A Love Story
William Darcy left his office and dragged himself to the elevator. He'd spent the better part of the day in meetings and then was called in to deal with a crisis at the Pacific Rim office and ended up working till 7:30. The greasy takeout someone ordered for dinner was sitting in his stomach like lead shot but he was too exhausted to care. A couple of his coworkers were headed to a bar for a drink, but William declined an offer to join them. Instead he hailed a cab and headed home. When he arrived at his apartment building William emerged from the cab and stood for a moment staring up at the building.
“Mr. Darcy?” the perplexed doorman asked. William blinked and looked at the smaller man, who'd been holding the door open for fifteen seconds.
“Thanks, John,” he muttered as he went through. John called him again and gave him an envelope that had arrived by courier. William thanked him and stepped into the elevator with two women who lived a floor or two below him. He sighed inwardly when they tried to chat him up. He barely heard a word they said as he peered at the envelope, looking for a return address. When he looked up again he found that he was alone in the elevator and at his floor.
William entered the dark apartment and dropped the envelope on a chair. He walked directly to the pair of French doors that opened onto the large terrace facing Central Park. He threw them open and stood there for a moment, just breathing the cool night air and enjoying the solitude and serenity. Of course, he could do with a little less solitude. The woman he had fallen in love with was in San Diego at some conference or another. William briefly considered calling her, but a glance at his watch made him reconsider. She was probably in the last session of the day and her phone would still be shut off.
Not that it would be enough anyway, William thought to himself as he went back inside and poured himself a brandy. He put on the stereo and sighed as the brooding, romantic strains of Vaughn Williams filled the room. William shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it on the chair. He picked up the envelope and hefted it pensively. Then he carried it to the terrace, but after a moment the parcel was forgotten as he allowed the music to dictate his mood. His thoughts turned again to the woman who'd spend this night in a hotel room rather than in his arms where she belonged. He ached for the woman whose eyes had first captivated him across a crowded theatre.
--
He'd practically clawed his way across the space to reach her, only to find that she was on the arm of another man. Feeling like an idiot, he'd been about turn away when he saw her say something to the other man and leave his side. William was confused by her actions, but was utterly shocked when she walked right up to him and grabbed his arm.
“Forgive me,” she'd said in a warm, honeyed voice that caressed his ear like velvet. “I'm not in the habit of molesting strange men in public theatres--,” and here she paused to deliberately look him over, “but I saw you observing me and I'm afraid I had to take advantage of the opportunity to get away.” William was momentarily too stunned and confused to speak. He opened his mouth and closed it again before he found his voice.
“Are you in some sort of danger?” William asked with a frown of concern.
“Only of being bored to tears,” the woman laughed. “I hope you won't think too badly of me after you learn what I've just done.”
“And that would be...” William's confusion had returned in earnest.
“I came to the theatre tonight with a few friends from my office. We earned the tickets as a bonus, you see, so the four of us came together. As it turns out two of us are female and two are male. My friend Jane is dating Charles and the other guy just assumed that this would be a double date.”
“But he's not your type,” William said as understanding dawned.
“I'm not even sure Bill is my species,” the woman laughed. William decided that he'd gladly skip the second act of the play if he could watch her laugh. “I'm afraid I just told a huge lie. I told him that you were--well, someone I'd been seeing. I had to come speak to you lest you get the wrong idea, yada...”
“Yada?” William smiled in polite confusion.
“Yada. My name is Lizzy Bennet.”
“My name is William Darcy.”
“Thank you for being a good sport, William.”
“I haven't done anything, except allow myself to be molested in a public theatre,” he smiled.
“You really ought to be more careful,” Lizzy purred. “Your entire demeanor just screams `take me,' you know.” William struggled to maintain his composure in the face of her provocative statement.
“I'll try and be more careful,” he smirked as the lights dimmed briefly, signaling that the start of the second act was imminent. Lizzy loosened the light hold she'd had on his arm and took a tentative step backward. “What are you going to do now? Go back to them?”
“I suppose so. I've already arranged to sit on the aisle so he can't get his hands on me again.” William felt his chest swell with righteous anger. He took her by the arm and steered her toward the doors.
“I have a better idea,” he said. Lizzy made to protest, but William assured her that there was a spare seat beside him. “My sister Georgiana was supposed to come tonight but she missed her flight from Boston and it was too late to find an alternative companion. Till now, that is; please join me, Lizzy.”
