Chapter 8

Susanna left her apartment the next day to go to her office, her briefcase stuffed full with files. Even though it was Saturday, the whole staff had to come in since Mr. Simmons had just returned. She leaned against the wall of the elevator and glanced at her phone. She rolled her eyes: 5 missed calls. She pushed a button and up popped the five calls: Ryan, Ryan, Ryan, Ryan, Ryan. She grunted, but didn't call him back. Something told her he was most likely still in bed.

She walked through the store, which hadn't opened yet, and automatically straightened out a few hats as she walked by. She stepped into the mirrored elevator, and making sure no one was coming in after her, she checked her teeth. She'd had a poppy seed bagel that morning, and she always managed to get the seeds in her teeth. She was attempting to pick at them when the door opened again. Her hand flew to her side, and she stepped out, still to trying to get at it with her tongue. She nodded good morning to the grumpy and cranky staff, who did not appreciate coming to work on a Saturday morning.

She rounded the corner to her office, but stopped abruptly when she saw not a blonde head of hair behind the secretary desk, but a red one. Highly suspicious, she walked slowly toward it.

"Where's Darcy?" she asked, when she saw a red-haired, freckled-nosed, nervous girl at the desk.

"She couldn't come in today, Miss Bennet," the girl said, her voice shaking.

Susanna locked her jaw, her lips pursed. "That stupid prince," she muttered.

"I'm sorry, Miss Bennet?"

"Nothing," she said quickly, but opened her phone and angrily dialed Ryan's number.

"'Ello?" his raspy voice came.

"Where the hell is my secretary?" she demanded.

There was a pause. "Susanna?"

"Where is she?" Susanna insisted.

Another pause. "I don't know," he said, not at all believable.

Just then a muffled, distinctively female voice could be heard on his end. Susanna moved a little down the hall.

"Bullshit," she hissed. "She's right next to you!"

"No she's not."

"You slept with my secretary?!" she said, trying to keep her voice down.

"Are we done yet?"

Susanna paused. "Arrrrrrgh!" She made an angry noise and slammed her phone shut. Noticing the anxious replacement-secretary looking at her, she took several deep breaths to try and calm down. Then she turned on her heel and walked back to her office.

She picked up her briefcase and said to the girl, "Get me at ten o'clock for the staff meeting."

The girl nodded, and Susanna opened the doors to her office. Throwing her briefcase on the sofa, she gasped.

On her desk sat a gorgeous, massive bouquet of flowers in a beautiful purple vase. All sorts of colorful, fragrant flowers spilled over onto her desk. Her mouth slightly open, Susanna walked toward it, the prince forgotten for the moment. A card sat amongst the petals and she pulled it out. It simply said: Lunch? –Keith. She smiled, and from then on her morning was significantly happier.

Susanna really had no reason to be at the staff meeting, as she had all the fall fashion lined up. She tried to pay attention as she chewed on the top of a doughnut – she only liked the tops. But her thoughts slowly drifted away, and she began to ponder whether or not she should call Keith and tell him to meet her at her apartment so she could change, or did she look fine in what she was wearing now? And was this a date, or just two friends going for lunch? And if it was a date, where was this going? But what if it wasn't a date?

"Susanna," she heard, from what seemed like many miles away. "Susanna!" This time she heard it sharply, and jerked herself out of her reverie and looked to Mr. Simmons, who was looking at her with a slight smile on his face.

"Do we have the junior department under control?" he asked her.

"Yes, completely," she said.

He nodded and said, "Good. Meeting adjourned."

Everyone hustled to stand up and leave the room. Susanna saw the nervous redhead trying to push her way in and towards Susanna. Susanna was the last to stand, and she closed the folder in front of her and put it in her briefcase as the girl fought her way toward her.

"Miss Bennet!" the girl cried, finally emerging from the crowd. "There's someone to see you."

Susanna quickly looked at her watch, and was astounded to see it was already half past noon.

