The Role of a Lifetime

By Mira

Section I, Section II

Posted on Sunday, 6 January 2008

Chapter One

Charles Bingley stared his friend straight in the eye. “If you love her, then you have to tell her. You can't stand by and do nothing, while she marries someone else!”

Will Darcy stroked his hair and shook his head. “It's too late. She's getting married next week, and I'm not invited to the wedding. What am I supposed to do? Barge in on the church and yell her name until she changes her mind?”

“This woman loved you! You were stupid enough to let her get away, but now you have this chance, this one and only chance, to tell her how you feel, how you've always felt, but you're too much of a wimp to do it! Come on, get a backbone! Even if she rejects you, at least you can walk away knowing you fought hard to win her back. Think about it. You have nothing to lose!”

Will took off his reading glasses and frowned. “Those lines aren't in the script.”

“Oh, I know. I was ad-libbing. It sounded good, don't you think?”

He twirled his glasses around in his fingers. “I think you should stick to reading what's in the script.”

“You're in a cranky mood today.”

“Can you blame me? I have to memorize these lines by tomorrow morning, but I don't know half of them yet!” Will cried as he put his glasses away and tossed the screenplay aside.

“Relax. You'll learn all the lines by tomorrow. You always do.”

“This is a terrible script, by the way. I'm tired of these stupid romantic comedies with their boring, predictable storylines and their cliché dialogue. Why did I let you talk me into making another dumb chick flick?”

“I don't know, but the hefty paycheck might have been a factor,” Charles said with a chuckle.

Will rolled his eyes. “Like I really needed more millions. God, what was I thinking? I hate filming in New York. I hate that hack of a director. I hate that wolf of a producer. And to top it all off, I'm stuck with your banshee of a sister as my co-star again.”

Charles grimaced. “I think you've said enough now.”

The inappropriateness of his last comment dawned on Will and he lowered his eyes in shame.

“Right…you're right. I'm sorry,” he sighed and lifted his hand to his forehead, “I'm so frustrated right now, I can't think straight.”

“Maybe you should lie down for a while. You look tired. Why don't you give the memorizing thing a rest and take a nice long nap?”

Will laughed. “You sound like my housekeeper.”

“Don't mock me, kid. I really think you need a break.”

Will balled his hand into a fist and pounded a pillow. “Ugh, stop nagging me! That's not what I'm paying you for!”

“You should count your lucky stars that I work for you! I'm the best agent in the business. You wouldn't be so successful, if it wasn't for all the great roles I snagged for you.”

“All right, I get it. You're worth every penny, but I'm not paying you to fuss after me and tell me to take naps.”

“I wasn't advising you as your agent. I'm looking out for you. You're my client, but you're my best friend too.”

Will sighed, his anger dissipating as he nestled his back against the cushions of the couch. “I guess this means you're not going to help me memorize these lines anymore?”

Charles shook his head and stood up from his chair. “Sorry, kid, but I have to go. I need to get my paperwork done before eight o'clock. I'm meeting someone special tonight.”

Will's eyebrows shot up. “You're back together with Jessica? I thought you were over her.”

“Are you kidding me? I'm way over Jesse! I've met someone new, someone who is real, and someone who is beautiful inside and out. I'm so excited! Tonight will be our first date.”

“Who's the unfortunate woman who was stupid enough to fall for you this time?”

“Her name is Jane. She's a nurse at NYU Medical Center. Her sister owns a nightclub in Alphabet City, and I'm meeting Jane there tonight…hey, you want to come with me? I'm pretty sure Jane's sister is single. I haven't met her yet, but if she's anything like Jane, you won't regret tagging along!”

“Alphabet City? I wouldn't be caught dead in that cheap, grimy stink-hole!”

Charles slapped his forehead. “Oh, how silly of me, I forgot. You're Will Darcy! Anything outside your fifth avenue penthouse suite is a stinking pile of crap.”

“That's right, and don't you forget it!”

Charles shook his head and chuckled. He then grabbed his coat and walked out of the room. Will followed him.

“All right, I'll see you later. Take care.”

“Don't forget to call me tomorrow and tell me how your date went.”

“I won't. See ya later.”

Will waved. “Later.”

After Charles left, Darcy lay down on the couch with his hands against the back of his head and his feet sitting on the armrest. It was nice to get a moment of peace and quiet after a long morning of hard work on the set of a new movie. He had yet to develop a rapport with the director and the only familiar face out of the cast was the one face he least wished to see…that of Caroline “Frigid Ice Queen” Bingley.

Caroline's rude, arrogant, and all around diva-like behavior made the widespread use of such a nickname inevitable. Despite the huge popularity of the two films they had made together, Will had not enjoyed working with Caroline. He went crazy every time he passed by a newsstand and saw the false rumors of a romance between him and his recurring co-star featured in the magazines. His biggest pet peeve with fame, therefore, was the incessant tabloid fodder that came with it.

Will couldn't deny that Caroline Bingley was a gorgeous woman, but her enormous ego, her lack of true talent, and her ill-treatment of everyone around her made working with her unbearable. Her persistent and overt attempts to attract him could only make matters worse. He went out of his way to make his disinterest towards her crystal clear, but Caroline would turn a blind eye to reality and continue her pursuit no matter what he did.

`This is the last movie I make with her,' Will decided as he reflected on the tumultuous events of the day.

Caroline's temper had grown more unmanageable through the years, and today had not been an exception. The costume designer had made a beautiful orange silk gown for her to wear during the movie's climactic party scene, but Caroline hated the color so much, she threw a fit. After berating the poor woman for many minutes, she grabbed the expensive, custom-made dress from the stricken designer's hands and ripped it to shreds. It took three members of the film crew as well as her bulky bodyguard, her shrewd agent, and her ruthless publicist to calm Caroline down enough to forget about the dress and shoot the scene.

A knock on the door stopped Will's thoughts dead in their tracks. He left the sofa and opened the door to find his personal assistant staring at him with her hands on her hips.

A sharp look of disapproval characterized her eyes. “What are you doing here? It's 3:25. You were called onto the set twenty minutes ago. You better hurry up, or the director is going to throw a fit.”

“Oh man! I lost track of time. Thanks for reminding me, Georgie. You're the best!”

Georgiana de Bourgh tilted her head to the side and smiled at her cousin. “Where would you be without me?”

Will laughed. “Don't go there. I don't want to think about it.”

Georgiana left a moment later, and Will hurried to his closet. He slapped on a pair of jeans and a navy blue polo shirt. He spent a few seconds combing his hair and fixing the collar of his shirt. He then ran out the door, skipped the elevator, and dashed down the stairs towards the hotel lobby.

Over the past couple of weeks, New York City's Waldorf Astoria had been turned into a makeshift movie set, with the lobby as the center of all the action. Filming in a hotel had proven to be challenging, however, and Will had yet to adjust himself to the routine of going up and down various floors instead of in and out of trailers. By the time he reached the lobby, where the director stood waiting for him, Will was disheveled and out of breath.

“You're late.”

“I know. I'm sorry. I was studying my lines so hard that I lost my sense of time. It won't happen again, I promise.”

“You better keep your word. You may be the next big thing, Darcy, but you're no Tom Cruise. I'm the one who pulls the strings here, and there are plenty of other actors chomping at the bit to get this part.”

Will knew the director told the truth. Romantic comedies were cheap to produce and made a large amount of revenue for Pemberley studios. Furthermore, despite her constant bitchiness, Caroline Bingley was a popular movie star. She had gained a reputation as the biggest female moneymaker since Julia Roberts and her ruthless publicist, Louisa Hurst, kept a tight grip on her client's public image. This movie had the potential to be huge and Will knew better than to take it for granted.

He nodded. “Yes sir, I understand that.” He restrained his annoyance until the director walked away from him. He then made a gesture worthy of his complete frustration at the director's back.

Will was relieved when shooting ended for the day, setting him free to go home for the night. All he wanted to do was kick back on the couch, set his feet up, and lose the remains of his brain cells to the all-important television. He entered his sprawling luxury suite to find his two lovely cousins grinning at him.

He slammed the door. “What are you so happy about?”

Anne de Bourgh's sly grin grew wider. “I have a present for you.”

He took off his jacket and threw it onto a chair. “If it's another blind date, then I'm not interested.”

Anne rolled her eyes and tossed a magazine towards him. It fell on the marble floor. Will glared at his cousin and huffed as he bent over to pick it up. He flipped the magazine to its front page and saw his face on the cover, under a headline that read, “The 25 Hottest Stars Under 25.”

“Aw, thanks Annie! You have perfect timing. I needed an ego boost.” His frustration melted and he kissed his cousin's cheek.

Anne patted him on the back. “Don't thank me, this is what publicists are for!”

“Don't let it get to your head. Anne doesn't approve of you. She was only doing her job.”

“Thanks, Georgie. It's good to know my closest living relatives only pretend to care about me.”

“Hmm, speaking of that…what happened to you? Did the director chew you out for being late? You look miserable.”

Will's eyes widened. “Georgie! You had to go and spill the beans to Anne, huh? Now I'm in for another lecture.”

“Don't worry. I won't scold you this time. I just want to know why you came in here looking like you couldn't stomach your life anymore.”

Will stroked his hair and sighed. “I don't know. I guess I'm sick of my job, that's all.”

“I can't say I blame you. I would feel miserable too, if I had to pretend to be madly in love with the Frigid Ice Queen all day,” Georgiana said with a shudder.

Will laughed. “Believe it or not, Caroline is not the worst of my problems! I was awful at work today. I couldn't remember my lines. The director got angry and made me do take after take of the same line reading, but I still didn't get it the way he wanted it. He insisted on shooting that one line again tomorrow…I don't know what's going on with me. I feel like I'm in decline as an actor, when I haven't even hit my peak yet!”

“Don't be silly. You're very good at what you do and you can only get better. So you had an off day, you shouldn't stress yourself out about it.”

“Annie, you said you wouldn't lecture me!”

“You brought that on yourself!” Georgiana answered for her older sister.

Will's cell phone rang before he could defend himself against the onslaught of the tag-teaming sisters. His caller id told him his agent had called, so he knew he had to answer it despite his wishes to the contrary.

“Talk to me … yeah, I'm home right now…no, I said I don't want to go to Alphabet City, remember…what are you talking about? I have plenty of things to do tonight…no, I am not going to sit at home and watch television,” Will rolled his eyes as his cousins giggled, “I don't want to go… I did think about it and I've decided not to go …all right, fine, I'll think about it some more and call you back later, okay? Bye.”

Anne raised an eyebrow at her cousin. “What's up?”

“Chuck wants me to go to some night club in a bad neighborhood with him. He's meeting his new girlfriend there, since her sister owns the place.”

“You should go. It could be fun, and you need to let off some steam tonight,” Georgiana argued.

“We could go with you, if you want. I'll call Richard. I'm sure he's willing to drive us there,” Anne added.

“Hey, hold on a minute. I didn't say I was going.”

Anne put her hands on her hips as she always did when Will debated with her. “Why not? It's better than staying here and wallowing in self-pity.”

“I will not wallow in self-pity!”

“Oh yes you will,” Georgiana countered.

Will crossed his arms and stamped his foot. “I'm not going! I don't care what you two say. I know I won't like any club in Alphabet City. I bet it's nothing but a nasty hole in the ground full of those punk-rock freaks. I can think of a million better ways to spend my Friday night.”

After laughing for a while, Anne and Georgiana exchanged mischievous glances before seizing their stubborn cousin and dragging him to his bedroom.

“Stop whining and put these on!” Anne demanded as she threw a silver dress shirt, black leather jacket, and black slacks at him.

Will knew when he was defeated. He gave up trying to squirm his way out of his cousins' clutches and changed his clothes. He put on his customary black shades and a black hat for disguise. Taking a deep breath as he examined his five, going on ten, o'clock shadow in the mirror, he could only hope nobody out of the crowd of East Village club-goers would recognize him.

Anne approached him from behind and put her hand on his shoulder. “Ready to go?”

Will shrugged as he continued to stare at his reflection.

“As ready as I'll ever be.”

Anne removed her hand from his shoulder and placed it into his palm instead. “Loosen up. We're going to have some fun tonight.”

Will stepped away from the mirror. Before leaving the room, however, he turned around and gazed at Georgiana.

He turned back towards Anne. “Are you sure you want to let her come along?”

“Will, don't be a grouch. I can go if I want to. I'm twenty-one!”

“Yeah, but I have no idea what this place is like. It might not be safe. As far as I know, Alphabet City is a seedy area.”

“No, it's not half as bad as it used to be. It may not be rich enough for a snob like you, but I have no worries about Georgiana coming with us.”

With her sister on her side, Georgiana gloated with a triumphant glance at Will. Will swallowed his pride once again and aborted the subject.

“So is Rick coming to?”

“Yep, he's on his way here.”

“Good. At least I'll have someone to talk to, while you girls dance the night away.”

Georgiana pouted. “You're not going to dance with us?”

“No! It's bad enough you're dragging me to this stupid club in the first place. There's no way you're getting me to dance too.”

The sisters rolled their eyes at the same time. As soon as Anne's husband, Richard, arrived, the three cousins hopped into the car and headed to the East Village.

Chapter Two

“This is it?” Will wrinkled his nose in disgust.

He stood in front of a dirty brick building with no adornments other than a sign that read “The Beat and Bop.” The black door blocked the street lights from shining in, but it was not thick enough to keep the music from bursting out. The crunching of a guitar, the thumping of drums, and the wails of a mad woman battered his senses as he stared in bewilderment at the tiny building before him.

Anne took his arm and dragged him towards the door. Will resisted her grasp and pulled away from her.

“Oh no, I'm not going in there.”

Richard Fitzwilliam patted his shoulder. “Yes you are. I didn't drive you all the way here for you to back out now.”

Anne grabbed Will's arm again and Georgiana took the other one. Richard opened the door with one hand and used his other hand to push Will forward. The club was as tiny and crowded as Will had expected. The bar stood across from the door. Off to the right of the bar, there was an open dance floor and a stage featuring a live band. The band included three fearsome women with long, black hair and tons of jewelry. They seemed intent on making as loud and obnoxious a noise as they could. Will guessed Anne and Georgiana would be disappointed by the lack of dancing. The club had a definite rock and roll bent. The only dancing to be found amongst the crowd was the rabid jumping up and down and banging of heads. To the left of the bar, there was a lounge area with a few couches and an abundance of bean bags. Will cringed at the sight of an amorous couple taking advantage of the small size of a bean bag in the corner of the room.

Will was also irritated to find the bar held a long line of customers waiting to order their drinks. Anne, Georgiana, and Richard went to the lounge to look for Charles. Will remained at the bar and offered to hold their place in line. After waiting in a line that would not budge for several minutes, he lost his patience.

“Excuse me, can you tell me why this line is so long?” he asked the burly man beside him.

The man laughed. “You're not from around here, are you, kid?”

Will figured the man was one of those crazy bikers. He and his friends were all dressed in leather jackets and jeans, with their long hair covered by black bandanas. The man also had the distinctive, nauseating smell of cigarettes to recommend him.

Will refused to let the man intimidate him. He clenched his jaw and stood to his full height, “No, but I don't see why that should matter to you.”

Despite his efforts, the man continued to sneer at him.

“This bar has the best drinks in town. Anything that good is worth waiting for!”

The man turned back towards his friends and Will decided not to talk to anyone else. They were all freaks, anyway. Besides the bikers, there were punk kids with dyed hair and a million different tattoos covering their heavily pierced bodies. There were also many old, fat men wearing t-shirts from the 1970s and pumping their fists in the air as though time had not changed. Will grew fed up with his surroundings and left the line. He pushed his way to the front and sat on a bar stool. Once he had a good look at the bar, he was no longer surprised by the long line. There were only two bartenders and they were slow in serving drinks. One woman seemed to chit chat with the customers as much as she worked on making their cocktails. The other bartender was a thin, pale girl who coughed a great deal. She did not look old enough to drink alcohol, let alone serve it to others.

Will put his elbow on the bar and cleared his throat to get attention. “I'll have a gin and tonic, please.”

To his astonishment, the woman at the bar ignored his order. Instead, she served the man standing behind him.

“Excuse me, I was next.”

The woman turned to him with a glare shooting through her dark eyes. “Yes, but only because you cut in front of everyone else. Sorry, but in this bar, the patient customers come first. You will have to wait your turn.”

Will frowned, but restrained himself from arguing further. She didn't seem to be a shrinking violet, so he thought a debate with her could get ugly. He waited until she finished serving the man his drink. When she ignored him again, however, his self-control fell. His anger grew as he watched the maddening woman take her sweet time in mixing a martini.

“For God's sake, it shouldn't take this long to make a martini. What kind of a bartender are you? You're lucky these people don't know better. You would be out of a job if you were this slow in serving drinks at a bar in the Upper West Side.”

The woman did not acknowledge his disparagement and delivered the martini to her customer. She then proceeded to grab a bottle of gin from the shelf.

She made Will his drink and then turned to him with a smile.

“On second thought, here is your gin and tonic.”

Will grinned, relieved that the bartender was made to see reason. He looked at her for a moment and could not escape the thought that she had beautiful eyes. Her body was not bad either. He lifted his glass up, thanked her with a nod of his head, and then took a sip of his drink.

The next moment, he spit it out onto the bar. The extreme bitterness of the gin and tonic was so disgusting; he could not have swallowed it. His face flushed with fury as he set the glass down and glared at the audacious bartender. The other customers laughed at him, but the woman responsible for his humiliation had the gall to stare at him with feigned innocence.

“I'm sorry, sir, did you not enjoy your drink?”

“You little...I'm not letting you get away with that. Where's the owner? I demand to speak with her.”

The woman laughed. “I'm sorry. The owner is a little busy at the moment. You might want to come back later.”

“Oh, I'll come back, all right. You bet I will. You won't be seeing the last of me.”

Will could no longer bear the indignity he felt and stormed out of the club. It didn't take long for his friends to find him. Charles and Anne called his name, but he made no reply. He walked further away from the club, but Charles rushed after him.

He put an arm around his shoulder. “What's the matter? You want to leave now?”

“I hate this place! The music is bad, the people are all weirdoes, and I can't believe the nerve of that stupid little... Where's your girlfriend's sister? I have a complaint against one of her bartenders.”

Charles frowned. “Which one?”

“The one who looks old enough to be here.”

Georgiana giggled. “I'm guessing you mean the woman wearing the black halter top.”

“Yeah, that one.”

Charles raised his eyebrows. “What did she do?”

“She ripped me off! She gave me the nastiest gin and tonic I've ever had. I know she did it on purpose. She got mad, because I didn't want to wait in that long line. Can you believe that? Who does she think she is?”

Charles laughed. “Uh Will, you might not want to talk to the owner.”

“Why not? I'm not afraid of an insignificant little bartender. I don't take crap from anyone.”

Without allowing a reply, Will marched back into the club and walked straight up to the bar. The bartender smirked at his approach.

Will slammed his hand down to show he meant business. “You owe me an apology.”

“I don't think so.”

“Oh, really? Listen, if you don't apologize, then I'll make you sorry you ever crossed the likes of me. Where's your boss? I want to talk to her.”

The insolent girl dared to smirk at him again. “I don't have a boss.”

“What do you mean, you don't have a boss? Of course, you do. This club has to have an owner. Where is she?”

A man standing in line poked Will in the shoulder. Will turned towards him and the man shouted. “You're talking to her, idiot!”

Will's jaw dropped as his eyes returned to the woman behind the bar. Everyone near enough to hear this exchange broke into hysterical laughter. Will wallowed in misery, since his hopes for some peace of mind were dashed and his bad day had become an awful night. The woman he had insulted turned out to be the owner of the place and the sister of his friend's girlfriend. She would get the wrong impression of him and there was nothing he could do about it. Any apology from him would seem paltry and would arrive too late. He watched her with increasing mortification, while she laughed and whispered something into another woman's ear. Will could not stop his deep blush as it crept up his neck and covered his face.

The woman took a few bills out of the cash register and slapped them onto the bar. “Here's your money back, sweetheart. Sorry for your troubles,” she taunted. She then drew away from him and served the next customer in line.

Will stalked off towards a corner of the club in a huff. His bad mood consumed him. Anne and Georgiana did everything they could to cheer him up, but it was all in vain. He leaned against the wall and brooded, while Charles introduced the others to his girlfriend and her sister. Richard gestured for Will to join them, but he ignored him. He stepped outside instead.

The wind slapped his face as he rushed out into the dark. The frost of winter had approached the city earlier than usual and Will had not dressed for the occasion. He rubbed his hands together and blew into them to warm his body up, but his shivers did not die down. He knew he should go back inside, but the idea of seeing the owner again kept him out. He felt humiliated and wanted nothing more than to go back home, where he would be safe from the ridicule of strangers.

Anne's voice interrupted his reflections. “Will, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Go back in and have fun. I'm going to stay out here for a while.”

“Are you sure? Because if you want to go, then I'll let Richard know and he'll drive us back.”

“No, it's okay. I don't want to ruin your night. I'll be fine.”

“Don't you want to meet Charlie's girlfriend?”

Will shrugged. “Not really.”

“Okay then.” She went inside and Will continued to pace back and forth on the sidewalk.

