Thanks so much to my beta who helped me craft a few of the scenes in this chapter. I broke it up into two parts because it was well over 12K words. The second Part of Chapter 6 will be posted mid-week. Chapter 7 should go up on Sunday. I'm trying to get out of my writer's block. We'll soon see.

Chapter 6: This Girl Is On Fire

"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep

because reality is finally better than your dreams."
― Dr. Seuss

As much as Elizabeth was loathe to admit it, getting some new clothes was an unfortunate necessity. After her breakfast with Darcy, she had returned to her apartment, went through her limited attire with a critical eye and determined he was right. Very few pieces of her existing wardrobe would be suitable. If she was going to sing for his label, represent Darcy Records, she would need to look the part. In fact, as she shut her closet door, she was dismayed to realize just exactly how many ill-fitting, oversized clothes she actually owned. There was no denying it. She'd neglected her wardrobe as badly as she had her health.

Staring at her reflection, she pulled up her mop of brown curls high into the air and looked at herself in the mirror. She had not been working out for that long, but she could already see the effects of exercise and healthier eating in her face. Her chipmunk cheeks were starting to thin out and there was more definition along her chin. Her body still felt thick and heavy, but she was starting to notice a little more definition in her legs. She even felt better. Walking from the subway to her apartment door no longer took the wind out of her. Baby steps, Dr. T had stressed.

*(*

The following morning, Darcy's call came as expected. She marveled at a man who had so much energy so early in the day. It seemed so foreign to someone who enjoyed sleeping in until noon.

"Be forewarned. Wear some comfortable shoes today. My sister is a fierce shopper who can go through ten stores in two hours. She's got a real flare for spending my money."

"Where was this warning yesterday? " she groaned good naturedly. "Or are you just saying all this now to make me feel bad for choosing Georgie over you to shop with?"

There was a long pause and she wondered if she had offended him. She had a habit of just blurting out whatever came to her mind with him. Just as she was on the verge of telling him that she was only joking, he surprised her by saying, "Elizabeth, I really enjoyed having breakfast with you yesterday."

"Breakfast? Don't you mean brunch?" They'd talked so long in their booth that the patrons around them had started ordering lunch before she had noticed the time. She'd never forget the stunned look on his face as he checked his watch and realized as she had that they had talked for four hours straight. "I had a good time too, Will."

Her admission was followed by another silence. She was a little confused. The day before there had been no awkwardness to their conversation. No embargo on subjects. He had impressed her with his intelligence and dry humor. It was hard not to be intimidated by such a complex man.

She glanced out her window seeking inspiration for something else to talk about, but there was nothing but apartment buildings, metal and cement. Her sleepy mind could not avail of itself anything which he would find interesting without first bathing in the sweet elixir coffee. "I better get up now to make sure I'm well and truly caffeinated before your sister arrives."

In a strange, concerned voice, he said, "Promise me you'll try to have fun today."

Darcy must still feel terrible about the situation with Suzzanne. He shouldn't, she almost told him, because it wasn't his fault the woman was crazy. Elizabeth remembered the week from hell and shuddered. Truthfully, she had never blamed him for the stylist's behavior. Even if she had been mad at Darcy, she would have forgiven him as soon as he donated the clothes to Esme's charity. It was an unexpected move that had given her further foundation for what she was starting to suspect about him. He cared about his employees and truly thought of them as his extended family. The situation with Salvatore was just another prime example. Darcy hid it well under that prickly exterior, but the man had a heart of gold.

"Elizabeth, are you still there?"

She realized she had not answered him. "I'll promise to have fun today. There. Are you satisfied pushy?"

*)*

When Elizabeth emerged from her apartment building at nine, Georgie and Sal were already waiting. Seeing Georgie with her blonde locks firmly braided and a determined look on her face, she was suddenly quite glad that she'd been given a warning of what was to come. The young woman looked as if she were about to enter an arena and battle a gladiator.

"My brother said that you needed a little bit of everything so we are going to hit up some of my favorite stores."

Looking at her friend, Elizabeth immediately objected. "I'm sure your favorite stores don't carry my size." She could not help but relive the mortification she felt in the boutique with her stylist from a few days earlier.

"Not carry your size?" Georgie laughed. "You do know that the average dress size for women in America is 14, right? And retailers want to make money so loads of them make clothing that will fit your figure and quite nicely. Suzzanne was just a cruel bitch who wanted you to feel insecure about yourself." It shouldn't surprise her that Darcy had shared with his sister what happened with the stylist, but she was embarrassed all the same. Georgie added, "It's a pity she let her jealousy of you get the better of her."

"Jealousy?" Elizabeth snorted, "The woman is tiny and beautiful. Why would she feel jealous of me? What do I have that she would ever want?"

