Can't Help It
Here is Chapter 14, around Christmas, as promised. ^.^
:::::
Chapter 14: Ending and Beginning
:::::
"Lizzie? Will?"
Jane was standing by the door, still holding the knob, staring at Lizzie and Will who sprang apart when they heard her speak.
"What's going on?" Jane probed.
"Uh..." Will stammered. Lizzie looked at Will and back at Jane with wide eyes. She needed to salvage the situation fast.
"He came by to get Georgie's stuff." She hoped beyond hope that she wasn't blinking at irregular intervals. Oh, Lizzie, you liar.
Jane looked from the bag in Will's hands to his flustered face then at Lizzie who was not blinking at all, which she found odd. Something was definitely going on and she was going to find out what that was.
"I see." She said though still unconvinced. She made a move to close the door when Lizzie interrupted her.
"Will's on his way out Jane... right Will?"
Will who was looking idly at the floor turned to Lizzie who was raising her eyebrows suggestively. He got her point though he must admit that he was getting worried at her ability to lie, even if it did come handy.
"Yes. Thanks for this." He said, indicating the bag in his hands. He walked towards the door that Jane held open.
"I'll see you around." He said to Jane before he stepped out of the flat, closing the door behind him.
Jane was looking at Lizzie pointedly as she waited to hear Will's footsteps fade and then asked, "what was that about?"
"Nothing." Lizzie replied. It was only then that she noticed that Jane's dress was drenched in multicolored paint. "What happened to you?"
"Tommy Hurst got a little excited in art class. That's why I'm here. I need to change for afternoon period." Jane explained as she dropped her bag on the sofa.
"Tommy Hurst? Charlie's nephew?"
"Yes, and you're trying to change the subject, missy. What was Will Darcy doing here?"
Lizzie knew that once Jane was on the scent, she wouldn't let go of it unless provided all the details. She had a knack of squeezing information out of people. It usually entertained Lizzie, except of course when she was the one at the receiving end.
"I told you, he dropped by to collect Georgie's things."
"During office hours and when he has a multitude of people at his beck and call that he could've easily sent here without any inconvenience to him?"
Lizzie's guilt was mounting. She had lied to her father and now she was lying to Jane. Lizzie always had a soft spot for her sister and being away too often had only strengthened that. She vowed that when she was at home, she would ensure that she would not vex her sister, and here she was lying to her point blank.
"Maybe it's a slow day at work."
"He owns the largest corporation in the UK, Lizzie. I doubt that he would skip work just to pick up laundry, even if it was his sister's."
"Yeah... well..." Lizzie's thoughts were battling in her head. She didn't want to tell Jane that Will and she had known each other before their blind date or the fact that they had slept together because that would mean that she had been lying. She didn't want her sister to feel that she didn't trust her enough to tell her the truth. However, telling her would only be fair, if Georgie already knew, it would only be just to let Jane in on the truth.
So without any further thought, which she hoped she wouldn't regret, she said. "Will and I...we slept together." She tried to get the words out as fast as she could, it was surprising Jane was able to understand it and react accordingly.
"WHAT?"
Lizzie had no courage to speak and repeat what she just confessed. It took Jane a few more seconds to process what she just heard. She sat on the sofa. Lizzie soon followed, slumping on the chintz armchair.
After shaking her head as if to clear her thoughts, Jane finally spoke in her usual calm voice, "You and Will Darcy..."
Lizzie nodded.
"When did that happen?"
"Night before I left for Paris."
"That was more than two months ago! Why didn't you tell me it was Will Darcy?"
"The thing is, I didn't know it was him."
"You didn't know that the handsome man from the opposite table was one of the richest people in the country?"
"Jane, I have been away for years and when I do come home for short breaks, the last thing I care about is who tops this year's Forbes' list."
"Well he's on the top of the 'Most Sought After Bachelors' list too." Jane said in jest.
"Shut up. I feel stupid enough as it is, not realizing who he was then."
Jane smiled.
"So am I forgiven?" Lizzie asked hopefully.
"For what? I'm not his girlfriend and I must say, for future reference, I do not fancy him much. He's rich and looks like a Grecian god but he's too..."
"Proud? Arrogant? Hateful?"
"I was going to say reserved," Jane answered. "I take it you haven't resolved your issues."
"We were trying to but you came in and disrupted everything." Lizzie replied with a smirk. "Well, at least he said he regretted how his words offended me but he wasn't sorry that he said them... arrogant git."
"An arrogant git who likes you a lot by the looks of it." Jane said teasingly.
"Like me? Will Darcy likes me? I know we slept together and all but that was purely driven by alcohol."
"Whatever you say dear sister, but I happen to notice and I must say that the others did too, that he looks at you quite a lot."
"Probably trying to detect some flaw in my countenance."
"Knowing what I know now, I'd say he wants a repeat performance." Jane sniggered.
"Jane!" Lizzie looked scandalized.
"What? Just saying." Jane shrugged as she stood up.
"What have been teaching those kids?"
"Reading, counting, art." Jane replied innocently as she checked the dried paint on her dress.
