Jump to new as of November 16, 1999
Jump to new as of November 26, 1999
Chapter One
418,418,418...there! She held her shivering hand up so that she could see the number scribbled on her palm. There was no mistake, nor was there an escape either. The dim light that fell on the door somehow reflected her emotions--sad and somber. She had always pictured her first night with someone that she would love more than life itself. With him, she would have felt completed and could ask for nothing more. But then, reality was cruel, and life was no fairytale. She reached out for the doorknob and was greeted by the coldness of the metal. There was no turning back. She stepped in and closed the door behind her.
"Oh, come on, Darcy", Wickham cried, "She's a real chick, I tell ya. I picked her out myself, why I would have nailed her myself if I wasn't saving it for my best bud's last straw of single life."
Darcy wasn't convinced. He was brought up better than this, better than to just score with any hooker that came along. Besides, that wouldn't make Caroline a happy bride if she ever finds out about this. Hey...wait a minute...that's right! Caroline would be absolutely inflamed by this. Why, this is as good as it gets to breaking off the engagement.
"Okay, fine", Darcy finally declared. "Hand me the keys". Wickham triumphantly tossed the keys into Darcy's hand and strode off.
" I can't believe that I'm actually going to do this", he muttered to himself as he stepped into the lift. 'She would be like any other one of them call girls. Just nail her, turn off the lights and I don't even have to say goodbye. No remorse, no guilt, no nothing. Piece of cake. '
Meanwhile...
She was shaking all over. G-d, am I doing the right thing? Isn't there another way to this? She knew the answer to that question would be an ugly 'no'. He had brought her up like his own daughter. He would defend her against his wife's hurtful remarks. Outsider, she'd call her. Occasionally, he would sneak her an ice cream when the rest of the girls have had theirs, but of course, once the Mrs was out, that is. Now all of his strength and agility have left him. Ailing on the hospital bed, he still had that look of love in his eyes for the only daughter that he had deemed worthy.... her.
Unconsciously, she wiped away a stray tear which had seemed to escaped in the midst of her painful recollections. She had the most beautiful eyes that one would give anything just to not see them shed tears of pain. She deserves better than this, and yes, she could have asked around for help. But the sad truth remains and beats her up whenever she wants out----her dearest Papa has only two weeks left before the operation and if she could not come up with the money for it, he would not even have a chance. She has to give him that chance. She owes him that much.
The turning of the doorknob shook her out of her reverie. This is it...
Chapter 2
The door opened and gave way to the struggling light trying to light up the dark room. It fell directly on Elizabeth. She squinted at the light and stood up.
"Hi," greeted Darcy candidly as he shut the door behind him, "You don't mind if I turn on the lights, do you?"
She shook her head. In the midst of her trepidation, she could not help but be intrigued of what this gentleman looked like.
She was the most beautiful creature that he had ever laid his eyes on. She had lovely dark hair, which danced with the breeze from the veranda. A stunning woman like her, she could have any guy on begging his knees, a married man cheat on his wife and a make a gay think twice.
Unquestionably, she had surpassed all his preconceive notions on a hooker. Why the term hooker was even too cruel to illustrate this angel. 'Those eyes, Lord help me...those eyes..' They simply took his breath away. Her eyes told him what her words had not, no doubt it has softness etched in them but he would be a fool to miss the fear etched in them. Most of all, he saw in them her sorrow and wished that he would know how to make them go away. 'Am I the cause of this?' He berated himself for taking up this offer.
The man stood just inches away from her. She could tell that he was a classy business executive, the type that would dine at the Ritz and sail his yacht every other weekend. Dressed in an Armani suit, it did no justice to the well-defined torso hidden underneath it. She glanced down at her own profile simply dressed in a blue worn-out cardigan and torn jeans. It made her feel small and unworthy compared to the well-dressed gentleman before her.
She had to admit that she was quite mesmerized by his lovingly brown eyes. She shook herself and reminded herself that she was nothing more than just another broad in his string of one-night stands. Not that he held a flamboyant Casanova air to him, it was just that he was the perfect guy that would have girls flaunt to him.
"Listen, I just wanted to say that I--," Darcy began softly but was cut off before he could finish his sentence.
"Please, don't....", Elizabeth pleaded. She was not going to let him make this any harder for her. She felt her resolve weaken and fought back her urge to run away because she could not bear to have him think of her this way--nothing but a cheap hooker. 'Why would I care about what he would think' She mentally kicked herself and reminded herself of her poor Papa.
Nervously, she took a step closer to Darcy and laid the sweetest kiss on his lips. Darcy was shocked and overwhelmed but later turn his back on his initial urge to break off the kiss. Instead he returned it with more ardour and passion. He felt a surge of a tremendous feeling he had never experienced before. He knew it right there and then---she completed him, yes, she a woman whose name he had yet to find out. Nothing else matters anymore, not his fiancée, not the fact that she was a complete stranger, nothing. His principle gave way to his flaring desire. He swept her off her feet and carried her to the bed.
Chapter 3
The morning light had crept in through the heavy drapes and the dark haired gentleman woke up to the beautiful stranger lying across his chest. Through her he had learnt that he was a mere slave to his desires and dare he thought....love? All he knew was that he would go to the ends of the earth for her. He ran his fingers through her soft skin and smiled at the irony of their meeting... if he was not getting married to another woman, he would have never come upon this angel. He glanced over at his watch and suddenly he was reminded of the board meeting scheduled at 9 am, it was already 8:45. He gently laid Elizabeth's head on a pillow and rushed to the bathroom to freshen up.