And join him she did. They enjoyed the remainder of the play together and had drinks together afterward. Three months later, Lizzy had become an integral part of William's existence. Never had he felt so alive or so in love before. And never had he felt more alone than when she left for San Diego.
--
William was nodding off when he heard his phone ring. He started and grabbed at his waist but the phone was in his jacket pocket and by the time he got to it the caller was gone. He looked at the message window and saw that the call had come from Lizzy. He swore as he punched the code for Lizzy's number. All he got was a voice message and he silently swore again. But he remembered himself in time to leave a brief message.
“I love you, Lizzy.”
William sighed and sat back, lifting the snifter to peer into its golden depths. He was reminded of his first night with Lizzy, there at the apartment. It was a rainy night, cold and blustery. They'd gone to a movie and Lizzy had insisted on their walking back to her place.
--
“I have a better idea,” William said. Lizzy laughed.
“You always say that!”
“Have I steered you wrong yet?” William shouted over the din of pouring rain. Lizzy shook her head and William reached out and straightened the big floppy hat she was wearing. Lizzy had arrived at the movie theatre wearing a bright yellow slicker and hat with red boots and a gaily colored umbrella. William promptly dubbed her “Paddington” and then had to explain the story he'd been fond of as a child in Derbyshire. As they walked arm in arm up Fifth Avenue after the movie, he could better appreciate her attire as even his knee-high Wellingtons and sturdy raincoat seemed unable to stave off the raw damp.
“Where are you taking me?” Lizzy shouted after a couple of blocks.
“To my place.” William replied at the top of his lungs. “It's just another block.”
“Good! This is madness,” Lizzy laughed.
“It was your bloody idea in the first place,” William countered as he saw the awning of his building up ahead. He wrapped an arm about Lizzy's waist and forded the huge puddle that separated them from their destination. A few moments later they were out of the rain and on their way up to the 18th floor.
“This is a very posh building,” Lizzy said as she pulled off her hat.
“Do you think so?” William said diffidently as he led her to his door. He unlocked it and stood back. Lizzy walked in and peeled off her outerwear and boots. William unceremoniously dropped them, along with his own coat and boots, in the lavatory and followed her into the living room where she was gazing wide-eyed at the view of the park. William left her to look around and went into the kitchen to put on some water. Then he returned to the living room, where he poured a couple of brandies and turned on the fireplace.
“This is lovely,” Lizzy said as she accepted a brandy. “Do you mind if I look around?” William happily gave her a brief tour of the apartment and they soon found themselves back in the living room. He offered Lizzy a seat but she sat on the rug in front of the fire and smiled up at him. That was enough of an invitation; he joined her on the rug.
“I've never done this before,” William said as Lizzy curled up in his arms like a cat.
“Never?” He shook his head. “Poor man; don't you know how romantic it can be to curl up in front of a roaring fire on a cold, blustery day with a snifter of brandy and someone you--.” Lizzy averted her eyes and blushed.
“Someone I love?” William assayed. Her eyes met his and they shared a slow, passionate kiss, which was unfortunately interrupted by the whistle of the kettle. “I'd better get that.” William rushed to the kitchen in a daze, wondering if he'd actually said what he thought he'd said and whether or not Lizzy felt the same way. He quickly made up a pot of tea and fixed a tray. He carried it out to the living room and found Lizzy sitting a short distance away from where he'd left her. She'd discovered William's books, which covered the walls to either side of the mantel. He smiled as he returned to his place on the rug and she crawled over to join him, a slim volume in her hand.
“Look what I found,” Lizzy smiled as she opened a somewhat care-worn copy of A Bear Called Paddington. William poured tea and dosed it with honey as Lizzy flipped through the pages and examined the illustrations. William handed Lizzy a cup and saucer and placed a small plate of cookies in front of her. Then he took the book from her hand and settled her in his arms once more. As she sipped her tea, William began to read aloud.
“Please look after this bear...” he began. Lizzy smiled as William read, using different voices and accents for each character. She interrupted him occasionally to feed him a bite of her cookie or to reach across him and rest her cup and saucer on the tray. When William paused at the end of the chapter, Lizzy turned his face to hers and kissed him. William dropped the book and pulled her closer to his body. He lowered her to the floor and rolled her onto her back as he unbuttoned the top of her shirt to gain better access to her throat.