"Thank you," she said, gathering up her things and heading to her office. Keith stood in her office, looking at the fashion posters that hung on her walls.

"Sorry," she said as she came in, dumping her briefcase onto her desk. He turned around when she spoke, and his mouth slightly opened as he looked at her.

"Well, you clean up rather nicely," he said, an odd smile on his face.

She chuckled. "Thank you," she said, and unconsciously ran a hand through her hair. "And thank you for the flowers. How did you find out where I worked?"

"Mrs. Johannsen," he replied, and Susanna rolled her eyes at the thought of her kooky neighbor upstairs. "Is this a bad time or…?"

"No, it's fine," she said. "I'm done for the day, actually."

"Good," he said. "What kind of food do you like?"

She put her briefcase under her desk and walked around to lead him out. "For lunch I usually just eat in the park."

"Sounds good," he said as they walked to the elevator.

"Do you like deli sandwiches?"

"Love them!"

She smiled. "Good. There's this great deli just across the street."

They got into the elevator, and Susanna tried to subtly check herself in the mirrors. She straightened her black and white, flared skirt, and delicately brushed off her black blazer and white blouse. Her skirt hit just above the knee, and without quite realizing it, she somewhat seductively crossed her bronzed legs.

Keith looked as nice as he had the night before. He wore gray slacks and a very flattering light blue dress shirt. The elevator opened before Susanna was caught staring at him, and she led him through the crowded store and outside.

They got their sandwiches from Susanna's deli (only after Susanna tried to fight with him about him paying for hers) and then crossed the street to Bryant Park, where they luckily found an open table and sat down to eat.

"So," Keith began as the set themselves up. "What country are you from?"

"Is it obvious?" she asked.

"It was to me."

"I'm from Telera."

He showed no sign of recognition. She smiled.

"I doubt you've heard of it. It's a very small country in Europe," she explained, taking a huge bite of her sandwich.

"Interesting," he said. "So why are you in New York?"

She swallowed and said, "Well, in Telera, by now I'd be married, have three kids, and would never ever have a career."

"I see," he said. "Old-fashioned?"

"Very. So I moved to New York five years ago and got out of it."

"You were able to do that?"

"Well, it wasn't easy," she said, pausing to take a drink. "But my father warmed to it after awhile and let me go. My mother, on the other hand…" she made a face, and took another bite.

Keith chuckled. "Not so warm, huh?"

"As freezing as possible. But she puts on a happy face and deals with it, I suppose. A few years ago it was a huge scandal, but no one really cares anymore." She took a drink. "What about you?"

He took a drink, then said, "Well, I've lived in L.A. for a few years now, but I grew up in Connecticut and I really missed the East Coast. My brother moved to the city last year with his wife, so I'm staying with them until I can find a place."

"What did you do in L.A.?"

He swallowed and said, "Right after college I was offered to be one of the curators for the Museum of Contemporary Art. It's a great job, it's just… I really hate L.A., you know what I mean?"

She nodded, her mouth full of turkey.

"So I figure I'd just try my luck here. That's why I'm dressed like this; I've already been to two interviews this morning."

And so they ate and talked, and then sat and talked long after their sandwiches were gone. It was nearly three o'clock when they decided they should be heading home. They walked at a leisurely pace back to the apartment building.

"I'll take you up," Keith said.

"What a gentleman," Susanna said with a smile.

"Well, there aren't many of us left, are there?"

She smiled wider, but he suddenly blushed and looked down to his shoes. The elevator stopped and the doors opened, but Susanna grunted to find none other than the prince in her little lobby. He looked up as the doors slid open, and was about to say something when he noticed Keith.

"What are you doing here?" Susanna said, trying to keep her anger in for Keith's sake.

"Who's that?" Ryan jerked his head to Keith, who stood awkwardly at the elevator doors.

Susanna sighed. "Ryan, this is Keith. Keith this is Ryan."

They shook hands, but Ryan let go rather quickly.