Her companion looked amused. "Gee, I don't know."

This answer confused and confounded Elizabeth. She looked out at the passing scenery.

" Will told me how hard you've been working out at the gym. He admires your determination." She didn't think there was anything admirable about nearly passing out on the treadmill and said so which made her companion laugh. After a moment, though, Georgie sobered, "You know my brother just wants you healthy, right? Losing some weight will help toward that goal, but Lizzy, you are beautiful the way you are now. Do you know how many women I know who would kill to have your curves? And, your breasts? People pay thousands of dollars to have implants to make theirs look like yours do naturally. Not to mention you have a booty that could stop traffic." Elizabeth looked doubtful. "When you are dressed in clothes that show off your God-given assets to their best advantage, the only thing left to work on is to inflate that self-confidence of yours!"

Her friend made the entire process sound so simple.

*(*

Georgie directed Sal to Madison Ave, which boasted over fifteen city blocks of shops and boutiques. Just looking up and down the long row of gilded storefronts made Elizabeth anxious. What if she went through all those marvelous stores with all of the available choices and there were still no clothes that would make her appear attractive?

Turning to her companion for the day before getting out of the car, she tried to hide her nervousness. "I just want you to know how much I truly appreciate you giving up a Saturday to help me do this."

"Are you kidding me?" Georgie tightened the holder on her braid. "This is more of a treat for me. Will hasn't given me permission to use his credit card since my birthday a few months ago. And never unlimited access. I can't wait to see the damage I can do. Besides, Lizzy, I couldn't wait to spend some time with you."

Entering Ann Taylor, Elizabeth was put at ease immediately. Even though this was the flagship store, it bore some resemblance to the one back at home. Georgie had called her the night before and had requested a list of stores that she shopped so she wasn't surprised when they started here. She had mentioned it used to be one of her favorite stores to shop in when she was a normal size. The trendy store carried chic clothing with clean lines and vibrant colors that looked well on her with her coloring.

Zeroing in on a rack in the center of the store, Georgie started flipping through dresses. As Elizabeth struggled to keep up with the younger woman, her friend said, "I was told that you need some of everything and that is a tall order. I thought we'd start with some smart grown up clothes. Slacks and blouses and dresses. Those sweats you like to wear have got to go."

Elizabeth looked down at herself then at the other occupants of the store. Maybe she should put her sweats out to pasture. She just felt so comfortable in them. They kept her hidden.

After pulling three dresses from the rack, Georgie indicated for Elizabeth to follow her as she moved onto a blouse display. "Growing up, I would have killed to have a sister to shop with me. Let me tell you shopping for a prom dress with Will was no picnic!"

"Will took you dress shopping for your prom?"

"Of course, he did! You know my brother; no detail would get by him." Georgie rolled her eyes. "The worst part of it was not picking out the dress, but picking out the shoes. He refused to let me wear heels, which totally destroyed the effect I was trying to go for. Though, now that I think about how much Will hated my date, that was probably the point all along!"

It was hard for Elizabeth to imagine Darcy as a father figure. She said as much.

"Maybe not so much now. He's given me a lot of freedom since I turned eighteen, but there was a time I felt like I lived under his thumb." Elizabeth knew that feeling. Georgie noticed her expression and said, "I know he can be controlling, but most of the time it is because he is trying to make sure everything is run efficiently. My brother loves his plans."

"Yes, I know. He gives me a headache when he rattles them off."

Georgie smiled fondly. "Will was my world growing up. My dad died when I was a teenager. Sadly, even before that, he was not particularly interested in me. I think it was painful for him because I reminded him so much of my mom."

While her own father's parenting style was not ideal, he was truly invested in his children. No matter what had interested the five Bennet girls when they were younger, Mr. Bennet had always tried to find a way to be supportive. Even now, while he didn't agree with her decision to move to New York, Elizabeth knew her father was proud she was pursuing her dream.

"Will said that dad was different before our mom died, but I don't remember. I was so young when she had her car accident." Georgie quickly selected a few pairs of jeans. "Will was super close to my mom though. She encouraged his love of music. They'd sit at the piano for hours together. My Aunt Jilly, Richard's mom, said he could play Mozart by the time he was three." A few blouses joined the pile. "After mom's death, my dad was especially hard on Will."

Elizabeth picked up a blue sweater. Georgie looked at it and nodded. "Hard on him?"

Her young friend added a few knit blouses and pants to their growing pile of clothes. Elizabeth had to hand it to her. Darcy's little sister knew how to shop with nearly surgical precision.