When he tired of pacing, he decided to swallow his wounded pride and return to the club. There was no sense in freezing outside over a silly argument with a stranger. He realized he had let his temper get the better of him. He was behaving as a child, throwing tantrums and then choosing to run away from his problem instead of tackling it head on. He took a deep breath, steeled his nerves, and went back into “The Beat and Bop,” ready to face whatever life chose to toss at him.

Charles gave him a wide smile when he entered the lounge and sat beside him. “Hey kid, I'm glad you decided to join us. This is my girl, Jane. Jane, this is my good friend…”

“Billy, my name is Billy. It's nice to meet you.” Will ignored Charles' confused glance and offered Jane his hand.

Jane took his hand and shook it. “It's very nice to meet you, Billy,” she said with a smile.

“This is Jane's sister, Elizabeth.”

Will grimaced and cut his friend's speech short. “We've met.”

He did not look at Elizabeth, but he heard her laughter. He stiffened, wishing he had stayed outside. He didn't want to deal with her again. She had an inexplicable knack for getting under his skin and he was not happy about it.

To his surprise, Elizabeth addressed him. “Here's your gin and tonic, by the way.”

Will held up his hand. “No, thanks. I don't want it anymore.”

Elizabeth smiled. “This one tastes good, trust me.”

Will shook his head, but Elizabeth insisted. “Come on, take it. It's on the house.”

Will relented and grabbed the drink from her hands. He glanced at her and grew uncomfortable under her steady gaze. She was gorgeous, with expressive eyes and sharp features that distinguished her from the standard Hollywood beauties he was accustomed to. She had an air of fierce independence and rebelliousness about her that he found intimidating yet appealing at the same time. His contradictory reactions to her presence made it difficult to manage his behavior around her. He, therefore, stopped thinking and gulped the alcohol down.

“Whoa, slow down. That's not a shot!”

Will ignored Elizabeth's warning and kept chugging the gin and tonic. When he drained his glass, he asked her for another drink.

“You'll have to go to the bar for that. I'm off duty now.”

Will grunted and went to the bar. This time he waited in line. He drank throughout the night, paying little attention to his friends, and pushing them away whenever they tried to get him to stop drinking. Anne did not give up her crusade, however. She came up to him again and grabbed his shoulder.

“Okay, kid. You've had way too many drinks. It's time to go home.”

Will toppled off the bar stool. Anne caught his arm before he could fall onto the floor. Richard joined his wife at the bar and supported her efforts.

Will took hold of the table in an attempt to shield his body from the onslaught of his cousin and her husband. “I don't want to go home yet. Hey, you, get me another shot of vodka, will ya?”

Anne and Richard were too strong for him. They took hold of him and dragged him out of the bar. Charles, Georgiana, and Jane were waiting for them outside.

Will saw them and grinned. “Oh, I get it. The party moved out here! Awesome!”

He staggered along the sidewalk, tripping on his feet and stumbling towards the street until he found himself in a woman's arms. He gazed up and was greeted by Elizabeth's earnest stare.

He blinked. “Your eyes are pretty.”

Elizabeth grimaced. “Thanks, but no thanks. Are you all right?”

“No, I won't be all right until I get my vodka.”

“Oh no, no more vodka for you. You're plastered.”

“I am not plastered. I'm wasted. There's a difference.”

“You almost walked into a lamp post, buddy. I would call that plastered, and I know these things. I own a bar.”

Will released himself from her arms and stepped forward. His head spun and he thrust his arms out to the sides in a vain attempt to regain his balance. Richard sprinted towards him and held him at his waist to stop him from falling over.

Will did not comprehend the vulnerability of his drunken state. He grunted and tried to push Richard away, but the bigger man would not relinquish his tight grip. Will, therefore, occupied himself with other distractions. He grabbed his shades and started to take them off.

“Why do I have these glasses on?”

“They're your shades. I would leave them on, if I were you,” Anne replied.

“I can't see. I'm gonna take them off.”

Anne ran over to him with widened eyes. “Don't do that, somebody will recognize you.”

Will paid her no heed and took his shades off. “Oh man, I'm so wasted!” he yelled as he swiped at the blurs popping up before his eyes.

Richard tightened his hold on Will and pushed him to the car. Will heard a gasp come from behind him and turned around.

He noticed Jane staring at him with her jaw dropped. “Oh my God! Liz, isn't that Will Darcy?”

“You mean the guy Lydia always gushes about? I think so. It looks like him.”

“Yeah, that's him. That has to be him. Wow, I can't believe it. Will Darcy is Charlie's best friend!”

“I wouldn't put him in the car yet, if I were you,” Elizabeth shouted, her face turning grim.

Richard let go of Will and addressed her. “Why not?”

Without knowing what he did, Will hunched over and vomited in front of Richard's Mercedes.

“Oh,” Richard said as his cousin-in-law puked his brains out. He patted Will on his back and held his arm to make sure he didn't topple over.

“Better?” he asked when Will stood up straight.

“Huh? Oh, yeah,” Will muttered.

Anne came over and ushered Will into the car. The others bid the Bennet girls a quick farewell. Will didn't bother with such civilities. He shut his eyes and fell asleep.

Posted on Sunday, 13 January 2008

Chapter Three

“No way!” Lydia Phillips dropped her fork and stopped chewing her omelet.

“Trust me, it was him,” Jane told her cousin.

Elizabeth Bennet took a sip of her coffee. She then put the mug down on the table and smirked at the awestruck Lydia.

“It's too bad you decided to ditch work yesterday. You could have been the one to serve Will Darcy his drink.”

Lydia's eyes widened further. “I didn't ditch! I was sick. Oh my God, I can't believe I missed him! I could have gotten his autograph! Oh, Jane, you have to tell me everything. What was he like? What did he wear? Was he as hot in person as he is in his movies?”

Elizabeth grimaced. “I hate to break it to you, Lyds, but your idol is a drunken egomaniac.”

Lydia narrowed her eyes. “Why should I believe you? You never like anyone! Jane, what did you think of him?”

Jane hesitated. “Well, I did not get to interact with him much. He introduced himself as Billy, so I did not know it was him until late into the night. He did not seem to enjoy himself and he did get very drunk.”

“He's a stuck up, spoiled brat who thought he was too good to be there. I was this close to kicking him out of my bar. If I wasn't convinced he'd sue me, I would have done it!”

Lydia rolled her eyes. “You're just jealous, because he's rich and famous, and you're not.”

“Since when did I want to be rich and famous?”

“Since always! You were going to be a rock star, remember? You had a band and a plan for an album and everything. But that didn't work out, so you gave up and bought this dumb club instead.”

“I wanted to be a musician, not a rock star. I did not give up and I don't regret buying the club. Unlike some people, I'm happy with my lot in life.”

Elizabeth finished her breakfast and left the kitchen before Lydia could extend their argument. She was in no mood to deal with her bratty younger cousin. It was Lydia's fault the night before had drained her of all her energy. Had she not been called upon to fill in as a substitute bartender for her absent cousin, she would have been able to enjoy the great music and mingle with her customers as she did every night.

These reflections led to thoughts of Charles Bingley and his arrogant friend, which hit a nerve in Elizabeth. She was worried about Jane. Jane liked Charles very much, perhaps more so than any man she had ever met. Though she only knew him for a few weeks, Jane would not talk of anyone else. Her head was filled with thoughts of Charles Bingley and her heart had been touched as well. Now that she knew Charles worked in show business, Elizabeth had begun to fear for Jane. She did not trust Charles' intentions, and he had not given her any reason to. He was charming and friendly, but that did not mean he was good enough for her darling Jane. There was no such thing as a man without fault, and Elizabeth was loath to discover the skeletons in Charles Bingley's closet. She needed to, however, for Jane's sake.

As if on cue, Jane walked into Elizabeth's bedroom. Elizabeth smiled at her, concealing the dark direction of her thoughts. Jane grinned and took a seat on the bed, next to her sister.

“So, what do you think of Charlie?”

Elizabeth forced herself to sound cheerful. “He seems nice, but he has bad taste in friends.”

“I was afraid you would say something like that. I don't think you should judge Will Darcy yet. You don't know him. Charles has said such wonderful things about his best friend that I can't help but think his behavior last night was unusual for him. He must have been in a terrible mood.”

Elizabeth laughed. “Oh Jane, only you would be sweet enough to feel sorry for a man who has everything.”

“I didn't say I felt sorry for him. He is lucky to be so successful at such a young age and his problems can never be as pressing as someone who earns just enough money to live off of, but I don't think he is immune to suffering. I don't resent him for his fortune and I hope you don't either.”

“I don't resent him, but I do think he's a worthless jerk. He's done nothing to prove he's worth knowing. His behavior last night was beyond ridiculous. I wish I would never have to see him again, but I realize that is not likely. He's a good friend of the man you are smitten with, and so I have no choice but to endure his odious presence.”

Jane blushed. “I wouldn't say I'm smitten with Charlie.”

Elizabeth grinned. “Then why do you blush every time his name comes up, hmm?”

Jane blushed again and shrugged. “I don't know…I do like him. I like him very much. He's a sweet person, with kind manners and intelligence…but I do not think I'm in love, at least, not yet.”

Elizabeth sighed. “Jane, dear, take care. I don't ever want to see you heartbroken.”

Jane shook her head and changed the topic. Elizabeth, therefore, let her concerns for her impressionable younger sister recede to the back of her mind. Her worries were not suppressed for long. Jane went out with Charles Bingley again that night. She came back to the apartment she shared with Elizabeth in a love-struck daze. Everything Charles had done was perfect and everything he had said was fascinating. She could not think of a more wonderful man than Charles Bingley. Elizabeth listened to all this with a heavy heart. She knew that soon, it would be too late for her to protect Jane from heartbreak. To make matters worse, Charles had not resisted Jane's inquiries about his job, as Elizabeth thought he would.

With Jane's prompting, Charles revealed he was Will Darcy's and Caroline Bingley's agent. He invited Jane and Elizabeth to visit the Waldorf Astoria, where his two clients had begun filming a new movie. Elizabeth did not like the idea, but Jane was so excited to see the movie-making process that she gave in under the weight of her sister's happiness and agreed to accompany her.

The next day, Elizabeth felt like a fish out of water as she walked into the extravagant lobby of the Waldorf Astoria. She didn't fail to notice the sneers she received from people. It must have been the first time a woman with a hot pink t-shirt with the phrase `bite me' front and center and a black mini-skirt had visited such a ritzy hotel. The women in their fashionable dresses and men in designer suits stared at her as though she was a monstrosity. Elizabeth did not allow their scorn to bother her, however. She smirked and delivered a mischievous wink or two as she passed by the rich snobs.

One hotel employee had the gall to approach her and ask her to leave, saying she did not belong there. Elizabeth controlled her anger and held up the exclusive pass Charles Bingley had given her. The woman sniffed and Elizabeth laughed as she stomped off with her nose held towards the sky.

A moment later, Elizabeth and Jane were joined by Charles. He grinned and put his arm around Jane's shoulder. He led them to the elevator, where a bellhop pushed the button for the fourth floor. People scurried about all over the place as the director called out orders from behind the camera. Elizabeth stepped aside just in time to prevent a collision with a large man sprinting down the hall with a thick cable in his hands. The crush of bodies and the loud noises overwhelmed the narrow hallway in which the movie-shoot took place. Charles guided Elizabeth and Jane down the hall, to a large suite where all the cameras were focused.

“They're in the middle of a scene,” he whispered to Jane.

Elizabeth looked into the room and recognized Will Darcy. He wore a black suit with a loosened blue tie and a white shirt unbuttoned at the collar. Across from him, sitting on the queen sized bed with her head held high was none other than Caroline Bingley. Her arms were crossed in front of her and her eyes followed Will as he paced back and forth across the room.

Will placed his hands behind him and came to a sudden stop. He started to turn towards Caroline, but halted midway. Elizabeth grew uneasy as his eyes made direct contact with hers. He stood there and stared at her for so long that other people in the room started to turn their eyes in her direction. Elizabeth felt stuck, her greatest desire was to flee, but she knew that would only draw more attention to her self.

The director became irritated and yelled. “Cut!”

He stood up from his chair and approached Will. “Darcy, what is the problem?”

Will drew his eyes away from Elizabeth and faced the director. “Oh, I'm sorry. I…uh…I forgot my lines.”

The director rolled his eyes. “Will somebody hand this kid a script?”

Georgiana de Bourgh did the director's bidding and Will accepted the screenplay with a relieved smile. Elizabeth started to leave the room, but stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

Jane gave her a confused glance. “Where are you going?”

“I'm sorry. I need to get out of here,” Elizabeth whispered.

“But why?”

“Because I don't belong here.”

Elizabeth went out the door and down the hall. She sat down on the stairs, bent her elbows, and leaned her head against her hands, hoping her discomfort would die down with the return of peace and quiet. She could not understand what had unnerved her so much. So Will Darcy was staring at her, so what? What was she so wound up about? She had no time to discover an answer.

She stiffened and stood up at the sound of footsteps approaching. She frowned, thinking it was unlike Jane to argue with her. Her confusion was complete when she turned around to find Will Darcy standing near her.

“Shouldn't you be working right now?” she asked with widened eyes.

He smiled. “The director called for a break.”

“Oh…so, what do you want?”

He put his hands in his pockets and shrugged. Elizabeth smiled, thinking his boyish expression clashed with the strictly business aura of his fancy suit. Despite her strong dislike of the man, Elizabeth couldn't deny he looked rather adorable at the moment.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to stare so much back there. I was caught off guard by seeing you here, of all places.”

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. “You managed to remember Friday night?”

Will laughed. “Yeah…well, no, not all of it. I kind of blacked out near the end. Anyway, I guess Charles invited you and your sister to visit the set.”

“Yes he did. It's funny you call this expensive hotel a set.”

Will shrugged. “That's what it is to me.”

Elizabeth waited for him to say something else, but he only stared at her. With no other choice before her, Elizabeth stared back at him. She hated to admit it, but he was very handsome. His well tailored apparel highlighted his tall, lean figure and the look of mingled curiosity and embarrassment in his eyes fascinated her. Her reverie, however, was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Caroline Bingley at his side.

She touched his cheek and turned his face towards her. “Will, darling, aren't you going to have lunch with me?”

Will grimaced and stepped away from Caroline. “I'm not hungry at the moment. Why don't you go on ahead and I'll catch up with you later.”

Caroline smiled, but her eyes revealed her insincerity. “Okay then, as you wish” she said and stalked out of the room.

Elizabeth laughed when she spotted Will rolling his eyes. She felt an instant happiness for her cousin Lydia, who would jump for joy at the news that the rumors about Will Darcy's torrid love affair with his co-star may not be true.

Will approached her. “You know, your club really does have the best drinks in town.”

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows and gave him a sarcastic thumb up.

Will's eyes widened and he slapped his hand over his mouth.

“That came out wrong. I know what you're thinking. I'm not an alcoholic! In fact, I don't get drunk all that often. I just got carried away Friday night...speaking of that, I know I acted like a jerk. I was not in the best mood and…okay, it's not much of an excuse, but my cousins dragged me to your club when I didn't want to go and…uh, anyway, I don't want you to have the wrong impression of me, because you're my friend's girlfriend's sister and we'll probably see each other a lot and…uh, yeah, that's it.”

Elizabeth smirked. “Was that supposed to be an apology?”

He chuckled. “Yeah, sort of.”

“You couldn't bring yourself to say the words so you weaved around them instead.”

Will threw his hands up in the air. “What can I say? You got me!”

“Well then, I don't see why I should forgive you.”

“You want an outright apology.”

Elizabeth crossed her arms and stared at him in silence.

Will sighed. “Okay, I'm sorry.”

“Sorry about what?”

Will rolled his eyes.

“You don't look very sorry.”

“I am sorry about my bad behavior at your club. I am sorry I made a poor first impression. If I could do the night all over again, I would do everything differently. Is that good enough?”

Elizabeth smiled. “You still don't look like you mean it, but I'm not one to hold a grudge. So, I'll forgive you anyway.”

Will grinned. “Thanks. I hope we can have a fresh start.”

“We might, but you'll have to work for it.”

“So, I was lying about not being hungry. I'm starving. Have you had lunch yet?” Will said after an awkward pause.

“No.”

“Great. You want to have lunch with me?”

Elizabeth froze. She would never have expected a world famous celebrity to ask her to lunch, and with such a hopeful look in his eyes! She was as surprised by his lack of arrogance as she was by his question. He must have been a much better actor than she thought.

What was he up to? Perhaps, he had made some sort of bet with a friend and needed her to go out with him in order to win. Or, maybe he just wanted to get in her pants. Or, maybe he made a bet that he could get in her pants. Or maybe he was just trying to be nice and make up for his earlier behavior...nah, he was trying to get in her pants.

Will furrowed his eyebrows. “Uh…yeah, so…I was wondering if you might…”

“I heard you the first time.”

“Oh.”

He stared at her in obvious confusion as she tried to think of a decent answer. She figured his huge ego would require a blunt response. She, therefore, determined not to beat around the bush.

“No, I'm not interested in you, but thanks anyway.”

His reaction was hilarious. His face turned scarlet and his body straightened into extreme rigidity.

“Oh. Okay. I'm sorry I asked.” He whirled around and rushed away from her.

After laughing at his embarrassment, Elizabeth felt a slight pang of remorse. She did not regret rejecting him, but she realized she could have been gentler. His unchecked ego needed to be bruised, but her harshness must have put the poor thing on life support.

Elizabeth remained unsure of her next move. Standing alone in the hallway was no longer an option, but she felt reluctant to rejoin Jane and Charles. Her presence on the set would be further punishment for Darcy. She longed to go home and get some sleep, but she didn't want to deprive Jane of her enjoyment. She pondered the matter for a few minutes and then decided to return to the set. Before she reached it, however, she spotted Jane and Charles.

Jane came up to her and smiled. “Want to have lunch with us?”

Elizabeth grinned and nodded. The three of them had lunch at the hotel's lovely yet pricey restaurant. Charles insisted on paying for the three of them. Elizabeth and Jane resisted, but he would not allow them to touch the bill and so they were forced to accept his charity.

They did not linger in the dining area for long. Charles guessed the break would be over soon and he wanted to continue watching his clients' in action. Jane admitted her eagerness to go back to the set as well. Elizabeth repressed her reluctance to see Will Darcy again and agreed to follow them, all the while wondering how she had ever become mixed up in the peculiar world of show business.

Her predicament was a strange one. She was not enamored of the ins and outs of the film industry like so many of her friends and relatives. Though aware of the fact that she had been given an opportunity others would kill for, she could not find much to excite her. She held on to a sliver of optimism, however. There was a bright side to stumbling upon the lives of the rich and famous. Her father's daughter in every way imaginable, Elizabeth Bennet had never been one to turn down a chance for amusement.

Chapter Four

Elizabeth, Jane, and Charles walked in on a familiar scene. Will Darcy was pacing back and forth and Caroline had resumed her earlier pose on the bed. Will once again came to an abrupt halt and turned towards Caroline. He did not seem to notice Elizabeth's presence and proceeded to recite his lines.

“Please, tell me how I can fix this.”

Caroline shook her head. “There is nothing left to fix, Joseph. I might have forgiven you, if you had apologized years ago. But, it's too late now! I'm getting married in two days, and there is nothing left for you to do, but move on with your life,” she shouted.

Will stroked his hair and sauntered to where Caroline sat on the bed. He kneeled before her and took her hands.

“Tell me the truth. Will you be happy with him?”

Caroline bit her lip and freed her hands from his grasp. She turned her face away and closed her eyes. Will lowered his eyes and withdrew from her. He turned his back on Caroline and stared into the camera. Caroline stood up and began to pace around the room, while wringing her hands.

She stopped after a while. “Yes.”

The director's voice sounded loud and clear. “Cut! All right, that was much better. Caroline, you were perfect. Will, I need more emotion from you. You're too wooden. I didn't like how you walked up to Caroline. You were too slow and reserved. Next time, run up to her and after you take her hands, let out a deep breath like you've been holding it all your life. I want to see your face in utter turmoil when you ask her that last question, understand?”

Will frowned. “Sir, I thought this was a romantic comedy, not a melodrama.”

“Excuse me? I can't believe this! Who do you think you are? You show up late one day, you come here with a hangover the next day, and then you forget your lines and yet you have the gall to criticize me with wisecracks? You better learn how to shut your mouth, kid. I call the shots here, and you are skating on thin ice.”

Will grimaced and nodded his head in insincere meekness. The room grew silent for a long moment until the director yelled “Action!”

As she watched him do another take of the same scene, Elizabeth was surprised to find herself impressed by Will Darcy. The kid had good instincts. He displayed subtlety and keen intelligence. He also acted circles around Caroline Bingley, whose overblown mannerisms and ridiculous whining made it impossible for Elizabeth to stop laughing out loud.

Elizabeth thought the director was wrong. Will's understated manner of delivering the lines during the previous take was more effective and realistic than the forced emotion of the next take. The director remained unsatisfied with Will's acting and called for another take. Will's face tensed with obvious anger and he recited the lines his way despite the director's protests. Elizabeth was amused by his defiance of the director's orders. The kid was arrogant, but at least he had some spunk.

