Volume II - Autumn


The muscles in my face pulled by their own accord and I grinned, shifting my weight as I spied my friend, the plump bundle of a thing surrounded by waiting crowds at the arrival gate of Adelaide Airport

"Lizzie!" called Stacey, from within the throng, pushing to the front. "Sorry, I'm coming through, sorry, please can I get through," she muttered as the people between her and I were systematically pushed out of the way. One month apart was too long.

Eventually we embraced – hugging, laughing, catching up and holding up the line of off-loading passengers – until we were politely asked to 'move alone, please'.

"Are we really staying in a hotel, all week?" I asked once we were on the road, barely containing the excitement flowing through my veins.

"Yes," nodded Stacey, her calm eyes still focussed on the road. "But there's more. Warren convinced a manager to let you stay in the hotel another week."

"He did?"

I had to stop judging the guy.

Stacey gave a small smile and tossed me a glance.

"He has connections at his work."

"Oooh, sophisticated," I smirked, resting my temple against the cool glass and running my finger along the rim. "… Does he have a brother?"

Stacey's teasing casual backhand came flying at my thigh and I giggled as I squirmed out of her reach. "Okay, okay, no brother."

Stacey pointed out the different idiosyncrasies between our States as we drove the parched streets and explained briefly about her very new life in Adelaide. It wasn't this city that she wanted to talk about though.

"How is Anna?" my best friend asked, changing the topic of conversation swiftly and efficiently, like a practiced mother changes nappies. "Has Harry come back to Perth yet?"

Resting an elbow on the door, I threw out my most sincere pout. "No."

"Has he called her?"

"No."

"Has she called him?"

"No."

"So… it's off."

"It was never on, apparently, although you'd never have known it from how mopey Anna has been. I mean, she tries to be positive, but he did really mess her around. And I want to be mad at him, Stacey, I really do, but he's just… he's Harry. I can't believe for a second that he made the decision to leave Perth all by himself. I'm convinced Chrissy is behind this, it's got her signature selfishness written all over it and if Anna can just get him on his own, I reckon they could straighten everything out. She's going to Melbourne in a couple of days, to see my Aunt and Uncle, so I'm sure something good will happen while she's there."

"Let's hope, for both their sakes."

Streams of light fell through the windscreen as the sun poked out from behind the clouds. I grunted agreement and rustled around my backpack for my sunglasses.

"And Jimmy? Do you still see him a lot?"

Sliding my glasses on, I pondered. "Not really, not as much as I did during summer. You know, classes are back on and we're working different shifts… I suppose I should feel sadder about that, but it's really not too terrible. I mean, I think we're better friends than anything more. He's a bit of a flirt, so, we weren't ever going to be anything serious, but I am glad that he told me about Will – dodged a bullet there."

"But, you were never interested in Will."

"I wasn't, but I might have given him a second chance. And for what? Just so he could be a jerk to me again?" I laughed, tossing my head back. "Nah, knowing Jimmy has been good for that, at least." I paused, smirking. "And I got to stare at his roguish good looks all the time, so that was nice."

Stacey laughed as she pulled into the long driveway of the Grand Star Hotel.


In my jeans, hoodie and backpack, I felt more suited to couch surfing than a five star hotel, but I shrugged it off. Stacey seemed at ease as she directed me to the reception, she'd been here for weeks. Warren had managed to secure the accommodation in lieu of the stretch he'd gone without in Perth, because I was pretty sure Madga Whatsherface, much esteemed Big Boss of Warren, actually owned the hotel. Or the entire city. One of those…

Smiling at the receptionist, I signed the liability form on the suite. Until the wedding, Stacey and I would bunk together, and once she left, I had it all to myself, baby.

Once during the elevator ride up to the seventeenth floor, I caught Stacey's eyes and burst out with amusement, clapping my hands. When the elevator doors opened, however, I was just your regular casual millionaire who stayed in fancy hotels all the time, thank you very much.

Leaning back on the armchair in our suite, I was afforded a spectacular view of Adelaide city and the little River Torrens. Okay, so it wasn't the Swan, but really, that's just not a fair comparison – the SwanRiver is perfection riverified.

Stacey was carefully carrying over two cups of coffee to our lounge room when there was a knock on the door.

"That will be Warren," she hurried, placing the cups down and dashing to the door. "He said he would stop by in his lunch hour."

I rose and watched as Warren was greeted cheerfully by his fiancée and entered the room, walking towards me.

"Hi Warren, it's good to see you again." Okay, so maybe I lied.

"Elizabeth, how wonderful for you to be here at this happy time for my fiancée and myself," he greeted, placing an arm around Stacey and pulling her close.

"You've set her up quite wonderfully here, the view is spectacular…"

"It is, isn't it? I imagine that any young woman would find this accommodation much to their liking."

"Definitely," I encouraged, with a smile. "So you live nearby?"

"Oh, no," answered Stacey, "Warren's house is out by the hills, but he works in town and unfortunately, we won't be able to have these lovely lunch visit when we're married." My eyes read her own and they said that they weren't so disappointed about that.

"Yes, it's such a pity that I work so close to the city, but Magda Alliosia wouldn't have it any other way. Yes, I am indispensable to her. Just the other day she acknowledged the effectiveness of my biannual reports on Limiting Purchase Requisitions."

"Of course she did," I humoured. "Who wouldn't do that?"

We went out for lunch, but soon Warren had to return to work. We also felt okay about that.


One week passed in Adelaide and during that time, Stacey and I enjoyed the mad rush of the last minute wedding details. The programs were tied with curled ribbon, the cathedral elaborately decorated and the seating arrangement perfected. She was ready.

Stacey looked amazing in the pouring light of the church foyer. Glass beads sparkled and her veil glowed as we prepared ourselves for The Entry Of Her Lifetime.

Canon in E began to play elegantly from a harp; that was my cue. Giving Stacey one last hug and wish of good luck, I smoothed down my olive green knee-length dress and waited for the heavy double doors to open. I'd never been a bridesmaid before and the last thing I wanted was to screw it up now. The anticipating grew in my chest.

Here we go.

One step. Two step. Smile. Don't trip over. Look ahead.

Step. Step. Smile.

Step. Step. Keep going.

There's Stacey's parents.

Step, step. There's…

Will Darcy.

Will Darcy and his intense blue eyes, staring deeply into my brown.

I quickly looked away.

Step. Step. Smile.

Arriving at the stage where I greeted Warren's best man, I took his arm and proceeded up the stairs. We split and the entire congregation turned to watch the bride enter.

Well, the entire congregation, save the handsomely evil CEO in the front row.

He was still watching me.


A/N - A shortie, for yo shorties!

(I'm assuming an all-female readership. If you are a male... *stares* *whispers* what do we do with him?)

Finally, a conversation I had recently with a very cute Italian guy that I work with:

HIM: "Those women are very fine."

ME: "Oh, you go for older women?"

HIM: "Yes."

ME: "I go for younger men! But you're older than me, so we can never be together."

HIM: "We can never have sex."

ME: "Yeah, but that's okay, we can still-"

HIM: "Try."

ME: "... be friends."