“William,” Lizzy whispered as her breathing became ragged. She withdrew her hand from the nest of glossy curls at the back of his head and unbuttoned the rest of her shirt before roughly pulling it out of the waistband of her pants. William took full advantage of the opportunity to explore the exposed skin as Lizzy turned her attention to the sweater he wore. She grabbed hold of it and tugged. He resisted, unwilling to yield his place on her abdomen even temporarily. An amusing struggle ensued, but the victory was Lizzy's. “This is much better,” she insisted as she ran her hands over his back. William could offer no argument to the contrary.
After a few minutes, she attempted to unbuckle his belt and the top button of his trousers. She reached for the zipper just as William abruptly released her and rose. Lizzy sat up in confusion as William disappeared into the bedroom, but he returned a moment later with a quilted coverlet and a condom. Lizzy smiled and made room for him to lay out the spread, then wriggled out of her jeans.
“This is nice,” Lizzy said as she crawled onto the coverlet and stretched out languidly. “Are you always such an accommodating host?”
“I'm always solicitous as to the comfort of my guests,” William said in a mildly defensive tone. But Lizzy wasn't fooled. She crooked a finger at him and beckoned.
“Then I am surprised that you're still standing,” Lizzy laughed. “I feel very uncomfortable lying here alone and naked at your feet.”
“You aren't exactly naked, Lizzy,” William said as he knelt and sought to remedy the situation. “You're still wearing your knickers.” Almost as soon as he said the words, they were gone.
“And now you're extremely overdressed,” Lizzy complained. “Really--and you boast of being a good host!” William kissed her pout as she opened his fly and tugged at his remaining garments.
“I am trying to be, darling, but you're terribly distracting,” he murmured into her mouth as he attempted to assist her. Finally, he reluctantly pulled away long enough to remove his pants, shorts and socks. He stretched out alongside Lizzy and gazed into her eyes briefly.
Every moment they'd spent together since that night at the theatre had been slowly and steadily progressing toward this moment. They'd deliberately ignored the obvious, almost palpable sexual tension that has sent that initial shower of sparks across the theatre. Lizzy and William might have fallen into bed that very night, but neither wanted to rush things. They'd gone out twice since then, each occasion an exercise in restraint. But that was over.
Lizzy pulled William's face down to hers and indulged herself with a long, slow exploration of his body with her hands as her mouth occupied the bulk of his attention. But William soon joined her in her quest for discovery, learning every inch of Lizzy's body with his eyes, hands, nose and tongue, touching, tasting--committing every bit of Lizzy to memory with all of his senses. After a while that was not enough, and he had to possess her. Lizzy was equally ready and took him into her hungrily.
They moved to the bedroom for a second round of lovemaking and then a third before William fell into a deep sleep and Lizzy reluctantly climbed out of the bed to explore the kitchen. When William woke sometime later, the apartment was dark, save for the glow from the fireplace and the light in the kitchen. He pulled on his robe and went in search of Lizzy. He found her in the kitchen, ladling soup into bowls, wearing one of his old henleys.
“Soup is the perfect antidote to a cold, rainy day,” she said when she saw him in the doorway. “I thought we might eat in front of the fire.” She handed William a tray bearing a loaf of bread and an assortment of cheeses, olives and other condiments.
“You've been busy,” he said with amusement as he followed her into the living room.
“I must say you've got a very well-stocked larder, although you may have to go shopping tomorrow. I must have put everything I could find in that soup.”
“It smells amazing,” William said. He sat down amid the pillows Lizzy had placed for their comfort and noted that she'd opened a bottle of wine.
“I hope you don't mind my raiding your cellar.” William read the label in the dim light and poured the wine.
“That's what it's there for. That soup smells wonderful.”
“It's an old family recipe. I threw in some sausage and that leftover chicken in the fridge.”
“Beautiful, resourceful, wonderful in bed--any more surprises?”
“You ought to see me with a deck of cards,” Lizzy said as she picked up an olive and placed it between William's lips.