They did several more takes, and then the director called for a break. He wanted to move on to the next scene, but the actors needed to change their wardrobe first. Elizabeth was relieved; she didn't think she could stand watching the stupid scene one more time. She couldn't wait to go home and tell Lydia that movie-making was not as glamorous and exciting as it was cracked up to be.

Will sprinted out of the room and down the hallway. Caroline followed after him, and so did Elizabeth, Jane, and Charles. Charles was explaining the story to Jane when they reached the dressing room. Elizabeth halted; surprised Charles would take them there.

“Um, are you sure we can go in? Aren't they dressing right now?”

Charles shrugged. “Yeah, probably.”

Elizabeth grew flustered as Charles started to turn the knob. “Don't you think they want some privacy?”

Charles turned around and laughed. “Liz, they're actors, and this is a movie set. There is no privacy here. Actors dress in front the film crew all the time. They won't even notice us...you're not uncomfortable, are you?”

Liz shook her head, unwilling to raise unwanted suspicions. “Oh, no! No, of course not.”

Charles smiled and opened the door. Jane hesitated, but walked in after Charles put an arm around her shoulder. Elizabeth entered the room to find Will Darcy zipping up his jeans. She let out a sigh of relief that she had missed the worst of it; he was only half-naked. He didn't seem to hear their entrance. He dressed in a rush in one corner of the room, while Caroline dressed in the opposite corner. Both actors were attended to by several assistants, who styled their hair and applied their make up with rapid precision. Elizabeth tried hard not to stare at Will, but her eyes betrayed her.

As she watched him put on a t-shirt, she came to understand why Will Darcy graced the cover of so many magazines. He was impossibly attractive, with gorgeous eyes and a hot body. His arrogance, however, was repulsive. Elizabeth knew better than to fall for another empty pretty face. She refused to hurt herself that way again.

Will was oblivious to Elizabeth's jumbled feelings. He did notice her, he saw her out of the corner of his eyes as she came into the room with Charles and Jane. He remained irritated over her rejection, but he could not find it in his heart to despise her. His behavior towards her when they had first met had been awful, and he knew he needed to fight to make it up to her. For some strange reason that he did not yet understand, he could not let her go. He wanted her, but there was more to it than that. He also wanted her respect and approval. She was a challenge. She refused to fawn over him, because of his wealth and stardom. She was someone who seemed to have good values, as well as a good head on her shoulders. He desired to know her better and spend more time with her. He found himself unable to think of anyone else. He knew he had to impress her, he only needed to discover how.

Will did not get the chance to speak to her again that day. She left soon after she saw him dressing. He hoped she wasn't repulsed by him. It didn't seem likely, he sensed her staring at his body, but a niggling feeling of doubt in the back of his mind would not go away, regardless of the evidence to the contrary.

Determined to improve her impression of him, Will took to haunting her neighborhood during his breaks. He needed to see her again, but not at her bar. It was too loud and crowded for him to make any headway with her there. He hoped to catch her alone, where he could have a conversation with her.

The perfect opportunity fell into his lap, while he walked down Second Avenue. He had a couple of hours to himself before he was required to appear on the set, and he had determined to make the most of it. He spotted Elizabeth coming out of a grocery store with a ton of bags in her hands. He restrained the urge to run to her and kept his cool. He caught up to her with ease, for she was weighed down by her groceries.

He approached her from behind. “Here, let me get that for you.”

She whirled around and her eyes widened in surprise as they landed on him. He grinned and took the bags out of her hands.

She smiled, still looking at him with shock in her eyes. “Thank you,” she murmured.

“No problem. Are you going home?”

“Yes, it's a few blocks this way,” she said as she made a left on Eighth Street.

He followed her in silence, cheered by her acceptance of his assistance, but fearful of pushing his luck too far. After a while, she turned to him with a bemused expression.

“Are you going to carry all those bags the whole way?”

“Sure. It's no trouble.”

Elizabeth chuckled. “You're such a show off.”

He grinned. “I'll take that as a compliment.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes.

“You're hard to impress, aren't you?”

Elizabeth smirked. “Where on Earth would you get that idea?”

Will laughed. “I don't know. It must have come out of nowhere.”

Will was buoyed by her laughter. For once, she seemed to enjoy his company. It gave him the push he needed to go forward.

“So, I guess you don't work during the day, since you work at your club all night.”

“It depends. Sometimes, I need to come to the club during the day to help a live act prepare for their show, but for the most part, I sleep in the morning, run errands in the afternoon, and work at night.”

“It must be hard to sleep when the sun is still up.”

“Not really. By the time I get home, I'm exhausted. It doesn't take me long to fall asleep.”

“Do you shop around here a lot?” Will asked after a few minutes of silence.

Elizabeth quirked an eyebrow. “Does it matter to you where I shop?”

Will shrugged. “Not really. I was just trying to make conversation.”

“I would have expected better from an actor.”

“You don't seem very fond of actors,” Will said with a frown, his hope waning.

“I don't care for them either way. I don't hold a grudge against them, but I don't put them on a pedestal.”

Will grimaced. “Yeah, I found that out the hard way.”

Elizabeth turned around to face him. “What do you want from me?”

Will started at her frankness. “Nothing! Can't a guy talk to a girl without getting his head bit off?”

Elizabeth smiled, her expression softening. “In general, yes, but in this case, no. A guy like you can't talk to a girl like me without raising her suspicions.”

Will stared into her eyes. “And what are those suspicions?”

He stepped closer to her, still making eye contact. Elizabeth backed away from him with a frown. She turned around and quickened her pace.

“Darn it,” Will muttered, knowing he had screwed up again.

“Can we start over?”

“I thought we tried that before.”

Will sprinted to catch up to her. “This will be the last time, I promise.”

Elizabeth made a sharp turn towards an apartment building. She went up the steps and then turned around.

“This is my place. Thanks for carrying my groceries. I can take over from here.”

Will frowned, unable to hide his disappointment that she wouldn't invite him in.

“Are you sure? I don't mind carrying these up the stairs.”

Elizabeth bit her lip. She looked at him for a long moment and then sighed. “Oh okay, follow me.”

She opened the door and hurried down the hall. Will struggled to catch up to her, huffing and puffing as his body grew tired from carrying a large weight around for so long.

“Would you mind walking a little slower? These bags are kind of heavy,” he shouted, hoping she would hear him.

Elizabeth stopped and turned around. Will was surprised to see she was blushing.

She cast her eyes down. “I'm sorry, I've been very rude.”

Will smiled, unable to hold a grudge against her when she looked so sweet. “It's okay.”

“Here it is. Apartment B12.” Elizabeth opened the door and gestured for Will to come in. He followed her into the kitchen.

She looked up at him with another adorable blush on her face. “My kitchen is a mess. I hardly ever use it.”

Will laughed. “That's all right. You don't want to know how disgusting my kitchen would be if I had to clean it myself.”

He plopped the bags down on the counter and faced Elizabeth.

She crossed her arms. “I guess I'll see you later.”

“Oh…uh…yeah, I guess so.”

Unwilling to leave, Will approached her. She backed away, but he kept stepping forward.

“Thanks…again.”

“Don't mention it.”

He took another step towards her. She stood still and looked up at him with those lovely, expressive eyes of hers. Without thinking, Will leaned forward and kissed her. To his surprise, she responded, raising her hands to his face as he pulled her into his arms. Their kiss deepened for the briefest of moments, but Elizabeth pushed him away.

Will stared at her in shock, his chest heaving up and down from the excitement of the moment. She turned her back to him and crossed her arms.

“I think you should go now,” she said in a trembling voice.

Will couldn't leave her. He went up to her and put his hand on her shoulder. She stiffened at his touch.

“Please leave.”

Will removed his hand from her shoulder and stroked her hair with his fingers. “I'm sorry,” he whispered into her ear, hoping she would look at him once more. She remained motionless and Will despaired of ever having a chance with her. He stepped away from her and left her apartment without saying goodbye.

Will returned to the Waldorf Astoria in a dark mood. An only child born to a wealthy family, he had not yet grown accustomed to the misfortune of wanting something he could not have. This unwelcome sensation threatened to swallow him whole. He stalked down the hall with a sullen expression, his eyes glaring at the floor. He entered his room and slammed the door shut, throwing himself on the bed in frustration.

Will shut his eyes and took a deep breath. A moment later, he heard a knock on the door. He jumped up and went to the door, hoping to see a friend. His mood brightened at the sight of his cousin, Georgiana.

She smiled. “Hey, you're back! Where have you been all day?”

Will grimaced. “Just walking around.”

Georgiana furrowed her eyebrows. “Walking around? Alone?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

Georgiana's eyes widened. “Without your hat and shades?”

Will laughed. “Yeah, I left in such a hurry this morning that I forgot all about that.”

“Wow! That's amazing. What could be so important that you forget to wear your disguise before going out?”

“Guess.”

Georgiana smirked. “It has to be a woman.”

Will smiled at her perceptiveness.

“I think I know which woman, too. Elizabeth Bennet, right?”

Will sighed. “Right.”

“So did you see her?”

“Yes I saw her,” he said as he sat down on his bed.

Georgiana sat beside him with an eager look. “How did it go?”

Will shook his head. “I screwed up.”

“Again? What did you do this time?”

Will reddened. “I kissed her.”

Georgiana rolled her eyes. “Will! Why did you that? You know she's not like other girls. She doesn't trust you, because she doesn't know you well enough yet. You needed to be patient and pace yourself with her. Now, she'll think you're looking for a fling!”

“I know, I know…but I couldn't help it! We were in her kitchen and she looked so sweet and vulnerable and…it just happened.”

Georgiana frowned. “How did you end up in her kitchen?”

“I saw her as she was leaving a grocery store. I carried her bags for her, and she let me into her apartment to set the bags down.”

“Oh…well, that was sweet of you, so all is not lost. She might regret her actions later.”

“You really think so?”

Georgiana shrugged. “I don't know. I'm not a mind reader!”

“Georgie, you're getting my hopes up for no reason,” Will whined.

“Don't get mad at me. I'm only trying to make you feel better.”

“I really like her, Georgie.”

Georgiana smirked. “I know. It's about time you get crossed in love.”

Will tossed a pillow at her. “You are so mean! Just like your sister.”

Georgiana laughed. “Grow up, Will. It's just a crush. You're not in love with her. You'll get over it.”

Will frowned, wondering if his cousin was right. He couldn't decide at the moment. His emotions were still too strong. He needed time and distance to think about it.

Will was called onto the set an hour later. Forcing thoughts of Elizabeth out of his mind, he determined to concentrate on his job. He needed this movie to be a big hit to launch him into superstardom, and he wasn't about to let some self-righteous punk girl get the best of him.

“Ready to go?” the director asked.

Will nodded.

“All right, quiet on the set…and action!”

“I can't let her marry him.”

“What are you going to do?” asked George Hurst, the actor playing Joseph's (Will's character's) best friend.

Will sighed. “I don't know. I have to figure out a plan.”

“You only have two days left.”

Will rolled his eyes. “I know I don't have much time, Alan. You don't have to keep reminding me.”

“Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I'm just trying to show you reason.”

“Reason? What does reason have to do with matters of the heart?”

“Will you calm down? All this yelling won't get you anywhere!”

“Cut! That wasn't good enough, Darcy. I didn't hear the anger in your voice. This character is about to lose the woman of his dreams. He's supposed to be desperate. You're acting as though he doesn't care at all,” said the director.

“But he does care. He cares a great deal. He just doesn't feel the need to let the whole world know how he feels!”

The director raised one eyebrow. “Why not?”

“Because he's a private person. That's why Caroline's character doesn't understand him. She always wears her heart on her sleeve, but Joseph is the opposite. He internalizes everything.”

The director shook his head. “None of that is in the script.”

“I know it's not in the script. It's my interpretation of the character.”

The director approached Will and glared at him. “Listen, kid, do yourself a favor and drop the method crap. You're not Robert De Niro. Just say the lines!”

Will did as he was told, but his resentment could not be erased. He couldn't wait until this stupid movie was finished, so he could work with a better director. This hack didn't know what he was doing, and Will was sick and tired of it. He decided to tell Charlie to get him a deal with a good director. Someone who would make a great film and someone he could learn from, like Martin Scorsese or Mike Nichols. He didn't want to get stuck doing romantic comedies with Caroline “Frigid Ice Queen” Bingley for the rest of his career.

Chapter Five

Posted on Monday, 21 January 2008

Charles shook his head and crossed his arms. “I'm not going to set you up with Elizabeth.”

Will slumped his shoulders. “Oh come on, Chuck! Please! Please, do this for me. I'll be forever grateful.”

“Can't you take a hint? The woman doesn't like you.”

“I think she does like me. She just doesn't want to admit it.”

Charles rolled his eyes. “God, you're so arrogant! You can't take it, can you? You can't handle the fact that there is a woman out there who doesn't want you! This isn't a game, Will. If you toy with Elizabeth and break her heart, you can ruin my relationship with Jane.”

“I'm not going to toy with her! What are you smoking? You know I'm not that kind of guy.”

Charles sighed and then looked at Will with a rueful smile. “Yeah, you're right…sorry, I lost my temper…I've known you long enough to trust you, but I'm glad to hear you say it…you really like her, huh?”

“Yeah. She's fun and different…and hot.”

Charles laughed. “Are you sure you're not enamored with her, because she's a gorgeous woman, who had the nerve to reject you?”

Will shook his head. “I've been rejected before. It's not like that never happens. Don't you remember how I was in high school?”

Charles smirked. “Yeah…you were the awkward, filthy rich teenager who had starred in those annoying television commercials and crappy movies.”

Will grimaced. “I was far from being the most popular kid on the block.”

“Yes, but that was ages ago. You haven't been in a situation like that since your success and fame skyrocketed. These days you're surrounded by fawning fan-girls.”

“But I haven't forgotten those early days and I don't think I ever will…anyways, will you help me?”

“Yeah, all right, I'll try to help. What do you want me to do?”

“Tell Jane you want Elizabeth to join the two of you for dinner, because you want to get to know her better. Don't mention me. I'll come with you and surprise her at the restaurant.”

Charles smirked. “What if she sees you and leaves?”

“She won't do that. I'm betting she'll stay and tolerate my presence for her sister's sake.”

Charles sighed. “Okay, I'll do it.”

Will grinned. “Thank you so much, Chuck! You're the best! I'll pay you back for this, I swear.”

Charles laughed. “All right, now get yourself to wardrobe. You need to get to the set on time.”

Will looked at his watch. “Oh man, I only have forty minutes. I have to get out of here!”

He grabbed his jacket and sprinted out of the room. Yelling out greetings to passing crewmembers as he ran, he made it to wardrobe in record time.

“Hey, Sarah. How's it going?” He tossed his jacket towards the side of the room and sat down on a chair to regain control over his breathing.

“You look exhausted, honey. Did you run all the way down here again?”

Will gave the costume designer a sheepish smile. “I can't be late.”

Sarah laughed. “You got that right. You show up late to the set one more time and Mr. Collins might fire you.”

Will stood up and grimaced. “He hates me, doesn't he?”

Sarah took Will's suit off the hanger and held it against his body. “This should look nice on you. Anyway, don't you worry about that, darling. That man is a darn fool.”

Will smirked. “He has to be, if he thinks Caroline Bingley can act.” He took off his polo shirt and put on the white dress shirt Sarah gave him. He then removed his jeans and changed into Sarah's handpicked suit.

“Now hush, Mr. Darcy. That's no way to talk about your co-star. She has her spies all over the place, you know.” She said as she wiped the dust off Will's suit jacket.

“You won't rat me out now, will you?” He gazed at her with a teasing smile.

Sarah shook her head as she wrapped a tie around Will's neck. “You're secret is safe with me, Mr. Darcy. How do you like the tie? I think it's nice. It brings out your eyes.”

Will looked at the mirror for a moment and then glanced at Sarah with raised eyebrows. “I have no sense of fashion, so I'll trust your judgment, but since when have I been Mr. Darcy?”

Sarah smiled. “Since Collins lectured me on being more professional.”

Will's jaw dropped. “He did not!”

“Oh yes, he did.”

“I can't believe it! He's even dumber than I thought. Who tricked my aunt Catherine into hiring this idiot?”

“I don't know, but I'll tell you what, I've been in this business for thirty years and I have never seen such a terrible director. If I were you, darling, I wouldn't listen to a word that man says.”

Will frowned. “This movie could turn out to be my worst nightmare if I don't do something to change it. Maybe I should talk to Catherine about Collins. He won't take my advice, but he'll do anything if it comes out of my aunt's mouth. Do you know if she's on the set today?”

Sarah shook her head and stepped away from Will. “I haven't seen her around. I'm sure you'll find out soon. If she's here, Collins will turn into a little pussycat.”

Will looked in the mirror and adjusted his jacket. “Am I ready to go?”

“Yes, dear. You're all set.”

Will grinned. “Thanks, Sarah.”

“No problem, sweetheart. You hurry up and do your thing, okay?”

“Okay,” Will answered and rushed towards the hotel lobby, where the shoot was about to start. He was greeted by his co-stars George Hurst and Maria Reynolds.

Maria laughed as he sat down to get some rest. “Wow, you made it!”

Will caught his breath. “I didn't want to get another lecture.”

“You have to admit, you do bring some of those lectures on yourself,” George replied with a smile.

“Yeah, because I'm the only one here who has the guts to stand up to the idiot director!”

George grimaced. “You're the only one who can afford to, since your aunt owns the studio.”

“Don't you agree with me, George? Maria? Do you guys really think this movie can be any good?”

George and Maria shook there heads. Will stood up from his chair and approached his co-stars.

George looked at Will with a sly grin. “Anyways, forget about your problems for a second and get a load of this.”

He handed Will an envelope. Will opened it and laughed at its contents. He looked up and gave George a high-five.

“This is hilarious! Who made this?”

“Nancy Goulding.”

“Ah, I should have known. She's the one who came up with Caroline's infamous nickname!”

“That's the ice queen's make-up lady, right?” Maria interjected.

“Yeah, she's a clever one,” Will replied.

“So, what did she do this time?” Maria asked.

Will continued laughing. “She made a photo shopped picture of an aging Caroline Bingley with wrinkles all over her face and a gigantic wart on her nose. Here, see it yourself,” he said as he handed the photograph to Maria.

Will grinned. “You know, you have the easiest role in this movie.”

Maria crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows. “Do I? And why is that?”

“All you have to do is imitate our favorite co-star,” Will answered, making George and Maria laugh.

“Will's right. The character of Rose fits Caroline to a tee. I don't get why she was cast as Joanna and you were cast as Rose. You would be much better as Joanna,” George argued.

Maria frowned. “I auditioned for Joanna, at first, but Collins told me I wasn't famous enough for the lead role, so he cast me as Rose instead.”

“You know, I might be able to change that, if you want.”

Maria wrinkled her nose. “What do you mean?”

“I'm going to talk to my aunt about Collins. The guy doesn't know what he's doing. He's going to sink this ship if none of us stop him. I can tell Catherine to recommend that Collins switches your role with Caroline's.”

Maria's eyes widened. “Are you crazy? The frigid ice queen would throw a fit!”

Will shrugged his shoulders. “So? I'm not afraid of her.”

The others laughed until Georgiana approached them. “Sorry Will, you can't stand around and chat anymore. All of you are called onto the set. They're ready to shoot.”

Will and the others scurried to their proper places and prepared to do their jobs.

“Lights, Camera, and Action,” Collins yelled as he snapped the clapperboard shut.

Will glared at Maria. “I told you, I don't want to be with you, so leave me alone! I have an important business meeting to attend.”

“You stupid jerk! Are you really going to reject me for that…that insignificant little trailer trash upstart? Don't you know she's engaged to someone else?”

“Yes, and it's your fault!”

Maria gaped at Will. “My fault? How on Earth is that my fault?”

“You lied to me all those years ago. You manipulated me into leaving her and now she doesn't trust me anymore.”

“I told you the truth.” Maria raised one eyebrow in a gesture so uncanny in its similarity to the mannerisms of Caroline Bingley that Will could not restrain a laugh.

Knowing he had ruined the take with his laughter, he decided to ad-lib. “No, you lied…you nasty, selfish, manipulative, egocentric frigid ice queen!”

The actors and the crew burst into laughter at the use of the secret nickname they had given to Caroline Bingley. The director, however, was not amused.

“What is so funny?”

“I'm sorry, sir. I…I lost my concentration,” Will replied in between chuckles.

Collins shook his head and called for another take. The cast and crew ended their mirth and resumed business. Will pushed through the scenes with thoughts of Elizabeth Bennet always in the recesses of his mind. Though he could not explain why, he had not been so infatuated with a woman in quite a while. He could be working or relaxing on the couch at home or in the middle of a shower, and something Elizabeth Bennet had said or a gesture she had made or an image of her would stir up in his mind.

After the shoot ended and evening drew near, Will's anticipation exploded to great heights. He couldn't wait to see how Elizabeth would react to his presence at dinner. He hoped she had reconsidered her actions since the last time they had met and would, therefore, be willing to give him a chance. Despite his desire to impress her, he dressed in casual clothes. Tired and hungry, he had no inclination to waste hours on perfecting his physical appearance. He figured Elizabeth wasn't a shallow fashionista, who would sneer at him for showing up to dinner in a t-shirt and jeans. He called Charlie to get the address of the restaurant and then left his apartment.