"Nice to… meet you," Keith said, his voice trailing off.

"Keith and I were just having lunch," Susanna said, watching Ryan carefully. Something passed over his face as he looked at Keith, and it looked an awful lot like resentment.

"I'll get going," Keith said uncomfortably, stepping back into the elevator. "I'll see you later, Susanna," he said as the doors closed.

Once they were shut, Susanna whirled around. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Me? What the hell are you doing?" he countered.

"I'm not doing anything, you're the one sleeping around," she said angrily, fumbling for her keys.

"It wasn't like that!"

"Oh really?" she said, jabbing her key into the door. "I had a replacement secretary today, you want to sleep with her, too?" She slammed her door open.

"First of all, nothing happened, and second of all, it's none of your damn business!" he said, charging in after her. "Besides, it seems I'm not the only one fooling around here!"

"What?"

"Keith! Why are you dating him?"

"What? Suddenly I need your approval of whom I can date?" she said, heatedly tearing off her blazer and throwing it on the table.

"Well, not that guy!"

"What's wrong with Keith?"

There was a pause. "I don't like him."

"Oh, right, because you can really tell from one handshake," she said with angry sarcasm.

"I can."

"All we did was have lunch! Unlike some people, I don't have sex on the first date!" she yelled.

"We didn't do anything!" he yelled back. "It was late, she fell asleep at my place!"

"Oh right, because the couch is sooo far away, she just had to fall asleep next to you!"

"You're impossible!" he said, making for the door. "I'm leaving!"

"Fine! Good riddance!" she said, following him and grabbing the door. "And stop sleeping with my secretary!" she yelled before she slammed the door shut behind him.

"Forget him," she said, trying to relax her muscles, which had tensed during their fight. She climbed the steps to her room, unbuttoning her shirt. She ran a bath in her gilded tub and slipped in, her anger calming down.

She was still trying to rid her mind of the prince when the phone that hung by the tub rang. She sighed but looked at the Caller ID, which said Vivian. She dried her hand on a nearby towel and pushed the answer button.

"Hey Viv," she said, her voice sullen.

"Hey… what's wrong?" Vivian's voice came through the speaker.

"That… prince, that's what's wrong."

"Oh, dear. What happened?"

"Well, I was having lunch with this really great guy from downstairs-"

"Cute?"

"Totally. Anyways, he brought me back to my apartment and there's Ryan. Of course it was very awkward for Keith-"

"Keith?"

"The guy from downstairs."

"Right. Carry on."

"So he leaves all abruptly. Then, you know how Ryan took my secretary to dinner last night?"

"Yeah."

"Well, this morning when I called him, she's right there in bed next to him!"

"No!"

"Yes! So I, of course, yell at him for sleeping with my secretary on the first date, and he's like 'Nothing happened', and I said, 'Bull, I heard her this morning!' And she didn't show up at work. And then he accuses me of screwing around!"

"Take a deep breath," Vivian said soothingly.

Susanna drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Listen, forget him. You don't even like him, remember?" Vivian said.

For whatever reason, this seemed to resound throughout Susanna's mind. Exactly, she didn't even like him… right? So why should she care what he thinks?

"You're right, of course," Susanna said.

"Of course I am," Vivian said. "I gotta run, but I'll talk to you in the morning, alright?"

"Yeah, alright."

"Talk to you later."

"Bye, Viv." She hung up with a click.

"Don't even like him," she mumbled, as if trying to convince herself.

After a few minutes, she willed herself out of the tub and changed into some sweats. She killed a few hours by working on a column for the New York Times and reading a book.

It was eight o'clock and she sat in her living room, suddenly very aware of how empty her apartment was. She forgot for the moment the book she held in her hand as she looked around, the apartment dark and deathly silent. The enormous bay window behind her let in the twinkling, bright lights of the city, and the sounds of the cars and people down below. She set down her book and walked over to it, pulling aside the curtains and sitting on the window seat, her head resting against the pane. People still filled Park Avenue below her, just little specks from her height above them.