--
William sighed as he recalled that night. After dinner, Lizzy insisted that he read her the rest of the story. The next morning he'd served Lizzy breakfast in bed and they spent a lazy day together before he reluctantly saw her home Sunday evening. But he'd spent every available minute with her since then. Their last night together had been bittersweet. Their lovemaking had been fiery and intense, but the knowledge that they were to be apart for the next week weighed heavily on them both. William awoke in the morning to find that Lizzy had left without saying goodbye. He was only slightly mollified by her note, which he found on her pillow.
Please forgive me, William. I could not bear to hear you say those words.
I love you.
Lizzy
It took a few hours for the anger to burn away to a dull ache but with it came the realization that he couldn't have borne hearing Lizzy say goodbye any better than she could. The ensuing days had been miserable for William. He'd buried himself in his work to keep busy. It was only Wednesday but he was exhausted and ready for the weekend. He'd spoken to Lizzy on each of the previous two nights, but it did little to alleviate his suffering.
The music stopped and William rose to play it again. He took the opportunity to pour another brandy and returned to the terrace. That's when he remembered the envelope and sat down to open it. Inside he found a note written in Lizzy's graceful hand:
I took the liberty of having a word with your boss (I'm so glad you introduced us when we ran into him at that party) and he agreed with me that you are overworked and in need of a few days of rest and relaxation. He's given you the rest of the week off. I know the perfect place for you to spend them; my treat. The enclosed ticket will get you there. Pack for lovely weather and don't you dare bring any work with you. I'll meet you at the hotel at noon tomorrow.
Yours in eager anticipation,
Lizzy
William grinned from ear to ear as he rose and went inside. He headed straight for the bedroom, where he pulled out a suitcase and began to pack. Twelve hours later he set down in San Diego. When he arrived at the hotel he was unsure as to whether or not he should register. After making an inquiry at the conference center, he left a message for Lizzy and sat down to wait for her in the lobby. Twenty minutes later he looked up and saw the love of his life.
“Hello, gorgeous,” he said as he closed his magazine and tossed it aside. As soon as he rose to his feet, Lizzy wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.
“I've missed you terribly,” she whispered in his ear as she covered it with kisses. William took hold of her chin and directed her lips to his preferred target. After a moment, he reluctantly pulled away to look into her eyes.
“I missed you, too. Thank you for this.”
“Come,” Lizzy said as she took hold of his arm and led him toward the elevators. William quickly grabbed for his bag as she began to drag him across the lobby. They just managed to squeeze into the elevator with a group of tourists from Belgium and a group of students from northern California. When the students got out, Lizzy stepped back and sighed in relief. It was then that she noticed something hanging from William's collar. She'd caught a glimpse of it before but was too focused on William to pay it any mind. Now she eyed it suspiciously. She was about to reach for it when the elevator stopped on her floor. Lizzy took William's hand and led him to the room they'd be sharing for the next few days.
“Come in,” she said as she stood back to let William pass. “It's not as cozy as your place but I think we'll manage.”
“Oh, we'll manage quite nicely,” William said suggestively as he pulled Lizzy into his arms. He bent to kiss her but Lizzy ducked her head and reached for the tag hanging from his lapel.
”Please look after this man. Thank you.” Lizzy laughed so hard that William pulled away and sat down on the edge of the bed. She went to join him, holding her side. She kissed his cheek as he continued to gaze at her. “You're so cute.” She tried unsuccessfully to look serious. “Shouldn't you be wearing a `funny kind of hat'?” William pouted at her.
“Good afternoon,” he said, mimicking the opening line of the bear he was imitating.
“Great afternoon,” Lizzy said, refusing to take William's bait. She took his hands and pulled him to his feet. “Or it will be, once I get you out of these clothes and into bed.”
Seeing the logic of her words, William decided to assist her by shucking his pants and peeling Lizzy out of her suit. They fell into bed, where William eagerly reacquainted himself with Lizzy's taste, touch, and smell while she indulged her desire to spoil William by lavishing attention on every square inch of his body and slowly driving him mad as she made love to him.
Sometime later, Lizzy slipped out of bed as William slept. He'd had a rough week, been up late the previous night to pack and had a long and tedious flight from the east coast. Lizzy kissed his brow and headed for the shower while he napped. By the time she returned, he was awake again.
“Hello, beautiful,” she said as she crawled onto the bed and snuggled in his arms.
“Why'd you let me do that?” he asked as he checked his watch. “I didn't come here to sleep.”