Will walked into the cozy eatery in Little Italy and found Charles seated at a table for a four. Anticipating that Jane would like to sit next to Charles, Will sat across from him. Thus, Elizabeth would have no choice, but to sit next to Will.

Charles glanced at his watch and grinned. “Wow, you're a minute early.”

Will laughed. “Yeah, I was too excited to be fashionably late.”

“Jane called me just now. Her and Elizabeth got off the subway and are on their way here. They should get here in like two minutes.”

“Great. How's the food here?”

“I don't know. I haven't been here before. Elizabeth recommended it.”

“Oh really? This should be interesting.”

Charles nodded his head and Will turned around to find Jane and Elizabeth enter the restaurant. Will smiled at Elizabeth, but she turned crimson at the sight of him.

“Hey Jane, Elizabeth, how are you?”

Jane grinned. “Oh, hi Will. I didn't know you would be here. Charlie, why didn't you tell me?”

Will cleared his throat. Charles smirked at Will. “Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I forgot to mention it.”

As expected, Jane sat next to Charles. Will stood up and pulled a chair out for Elizabeth. Elizabeth glared at him and sat down. She turned her head away from his and stared out the window, while Jane and Charles engaged in small talk.

Will noticed the tension in her features, and started to regret his actions. He hoped she would let her guard down after a while, but he feared she would persist in ignoring him.

He turned towards her. “So, Chuck told me you recommended this place…it looks nice.”

“The food is amazing. I'm sure you will love it,” Jane answered for her sister.

Will gave Jane a resigned smile. “Is there anything you recommend?”

“The pizzas are all really good, but my favorite is the lasagna and Elizabeth loves the ravioli.”

Will scanned the menu. “How big are the pizzas?”

“There are small individual pizzas and also large ones that can fill up a group of people,” Jane answered.

“Do you think we should order a pizza for the four of us?” Charles asked.

Jane shrugged her shoulders. “Oh, it doesn't matter. I'll eat anything. What do you think, Liz?”

Elizabeth looked at Jane. “I'm not hungry. You guys can order whatever you want. I'll settle for a cup of coffee.”

“Pizza sounds good to me,” Will said.

Charles called for the waiter and made the order. Will struggled to reign in his disappointment as Elizabeth's silence persisted. Charles and Jane were acting like love-struck teenagers and there he was, sitting next to a beautiful and intelligent girl, unable to start a conversation. He asked her several questions, but she rebuked his efforts with one-word answers. He took the hint and fell silent, wallowing in regret and frustration.

After several minutes, Jane's cell phone rang. She took the call and went outside. Will saw an opportunity to be alone with Elizabeth and took advantage. He gave Charles a pleading glance, gesturing towards the bathroom. Charles understood his hint and left the table.

Will looked at Elizabeth and saw her eyes widen. “Are you going to ignore me all night?” he whispered into her ear.

Elizabeth glared at him. “You don't know how to quit, do you?”

Will frowned and lowered his head. “I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I wanted to see you again, but I thought you might not go to dinner if you knew I would be here.”

Elizabeth smiled at him. “You're smarter than you look.”

Will chuckled. “You know, you are something else…so how did you get to be this way? Did some dumb jerk break your heart and ruin things for the rest of the male gender?”

Elizabeth laughed. “Hmm, maybe you're not so smart after all. You seem to think everything in life is like a movie.”

Will grinned. “You're right. I don't know any better. I've done nothing but act my entire life.”

“I didn't know you were a child star,” Elizabeth said with an earnest gaze.

Will grew uncomfortable. “Uh…well, I wouldn't say I was a star…I did commercials and a few movies, but none of them became huge hits.”

Jane returned to the table, while Will was in the middle of his sentence. “Oh Will, could I ask you for a tiny favor?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“You see, our cousin, Lydia…”

“Jane don't!” Elizabeth interrupted.

Jane blushed. “But I promised…”

Elizabeth shook her head. Will frowned. “What about your cousin, Lydia?”

“Nothing. It's nothing. So, how did you first get into acting?” Elizabeth took a large gulp of her iced tea.

Will managed to repress a laugh. He was about to answer her question, but Jane did that for him.

“Liz, don't you remember? His dad had been a director and later founded Pemberley Studios, and his mom was a famous actress. They pushed Will into commercials when he was five years old.”

“Wow, Jane, I wouldn't have expected a smart girl like you to read tabloids,” Charles said as he returned to his seat.

“Oh, I don't read tabloids. My cousin Lydia does. I know a lot about Will, because she talks about him all the time. Will, she has a huge crush on you. She's seen all your movies and watches your old commercials on you tube.”

“Jane! Stop it. He'll think she's a crazy stalker.”

“But Lydia made me promise I would mention it…Lydia isn't a crazy stalker. She's a teenager and is a little boy crazy, but other than that, she's a sweet girl.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “God, this is so embarrassing,” Will heard her mumble.

He laughed. “Oh okay. You should bring her to the set. I'll give her an autograph.”

Jane's eyes lit up. “Would you really?”

“Sure, why not?”

“Oh, thank you so much! Lydia will be so excited!”

Elizabeth turned to Will. “You have no idea what you just got yourself into.”

Will smirked. He was not afraid of her cousin. He had grown accustomed to being accosted by overzealous fans over the years, and he knew this Lydia girl wouldn't be any different from the rest of them. To his surprise, Elizabeth addressed him.

“So, if you hadn't become an actor, what would you have done with your life?”

Will hesitated. “Uh…I don't know. I never really thought about it.”

“You've known you would be an actor since you were five years old? You never considered doing anything else?”

Will shrugged his shoulders. “No, not really.”

“Did you act, because you loved it, or did your parents force you into it?”

“I enjoyed it. I used to do impressions of Marlon Brando and Jimmy Stewart when I was in pre-school. I liked making people watch me and I loved making them laugh. My parents recognized my preference for performing and encouraged me. They never tried to push me to do something else.”

Elizabeth fell silent. The waiter arrived with their food and Will satisfied himself by concentrating on devouring dinner. After fulfilling his appetite, Will turned his attention to Charles.

“So, I talked to my aunt about the movie today.”

“Oh yeah, what did she say?”

“She supported me. She's going to pass my suggestions along to Collins.”

“Well then, good for you.”

Will cleared his throat. “Uh…listen, Chuck…if you get an angry call from your sister tomorrow, don't be surprised.”

“Why would I get an angry call from Caroline?”

Will suppressed a grin. “She might have to switch roles with Maria.”

“What? Are you out of your mind? Why on Earth would you suggest something like that?”

“Because Caroline can't act to save her life, but if she plays Rose, she won't have to act at all.”

Charles slapped his forehead. “Oh God! Caroline will never settle for a supporting role. She's going to freak out if this happens and I will get the blame.”

“No you won't. I will tell her it was all my fault. She'll aim her hatred and anger toward me, so don't worry about it.”

“You realize she will do all she can to ruin your career if you tell her the truth.”

“Yeah, but I'm not afraid of her. I can roll with the punches.”

Charles shook his head. “You're insane.”

Will smiled. “You'll think I'm a genius when you see this movie's box office results and reviews.”

Will heard Elizabeth laugh at his declaration, but he ignored her. Will's news must have soured Charles' mood, for he said nothing through the rest of dinner. The table remained in a state of awkward silence until it was time to say goodbye.

“You're going to visit the set again soon, right?”

Jane smiled. “Yes, of course.”

Will looked at Elizabeth. “I meant both of you. You'll come too, won't you?”

Elizabeth shook her head. “I don't think so.”

Will knew he must have looked pathetic. He was so disappointed; he could not hide his feelings beneath a disguise.

Jane laughed. “I'm sorry about Liz. She can be a real grouch sometimes.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and motioned for Jane to leave. Jane ignored her sister and approached Charles. Elizabeth went outside, but Will followed her.

“I had a good time tonight.”

“You're such a terrific liar. It must come easy to you.”

“And you are too sarcastic for your own good.”

“You are in no position to judge what is or is not for my own good.”

“Go out with me.”

Elizabeth laughed, but Will persisted. He was convinced she felt an attraction for him, and he would not relent until he could confirm his gut instinct.

“Come on, just one date. That's all I'm asking for. If you still don't like me after one date, I'll leave you alone.”

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. “Promise?”

Will smiled. “I promise.”

“I'll have to think about it.”

“I also promise that I won't stop pestering you until you go out with me.”

“You're such a spoiled brat.”

Will lost his patience. “And you are full of it! You kissed me back, and yet you pretend you don't like me.”

“That was a mistake! Stop being cocky and grow up.”

Elizabeth turned around and walked away from him, but Will refused to allow her to end it there. He caught up to her and grabbed her arm. She glared at him and tossed his arm aside.

“I'm sorry I said you're full of it. I didn't mean it.”

Elizabeth sighed. “Why do we act like bratty kids when we are around each other?”

“I wouldn't say we act like kids.”

“You think this is normal adult behavior? God, you're even more divorced from reality than I thought.”

Will smirked. “I was going to say we're more like cat and mouse.”

Elizabeth's eyes widened. “Yes, because relationships are nothing more than a game to you.”

Will took her hands and drew her near him. “No, because you keep hiding and running away, but I know better and will bide my time. You'll get tired from the chase, eventually.”

He let go of her and walked back into the restaurant to get Charles. He spotted Elizabeth staring at him in amazement out of the corner of his eye and smiled to himself.

Chapter Six

Elizabeth felt exhausted, but she pushed through her fatigue in order to finish her work. She wiped the bar with silent determination, while Lydia and her best friend, Kat, gossiped about the latest stupid Hollywood rumor. Once the bar was spotless, she took a broom and swept pieces of shattered glass off the floor. There were always accidents where some loser drank more liquor than he could hold and dropped his glass in a drunken stupor. Elizabeth enjoyed her job, especially when she managed to give a great band the spotlight on her stage. Nevertheless, there were moments when she wished she had never bought a rundown property and turned into a nightclub. Her giggling employees did not make her feel better.

“Liz, did you really refuse to go out with Will Darcy?” Kat asked with her hands gripped against a bar stool.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and continued sweeping. “Do you and Lydia have nothing better to talk about?”

Lydia rested her elbows on the bar and glanced at Kat. “You shouldn't be surprised. Liz has always been snobbish and picky.”

“Lyds, can you do me a favor and steal Darcy away from me when you meet him? I would be forever grateful.”

“He won't date a girl my age. I'm too young for him. No matter what you might think of him, Will Darcy is not a sleaze.”

Elizabeth laughed. “Wow, you're starting to make sense! Maybe there is hope for the future, after all.”

“I'm young and maybe naďve, but I'm not brain-dead. You don't give others enough credit. You think you're smarter than everybody else.”

Elizabeth shook her head and stopped working for a moment. “I should never have agreed to hire you. You're getting bitter and it's annoying me.”

Lydia's expression softened. She took the broom from Elizabeth's hands and put it away.

“I'm not bitter. I love you, or else, I wouldn't tell it like it is.”

“Your problem is you're like your mom and tell it like it is too much.”

Kat coughed. “I hate it when you two argue. Anyway, Liz, I don't understand why you don't like Will Darcy? He seems so nice and down to Earth in interviews.”

“Of course he does. He has publicists and agents and all sorts of handlers training him to come off as a nice guy in interviews. All movie stars have to learn public relations skills.”

“Jane said he was gracious and kind when she mentioned that I'm a big fan of his.”

Elizabeth smirked. “Jane thinks everyone is gracious and kind.”

Kat smiled with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. “Jane also says he really likes you.”

“No he doesn't. He's a cocky jerk, who can't take no for an answer. He's chasing after me, because he's clueless enough to think I'm playing hard to get.”

Lydia sighed. “I thought you were over what happened with Mark, but it seems like you're still judging every guy you meet based on what that loser did.”

“This isn't about that, okay. I have plenty of good reasons for why I don't want to get involved with Will Darcy, and those have nothing to do with Mark.”

Lydia crossed her arms and gave Elizabeth a suspicious glance. “What good reasons?”

“Will Darcy is an arrogant, spoiled, irritating brat who grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth. He lives on a different planet and can't relate to people like us. I can't trust him, because I can't tell if he's being honest or acting. He may be smart and he may be talented, but he has done nothing to convince me that he deserves his millions. Plus, he has to be too young for me. He looks and acts like he's eighteen and it wouldn't surprise me if he used a fake i.d. to get into my club.”

“Your reasons are based on stereotypes and you're wrong about his age. He turned twenty-one last February 6th.”

Elizabeth was disconcerted enough to turn her attention to Kat. “Doesn't it freak you out that your best friend knows everything there is to know about someone she has never met?” Kat shook her head and kept quiet.

“What's wrong with that? He's my favorite celebrity. Of course, I'm going to know his birthday.”

“But you know everything else about him too.”

Lydia rolled her eyes. “Ugh, whatever. Anyway, you're twenty-six and he's twenty-one, so he's not too young for you. It's only a five year difference.”

“Only a five year difference? He was still in high school when I graduated from college! You're forgetting that guys take longer to grow up than girls. A twenty-one year old guy has the maturity level of a fifteen year old girl, so dating him would make me a cradle-robber.”

Kat laughed, but Lydia shook her head. “You're hopeless.”

“Good, don't turn out like me when you get older.”

Lydia laughed. “I won't, you can count on that!”

“But, Liz, you have to go to the set with Jane and Lydia,” Kat persisted.

“Why?”

“Why not? It's a great opportunity. It's not like you'll get another chance to watch how movies are made.”

“I saw the set once. I don't see the point in going there again.”

“Liz, you totally have to come! I want to see how Will behaves around you. I'll be bitter with you for the rest of the week if you don't come!”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “All right, I'll go. Now, will you please find something else to talk about?”

Lydia smirked and did as Elizabeth suggested. Thus, Elizabeth had the chance to stew in her resentment over her cousin's meddling in peace. Her frustration diminished, however, upon Jane's ecstatic reaction when she mentioned her decision to revisit the set.

The second time she walked into the lobby of the Waldorf Astoria, Elizabeth felt uneasy, but at least she was more familiar with her surroundings. She spotted Will in the corner and turned her eyes away, hoping he would not notice her. Her hopes were dashed by Charles, who led her and Jane towards his friend. Elizabeth was surprised to find Will and Caroline Bingley in a heated discussion with the director.

“I agree with everything you have said, William. I welcome your advice and will not stand in your way from now on. I assure you; I am fully repentant of my previous behavior and hope that you will forgive me. I am sure the two of us can become friends by the time this shoot is over.”

“Listen, Collins, you don't like me, and I don't like you. You thought you could get away with treating me like dirt as long as you sucked up to my aunt, but you found out you were wrong. Now, you're trying to fool me by changing your tune. I'm not an idiot. I can see through your charade and I won't be a part of it. You do your job and I will do mine, you understand?”

Elizabeth smirked as the director cowered under pressure. He answered Will with a meek nod and did not attempt a second round of flattery.

“This is unbelievable! I will not stand for this! Collins, if you don't change your mind, I swear I will drop out of this movie. Your career will be ruined and so will yours, Darcy!”

“Caroline, calm down. You haven't thought this through enough yet. There is no reason to be angry. If you will let me explain, I can convince you why this role will be terrific for your career.”

Caroline sneered at Will. “Please, explain away.”

“Think about it for a minute. You've always played the good girl in romantic comedies. This is your chance to play against type. You can silence the critics that have accused you of being a one trick pony. You can surprise everyone. If you don't believe me, then look at what going against type did for Denzel Washington. If this movie is a huge hit and gets good reviews, you could win an Oscar!”

Caroline's demeanor turned thoughtful and her previous anger disappeared from her sharp features. Elizabeth had to give Will credit; he was persuasive and knew how to get what he wanted.

Caroline held her chin with her fingers and turned to her brother. “What do you think?”

Charles grinned. “I think Will is right on the money. Go for it, sis. I know you can do it.”

Caroline's expression changed to one of petulance. “But it's a supporting role, Charlie.”

“There is no such thing as supporting and leading roles. A role is what the actor makes of it,” Will answered.

“Catherine Zeta Jones' role in Chicago was considered supporting by some, but she stole the show and won tons of awards,” Charles added.

Collins' eyes opened wide in apparent eagerness. “Think of it this way, Janet Leigh was a huge star when Psycho came out. Hitchcock billed her as the lead of the movie, so when she was killed off early, audiences were floored. We can do that with you, Caroline. People will come in to this movie expecting another romance between your character's and Will's, and they will be shocked to find out you're the ex-girlfriend from hell!”

“Okay, okay, you've all convinced me. I'll play Rose. Darcy, if this movie doesn't work and my career takes a beating, then I will have your head!”

Will laughed. “You'll be singing my praises when this film hits theaters. I'm sure of it.”

The discussion ended and Collins called for the actors to get ready to shoot. They completed the scene after several takes and a break became necessary for the crew to prepare the lobby for the next scene. Much to Elizabeth's discomfort, Will spotted her and approached her as soon as his break started.

“Hey, you came!”

She gave him a wry smile. “Don't look so happy. I was forced into it.”

Will laughed and then greeted Jane. “Hi, I'm so glad you could make it,” he looked at Lydia, “and this must be your cousin.”

Lydia blushed and lowered her eyes for a moment. She clutched a picture of Will in her hand, but did not ask him to sign it.

“I heard you're a fan of mine. It's nice to meet you.”

Lydia nodded, still staring at the ground. Elizabeth was shocked, but relieved to witness her cousin's sudden shyness.

Will held his hand out towards Lydia, who blushed even more as she shook it.

“Would you like an autograph?” Will asked with an encouraging smile.

“Yes, please,” Lydia whispered.

Jane laughed. “You'll have to excuse my cousin. She's not always this tongue-tied. She must be really star-struck.”

Will smiled. “That's okay. Here you go,” he said as he handed the autographed picture to Lydia.

Lydia's cheeks remained crimson as she smiled. “Thank you.”

Elizabeth, Jane, and Lydia left the set soon after Lydia received her autograph. Jane only had an hour to spare before she had to return to work, and Elizabeth did not wish to stay behind. Will, however, did not let her go without having another word with her. He hinted she would see him again soon, and though she could not know what he intended to do, she felt mixed feelings upon hearing his declaration. His goodness towards Lydia softened her judgment of him, but she remained unconvinced of his sincerity.

That night proved to be hectic for Elizabeth. Lydia had called her in the evening and told her she wouldn't be able to work. Her mother was in labor and she needed to rush to the hospital to see the birth of her new baby sister. Elizabeth was overjoyed for her cousin and gave her the night off without hesitation. When Kat called and said she had come down with the flu, however, Elizabeth's mood turned dark. She was overwhelmed with worry over her unfortunate situation.

She had a night club to run, but no bartenders and the club was set to open in a few hours. She considered closing the bar for the night, while keeping the rest of the club open, but came to realize it was a bad option. The club profited off the sale of alcohol more than anything else, so closing the bar would result in a drastic loss of revenue. She might as well have shut the entire club down if she could not find bartenders.

Elizabeth pondered the matter and came up with a decision after considerable debate. She would not shut the club down and she would not leave the bar unattended. She would work as the sole bartender for the night. Business would be slower than usual, but it was worth a try.

Her night was beyond difficult. Customers were grumpy and rude, because of the slow service. She explained the lack of bartenders again and again, but few people would give her compassion. She felt exhausted and yet the night had only begun. There had already been one bar fight and she knew there would be several more for her to stop.

Elizabeth, therefore, could not maintain her composure when Will Darcy walked into her club. She cursed herself for being sweaty and disheveled, and then cursed him for coming. He was not wearing any disguise, and Elizabeth feared he would be recognized, causing even more trouble for her. He stood in line and waited until it was his turn to make an order.

Despite her feelings, she turned towards him and smiled when he reached the bar. “I see you're a man of your word.”

He sat on the bar stool and looked at her with a frown. “How come you're the only one here?”

Elizabeth sighed, repressing the urge to curse. “Lydia's mom is about to give birth and Kat came down with the flu, so I'm stuck serving drinks alone.”

“You look exhausted.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “Thanks, that makes me feel so much better.”

Will did not respond. He stood up on the barstool, reached his hand to the edge of the bar, and hopped over it.

Elizabeth watched him in astonishment. “What are you doing?”

“Helping you out,” he said with his customary cocky grin.

Elizabeth seethed and tried to push him away, but he resisted her and faced a customer.

“What would you like, sir?”

“A margarita.”

Elizabeth held Will's arm. “Are you insane? You're going to ruin my bar!”

Will ignored her and grabbed the margarita mixers from the shelf. He poured the ingredients and shook them as though he had done it all his life. Elizabeth couldn't believe her eyes and after staring at him for several minutes, she burst into laughter.

“How on Earth did you learn to mix drinks?”

Will turned towards her with a wry smile. “I played a bartender in a movie.”

Elizabeth laughed some more. “You are priceless!”

Will helped Elizabeth run the bar throughout the night. Elizabeth was amazed and relieved at his skill, ease, and charm as he chatted with the customers and made them laugh, while winning their praises for the excellent beverages. Elizabeth found him to be easy to work with and was so grateful for his assistance that she felt disappointed when it came time to close the bar. Will grabbed a towel and started wiping the surface of the bar for her.

Elizabeth watched him with a bemused grin. “You were amazing. I can't believe you did that! It's too bad you can't quit your day job. I would have hired you, if I could.”

