Oh, wow!!! I received so many wonderful reviews on the last chapter, thank you everybody!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was hiding under my bed because previous chapter reviews had indicated that people would be really angry that I wasn't going forward with the Wednesday date. I'm so glad everyone liked it, that chapter was one of the scenes that I've had playing in my head since I started writing this story, I'm so glad I was finally able to get it out on paper (er, well, computer)

I'm not exactly taking the most traditional story routes of P&P, though I'm trying to stay true to the characters personalities, so the last chapter wasn't quite the proposal, but if you'd like to consider it that, you most certainly could.

But I've finally wiggled my way back out and have written another chapter, so here we go!

Chapter 10:

The nerve of him! What an arrogant, conceited, pompous ass! I silently fumed to myself for the remainder of the morning while a paralegal took me through all the different department procedures.

Well, at least I found out now before we actually went out. Why is it that all the attractive ones aren't normal? Does God overuse their share of normalcy in their looks and therefore they aren't granted an average amount of normalcy anywhere else?! That can't be true, cause look at Charlie, he's normal and damn good looking too. I pondered this to myself as I walked down the hall to make a photocopy.

"Hey, Bennett!" a voice called out of an office, just after I had passed.

I retraced my steps back to that office to find Josh sitting behind his desk that was covered with . . . well, stuff.

"Did you forget about lunch?"

I shook my head no.

"Are we eating paper for lunch?"

I rolled my eyes at that.

"Then what the hell are you doing?"

"Work. I still have enough time to get some of it done before lunch."

"It's 1:15 Liz."

I glanced at my watch

"Holy crap! I'm so sorry Josh, I never meant to keep you waiting. Let me go get my purse."

I got my bag and then went to rejoin Josh.

"So what has you all distracted this afternoon?"

"Just some 'men are idiots' stuff."

Josh grinned

"That's not something new, that's the way things have been since Adam and Eve. But I can understand. It just means that we need to go eat somewhere that we can get you both chocolate and some alcohol."

"That sounds great, but I don't think that I'm allowed to drink in the middle of the workday."

"Come on, one margarita isn't going to go to your head and get you buzzed, just to take the pissed off edge away."

I smiled.

"Let's go"

As we sat in the restaurant, waiting for our food to arrive, Josh started questioning me again.

"So what 'men are idiots' issue has you so distracted and if I must say, I little pissed off?" He then ducked his head and raised his arm to cover it. "Please don't throw things at me!"

I laughed.

"I have a feeling you might actually be good for me, Josh."

"That's me, your daily dose of insanity in a stuffy somewhat sane work environment. Now stop trying to get around the topic and dish."

I sighed.

"Just some guy who asked me out, and I kinda liked him so I agreed, but then he found out what I do, and he turned into a total prick and reneged on the date."

The waitress came by with our food, and I took a huge sip of the frozen margarita I ordered. I only ordered one though, cause I'm a total lightweight when it comes to alcohol and I still had to go back to work, and then to class.

"Seriously?! Liz, I'm going to forget that we work together for a minute, but let me say this. From the short time that I've known you I already can tell you that if that is the reason that a guy broke off a date with you then he has either completely lost his mind or he is very much not worth you being upset over. Quite possibly both."

"Awww, Josh that's sweet."

Josh looked up at me with eyes wide open.

"Hey, you're a girl!"

I looked down at myself and then back up at him again.

"Why, yes Josh, I'm a girl. Good of you to notice."

"I have just the thing to take your mind off of this idiot. What are you doing Wednesday night?"

What is it with men and Wednesday night?!

"Um, nothing."

"I need a date to DeBourgh's Fall Bash, care to come?"

"Oh! Josh, I don't date co-workers."

He laughed.

"I wasn't asking in that sense, although if we didn't work together I might be. I just figured that we get along well enough and you would be fun to keep me company."

"So you waited until 2 days before the event to find a date?"

"Well normally I don't need one, my cousin and I are dragged to this thing together every year, and every year we figure out a way to wiggle out early, so I don't take a date because it only means getting a third person out of there. But my cousin decided to face the wrath of DeBourgh by not attending this year and instead bail for some date . . . oh crap!" Josh's face was pail at this point.

"What?! What's wrong?! Is part of your lunch spoiled?"

He shook his head.

"It's you isn't it? You're the one who is supposed to date my cousin?"

I must have looked like a deer caught in the headlights at this point.

"Well that depends on who your cousin is."

"Darcy." He gasped out.

I didn't say anything.

"Oh god, it is. My cousin is an idiot. On behalf of my family please accept our sincerest apologies."

I gave him a half smile.

"It's fine Josh."

"Well, I guess he won't be bailing on me Wednesday night after all. But my offer still stands if you want to go."

I pondered it for a few seconds.

"What the hell. I'm having a good time with you here now, I'm sure I'll have a good time with you there too, plus I know some other people who are going. You have yourself a date."

OK, not Liz and Darcy, much to many people's dismay but it is a step forward.

To encourage all of you to review, I propose a small contest. I devised and wrote this chapter around one line in it (in other words, that one line inspired me to write the whole chapter). Include in your review which line it is (of course, review, don't just write that line - otherwise it won't count!). First person to get the correct line will get a sneak preview on where I'm headed, and will be allowed to have a bit of input on what happens at the DeBourgh Fall Bash (though since I have a story line in my head I won't change things completely around per their advise - I still need my artistic license) Of course that means that you need to have a profile from the site which I can e-mail you through if you are the winner . . . . so, on your marks, get ready, REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!