me and my sister up as children, then later on because I grew so used to it that objecting seemed pointless."
"You have a sister?"
"Yes, I do." He sighed. "I don't suppose you've got a while to hear me out?"
Chazz snorted. "Nothing better to do, and I think this is a story I'm going to want to hear."
Darcy told him everything, from the day Catherine had briskly informed the social worker who had been placed in charge of the orphaned Williamson children that she was now their legal guardian to the phone message that Chazz had heard. Chazz listened to all this without asking a question as Darcy talked for nearly forty-five minutes.
"Damn," Chazz said once Darcy was done. "I'm telling Jenna that her mother's got nothing on that woman. She's like...Ice B----."
"Something like that," Darcy agreed weakly, taking another drink of his beer without tasting it. "But now you know that I'm not a spy for de Bourgh Enterprises. I'm in exile."
"I'll bet you thought she'd dropped you into hell when you first arrived."
"Something like that," Darcy repeated. "But the place sort of grew on me. Isn't that a frightening thought?"
"I would, except that it seems to have happened to a lot of us. Take Charlie, for example. She's fond of saying that she just came into the store one day because a friend of hers had gotten a job and said they were still hiring. She only intended to work through her senior year of high school. Nine years later, she's still around."
Darcy remembered what Charlie had told him. "Speaking of Charlie, she wanted me to tell you that Jenna says she loves you in spite of what her mother thinks or says."
Chazz brightened. "She does?"
"Yes. Did you doubt that?"
"I guess maybe I did. So if you were me, Darcy, what would you do?"
Darcy sighed. "I've never been in a situation like yours," he said honestly. "Most of the women I've dated have known who I am. I don't know that I'm qualified to give advice."
"But if you were..."
Darcy struggled to figure out something to say. "Just...do what you know you were going to end up doing. That's the best advice I can give you."
Chazz looked distracted but thoughtful. "Okay....okay. I will. Thanks for the advice." He stood up, setting his beer down, and started to walk away.
"Chazz!" Darcy called as he reached the door.
"Yeah?"
"About...about the other thing..."
Chazz turned around. "Don't worry, Darcy. I won't tell anyone about Catherine de Bourgh being your aunt."
"Thanks. And when you tell Jack, make sure he knows not to tell anyone, either."