"Will is really smart." Elizabeth recalled the degrees on the wall in his office from the prestigious institution.. "I mean like Mensa smart. Graduating from high school at fifteen, college by seventeen and law school by nineteen, masters by twenty-one. But none of it made him happy. All Will really wanted was to be a musician like my mom. She was a violinist with the New York Philharmonic. All he wanted was to be a professional pianist, but my dad wouldn't hear of it. Music was a waste of time according to him."

Elizabeth glanced down at a shirt she was looking at and put it back. "He said he went to law school to please your dad."

"Will told you about that ?" Georgie stilled, turned in the aisle, looked at Elizabeth in astonishment. "He never talks about our dad. Not even with me."

She didn't want to give the girl the wrong impression. "He didn't really talk about it with me. Not really. Not in any detail. He only mentioned it kinda in passing."

"Will gave up his dreams to make our father happy. He wanted to go to Julliard, even got accepted, but dad made him go to his alma mater. You see Will was a legacy. Even when he graduated from law school, my dad was not satisfied. He goaded him constantly about music. It wasn't until after my dad died that my brother decided he could follow his passion."

While trying to process this information about her producer, Elizabeth was ushered into a dressing room where she tried on the jeans and the dress clothes, finding to her surprise that almost everything selected fitted perfectly. Anytime she was in a need for a second opinion, Georgie was very honest with her but never demeaning. Some of the items selected were discarded, but when she approached the counter, both women had arms full of clothing.

Her friend laughed when Elizabeth gawked at the final tally, then paid for the purchases with a swipe of Darcy's credit card. Georgie grabbed several bags and left the others for her to carry as she nearly sprinted for the door. Outside, Sal relieved them of their purchases, and Georgie dragged her down the street to the next store.

Seeing her obvious distress at the process, she reassured Elizabeth, "My brother was quite clear on our objective today. We're supposed to literally shop 'til we drop!"

They entered Next a trendy well-lit sports apparel shop. Georgie made a bee-line to a salesclerk, promising the young man, "If you work on commission, this will be one of the best days of your life."

Over an hour later, after being convinced to buy three pairs of gym shoes, sports bras, socks, a multitude of yoga pants in various dark colors and trendy t-shirts, both women emerged carrying several large bags full of new clothes. Once again, Sal took the purchases to the car while the women continued on.

After Next, her shopping guide steered her toward an upscale boutique named Volumptuous that clearly favored women with Elizabeth's body shape. Upon entering, Georgie asked for Roseanne. A petite African American woman whose makeup was immaculate materialized and the women greeted each other. From their exchange, it was clear that they had been expected. A sales assistant had already selected some pieces Roseanne was sure they would be happy with from their Aphrodite Collection. As Georgie drank champagne and relaxed on the couch outside the dressing room, Elizabeth tried on several dresses under the watchful eye of the sales clerks. Instead of the tight and restrictive outfits she'd been forced to try on with Suzzanne, the material on these seemed to cling while supporting her fuller figure.

"What do you think? This one or the black one?" Elizabeth looked at her reflection as Roseanne and Georgie both considered the red dress she wore. Her friend was right, in this dress, her girls did look amazing.

"I say get both. In fact, I know Will would insist upon it if he were here, Lizzy. They both make you look sexy as hell."

Roseanne added quietly as if sensing her unease at spending so much money, "If you are on a budget, consider how often do you attend events where you would wear something like this?"

"Never," Elizabeth breathed out, looking at the lovely dress. There was no practical reason to purchase it, but it had been so long since she looked at her reflection and been happy with the way she looked. She felt seductive.

"She's being modest. She'll need a lot of dresses like this one. Because once her album is finished , she will have her tour, promotional appearances and award shows to attend." She couldn't help but feel uplifted by Georgie's faith. "In fact, she will be looking for a designer. Maybe, you could suggest someone? Perhaps the designer who created this gown? This style and material definitely favor her." Roseanne agreed and provided Georgie with the designer's card.

In the end, Elizabeth was persuaded into buying the slinky black dress that fitted her perfectly and the red number that she fell in love with when she tried it on. Georgie also insisted she buy skirts, blouses and the matching business jackets that went with them. Roseanne also suggested a few dresses that could be worn at more informal settings. In the stylish and well fitting clothes, Elizabeth completely forgot to feel self-conscious. She hugged the well-coifed woman who had helped her. "Thank you so much for today. I'll definitely be in touch."

"It was my pleasure, Ms. Bennet. If you need anything in the future, please don't hesitate to contact me here. I'll be more than happy to provide you any assistance you require. If we don't carry what you need, I have several contacts in other boutiques. We'll set you right."

Elizabeth was literally grinning when she handed her purchases to the ever-dependable Sal.