Will appeared surprised at her praise. His cheeks reddened and he smiled with sudden shyness.

“Thanks. I'm glad I was able to help.”

“I'm afraid I owe you. You saved my night. I don't think I would have stayed sane if I had to run the bar myself.”

Will grinned. “Well…there was that deal we talked about earlier.”

Elizabeth blushed. She had forgotten all about that. “You mean, the one about the date?”

Will's expression changed all of a sudden. He frowned and averted his eyes. “You don't owe me anything. I saw that you needed help and I knew I could do it, so I did. I don't want you to date me out of gratitude.”

Elizabeth smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to face her.

“Thank you.”

Will shook his head. “Don't mention it.”

Elizabeth lowered her eyes, overcome with nervousness. “You're right, of course. If I agree to date you now, then it would be out of gratitude only. You showed a different side of yourself tonight. A side I never expected to find. I don't know what to make of it yet. I need time to figure it out.”

Will took her hand and squeezed it. “Can I call you sometime?”

Elizabeth considered it for a moment and then nodded. She gave him her phone number and bid him farewell.

“Are you taking a cab home?”

Elizabeth shook her head. “No, I walk home.”

Will's eyes widened. “Alone? In this neighborhood? Are you crazy?”

Elizabeth laughed. “It's only a few blocks. I've walked home every night for a while, and nothing bad has happened to me yet.”

“Oh no, I don't care what you say, I'm not letting you walk home alone tonight!”

Elizabeth raised her right eyebrow. “Will you be walking with me, then?”

“Why don't you take a cab?”

“It's too expensive. I wouldn't be able to afford a cab ride every night and it's not necessary, since my apartment is close by.”

Will dug his hand into his pocket and took out a few bills, but Elizabeth held his wrist. “Don't. I'm not going to take your money.”

Will sighed. “Fine then, I'm walking you home.”

“It's really not necessary. This neighborhood is not as bad as you seem to think it is. I'm a big girl. I can fend for myself.”

As usual, Will refused to take no for an answer. Elizabeth lacked the energy to argue and surrendered. She closed her bar and the two of them set out for her apartment together.

Elizabeth walked next to Will in silence. She was tired from all her hard work and still felt confused over his generosity. She stared ahead and struggled to prevent her eyes from straying in his direction.

Will broke the silence after a few minutes. “I'm sorry. I forgot to congratulate you and your cousin for the new baby in your family.”

Elizabeth smiled. “Thank you.”

“Is it a boy or a girl?”

“A girl.”

“She'll grow up to be pretty and smart, I'm sure.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, thinking that line was too slick. She glanced at Will, however, and was surprised to see how sincere and wistful he looked.

“You don't have any brothers or sisters, do you?”

Will smiled. “No, that explains everything, doesn't it?”

Elizabeth laughed. “Yeah, your parents must have spoiled you rotten. They probably never let you out of their sight.”

Will averted his eyes and his expression turned somber. “I guess you can say that.”

“You must really miss them.”

Will gave her a surprised glance. “Excuse me?”

“You looked so sad when I mentioned your parents. I thought maybe they have passed away.”

“Yes, they have,” Will whispered as he lowered his head.

Elizabeth felt guilty for bringing up a painful subject and, therefore, fell silent. They reached her apartment, but Will insisted on walking her to her door. Elizabeth turned her doorknob, took her key out of it, and faced Will.

“Thanks again for helping me. I'll think about a date. Good night.”

Will leaned his face towards hers. Elizabeth's pulse sped up at the thought of him kissing her again.

“Good night,” he whispered in her ear and kissed her cheek.

Elizabeth was astounded by the whimper of disappointment she felt when he turned around and left. She needed plenty of time and emotional distance to make a rational decision. She could not bear the thought of admitting defeat.

Posted on Monday, 28 January 2008

Chapter Seven

Will was in a good mood. He had enjoyed acting as a bartender at Elizabeth's club for a night and felt hopeful that his actions had impressed Elizabeth. Without him realizing it, his feelings towards Elizabeth had taken a serious turn. He had developed an interest in a beautiful girl who seemed smart and unaffected by his wealth and fame, but in his determination to win her over for the sake of his ego, he had managed to fall into a deeper infatuation with her. One that was strong enough to cause him pain if she rejected him again.

He sat on his couch and thought about her, while trying to watch television. He wondered where she was from and how she came to be in New York City. He suspected she had not always been a New Yorker. She didn't have the accent, though she did display the tough attitude on occasion. There was so much about her he had yet to learn and wanted to find out. If only she would agree to date him, he could learn a lot in one night. He knew he should call her, but to his tremendous surprise and frustration, the thought of another rejection had him quaking in his boots.

If she refused him again, he would have to hold up his end of the bargain and leave her alone. He started to doubt his ability to continue the chase when the catch seemed so out of reach. He wondered if the pursuit was worth it. There were other smart, gorgeous women he could be with, who wouldn't give him half as much trouble. Then again, that was what made Elizabeth so desirable. He would not have experienced half the passion he felt for Elizabeth if she had fawned over him from the beginning.

After struggling to avoid thoughts of Elizabeth with nothing but failure to show for it, Will lost his patience. His cowardice disappeared and a new sense of determination surged within him. He picked up the phone and dialed her number, his heartbeat getting faster with each push of a button.

The sound of her voice at the other end of the line sent his head into a tailspin. “Hello?”

“Hi, is this Elizabeth Bennet?”

“Yes.”

“Hi, it's Will.”

“Oh, hi. How are you?”

“Good. What about you?”

“I'm fine.”

“So…uh, I was wondering if, uh, you wanted to go out with me sometime.”

Will was met with prolonged silence. He bit his lip and began twiddling his thumbs as he waited for Elizabeth's answer. He heard her sigh and did not know what to think.

“Yeah, okay.”

Will's jaw dropped. “Okay? Really?”

Elizabeth giggled. “Yes, I'll go out with you.”

Will lowered his phone and took a moment to celebrate his victory by jumping up and down. Restraining his excitement as best he could, he sat down and lifted his phone to his ear.

“Great! What time is good for you?”

“Around six o'clock would be good. I can open the bar a little later than usual. It's not a big deal.”

“Okay, how about I meet you at your place on Friday at six?”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Great, I'll see you on Friday, then.”

“Yeah, see you then. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Will hung up the phone with a big grin on his face. By Friday night, however, the grin had transformed into a nervous frown. This was a big night. This was the chance he had been waiting for. This was his opportunity to impress Elizabeth and convince her of the depth of his interest towards her. He could not afford to screw it up.

He had decided to make it simple. He didn't want to flaunt his wealth by taking her to a fancy, expensive restaurant, or to the opera, or anything else that could be seen as over the top. He wanted to get to know her better, and he wanted her to know him, the real him, without the perks and the baggage that came with his wealth and fame. It may have been naďve of him, but he thought Elizabeth would be pleased. He knew enough of her to know she was anything but shallow.

Nevertheless, Will had to struggle to suppress the urge to bite his nails after knocking on the door of Elizabeth's apartment. He shoved his hands in his pockets, but his anxiety would not be concealed. Once the temptation of biting his nails was over, his foot started tapping against the carpet. Irritated with a foot that had a mind of its own, Will stepped away from the door and leaned against the wall. Unfortunately, his lips turned mutinous and started whistling. He covered his traitorous mouth with his hand as soon as he heard his whistles. Rolling his eyes and shaking his head, he slumped against the wall and slid downward until his bottom reached the floor. He bent his legs and grabbed hold of his knees, hoping to stop his body from fidgeting.

At the sound of the door opening, Will jumped up. Shoving his hands behind his back, he greeted Elizabeth with a forced smile.

She frowned at him. “Are you okay?”

Will stroked his hair, but then shoved his hands back. “Yeah, I'm great. How are you?”

Elizabeth gave him a wry smile. “I'm fine. So, what are we going to do?”

Will grinned. “Guess.”

“I have no idea, but I'm sure it will be something over the top and crazy.”

Will suppressed a smile. “Crazy? What would be crazy? I need examples.”

“Well…I was thinking you might…I don't know, maybe…take me to some ultra-fancy, exclusive restaurant with pretentious food and insane prices, or…maybe take me to a theatre and buy all of the tickets so that we could watch the movie alone…or escort me to the opera in a limo, where you have a sky box with the best view in the house, of course, or maybe fly me to Paris on your private jet for the night…you know, something like that.”

Will cracked up with laughter and could not stop until long after Elizabeth finished speaking.

She watched him with her eyebrows furrowed and her nose wrinkled. “What's so funny?”

Will bent over and clutched his stomach. He tried to catch his breath, but his laughter continued to stream out. He felt tears sliding down his face. The salty drops trickled to his mouth and he knew he had to regain his self-control. He stood up straight and looked at Elizabeth.

“Seriously though, what were you expecting me to do?”

Elizabeth's eyes widened. “You mean we're not doing any of that?”

Will repressed the urge to laugh again and shook his head.

“Then, what are we doing?”

Will shrugged. “I was thinking of walking around Greenwich Village…and I guess we can get some pizza or burgers or something, if you're hungry.”

Elizabeth gaped at him. “You're joking!”

Will blinked. “No, I'm not…uh, Liz, you didn't really think I'd fly you to Paris, did you?”

Elizabeth slapped her forehead. “You begged me to go out with you and wouldn't take no for an answer no matter what, just so you can walk with me around the neighborhood?”

Will chuckled. “Yeah…sorry, I don't own a private jet and I hate limos. I've never been to the opera, but we can take the subway to Times Square and buy tickets for a musical, if you want.”

Elizabeth burst into laughter. Will bit his lip. “Does this mean you don't want to date me anymore?”

Elizabeth stopped laughing and glanced at him with a frown. “No, it doesn't. Hold on for a minute, I need to get my jacket. I'll be right back.”

A minute later, Elizabeth returned and left her room. She shut the door and then turned towards Will.

“All right, Mr. Wonderful. Knock my socks off!”

Will chuckled. “I wonder what you're like when you're not making wisecracks.” He and Elizabeth walked down the hall and stepped down the stairs side by side.

“I don't know what you're talking about. Everyone else I know thinks I'm sweet and kind and lovely. You'll never hear any of them complain about me.”

Will smirked. “I'm sure you are the epitome of sweetness to everybody in your life, except me. I guess I should feel privileged for the special treatment.”

“There's no such thing as special treatment, dear. You get what you give.”

Will held the door of the building open for Elizabeth. “Were you always a cynic or is this what happens when a girl like you ends up in a city like this?”

Elizabeth snuck a glance at him as she stepped out into the streets of the East Village. “Why do you assume that I'm not from New York?”

Will gestured to the right. “Let's walk this way. It's just a feeling I get. I don't have a scientific reason, only circumstanstial evidence…like my sense that you don't sound like a New Yorker.”

“You mean I don't have the accent.”

“You don't have any accent, which is why I suspect you're from California,” Will said with a sly smile.

“I never bought the Californians don't have an accent myth. Of course, they do. If someone from Alabama moved to California, they would have a hard time understanding Californians, because of their different lingo and their distinct accent.”

“You don't act like an Angeleno and you're definitely not from the OC. I'm thinking Bay Area.”

“Close, but no cigar. I studied at UC Berkeley, but I didn't grow up in that area.”

“All right, you're from somewhere in the middle of the state, then. Maybe a small town girl…hmmm…I'm guessing Fresno.”

Elizabeth grinned. “Born and Raised.”

Will raised his eyebrows. “Ha! I was right. I'm a genius!”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “You have the ego of a genius, but I don't think that counts.”

Will laughed. “You never fail with the quick come-backs…so what did you major in at Berkeley?”

Elizabeth lowered her eyes. “Business, but I minored in music.”

“Oh, do you play an instrument?” he asked, watching her with a detailed eye.

She averted his gaze. “I used to play guitar.”

“Why don't you play anymore?”

Elizabeth turned to him with a frown. “It's a long story. I don't feel like getting into it right now.”

Will's cheerfulness faded, but he fought back against the coming gloom. `Oh, okay…so, other than growing raisins at the farm with your blue-collar family, what did you do in Fresno?”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, but her smiling lips gave away her amusement. “You Hollywood people are so full of it, you know that?”

“Ah, come on! You have to admit it. There's nothing to do in Fresno. No wonder you moved to The City.”

Elizabeth shook her head. “And what do you do in Beverly Hills when you're not sipping decaf soy lattes and whining about the bird droppings on your brand new Ferrari?”

Will laughed. “For your information, I grew up in and live in Bel Air, not Beverly Hills.”

Elizabeth smirked. “Oh I see, you belong to old money. You wouldn't step foot in Rodeo drive for fear of having to mingle with those tacky new money folks.”

Will smiled. “Yep.”

“Then what are you doing dating a country bumpkin from Fresno?”

Will shrugged. “I don't know. I guess I'm bored.”

“I thought so.”

“You sure do think you know everything, don't you?”

“No. You proved me wrong a few times. I wouldn't be with you now, if you hadn't.”

Will grinned, feeling triumphant over scoring a victory.

“Are you hungry?”

“Not really. Are you?”

“Nah. I had a big lunch on the set.”

“You guys are overloaded with free food.”

“I know. Isn't it weird? They stuff us like pigs and then go nuts when we gain a teeny bit of weight.”

“Actresses have to struggle with that more than actors, though. Actors can get a way with being fat and ugly, but actresses can't!”

“True. Someone like Jack Nicholson would never have been in the running for the Hottest Guy on the Planet award, yet he's had a long, successful career,” Will grimaced and shook his head, “in all seriousness, you were right earlier. Hollywood is so full of it, it's sickening.”

“I thought you liked your job.”

“Eh…I used to love it, but I got sick and tired of all the…phoniness and bullshit that's associated with it. I mean, some people in showbiz get so full of themselves and act like they're doing this tremendous service to the world or something, when really all we actors do is spit out somebody's else's writing…we're puppets on a string, you know, and too many of us lose sight of that and get into this `holier than thou' attitude...sorry, you must think I'm whining like a baby…spoiled rich brat, that I am.”

“Don't be sorry. You're not that bad….at least, you know your limitations,” Elizabeth said with a laugh.

Will laughed as well. “Yeah. I lost all delusions of grandeur a long time ago, believe me.”

“Did you ever get to go to college?”

“No. I was too busy with work. I wanted to go to school, but it never panned out.”

“That's too bad. You seem to have the brains for it.”

Will chuckled. “You have a knack for giving back-handed compliments. I don't think anyone has hurled as many clever insults at me as you. Are you sure you weren't born to do stand-up comedy?”

Elizabeth's eyes widened. “I was trying to be nice. I didn't mean that as an insult or a back-handed compliment.”

“Maybe you should try to be mean for once. You might manage to make me feel better that way.”

“So, you're suggesting reverse psychology?”

“Yeah. You're too weird. I think your mind works backwards.”

Elizabeth smiled. “You might be right. I never had my head examined.”

They fell silent for a few moments. Elizabeth looked at her watch and then turned to Will. “It's time for me to go back. I need to open up shop soon.”

“I'll go with you.”

The two of them continued to exchange witticisms as they marched towards Elizabeth's club. They were both astonished into silence, however, by what they saw there. A long line of people snaked up the block and around the corner in front of the club. The crush of potential customers was so large and so boisterous that even Elizabeth's experienced bouncers appeared overwhelmed. Cameras flashed in unison as Elizabeth and Will came within view of the crowd. Will paled as he heard the calls of the photographers.

“Will! Will! Is this your new girlfriend?”

“Will! What happened with Caroline?”

“Are you and Caroline Bingley officially over?”

“What's the girl's name?”

Elizabeth's jaw hit the floor and she gazed at Will in utter amazement. He stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her, trying to protect her from the glare of the cameras.

“Oh my God! Look at all these people! I can't believe it…this is all your fault!”

Will was relieved to see the bemused glint in Elizabeth's eyes. “I guess they're expecting me to be the bartender again.”

Will held Elizabeth's hand in a firm grip as she pushed her way through the crowd and reached the door. They breezed passed the hollering fans and eager paparazzi, ignoring their pleas for autographs and pictures and focusing on what they needed to do. The bouncers held people back as the people in the front of the line jumped at the chance to get in. Elizabeth turned around and gave a flabbergasted look to Will. Will could only echo her astonishment. What had he done?

Despite the hustle and bustle, Elizabeth managed to maintain control over her club throughout the night. Lydia and Katie, meanwhile, thrived off the attention and came to life in a way Will had not seen before. He lingered in the shadows and watched Elizabeth do her work, signing autographs when asked, but also trying to keep a low profile. It was not as bad as he thought it would be when he first caught sight of the line outside. The paparazzi had not been allowed inside, so Will did not have to worry about having his picture taken every five seconds.

When the time came to close the club for the night, he approached Elizabeth. She agreed to let him escort her home again and then shut the doors. He hoped she wasn't upset about the mess he had made.

“Sorry about all that.”

Elizabeth smiled. “Are you kidding? What do you have to be sorry for? We made more money tonight than we had made in five weeks!”

“So, you didn't mind the craziness and the photographers?”

“I did at first, but it didn't turn out that bad. You gave my club its fifteen minutes of fame. I'm sure the rush of interest will die down after a while.”

“I hope you're right. I would hate to have to avoid your club. It's really grown on me since I first saw it.”

“Thanks!”

They walked the rest of the way in silence. Will followed Elizabeth to the door of her apartment.

Before she had time to take out her keys, he stepped closer to her and held her hands. “You know, in spite of everything, I had a great time tonight.”

Elizabeth smiled. “So did I.”

He fought the urge to kiss her and summoned up all his courage to ask her a crucial question.

“Will you go out with me again soon?”

Elizabeth lowered her eyes and backed away from him. Will could hear the rejection coming and his heart fell with a thud.

“William…um, I was wondering…um, can we be friends?”

Will's eyebrows furrowed and he frowned. “Friends?”

Elizabeth bit her lip. “Yes. Listen, I like spending time with you and I think you're a good guy, but I don't think we're right for each other as a couple. I think we will be much better off as friends.”

“Oh…uh, yeah…sure, why not? Of course we can be friends.”

Elizabeth grinned. “Great! Thanks for understanding! I'll see you again, soon, I hope.”

“Yes, of course. Good night, Elizabeth.”

“Good night.”

Chapter Eight

Will simmered in unrelenting frustration through the cab ride home. Friends? What was she thinking? Will couldn't understand it. He had tried so hard, he had done everything within his power to show her he cared only to be met with another rhetorical slap in the face. He refused to believe friendship was what she really wanted. She may have never wanted to see him again, which meant her request was nothing more than a botched attempt to turn him down gently. Will doubted that was the case, however. The more reasonable conclusion was she was wanted to have it both ways, trying to fight against her attraction, while still seeing him on a regular basis. She must have been disturbed by the swarm of photographers at her club and, thus, rejected him out of fear of losing her privacy. If that was the case, he couldn't blame her. He had long been disillusioned with the spotlight his occupation attracted and he was not one to throw stones from glass houses.

He wished she had not used the dreaded word, `friends.' He regretted agreeing to an arrangement that could not make him happy, but she had left him with no other choice. Perhaps, after thinking about her decision for a few days and seeing things in hindsight, her nerves would calm down and she would reconsider her decision. He had to hold on to hope. He was in too deep to give up on her now. Friendship did not spell disaster. Friendship could always turn into something deeper. The more he thought about it, the more confident he felt. Considering Elizabeth's constant rejections, he realized friendship may be the best way to win her over in the end. She would come to trust and respect him as a friend, thus, half the battle would be won. Once he convinced her of his reliability, he could show her how passionate he felt and maybe then she would accept him as a boyfriend.

Despite his growing inclination towards optimism, Will wanted a second opinion. This matter was too important for him to leave his next course of action to his own counsel. He wanted advice from someone he trusted. He turned to his cousin Anne for help. He held her in high regard and trusted her judgment more than anyone else's. He knew she would be there for him when he needed her.

After telling Anne of his dilemma, he watched her with baited breath. She shook her head and paced across the room as he told her he wanted to pursue a friendship with Elizabeth, with the hope that their relationship could evolve into a romance in time.

“I think you're making a big mistake,” she said as she sat down next to him.

“Why?”

“She's not interested in you, Will. It's silly to think otherwise. If you continue to see her, you can fall for her, while she views you as nothing more than a friend and then you would get hurt.”

“So what am I supposed to do?”

“Avoid her from now on.”

“I will have to see her once in a while. She's the sister of my best friend's girlfriend.”

“You might see her now and then, but you don't have to talk to her. You should pretend she doesn't exist and get over her. Trust me, a friendship with a woman you're infatuated with will come back to haunt you. There's no way you can see her as a friend, and there is no way she will want anything more from you than friendship. For whatever reason, this woman doesn't want to be your girlfriend, so your best option is to let her go.”

Will cast his eyes down and started fidgeting. Anne must have noticed his discomfort for she held his hand and smiled at him.

“Don't worry, Will. You're a great guy. You will meet a wonderful girl who can appreciate that and find happiness. Love is a tough old road, with lots of twists, turns, and forks in it. We all get our hearts broken along the way. The best way to cope is to keep driving through.”

Will looked up at Anne. “Thanks, Annie…I'll keep your advice in the back of my mind, but I have to admit I hope you're wrong about Elizabeth.”