Lizzie looked at her doubtfully. "Charlotte's corrupting you. I'll have a word with her."
As she made a move towards her room, Jane replied, "Tell her you slept with Will. She'll have a field day."
A throw pillow hit her squarely on the back but she just laughed, all the way to her room.
:::::
Georgie found her brother staring blankly in space. He looked every bit like Will, impeccably dressed for work, perfectly coiffed but his eyes didn't have the same look of determination that Will usually had while working. It was obvious that something was troubling him, in this case, Georgie knew, it was someone.
"Lizzie stomped on your heart like a bug?"
"Are you trying to make me feel better?"
"No. I'm trying to rub it in and make you feel worse." Georgie deadpanned. "Obviously I'm attempting to lighten the situation. Be grateful." She added as she sat on the desk, looking down at Will.
"Thanks."
"What happened?"
"Met Lizzie's father."
"Really? What was he like?"
"Tall man, with silvery gray hair. About sixty, I think."
"Yes. I was dying to know what he looked like." Georgie said, her eyes rolling. "What I meant was, how was he? Was he the type that went giddy when he realized that Will Darcy was eyeing his daughter or was he the type that chased you with a shotgun when he knew what you did with her?"
"Neither, I suppose. He was just... relaxed, with an odd sense of humor."
"Wicked. So what else happened?"
"Well he left to have lunch with Larry. I returned Lizzie's planner, talked to her but Jane walked in on us."
"What? I thought she'd be in school!"
Will just shook his head. After a moment of silence, Georgie asked.
"So what are you going to do now?"
"Nothing. I have returned her planner. I said sorry. That's it."
"That can't be it! What did Lizzie say?"
"A lot, basically that she despises me."
"She said that?"
"Not exactly but it's what she meant."
"Even after you said sorry and begged for her forgiveness?"
"I did not beg..."
"You should have." A few moments of silence passed wherein Georgie picked up the bag that held Lizzie's clothes lying on Will's desk. She peered inside curiously and added, "so did she hate you still even after you said sorry but did not beg for her forgiveness?"
"Well Jane walked in so she didn't get to say anything except a made up reason explaining why I was there and that I was leaving."
"And these female clothes were, I hope, part of the made up reason rather than a creepy attempt to feel close to her, right? Tell me you didn't steal these...lingerie."
"What?" Will's face blanched at the mention of female boudoir.
"Easy there, Will, as I said, just trying to lighten the mood. Hmmm... Velvet Underground. I knew I liked Lizzie for a reason." Georgie said as she lift up a t-shirt with the band's name printed on it.
Will leaned back on his chair, resigned. Georgie couldn't help but feel for her brother. She had never seen him that way with any of the women he had dated in the past, not that they were many- and he wasn't even dating Lizzie at all.
"Come on big brother, I'll treat you to lunch. I daresay you'll need it."
:::::
After a few more ribbing from Jane (Charlotte would pay!) she was finally left alone and as she was used to, she found solace in the dark room. She had three rolls of film from the party so she began to work on those immediately.
As she surveyed the contact prints, she couldn't help but notice one face who was looking back at her. In one picture, the Darcys sat with Mrs. Curtis. The two women were deep in conversation but Will was facing the camera looking at it with an intense, penetrating gaze. She suddenly remembered that night, just a few moments before he suddenly kissed her and she kissed him back, he had the same look in his eyes back then. Lizzie coloured at the recollection. Of course, many disagreements had occurred since but Lizzie couldn't deny that when they first met, Will Darcy made an impression that was simply impossible to forget. For her, it wasn't even the sex (amazing as it was) but the conversation. Before Will, there had only been two men who engaged her intellectually, allowed her to express her views without the feeling that she was being patronized, one was her father and the other was Matthew. Mr. Bennet was fond of Lizzie more than his other daughters, a truth that at times filled him with guilt, but he could not help it. Even in her childhood, Lizzie pronounced her opinions with unwavering resolve which amused and enthralled him. He spoiled her with books and allowed her to go and explore the world on her own since the forest that bordered their farm from when she was ten. Matthew was an English doctor Lizzie met when she was in her early years of working abroad. They met in Kenya where Matthew worked as a volunteer. Plagued with homesickness that usually brought in self-doubt, Lizzie found support in the young man, a friendship that could've easily led to romantic love had it not for her decision to hold back. She knew that they were two people who could never be tied to one place, that they would only be forever apart. She was right. They lost contact after she left Kenya. At times, Lizzie still blamed herself for her decision. She loved Matthew and he told her he was in love with her, but she chose to be a coward and left.
Was she being a coward in this case? Was she only afraid of what might eventually happen between her and Will? Whenever she thought of the spat they had in the morning they woke up on the same bed, she realized each time how petty it had been. They both had been in the wrong. He for assuming the worst in her and she for retaliating in spite. Had they allowed themselves to simmer down and dealt with the matter amicably they wouldn't be in the mess they were in at the moment. He, of course had shown pride, but then, so had she.
She knew what she had to do. He had shown her that morning that he was eager to fix things up between them. It was her turn to return the gesture. After all, if Jane and Charlie would continue to see each other (which she was sure they would), it would be awkward and practically unbearable for her and she supposed for Will as well to see each other with their misunderstanding hanging over their heads.