“You needed it,” Lizzy replied. “Besides, I fully intend to keep you wide awake for the rest of our stay so you'd better rest up while I'm still willing to let you do so. Are you hungry?”
“I could eat a horse.”
“Silly old bear!”
“Wrong story,” William scolded lightly.
“I placed an order with room service. It should be here at any moment.”
“If it's marmalade sandwiches, I'm going home.”
“I promise you it's not marmalade sandwiches,” Lizzy assured him. There was a knock on the door and Lizzy went to open it.
A waiter brought in their meal and set it up as William slipped on the robe Lizzy had unpacked for him. Lizzy had ordered some of William's favorite foods: steak au poivre served with frittes and stuffed mushrooms, a dark chocolate tart, and a bottle of robust California wine. The couple sat down to dine. William asked about Lizzy's training and she asked about his work. Once the meal was done, however, all talk of the outside world ceased.
William spent the next day wandering around San Diego while Lizzy was at her conference. He scouted for a good restaurant for dinner on his way back to the hotel, where he changed and joined her for the closing reception. William found it somewhat amusing to be on the other side for once. He'd taken dates to business functions before; it had never occurred to him how the outsider might feel at such functions. He was rather interested in Lizzy's work as software designer, however, so he enjoyed the chance to, as he put it, “rub elbows with geeks” for an hour.
Afterward, he and Lizzy went up to their room to change for dinner. William generously allowed Lizzy to share his shower and coax him into making love before dressing in the suit he'd brought along for the occasion.
“You look very nice,” Lizzy said as she emerged from the bathroom putting on an earring. William glanced at her reflection in the mirror, where he was adjusting his tie. He turned around to get a better look.
“You look amazing!” he said softly.
“I went out and bought this right after I ordered your ticket,” she admitted. “Thank you for giving me a chance to wear it,” she said as she looked down at her dress.
“The pleasure's mine,” William said as he took her hand. He led her to the door.
The dinner was fabulous, the conversation sparkling. Lizzy and William laughed more than they had in ages. Afterward, they stared into each other's eye over cups of coffee.
“You know, sometimes I wish I never met you,” Lizzy said as she reached out and caressed William's cheek. As she expected, William was shocked. He glanced at his watch.
“I wonder if I could get a flight to Peru at this hour.” Lizzy smiled and took his hand and stroked it soothingly.
“Don't you see? Then I could have the thrill of falling in love with you all over again,” she said warmly. William pouted slightly, refusing to be mollified so easily. “Mind you, I fell for you so fast the first time it wasn't really much of a thrill. If I had it to do over again I'd move more slowly, make it last,” Lizzy said as her fingers danced over William's hand.
“I prefer to live in the minute,” he replied. “I like where we are right now.” It was Lizzy's turn to pout.
“If you had the chance to start over again you wouldn't take it?”
“Why should I? How can I possibly improve on this outcome? Wait a minute,” he said, as he dug into his pocket. “I have just the thing.” He produced a small black box and placed it before Lizzy.
“What's this?”
“Open it.”
Lizzy took a deep breath and opened it with trembling fingers. A diamond solitaire ring glittered in the candlelight.
“Marry me, Lizzy,” William said simply.
“I--. Wait? How did you do this? When did you have time to find an engagement ring between Wednesday night and now?”
William smiled and took the box from her. He plucked the ring from the box and slid it onto Lizzy's finger. It fit perfectly.
“I bought it the day you left. I didn't think I'd have a chance to give it to you until you got home, but you know, if I had the chance to do it all over again I'd give it to you in a cozy restaurant in San Diego after a great meal and you in that dress with that music play--.” Lizzy placed her fingers over William's lips and stared at her hand. The ring dazzled in the dim light and William could see it reflected in Lizzy's eyes.
“You made your point,” she said. William reached up and pulled her hand away.
“Shouldn't you be saying yes about now?”
Lizzy could only nod tearfully. Finally, she found her voice.
“Yes.”
--
The guests at Lizzy and William's wedding were amused to see a tag dangling from the groom's boutonnière, especially since whatever it said made the bride giggle throughout the ceremony. No one but the two of them knew what was on it (though the minister tried to steal a peek), but it was the talk of the reception, as were the small Paddington Bears given to every child who attended.
The End