"How was it?" Lizzie decided that just because she wasn't going to interfere with Jane's love life, or friend life now, didn't mean she couldn't enjoy hearing about it. She smiled and nudged her sister.
"Don't look at me like that, we're just friends now. It is really nice to spend time with him again though." Jane couldn't help but smile herself. Even though she and Bing had each changed, she felt like it could only help them move forward.
Lizzie just kept smiling, happy that her sister finally had something good after the rough time that they had just gone through. "I'm happy for you." She wrapped her arms around Jane as they sat on the couch.
When Jane went to bed that night, she couldn't help but think about Bing. It was better than thinking about her new job search, or what her new plans for the future were. Thinking about the day they spent together made her smile. She really did miss him, even if she didn't want to admit it to anyone after he left.
The next day, he invited her out to lunch and she accepted. She left after hearing several of Lizzie's jokes about how he should've been in class. He picked her up and they went to one of her favorite diners.
"I haven't been here in months, since before I moved to LA." At first, Jane faltered for bringing it up. She knew he felt guilty about not seeing her, but then she realized they needed to get everything out in the air if they were ever going to be completely comfortable around each other.
Bing just smiled and replied, "I love going to diners, I've only been to a few because of Caroline and her demanding diet."
"Well good thing this place has great food, because you'll have to savor it while you can." She took a sip of her chocolate milk and smiled at him. He laughed and said, "Actually, I think I'm going to start making more of my own choices from now on, so whenever you want to go to a diner, I am in." She began to feel fuzzy inside, thinking about the future they could have, their new relationship, and their future time at the diner. Distant future, she had to remind herself.
After they ate, they sat in the booth and talked for a while. Jane kept checking to make sure there was no one waiting for a table; she didn't want to keep anyone from eating. Luckily, they were at the end of the lunch rush, and the place was starting to empty out. She was relieved because she wasn't quite ready to end this lunch just yet.
After they had their tea, and spent time talking, growing increasingly comfortable with each other each minute, they decided it was time to leave. He dropped her off and gave her a friendly wave as she walked into her house and shut the door behind her.
Her mother came running toward her after she entered the house asking how her date with Bing was. Jane sweetly reminded her mother that it was not a date, as she smiled and shook her head. Mrs. Bennet just said "We'll see darlin' " and Jane went upstairs to her room/ her mom's sewing room. Lizzie and Lydia went to see a movie shortly after she left, and although she missed them, it was nice to have some alone time to think.
The three Bennet sisters gathered on the couch in the den to watch a movie that night. Jane couldn't help but smile as Lydia and Lizzie fought over what movie to watch. It was nice to see some lighthearted sister fighting. No family was complete without it. Jane loved getting to spend this time with her sisters without having to answer questions about Bing. Most of the time she didn't mind, but now she wasn't really sure what she thought about their relationship. She was glad they were friends and that they were able to spend time together, but part of her wanted more than that someday, and another part was still hurt. She decided that until she could figure out how it was possible to feel all that at once, she would say as little about it as possible, except maybe to Lizzie who was her best friend after all.
Later that night, after Lydia decided it was finally time to go to bed, Lizzie finally brought the lunch up, but she could tell Jane was having conflicted feelings about Bing, and decided that it was best to tread lightly. "So how much did mom bother you about dating Bing when you got home this afternoon?" Jane shook her head and answered. "She's not as bad as you make her out to be Lizzie. She just wants me to be happy." Lizzie looked down at her hands and nodded slowly before looking back at her sister. "I want that too. I know I'm not really in a place to be giving advice, but you should do whatever makes you happy. Even if that sounds really obvious. I think it's easy to forget and I want to make sure that you don't." Jane looked over at her little sister and enveloped her in a hug. They sat like that for a long time and Jane promised that she wouldn't forget.
She spent a lot of time thinking about what Lizzie said when she was laying in bed. She was still having trouble sleeping, and couldn't help but let her mind wander to what would make her happy. She new some things she would have to work hard for, like getting a new job, but some seemed so easy.
…
She paced in her room for fifteen minutes before finally deciding to call him. They had gone to the diner only a few days ago so it was too soon to do that again. She decided to just ask him to take a walk in the park with her.
"Hi Bing, it's Jane. I was wondering if you felt like going for a walk in the park with me. I just thought maybe we could talk." She nervously played with her skirt as she spoke, trying to distract herself from how nervous she was.
"Sure, that sounds great. I'll come by and pick you up in half an hour, is that okay?"
She exhaled and smiled as she began to nod, before quickly remembering that he couldn't see her. "Yeah thanks. I'll see you then."
She hung up the phone and continued to take deep breaths. This wasn't a big deal, just two friends spending time together.
When they reached the park, they began to walk around and talk. They were laughing and enjoying each other's company so much that they hadn't realized how much time had passed. The sun was just about to set and Jane suggested that they sit at the nearby bench to watch it. At the top of a small hill, it was a perfect view. When they sat, their knees brushed together and Jane's heart began to race. In that second, Jane knew exactly what would make her happy and she heard Lizzie's voice in the back of her mind telling her to go for it. She took a deep breath and reached for Bing's hand. Though surprised at first, he gladly accepted her hand in his own and smiled at her. As she felt her insides go fuzzy again, she knew she made the right choice, because whatever the future held, he would be there for her, and that's what she needed to be happy.