Giggling, the two women entered Coach where they picked out matching handbags. Feeling spoiled, Elizabeth also selected a black clutch and a backpack. In Bergdorf's, they tried on sunglasses, scarves and floppy hats much to the annoyance of the salesclerks. At the makeup counter, Elizabeth had her face made up and purchased several of the products they used at Georgie's insistence. It felt good being pampered and being spoiled.

When Georgie excused herself to take a call she suspected was from Darcy checking in with them, Elizabeth drifted to the jewelry counter dawdling at the watch display.

A well-groomed salesman approached as if sensing her interest. "May I help you with something, miss?"

"Yes, I would like to see this watch." Elizabeth pressed a manicured finger against the glass case identifying a platinum watch with a bronze face. It looked like something Darcy would wear.

"You have excellent taste." The man opened the case with a key, put on gloves, and placed the watch on a velvet lined tray. "The Rolex Daytona. The watch made to commemorate the company's 50th Anniversary. An excellent piece of craftsmanship. An instant classic. A limited edition."

She lifted it up and glanced at the face. The complex dials and clean lines were something Darcy favored in watches. Georgie returned to her side. "Oh, it's a beautiful watch, Lizzy. Who are you getting it for?"

"I was thinking about buying it for your brother." She turned to her shopping companion. "Do you think he would like it?"

Georgie blinked several times, then said, "I think he'd love any gift from you. Though, he wouldn't want you buying him something so extravagant."

She inquired as to the price and was devastated. "Sixty thousand dollars? For a watch? What does it do, turn into a house?"

The salesman made a face, retrieved the timepiece and placed it safely back in the case, locking it. "If you could tell me what you are prepared to spend, perhaps I could direct you to the appropriate counter?"

"Lizzy, we have more shopping to do for you." The man made a sound of dismissal and turned to attend another customer at the far end of the counter. "Look, it's nice that you wanted to get something for Will, but trust me when I tell you that he'll get a great deal of joy out of your happiness. He wanted this day to be about spoiling you. Besides, my brother can afford to buy his own watch!"

Moving on to Barneys, Elizabeth selected her first pair of Manolo Blahniks while Georgie picked out a couple of pairs for herself.

"I love, love, love these shoes!" Georgie squealed like a child opening a present on Christmas day. "Will only gets them for me as a special treat, but today he said whatever I wanted."

"Let's hope he still feels that way when he gets his bills." Elizabeth fretted as she watched her friend select six pairs of shoes. After seeing the final total at Ann Taylor, she'd been too scared to look at any others. She'd have had a heart attack if any of the charges were on her credit cards.

The final stop for the morning was at Sak's where they drifted through endless aisles of coats and jackets. Emerging thirty minutes later, Elizabeth had a warm winter coat, a nice leather mid-length jacket and two pairs of stylish boots. Georgie added a bright red scarf and matching leather gloves before justifying the additions saying simply, "Will wouldn't want you to catch cold this winter."

The women decided to break for lunch at one of Georgie's favorite Chinese restaurants downtown near Canal Street. Elizabeth insisted on paying for their meal, and to her relief, her new friend did not bicker about it. It was the least she could do to treat Georgie after she had sacrificed her whole day to help her.

Ordering a vegetarian dish for herself, Elizabeth listened as her companion brought her up to speed with what was going on in her own life. She discussed her classes, her friends, a guy she was interested in and then her after graduation plans. It was clear the girl across from her was struggling with what to do.

"You've got plenty of time to figure out that out. You don't have to rush to do it right now."

"I know." Georgie paused, her chopsticks crossed. "Will wants me to join Darcy Records. I know he does. He's hinted more than once, and I don't want to disappoint him. I'm just not convinced it would be the right career choice for me. Music is his passion. I'm still trying to find mine."

"Tell him." Elizabeth suggested. "After what you've told me about his past, Will would understand more than anyone else if you told him you had different aspirations. He would not force you to do what you didn't want to do."

"You're right, Lizzy. In fact, I know you are." She stabbed at a piece of broccoli, slumping slightly. "It just feels wrong not giving him the one thing he has ever wanted from me when he'll do anything within reason to make me happy." She looked solemn. "You know the saying that every little girl grows up wanting to marry someone like her Daddy?" Elizabeth nodded, believing the adage was true for herself as most women. "Well, when I meet a man who reminds me of Will, I'm not letting him out of my sight. My brother is the very best man I know."

"An ideal older brother, then?"

"Oh, he is." There was a fervor in Georgie's eyes. "You should have seen him with me when I was little. He was so patient with me and never got upset. He taught me to do everything. Ride, drive a car. He even taught me to fish."

Curious, Elizabeth asked, "What else does your brother like to do?"

She had clearly hit upon a favorite subjects talking about Darcy. "Anything to do with music. He'll play his piano for hours. Oh, and he loves to dance! You ought to make him take you out on the town some night, Lizzy. Wear that black dress you bought today, your new Manolos and just try to keep up with him."

