Hey everyone, I'm back!!!!!!!!! I'm so sorry for the long intermission - school has started up for me again and for some reason it is harder and more work than last year (it was supposed to get easier at this point). I've been so crazy with school work and on top of this my editor has been pushing some really short deadlines on me for the article I'm writing (nothing y'all would be interested in) which has left me with absolutely no time lately (I should be working on it right now, but I've been doing that for the past 3 days straight with very little sleep and I'm ready to crack). So if I'm a little longer between updates, I apologize. I do promise to keep writing and update as often as I can and maybe in a few weeks I'll be able to go back to frequent updates.
So just to clarify for those who got all upset at Liz believing Wickham and throwing it in Darcy's face - she was using it as an example. It really wasn't a reason that she wouldn't be with him, she was just giving an example of his behavior (firing someone for the way they interact with clients, unless they are insulting them outright, is generally a no no).
Oh and wannabehermy - the only thing better than that is reading Professional Responsibility at work. (which I've done, though with the consent of my supervisor when my work was done, still always felt kind of ironic). Best of luck to you this semester.
Ok, people here we go!
Chapter 19:
The sunlight streamed through my blinds to hit me square on my face as I slept. I groaned and squeezed my eyes shut and then turned over to face away from the windows. My head was pounding as if someone took a sledgehammer to it. I knew that the symptoms were partly due to the champagne I drank the night before and partly a result of my body crashing following exams. I threw my pillow over my head and just laid there, relieved that exams were over.
Until I realized what happened last night. At which point I shot up into a sitting position, my pillow flying off my bed.
Bad idea, as my head started to spin.
"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!!!!!!" I dropped my head into my hands. What the hell happened last night?! Did Darcy really say what he said to me?! Did I really respond the way I did?!
Holy crap. This can't be good.
Then I remembered Jane in the next room and that she was going to Africa in less than a month. He deserved a piece of my mind for what he did to Jane and Charlie. So I felt a little less guilty about what I said.
Knowing I wasn't going to be able to fall back asleep at this point, I got out of bed. I booted up my computer and headed into the shower. After my shower, I headed into the kitchen to grab a yogurt for breakfast, not really wanting to cook.
I took the yogurt back into my bedroom and booted up my laptop. While it was starting, I decided to get on top of the whole 'Jane going to Africa, going to need a roommate till she comes back' problem. So I phoned Charlotte.
"Whoever this is, you ought to be shot for calling me this early in the day." was how Charlotte answered the phone.
"Char it's after 11 in the morning."
"Liz?"
"Yes."
"It's still too early – come on we finished exams yesterday. What the hell could be so important that you couldn't wait till later."
"Jane's going to Africa. She's going to be there throughout the spring term."
"So?"
"I need a roommate so I can keep my apartment. How do you feel about being able to move out of the dorms for six months?"
"Oh, um. Lizzie, I've been meaning to tell you –"
"What have you been meaning to tell me Char?"
"I won't be here next semester."
"What? Like you're doing a study abroad program? I didn't know you applied to one. Where are you going?"
"No, Liz I'm not doing a study abroad."
"Then where are you going?"
"Um, California."
Now I was confused.
"Why are you going to California? And what are you going to be doing there for an entire semester?"
"I'm transferring to Berkeley in the spring."
"For a semester?"
"No, for the remainder of law school."
"WHAT?!"
"You heard me Liz."
"But why?"
"Bill is moving out there in January. He has a job with DeBourgh's Los Angeles office."
"How does this have anything to do with you?"
"He's my boyfriend Liz."
"So that means you move to wherever he goes, despite the fact that you haven't finished school yet?"
"This isn't about him! This is about me!"
"Tell me Charlotte, how following a guy completely across the country is about you?"
"I'm not doing well in school here. I currently have no summer job offers, which means that I'm less likely to get a job with a big firm after school. If I go out there I'll be going to a lower ranked school. Which means I stand the chance to score higher. Even more important, I'll have an in at DeBourgh through Bill. Which means a job. This is the way I can swing things around for myself. This is what I have to do."
"I don't understand this."