Anne's smile faded, but she remained silent. Will reflected on her words for a while, but his opinion stayed the same. He knew Elizabeth better than Anne did. He felt justified, therefore, in feeling more optimistic about pursuing a friendship with her.

Will's good mood didn't falter as he went to work. He greeted everyone on the set with bright smiles, even Caroline was included in his general complacency. His cheerfulness worked to his advantage. The scene he had to shoot was a happy and romantic one. His character, Joseph, had come to an agreement with Joanna. Will had always found the heavier scenes to be more difficult and was, thus, able to relax and be his charming self for a more fluffy moment.

Will's good humor was met with a start, however, when he spotted Elizabeth on the set. She made eye contact with him and smiled. His heart skipped a beat, though he knew he shouldn't have allowed it. He had to shake the emotion off. Collins had the clapboard in his hand and a moment later, he yelled “All quiet on the set! Lights, camera, and action!”

Maria stepped towards Will and wrapped her arms around his neck. Will looked down at her and froze. The lines wouldn't come, though he had spent hours memorizing them. All he could think about was that the scene called for him to kiss Maria on the lips and Elizabeth was watching him. His eyes glanced in her direction and he felt a deep blush creep onto his cheeks. Maria's smiling face began to fade away into an expression of confusion. Will forced his eyes away from Elizabeth and stared at Maria. He felt his lips tremble and bit down on them. He took hold of Maria's waist as he was supposed to do and looked into her eyes. Instead of soft blue eyes, he saw glimmering dark ones. Shaken, he backed away, knowing he had screwed up the scene. He lowered his eyes and bent his head in embarrassment.

Collins yelled cut and approached his actors. Maria looked up at Will with a worried frown. “Are you okay?”

Will stood motionless. “Yeah, I'm fine,” he whispered, knowing he sounded unconvincing.

“What's going on here?” Collins asked with impatience creeping into his voice.

Will lifted his head. “I'm sorry. I…I lost my…I forgot…can we start over from the top?”

Collins' expression was a peculiar mixture of half-smiling and half-frowning. “Sure, no problem,” he said in a voice of forced composure.

Will sighed. He had to forget about Elizabeth. He had no reason to feel awkward about kissing another woman in her presence. It was his job and she was nothing more than a friend. There was nothing to worry about. There was nothing wrong, his mind told him, but his heart disagreed.

Collins called for action again and Will quieted his nerves. Focusing only on Maria's face, he repeated the same gestures and the same lines he had practiced again and again during rehearsals.

Maria's arms encircled his neck again, but this time Will did not hesitate. He held her waist and pulled her forward so that she stood leaning against his chest.

“I love you,” he whispered.

Maria's eyes grew teary on cue and she gazed up at him with a trembling smile. “I love you too, Joseph,” she said loud and clear.

Will leaned his heads towards her and caught his lips with her own. They kissed for what felt like ages until Collins yelled “Cut!”

“That was terrific! Let's do another take.”

Will felt a lurch in the pit of his stomach. “Another take? Why? Wasn't that good enough?”

“Oh, yes, it was perfect, but I didn't get a close up. You'll oblige me with another take, won't you?”

Will took a deep breath and exhaled. “Sure, why not?” he said with a fake grin.

Though he knew better, he could not stop his eyes from wandering in the direction of Elizabeth. He caught sight of her. She was smirking. His heart sunk. Why on Earth would she be amused at the sight of him making out with another woman? Did she have any feelings for him at all? Did she not feel even the tiniest bit of jealousy towards Maria? He shook his head.

He performed the scene again, in the exact same way as before. When he finished, his eyes went to Elizabeth. She smirked no longer, but he still did not like what he saw. She was giving the boom mike operator a steady gaze. He examined her for any signs of emotion. Her posture spoke of composure. Her face showed indifference. Her eyes said nothing at all. She seemed to be lost in daydreams. Will had to face the truth. She was anything but jealous.

Will was forced to put his fears aside for the moment. Since being rebuked by Will's aunt, Collins had begun shooting the film at a much brisker pace. He had the actors move on to the next scene and kept going for all of the afternoon. Will concentrated on his work, but never forgot about Elizabeth's presence. To his astonishment, she lingered on set for hours. She must have been waiting for a break in shooting. Will's spirits were boosted by that possibility. Perhaps she wanted to talk to him. Perhaps she had thought about her decision more and had changed her mind. Will felt his heart swell at the vision of him being with Elizabeth. He couldn't wait for the chance to speak to her.

As the day drew to a close and evening came into view, Collins called it a wrap for the day. Will went to his room to change into his own clothes and then sprinted down the hall to find Elizabeth. He found her leaning against the wall just before the stairway. He went up to her with an excited smile.

“Hey!”

“Hi.”

“I was surprised to see you here today.”

Elizabeth smirked. “Yeah, I noticed.”

Will couldn't hide his blush. He was right. She had been amused by his earlier discomfort. He shrugged off his embarrassment, determined to be as good a friend as he could be.

“So, what's up?”

“Not much. I was bored and thought a visit to the set might be fun.”

Will gave her a self-deprecating smile. “I'm assuming you weren't disappointed.”

She grinned. “Nope. I was entertained more than I thought I would be.”

“You love to see me make a fool of myself.”

Elizabeth laughed. “You weren't that bad. Your co-star didn't seem to mind.”

Will shifted his feet. “Maria is a very good person. I'm lucky she was in the role instead of Caroline. That woman wouldn't have missed the opportunity to draw attention to my discomfort.”

Elizabeth stood up on her tip toes and wiped a lock of Will's hair away from his eyes. Will startled at her touch. She flattened her feet and slumped her shoulders, her cheeks reddening enough to make Will smile with delight.

“Do you have any plans for tonight?”

“No, why? Do you want to hang out?”

Elizabeth shrugged, but Will wasn't deceived by her attempt to look indifferent. “Yeah, I guess. I mean, I have nothing better to do before I go to work.”

“Well, I'm hungry. I haven't eaten anything since lunch and that was five hours ago. You want to have dinner with me?”

Elizabeth's eyes widened, and she looked up at him with confusion. Will didn't know how to respond to her and said the first thing that came to his mind.

“Or, we could go to my place and order in.”

Elizabeth's eyes were now bugging out and her eyebrows shot up through the roof. Will realized what his statement had sounded like and turned crimson.

“Uh, I mean…uh…that probably didn't come out right…uh…I meant we can have some like take-out or something and maybe watch a movie or just hang out…as friends, of course.”

Elizabeth lowered her eyes. “Sorry…it sounded like you were asking me out again.”

Was the thought of dating him really that bad? Was she that dead-set against him? God, what was wrong with this woman?

“Oh, it's my fault. I don't say the right things sometimes. I didn't mean to sound that way.”

Elizabeth smiled. “So, Chinese food and a movie at your place sounds good.”

“Great. Did you drive here or take the subway?”

“Subway.”

“Okay then, I'll give you a ride.”

“You drive a car?”

“Uh, yeah. How else am I supposed to get around the city?”

Elizabeth turned her head away from his. “I thought you would have a limo and a chauffeur.”

“Oh!” Will laughed, “Nah, I hate having servants around doing things for me all the time. It makes me feel like I have no privacy.”

Elizabeth didn't respond and Will lead the way to his car in silence. He opened the car door for Elizabeth. She smiled and sat in the passenger seat. He walked around the car and took hold of the steering wheel.

“Okay, I have to say this even though I'm sure it will come off as rude. I can't believe you drive a Honda civic!” she said with a laughing expression.

Will smiled. “It's a hybrid. I'm eco-friendly. I didn't think that was something to laugh about.”

Elizabeth shook her head with a smile. “You're right, it's not…thanks for thinking of the planet.”

Will sighed. “You know, your sarcasm can get really grating sometimes.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “Wow, I must have been too hard on you before. I guess I didn't consider my words as much as I should have. You think every thing I say is sarcastic now.”

Will faced her with confusion written all over his face.

“You mean, you weren't being sarcastic with me?”

Elizabeth giggled. “No. I'm glad to see you drive a hybrid. I would love to have one myself, but there's no way I could afford it,” she ended with a grimace.

“The price will come down in a couple of years, and there's been talk about giving people who buy hybrids tax deductions. You might be able to get one some day.”

Elizabeth smiled and looked around the car's interior. “This is very comfortable. I like how it's simple and nice, instead of overpriced and flashy. You have much better taste than I could have expected from a movie star.”

Will smirked. “We don't all think alike, you know. Last time I checked, there weren't any scientists doing research on the “movie star” gene. People tend to put us in a box, like our minds think as a block or something, but they're wrong to do that.”

“Yes, but it's not like movie stars are the only people in the world that get stereotyped. Lots of non-famous people have been hurt, because others put them in a box based on other factors like race, religion, where they grew up, and so on.”

“Has anyone ever put you in a box?”

Elizabeth frowned and turned her head towards the window. Will decided to drop the subject, but he was unhappy about it.

“I had the opposite problem. I couldn't fit into any of the available boxes and had trouble maintaining friendships as a result,” she said after several minutes of silence.

Will was surprised to find her opening up, but was excited to learn what he could from it.

“I have trouble picturing that. I can't imagine why you would have a hard time making friends. You're fun, outgoing, and you have a great sense of humor, even though it does get too sarcastic at times.”

Elizabeth turned around and stared at Will. “I spent the early years of my childhood in Fresno, but my parents divorced when I was eight and my mom married a military man. My new family moved from place to place, depending on where my step-dad was assigned to go, so I had to change schools all the time. I would lose my friends only a short while after I made them.”

“Oh, I see…so you must have traveled a lot and lived in different cities. Have you been all over the world or did your family move only across the fifty states?”

“I wouldn't say I've been all over the world, but I spent a lot of time both outside and inside the U.S. I lived in the South, and the Midwest, and the Southwest of the U.S. througout my childhood. I lived in Germany and Japan for a while and went to high school in Kuwait.”

“Wow, that must have been…difficult. I guess you had to change your lifestyle every time you moved somewhere.”

“Not really. My mom and Jen and I always lived in housing provided by the military. It didn't matter how poor the country we lived in was, we always had everything we needed at the base.”

“But you must have been exposed to the world around you. You couldn't have lived your whole life on the military bases.”

“Yes I was…and in hindsight, I think I benefited from that, but at the time, it was a hard thing to adjust to.”

The conversation ended when Will reached his apartment. Elizabeth followed him to his room without a word. They did as they had planned and scarfed down chow-mein, while watching an arthouse flick Will had rented earlier. Will had a wonderful time that night. He felt much more comfortable with the idea of a friendship with Elizabeth. She was telling him more about her self and her life and he was forming a bond with her. He could no longer see any harm in this arrangement. His journey had only just begun, and he failed to see the roadblocks ahead.

Chapter Nine

Posted on Sunday, 3 February 2008

Elizabeth struggled to get out of bed. She had trouble sleeping all night, but now her eyes would shutter as soon as she tried to open them. It was so frustrating. She could never get her body to behave the way she wanted it to. Her mind had remained occupied no matter how hard she tried to fall asleep. Thoughts of Will Darcy, his beautiful eyes, his sweet smile, his undeniable charm had battled with her more guarded instincts, depriving her of much needed rest. She held next to nothing against Will Darcy. Her first impression of him as a deceitful, egotistical sleaze had been preposterous in its injustice. She had begun to see him for who he was instead of what he was. He had a kind spirit, with an understandable amount of arrogance and a charming dollop of boyishness. His persistence had surprised her. She figured he would give up the chase after her second rejection, but he seemed hell-bent on winning her over.

The problem with Will Darcy was two-fold, his career and his youth. Relationships in the world of celebrities were notorious for their brevity. Traveling from place to place, making movies, promoting movies, dealing with the paparazzi all along the way was not conducive to love and marriage. Elizabeth knew from experience how distance could drive a wedge between relatives, lovers, and friends. She wasn't about to lead herself down the road towards heartache, yet there was something special about Will, something in his manners, in his voice, in his smile that made it impossible for her to tear herself away. He had so much potential. Now that she had convinced herself of his sincerity, she had to admit there was a great deal in his personality and in his appearance that attracted her. He was her type. They had chemistry. They both felt it and they were both in the middle of a desperate attempt to deny it.

Sitting next to him on his sofa the night before, watching a movie, sharing laughs, and discussing the work that went into creating those scenes, Elizabeth had felt content. She had been relieved to find that, contrary to her expectations, there wasn't a shred of awkwardness between them. Will seemed to have taken her request for friendship to heart, and that went a long way towards gratifying her. His behavior reinforced her belief that she had made the right decision. Such a pleasant evening had made it harder than usual for Elizabeth to go to work that night. Her sore muscles and splitting head ache reflected her physical exhaustion. She wished Will had been there to help her, but then chastised herself for being so silly and selfish. He was not a toy. He could not be there at her every beck and call.

Elizabeth's frustration with the wanderings of her own mind proved to be motivation enough to finally move her from her bed. She stood up, tamed her unruly hair, and dressed. She then met Jane in the kitchen, who gazed at her with a smug, mischievous smile on her face.

“I heard you were with Will Darcy last night.” Jane waggled her eyebrows.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “God, Jane, you're becoming worse than Lydia!”

Jane giggled. “So, what's going on with you two? Are you dating him?”

“No, I'm not dating him. We're just friends.”

Jane's eyebrows shot up in obvious disbelief. “Friends?”

“Yes, friends. I like him. He's a nice guy. I don't want to be in a relationship with him at the moment, but I don't want to avoid him either, so we agreed to be friends.”

Jane lowered her eyes and bent her head. She must have disapproved of Elizabeth's insistence on friendship, but she said nothing for so long that Elizabeth thought she would not argue with her. Elizabeth was wrong.

“Liz, how can you be friends with him? You know he's attracted to you! He might pretend to be happy with friendship, but you can't be stupid enough to believe he wants nothing more than that.”

Elizabeth let out a frustrated sigh. “What else could I have done? Jane, he's only in New York for his movie shoot. A couple months from now, he will go back to Los Angeles and then where will I be? He'll forget all about me in Hollywood and find someone else. If I let myself get involved with him now, it won't bring me anything other than pain and regret.”

“So, you're determined to break his heart before he can get to yours.”

Elizabeth shook her head. “I don't want to hurt him and I don't think being friends with him will end in heartbreak for either of us. He'll get over whatever it is that he feels towards me and learn to see me as a friend with time. Once he finishes the movie, we won't see each other as much, though I'm hoping we can still keep in touch.”

“Oh well, you've made your decision, and it's obvious there is nothing I can say to change your mind, so I might as well give up. All I can say is I hope you are right and both you and Will are happy with things the way they are.”

Elizabeth smiled at her sister and changed the topic of conversation to her relationship with Charles. Jane's mood brightened and her gushes about her wonderful boyfriend streamed forth. When that discussion was over, Elizabeth went to her room, fell onto her bed, and read a book until it was time for her to go to work.

As she approached her club that night and saw yet another enormous line of customers and trend-followers winding down the street, she took a deep breath. She had hoped the massive frenzy created by Will's one night stand as a bartender would die down as soon as people realized he wouldn't do it again, but she had underestimated the power of celebrity. Every night, her club would fill to the brim with people who would not have been caught dead there otherwise. Teeny-boppers, agents, super-models, fashionistas, and all sorts of celebrities flocked to “The Beat and Bop.” Even Caroline Bingley had deigned to grace the rock club with her presence, though she looked just as astonished at finding herself in a hole in the wall joint of the East Village as Elizabeth had been. Years ago, when she first came up with the idea of opening her club, she never would have thought she would one day serve a strawberry daiquiri to a world famous actress and infamous snob like Caroline Bingley.

Despite the surge in revenues, Elizabeth hated the insincere attention her club was now receiving. The paparazzi hung around the neighborhood, following her and snapping intrusive photographs of her whenever she happened to be with Will. Her privacy became a thing of the past, and rumors of a romantic relationship between her and Will became the favorite headlines of tabloids. Will tried to shield her from the glare of the cameras as much as he could, but the truth was there was little he could do to change things. Her association with him had made her a target of the pop culture obsessed media, and she had no choice but to adjust to the craziness surrounding her life.

The media swarm did not harm Elizabeth's friendship with William, however. They spent increasing amounts of time with each other. She developed the habit of visiting Will's movie set twice a week and they often had lunch or dinner with each other. Will was very kind to the paparazzi, he gave them far more than they deserved, in Elizabeth's view. He posed for pictures and chatted with them, referring to the photographers by name and even cracking jokes with them. He often put himself forward while allowing Elizabeth to stand aside, distracting the paparazzi so that their cameras focused on him, ignoring her in the process.

More often than not, Elizabeth and Will interacted in private. Elizabeth had many dinners at Will's apartment, and he haunted her neighborhood whenever he wasn't working. Thus, there were many opportunities for both of them to learn more about each other. Weeks passed by in this manner, and the more she saw of Will, the more Elizabeth let down her guard. Experience showed her he was a good listener, who could give sensible advice without being patronizing. He trusted her and confided in her and Elizabeth began to feel obliged to rely on him in return.

It started off with little things, a story here, and a request for advice there. Will gained her trust with every new revelation. He had yet to break a promise, and Elizabeth's caution gave way with each example, each piece of evidence regarding his reliability. Will was chipping away at every single one of her suspicions and hesitations and his success was fully realized one evening, over a month into their friendship, after he had dinner with her at her apartment.

Elizabeth opened up on a specific subject that she had resisted in the past. Will had managed to convince her to let him see her bedroom. He came off so friendly and innocuous that Elizabeth dared not refuse him. She no longer worried about his former romantic attachment to her, she believed he had overcome those emotions and submitted them to friendship. She kept her most prized possession, her beloved Fender Stratocaster next to her bed, which Will remarked on the instant he walked into her room.

“Wow, is that baby yours?”

Elizabeth giggled and nodded. Will raised his eyebrows, looking very much impressed.

“I wish I had a guitar like that. I could buy one, but it would be pointless. I'm nowhere near good enough to own such a great instrument.”

Elizabeth's nose wrinkled. “Have you played guitar before?”

Will grinned. “Yeah, I can get by with choking out a few out of tune chords.”

Elizabeth laughed. “Let me guess, you played a rock star in a movie.”

Will smirked. “Nope. This is something I learned on my own.”

“You mean you taught yourself to play guitar as a hobby? Dang it, you found my weakness. I have to think well of you now.”

Will chuckled. “Yeah, believe it or not, I learned how to play an instrument just for fun. We have that one thing in common, since I remember you said you used to play guitar. Jane mentioned you were in a rock band for a while. How come you don't play anymore?”

Elizabeth wished she could change the subject, but he had asked her about this before and she knew he wouldn't let her avoid the question this time.

“I still play, sometimes…but only in private…I don't like performing for others. I…I gave up on being a professional musician a long time ago.”

“What made you change your mind?”

Elizabeth glanced away for a moment. The awful memories flooded into her mind, threatening to swallow it whole. She fought back, however, and stayed calm. Taking a deep breath, she looked into Will's eyes and prepared her explanation.

“It all started…oh, forget it, I don't want to take five hours to explain…okay, to make a long story short: young, naďve girl forms a band, young naďve girl meets charismatic musician, young naďve girl falls for charismatic musician, young naďve girl accepts charismatic musician into her band, young naďve girl and charismatic musician disagree about the direction of the band, charismatic musician undermines young naďve girl at every opportunity, charismatic musician dumps young naďve girl, charismatic musician then gets band manager on his side and kicks young naďve girl out of her own band, young naďve girl is no longer young and naďve. End of story.”

Will went up to Elizabeth and held her hand. “I'm sorry that happened to you. You deserved better.”

Elizabeth smiled. “Thanks, but don't worry about me…I got over it…in fact, I kept playing and performing after I was sacked…I tried to go it alone, I wanted to make it as a singer songwriter, but the bills kept piling up and I was working two jobs plus playing anywhere I could and…well, I had majored in business as a back up plan, in case I couldn't succeed in music…so when I got to a point where I couldn't afford to pay the rent anymore, I stopped trying and pursued a career in business instead…after a few years, I made enough money to buy a little place in Alphabet city and turned into a club, and the rest is history.”

Will gave her a half-smile and then walked away from her. His attention became consumed by the Fender guitar. He brushed his fingers down the neck of the guitar and then took hold of it at its base. He turned around and gave Elizabeth a pleading look.

“Will you play one of your songs for me?”

Elizabeth blushed and could not come up with an answer. Will approached her and held the guitar out towards her.

“Please. I really want to hear you…how about you play me a song, and I'll play something for you afterwards. Deal?”

Elizabeth sighed, knowing he wouldn't quit until she gave in. “Deal.”

He handed her the guitar and she took hold of it, trying her best to repress the nervousness rising within her. She sat on her bed, crossed her legs, and held the guitar against her stomach. Her anxiety died down as soon as her fingers plucked the strings. An old song of hers came to her mind, and she smiled at the memory of the day she had written it.

I'm a down and out girl with a heart of gold
I went from rags to riches
Then crashed and burned
With drug-fueled binges

It's all been told
Nothing new at all here
We've heard it all before
It's all been told

The lyrics flowed out of her as if they were brand new. She felt the strain of the past few years fade away. Her lips smiled and her voice rose as her heart lifted.