Elizabeth couldn't help it. An image of him dressed like John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever sprung to her mind and it was her turn to laugh.

"Will likes anything physical" That Elizabeth could believe. His body was sensational. "Anything outdoors. He loves to run, swim and scuba dive. But most of all, he loves to ride." It was easy for her to picture him sitting tall in a saddle, commanding a horse to do his bidding like some hero from one of those silly period romance novels. "Do you ride, Lizzy?" She shook her head. "Well, I'm sure he'll teach you if you want. Will keeps a stable in England and we go for a few weeks in early summer. Next time we go, we'll have to show you all of our favorite spots."

Elizabeth could not fathom why Georgie would think that Will would include her in their family vacation, but she found it endearing that the woman before her thought so highly of him. "Well, you're very lucky to have a brother like him. All I had was four meddlesome sisters."

"Oh, Lizzy, you have no idea how much I've always wanted to have a sister!"

Elizabeth was about to comment that someday she would when her brother married, when she noticed a thin red line of blood coming from Georgie's nose. She reached for a napkin and the two women went to the restroom to attend to it.

After the blood stopped, Georgie looked at her with her big blue eyes, reminding her so much of Jane it hurt. "Please don't mention this to Will, Lizzy. You don't know how much he worries over the silliest stuff. I don't want him pestering me over a stupid sinus infection."

It had not occurred to Elizabeth to mention the matter to Will until Georgie said not to. The young woman looked nervous and uncomfortable. Could her friend have a drug problem? Georgie seemed like a healthy, bright young woman but even they stumbled some times. She was at the age that many experimented. She found herself nodding, but made a mental note to keep a protective eye on the socialite.

Their next stop was Victoria's Secret where she drifted to the familiar flannel PJs section in the back of the store, much to her friend's displeasure. She had selected several pair when Georgie finally put her foot down. "There is no way I'm letting you buy those. While we are on the subject, I think I mentioned that you should burn those sweats, Lizzy. You shouldn't be hiding your figure beneath them like an insecure teenager."

That's what she had done, Elizabeth realized. She was more comfortable in loose clothing that did not cling to her body because she was unhappy with her weight.

"What man is aroused by seeing his woman in flannel?" Georgie held up some sheer lingerie with a fitted bosom. "Something like this will definitely do the trick." Elizabeth blushed instantly, trying to grab the garment from her friend's hands, which only incurred an additional whine from her shopping companion, "C'mon Lizzy, just try it on and see what it looks like."

"I'm sure your brother would not appreciate of me spending his money on something like that."

Georgie looked like she was going to object, but instead stopped a passing salesclerk who directed them to some of the more modest silk nightgowns and flirty PJs that suited Elizabeth's personality as well as her shape. She did cave eventually to Georgie's pleading and added some of the more revealing bras and matching panties sets.

*(*(**(

Briefly, Darcy had been concerned that Elizabeth's voice might not translate well in the recording process, but from the moment he heard her in the booth, he realized he had worried unnecessarily. In fact, hearing her sultry voice through headphones made the connection to her feel more intimate, as if she were singing directly to him, the glass their only separation. Some days if he concentrated hard enough, he could forget the annoyance that her band and Paul presented. It was near bliss. He had never been engaged in this way before with a woman. It was as if she knew exactly what nerves to pluck as easily as she found the right pitch.

He had agreed with her suggestion that they record her selections first. It would be easier for her and The Hole House, to become familiar with the process if they were comfortable with the songs they were performing. He made minimal changes to the musicality of her pieces, and had even gone as far as composing music for the horns and trumpets he added to Collide. Making the song a duet had changed the lighthearted message of the original to something decidedly more mature.

While it would certainly do well with the masses, he found himself not a fan. In fact, he was starting to hate the song. Despise it more than any other song he had ever heard in his entire life. Worse, he reviled the ease developing between Max and Elizabeth each and every time they sang it. But, she'd been adamant she wanted Collide as her first selection. And, because she wanted it, he conceded. He was starting to wonder about the extent he would go to make her happy.

He was pleased her other selections were all chosen from her own originals. Her lyrical prowess and her lighthearted storytelling ability delighted. Sold. Enticed. In addition, for someone without real training, she had a devastating range and a natural ear for pitch. Her enthusiasm to improve her craft made directing her a joy. Her voice —God, her voice—never ceased to amaze. She was born to be in a studio, standing in the center of a room of musicians belting out her creations. Before he knew it, they were three weeks into the process and the CD was nearly half-finished. It was going by too fast. Much, much too fast.

