Chapter 11: Grow on You

"…So now, I'm going through this meeting tolerating his god awful glare for no other reason than not wanting to cause a scene and lose my job, and then guess what he does?"

Charlotte took another sip of her Cosmo. "I don't know Lizzy, what?"

"Guess!"

Charlotte sighed. "You're really gonna make me guess? I dunno, he…ripped off his shirt and imitated the pose he had in that Armani Ad last year. You know, the one where he was imitating The Thinker, but way sexier."

Lizzy swatted at her friend and swirled the straw in her Tequila Sunrise. Ever since William Darcy had been introduced to Lucas Media, most of the ladies in the office had completed a google-enabled background check that had resulted in the unveiling of a number of modeling gigs and a couple of celebrity girlfriends. Over the pond in England, it seemed, he was rather well known for his unbelievably handsome features and slate grey eyes. Lizzy wished she had been given such a warning.

"Oh come on Char, be serious."

"I am being serious - Tell me."

Lizzy lightly pressed her lips together, set her jaw and stared at her friend. "I'm giving you a taste of PNC's super informative eye conversation." She deepened her voice, "Oh come on, can't you read my mind?"

Charlotte spit out a bit of her drink and then choked on the rest. Still chuckling, she scolded, "You need to warn me before you plan on imitating him. You do that too well. That is the exact face he had on all evening at that event of his."

"Trust me, Charlotte, I know! It's absurd."

"Okay, but you already told me that he was giving you the stare."

"Oh, yeah, but that's not what he did. What he did was interrupt me mid-sentence and ask if we could talk outside."

"You're joking."

"Nope. It was an obvious battle for power and I wasn't going to let him win it."

"What did you do?" Charlotte leaned forward in curiosity.

"As best I could, I ended the meeting and dismissed my team. Then I let him tell me what he needed."

"Wow, Lizzy that was a little bold."

"I know, right? I'm still not quite sure how I kept my head about me. He really threw me off for a second."

"What had he wanted to say that was so important it couldn't wait?"

"Well…it actually wasn't a bad thing. He wanted to tell me that it was almost positive that the car would be released here in the U.S. so that I could tell my team to expect other assignments in the future."

"Oh. That actually was a pretty good thing then."

"Yeah, but he went about it all wrong. He just makes me so uncomfortable. I feel like he's perpetually trying to catch me off my game." Her eyes glanced sideways as she remembered something else. "Wanna hear something really strange? Would you believe, after all that, he asked me out to a professional lunch?"

Charlotte seemed to note this new piece of information on a mental checklist, but all she could manage in response was a, "Hmm." She returned her attention to his interruption. "Well, I wonder why he didn't just say all that directly in the meeting?"

Lizzy shrugged. "How could I know? When does he ever do something in a normal, socially adjusted way?" Just then, her stomach growled. "Char, why didn't we go somewhere we could get dinner too? Want to head over to Umani Sushi again?"

Charlotte glanced at the clock on her phone and bit her lip. "I'm sorry Lizzy, I can't."

"What? Why?"

"I, um…I actually have a date."

"You do? With who? Why haven't you told me about him?"

"Why? Because you already met him, that's why."

"You've got a date with Robert Collins?!" It was impossible to hide her surprise.

"Yea, I do. When I was about to leave Toshi's he asked me if I wanted to get dinner sometime."

"Oh wow, Charlotte I…didn't think you would see him again."

Charlotte bit her lip. "You don't like him, do you?"

Lizzy was caught off-guard by the question, but not by her friend's candor. "It's not that I don't like him Charlotte - I don't really know him. It just might take some time for me to get used to him. I mean this in the kindest way possible, but, he didn't really strike me as being on your level."

"And what is 'my level', Lizzy?"

"I don't know. Just…not him." Remembering Charlotte's description that night, she continued. "He's a little awkward, Char. Not gallant, just awkward. You're always so poised and sensible."