Sang about promises not kept
All those hours I should have slept
Broken hearts and mending souls
Angst ridden lyrics of old

It's all been told
Nothing new at all here
We've heard it all before
It's all been told

Soft kisses before I sleep
Left alone as I weep
Suffering that goes too deep
Turning men and women into sheep

It's all been told
Nothing new at all here
We've heard it all before
It's all been told

Paparazzi on my trail
Rumors gone beyond the pale
Scream up a storm and wail
It's nothing new, it's all been told

Elizabeth noticed Will staring at her and grew uncomfortable. She reminded him of his promise and gave him the guitar, hoping that unfathomable look on his face would disappear. As he started playing, his eyes shifted their focus. He could no longer gaze at her; instead he stared at the wall behind her. Elizabeth was confused by this behavior, but she sent her niggling doubts to the back of her mind and concentrated on Will's singing. She recognized the song after only a few chords and grinned. How smart and tasteful of him to pick the song "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash!

Love Is A Burning Thing
And It Makes A Fiery Ring
Bound By Wild Desire
I Fell Into A Ring Of Fire

I Fell Into A Burning Ring Of Fire
I Went Down, Down, Down
And The Flames Went Higher

And It Burns, Burns, Burns
The Ring Of Fire
The Ring Of Fire

I Fell Into A Burning Ring Of Fire
I Went Down, Down, Down
And The Flames Went Higher

And It Burns, Burns, Burns
The Ring Of Fire
The Ring Of Fire

Will's voice grew lower and more vulnerable as he sang so that by the time he reached the second verse, his voice was breaking. His posture stiffened as well and his face paled. Elizabeth grew concerned, her worries for him beginning to overwhelm her joy in his singing.

The Taste Of Love Is Sweet
When Hearts Like Ours Meet
I Fell For You Like A Child
Oh, But The Fire Went Wild

I Fell Into A Burning Ring Of Fire
I Went Down, Down, Down
And The Flames Went Higher

And It Burns, Burns, Burns
The Ring Of Fire
The Ring Of Fire

I Fell Into A Burning Ring Of Fire
I Went Down, Down, Down
And The Flames Went Higher

And It Burns, Burns, Burns
The Ring Of Fire
The Ring Of Fire
And It Burns, Burns, Burns
The Ring of Fire
The Ring Of Fire

The last lines were whispered rather than sung. Elizabeth had by now pushed her worries aside and did not hesitate to express her admiration for his talent.

“That was great, Will! Your voice is very nice.”

Will bent his head, his eyes directed at the floor. Elizabeth was surprised by his awkwardness. He stroked his hair and started fidgeting.

“Uh…thanks…I uh…I should get going.” He stood up and started for the door.

“You're going now? But it's still so early.”

Will continued towards the door. “I had a long day…I'm really tired…I should go home,” he murmured, his back facing her.

“Oh…okay. Goodbye then.”

“Bye,” he said and with a few more quick steps, he was out the door, without ever looking back.

Chapter Ten

Posted on Saturday, 23 February 2008

What was he thinking? How could he have deluded himself enough to believe he could remain nothing more than a friend to a woman as loveable as Elizabeth Bennet? How could he have been arrogant enough to think himself impermeable to her charms? How could he have been silly enough to hope she would change her mind as time went by? An intelligent, experienced woman, who had been scorned in the past, would not be foolish enough to place herself in yet another vulnerable situation. She had built up a sturdy reserve through the years and, despite all of the advantages he had in life, he stood incapable of breaking through it.

Though his heart ached, he could not blame her for behaving as she did. She could not have recognized his true feelings. Despite the pain she had been through, Elizabeth had not grown cruel. Her request for friendship was an honest one, and Will doubted she would have made it if she had any idea of how far he had fallen for her. The fault for his disastrous situation rested on nothing other than his own shoulders. He had counted on her to forget the past for his own selfish gain. He had never considered her feelings on the matter. He had not bothered to wonder if she was ready to risk making the same mistake again.

With a shattered heart and an unhinged frame of mind, Will drove his car, heedless of the pouring rain, in the dark of night. Pulling into the parking lot, he thanked his lucky stars for being spared from an accident. He sprinted to the elevator and thrust his back against its cold steel walls. He pounded his fist against the unforgiving metal, and then screamed in pain. Forcing his hands behind him and tossing his head up to the ceiling, he cursed himself for free-falling to the lowest depth of an unending abyss.

Once the hostile elevator reached his floor, he slammed the door of his apartment and flopped onto the couch. He buried his head in his hands, wondering how on Earth he would be able to get through this. Sitting across from Elizabeth, singing those words to her, had made him acquainted with the wishes of his own heart, but his brain knew it was hopeless. Elizabeth could not give him what he wanted, she had refused him before, and she would do it again, when given the chance.

He picked up the phone and called Georgiana, refusing to trust himself to remain alone in the midst of despair. He felt overwhelmed with grief, the kind of emotion he had dreaded for years, the exact same sensation he had hoped he would never feel again. It struck him hard and he remained powerless to fight it.

A peculiar grief consumed him, peculiar in that it was not the sort of anguish he felt when his parents died, for Elizabeth was not lost to him forever. He could see her every day, he could talk to her, he could confide in her, but he could never express his love for her, he could not have her utter devotion, he would lose her to someone else some day, and then she would indeed be lost to him. His despair was not over the tragedy of losing a loved one to death, yet it engulfed him in the same powerful grip of helplessness and desolation. He grieved over the hopelessness of a passionate love that went unrequited. He suffered from the mischance of discovering that the very thing he wanted most in life was the only thing in the world he could not have.

Before he could allow his self-centered misery to swallow him whole, Georgiana arrived at his apartment and sat down next to him. She put a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, what's wrong? You sounded so distressed over the phone.”

Will lifted his head, but closed his eyes. He took a deep breath. “I'm in love with a woman who will never love me in return.” He poured his head into his hands again.

Georgiana gripped his wrist. “Oh Will, I'm so sorry! Anne told me this might happen, though I had hoped she would turn out wrong…listen, if there's anything I can do for you, anything at all, please don't hesitate to ask.”

Will looked up at Georgiana with a tremulous smile. “Thank you…Georgie, don't…don't worry too much…I will be fine…I promise, I will be fine.”

Georgiana gave him a weary smile. “It sure doesn't look like it at the moment.”

Will ran his hands through his hair and sighed. “Your sister was right, as usual. I should have listened to her when she told me to avoid Elizabeth…God, I'm such an idiot. I have no one to blame for my problems except for myself.”

“You're not an idiot. You followed your heart instead of your head. That's not a rare mistake to make and you shouldn't criticize yourself for it. Besides, what makes you think all hope is lost? You had been convinced Elizabeth would grow to love you, why don't you believe in that anymore?”

“I was delusional and my impossible dreams were brought back down to reality by facts. Elizabeth told me she had fallen in love with a musician who broke her heart. Why would she ever take that risk again? What makes me special enough for her to change her mind? It's hopeless, Georgie. I don't stand a chance of winning her over.”

Georgiana did not respond, so Will continued to wallow in self-pity. “It serves me right. I went through life without much struggle, having all the money and success I could ask for, living a luxurious lifestyle that so many people dream about…and yet there was something missing, though I couldn't for the life of me figure out what it was…and now, that I found it, now that I see what really matters in this world, the one thing I don't have, the one thing I never had before…the same moment I solved the puzzle, I realized I can never have what I need more than anything else…I don't know what to do, Georgie. I feel like I have relinquished control over my own life.”

“I'm sure your over-reacting, William. You're so love-struck and disappointed at the moment that you can't conceive of a happy outcome, but you're not seeing things as they are. You're allowing your emotions to overwhelm you, which is natural and okay for now, but you will calm down after a while and then you will be able to view things in a much better light.”

“I have to disagree. I've fooled myself with that sort of false optimism for too long. I have opened my eyes and realized how blind I've been. There is no light left for me and I don't think there ever will be.”

Will leaned his head on Georgiana's shoulder. Georgiana wrapped her arms around her miserable cousin's neck and tried to comfort him as he waxed on about his troubles.

The next day, Will dragged his listless body to work without caring for anything unrelated to his own unfortunate situation. Acting could not provide an escape for him, the movie he was making held lost all of its sway over him, his friends could not keep him company, his enemies could not get under his skin, his thoughts were centered only on Elizabeth and there they would remain.

His co-stars commented on his absent-mindedness and Collins grumbled about his apparent lack of motivation, but Will would not be lifted out of his slump. He didn't even try. Caroline bickered with him, yelling that this movie, and the inferior supporting role that came with it, would be the death knell of her career. She complained to her brother and threatened to do everything in her power to destroy Will's status in Hollywood if her reputation took a hit. Will heard little of her ranting, and could not have cared less had he heard the whole of it.

The following weeks passed in this unbearable manner. He avoided Elizabeth at all costs, leaving her messages unanswered and turning his cell phone off when he saw her number appear on his caller i.d. Elizabeth's prolonged absence in his life did nothing to assuage his misery, however. He still thought of her often. He struggled to erase the memories of her from his mind. He was overcome with confusion and agony. He wanted nothing more than to see her and talk to her again, but he did not believe he was strong enough to stay firm in her presence. How could he spend time with her, how could he even look at her without revealing his love for her? What would she do if she knew he loved her?

Surely, she would no longer insist on friendship. He had to break away from her, he could not endure the torture of seeing her lovely face every day and not being able to kiss it, he could not tell her of his day, cracking jokes and making her laugh, without wishing to tell her more, without longing to expresse his most prominent thoughts, feelings, and desires. Now that he knew he loved her, every hour in her company would be a venture in masochism. He lacked the fortitude, the patience, and the foolishness to subject his self to such unrelenting pain.

Yet, pretending she had never existed was impossible. He could not ignore her phone calls forever. He would have to see her one day and she would, without a doubt, demand an explanation for his sudden abandonment. He dreaded that day more than any other. He had thought about it again and again, mapping out all the possibilities of the conversation in his mind and asking both Anne and Georgiana for their advice on the matter, but he still was not satisfied with the final answer he had to give Elizabeth.

Will, therefore, was ill-equipped for a confrontation when he spotted Elizabeth at the Waldorf Astoria weeks after he had fled from her apartment. He was in the wardrobe room and had finished dressing for the next scene when she walked in with a backstage pass hanging around her neck. Will sighed, wishing he had told Charles of his decision to severe all ties with Elizabeth. Though he had told the whole story to Anne and Georgiana, he had kept his unrequited love for Elizabeth a secret from Charles, fearing his stupidity might get in the way of his best friend's relationship with Elizabeth's sister.

Will's heart sunk under the fury of Elizabeth's piercing gaze. He was not surprised to find her angry; he had proven himself to be unworthy of her friendship and was now faced with the task of destroying his relationship with the woman he loved.

“William, what's going on? You haven't returned any of my calls and I haven't seen you since…”

“I know…I know. I'm sorry. I've been really busy,” he said in his most detached voice.

Elizabeth exhaled. “Listen, if I did anything to offend you that night, then I'm really sorry. I don't know what I did wrong, but whatever it was, I hope you believe me when I say that I had no intention of hurting you.”

Will closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Don't apologize. You have not offended me.”

He felt a pang of guilt seize him as he watched Elizabeth's eyebrows crinkle in confusion. She seemed to be at a loss for words and lowered her head. Without thinking, he stepped towards her and lifted her chin up with his fingers.

Elizabeth stared into his eyes for a moment, but then switched her gaze downwards. “I've missed your company,” she whispered.

Will could do nothing but stare at her, while his emotions tore at each other. His determination to terminate his sham of a friendship with Elizabeth was now eroding. In theory, he knew what he had to do. In his mind, he had played the scene out, rehearsing the lines, the gestures, and speculating on her reaction, but his reflections had been in vain. With her standing in front of him, exposing a vulnerability she had buried in their previous interactions, he lost his will power. He could not bring himself to look into her eyes and tell her he didn't want to see her anymore, not when the dearest wish of his heart was to enfold her in his arms and tell her how much he loved her and how he never wanted to be away from her.

The battle between Will's heart and his head waged for several moments. In the end, his head had no choice but to concede defeat. He grabbed hold of Elizabeth's hands and squeezed them, smiling when she looked up at him in surprise.

“I'm sorry. I've been a terrible friend, and even though I don't deserve it, I hope you will forgive me.”

Elizabeth's gracious smile made Will's heart flutter, but his sense of reason made a comeback and he maintained an outward appearance of composure.

“There's nothing to forgive. I'm sorry to hear you've been so busy…Charles mentioned to Jane that the movie shoot is getting closer to the end. Your schedule should start lightening up soon, I hope?”

Will grinned. “Yeah, I think it will, but even if it didn't, I promise I will do everything I can to make time for you.”

Will was astonished, but also pleased to see Elizabeth blush. “You don't have to. I mean, I like hanging out with you, but I understand if you don't have much spare time for me...Will, I suspect it would be best if I kept my mouth shut, but I can't stop wondering why you left my apartment so suddenly the last time we were together…I can't help but think I offended you somehow,” Will opened his mouth to speak, but Elizabeth cut him off before he could express his feelings, “don't deny it Will, I know you were upset that night and you could pretend it's nothing and lie all you want, but I won't believe a word you say unless you tell me the truth.”

Will's eyes widened and he lost control of his blinking as he listened to Elizabeth's no nonsense speech. He hesitated, his mind scrambling for any halfway decent reply. He felt his head beginning to throb from the extensive exercise and touched his forehead with the palm of his hand.

“Uh,” he laughed in discomfort, “you never learned how to mince words, did you?”

Elizabeth slanted her head to the side, delivering her most intimidating `cut the crap and give me an honest answer' look.

Will sighed and stopped prevaricating. “I…uh, I left because…well, I got uncomfortable…after I sang that song for you.”

Elizabeth's expression softened, but her confusion remained evident. “Why were you uncomfortable?”

“I thought you might misinterpret my intentions in singing…I was worried you would read too much into the lyrics and think I was, you know…look, I was thinking of the past and how we…how we weren't always on the same page and I wanted to leave before things got awkward between us.”

Elizabeth averted her eyes while he spoke and took a few steps backwards. “Oh, I see,” she whispered.

After an estranged pause, Elizabeth spoke in a more cheerful voice on a topic that would bring relief to both of them.

“So, Charles and Jane are planning to have dinner tonight and Jane invited me to join them. I was hoping you wouldn't mind going with me.”

Will recovered enough to grin. “Ah, you want me to save you from being the dreaded third wheel?”

Elizabeth laughed. “Yes, will you please be Prince Charming and save this damsel in distress?”

Will rested his arm on Elizabeth's shoulder. “I would love to, dearest.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, but Will ignored her insolence. He was glorying over the fact that she didn't draw away from his touch. It made him forget his earlier melancholy and sparked yet another glimmer of hope.

Chapter Eleven

Posted on Sunday, 30 March 2008

Will's hope lasted long enough to make him a good companion for Charles and Jane. Elizabeth, on the other hand, was silent. He wondered what could be going through her mind, but he lacked the audacity to express those thoughts aloud. He talked of other, more trifling, matters instead.

“By the way, Chuck, did you hear that next week is the last week of the shoot?”

Charles coughed while trying to have a drink. “No, I didn't. Is it really that close to the end?”

“Yeah. Collins announced it two days ago. I'm surprised Caroline didn't tell you. I would have thought she'd be hounding you to find her another role by now,” he said with a knowing grin.

Charles smirked. “She did call me once or twice yesterday, but I have to admit I was too busy to pick up the phone.”

Will laughed, but Jane blushed at her boyfriend's shameless implication.

“Does this mean you'll be moving back to L.A. soon?”

Will turned towards Elizabeth with some surprise at hearing the sound of her voice after so long a silence.

“Uh…I don't know…I guess I should if I want to do another movie, but I don't really have to,” he lowered his voice and leaned closer to Elizabeth, “I can stay if I have a good reason to.”

Elizabeth lowered her head and covered her eyes by placing her hand on her forehead, but Will noticed her face redden.

“If I said I wanted you to stay, would that be a good enough reason?” she whispered.

Will grinned, feeling triumphant. “Do you have to ask? That's the best reason I can think of!”

When Elizabeth looked up at him, he could see the mixture of amazement and joy in her eyes. Then it dawned on him. She didn't think he would stay once the movie shoot ended. She must have had no clue of her powerful sway over him. She could not have known he would do anything she asked of him, if he found it in his power to do so.

Elizabeth's gaze was fixed on him and Will found his eyes were just as focused on her. Staring into her eyes, he longed to kiss her. He felt the familiar feeling of hopelessness begin to overwhelm him as he realized he would ruin everything between them, if he did what his heart most wanted. He couldn't bear the regret and drew away from her. Elizabeth must have noticed his change in demeanor. She distanced herself from him and watched with a puzzled frown as he turned his attention towards Charles and Jane, all the while, looking at Elizabeth out of the corner of his eye.

The dinner ended without much progress between Will and Elizabeth. However, he satisfied himself with the results of the evening. Elizabeth wanted him to stay and now she knew he would do anything to oblige her. He hoped this was the beginning of the end, as far as their friendship went. There were no more excuses now. She could no longer convince herself that he didn't care for her. He had made as obvious a hint about his wishes as he could. It was up to her to make the next move. To his astonishment, Elizabeth did just that the next time he met with her.

Two days after they had dinner together, Elizabeth called and said she wanted to stop by his apartment. Will paced around the place, picking up scattered clothes and cleaning up the messy rooms. Restless with anxiety and enthusiasm, he tried to keep himself busy until she arrived. She greeted him in her usual way and made casual conversation for a few minutes, but then caught Will off guard by asking him to escort her to a party being thrown for a friend of hers. Will hesitated to answer, and Elizabeth proceeded to plead her case.

“Her name is Charlotte Lucas. She was a close friend of mine at UC Berkeley, but I haven't seen her in a while. She lives in San Francisco. One of her brothers lives here in New York, and he's throwing a party to celebrate her visit…the party is this Saturday, at 8. I hope you can make it.”

Will frowned and shook his head. He wanted to go, but knew better. A party was the kind of situation where he could see himself losing his self-control and revealing his feelings for Elizabeth. Elizabeth's shoulders sunk in apparent disappointment.

“I'm sorry, but I already made plans for this Saturday.”

Elizabeth clasped her hands and bent her head downward. “Oh…I understand…I guess your plans aren't something you can back out on, are they?” She lifted her head, giving him an uncertain smile.

“No, they're not,” Will considered the possible excuses for a moment and then took a deep breath, “I have a date,” he lied, anticipating her reaction.

Elizabeth started. “Oh…Oh, I see,” she played with her hair, a tell-tale sign of her discomfort, “well then, I hope you enjoy yourself…I might talk to Charlotte's brother. He didn't seem sure of the date when he told me about the party. He might be able to change it…and then you can come, I hope…unless you already have plans for next Saturday as well?”

Will smiled, beginning to feel guilty about toying with her. It was obvious to him now. She didn't see him as a friend any more than he did. The only difference between them, it seemed, was that he recognized his true feelings, while she appeared to be stuck in denial. He relented, despite his better judgment. He could never refuse her when she revealed her softer side to him.

“Yes I do,” he smirked at her crestfallen face and stepped towards her, “I plan on going to the party with you…that is, if you don't mind, of course.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes with a laugh and scolded him for teasing her. He didn't see her again until the last day of the movie shoot. He had finished his last scene and Collins had yelled “It's a wrap” when he spotted Elizabeth lingering on the set.

In the world of the movie, the good characters had their happy endings, Caroline's villainous character had her comeuppance, and all was right with the world. In reality, though, Will's happy ending continued to elude him. He knew by now that his happiness depended on Elizabeth Bennet. If he could not have her, then he could not foresee himself falling in love with anyone else.

Elizabeth walked up to him with a smile. He approached her. She gave him a hug and congratulated him for enduring the infamous Caroline Bingley as a co-worker for three months. He laughed in response.

“So, how do you feel? Are you glad it's all over or will you miss making this movie?”

Will grinned. “Are you kidding? I'm excited. I won't miss this movie for a second. I don't want another film shoot like this. That's it. No more romantic comedies for me. I'm ready to try something new.”

Elizabeth smiled. “Well, I'm happy for you. I think you did a great job. Anyway, I have good news.”

“Great. Surprise me.”

“I talked to my friend's brother and he agreed to move the date of the party to this Saturday at eight. I hope you can still make it.”

“Of course I can…are you going alone? I can pick you up and drive you there if you want.”

Elizabeth blushed. “Oh…uh…well, I planned on going with Jane…but you can pick both of us up, if that's okay?”

Will smiled. “Sure, no problem.”

“Okay, well…I have to get going...it's almost time to open the club.”

“Oh, okay, I'll see ya later.”

“Yeah…bye.”

Elizabeth started to walk away, but then stopped and turned around. She approached Will, who looked at her with raised eyebrows.

Elizabeth thrust her hands into her pockets. “So…uh…how did your date go?”

“My date?”

“Yeah…it was last Saturday, wasn't it?”

Will slapped his forehead. “Oh yeah, that date…uh, it was okay, I guess,” he said, shrugging his shoulders.

Elizabeth smiled. “It seems like you would rather forget about it.”

Will grinned, pleased with the effect his little game seemed to have had on Elizabeth. It wouldn't hurt her to get a taste of her own medicine.