The truth was he was loving every moment of it. The part of his day when he was not with Elizabeth seemed very much like a chore. He took every opportunity he could find to be with her. Going as far as riding to and from the studio with her. At first he had done so to ensure that she was on time, but he quickly realized he could gain an extra hour with her alone. There were other benefits to the new arrangement. The previous night as Sal navigated the distance to her place from the studio, Elizabeth had engaged her seatbelt, curled her legs up underneath her and promptly fallen asleep against her window. Noting her uncomfortable pose, Darcy nudged her with a gentle hand. She accepted his direction in her sleep and he cradled her against his chest. When they eventually stopped in front of her building, he gently shook her awake.

Instead of closing the distance and kissing her like he wanted, Darcy tapped the tip of her adorable nose. "We start on my selections in the morning. Go upstairs and go straight to bed. You're going to need a good night's rest for what I have in store for you."

She stretched and her cozy smile jumpstarted his libido. "Yes, slave master."

He'd gone home but had been too energized to follow his own advice. Instead, he sat at his piano and composed until the wee hours of the morning. A melody that had been swirling around in his head since the night in the subway finally fermented into something solid. Something good. Something very good.

The next day, Darcy found himself anxious as they walked into the studio together. He'd always known his tracks would take longer. They had to be rehearsed so the band and Elizabeth could get the timing down and to work through the normal kinks of the unfamiliar. For this reason, he selected for his first choice the popular Norah Jones Come Away with Me. Everyone had heard the smash. Something so familiar would make the transition from Elizabeth's pieces to his own selections a little smoother. It was also one of his favorite songs and Darcy couldn't wait to hear her rendition.

Seconds after the unveiling, it was obvious his enthusiasm over the selection was one-sided.

"There is no way I'm singing that song." Elizabeth's stubborn refusal was unexpected. "You have to pick something else."

"We've recorded your half of the songs, and I get to pick the other half. You agreed to this." It annoyed him that they were having this discussion in front of the band. Max was watching them with particular interest. "You're going to sing what I select and you are going to sing it to the best of your ability." Running late for a meeting with the legal department, Darcy gave the sheet music to Paul to finish handing out to the rest of The Hole House so they could rehearse. He left them with a warning. "I'll be back before lunch to hear your progress."

When Darcy returned, unlike the nearly flawless timing she displayed with her selections, Elizabeth missed her entrance three times in a row. With each consecutive attempt, it became abundantly clear she was doing it on purpose. The smile on Max's face each and every time she did provoked Darcy more than anything had in years. He had been patient with her selections and had voiced no objections. He'd nearly bitten his tongue in half while she sang the infernal duet he despised with Max. Not once had he complained.

All he wanted was the same consideration, the same level of cooperation now.

After telling Paul and The Hole House to take ten, Darcy entered the studio, intending to give her a long overdue reminder about who was actually in charge in this process. He'd conceded too much to her too early in their collaboration. It was time to rectify that mistake.

He crossed his arms as he leaned against the door blocking her escape. "Save us both the time and trouble and just tell me why you won't sing it."

"You wouldn't understand."

He tried to hold onto his patience but he felt it slipping. "Humor me."

"It was Peter's favorite song," she said in a rush.

As if he should know what that meant. He took a deep breath. "And, who is Peter?"

"He was my fiancé."

Darcy straightened, a physical indication of his shock. Why was this the first time he was hearing about a fiancé? "Was? As you were going to marry him?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, Will, that's what fiancé generally means."

"You said he was your fiancé. What happened to him?" Was it wrong that he hoped the man was dead? Long dead and buried. Gone. Six feet under the Earth. Never to return.

Pocketing her hands in her slacks, the new ones that curved over her backside in a way that made his pulse race, she seemed to be debating about what to say. She chose an entirely unsatisfactory answer. "We broke up."

"Why?"

"Why?" Her eyes narrowed. "It's none of your business why."

He'd decide what was his business not her. "Did you cheat on him?"

She didn't say anything. In fact, she didn't give anything away. Inscrutable, she would've been an excellent poker player. He fought the urge to shake the answer from her.

"Did he cheat on you then?" Darcy withstood Elizabeth's glare, obstinately not going to be distracted from his need to know. If she wouldn't answer that question, he suddenly had a whole host of other questions for her. "Do you still love him? Is that why you won't do the song?"

"No, I don't still love him." She turned away from him but her body language was all wrong. He could feel her tension through the space between them. Clearly, she still felt strongly for her ex-fiancé. She fiddled with the microphone in front of her. "I did love him. Very much. Once upon a time. Come Away with Me was the song we chose to dance as our first dance as a married couple. That's why I can't sing it."

Darcy felt nauseous. The song had lost its appeal for him now too. There was no way it was going to be on the CD. Collide was bad enough. "Fine. You win. I'll find another song."