Wrenching her from her ponderings, the door rang, ringing harsh and shrill throughout the apartment.

"Coming!" she called, and pulled the curtains back over the windows.

She clicked on a few lights as she hurried to the door, and glanced quickly in the mirror. Her hair had air-dried to become thick and wavy, but it didn't look too bad, so she opened the door.

Keith stood on the other side, holding a bottle and a carton of ice cream. She smiled.

"Good evening," she said.

"Good evening," he replied, smiling as he passed a glance over her. He then seemed to remember the objects in his hands. "I have champagne and cookie dough ice cream."

"Both of which I adore," she said, her smile broader. "Come on in."

He crossed into the apartment and she closed the door behind him. She began to lead him toward the kitchen.

"I owe you an explanation," she said to him.

"No need. I've done my research," he replied.

She flicked the kitchen light on as she looked at him with surprise.

"Telera is a monarchy, with a second prince named Ryan," Keith said, placing the bottle and carton onto the counter.

Susanna chuckled as she began to look for bowls and glasses. "Impressive. Unfortunately, that prince is annoying as all hell and decided to come with me to New York," she said, trying to reach two champagne glasses at the very top of the cabinet. Keith came over and got them for her.

"Thank you," she murmured as he handed them to her. He smiled a little as they were awful close, but she took the glasses and turned to set them near the bottle. She rummaged in a drawer for a bottle opener.

"Allow me," he said, taking the opener from her and setting to work on the bottle. "So why did he follow you here?" he asked. "Is he in love with you?"

Susanna laughed. "Good heavens, no. No, apparently he came to 'find himself' or some such nonsense."

Keith smiled. "Why, what do you think his motives were then?"

"To get away from his mother," she said simply, as the cork popped and hit the fridge.

"Sorry," Keith said embarrassedly.

She just chuckled and picked it up. He poured them two glasses as she scooped some ice cream into bowls. He handed her a glass and she handed him a bowl.

"Cheers," he said with a smile.

"Cheers," she repeated, and they each took a sip.

Keith seemed to be thinking as Susanna began to eat her ice cream. She tried not to notice, but he finally picked up his bowl and began to eat his ice cream.

There were a few moments of odd yet contented silence when Keith finally said, "Actually, Susanna, I haven't stopped thinking about you all day."

Something jumped inside her, but it may have been the champagne. "Really?"

He moved closer. "I haven't stopped thinking about you since the moment I met you." And without much further ado, he kissed her. Shocked at first, she eventually gave into it as he deepened the kiss, pressing her against the counter. His arms wrapped around her waist as her hands became entangled in his hair, getting caught up in the moment.

He had left her mouth and was trailing his lips down her neck when out of nowhere the door rang. He grunted, and her arms fell to her sides.

"I should probably get that," she said. He sighed, but nodded as she smiled and gave his lips a quick kiss. She left the kitchen and headed to the door, straightening out her top. She smiled to herself as she ran a hand through her hair.

Opening the door, she nearly gasped to find Ryan on the other side. Instead of looking angry, however, he looked rather regretful.

"Susanna, can I talk to you?" he said. She nodded, but glancing into her apartment, she fought for a moment and then finally decided to join him outside. She closed the door behind her, looking at him expectantly.

"I was thinking about what you said as I left earlier, and you were right," he said.

"What?" she said, surprised.

"But I want you to believe me that nothing happened with Darcy," he said, looking square into her eyes. He was telling the truth.

She sighed. "I'm sorry. I should've believed you before."

He nodded. "But it made me think, and if you like this Keith guy… I have no right to any say in the matter."

"Thank you," she said.

"So we're… we're okay?" he asked.

She smiled. "Yeah, we're okay."

"Good," he said. Then, he leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Good night, Susanna."

Surprised, she murmured, "Good night."

He stepped into the elevator and smiled at her until the doors shut.

She touched her cheek and thought, Right… don't even like him.