“Yeah, I won't be doing that again!”

Elizabeth laughed and then looked at her watch. “Oh crap, I really have to go now, or else I'll be late. Bye!”

“Goodbye,” Will said with a chuckle as he watched Elizabeth flee from the Waldorf Astoria.

The night of the party arrived and Will struggled to stop himself from turning into a nervous wreck. He opened the door to Elizabeth's apartment and gasped at the sight before him. Elizabeth wore a red halter-top and a black skirt, her hair let loose over her shoulders and her eyes highlighted by dark eye-liner. He couldn't believe it. Though much more dolled up than usual, she had still managed to look like herself, rather than trying to be someone she wasn't. This wasn't the case of a nerdy tomboyish girl suddenly becoming the stunning princess of the ball; this was a gorgeous, modest woman who had pulled off a more glamorous look while still retaining her integrity. Struck with admiration, Will could not find the right words to express his musings. He stared at her. She smiled and reddened, turning towards her sister as if she wished to escape from his unwavering gaze.

Jane greeted him with a smile. “Hey Will. Thanks for picking us up tonight.”

“Sure, no problem. You both look amazing. Are you ready to go?”

Jane and Elizabeth nodded and followed Will to his car. Jane kept a conversation going with Will, while Elizabeth brooded throughout the ride. She seemed to lighten up once they set foot in the party though. She introduced him to her friend, but Will's pleasure at meeting Charlotte Lucas did not last long. Not long after their meeting, a man Will had never met approached Elizabeth and asked her to dance. Elizabeth hesitated, but gave in after relentless prodding by Charlotte and Jane. Will's stomach lurched as the handsome stranger took Elizabeth by the arm and escorted her to the dance floor.

Oblivious to Will's disappointment, Charlotte turned to Will with a smug smile. “That's Jane's co-worker, Andrew. Jane and I are convinced he is perfect for Liz. He's nice, charming, handsome, single, comes from a good family, and to top it all off, he's a surgeon. Jane is dying to set him up with Elizabeth. We both think they will make an amazing couple. Don't you agree?”

Will grimaced and forced a nod of his head. Charlotte didn't seem to recognize his insincerity and continued to babble about how wonderful Andrew was and how he was destined to be with Elizabeth. Will tuned her out and stared at Elizabeth, all the while berating him self for succumbing to the stupidity of falling in love. Knowing his love for Elizabeth was unrequited had been hard enough, but to have a rival for her affections brought into the picture at this moment was beyond the pale. Jealousy and possessiveness reared their ugly twin heads, making it impossible for Will to watch Elizabeth smile and laugh as she danced with Mr. Perfect. He retreated to a corner of the room and drowned his sorrows in a paltry mug of stale beer.

Elizabeth later joined him, gazing at him with a look of curiosity. “Hey, how are you?”

Will shrugged his shoulders.

Elizabeth put her hand on his arm. “You look sad. Is anything wrong?”

Will averted his eyes. “No, not really.”

“Are you tired?”

“I'm all right…don't mind me. I'm being a lousy jerk, as usual. You should go back to dancing with whoever that was. You looked like you were having fun, and he didn't seem to mind being with you.”

“I'd rather dance with you,” Elizabeth said as she looked into his eyes.

Will grimaced. “I don't feel like dancing tonight.”

Elizabeth grabbed hold of his hands. “Oh come on, they're playing my favorite song. Won't you dance with me, just this once?”

Will tore his eyes away from Elizabeth's pleading face. He couldn't dance with her. He would be a lost man if he did. He shook his head, unable to express another refusal. Elizabeth slumped her shoulders and pouted.

“What's the matter with you? You're no fun tonight!”

Will gave her a bitter, sardonic laugh. “Nobody forced you to come here and sit with me. You can leave me anytime. You have plenty of other friends to chat with,” he said, failing to sanitize the resentment in his voice.

Elizabeth stared at him for a few moments and then stood up, still keeping his hands enfolded in hers. She pulled him forward and turned around, dragging him out of the corner.

Will bristled. “Elizabeth, I meant it when I said I didn't want to dance.”

“I know. I'm not going to make you dance.”

“Then where are you taking me?”

A mischievous smile spread onto Elizabeth's features.

“You'll see.”

She dragged him down the hall and opened a random door. Will walked into the bedroom with suspicious reluctance.

“What are we going to do here?”

Elizabeth gestured towards the bed. “Sit.”

Will crossed his arms in defiance, but Elizabeth insisted. He backed down and took a seat.

“What happens now?”

“Now, we talk,” Elizabeth said as she pulled a chair up across from him and sat down.

“Talk about what?”

“Anything you want…I hope you know that you can tell me about whatever it is that's bothering you.”

“I have nothing to talk about. Did I say I wanted to talk? Because I don't, and I don't know what gave you that impression.” As he spoke, he shifted his body and started to get off the bed, but Elizabeth gripped his shoulders and pushed him back down.

She tilted her head to the side. “What could have given me that impression? Oh, I don't know, maybe it was the sight of you sitting in the corner all by yourself with an empty beer mug in your hands, hanging your head and looking like a miserable wreck.”

Will rolled his eyes. “I am not miserable and the last thing I want to do right now is sit here and listen to your lectures.”

“What is your problem? Why are you so hostile tonight?”

Will grit his teeth. “I am not hostile.”

“Then why are you arguing with me when I'm trying to make you feel better?”

“Maybe I don't want your pity.”

“What does pity have to do with anything? Did I say that I pity you?”

“You implied it.”

“When?”

“Oh God, I don't know. Maybe when you said I looked like a miserable wreck and then dragged me here to force a confession out of me. If that's not uncalled for pity, then I don't know what is.”

Elizabeth stared at him in agitated silence. “I can't understand you, sometimes. You don't give me the whole story; you tell me part of it and keep the rest of your thoughts to yourself. I can't read minds, Will. I won't know how you feel if you don't explain it to me.”

“And why should I trust you with my feelings? It's not like you've been very kind to them,” Will lashed out, losing control over his tongue. The resentment, the frustration, the passion, and the hopelessness he had bottled up inside for months suddenly flooded out in a tidal wave of fury.

“All I've ever done is try to impress you. I couldn't have been more obvious about my feelings for you in the beginning. I did everything, I said everything, I tried everything to get you to trust me, to get you to give me a chance, and what did I get for it in return? A fake friendship and a broken heart! You knew I admired you, you knew I wanted you, and yet you blinded yourself to all of it. You wanted friendship, I gave you friendship, you wanted me to stay in New York, I stayed in New York, and you repay me by inviting me to this party, flirting with someone else, then acting like nothing happened and asking me to dance, and then whining about it when I tell you I don't feel like pushing myself into self-torture. Because that's what dancing with you is, Elizabeth. Every moment I spend with you is torture. You are all that I want and you are all that I can't have, because you're too hung up on the past to admit how you really feel…and you must think I'm stupid. You must think I'm a complete idiot for putting up with you for so long, and maybe you're right, maybe I am an idiot, but I've wised up now. I won't deal with your games any longer. This ends now. I am not your friend. I never was your friend and I can never be your friend. I never stopped wanting you, Elizabeth, I only pretended to be indifferent to make you happy, but I won't deny my feelings anymore. I'm not going to live a lie just because you want me to. If you want to keep living in denial for the rest of your life, then go right ahead, but you'll have to do it without me, because I'm sick and tired of playing along with your stupid games. There, are you happy now? That, my dear Elizabeth, is the whole story!”

Will exhaled and stopped talking long enough to notice that Elizabeth had gone pale. She stood up from her chair and ran out of the room. He did nothing to stop her. He sat on the bed for a moment longer, and then walked out to where Jane and Charles were dancing. He poked Charles on the shoulder.

“Hey, I'm going home. I'll see you later,” he shouted.

Charles turned around and opened his mouth, but Will didn't wait for him to speak. He walked to the door, grabbed his jacket from the coat rack, and left.

Chapter Twelve

Posted on , 8 April 2008

Elizabeth ran without thinking. She bumped into people, but stopped only to apologize and then kept going. Andrew tried to stop her, calling her name and asking after her, but she paid him no heed. The only thought left in her mind was the unstoppable urge to escape. Her eyes had filled with tears, but she couldn't bring herself to stop until she could be alone with her unfiltered emotions. She kept running until she felt a hand pull hard at her arm. Imagining she would find William if she turned around, she thrust her arm away and quickened the pace of her sprint. Jane's voice broke through her cloud of confusion and she halted.

“Liz, what happened?”

She wiped the stray tears from her eyes and turned around.

“Not now, Jane. Please…I need to be alone.”

“Okay. I'm sorry. Charlie and I wanted to stay the night at his place, but he can drive us home if you want to leave.”

Elizabeth shook her head. “I don't want to leave. I just want to be alone for a while.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I don't want to ruin your night, Jane. Go back inside and don't worry about me. I'll be fine.”

Jane approached Elizabeth and gave her a hug. Elizabeth clung to her sister and let her sobs slip out for a few seconds. She then drew away and gave Jane a kiss on the cheek.

“I'll see you later.”

“I love you, Liz. I'll always be here for you.”

Elizabeth smiled through her tears. “I know, Jane. I love you too.” She squeezed Jane's hand and then walked down the hall. When she reached the stairs, she turned around and watched Jane go back into the room with Charlie's hand draped across her shoulder. The pain she had been suppressing leaped forward at the sight of her sister so happily in love.

Elizabeth stared at the stairs, feeling broken in two. She sat down on the top of the cold stone steps and crossed her arms, gripping her body in order to retain a measure of composure. Her heart had gone numb. Her mind went blank. Shock had struck her first, but it was now on its way out, replaced by immense pain, then anger filtered in, followed by depression and ending with a melancholy note of loneliness. How did everything get so out of hand? What had she done to herself? What had she done to William?

William, poor, dear William. The memories of him made her shudder. The fury in his voice, the heartache in his eyes as he told her the feelings he had hid inside appeared before her, meting out the punishment she deserved. She drew her arms closer to her chest, as if holding her body tight would allow her to eradicate the oppression of her thoughts. Her efforts reaped no reward, for his words still hovered over her, the pained expression on his face seared into her mind's eye. His story had painted her in the worst sort of light. She had been heartless, selfish, and cynical. She had pushed him away, fighting her feelings with all her might, and wounding her dearest friend in the process. Friend? William had spat out the word. She wished she had never used it.

From the beginning, she had chosen to lie and deny, when she should have been honest and open. She buried all of the worries, the longing, the hesitation, the excitement, and everything else she had felt in William's presence, hoping her emotions would go away simply because she willed them to do so. Had she accepted the truth, rather than fighting it tooth and nail, she could have been engulfed in her lover's arms, instead of sitting alone, covered in a shell of remorse in the stairway of her friend's apartment building. The pain of isolation enveloped her and emptiness seeped into her bones. She stood up, unwilling to sit still while her sorrows overwhelmed her. She made her way down the stairs and slammed the exit doors of the apartment open.

Breathing in the brisk night air, Elizabeth gained a sense of purpose. She wandered to the parking lot and saw that Will's car remained there. Smiling, she walked up to the car and sat on top of its hood. She took a notebook out of her pocket and started writing the lyrics to a song, using her scattered emotions and newfound revelations as her inspiration.

I told a lie, I've lived a lie
I see it now, clear as crystal shining in my face
I thought I knew how I felt, I thought I knew how we were
I didn't know, I didn't see
Your words have now taught me

I only knew what I taught myself
I only saw what I wanted to see
I only thought of my own feelings
I only wanted to remain free

You told the truth, you've lived the truth
You saw it then, as you do now
You knew yourself, you saw through me
You knew it all and you saw it all
But despite it all, you stuck with me

You're not stupid, but you might be a saint
I'm not stupid now, but I was before
You wised me up, you sure showed me
I am sorry now, but will you forgive me?

I only knew what I taught myself
I only saw what I wanted to see
I only thought of my own feelings
I only wanted to remain free

I fought myself, denied my heart
I thought it was all for the best
We could be friends and forget the rest
I screwed us up, with an awful start
Hurt myself, stabbed you in the chest

I have nothing left to say
I'm sorry, I won't forget this day
Now my lies are dead
I tell the truth, I live the truth
And it's all because of what you said.

Elizabeth smiled as a melody started to reveal itself to her while she read over the lyrics. She hummed the tune to herself, since she didn't have the luxury of a guitar in her hands to make the melody in her head a reality. The harmonious ingredients congealed in her mind, simmering in preparation for the creation of a song, but the notes dissolved when the sound of footsteps reached her ear. The shattering noise disbursed her concentration and she looked up to discover its malicious source. William stood before her with a bewildered gaze.

“What are you doing?”

She smiled, finding amusement in what should have been a moment of apprehension.

“I'm writing a song.”

“On the hood of my car?”

“There was no place else to sit.”

She slid off William's car and leaned on her left foot, placing her hands on her hips. “I guess I should get a ride home with Charlie and Jane.”

Will sighed. “You don't have to. I can drive you home.”

“Are you leaving now?”

“Yeah.”

“You're sure you don't mind?”

“I don't mind…Elizabeth; despite everything I said earlier, I don't hate you.”

Elizabeth bent her head. Will closed in on her. She looked up at him and held out the sheet of paper with the song lyrics.

“Please read this.”

“What is it?”

“It's the song I wrote. It's about us.”

Will took a moment to read the lyrics and then gave Elizabeth a piercing gaze.

“I'm sorry, William…I wish I could say more, I wish I could tell you how I feel right now, but I don't think I've had enough time to absorb it all…I just want you to know that I'm really sorry and I never wanted to hurt you and if I could start over again from the beginning, I would do it in a heartbeat,” she said with a sigh of relief. There, she said it; she could now wait for his response in the solace of inner peace.

Will took her hands and smiled. He drew her right hand up and kissed it. Elizabeth froze, but Will carried out his intent. He ran his fingers through her hair and then grabbed her waist. Elizabeth could only gaze at him in mindless astonishment. Pulling her closer, he whispered in her ear.

“Tell me to stop and I will never see you again.”

“Don't stop,” Elizabeth whispered when she gained some semblance of composure.

He bent his head and drew her into a passionate kiss. Elizabeth threw her arms around his neck and lost herself in the moment. He pulled away when they both had enough and opened the door of the passenger side of his car for her. She smiled at him and sat down. He took a seat as well and held her hand, giving her a kiss on the cheek before pulling the car out of the parking lot.

As usual, William escorted her to her apartment. She hesitated at her door for a moment, deliberating her next step. Should she invite him in? She wanted to, very much….but they would most likely…Jane had told her she would stay at Charlie's place for the night…her and William would be alone…was she ready? She feared making a choice she would regret later. She looked up to his face and saw that hesitation wouldn't accomplish anything. In the spur of the moment, she made her decision.

“Are you hungry?”

He grinned. “Yeah.”

“I have some pizza in the fridge. You can come in and have some, if you want.”

“Great, thanks.”

He followed her to the kitchen table, where they sat down in silent tension. Will took a big bite of his pizza. Elizabeth only stared at her plate. She had no appetite.

“I'm sorry for lashing out back there…I know you were looking forward to this party and I'm sorry I ruined it for you,” he said when he finished chewing.

Elizabeth shook her head. “Don't say you're sorry. You were right. I deserved to have my night ruined. I've been terrible to you this whole time…I won't say that I'm sorry though, because I know sorry is not enough.”

Will washed off the pizza with a soda and then looked Elizabeth in the eye. “I don't care what you think, sorry is good enough for me and I forgive you.”

Elizabeth laughed. “You're just saying that to contradict me.”

Will rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right, because our last argument wasn't bad enough!”

Elizabeth kept laughing, knowing he was playing along with her joke. “I'll never understand how you manage to put up with me.”

Will smiled. “Easy answer, I love you.”

Elizabeth blinked, thinking she must have misheard him. The look in his eyes, however, backed up his words. Her face flushed and she gripped the edge of the table, not quite knowing what to do with herself.

Will didn't seem the least bit disturbed. He took another bite of his pizza and stared at her with a straight face as he chewed.

“You all right?” he said in a casual voice.

Elizabeth stammered. “Uh…I don't know…I guess so.”

“Come on now, get a hold of yourself. You shouldn't be surprised. My feelings had to be obvious to you after that ridiculous performance I gave earlier.”

Elizabeth couldn't stop blinking. “Well then…I don't know what to say.”

“You could say you love me too, you know,” Will answered with a smirk. He then finished off his pizza.

Elizabeth laughed. “You say that like it means nothing. It's almost like you're joking.”

Will's expression sobered. “I'm not joking…and I'm not acting either.”

“Oh, I think you are acting a little.”

Will clinched his jaw. “You still don't believe me!”

“That's not what I meant. I do believe that you love me, what I don't believe is that you can be so casual about it. You're pretending to be cool and confident, but I'm sure deep down, you're a bundle of nerves right now.”

Will raised an eyebrow. “And why should I be a bundle of nerves?”

“Because I haven't told you what you want to hear yet,” Elizabeth said with a knowing smile.

“You're silly. I couldn't care less what you say. I've told you how I feel. It's your move now, time to put up or shut up.”

Elizabeth smirked and stood up from her chair. She grabbed his hand, which caught him off guard. She dragged him to her bedroom and started kissing him senseless. As expected, his cocky demeanor melted away in an instant and she could feel the hairs on his skin stand on end as she had her way with him. She pulled away with her lips etched into a smirk.

“You don't look so carefree, now, wise guy.”

“Shut up,” he murmured with a snarl and drew her back into his arms. She had to laugh, but he put a stop to her mockery by covering her lips with his own. She let him overtake her senses and responded with passion, running her hands through his hair and leaning closer to him. He kissed her neck and went down a little further, but then halted. She whimpered in annoyance, but his pause lasted only a few seconds. He brought his head back up and kissed her mouth again.

The next morning, Elizabeth woke up to find a sleeping William Darcy huddled next to her. His arms were around her waist and his head bent against her shoulder. She smiled at how sweet and boyish he looked and then pushed a lock of his hair away from his eyes. She snuck her arm under his neck and kissed his cheek.

“William…Will…Willy…Bill…Billy…William Jonathan Darcy, wake up!”

He stirred, his eyes flying open. She giggled, watching his face as he tried to fight off the sleep-induced daze of the early morning. He groaned as she played with his hair.

“What time is it?” he said, struggling to lift his head off of the pillow.

Elizabeth turned to see the clock on the desk at the side of her bed. “It's nine-thirty.”

“Oh,” Will put his head back on the pillow and shut his eyes.

Elizabeth nudged his shoulder with her fist. “Hey, wake up. I want to talk to you.”

Will groaned. “Now?”

“Yes, now.”

“But I'm tired,” he whined.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “Oh come on, you are way too young to get tired so easily.”

Her rebuke worked. He sat up straight and gazed at her with narrowed eyes.

“Fine, I'm listening. Start talking.”

Elizabeth hesitated. “I have to confess something…the biggest reason why I didn't want to be with you, the reason why I fought against my feelings for you for so long is because…it's because…the truth is, you reminded me of Mark, the musician that hurt me, in a lot of ways…you're the same type of guy, the type of guy I had always been attracted to…the type of guy I've been avoiding ever since Mark dumped me…you reminded me of him, because you and he were both charismatic, popular, a little on the arrogant side, extroverted, chased after by fawning groupies... when I first met you I thought that's all you were, another entertainer who cared about nothing other than fame, drugs, booze, and girls…and you have to admit, that night we met, you gave a terrible first impression.”

Will laughed, but Elizabeth noticed the reddened hue of his cheeks. “Yeah, I know…I was a jerk that night, I'm sorry.”

“That was another reason I couldn't trust you. You were such a jerk that night, but after that you changed. It was like you were a completely different person, and I couldn't tell which Will Darcy was the real you, the cocky jerk at the bar or the nice guy who really wanted to get to know me better.”

“I had been in a bad mood. I couldn't memorize my lines and had a bad day at work. Then Charlie and Anne and Georgiana dragged me to your club when all I had wanted to do was stay home and rest…I've tried not to be like that anymore…I hope I've changed for the better since that night.”

“You have. Your ego is much more in check now,” Elizabeth said with a grin.

“Elizabeth, did you have any boyfriends after that…uh, after that guy, Mark, betrayed you?” Will asked after a long pause in the conversation.

“Yes, but those relationships didn't last very long. After Mark, I went for the opposite kind of guy. I stayed away from the bad boy types and dated introverts, you know, academic types. I felt safer around guys like that, but after a while; they would start to bore me. It wasn't until I met you that…that I felt tempted to…”

“Date another bad boy?” Will said with a smirk.

“Yeah, but I found out that you're not really a bad boy. You just like to pose as one sometimes, for some strange reason.”

“I don't pose. My reputation precedes me. I can't help what pre-conceived notions people have when they meet me.”

“True…and anyway, I was wrong about you and I should have figured that out earlier. I'm sorry for all the pain I caused you.”

“Stop saying you're sorry. I forgave you like a million times already!”

Elizabeth laughed. Will wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek. He started kissing her neck, but she stopped him.

“I'm starving. You want to have breakfast?”

Will sighed. “Yeah, sure.”

Elizabeth smiled, knowing he would much rather stay in bed. She stood up and he followed her to the kitchen, where they continued to express the feelings they had both kept hidden from each other throughout their acquaintance.

To be continued . . .

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