"Of course you don't. You're perfect Liz. Everything goes your way."
"Believe me Charlotte, it certainly doesn't."
"Why cause the guy you like is your boss? Seriously Liz, if you think that just because you have one obstacle in your way that you have problems them maybe you have a bigger problem than you realize. But I'm sick of you being unrealistic about my life, thinking that everything is a quick and easy solve. My life isn't simple and it isn't fair. This is what I need to do. I'll be packing up my stuff this week and going home for the holidays. I'll be going to California straight from there so if you want to drop by and say goodbye that's fine. If you don't, it's your prerogative."
She hung up the phone. Upset, I turned to my computer and opened my e-mail's inbox to go over the e-mails I didn't check during exams. One of the e-mails that came in this morning was from a Darbing address, so I clicked on that first.
Elizabeth,
Before you hit delete on this e-mail, I ask that you please hear me out. I promise not to repeat my soliloquy from last night, as I know that it wasn't received very well, and for good reason. I made an ass of myself Liz, and while that isn't an excuse, I'd like to offer, as I promised last night, an explanation for some of the things you accused me of. Not so much to defend myself, but to more so defend the actions of others.
I never meant to take away your independence. It is one of the things that I love most about you. That you are independent and vibrant and dance to the beat of your own drum. It was just that you looked so tired and unhealthy last night, I suppose as a result of having just completed your exams (I was there once as well) and it nearly broke my heart.
As to declaring my love to you, I know that was unexpected. After all, we've barely spent time together, except when working. It isn't normal. I don't know how to explain it. You captured my attention from the first moment I met you, and everything that you have said and done (or lack thereof) has made me fall for you even more. I never thought that I would one day say that I believed in love at first sight, but I say that now. Obviously I don't expect you to echo my sentiments, and promise not to mention it again.
Regarding Jeremy Wickham, I'm not sure what he told you during the short period of time that you met him, but the version of events you were given are not true. I didn't fire Wickham because of the way he interacted with clients. I fired Wickham, along with Charlie and Mr. Bingley, because of what he did to clients. He embezzled Liz. To date, we've found that he's embezzled from 10 different client accounts in excess of 15 million dollars. This is why we also don't negotiate with the firm he now works for, because they were made aware of what they were getting themselves into if they were to hire him, and they did so anyway, in hopes of gaining Darbing insider secrets. I don't expect you to believe me when I say this, so I encourage you to check with Josh for the details, since I know that you'll trust him to tell you the truth.
Which brings me to Charlie. I'll admit, I did not think that your sister had feelings for Charlie to that extent, and for my miscalculation I apologize. However, that isn't why Charlie stayed in Tokyo. Charlie is still in Tokyo because we found account discrepancies. There were apparently accounts in Tokyo that Wickham embezzled from that we didn't know about until Charlie got there. We needed someone in Tokyo to sort this out, both for the sake of the firm and for the sake of our clients. Since Charlie was already there, that person was him. However, until we were absolutely sure that it was Wickham's doing and not just a miscounting, we needed to create a cover for him staying out there. So we were saying that he needed a change of scenery. Neither Charlie nor I could tell anyone, not Josh, not Jane and not you either. Unfortunately we've confirmed that it was a result of Wickham and we are doing damage control. While I hate to ask this of you, for the good of the firm, I'm going to ask you not to speak of this to anyone, save Josh. If this gets out in the media, it could mean some really negative things for both the firm and our clients.
I don't expect your forgiveness Liz, I hardly deserve it for my behavior toward you. I can only hope that you won't quit over this. Your work is stellar and you don't deserve to have to leave your job as a result of this. I've already made arrangements for you to work with Maggie instead of me so that you won't have as much to do with me and I will try my hardest to stay out of your way.
Once again, I apologize Liz. I am more sorry than words can say.
Yours, etc.
Will
Oh, god. Definitely not a good start to the day.
Ta Da! Ok, I'll update as soon as I can (I may have some free time this week after my next deadline, I'm not 100% sure yet - but if I do I'll definitely post another chapter). But until that point, click that little green button and review!!