He was unprepared when she flung herself into his arms, hugging him tightly. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." Each of her breathless thanks punctuated with a warm, moist kiss on his cheek. Her normal kisses on the cheek were bad enough. Each and every time she did it he had to steel himself from turning into it. This was so much worse and so much better at the same time. Jerking away from her, Darcy held her at arm's length. His entire body was smarting from the contact, the sheer rightness of her body flush against his.

"Will, thank you!" She was happy. Her eyes shone with relief. "I thought you'd be a bastard about it. I'm so glad I was wrong. I just didn't know how to tell you why I couldn't sing it. I was sure no matter what I said you'd make me sing it anyway."

She licked her lips and every fiber in his being ached to pull her back into his arms. Only he wanted something more pleasurable than sweet pecks of gratitude on the cheek from her. A real kiss, grinding her pillowy lips under his, would be a nice beginning. He felt desire for her pool in his groin. There was no time to do what he wanted. The band would be returning soon. And, he could not stay here with such obvious evidence of his arousal on display for all to see.

Darcy retreated back to the doorway putting a safer distance between them. He commanded sternly, "From here on out, I expect you to sing every song I bring you without complaint. No more games. Understand?"

"Got it, boss!" She saluted him. "I understand. I will sing whatever you want. Without complaint."

Elizabeth was true to her word, for the most part, when he returned with the music for Always Loving You. When that song was finally recorded to Darcy's satisfaction nearly a week later, Paul listened to the final playback with him.

"Damn, Will. That's a baby-making song right there if I ever heard one."

Silently, he agreed. He was going to need another ice cold shower when he went home.

*(*(

Two days later, after reading over his choice for song seven, Elizabeth nearly groaned out loud. Another love song. Conscious of the fact he was watching her closely for her reaction, she kept her smile pasted firmly in place as she read the lyrics for Start of Something Good. She'd made it through Always Loving You. She was sure she could survive this one as well. She was barely through the first bars of the chorus when Darcy halted her. She was stopped on her second, third and fourth passes as well.

"I'm not buying that you believe the words you're singing, Lizzy. You need to put feeling into it. You're sleep walking in there."

The fifth pass was stopped when Doty accidentally dropped her drum stick on the up-tempo section of the song. The sixth attempt, Max's bass string broke.

"C'mon guys, get it together."

The seventh, eighth and ninth were all stopped due to her missing timing or flubbing of a word. "Stop. Stop. We need to record this one today." Darcy sounded as annoyed as she felt. "We're already way behind schedule, and I've got to go out of town tomorrow on business."

Elizabeth perked up at this information. Darcy was going out of town? That meant a free day, right? A free day. A whole free day? It was like Christmas. She'd mentally filled the unexpected hours with her favorite activities in nanoseconds—sleeping in until noon, eating lunch with the fellas, watching some TV, then sleeping the rest of the day away. She could even cancel her appointment with Sierra. Just this once.

"Before we try again, let me talk to Elizabeth alone for a few minutes."

Elizabeth tensed in preparation for their private talk. They were occurring more and more frequently while they recorded his selections. Max groaned, taking off his bass before giving her a strained look. Doty and Ricky also gave her sympathetic glances as they too fled the recording chamber. Waving her cell phone as she exited, Tara indicated that she was going to call her boyfriend.

When Darcy joined her, she could sense he was as close to losing his patience as she was.

"What's your problem with this song?"

Elizabeth tried not to bristle at his emphasis as he waited for her explanation. She agreed not to complain, but never agreed that she would not give her opinion if solicited.

She consulted her lyrics because she did not want to misquote them. "You never know when you're gonna meet someone and your whole wide world in a moment comes undone." She waved the sheet music, "Who is W.D. Pembrook? And does he even know he writes crappy love songs?"

Darcy had clearly not expected such a frank assessment. He stood frozen a moment before he made a noise of disgust. Then, without looking in her direction, he skirted her sitting at the piano bench facing away from the keyboard. Grabbing one of Tara's guitars and without consulting the sheet music, he began to play the melody.

Did he have an eidetic memory? His fingers glided across the strings smoothly without a missed note or ill timed riff. She couldn't have been more mystified with his expertise on the instrument if he'd sprouted wings and flown around the room. Eyes closed, he began singing the chorus in a deep pleasing voice:

I know that it's gonna take some time
I've got to admit that the thought has crossed my mind
That this might end up like it should

I'm gonna say what I need to say
And hope to God that it don't scare you away
I don't want to be misunderstood
But I'm starting to believe that
This could be the Start of Something Good1

The words, which on paper had seemed corny, transformed entirely when infused with his raw emotion. When he finished, he ran his hands down the neck of the guitar thoughtfully before glancing up at her. He seemed vulnerable in that moment, not the same confident and unapproachable Mr. Darcy. "Can you sing it like that? Just like that?"