Now fully dressed, he reached underneath the chair for his belt and his fingers came upon a letter, which had apparently fell out of the pocket of her jeans. Nonchalantly, he picked it up and it read "TO ELIZABETH". 'So that's her name, Elizabeth... beautiful Elizabeth.. His interest was roused as to the content of the letter. He fought with his good sense to no avail and as he surrendered to his curiosity, he tore the letter open.
Lizzy,
Jane told me everything. I need you to listen to me. I can't bear to have you go through this just to gather up the money for my operation. Even if I don't survive without the operation, I shall have the peace of mind that I did not drive my daughter to a hotel room to spend a night with a stranger. The moment that you stepped into my life made me feel that I was really breathing for a reason.
I had spent 20 beautiful years with you and even if I do live for another twenty more years, I would be miserable because you would only serve as a constant reminder of my unforgivable guilt. Please, honey, I beg of you not to do this.
Love,
Papa.
Darcy's fingers trembled as the letter slipped and fell on the floor. "Oh Lord, what have I done?! What have I done..." He crumbled to the floor and felt an extreme rush of overwhelming remorse. He had taken advantage of Elizabeth and for once in his life, he felt dirty for what he had done. He did not know what to do, all was lost and his mind had failed him. Unexpectedly, as if unsympathetic of his feelings, his cell phone buzzed.
"What?!" Darcy barked.
" Sir, the guys from Anderson's are here," Mrs Reynolds said coyly. She was taken aback by her boss's sudden outburst. In her 15 long years of employment, her boss was always a guarded person and his emotions were of no exception. "They were here since an hour ago and demanded that they discuss the merger with you and not Mr. Fitzwilliam. Sir, if you don't show---"
" Fine. I'll be there in about 15 minutes. Have the Anderson's file on my desk by the time I get there."
Darcy put his cell phone back into his pocket and his eyes surveyed the room for a pen and paper. Settled uncomfortably on the chair, he began to write. He wrote to tell Elizabeth how sorry he was and that he would be back to try to work things out with her later that afternoon. Then, he fumbled his pocket for his wallet and took out his American Express and gave her instructions to use it for her father's operation and to spend on whatever her heart desires. But most importantly, he added in the last line, 'I love you, Elizabeth. Please wait up for me.'
Darcy reread the last line of his letter and realised then how true it was. It was no infatuation or something he wrote just to compensate for his guilt. There was no other way to look at it. He loves Elizabeth. Plain and simple.
He laid the letter with his American Express enfolded in it on the desk by the window. He then went over to Elizabeth on the bed and placed a kiss on her lips. He wished so dearly that he could hold her until her waking moment but he could not. The merger was very important and he owed it to his employees to be a responsible boss. He exited the room without looking back because he knew that his heart would mercilessly pull him back to her side.
Chapter 4
Her heart had last night spoken to her the unspeakable---that he had actually cared about her. Guess she was wrong. Elizabeth tried to get out of bed but all she could felt was the tremendous feeling of void pinning her down. Everything seemed so perfect last night. He was so gentle and yet his caresses were more than flares of passion --- they were magical. But then, all magic must end, for Elizabeth at least, given that all that she was left with was the callous emptiness of the room. 'Not even a goodbye', she thought bitterly.
The letter that Darcy had left for her had eloped with the summons of the breeze from the unclosed window and fell hidden underneath the bed. It had betrayed Darcy with no shame nor even a tint of compassion for the recipient. Worst of all, Elizabeth had to bear the consequences.
Elizabeth left the hotel feeling cheap and worn out. She wanted to approach the reception desk just to ask if he had left any messages for her. Even if chances were slim, it held a glimmer of hope. 'Hope for what? His presence? His love?' She convinced herself that she was not worth either one of them and quickened her steps towards the exit.
It did not matter that she had given him her heart for she was in no hurry to get it back just to give it away again. There would be no other after him. She wished so fervently that she would know who he was so that she would have a name to go along with that mystically handsome face that seem to have taken residence in her mind.
She was determined to be strong, at least until she had left the scrutinizing eyes at the hotel. When her feet finally took her to the park, she immediately crumbled to the bench and cried her heart out. She was not crying for the loss because she had never had him, literally. Her tears shed not for betrayal for he had not cheated her for anything, apart from stealing her heart. 'Could it be that I'm in love with him?'. She was right and she did not want to be right. She was just very confused and did not know who to turn to or where to go from there. Truth be told, she felt lonely...desperately lonely. She wished that she could have her strength back, if not her heart.
"You know, my aunt Cathy always says that tears add lots of wrinkles to her face."
Elizabeth did not look up but tried to calm her rushes of weeps.
" Mind if I sit down?" the brown-eyed stranger asks.
"No, please do." Elizabeth was somehow glad for the diversion. "So what does she do when she's sad?"
"Well one thing's for sure, Cathy won't use the term sad. She prefers to call it upset, it's less vulgar she would say. But if you ask me it's a whole big ego thing though she denies it whole-heartedly," he replied.
This made Elizabeth smiled a little. Unconsciously, he was entranced by her smile and was driven with more resolve to take away her sorrow.
"Anyway, when she's upset, she bakes cookies."
Elizabeth gave a little chuckle, "Cookies?"
" You've got it...cookies, and lots of them. You can actually rate her emotions through her cookies, you know. This week, she sent me a jar of double chocolate chip cookies that were practically burnt."
Elizabeth raised her eyebrows in confusion.
" I'm guessing it's because of her 7th divorce recently."
Elizabeth could not help but laugh and suddenly she felt lighter though the pain remains. All else was forgotten, at least for now.
"My name's Elizabeth and you are...?"