So, she dashed out of her darkroom and proceeded to Jane's room because she was sure that her worn-out jeans would not be allowed to enter Darcy Corp's headquarters, much less to see its CEO. She picked out a blue chiffon blouse and a pair of slacks that fell half a foot above her shins. She changed hurriedly and upon inspecting herself in the mirror, she opted to tie her hair in a loose bun at the nape of her neck and pair her ensemble with black suede flats. Satisfied with her quasi-corporate look, she wrote down a note to Jane and her father, telling them that she received a call for a meeting at the photo agency and that she might not be home in time for dinner. After googling Darcy Corp's London office and ensuring that she had all the essentials in her purse she left the flat, determined to put an end to the fiasco that had been her and Will Darcy. If they weren't to be friends they could at least move towards being civil, and not the sham kind of civility they had been acting out for other people's sake.
:::::
Darcy Corp's Central Business District address proved to be less than Lizzie expected, in a good way. She was ready for posh but what welcomed her was elegant restraint. It was a relatively old building designed in art deco style with modern minimalist interiors. The lobby was dotted with people and the receptionist counter had two people manning it, a man and a woman who were both busy answering inquiries and indicating the way to the lifts to visitors. It was only then that Lizzie was hit with a major dilemma. She didn't make an appointment and she was sure that she wouldn't be allowed in without one.
Calling now would mean that she would unlikely get an appointment dated that same day. For a brief moment she even considered going home but her resolve won over. She must at least try some way in as she was already there. With an eye trained for detail, she figured that she needed an electronic ID issued at the receptionist counter so she could get pass the gates that led to the lifts and to be issued one, she needed a purpose to be allowed inside. Spotting a group of harried-looking people who seemed to be from uni but were uncomfortably dressed in business clothes, she found her way in.
Inching towards the group, Lizzie learned that they were a batch of internship applicants about to be interviewed by HR. Fixing herself and wishing that she looked ten years younger, she schooled her face and tried to mimic the weary, awestruck look of the young people. She tagged with them on the way to the receptionist and once there, the people in the front were asked what they were there for. Lizzie hardly heard the succeeding conversation that followed but that was no longer important, after waiting in line for about a minute, she was issued a visitor's pass and was on her way to HR.
The ride on the lift was tense. Lizzie could feel the applicants' quiet fears. Never been the corporate type, she had never had the experience and never wanted to, really. She belonged outside and she had always thrived there, but she understood how they possibly felt, only that in her world, her version of it was gearing up to chase the action, in the midst of a revolution, in the sidelines of war, in the streets that was the stage of ordinary life but with extraordinary stories that could be told through photographs.
Her reminiscence was interrupted by a loud ding and all the applicants with her exited the lift one by one. When she was finally alone she pressed the button for the top floor and the lift doors closed in front of her with a quiet thud.
The lift opened to reveal a receiving area and a couple of rooms behind it. The receptionist wasn't there which made a waste of the excuse that she had formed in her head about a package she had to personally deliver to Mr. Darcy. Of course said "package" was a brown envelope she always had in her bag for prints. Still reveling in her luck, she strode towards the room at the end of the short hallway. If she felt some sort of panic, it was dwarfed by her determination. She saw the glass doors that held Will Darcy's name and saw him poring over paperwork. Without further ado, except the usual deep breath, she entered. Will looked up and his face immediately registered shock and before he could even get a word out, Lizzie beat him to it.
"I told Jane everything that happened between us. It was only fair as Georgie already knew. I'm sure she wouldn't breathe a word to Charlie and I trust Georgie wouldn't do the same..."
"Lizzie..." Will tried to interrupt.
"No, please allow me to finish. You might think that I only tried to play cool, dismissing you all those times, that I wanted to pique your interest so I played hard to get after we slept together... but to be honest, you really annoyed the shit out of me, sorry... I guess I also want to apologize...sort of… It's just that I felt I needed to defend myself because of all those things you said...What I'm trying to say is, we should try to be civil at least, with Jane and Charlie, we would most likely see each other often. Well, until I leave but that is a few months away. I also adore your sister immensely and would like to have her as a friend. I think I can even overlook the fact that you are proud and overbearing for her sake..."
A snort drew Lizzie's gaze away from Will to a group playing monopoly in a lounge set behind her. Their faces made her wish that she had been a coward, even for an extra day.
Georgie's eyes were full of mirth and it was obvious that she was trying to hold off a laugh. Charlie had a hang dog expression that clearly said that he wanted to say something but couldn't find the words to say it. Lizzie did not know who the other man was, but he was staring curiously at her, until he shifted his eyes to Will and with a sly grin said,
"You sneaky bastard."
:::::
I was writing a much different story where Lizzie didn't go to see Will... but its Christmas, and I thought, what the heck, a bit of forgiveness would surely bring on a bit more holiday cheer, right? Now, i can't wait to start writing their can't help but love part. That's coming, first week of 2011. For now, have a happy holidays everyone! Ohhh, and review, review, review! : D