Frankly, she didn't think she could. She didn't think anyone could. Darcy should record it himself. He would sell records like hotcakes.

"I see." The light dimmed from his eyes as he placed the instrument carefully back onto its stand and rose. She reached out, stopping him. She didn't want to disappoint him. "Let me try it again. Now that I know what you want, I think I can give it to you."

"You'll give me what I want?" Darcy's gaze lowered to her hand and she removed it. She didn't know why she kept touching him when it was abundantly clear he didn't like it.

Bang!

Startled, she leapt at the sound. Max had thrown the door open to the recording booth.

Moving away, Darcy issued orders to the returning band, "Setup from the top. Play straight through." He glanced back at her. "We're not going to stop no matter what mistakes are made."

The rest of The Hole House took their place without questioning but as Max plugged in his bass, he leaned over to Elizabeth. "I really do hope I wasn't interrupting anything."

"Of course not. He was demonstrating how he wanted me to sing the song." She was aware that Darcy was watching them through the glass. "Let's just give him what he wants."

"Is that what you're doing? Giving him what he wants?" Max synched his strap in place and nodded to Doty he was ready for her to start the countdown. "How very original of you."

Max's comments had done their damage and she missed her entrance again. The band continued on without her as instructed, laying the track she would eventually record over.

When the band was finished, Darcy came through the intercom. "Elizabeth, I have to make a phone call, but I'll be back in about fifteen. The rest of you can pack it in until Wednesday."

Max unplugged his bass with more enthusiasm than necessary. "Going to be another late night with the Mr. Darcy, huh? I guess you're not going to make our lesson tonight."

Last week, she had to work late with Darcy too. "How about tomorrow night? I'll make my world famous mac 'n cheese."

"Nah," he said grabbing his coat, "You'll be too tired. I'm sure he's got plans to keep you up half the night."

It was one thing when he started teasing her about spending time with Darcy, but what her friend was implying now was disgusting. Max made it sound as if she was sleeping with him! Without an apology or a backwards glance, the bassist left in a huff.

When she looked to them, the other members of The Hole House were unusually silent in her defense. In fact, Ricky and Tara left without looking her in the eyes.

Doty made to follow them, but stopped. "You can't really blame him. He feels threatened. He barely has enough to cover rent and keep the lights on, and Will is a millionaire." She glanced through the windows that led to the hallway Darcy had gone down and added, "An extremely hot millionaire who seems to try to get you off on your own every chance he gets. How's Max supposed to compete with that?"

"Compete? Max and I aren't dating."

This news clearly surprised her friend. "Does Max know that you aren't?"

Before she could answer, Darcy could be seen returning in the hallway. He ducked his head into the booth. His gaze swept over Doty dismissively and landed firmly on Elizabeth. "Are you about ready to get back to work?"

After the drummer left, they got right back to it, but Elizabeth was very distracted. Her next two attempts felt flat. Darcy broke in again, after she missed the introduction on the third go. "We only have time for a few more tries at this thing."

"Just give me a minute." She was irritated with herself. With Max. With the situation.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just need a minute." She left the booth, went to the bathroom, washed her face and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Had she led Max on? She didn't think she had. Until tonight, she'd been convinced he felt the same way she did about him. Only friends. After all the weeks they had practiced together, he had never tried to kiss her again after their only real date. Wouldn't a man who thought they were dating kiss her again? Or, try to again at the very least? Max hadn't even tried to hold her hand. It didn't make sense that he thought they were dating. Did it?

There was a soft knock at the bathroom door. "Is everything okay in there?"

She couldn't even go to the bathroom in peace? She made a face in the mirror but said brightly, "I'm fine, Will."

"I want this song done tonight." He paused a moment. "How about this? If you do it like I want in the next take, I will take you to Stan's for dinner tonight."

Stan's! Now that got her mouth watering. She hadn't eaten meat in a week, and it was the very best steakhouse in the city. She'd heard stories but had never been. A meal there literally cost more than her grocery allowance for a month.

She opened the door to him a crack. "You're on, but I hope you've packed your plastic. I'm not planning on eating salad tonight."

A dimple appeared. "I think I've got enough to cover it."

Thinking of a steak, instead of a man, did the trick. When she finished the last note, she felt insanely shallow. What did it say about her to be able to sing with such longing for a piece of charred cow when she couldn't find the same passion for a man? She waited in quiet anticipation for his final judgment. "Am I getting steak tonight?"

He chuckled through the speakers. "Yes, that was perfect."

Song seven was done. Only three more to go!

1 Start of Something Good by Daughtry from their Break the Spell Album