"Hmm…I think I can get what you're feeling. Lizzy, I'm almost 32 years old. I'm not Jane, who has so many admirers she can have her pick. And I'm not you either, intentionally ignoring whatever attention comes my way. I'm getting older, and I don't have the opportunity to meet people as much. He might not be the most socially fabulous person, but he's nice and attentive in a positive way - which is more than we can say for some people, yes?"

At the reference, William Darcy's face drifted uninvited through her mind. Charlotte had a point. "But Char, Will Darcy has never been discussed by any of us…well, except maybe Lydia…as someone with romance potential."

"I think that's only because he doesn't make himself very accessible. Have you forgotten how we both reacted when we first saw him?" Charlotte shook her head. "Besides, Robert has a really great job acting as a personal assistant to some very wealthy lady. So many men our age don't have it together professionally, and he definitely does. It's nice to find stability."

Lizzy gave her friend a pensive smile. "Alright loves. If that's really how you feel, I'll support you. I may not like it fully, but I'll support you."

Charlotte smiled. "Thanks Lizzy. I'm sure he'll grow on you."

Lizzy sincerely hoped that he wouldn't, in any way, shape or form. "Text me tonight and tell me how your date goes."

Charlotte stood up and gathered her belongings. "You got it lovey. See you at work tomorrow."

"Lizzy, that's the third time you've looked at your phone in the last five minutes. What are you looking for?" Jane had paused the television, and was now staring at her sister with her arms folded across her chest.

"Oh…um…Charlotte's on a date with that Robert guy from the networking event. I was just checking to see if she had given me an update yet on how it went." She hoped her sister wouldn't notice the fact that it was only 7:30pm and there was very little chance that Charlotte was even home yet.

Jane gave her sister the same look she used on her kindergarteners when they hid extra animal crackers in their desks. "You're not telling me something, Lizzy. You've been holding out on me these past few days - I can feel it. I'm not turning this TV back on until you fess up."

Lizzy blew out her breath. Jane could always find the chinks in her armor. "Fine. I met someone. But don't get all excited and giggly. He hasn't called or texted and I'm trying to figure out why."

"Well, when did you meet him?"

"Monday. On my lunch hour. In Starbucks."

Lizzy could see Jane doing some quick mental math. "It's only been four days Lizzy."

"I know, but Charlotte got asked out on a date the same night she met Robert. Charlie gave you a call the next day. I finally get the courage to give my number to a guy and he doesn't even use it."

Jane tenderly reached for her sisters hands. "Lizzy I can tell you, from experience, that sometimes it takes a lot more than four days for a guy to get the courage up to call a girl. Don't lose hope yet." She twisted forwards and un-paused the TV. Three seconds later, she muted it.

"If he calls, which I'm sure he will, you should invite him to Ella Lounge for Halloween. It'll be a good group setting for a date and that way I'll get to meet him." Jane smiled brightly, and Lizzy didn't like how pleased she looked with herself for her suggestion.

"I'll think about it. Remember, he has to actually call first."

Jane shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly and spoke in a sing-song voice, "Oh…He will." Lizzy made sure Jane caught sight of her scowl. Two seconds and a playful shove later, the dialogue from their DVR episode of New Girl filled the living room.

A/N

First, I would like to give a special shout out to biancaruth, who accurately guessed that the interrupted staff meeting was my version of the gathering at Lucas Lodge.

As we go on, I will actively try to draw parallels between the text and this fiction. The re-worked conversations might not all line up exactly with the event that they originated from, but they will be in there. I hope that you enjoy trying to spot these segments.

Also, please, please keep the discussion going in the comments section! It is so nice to hear what you all think will happen, and what you feel is the most logical behavior for these characters. And if you find that you keep coming back to my story, I simply ask that you favorite and/or follow it. Seeing those numbers climb lets me know that I'm not just doing this for myself; that there are other people out there who are really enjoying it too.